speakers for classic system

[laidbackdood]

Hi everyone...this is my first post on here...so bear with me!!!
I have been keen on hifi since i was 16 and i am now 49.
I still have a lot of my components from that time and now i am on the hunt for some speakers to top it off....here goes
Ariston Rd40 with linn basik plus arm and linn k9 cartridge.
Nad 3130 amp
Nad 6325 cassette deck(gets little use now)
Panansonic SL-PJ 325 CD player(not a bad sound)
sennheiser HD 250 headphones(excellent!)

I tried the turntable and amp out years ago with a pair of gale 301 and found they sounded awesome but maybe a little hard to drive.....have a chance at getting a pair of 302 for a good price(big brothers to 301)......Are they any easier to drive than the 301? Any thoughts on pairing them up with my components?Havent been able to find any reviews on this speaker or specs....My main listening will be via vinyl....cheers

[blackraven]

Do you have any idea of what the speakers Sensitivity and ohm specs are?

[laidbackdood]

No....I havent been able to find any specs on these speakers at all.

[Mr Peabody]

I'm not familiar with the brand you mentioned. On the affordable but really good for the money look at the JBL Studio, if not opposed to used a great speaker would be Dynaudio, something in the Audience, Excite or DM series would match well with NAD. The DM may be affordable enough to buy new depending on budget.

I'm not big on vintage speakers, most drivers tend to wear out over years. Klipsch is an exception, due to the high efficiency the drivers barely move and last for decades. If interested anything in the Heritage line is decent, the Forte and Chorus are good too. Klipsch are fun for a lot of reasons, they've gotten a bit of a bad rap when letting cheap product into Best Buy, I wouldn't say they are the best for a critical listener though.

[E-Stat]

I'm not familiar with the brand you mentioned.

The poster is most likely from the UK as Gale hails from there. I worked for a shop in the 70s that sold the 401s. Nice three way speakers using dual woofers. Due to the driver orientation, they were intended for horizontal use.

Gale Loudspeakers

[blackraven]

I second the Wharfedale's but also look at PSB's. The lower priced B6 monitors up through the top of the line Synchrony's are a warmer sounding speaker. NHT Classic three's are another nice monitor.

[harley .guy07]

Well I found a little information on them and they look like they have a sensitivity of over 90 db which is pretty good but not close to 100 which would make them better for lower power amps like yours. But depending on your listening habits you might be fine. If you listen to your music at lower volumes for the most part you might be fine since they seem to cater to the lower powered side of audio. But I would say that the only thing that might be missing is the dynamic capability when it comes to the occasional cranking it up if that is something you ever do. They are going to be harder to drive than the 301's just due to the speaker themselves being more to drive due to more drivers and more cabinet. It really all depends on your listening habits, but I NAD amps have a very good dynamic headroom for there power rating.

[laidbackdood]

Well I found a little information on them and they look like they have a sensitivity of over 90 db which is pretty good but not close to 100 which would make them better for lower power amps like yours. But depending on your listening habits you might be fine. If you listen to your music at lower volumes for the most part you might be fine since they seem to cater to the lower powered side of audio. But I would say that the only thing that might be missing is the dynamic capability when it comes to the occasional cranking it up if that is something you ever do. They are going to be harder to drive than the 301's just due to the speaker themselves being more to drive due to more drivers and more cabinet. It really all depends on your listening habits, but I NAD amps have a very good dynamic headroom for there power rating.

Thanks for the info provided and comments.....I used to have a pair of kef carina 11 (pity i dont have these anymore) with this set up and they were 89db 1w 1m and they used to pump out a good sound...esp on my turntable.....I no longer have them unfortunately.....was looking at a pair of yamaha ns 45 too.....basically going to buy second hand.....the nad is rated as low power but like all their amps of that time....eg Power envelope....they can push it out without clipping too much.
I was thinking of getting an audio lab pre/power amp combo 100 watts.....c and p i think.......i remember they were an awesome combo of that era with a good quality phono stage...which i want to partner with my ariston rd 40 which i rate highly.I also have a creek amp 50 watts per channel i think model cas 4040.......I have a good idea this is a quality amp(one channel not working,so need to get fixed)
To me modern speakers are more geared to digital and i do appreciate the clarity and preciseness of digital...once you crank it up...i just want to cover my ears! Vinyl up loud is where its at for me.....anymore thoughts much appreciated.

[Mr Peabody]

If you are looking for a warmer speaker, which I presume from your comments, Wharfedale are decent and probably in your budget new. There are some Polk that are revered as well but I'm not familiar enough with them to guide you to the particular model/series.

Modern speakers may have improved and allow more detail but speakers vary greatly in sound, not all would make you hold your ears you just have to find the ones right for you.

What is your budget for speakers?