Help me choose my first (used) speakers

[blackraven]

That Marantz amp will be fine. It will be able to drive most speakers rated at 4-8 ohms and 87db and above. It has good current behind it. Current is just as important in driving speakers. Those NHT Classic Three's will be easy to drive with the Marantz. I like the sound of the NHT 3's and almost bought a pair. Paradigm makes nice speakers and should be a good match for the Marantz as I have heard that pairing.

I drive a pair of Monitor Audio S1 bookshelf speakers rated at 88dB Sensitivity to loud levels with a cheap Dayton Audio 20wpc digital amp and the sound is astounding. Don't get too caught up in the power game. Going from 60wpc to 75wpc won't gain you much more volume.

Any speaker that you get that is rated with a Sensitivity of 88dB or higher will play at ear bleeding levels for the most part. And once you get to a Sensitivity of 90 or above you can use 10 watts or less. And for the most part, when you play music, you are usually using less than 10 watts until you hit some dynamic parts of the music. There are plenty of so called "Flea" amps (because they put out 1 to 5 watts per channel) that cost a few thousand dollars that people pair with high efficiency speakers and many prefer them to high powered systems.

I also would not worry too much about bass. If your system lacks a little bass you can always add a small sub later. There are plenty of good budget subs or used subs that will do the job.

The only mistake that you made in putting together your system was not picking out your speakers first. Your Marantz gear will give you that smooth pleasing Marantz sound which is forgiving of poorly recorded music. I would have also gone with the PM8005 as it has preamp out puts so that you could use it as a preamp if you wanted to use a stand alone power amp. It also has more power. The PM7005 does not have preamp out put. I do understand about it having a built in DAC but you could have added a good budget DAC later like the AudioQuest Dragon Fly or something similar. Sometimes it is best to buy the best that you can and add other pieces as money allows. I don't think that you will be disappointed with the Marantz sound. You won't get audiophile sound but you will get very good sound.

Wharfedale makes some nice sounding speakers, they are smooth sounding with detail and some warmth. The tower speakers are supposed to put out nice bass although I have not heard the towers, only the 10.2's. But you should really buy speakers that you can hear unless you don't mind shipping them back if you don't like them.

If you can swing it, I would go with the B&W 683's. They will pair well with the Marantz, give you plenty of detail and bass. But give them a listen. Best Buy Magnolia stores carry the 683's and Marantz gear. Bring a long some well recorded music to listen to.

Those PSB's that you mentioned earlier have a great sound as well.

[Mr Peabody]

Wharfedale do have nice bass and MD allows a return if not happy. Auditioning a speaker with your amp and in your room is best. I only heard one Wharfedale tower and it sounded good with a friend's NAD receiver.

[Mr Peabody]

Your approach wasn't flawed. There is nothing wrong with integrated amps, in fact, they are the thing right now with many very expensive models as wellas people like Yamaha coming out with them again. Keeping to a budget helps you decide what to buy cautiously. Marantz is also very respectable in what they offer. Throwing money at audio doesn't mean you will get better or make you happier, you still need to buy wisely.

In my opinion you are on your way to having a nice system. Also, in my opinion, if buying used, you'd be guaranteed happy if you found a set of Dynaudio in your budget.

I think if the Paradigm bass was to your taste you'd like the sound of them. The mids & highs are lively, in a good way.

[sjtm]

Blackraven and Mr Peabody - you are keping me from feeling like I am completely in the dark - thanks. While I am trying to not rush this effort, it seems well priced, quality used speakers go quickly and some I have considered are no longer available. This weekend I am trying to evaluate the current choices:

B&W 683 $900 floor model - may be gone

Paradigm Monitor 7 v6 - $550. This appears to be the last version of the monitor 7 series to use 4 drivers (5.5" Bass / mid). I found a pair of M7 v4 (6.5"mid / bass) for $400 but they appear to be sold.

Paradigm SE3 - new leftovers $900. Hard to find much about these, but very efficient and appear to share some of thedrivers with the Studio line. Marketed as the front speakers for a 5.1 line, but seem intriguing - no chance to demo.

PSB T5 - new - &700. no chance to demo - online retailer. No returns. Seem bass light

B&W DM640 - $150. ancient

Quad 22l - seller offered at $450. still a little concerned that at 89db@6 ohms these might need more power to open up.

[sjtm]

Also considering one more - Focal Chorus 714 -$775. older version but new in box

[Mr Peabody]

This is just my taste but I would lean toward the Focal. I've heard them be slightly bright, not harsh, on some electronics but they can boogie. That's my pick from the lot.

Next would be a toss up between the B&W or Monitor 7's, I'd have to hear them to decide.

I would strongly urge you to pick the models you could get some type of audition of. Listen for balance, you don't want anything really jumping out at you like too strong bass or highs, especially highs as you may find yourself with listening fatigue down the road that will put you on the audio marry-go-round looking for another speaker. I like my speakers to reveal detail but sometimes there has to be a balance between detail and what you enjoy. The thing is while you listen, do you find yourself engaged in the music, being drawn in, like, don't bother me now or I can't wait to see what my next favorite recording sounds like.

Also, keep in mind recordings vary wildly so play a bet of a variety and things you think sound good. Some of those Joe Bonamasa albums sound pretty good, I hope if you are a Blues guy you have some Joe.

[sjtm]

spent the day auditioning speakers, specifically PSB X1T ( seems to be replacement for T5); B&W683; B&W 685; Focal 706; Focal 714. Dealer also had the Wharfedale 10.5 but would not demo it because he did not like them. All of them were driven by a Marantz 80w reciever and source was a Marantz CDP, so I anticipate it will sound similar to my home setup.

Hands down I preferred the Focal 714. Soundstage was great, definition and clarity was excellent. While the 706 could be acused of being too bright, The 714 was very balanced. The X1T was nearly as good, but lacked excitement. The 685 was just like listening to my car audio ( which is very good but still lacks presence) The 683bass response was not nearly as tightly defined as the F714.

I found the prior model 714V at a good discount ($775) so I think this is the way to go. It is a bit more than my used options, but I still have not been able to hear the one real used alternative (Paradigm Monitor 7) and I have no question I like the sound of the Focals.

[sjtm]

This is just my taste but I would lean toward the Focal. I've heard them be slightly bright, not harsh, on some electronics but they can boogie. That's my pick from the lot.

Next would be a toss up between the B&W or Monitor 7's, I'd have to hear them to decide.

I would strongly urge you to pick the models you could get some type of audition of. Listen for balance, you don't want anything really jumping out at you like too strong bass or highs, especially highs as you may find yourself with listening fatigue down the road that will put you on the audio marry-go-round looking for another speaker. I like my speakers to reveal detail but sometimes there has to be a balance between detail and what you enjoy. The thing is while you listen, do you find yourself engaged in the music, being drawn in, like, don't bother me now or I can't wait to see what my next favorite recording sounds like.

Also, keep in mind recordings vary wildly so play a bet of a variety and things you think sound good. Some of those Joe Bonamasa albums sound pretty good, I hope if you are a Blues guy you have some Joe.

Forgot to mention i am longtime Bonamassa fan. My catalogue is almost complete going all the way back to Bloodlines. While some efforts get limited play others are in regular rotation. Also a fan of kenny Wayne Shephard, Warren Haynes, johnny Winter Buddy Guy, BB , Albert and of course SRV. I have played guitar ( badly) for almost 50 years and had the pleasure of seeing most of the greats perform live when venues were clubs not stadiums. Ihave a lot of room in my heart for most guitarists from John Mayer to Andy McKee.

My biggest problem at the moment is turning off the music. Three 6 hour listening sessions since Thursday.