Post Your Best Budget Speaker Finds Here

gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
So I created a challenge on our latest YouTube stream tonight when reviewing budget $200/pair tower speakers. We want to see the deals you've gotten on inexpensive but good speakers. They can be new, used, second-hand, closeouts, etc. Please include photos, descriptions, price and how they sound. I will feature the most notable post from this thread in a future Youtube Livestream. thanks guys.

 
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ichigo

Full Audioholic
Someone recently reported getting a Revel M105 on craigslist for $280.

The best deal I've ever seen was a Paradigm Signature S8v2 listed on craigslist for $200 because a divorced spouse had no idea what they were worth...

Personal best score was NHT XD system for around $800 I think that was about 10 years ago which I re-sold for almost twice the price, and a pair of Paradigm Persona Bs I scored for about $2500 that I re-sold for 4k.
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
I think I'm really going to enjoy and simultaneously hate this thread...
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
I bought some new Behringer 2031P speakers for $140 a pair years ago. Those that know will know they sound way way better than that price point.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
I got a free pair of JBL L26 and the reconed woofers cost me $15. I later bought a pair of JBL L-18 fro $40 and they needed nothing.

I wish I still had my EV 30W woofers- the pair cost $80, but I couldn't get them into the house I bought after using them in the basement of the house where I rented.
 
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
Guys don't comment without pics. It's a requirement.
 
J

jamesohoh7

Audiophyte
How have these not been listed yet. Micca rb42.

Hmm.. I cant post pics yet it looks like... I just joined.

I'll give my impressions as required, and then try to post a few more things to get the post count up enough to allow pic/link posting. I'll return to edit this post to add the pic(s).

So.. background.. I'm not an 'audiophile' in the strict sense of the term. I don't have a 100K setup in my living room, and the most I've ever spent on a single component was maybe $400 on my old Onkyo avr... might've been 350.. don't remember... circa 2007 or 8.. the ones with the bad HDMI boards.. I've replaced a lot of caps on it in the interim. I spend more on music gear, but even then not a ton (failed guitarist, struggling drummer.. lol). I usually go the DIY route for when I get the new speaker bug... again, b/c I'm 'budget' minded.

To that end, my 'real' suggestion on the best budget find I've made (in the last year anyway) is the DIY Swan speaker kit on Amazon... the 2-way kit for like 220 bucks. It is super easy to build... yeah, finishing for 'looks' is a PITA, but you can just paint them if you want. I put cherry veneer on mine, first time I ever tried doing it. From 5' away, they look pretty good.. don't get too close though.. my lacquer skills are... 'lacking'... *cough*... ahem

Well then, these Miccas are a surprisingly sturdy build. The MDF is 3/4"... they are solid as bricks. The little 4" driver puts out a ton of low end for the size. They're sitting on my computer desk on foam blocks to put the tweeters at ear level, toed in right at me and as such, they have great imaging. The little tweeter (maybe 3/4"?) doesn't hurt my ears, sounds crisp.. about all I ever ask for. They're plugged into a Klipsh Power Gate (got it for pretty cheap on Amazon when they started blowing them out). The 50W/ch out of the Gate drives them pretty well, they get loud enough to be uncomfortable; like standing too close to a loudspeaker at a Metallica show.

I bought them when they first hit Amazon for 129/pr. I think that was a really fair price... a steal even. I have zero regrets buying them.

Honorable mention: the Monoprice 5.1 speaker setup for like 160 (used to be about 200) ... it was model 10565 I think?.. the one that's very similar to the Energy Take system... but is the newer, less 'pretty' version. It is my xbox setup in the gameroom, all connected through a Denon s530bt I got on Woot for a crazy low 130.00 (factory refurb). Really great receiver for that money!

The fridge calls... well, the stuff in the fridge.
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
Stupid question. Comparing NIB to dumpster dives is preposterous. That's like having males compete against females in school sports.
 
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baronvonellis

Audioholic
I'd recommend getting any Phase Tech PC series speaker off of Craigslist. They sound really good and neutral with awesome silk dome tweeters and high quailty crossovers. Made in Jacksonville, FL. Phase Tech invented the soft dome tweeter. I believe they make all their own drivers in FL as well. They have high end real wood veneer finishes. I got the Phase Tech 745 ES 3 way for $90 a pair on craigslist, this was their top of the line tower in the 80's. Any of their higher end models from the 80's, 90's, early 2000 were solidly built and cost around $3000 new for their towers.
They have tons of bass in my medium size room. They sound really clear, smooth midrange, dynamic chest pounding bass. I haven't had the need for a sub here, since I'm in an apartment building I can't blast bass to my neighbors anyway.
These will tide me over till I get the Salk Song 3's. I'll be trying to find a good home for these soon.

20190902_145543.jpg
 
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davidscott

davidscott

Audioholic Ninja
I'd recommend getting any Phase Tech PC series speaker off of Craigslist. They sound really good and neutral with awesome silk dome tweeters and high quailty crossovers. Made in Jacksonville, FL. Phase Tech invented the soft dome tweeter. I believe they make all their own drivers in FL as well. They have high end real wood veneer finishes. I got the Phase Tech 745 ES 3 way for $90 a pair on craigslist, this was their top of the line tower in the 80's. Any of their higher end models from the 80's, 90's, early 2000 were solidly built and cost around $3000 new for their towers.
They have tons of bass in my medium size room. They sound really clear, smooth midrange, dynamic chest pounding bass. I haven't had the need for a sub here, since I'm in an apartment building I can't blast bass to my neighbors anyway.
These will tide me over till I get the Salk Song 3's. I'll be trying to find a good home for these soon.

View attachment 30929
Nice looking system. What is the make and model of that TT? Just curious...
 
B

baronvonellis

Audioholic
Nice looking system. What is the make and model of that TT? Just curious...
Thanks! I want to get a bigger TV as well. I have a Panasonic 1080p Plasma that looks good, but I'd like a bigger LG 4K HDR OLED. Can only do so much at once. It's a Stanton STR8-30 turntable.
 
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Headkase11

Audiophyte
Jamo D 590 50th Anniversary Special Edition originally $700 each got them on sale for $350 each :cool:. On top of the TV is a 3 channel Canton CD 90 $80. I'm using the left and right channels for hight speakers. The towers have a very smooth sound scape. The highs are not harsh and overpowering, they have a very clear natural sound. The 8" down firing woofer fills the room up with warm rich bass, but you don't get the in your face power like the guy in the Maxell commercial. I think the mids are the star of the show! It feels like the horns from the Chicago trans attorney were playing in my livingroom.
20190903_100946_HDR~2_compress62.jpg
 
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William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
So we were having a garage sale with my neighbors. One of the pairs of speakers for sale were interesting to me so I asked about them. She said her dad got them as a kit a long time ago, but didn’t know anything about them. She said I could have them so I took em home. I found out that they were DLK, which iirc was the house brand of a dealer in Minneapolis. They sold different versions and these have dual 8’s. I can’t remember the details off hand, but the dealer, and subsequent franchise evolved into Best Buy. Anyway, I brought them home, cleaned them up and white washed them, and recovered the grills to fit my sons beach bedroom vibe.
So, free is good right? Oh yeah, they sound very nice but I think they now have radio shack tweeters. I paired them with a small diy sonosub which was needed as the speakers are sealed. Nice 2.1 system.
 
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ichigo

Full Audioholic
since we need pics, here were the Personas I picked up on the cheap. I didn't have any place to use them so I just used them in a bedroom setup for a bit. I ended up re-selling them because they were way too shrill sounding.

 
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zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
EFE/Bic speakers for $40 off Facebook marketplace .... these are the modded Bic DV62si speakers. They were modded by Ed Frias of EFE Technology. The mod does improve them some. The crossover is designed by Ed and he added a little more stuffing, and the grills now have the efe Technology logo.

The overall sound is more smoothed and balance with no shrill or edginess, but voices are somewhat up front. Bass is good for the size, but upper bass is somewhat weak. These are still budget friendly speakers but are more competitive than the standard Bic DV62si. They are good for dorm rooms, bedroom, garage, and surrounds

I believe EFE Technojogy is no longer in business

Original Bic review here
https://www.audioholics.com/bookshelf-speaker-reviews/speaker-face-off-iv/bic-dv-62-and-klipsch-rb-15

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Jeff5347

Audioholic
I got my floorstander Athena Techs AS-F2's from marketplace. 25 dollars for the pair. The company was taken over in the early 2000s by Klipsch. I love how these speakers sound. 93db sensitivity, a little bright but not shrill. For music there is just enough mid bass and bass to not need a subwoofer. My room is 12W x 26L x 7 H and these fill it with room to spare. Paired with the fronts is a Polk t30 center (Bestbuy) with Athena AS-B1 bookshelves for surrounds, and JBL Northridge e10s for front heights. Cant remember for the life of me when or where I got them. I know these weren't asked for but my 3 subs consist of a HSU vtf3-mk3 from marketplace for 100 bucks and 2 HSU vtf1's from market place for 150 bucks. So for all my speakers less than a grand. And the sound is amazing. Movies are annihilated with bass. Very proud of my low budget setup.


Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
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Headkase11

Audiophyte
I got my floorstander Athena Techs AS-F2's from marketplace. 25 dollars for the pair. The company was taken over in the early 2000s by Klipsch. I love how these speakers sound. 93db sensitivity, a little bright but not shrill. For music there is just enough mid bass and bass to not need a subwoofer. My room is 12W x 26L x 7 H and these fill it with room to spare. Paired with the fronts is a Polk t30 center (Bestbuy) with Athena AS-B1 bookshelves for surrounds, and JBL Northridge e10s for front heights. Cant remember for the life of me when or where I got them. I know these weren't asked for but my 3 subs consist of a HSU vtf3-mk3 from marketplace for 100 bucks and 2 HSU vtf1's from market place for 150 bucks. So for all my speakers less than a grand. And the sound is amazing. Movies are annihilated with bass. Very proud of my low budget setup.


Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

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