Speakers for Retro receiver?

[stubob]

After much gnashing of teeth, I decided to keep my Sansui QRX-5500 receiver for a 2.0 music-only setup. Since it's rated at 40w, can I use any modern speakers, or should I look for 90+db of sensitivity due to the low power?

Since this will be the second setup, any advice for tower/bookshelf speakers less than $500 for the pair? It will probably be in a small room, so overall volume isn't a requirement, just clean sound.

 

[Seth=L]

After much gnashing of teeth, I decided to keep my Sansui QRX-5500 receiver for a 2.0 music-only setup. Since it's rated at 40w, can I use any modern speakers, or should I look for 90+db of sensitivity due to the low power?

Since this will be the second setup, any advice for tower/bookshelf speakers less than $500 for the pair? It will probably be in a small room, so overall volume isn't a requirement, just clean sound.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about the sensitivity since you said high output isn't required for the application. Those old Sansui receivers tend to be fairly underrated by today's standards and should have plenty of headroom for most speakers aside from the most complex loads such as electrostatic or large planar speakers.