2.0 speakers for music

A

argh

Audiophyte
I've been doing a lot of reading trying to decide on a pair of nice but <$100 bookshelf speakers to replace my Altec Lansing MX5021s. From what I've read, most of the frequently mentioned names like the Micca MB42X or the Dayton B652 would beat most pc speaker sets, but they all seem to have their quirks.

There are two other sets that have attracted my attention and mostly because of the better build quality and value when on sale - the Infinity Primus P163 and Pioneer SP-BS22-LR.

I'll be pairing the chosen speaker with a SMSL SA50. Which of these would be best for near field listening of mostly rock (and all of its subgenres) music? I'm also open to any other speaker set that turns into amazing value when on sale in this price range.
 
A

argh

Audiophyte
I am still on the lookout for a sale on the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR, however I have tried the SMSL SA50 with some speakers I had lying around (source audio: computer) and the bass was pretty lacking compared to two other class d av receivers I tried them on. The speakers specs: impedance 8, 70watt, 60-20kHz, sensitivity 91dB. I've checked the polarity of the connections several times. Is it time for a subwoofer (with the Pioneers in mind)?
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
I have those Daytons and am less than impressed with them. Also, your current system used a third component, a bass box, so it will have more apparent bass than any under $100 pair of speakers so you may be comparing apples to oranges here.
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
I am still on the lookout for a sale on the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR, Is it time for a subwoofer (with the Pioneers in mind)?

There are two other sets that have attracted my attention and mostly because of the better build quality and value when on sale - the Infinity Primus P163 and Pioneer SP-BS22-LR.
The Pioneer has decent bass to around 65 hz - however, it can still
and will benefit from a subwoofer.

The Infinity will also benefit from a sub - as its bass starts to roll off
around 70 hz

For music, my preference is the Pioneer
 
A

argh

Audiophyte
What are a few good (small bedroom sized) subs that compliment the Pioneers? Speaker level inputs will be necessary.
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
My 2c - at these budget - around $250 for complete 2.1 system - best way to go is look on Craigslist
Not even once anyone said that any Dayton speakers are so great. I doubt Dayton (cheap) sub are any good ether.
Again, craigslist you might find some good deals. I honestly believe that a used $50 AVR would be much better choice than SMSL SA50 amp.
Not to mention bass management.
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
I can vouch for the Dayton 1200 for music it does a decent job me thinks. I only do medium volume and it does a good job, sure it's not a SVS PB1000(mine is setup for Movies/SACD), but for a budget it does fine. It was on sale recently at PE for 100.
 
A

argh

Audiophyte
My 2c - at these budget - around $250 for complete 2.1 system - best way to go is look on Craigslist
Not even once anyone said that any Dayton speakers are so great. I doubt Dayton (cheap) sub are any good ether.
Again, craigslist you might find some good deals. I honestly believe that a used $50 AVR would be much better choice than SMSL SA50 amp.
Not to mention bass management.
What got me on this path was that I was looking for a small amp for limited desk space and along came the SA50 - which was suppose to be leaps and bounds better than the Lepai LP-2020A+ (which I first looked at) in both power and build quality with the difference in price considered. Since I just got the SA50, I can still make a change if needed.

What receiver would be a justifiable improvement and check off these requirements?
  • overall size (should be smaller than your typical 5.1 receiver)
  • price (SA50 was $60)
  • optional: has a sub out
 
Last edited:
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
If the unit's footprint is a major factor then I don't think any modern "receiver" at a reasonable cost will be found.
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
If you ready to forgo the size limit and let us know your us location i might be able to help you find a suitable avr
 
A

argh

Audiophyte
I've spotted the Klipsch Sub-12HG on sale for $200 - does it get better than that at this price?
 
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