Help me choose my first (used) speakers

[sjtm]

Trying to assemble a relatively low cost but high quality sound system. This is for strictly listening to music in a relatively small music room ( I am still negotiating with my wife for the space). My tastes cover a wide spectrum, but listen mainly to blues ( Bonnamassa, Buddy Guy. Musselwhite), acoustic / instrumental / jazz ( Metheny, Andy McKee), and female vocals (Leela James, Bonnie Raitt). My budget is from $1,000 - $2,000 max for everything - the lower the better as I am currently funding two kids in college.

I have identified some speaker options and plan to try to listen to them all, but no guarantee that they will be powered by the right equipment. So I am hoping that this forum might weigh in on which of these might work best for my needs and whether the price represents good value.

The options are:

Quad 22 L - $600. Right now I think these are my first choice, but not the most efficient speakers if I am reading specs correctly.

NHT 2.5i - $375. My low cost option

B&W 604 S2 - $400

Tekton Lore S - $750

Paradigm Studio 100 v.3 - $1,000 - this is really over my budget, but would stretch if they are far superior to the other options.

PSB Imagine T Towers - $1,000 - same issue as above

Polk Lsi15 Towers - $1,000

B&W 683 - $1000 - I think these are too bass light for what I want

I know this may be a wide range, but hoping for comments by those with direct experience with one or more of the above. I would also appreciate recommendations for an amp / preamp or integrated amp to work with one or more of these. Thanks in advance.

[Feanor]

Welcome to AR Forums, sjtm.

In the budget range that you are considering, speakers are the most important component by far, i.e. if you are going to stretch your budget a little, they are the place to do it.

Others might be better informed than I among the speakers you've listed. My first take would be that the Paradigm Studio 100 V3's are possibly the best, but most of the others are reputable speakers too. As for the Paradigms, they were at one time designated Class 'A' by Stereophile magazine. However they are large speakers that might deliver too much bass for a small room; the same might be true for some of the others.

For deciding, it's always preferable to listen to the speakers in you own listening area. If that isn't possible (which will often be the case of course), then it's next best to compare speakers in similar listening spaces and driven by similar up-stream components.

[blackraven]

I agree with Feanor about the Paradigms being the best of the bunch but for your type of music the PSB's would be great. PSB's have a slightly warmer edge which is great for blues, vocals and acoustic music. I own a pair of PSB B6's and they sound great. PSB typically has a house sound. I listen to similar music and my vote goes for the PSB's.

Read some of the reviews on the Imagine T-s on Audio Advisor-

PSB Imagine T Tower Loudspeaker-Audio Advisor

The Quads are supposed to be good speakers as well although I have not heard them. Here is a review on them that you should read-

Quad 22L2 review | TechRadar

I am surprised that you found the 683's lacking bass. They need good amplification. I have heard them on several occasions and find that they have good bass but they were driven by a Rotel amp.

Picking out speakers is very subjective, just go with what sounds best to you.

[sjtm]

I did listen to a air of B&W 685's and, assuming the sound is similar to the 683, I also felt they lacked bass. I plan to audition the Quads in the next few days. As budget still plays a key role in this (and I think I can get the Quads for $500), I am still leaning towards these based on reviews. But hearing is the real test.

Any thoughts on amp / preamp? My only music source will be a Marantz CD5004 and possibly lossless WMA files from my laptop.
In the spirit of low budget, I have been looking at older NAD and ADCOM equipment.

I agree with Feanor about the Paradigms being the best of the bunch but for your type of music the PSB's would be great. PSB's have a slightly warmer edge which is great for blues, vocals and acoustic music. I own a pair of PSB B6's and they sound great. PSB typically has a house sound. I listen to similar music and my vote goes for the PSB's.

Read some of the reviews on the Imagine T-s on Audio Advisor-

PSB Imagine T Tower Loudspeaker-Audio Advisor

The Quads are supposed to be good speakers as well although I have not heard them. Here is a review on them that you should read-

Quad 22L2 review | TechRadar

I am surprised that you found the 683's lacking bass. They need good amplification. I have heard them on several occasions and find that they have good bass but they were driven by a Rotel amp.

Picking out speakers is very subjective, just go with what sounds best to you.

[blackraven]

The 683's are towers and the 685's are bookshelf's. There is a big difference in the bass and weight of the sound with the 683's.

That Marantz CDP has a nice sound and probably the best at its price point. NAD and older Adcom gear has a nice sound but read the reviews on the particular models you are considering. Each brand had some great models and some not so good. I would also look at Parasound and Marantz gear especially with that Marantz CDP. Marantz gear has good synergy with other Marantz electronics.

Here is a good deal on a high current Marantz integrated amp, it has plenty of power and Marantz usually underrates their power specs. It should be able to drive any of those speakers. It also has preamp out so you can upgrade to a separate power amp if you decide to do so.

MARANTZ PM8005 Stereo Integrated Amplifier | Accessories4less

I helped a friend put together an all Marantz system with a PM5005 and a 5004 CDP all purchased from the above site, including a Pro Ject Cabon TT. It sounds great, very smooth and musical with a hint of warmth. No harshness what so ever.

To play computer music you will need a DAC. There are some very good budget DAC's available.

[sjtm]

Appreciated the suggestion to pair a Marantz amp with my Marantz cd player. I happened to come across an open box PM7005 integrated amp with built in DAC for $600 and took the plunge. While I was hoping to find good used seperate amp / preamp for this price, much of the equipment was 20-30 years old and I grew concerned may need some repair with continued use (it seems everyone has been pulling their old NAD and ADCOM equipment out of storage recently and listing it on Craigslist). The PM7005 puts out 60Wx2 continuous, has the same heavy duty power supply as the PM8005, and, of course, has the DAC. I bought the CD5004 last week new(store display) for $170, so I am hoping my total system cost will stay under $1,300 including interconnects.

[kb0000]

Trying to assemble a relatively low cost but high quality sound system. This is for strictly listening to music in a relatively small music room ( I am still negotiating with my wife for the space). My tastes cover a wide spectrum, but listen mainly to blues ( Bonnamassa, Buddy Guy. Musselwhite), acoustic / instrumental / jazz ( Metheny, Andy McKee), and female vocals (Leela James, Bonnie Raitt). My budget is from $1,000 - $2,000 max for everything - the lower the better as I am currently funding two kids in college.

I have identified some speaker options and plan to try to listen to them all, but no guarantee that they will be powered by the right equipment. So I am hoping that this forum might weigh in on which of these might work best for my needs and whether the price represents good value.

The options are:

Quad 22 L - $600. Right now I think these are my first choice, but not the most efficient speakers if I am reading specs correctly.

NHT 2.5i - $375. My low cost option

B&W 604 S2 - $400

Tekton Lore S - $750

Paradigm Studio 100 v.3 - $1,000 - this is really over my budget, but would stretch if they are far superior to the other options.

PSB Imagine T Towers - $1,000 - same issue as above

Polk Lsi15 Towers - $1,000

B&W 683 - $1000 - I think these are too bass light for what I want

I know this may be a wide range, but hoping for comments by those with direct experience with one or more of the above. I would also appreciate recommendations for an amp / preamp or integrated amp to work with one or more of these. Thanks in advance.

Consider Bose 901 Series VI (used eBay etc) Most earlier 901 series had cone rot problems, finally fixed in Series VI. However, there are two earlier series that are much cheaper that did not have cone rot. Google it.

Electronics: You aren't anywhere near the price point where its worth
worrying about electronics/speaker matching. Forget it. Again, hit eBay etc for good prices on high quality used, old amps. Example: a couple years ago, I picked up a Struss Model C integrated amp for $5 at the thrift store which blew away my McIntosh. I also got a circa 1990 Luxman integrated amp for $15 which easily matched my Mac (Struss is better).
A Tandberg 3000 amp is well worth considering.



Also look at used Crown International amps. Crown is the top maker of commercial amps. They are indestructible & are superb for home use.

Used CD players are problematic because current models are almost always better, for less money. Check out low priced Marantz, Oppo, & Emotive.

[JoeE SP9]

sjtm:
The space and positioning requirements for 901's make using them in a small room extremely difficult. There are any number of smaller bookshelf type speakers that will work much better in small rooms.

IMO auditioning speakers, as you're doing, is the only way to make a buying decision.

Select the speakers first. Then get the power needed to properly drive them.

For any speaker you like that's bass shy, you can always add a powered subwoofer.

[sjtm]

Consider Bose 901 Series VI (used eBay etc) Most earlier 901 series had cone rot problems, finally fixed in Series VI. However, there are two earlier series that are much cheaper that did not have cone rot. Google it.

Electronics: You aren't anywhere near the price point where its worth
worrying about electronics/speaker matching. Forget it. Again, hit eBay etc for good prices on high quality used, old amps. Example: a couple years ago, I picked up a Struss Model C integrated amp for $5 at the thrift store which blew away my McIntosh. I also got a circa 1990 Luxman integrated amp for $15 which easily matched my Mac (Struss is better).
A Tandberg 3000 amp is well worth considering.



Also look at used Crown International amps. Crown is the top maker of commercial amps. They are indestructible & are superb for home use.

Used CD players are problematic because current models are almost always better, for less money. Check out low priced Marantz, Oppo, & Emotive.

Thanks for your suggestion, but I am settled in now with my system selections: Focal 816V speakers, Marantz PM8005 integrated amp. Marantz SA8004 SACD player. Now focused on relevant accessories that complement / enhance sonic quality.