Bookshelf Recommendations

[MrBoat]

Give him the money out of your pocket and help him out

Why? That won't teach anybody anything. It was just a suggestion that not many people consider these days. Audio isn't a cost of living expense, or a sudden emergency that needs to be budgeted. If someone can come up with $500 today, they can come up with another, and another, if it isn't just somehow burning a hole in their pocket.

I'm an example. When I showed up here on AH, I had bought a used set of speakers for $75 while I saved and shopped for a system, and learned what was available, options wise. In the time I discussed it here over a period of a couple months, I was able to save the amount needed (was around $1k) for a killer DIY speaker kit that was suggested to me. I ended up with a set of speakers that performs more in the $4k range for that effort.

Best part about it? I ended up with a new, higher performing system than I would have afforded otherwise just by waiting 2 months, and didn't owe a nickel on it when it was all done. I ended up with a "system for life" that I could afford by just kicking the lending institution to the curb.

Go ahead. Suggest him his "lifetime" system on a shoe string. I bet mine kicks it's ass across the board, for not much more $. Ended up adding subs, amps and building 9 pairs of speakers, 4 amplifiers since, none of which happened overnight.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Nobody’s mentioned a subwoofer!!! Losing faith in you guys. Sheesh!
It’s interesting that someone with what seems a healthy budget just picks an arbitrary number like 500 bucks. Like why is that the yardstick? “Audiophile” or not. Just seems funny.

 

[MrBoat]

Nobody’s mentioned a subwoofer!!! Losing faith in you guys. Sheesh!
It’s interesting that someone with what seems a healthy budget just picks an arbitrary number like 500 bucks. Like why is that the yardstick? “Audiophile” or not. Just seems funny.

I reckon for many, they are not as picky as audioholics can be. Many get their fix via headphones or ear buds and I must admit that I am not that picky with the audio for TV or movies and wouldn't put any real money towards that. I'd likely be fine with a mediocre soundbar for TV.

The "lifetime" comment made it seem more serious for me, so, sorry if I get carried away with such ideas.

 

[cpp]

Why? That won't teach anybody anything. It was just a suggestion that not many people consider these days. Audio isn't a cost of living expense, or a sudden emergency that needs to be budgeted. If someone can come up with $500 today, they can come up with another, and another, if it isn't just somehow burning a hole in their pocket.

I'm an example. When I showed up here on AH, I had bought a used set of speakers for $75 while I saved and shopped for a system, and learned what was available, options wise. In the time I discussed it here over a period of a couple months, I was able to save the amount needed (was around $1k) for a killer DIY speaker kit that was suggested to me. I ended up with a set of speakers that performs more in the $4k range for that effort.

Best part about it? I ended up with a new, higher performing system than I would have afforded otherwise just by waiting 2 months, and didn't owe a nickel on it when it was all done. I ended up with a "system for life" that I could afford by just kicking the lending institution to the curb.

Go ahead. Suggest him his "lifetime" system on a shoe string. I bet mine kicks it's ass across the board, for not much more $. Ended up adding subs, amps and building 9 pairs of speakers, 4 amplifiers since, none of which happened overnight.

But if his budget is $500 its 500. MAybe that's all he wants to spend. Sure he can get a better speaker for more money, but it appears he's ok with a 500 dollar speaker and if that makes him happy so be it.

 

[MrBoat]

But if his budget is $500 its 500. MAybe that's all he wants to spend. Sure he can get a better speaker for more money, but it appears he's ok with a 500 dollar speaker and if that makes him happy so be it.

GFY (good for you), and so what. He can scroll on by, but others read these posts. He will likely get plenty of suggestions otherwise. Since he needed a chaperone to guide him, it is highly possible they had simply not considered just waiting a bit for something typically better. Since it does not effect you one way or the other, I think it best that perhaps you too, just scroll on by.

ETA: This is what put me on about waiting, just in case you missed it. "He would like to buy a quality pair that will last him a very long time if not the rest of his life." Was nothing condescending or hurtful by what I suggested. It's great strategy to follow for those who want more without feeling the sticker shock of better gear.

 

[TLS Guy]

GFY (good for you), and so what. He can scroll on by, but others read these posts. He will likely get plenty of suggestions otherwise. Since he needed a chaperone to guide him, it is highly possible they had simply not considered just waiting a bit for something typically better. Since it does not effect you one way or the other, I think it best that perhaps you too, just scroll on by.

ETA: This is what put me on about waiting, just in case you missed it. "He would like to buy a quality pair that will last him a very long time if not the rest of his life." Was nothing condescending or hurtful by what I suggested. It's great strategy to follow for those who want more without feeling the sticker shock of better gear.

Do you want to build him a pair? I can design him a bookshelf with an internal volume of 0.7 cu.ft. that will have an F3 of 38 Hz, which is lower than a lot of towers, Power handling 150 watts each, and that is continuous and not peak or transient. Driver cost would be $240.00 Crossover parts would probably be less than $30.00 as there would be only five components in each crossover. Bass/mid built in Israel, and tweeter in Norway. I know these drivers, well and know how to make the FR in the audio band above f3 flat as a pan. I can guarantee that those would be keepers.

 

[MrBoat]

Do you want to build him a pair? I can design him a bookshelf with an internal volume of 0.7 cu.ft. that will have an F3 of 38 Hz, which is lower than a lot of towers, Power handling 150 watts each, and that is continuous and not peak or transient. Driver cost would be $240.00 Crossover parts would probably be less than $30.00 as there would be only five components in each crossover. Bass/mid built in Israel, and tweeter in Norway. I know these drivers, well and know how to make the FR in the audio band above f3 flat as a pan. I can guarantee that those would be keepers.

There are flatpack kits available that they could glue together themselves and paint with duratex or something for a much better value than where the OP is searching. I'm more of a furniture grade finisher and by the time I add wood, veneer, topcoats and labor, we're back to more than $600.

OTOH, I have 22 sheets of drywall to hang this weekend and that would give me enough money to buy and build those for myself, just to have a pair of TLSguy designed speakers if the parts are still available next year.

Currently, I'm saving cash to re-roof my home this year, and won't be spending anything on audio, or taking on any more projects once I get thru helping family/friends get out from under the storm damage down south these next few weeks.

Just got thru building Paul Carmody's Tarkus design that will go to my sister's new home.

 

[TLS Guy]

There are flatpack kits available that they could glue together themselves and paint with duratex or something for a much better value than where the OP is searching. I'm more of a furniture grade finisher and by the time I add wood, veneer, topcoats and labor, we're back to more than $600.

OTOH, I have 22 sheets of drywall to hang this weekend and that would give me enough money to buy and build those for myself, just to have a pair of TLSguy designed speakers if the parts are still available next year.

Currently, I'm saving cash to re-roof my home this year, and won't be spending anything on audio, or taking on any more projects once I get thru helping family/friends get out from under the storm damage down south these next few weeks.

Just got thru building Paul Carmody's Tarkus design that will go to my sister's new home.

Very unlikely that the parts won't be available next year, those drivers have been around for a while. I doubt those bass mids are going anywhere, and there would be a host of tweeter options, with a crossover change.

I will model the speaker for you, but it would be to quite a large extent a cut down version of my in wall speaker system, at least the right and left speakers.

I could also get a quote to see what my C & C cabinet shop would charge to build and finish a pair. I'm sure we would top $500, but probably not by much.

 

[1911]

lovinthehd: Because he is my best bud and he asked me for advice. It's not that he can't make up his mind, he just does not know enough about audio equipment to make an informed decision and he does not have the time or inclination to perform the extensive research required to become informed.

MrBoat: Thanks, I'll take a look. Always wanted to try out a set of JBLs,

JBL Professional 306P MkII

ETA: Never mind. I had forgotten he had amplification already, but these do sound nice for well under the budget and include amplification.

Yep

JBL Professional 306P MkII

ETA: Never mind. I had forgotten he had amplification already, but these do sound nice for well under the budget and include amplification.

Not only that, they are MIC. Hard pass.

 

[j_garcia]

I reckon for many, they are not as picky as audioholics can be. Many get their fix via headphones or ear buds and I must admit that I am not that picky with the audio for TV or movies and wouldn't put any real money towards that. I'd likely be fine with a mediocre soundbar for TV.

The "lifetime" comment made it seem more serious for me, so, sorry if I get carried away with such ideas.

Main rig isn't always about TV/Movies. Many build a system based on music performance.

 

[MrBoat]

Main rig isn't always about TV/Movies. Many build a system based on music performance.

I was talking about my usage and where I wouldn't bother spending money either (trying to see the OP's point, more or less), since I don't watch TV or movies very often.

I said for "many," which doesn't mean "all," or "always." It's certainly true for many. Certainly more movie fans here than not.

My systems are all 100% music first. I started out watching black/white TV. The imagination factor had been enough to carry me through since. I don't find surround sound to be that realistic, without surround video. It's just a different set of what amounts to low distortion effects for a different purpose. Just like I don't worry with studio music being actually realistic in a live sense, either.

 

[j_garcia]

I was talking about my usage and where I wouldn't bother spending money either, since I don't watch TV or movies very often.

I said for "many," which doesn't mean "all," or "always." It's certainly true for many. Certainly more movie fans here than not.

My system is 100% music first.

I do enjoy my movies too, but music was the driving factor for my system. Movies benefit from a system built on the type of sound you like.

 

[MrBoat]

I do enjoy my movies too, but music was the driving factor for my system. Movies benefit from a system built on the type of sound you like.

I play video games, and watch a movie rarely. I wish I was more interested in movies, but I lost interest. The music keeps me involved for over 50 years now. Low distortion music, probably 45 years.

Most people I know now all are into movies more than music. Otherwise they are into headphones, ear buds, bluetooth radio and speakers.

 

[1911]

Thanks for all the advice so far. My friend started out wanting to spend just a couple hundred on speakers. The last stereo equipment he purchased was about 20 years ago for his ranch. At that time, he went to a blue big box store and quickly picked out a mid-fi system which consisted of a Yamaha receiver and Polk speakers. He chose that equipment based upon the idiot salesman's recommendations, which is what a great deal of people end up doing. For us that consider ourselves audiophiles, the very idea of doing something so foolish is almost reprehensible. Many salesmen at these blue big box stores have very little in the way of knowledge about the equipment they are selling. My Bud ended up with an adequate system, but it was nothing special.

The $500.00 budget was not an arbitrary number - it resulted from me explaining that if he wanted to reach some of the esoteric goals I had laid out for him, a quality, well-made speaker, not made in chiner, was one of the first steps he needed to take (especially since he lacks any speakers at the moment), and he'd need to up his budget. Amid mild protest, I was able to get him to agree to $500.00. Now I am working to get him up to ~ 8 or $900.00. I am currently recommending 5 different speakers - none MIC. Again, money is not the object, he can afford to spend considerably more. The issue is that he does not have enough audio knowledge to make an informed decision let alone understand the differences in hi-fi, vs. mid-fi. I cannot do it all for him, but I can help educate him and I have done a lot to that end. Ultimately, it is up to him to delve into this topic more fully. I suspect that his time limitations and interest (or lack thereof) is not conducive to that end.

My Bud and I have had several long conversations, as I mentioned, regarding speakers and audio gear, and he has indeed expressed interest higher quality audio gear, which I explained can provide a much more pleasurable listening experience than run of the mill mid-fi gear. I went into such topics as imaging, soundstaging, clarity, neutrality and detail, among other topics. I told him that he, of course, was free to go the mid-fi route and purchase a set of MIC speakers from a big box store, and that should he decide to take that route, that it wouldn't hurt my feelings a bit. I told him I didn't mid doing the research for him b/c this topic is of keen interest to me, but that I could not, in good conscious, recommend anything MIC for a variety of reasons, which should be obvious to anyone paying attention.

I am still looking at a few options and I will post the list when we have it narrowed down a bit. I will also let the forum know what he ends up deciding.

Thanks again and please keep the not MIC recommendations coming.

 

[1911]

TLS Guy: Thank you for your offer to design a pair of speakers. I would be very interested in this option, but not for my Bud. I'd like to build a pair for myself and get my younger brother involved and build a pair for him as well, as he is in need of a good set of speakers and also has a rather low budget.

 

[Eppie]

If you want to support American manufacturing, Ascend Acoustics and Salk Sound both make great products. Unfortunately the budget would have to be closer to $1500 to purchase new. Still, the used Salk Surrounds and Ascend Sierra 2 are both nice but buying in the used market is a private transaction that doesn't directly support local manufacturing, if that's a consideration. If you have not tried US Audio Mart yet, it is a good resource for used audio equipment. Paradigm also makes good speakers that are manufactured in Canada (some of the budget models may be Chinese).

I've been weighing whether or not to comment in this thread as your friend reminds me of a friend of mine. He has been a very frugal and successful businessman, recently retired. He has millions now. He sold a pair of older La Scalas a while ago for cheap not researching their value (unusual for him) but then bought a home that would have fit them perfectly. He wants to get a pair of La Scalas again and realized how expensive they are. I've been trying to hunt down a pair for him but he refuses to pay current market prices. He could afford 10 pairs but those old habits die hard. I try and remind him now and again that there is no prize for being the richest in the cemetery. It's been months and he still has no speakers in that room. If he'd been less stubborn he could have been enjoying the music all of that time.

If your friend has not purchased speakers in a long time, remember that $200 in 1980 is worth $750 today. $500 is a tough criteria especially when eliminating MIC options. Then again, we sometimes need to remind ourselves that for some people a Google Home or Amazon Echo sounds good enough.

 

[1911]

Eppie: Yep, no doubt about it, your friend made a major mistake letting those La Scala's go for cheap.

I am familiar with US Audio Mart, thanks.

 

[1911]

Going to view my Bud's new condo today, and discuss his options. Will report back on our decision.

 

[1911]

ok. just got back and he certainly has enough room for a set of bookshelf speakers, but he will need stands to go with them. I figure about 24-30" stands.

Any recommendations on stands? He/we are leaning towards the Ascend Acoustic Sierra 2.

Thanks

 

[everettT]

ok. just got back and he certainly has enough room for a set of bookshelf speakers, but he will need stands to go with them. I figure about 24-30" stands.

Any recommendations on stands? He/we are leaning towards the Ascend Acoustic Sierra 2.

Thanks

Not knowing how his seating is you want stands that put the acoustic center of the speaker at eat level. Monoprice Monolith makes some nice stands for the price, I'm using a set of them in one of the bedrooms for some powered speakers.