Looking for a good value

[Aric M L]

I'll just get it out of the way and tell you, yes I'm a 19 year old college boy and many of you know vastly more than I do about home audio and most all of you have more money than I do. However, I am just not satisfied with my Sony set up and am looking to buy a cheaper used myryad integrated amp (around $3-400) and am looking for some advice on stereo speakers to go with it. Floorstanders are nice, but seeing as how I can only afford $3-500 for the speakers, I am not at all married to the idea and would cheerfully buy some nice bookshelves that were a great value. I listen to all kinds of music except rap and most frequently classic rock. I'll just go ahead and list the speakers I've heard that impress me so all you who are wiser than me can give me advice.

Tannoy MX-2
Tannoy MX-3
B&W 602 S3
B&W DM303

I really do like the Tannoy MX-2s espescially because I'm looking to someday move up to 5.1 and could set those as a rear and get the matching MX-3 or MX-4 for front channel and obviously the MX-C for center channel. I did hear Queen over the tannoys and was impressed but did not hear anything truly exciting over the B&W's musical selection wise. Anyways, to stop my rambling and get to the point any advice you could give me for other speakers I should give a listen to around that price range would be wonderful and also any other int. amps you've ever found to be a good bargain. Thank you so much!

[myun01]

if youre only wanting to spend $300-500 on from speakers, I dont think that you need to be looking at those B&Ws. I believe the retail on those 602s are $600/pair. Unless you have a hook up, Id say that their outta youre price range. Nice speakers, hungry for power, sound great, but may be a bit hefty for your budget. Have you tried looking at any open box items are youre local Circuit City. They have been known to have Polk speakers on sale for open box prices. But whatever you wanna do...

[Aric M L]

Well it seems I came off wrong or something. I know I am no audiophile like many of the people on this website but I am enthusiastic and would really like to learn more and have something that would give a decent picture or at least as decent of one as I can buy. I know the B&W's are around $600 but I wasn't planning on buying retail, Audiogon or even sometimes Ebay carry them within my price range. Alsp I obviously do not know what all of you feel about Polk, but whenever I've heard them I've been unimpressed. I am right now most interested in the Tannoys and if anyone had opinions on those or other speakers similar to them I should listen to so I can widen my horizons a little, that was what I was really hoping to learn by asking you all this. Also though there are other brands in my price range I jsut haven't been able to listen to because I'm busy with school, such as Mission, Mirage, Energy (again I know they're expensive but if they're quality enough I would save longer), or anything like that. It would mean a lot to me so I can know what I should try and locate to listen to.

[92135011]

Hey I'm a college boy too ^_^!
Truthfully, when you get a job later on, you are not gonna wanna stick with what you buy now. Probably gonna up the ante a bit if you know what I mean. I think its a good start with what you have in mind now, but I would start with bookshelves first. And of course, if you wanna use them in 5.1 you could always just put them in the back and get new fronts that are better. Maybe you would like to go used too, if you trust used stuff (I'm a little skeptical, but sometimes you do get some good deals)

[Aric M L]

That was what I liked about the mX2's, The Mx4's were nicer and I could get those later as fronts and have a nice little set up. I'll probably stick with 2 channel for a while though so i can concentrate my $ on nicer music instead of crappier sound all around me. You're very right though, I'm not buying for life now and am also not obsessed with same brand surround whenever I get it, so if anyone has any thoughts about those other brands that's be great to hear too.