Good Speakers for Low Watts


I am putting together my first system. I am a Jazz Bassist and listen to around 2-3 hours of music a day. I am not after a super hi-fi system,as the watts and pricerange indicate,just somthing better than the day to day mini system stuff out there. I am thinking of getting an older musical fidelity amp A-1 20w or B-1 35w. I want clear sound with definition. Loudness is socondary. I like to hear seperation of instruments. Can anyone sugesst a monitor/book shelf speaker pairing for 200-300 used?
rnilson
If you're looking for a newer spk., I'd look for a Tannoy Fusion 2 or an older MX-2M. These have soft dome tweeter and offer decent bass. Very easy to drive w/lower powered amp. Good stands are mandatory. (Plateau RT-23 are exc. affordable stands. $80 New Inc. Delivery. Fill w/lead shot for even better sound.) Will look and sound very good. Good Luck Bill.

The Audio Concepts Sapphire III is rated at 90 dB and is a superb speaker. They can often be had in the $400 range.

The MF A-1 as I recall was a bit of a problem child as far as reliability according to my reading on the net. It runs very hot also. I had a chance to get one cheap but declined after researching it.
Many on this forum will disagree, but if you are going to use a 20-35 watt amp, I would recommend that your speakers have a sensitivity rating of at least 95 dB. I you go lower you will lose the pleasure of dynamic range. (The range of sound intensity a system can reproduce without compressing or distorting the signal.) With speakers in the 90/dB range your amp will clip on the loud passages and your recordings will sound flat.

HG
I used to have a Musical Fidelity A-1. It gets very hot, enought to fry an egg on top. Be advised most units have volume control or selector switch failure due to the knobs breaking. My selector switch broke. I finally gave the amp away. I'd have to say it was a really nice unit for the money, purchased for something like $350 back in 1985. What about the Class A Belini amps?
Speakers: Believe it or not I used a pair of Spica TC-50's and it was loud enough for me. If you have the room, a pair of Altec 19's or JBL Jubals or L-300's if you want LOUD with 20 watts...