Best Option(s) for Bookshelf Speakers under $500 / pr (for music only)

[Jefferad]

Hi, I'm a bit of a novice, so go easy please...

I have a friend with a condo at the beach who is looking to put together a compact, budget system for playing music only - mostly vinyl. I've found him some free equipment to get started... a receiver, bluetooth adapter, and a turntable. He wants to pay no more than $500 for some speakers that will sound nice, but not take up much space. Since he has neighbors beneath and on one side, the volume will never get too loud. As a result, the priority would be a rich and pleasing sound that doesn't take up too much space. Bonus points for getting closer to the $200s or $300s. Anyone have any options to recommend looking at?

Thanks!.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Hopefully we'll get a few other opinions on this, but I've heard great things about Warfendale's Diamond 12.1. They land at $400 or $450

​

 

[jeeriko]

Q Acoustics Concept 20 without stands are about the best in that price range

If you could find new pair somewhere, don't know you location.

Seen some places selling them with ridiculously expensive price nowadays!

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[Peter Loeser]

Great thread! The good/bad news is there are TONS of great options in the the sub $500 range.

A few to consider...

Paradigm Monitor
PSB Alpha
B&W 607 (previous gen - maybe difficult to find new)
Klipsch Reference

 

[VJM]

ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2
Triangle Borea BR03

 

[Todd Anderson]

Anyone have experience with the Chane A1.5? I know their towers were a hot topic for a while. Those land for less than $300.

 

[Todd Anderson]

ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2
Triangle Borea BR03

Good call on the ELAC... those are Andrew Jones designed? I think they are

 

[VJM]

Good call on the ELAC... those are Andrew Jones designed? I think they are

I think that is Andrew Jones designed

 

[JStewart]

KEF Q150 on sale now.

Coaxial design will give some freedom on vertical placement. A solid performer otherwise in this price range.

Erin’s measurements and review:

You can also find the Elac Debut in Todd’s post #7 on Erin’s channel.
And the Q Acoustics in post 3

 

[Tim Hector]

Some good ideas listed here.... if you are up for a challenge, these would be excellent even if paying much more money, but they are at your budget and they're a kit... DIY:
HiVi-Swans DIY 3 Way Passive Bookshelf Speakers Pair - DIY Speaker Kit-Peak Power 120 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers for Surrounds or Front https://a.co/d/glbFZbb

 

[Peter Loeser]

Anyone have experience with the Chane A1.5? I know their towers were a hot topic for a while. Those land for less than $300.

Good point Todd - based on response from the AV community I'd say those are definitely a great option.

I think that is Andrew Jones designed

Interesting - I didn't know that about the ELACs.

 

[Tim Hector]

Andrew did Debut and Unifi for Elac...

 

[Todd Anderson]

Ah… that’s what I was thinking of!

 

[3dbinCanada]

I would definately look at the used market for most bang for the buck!! I use this web site that scrapes info from places like Kijiji, Ebay, etc and comes up with a list depending on your search criteria. I'm very partial to PSB as Paul Barton uses Canada's famous NRC facilities to test and tune his speakers before they go into production but before a listening panel critic's his latest work.

Hifi Shark - Used, Second Hand & Pre-Owned Hifi from 400+ Sources

Search and compare second hand Hifi equipment from 400+ sources world wide. Search by popular brands such as Accuphase, Hegel, Krell, Luxman, Mark Levinson and Sonus faber, and by categories like floorstanding speakers, integrated amplifiers, speaker systems, turntables and more.

www.hifishark.com

A screen shot of just some of the options that came up from the hifishark website.

 

[Jefferad]

Thanks all for all the suggestions. Lots to work through but I'm confident I've got some solid options that won't break the bank. Much appreciated.

 

[Harrycr]

@Jefferad not sure of pricing were you are but something from
Monitor Audio (maybe Bronze).
Heco Aurora 300

 

[vincenzo_uli]

If you don't mind going active, a second-hand HEDD Type 05 would be an excellent choice. Plus, you won't have to deal with amps and cables.