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Small monitors for a dear aunt

i have a very kind aunt that loves classical music but is no longer satisfied with the cheap portable radio/cd she has now used for several years.
before i go on any further, mega buck gear need not apply for this situation. this will most likely be a combination bday/xmas present to her from several family members that do not share my taste in gear.
the system i have in mind for the woman that treated me like her own son would be

monitor speakers/stands (bookshelf size, nothing huge and pricey, placement may be issue so no rear ports)
an integrated amp (no huge tube beasts, prefer ss or hybrid)
a marantz cd600ose hand me down from me
an msb link iii d/a hand me down from me
kimber 4tc hand me down
hand me down ics from my assorted collection
gear can be new or used

i need some advice on matching monitor and amp so that an older non-audiophile woman can enjoy her free time and eventual retirement listening to mahler, wagner, rimsky-korsakov, brahms, and so on
her real interest and attention is captured by the soft and liquid moments within a composition, so accuracy/staging/imaging here would be priority
but i don't want sloppy reproduction of the ooommphh and pow in these compositions
roll-off is fine, but what does come through should be composed and firm, no bloat

budget i have in mind is about $700 to $800, though less would be nice and a stretch may be possible
the room is a guess at this point, i have not measured, but from memory i think we are talking about 8ft by 12ft
ideally i think a blue circle integrated with triangle titus monitors would be very nice, maybe im wrong, but it sounds nice in theory to me

please post your thoughts and suggestions so that i can begin my search, her bday is late november
fujindemon
tacs
220 posts
 
If they still make them, the Castle Isis or Tay are absolutely wonderful sounding, with all the qualities you listed. They have a special sensitivity in the midrange, which gets tonality perfectly, and decent bass response, perhaps to 55Hz.
I have not heard the Titus but these are of course excellent as well I've read.
TomA Rocksan or Musical Fidelity amo are good, or NAD for less $$.
danheather
108 posts
 
The Blue Circle would be a GREAT choice. I've not heard the Titus, but if they're half as good as the hype, then you probably couldn't go wrong.

I would also recommend finding a pair of Spica TC-50s. It's a sealed enclosure, so no problem with bass bloat and NOTHING comes close for soundstage and imaging. One of the greatest experiences in my audiophile life was listening to Stravinsky's Firebird Suite played through TC-50s. Absolutely magical!!

Let us know what you end up with. Sounds like a fun project and a nice gift for a very special lady.

-Dan
rives
953 posts
 
I would recommend the Creek integrated and B&W 300s (they might be called 330 or something like that now). This is very inexpensive (even new) and nice sounding. A good match with the Marantz CD player.
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
I second the recommendation for Epos and Spica speakers. Both are great. The Epos is more capable, particularly at the frequency extremes, but also about twice as expensive. As for amps there are quite a few
Creek 4340
Audiolab 8000A (used only)
Mission Cyrus 2 (there's one on this site from Daveyguitar ... I have bought from his and he's a great seller.)
Naim Nait (older version)
Arcam ... too many model versions to mention.
Roksan.

My pick of the bunch would be the Cyrus2. I have heard a Cyrus 2 with Epos Es11 speakers and the results are truly phenomenal for the relatively small cost.
tafka_steve
115 posts
 
Twenty-three years ago I sold my pair of Rogers LS3/5a's to my aunt for $320. I still regret it, but my aunt has lived happily with those driven by a NAD 7020 receiver ever since. Secondhand LS3/5a's go for around $700/pr now, and, like other true classics, their value will only increase with time.
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