Another "Which Bookshelf Speakers to Get" Thread


Hey folks,

I realize these threads are pretty populous, but I also realize that y'all never seem to have a lack of opinions, so I'll give it a shot ;)

I'm building up a very simple, pure system for listening in my small Brooklyn apartment. It currently consists of:

• Marantz 2235B (35wpc)
• Technics SL-D3 (my Dad's, bought new the year I was born) running a Grado Black cartridge (new last year)

...aaand that's it. I may put an iPod dock into the mix, but for the time being I'm only going to be listening to vinyl and Red Sox games on the radio.

My speaker shortlist is:

• Rega R1
• KEF iQ3
• Paradigm Atom
• EPOS ELS-3
• Cambridge Soundworks Model 6 ($50 used...)

I'm interested to hear what you think, and also where I should look to buy (NYC local, or online)

My musical tastes trend towards the lo-fi (Pavement, Radiohead, Band of Horses), old country, and the occasional John Adams record.

My room is wood floors, fairly narrow (6') and the speakers would be backed up to a brick wall.

Budget gets painful anywhere north of $400, and I'm not shy about used.

And...GO! (thanks)
ryantomorrow
05-07-09: Ryantomorrow
Thanks, all - I'm going to put an offer in on the Energy RC-10s, and if that falls through, will come back to the drawing board!
This review may help reinforce your decision. Looks like a great speaker for the size and cost.
I'll second the Usher S-520. Front ported, very easy to place and very easy on the eye. The build quality is much better than expected for a $400 (new) monitor. You can find them used in the $300 range. Oh yeah, they also sound great.
agree w/ nrenter on the GMAs. Roy Johnson knows how to make fantastic sound happen.
In keeping w/ your vintage system you might consider AR3a, Larger Advents, Dynaco A25, JBL L100 Century (or the studio versions), and Klipsch Heresey amongst others.