Inexpensive pair of bookshelf speakers.


I'm looking for a pair of HiFi but inexpensive bookshelf pair of speakers in the $400.00 - $600.00 range for my second listening room. Don't mind buying used. Keepers for life to be paired with Cronus Magnum in an all analog set-up. I only listen to LPs:

Music preference:
Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, Steely Dan, Billy Joel, Supertramp, Alan Parsons, James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Eagles, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Stan Getz, Herb Albert, Sergio Mendes, etc.

Small listening room (12x10), with excellent acoustic treatment. I've heard great things about the Totem Dreamcatchers at the asking price range but don't know if they are a good match for the type of music I enjoy listening.

Your input will be greatly appreciated.
kiko65
Not sure you're keeping the new Silverlines (congratulations!), but there's a pair of Fried Betas for $100 that probably will languish here.

Sad what's happened to the high-end audio hobby. Too many people buy stuff based on their eyes, not ears. The last line of Frieds before the original venture went under in 1997 compete with all but the exotics of today, offering a trueness of tonality you rarely encounter. We hear about the so-called improvements of the past 5 - 10 years. Then, you listen to a pair of mid-late 90's Frieds, and sit there in disbelief that you get sublime sound at mass-fi pricing. You don't get book-matched veneers, boutique level crossover parts, or in-your face screechiness. They simply make music.
Ok folks,
MSPs have been up and runnnig for almost a week now. I would say between 18 - 20 hours of break in. I've used both of my trusted integrated amps (Tandberg 3012A SS and Cronus Magnum KT120 tube) with great results. Listening strictly to analog LPs using Atlas Equator Biwire speaker cables.

Music preference; Bob James, Stan Getz, Sergio Mendes, Herp Albert, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Eric Clapton, Dire Straits, James Taylor, Alan Parsons, Supertramp, Steely Dan, Eagles, Seals and Croft, Bread, etc.

My first impressions are:

1. Highs are airy and not harsh at all, with natural renderings of instrumental timbres. The airy quality of the female voices in particular was presented tightly within the deep soundstage.

2. Now the mids is where the real magic is and where the MSPs shine the most. The mids are "just right"! Extremely resolving with surprisingly decent "jump" on the mid bass region. Certainly good enough for the type of music I listen to.

3. These little speakers are tonally neutral, with an almost perfect midrange reproduction (great for soft rock), and their imaging is spot on.

So far they sit on 24" stands, with the back sitting on top of two sorbotane pods (1/2" high)and the front sitting on top of one vibrapod cone (1" high) creating a slanted configuration, 1/2" higher at the front. 7.5 feet apart and 7.5 feet from my lstening chair, toed in with drivers x-ing just behind my head.

The most interesting aspect of my short listening session is that I have not moved them to the small room they were originally intended for. Instead I have them in my big (20D x 15W x 9T) room and, surprisingly enough, they are holding on pretty well.

No, they don't sound as "big" as the Totem Acoustic Model 1s I used to own. That said, they have no business sounding this good for $600.00.

So far I am thrilled with the Pluses. These are remarcable speakers and I cannot wait to hear how well they can perform when they are fully broken in and placed in my small second room originally intended for.

Happy listening!