Best Low Budget Speakers

Eric:

Assuming that you will be powering the speakers with an amplifier or receiver other than your Plasma TV, I would recommend the following:

1. NHT SB2 at $400 new. Available at J&R Music .
2. EPOS M12 at $600 new (normally $900 list). Available at Audio Advisor .

Note: These recommendations are different than the ones that I provided to your previous post, because you asked a different question in that post.

Regards, Rich

So many to look at....what you and Rarl mentioned, B&W DM601's used, Kef's Q series and Kresta's, etc, Triangles yes.
Supposing you're using basic receivers, these should generally work well sonically if set up right(always critical).
If doing tubes, or even HT dubties, maybe considering Klipsch's little sleeper SB1's and 2's! I can't understate how good these work with tubes! Not harsh, more refined and clear sounding than they ought at this price, and dynamic as heck for HT and rock when you set em to "small" especially!..very sensitive and easy to drive, but need tubes to sound best. Otherwise, the above mentioned are worth trying. There's otherwise "no world beatter/magic speaker" at the price you're after...just some really good little bargains, which are covered.
Since I menitoned tubes(probably not applicable here), an intersting little "must try" for the hobbiest/tinkerer is the little Infinity TSS750 speaker! This speaker "cry's" for tubes and has the audiphile sound more expensive speakers have. However it's only a dinky mini, and plays down to like 100 hz, if that, and needs a sub for sure. Still, with tube gear, this aluminum, well constructed little satalite is gorgeous, and much fuller with a nice tube integrated!..no kidding!
good luck

Second the NHT & Epos' recommendation.

Ascend Acoustics CBM-170.

Soliloquy Sat-5. You can get a great deal from underwoodhifi.com.
The benefit of these is no rear port. They were designed to be on a bookshelf where many small speakers sound aweful when on a shelf.

GREEN MOUNTAIN EUROPIAS????

What's the rest of your system ? How can one best recommend a speaker without knowing more details ???

Lonewolf:

Eric's choice of power source has not been finalized yet. Eric has had a few threads here over the last few weeks that have been exploring the feasibility of using the 8 wattt output from his newly purchased 42 inch Plasma TV to power a pair of fairly sensitive speakers. IMO, the room size (approx 400 - 500 square feet) introduces the biggest complication. So, you had to have some prior knowledge on this one ... ergo my disclaimer ... assume that you are using an amplifier or receiver.

Regards,
Rich

Can't really go wrong with Vandersteen... music incarnate.

Lonewolfny42,
My post was a joke.I did it because of the big debate on the 200 response thread about the Green Mountain Europa speakers. I have never listened to them. I have heard alot of good things about them.

Eric
I just got done listening to different small bookshelfs including Polk RTi6, Athena AS-B1 and AS-B2, some Kef's (don't remember the model because they were horrible for $1500), Kef Q1, and Klipcsh. I ended up buying a pair of JBL E30 (not a joke). These little babies really sing, I have them on a Pioneer SX-1080 and they sound better than all the others. They sounded closest to the Polk RTi6, but had better bass. The others were all $250 to $450 with one pair of Kef being $1500. The JBL E30 were only $213 including tax!! I would not have even given them a look if my brother wouldn't have told me about them. They are worth a listen if you are on a budget.

Those would be my choices.

Whoa not sure what happened to my post there anyways - EPOS ELS-3 must be heard to be believed - the Stereophile review is quite correct (amazingly) and they are goregous speakers.

I had the pleasure of listening to them in a modest setup and they were absolutely engaging and very musical far more bass than I expected from a speaker that size - I recommend them wholeheartedly.

What I own - are Quad L series speakers (21Ls) in your pricepoint the 11Ls would be close - these are very revealing speakers and completely unforgiving of poor recordings/upstream equipment.

So if your equipment is up to snuff - grab the Quad 11Ls and rejoice - if your equipment isn't quite - the Epos MLS3s will make you happy for a long time!