Audio set for less than 150$

[Cammaris]

Hi all,

new member here. I have been lurking around few months, but now I have decided to join as I have question and I hope some kind people here will help me with an answer. I hope I post this in the correct forum.

I want to build small decent sounding sound system in my room and I wouldn't want to invest more than 150$ in it. (I know it is not very much)
So basicaly I'm looking for best bang for my money. It will play mostly music, but I want to connect it to PC or smartphone from time to time.

I looked up some components that could be ideal for this, but don't have very much experience with building good sounding system. (once I built a sound system from 13 speakers which I took from old TV's, radios,.. but that is another story and I was twelve )

The room is approx 5x3 metres big and has bend down ceiling. So not exactly opera hall.

So this is what I found:
speakers
Amazon.com: Dayton Audio B652 6-1/2-Inch 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair: Electronics
amplifier
Amazon.com: LP-2020A+ Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier with Power Supply: Electronics

and possibly bluetooth receiver
Amazon.com: Belkin F8Z492TTP Bluetooth Music Receiver: MP3 Players & Accessories

I'm not reppeled by manual work or soldering so if you have any suggestions that involve a bit of those things, you can write that too.

I'm sure I'm missing something. Does it look like it could work ? Could you recommend something better for the price? Any answer will be appreciated.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Dayton B652 would be an improvement from TV speakers, but I wouldn't put in same sentence as "decent"
For this budget I would rather get : Pioneer BS22's and a used av receiver.
If you live near large city we could assist you with selecting the good models from craiglist

 

[Midwesthonky]

Dayton B652 would be an improvement from TV speakers, but I wouldn't put in same sentence as "decent"
For this budget I would rather get : Pioneer BS22's and a used av receiver.
If you live near large city we could assist you with selecting the good models from craiglist

I agree with BSA. The Pioneer BS22's would be a good place to start. The troll ads in your area for a decent used receiver. You don't need anything fancy, just something to power the speakers with a 3.5mm input jack or RCA inputs so you can use an variety of devices to play the music. To connect an mp3 player or a computer, you can simply use a 3.5mm headphone jack to RCA connection cable. I use this to play stuff my iPod. Not high end sound, but it will do just fine.

 

[jcl]

If you're uncomfortable with going used the Sherwood rx-4105 is about as inexpensive a receiver as you will find Sherwood RX-4105 Stereo Receiver 252-125 but at $100 it breaks the budget.
I've heard the pioneers BSA has recommended and agree they're the best in the price range. Dealnews reports that Paul's TV is selling the BS22's for $80 / pair with free shipping. You might find a slightly better sale price on the older model BS21.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Dealnews reports that Paul's TV is selling the BS22's for $80 / pair with free shipping. You might find a slightly better sale price on the older model BS21.

Same $80 now on amazon with free shipping

 

[ImcLoud]

the 2020 amp is a good choice, and I agree with everyone else the pioneers would be the speaker to go with...

 

[SearchofSub]

Hi all,

new member here. I have been lurking around few months, but now I have decided to join as I have question and I hope some kind people here will help me with an answer. I hope I post this in the correct forum.

I want to build small decent sounding sound system in my room and I wouldn't want to invest more than 150$ in it. (I know it is not very much)
So basicaly I'm looking for best bang for my money. It will play mostly music, but I want to connect it to PC or smartphone from time to time.

I looked up some components that could be ideal for this, but don't have very much experience with building good sounding system. (once I built a sound system from 13 speakers which I took from old TV's, radios,.. but that is another story and I was twelve )

The room is approx 5x3 metres big and has bend down ceiling. So not exactly opera hall.

So this is what I found:
speakers
Amazon.com: Dayton Audio B652 6-1/2-Inch 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair: Electronics
amplifier
Amazon.com: LP-2020A+ Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier with Power Supply: Electronics

and possibly bluetooth receiver
Amazon.com: Belkin F8Z492TTP Bluetooth Music Receiver: MP3 Players & Accessories

I'm not reppeled by manual work or soldering so if you have any suggestions that involve a bit of those things, you can write that too.

I'm sure I'm missing something. Does it look like it could work ? Could you recommend something better for the price? Any answer will be appreciated.

There's some used Cambridge S30's listed on this forum up for sale.

 

[SearchofSub]

NHT Superzero 2.0's for $60 each.

SuperZero 2.0 | Bookshelf Speakers | Premium Audio Equipment



Cambridge S30's and the NHT, these are all very good speakers for the money.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

 

[j_garcia]

The Superzeros go to just 85hz and are sealed, so bass will NOT be their strong suit.

$80 for the BS22LRs is an EXCELLENT price; I may order another set.

 

[Grador]

BSA, as trolly as he is they're "only" $130 and half of the people on this forum suggest systems 2x stated budget on regular occasion. [Ahem ImcLoud ahem]

To contribute, the Pioneers will be a great choice. Also, I'd shy away from belkin equipment, I've been burned by them too many times.

 

[psbfan9]

Hi Cammaris,

Welcome to the forum!

Can you provide more information. Do you have other components that you would like to hook up, or will you only be using the phone and pc? Giving your location would be helpful as well because there will be shipping costs involved that may not have been considered in your budget or recommendations that you receive.

Here is a system that may work for you at $133.00 but there will be shipping charges as well.

Speakers; $28.00 a pair. HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more!

Receiver; $49.00. HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more!

 

[shadyJ]

If you can bump your budget up just a tad, I would suggest the Focal Grand Utopia EM speakers. For an amp, just see what you can scrounge up for $20 or $30 on criagslist, and keep an eye out for stuff at garage sales, who knows, you could get lucky there.

 

[Lulimet]

As others have suggested, the Lepai amp which includes the power adapter

Amazon.com: 2013 New Version!! Upgraded LP-2020A+ Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier with US Power Supply Black, US Shipping!!!: Electronics

Teac LS-H265 speakers for $90 shipped

TEAC LS-H265 2-Way 5-1/4 in Reference Bookshelf Speakers Pair | Accessories4less

 

[Cammaris]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I will look at them and let you know what I like best.
If you need more informations - I live in Czech Republic, EU so there will be some shipping cost. I think it will be around 30$. (it is not part of the budget)
I ´m not yet sure what will be the sound source. Now I have old Philips MC- 20/22, a PC with 5.1 card and an old gramophone ( I´m not quite sure about hte output specs).