what speakers for my amp

hi i am new to the forum and i am not very clued up on audio gear but i have recently inherited a kenwood ka-5700 amplifier and would like to sort it out with some nice speakers on a fairly low budget, the question is how do i go about choosing the right ones
any help on the matter would be very much appreciated

What is your budget? Are you looking for newer or for vintage ones?

The Kenwood you have is 40W per channel so it will drive most of the speakers

There are no "best" speakers for amps. As long as your amp has the power to drive them you are free to choose any that sound good to you.

I believe your amp has about 40 watts per channel and this is sufficient to cleanly drive almost any speaker that would logically fall into your consideration to quite loud levels.

So, if looking new, start looking around where you are and listen to everything that you can. Otherwise, you'll just get other people's opinions and, since speaker sound varies greatly from brand to brand, there may be differing ones.

This is not to say that Internet only brands are no good. There are some very good ones out there.

But again, "good" is a relative term.

Garage sales are a good place to start if you are on a real low budget but when you go used, you have little control over what the market offers..

The operative word is "logically". The Kenwood amp at 40 watts would give some boundaries, I would keep with a speaker 89dB efficient or better, rating given in SPL, I would also recommend keeping with an 8 ohm speaker. Kenwood is not high current and not known for being conservative on the power rating.

Other than used you might give a listen to the Cambridge Audio speakers that are getting good feedback in a budget speaker. Wharfdale and Energy are also decent budget speaks. If Craigslist extends into your area you could pick up a number of options pretty cheap. I would pass on Kenwood speakers, not their strong point, also Technics or JVC. Sony or Yamaha are hit and miss. Pioneer typically made decent speakers and I usually see plenty of Polk and Infinity up. A set of Klipsch you might like and would certainly play loud with little power. Cerwin Vega as well. As mentioned though it's always better to get a listen first if possible buying new or used. Most internet retailers give a 30 day return.

Happy hunting and welcome to AR.

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Originally Posted by dakatabg

What is your budget? Are you looking for newer or for vintage ones?

The Kenwood you have is 40W per channel so it will drive most of the speakers

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under $200 but i dont mind paying for good quality and new ones, it being 40w per channel should i be looking at 40w rms speakers ?

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Originally Posted by nagrom

under $200 but i dont mind paying for good quality and new ones, it being 40w per channel should i be looking at 40w rms speakers ?

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In the real world they have proven virtually meaningless. If you have a choice, keep that efficiency rating Mr P. refers to as high as possible, but that is not an indicator of how good it will sound, only how loud it will seem. Loud sound is not the same as good sound..

Of course, if you're buying used, you most likely won't have access to that anyway and don't expect people at a garage sale or craigslist to know it, either.

In any case, I wouldn't obsess on ths number. Almost any speaker will play quite satisfyingly loud on 40 watts in a home environment.

But, when this amp was made, larger speakers with large woofers were in vogue so almost anything like that should serve you well. You can take that as a subtle hint.

Look in the used market...

I was using a Kenwood KA-6004 to drive a pair of Paradigm Model 7se. They sounded fantastic with a pleasant, all around vibe.

Where do you live? We can check the local classifieds...

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Originally Posted by poppachubby

Look in the used market...

I was using a Kenwood KA-6004 to drive a pair of Paradigm Model 7se. They sounded fantastic with a pleasant, all around vibe.

Where do you live? We can check the local classifieds...

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that would be champion im in the northern beaches of sydney around manly area what should i look for in second hand items in terms of wear and tear

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Originally Posted by nagrom

that would be champion im in the northern beaches of sydney around manly area what should i look for in second hand items in terms of wear and tear

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I punched speakers into the Sydney Craigslist. Not many results. I found these... http://sydney.craigslist.com.au/ele/1809447159.html

Not sure if $150 is alot in Australian terms. He claims to have replaced the tweeters, which is usually a bad thing. Also, they would need stands, contrary to what he's telling you. Best thing would be to have a good listen to them.

Call him and take your amp over there, along with a CDP. Try them out for at least a half hour and see what you think. If you can't test them out, forget it.

Is there another online source for used gear in Sydney?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by poppachubby

I punched speakers into the Sydney Craigslist. Not many results. I found these... http://sydney.craigslist.com.au/ele/1809447159.html

Not sure if $150 is alot in Australian terms. He claims to have replaced the tweeters, which is usually a bad thing. Also, they would need stands, contrary to what he's telling you. Best thing would be to have a good listen to them.

Call him and take your amp over there, along with a CDP. Try them out for at least a half hour and see what you think. If you can't test them out, forget it.

Is there another online source for used gear in Sydney?

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http://sydney.gumtree.com.au/ i think this is the most used site and that price is fine

More than one member from down under has expressed a lack of audio options. In post #4 I gave some of my opinions on what you might look for. Good luck.

well thanks for all the help and advice guys much apreciated i think im gonna go to all the cash converters with my amp and ipod and check out what they have