Speakers for Office/Listening Room

paradaigm offer good value for money. front ported and good bass for a bookshelf.

Wim1983: That Denton looks like a bargain for the $500 price. If the rear ports cause no problem,the OP should jump on them! If I needed a second set of speakers they would be on my short list!

I've had more fun with my office system than any other system I've owned. It is where I had the flexibility and freedom to play around with all the variables. I would encourage you to "store" your system in a rack or at least some place open that would allow you to change components and cables without much hassle.

Now to answer your question. I'm no expert, but my experience has taught me that it is difficult to get tight bass with a punch from small bookshelves in your price range. I'm not saying that it can't be done, but that it will be a challenge and you may have to think outside the box, no pun intended. Rather than looking for front ported speakers, I suggest looking for sealed box speakers. Also, older speakers may not be as appealing as the newer ones, but they might provide the best alternative given your budget.

I once had a pair of Boston Acoustics A-40s paired with a small sealed M&K sub woofer. I was quite pleased with the sound and especially for the price. The A series speakers by Boston might be a good place to start. They were pretty good speakers in their day. I currently have the A400s in my office. They are a sealed box tower about 8 inches deep and can be placed right up against the wall. They have two 8" woofers so the bass is plentiful and tight, but they do tend to like power. When I'm in the mood for rock and jazz, I make sure the A400s are hooked up.

Another speaker I've used which I enjoyed for jazz (especially) and rock was the Polk Monitor 7B. Again, it was a sealed box but it utilized a 10" passive woofer.

Trying connecting with some audiophiles locally. Most audiophiles have unused speakers in a closet somewhere, and some might be willing to bring them over to your place for a listening session.

Finally, you might want to consider another option; combine your amp and speaker budget to purchase active speakers. I have no experience with active speakers, but the concept just seems to make sense, especially for smaller budgets. If studios are using them to produce the music we listen to, why wouldn't it make sense to use them for playback in our own settings?

Enjoy the journey!

Kvart and Bolge

Paradigm models to look for? Used is OK

The BA A-40 are dirt cheap as a lot of them need the foam surrounds. That's not a problem. I've done 7 Bose 802 4" surrounds and as long as you take your time it's not difficult. I could probably buy 2 pairs for $100 + the cost of surrounds and then get a subwoofer. I'd be fine rebuilding a X'over or doing other mods if it allowed me to move up the ladder with some of my labor.

I'm also curious about the KEF Q300 if I can find a deal on a used pair.

I've also seen a good deal on new Focal Chorus 706.

Also any Klipsch I should be looking at? KG4? Although maybe a bit large?

Anything small and I'll need to get a sub so I'm wondering (no darts please LOL) if anyone has listened to Econowave modded Large Advent speakers?

Thanks for the advice so far….you've kept me reading a LOT.