1st time poster looking for speaker recommendation


Hi, I'm a long-time reader but first-time poster. I'm also relatively new to the audiophile world, but am an experienced musician and music collector. Just now trying to build a system to do justice to my decades of LP and CD collections. Ultimately, I hope to convert everything to digital storage so that I can keep track of and access it more easily than I do now. But I'm not willing to sacrifice audio quality for convenience, so I've been waiting quite some time for the gap to narrow, so to speak. Or perhaps I should say 'gaps'--I suspect the solution I'm seeking has been available for quite some time, but beyond my budget.

Over the past few years, I've been slowly accumulating a system through a couple new buys, trades, trade-ups, etc. I'm looking for recommendations on good used full range speakers that will match the kit I've been able to patch together. Mind you, our household functions on the salaries of a journalist and a teacher, and we have a two-year-old boy. That's just to say that there's nothing extravagant here. But I want my boy to grow up hearing the best possible reproduction of the music I've collected--and eventually the music he collects on his own. Any and all suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

My set-up right now:

Audio Refinement Multi 2 (stereo amp in YPA line bought off CL for $200)
NAD c165bee (preamp with phono stage, bought refurbished)
NAD c565bee (cd player with DAC and opt/coax inputs, refurb)
Project Debut III turntable (bought used via EBay for $200)

We're moving in the next couple weeks, so I recently sold my main speakers--NHT ST4's that I bought off the floor of an A/V store in DC 10 years ago. I got a great deal on them and they sounded great to me and my wife. But then again, they were probably the best speakers I've ever had--and I'm sure that doesn't speak well for my audiophile credentials.

Interested in suggestions for full range matches with my set-up. I've been considering PSB Image 5t and 6t, Vandersteens of recent years (like 8-9.- something), NHT absolute classics or towers, Maggie's if there's enough power in my system.

This will be 90% stereo music. I expect to run the tv audio through the pre and stereo speakers as well, but we really only need it to watch the news. Not looking for the surround experience.

If music genre is relevant: 50% jazz and blues, 30% classical (mostly orchestral/chamber), 10% opera, 10% rock/r&b from 60's-90's.

Again, any recommendations will be appreciated.

Thanks.

At some point I plan on buying an old Mac Mini on CL or Ebay, tossing in an SSD with decent cataloguing and playback software, and hooking up one or more drives with ample storage.
barkis

Showing 1 response by tonyangel

What size is your listening room going to be? Is this going to be a dedicated listening room or more like the den where the stereo will just happen to be? Are there going to be space/size limitations or are you going to have free reign to place the speakers where ever they need to be to sound their best?

What do you consider "full range?" I believe that most speakers can benefit from a good sub woofer at some point.

Just to toss a couple of logs on the fire, I'll throw in the System Audio and Silverline brands of speakers. Both do really well for the types of music that you mentioned.

I've also read many posts regarding the Tekton line of speakers. Lots of guys really like the M-Lore model at $650 a pair, new.