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Small room speaker recommendation

post #1 of 3
1/13/12 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 
I have a modest stereo speaker setup in the living room in my apartment with two old Bose 201 Series IV speakers, an old powered Sony sub, and an aging Sont receiver that I suspect may need replacement soon (left channel cuts out occasionally), but it sounds pretty nice. I primarily have it hooked up to my TV and my HTPC, and will occasionally hook my turntable up to it (1200Mk2 -> Grado Prestige Black -> Behringer preamp). The problem is, my turntable is in my bedroom where my desk is and I'd like to have some speakers in there so I can listen to music while I read and do work without headphones (usually my MDR-V6s).

My constraints are:
-Small enough to fit on desk/table since space is limited.
-Self-powered if possible, as I don't really want to buy another amp and don't have the room for one.
-Reasonably priced. I'm looking for <$300/pair but obviously cheaper is better.

I was initially leaning away from computer-oriented speakers or toward a set of small monitors, but I'm lost when it comes to this sort of thing. I know about frequency response and driver sensitivity when looking at speakers, but when it comes to self-powered speakers I don't know what to look for.

Thanks in advance.
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post #2 of 3
1/13/12 at 2:59pm
Look at Krk, M-Audio, Behringer or similar monitors in your price range. You won't get much bass under 80Hz from them, but for vinyl it's less important.
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post #3 of 3
1/13/12 at 4:13pm
I have a high-end system in my living room and for years never seriously considered using the computer as a music source.

I have been spending a lot of hours on the computer recently however, and finally a friend of mine convinced me that the computer sound was only bad because my powered speakers were awful.

He referred me to the article in Stereophile on the Audioengine A2 speakers, and I went ahead and bought them. $199. They are excellent (like the review said...lol). So far I just play CDs on my computer DVD drive or music I have stored in the computer (My Music folder...).

I just have my computer sound output from the motherboard hooked to them, but they could also hook to the turntable if you get a stereo switchbox with three or four pairs of inputs and run the output of the switch to the speakers and the inputs to the turntable, computer. etc. Radio Shack.

I am assuming you already have a stand-alone phono preamp, which of course is needed for equalization as well as gain to get the music off of the record with correct sonic balance before it goes to any amplifier (or maybe you have a turntable with built-in phono preamp?). Oh...wait a minute...an old Sony amp.... It probably has a phono input and the phono preamp is built into the Sony. You may have to buy one if that is the case.

Anyway, I highly recommend the Audioengine A2 and its built-in 15W amplifiers. That doesn't sound like much power, but it plays as loud as anyone could want. I did get a small subwoofer cheap (Sony SA-W2500) and hooked it up, and that worked out fine under the table, but I would be happy even without it.

If you need a phono preamp, you can get the Musical Fidelity V-LPS for $99 from Audio Advisor, and it will sound 600% better than the one in the Sony (if that is what you have been using)...lol.



Quote:
Originally Posted by sandman1687 View Post

I have a modest stereo speaker setup in the living room in my apartment with two old Bose 201 Series IV speakers, an old powered Sony sub, and an aging Sont receiver that I suspect may need replacement soon (left channel cuts out occasionally), but it sounds pretty nice. I primarily have it hooked up to my TV and my HTPC, and will occasionally hook my turntable up to it (1200Mk2 -> Grado Prestige Black -> Behringer preamp). The problem is, my turntable is in my bedroom where my desk is and I'd like to have some speakers in there so I can listen to music while I read and do work without headphones (usually my MDR-V6s).

My constraints are:
-Small enough to fit on desk/table since space is limited.
-Self-powered if possible, as I don't really want to buy another amp and don't have the room for one.
-Reasonably priced. I'm looking for <$300/pair but obviously cheaper is better.

I was initially leaning away from computer-oriented speakers or toward a set of small monitors, but I'm lost when it comes to this sort of thing. I know about frequency response and driver sensitivity when looking at speakers, but when it comes to self-powered speakers I don't know what to look for.

Thanks in advance.
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