Can someone help me pick out my first speakers?

The Triangle Br02 are $250 on Amazon right now. 

pair of Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 over on usaudiomart for ~$300

There ya go! Op should jump on the KEF you linked unless good used deals around.

other thing to look at are the JBL studio stuff. While back they went on sale off and on and apparently sound pretty damn good. Pretty efficient so may sound ok with a crapper Receiever or whatever the OP has 

it's safe to say this is good value for $299 at 50% off

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/kef-q-series-5-25-2-way-bookshelf-speakers-pair-walnut/6379830.p?skuId=6379830&ref=212&loc=1&extStoreId=438&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5P2aBhAlEiwAAdY7dMuaK6P84fqOW-vqUv1rFT5QJJMFgUpV2G_WmHre7AydgpuPNsU8hRoCcpgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Big plus +1 for the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR. Eventually paired with one then two SVS subwoofers in your budget range should serve you nicely until you hit the Lotto.

I assembled two Pioneer BS22 7.1 HT systems for friends, one using two SVS SB-1000's and another with two Velodyne DD-10 Plus. Since they budgeted on the DD's they planned on upgrading the Pioneers. That was over two years ago.

While not in your budget my ownership with the then top of the line Paradigm Studio 100 v1, v2 and S8's I cannot recommended brand. 

There are some other good suggestions here you should take a hard look at.

Welcome to the Mob.

your budget is tricky, it’s a grey zone. There are some big quality swings between a 100 and 600 bucks. You would be sent back and fourth at Best Buy between the Magnolia and the soundbars guy.

Elac is a good suggestion and benchmark to compare other speakers to.

You can get high end PC speakers for $300 if that’s your source.

Yes, Beats and Bose and even B&O are not discussed here, for a good reason. 

I am not tech-savvy at all, and I'm really sorry if this is the wrong place to post it, but I'm looking for a pair of small decent home speakers for music in the $300 range. 

I've heard people on reddit discourage people from buying Beats and Bose but that's the extent of my knowledge! Can someone recommend a pair of speakers to me? Or direct me to the correct subreddit if I'm not in the right place?

Thank you!

I got this,..

+1 Pioneer Andrew Jones

Had the Pioneer SP-FS52 for years before building my high-end system.  Andrew Jones is a speaker design guru with a long history of proven track record at various companies.

@pehrafano  Come back and check out your thread. Good advise provided. 

Personally, I disliked the Klipsch RP600M so much. To me the Klipsch sounded thin and lifeless. The heightened treble fakes detail, I say this because the dry-sounding mids constantly remind you that you’re listening to speakers. I don’t think they’re a good speaker to start with. They don’t sound smooth or natural enough to make acoustic music and indie sound pleasant. Don’t get the Klipsch unless you only listen to female pop stars and hip hop. Trust me, you’ll want to upgrade the Klipsch as soon as you get them. And before you know it, you’ll spend $2k on a pair of Buchardts. The RP600M made me spend 2k on fullrange transmission line speakers because I was craving lush mids.

In the entry-level it’s not crucial to get the most resolving-sound. The opposite is true because you want a pair of speakers which will work well with any amplifier and any music (especially badly recorded music).

So what do I recommend?

Q Acoustics 3010. They’re simply perfect for the money:

- Smooth and natural sound. Great for all music, especially badly recorded music.

- Great design. Not an ugly black box with cheap vinyl wrap peeling off the corners (aka Klipsch RP600M)

- Works with any amplifier under the sun. A second-hand Yamaha, Denon/Marantz amp under $100 pairs perfectly.

- Cheap

I have been very pleased with a pair of Klipsh RP-600M bookshelf speakers, purchased a year or so ago.  Unexpectedly solid bass and fantastic all-around sound for the price.  The icing on the cake:  They are extremely efficient.  I would buy these again in a heartbeat (no-brainer for me) if I needed a second pair at a similar price.

What did the deleted posts say that would have scared the OP away?  Well if the OP is still around I saw a pair of the Polk R100's open box at Music Direct for around $300 bucks. Don't let the Polk name dissuade you, the Reserve series is a great bang for your buck type of speaker, well made as well. Emotiva B1+ is decent. I haven't heard any other speakers really around that price. I'd personally look for a deal on a vintage pair, but not knowing what to look for in your case would make that much harder. Good Luck 

The Klipsch RP-600M at less than $300, really punches above its weight.  You will need a pair of stands to make this one sing.

Used Klipsch RP-600M $289 in eBay

Pretty sure OP abandoned the thread the minute he read the now deleted posts. Unfortunately, I have seen this before.

If you can find the Pioneer SP-FS52's which are Audio Andrew Jones Designed Floor Standing Loudspeakers, they are the best sounding speakers I have heard at this budget.  I bought a pair to use in a secondary system and recently hooked them up to my tube amp and my buddy is in love with them.  Tight bass and exquisite crossovers for a very detailed sound at that price.  They are not efficient and so, they do thrive on power.

@pehrafano What did you end up going with? Just curious. 

What are you planning on pushing them with? Lots of small monitor speakers that are being suggested are not efficient. Makes a big difference on the outcome if you have a cheapy home theater receiver.

@blackbag20 

+1

Perfect first pair as covered by IAR.

Look at the Paradigm line up of speakers.....

I am hoping the OP didn't get turned off by the immediate and quickly deleted responses such that he/she disapeared. 

For about $300 I would suggest a pair of Sony SS-CS5's and if your system allows a powered Elack SUB-1010-BK subwoofer.   Check the reviews the sony's excellent for less than $200; but lacks lows and the Elac is OK for the $$. Good luck and have fun!!

If you are near Indy The Audio Solutions has two floors full of new and used stuff. If you get used you can get more speaker for the money.  

I had the Buchardt 400 first models and they had plenty of bass and sounded great. 

Have fun

jh

@10229 +1

Elac Debut 6.2

Hey gang, I just want to say that I’m impressed with how many of you engaged

with the OP I  attempting to help him

with his $300 budget. Anyone claiming that audiophiles (at least the ones here) should be referred to this post/thread.

Pioneer Andrew Jones Designed speakers is strong contender for your price range. 

As repeated many times here, yo have to hear the end result. I strongly recommend you find a half dozen music selections that you are familiar with then take disks or even song names from known streaming sites, to a store that can provide you with a reasonable approximation of your system and environment. This is becoming almost impossible now-days but once in a while it can be done. I know that in Denver there wasn't one single store that could accommodate me when looking for a new theatre system. Don't take no for an answer. If they aren't willing to provide you with a decent audition, they don't disserve your hard earned money.

Kanto YU Passive 5.25" for $239 at Crutchfield. They are not audiophile but they rock, The way to go no matter what speakers you decide on is to buy at a place with a good return policy.

@fuzztone!  I still have a pair of Spectrum 208a!  I just can't get rid of them ....!!

I'd check out cheapaudioman's review, surprising amount of choices in-budget!

I'm going to agree with a few others here and go with Wharfedale for the money.

I was finishing my Home Theater system and looking for a good center channel. I tried 3 and was not happy until I tried the Wharfedale. Great build quality and dollar for dollar worth the money. If you find a pair of open box from Crutchfield you'll be very happy...

Checkout both the Darko Audio and Audiophiliac YouTube channels. They both put together some budget systems from well build reputable brands

Many good choices listed above and more options available if you go used which typically takes returns out of the equation however. Choice depends on your tastes and what you are going to drive them with. Elacs are nice but like a bit of juice. Klipsch are lively, efficient and can rock if that's your flavor. Wharfedale are nice all-arounders that sound nice with many types of music. The smaller Emotiva's are quite impressive, well reviewed and have a nice, airy ribbon type tweeter. Good luck in your audio journey, it's all fun!

Your best option (in my not so humble opinion) is to buy a pair of Vanatoo speakers.

But, wait... you're not only buying a pair of speakers. You are buying an amp and a preamp with optical... With Bluetooth connectivity, I use my phone to stream music through these small bookshelf speakers that sound like floor standing full range monsters.

 Check them out on the web and Youtube.

Reviews for Energy RC-10 are very very strong, plus I owned a pair for about 15 years and just recently upgraded. They were terrific for music (Video requires a bit more bass, but then there are subs for that). They are very strong for less than $300 and great bass for bookshelf speakers, pretty efficient so they play loud and can handle a lot of power as well. Very well built, bi-amp-able.... plus, if you can find them in rose... they are arguably the best looking speakers you’ll find at most any price. I won’t be selling mine even though I don’t have a use for them at the moment.

edit.... link;

Search amazon or other locations.  Mine are original... not Klipsch so can't say about that.

If RN303 is not available or too costly another very affordable option is this one:

https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-DTA-PRO-100W-Class-D-Bluetooth-Amplifier-with-USB-DAC-IR-Remote-and-Sub-Output-300-3835
Add a smartphone with access to YouTube or Spotify and you’re golden for under half a $G. 

Get a pair of Dayton Audio BR1s in kit form. Not only are they a solid pair of music reproducers, you will have the added awareness of what goes into a speaker besides a credit card swipe. 
https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-BR-1-6-1-2-2-Way-Bookshelf-Monitor-Speaker-Kit-300-640
If you need an amplifier to power them try to track down a Yamaha RN303 if you can find one.  

Yes- People can suggest what to buy and where to shop.

No- People can't tell you what you will like best.

Get out the shovel and start digging!!

Audio Advisor large choice of high quality budget speakers, great suggestions here…..I’d try to stretch to $500 a pair, a good step up in quality 

Some speakers sound better a number of feet set back from the front facing wall. Its not just how the speaker sounds in a show room, but how does it sound in your room where you can place your speakers.   

Elac debut 2.0 b6.2 

Kef Q350

Spectrum 208a's

I have the Wharfedale Diamond 220's in my second system and haven't replaced them for a reason.

Although discontinued, Amazon has the 220's for $250.00.

IMO, Wharfedale at any price point is an incredible value for what you get.

Check out emotiva they have a very good little monitor  speaker with a AMT tweeter, then save $499 for a Svs pro subwoofer that has a great app to control 

many functions from your seating area ,just buy a decent stand and fill it with play sand. For under $300 Audio advisor.

Do you mind telling us what other components you may have to go with your system? This might help narrow down the possibilities. I agree with some of the other posts here---if you can audition in person, great. If not, purchase speakers that have a return policy like Crutchfield or Music Direct. Best of luck! 

I’ve bought from Crutchfield and Audio Advisor several times.  Both of their sales departments were fantastic!  I give Crutchfield the edge only because after talking with someone for about fifteen minutes, he sent me links on everything we talked about No pressure salespeople, just people who are happy to help.

All the best.

sure, buy my rosewood Joseph RM25XLs ... they are used, but are in 9.99/10 condition and for $1500 you'd be hard pressed to find anything better

Call John Sollecito at Source Technology tell him Jackie sent you. Just bought a pair of the 1.6WC ‘s for my son they list for $999 John sold them to me for $490. Talk to John about what you need. He will give you options. 806 - 918-3088. John has been building American maid speakers for 40 years. It’s worth a call.

My 2 cents-

Audition as many speakers you can access. I know B&M stores aren't as plentiful as when I started, but you need to learn what you like/love. 

Yes, it will take time, but you will not waste time/money on speakers that don't work with your ears.

The best thing is that you will not only learn what you like, but meet people who share your passion. And dealers that know what you want.

The recommendations given are meant in the best possible spirit, but only you can decide what sounds best.

Bob

Wow, six posts removed on the first day. 

Welcome!  You’re definitely in the right place and lots of excellent recommendations above.  I’ll add another vote for the Wharfedale Diamonds, but if you can stretch to $599/pr the LSA Signature 50 is in another league entirely.  Here’s a review by a member here…

http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/lsa-signature-50-loudspeakers-by-terry-london/

Best of luck!