2.0 Stereo speakers on a $2000 budget?

$2000 would get you a great sounding NEW pair of Silverline Prelude Plus speakers and possibly leave you a few hundred to put towards a subwoofer (highly recommended though not absolutely essential with the SLPPs). That’s just one suggestion out of many possibilities - especially if you are willing to buy used. For others that might like to reply, consider describing the speakers you have now and what sort of sound quality and speaker type you are looking for. Obviously, explore the Audiogon marketplace and see what speakers are currently available in your price range.  Nothing (other than in home audition!) beats going to audio shops and hearing things first hand, of course.  Good luck in your search.

Thank you GhostHouse.
When I bought my old NAD amp and Thorens turntable I also bought a pair of KEF speakers. Those are gone too. But I bought them in Charlotte, NC at Audio Salon. It was like a big home. Rooms with furniture in them and a comfortable living room like setting. I sat in each room and listened to systems within my budget at the time. Those places are long gone around here now. Crutchfield, Best Buy and Amazon have put most of those guys out of business. So, I have to go on the opinions of others.
So, I bought a pair of Elac UniFi bookshelf speakers. High ratings by everyone but I didn't like them at all. I sent them back and got a pair of Klipsch RP-160M speakers. There is some good sound in there but the high end is extremely harsh. So, I'm going to throw some more money at the problem and see if that helps.
Thanks again,
Rob

Are you using a CD player as a source in addition to a TT? Some CD’s could be causing the harshness in your system.

The NAD C 356BEE outputs 50 wpc into 8 ohms and 4 ohms, so you should be looking for efficient, easy to drive speakers. PSB floorstanders are often paired with NAD amps.
PSB Imagine T are $2000/pair new and the Imagine T2 used might be within your budget.

I would recommend a "tower" speaker since your room is large enough which enables you to avoid the cost of speaker stands. The Silverline Prelude Plus would be my first choice, with some patience a used pair will pop up. JBL has the Studio 580/590 that can often be found on discount. Both speaker options(Prelude/580/590} should give you enough $$$ left over to purchase an entry level NAD/Onkyo/Yamaha cd player. If you must have vinyl the Onkyo CP-1050 is IMO the best budget table out there. Don't forget about cables!!! Signal Cable would be a great affordable starting point.

Based on your budget & listening preferences I would check out this pair of refurbished Infinity RS 2.5's, asking $1995. They have Graz emims, new Watkins dual voice coil woofers, refurbed crossovers, binding posts, re-done cabinets. They should sound great, *but* the Infinitys like a LOT of power & your Nad amp isn't going to cut it. Think atleast 200 watts & plenty of current to drive the 2.5's - http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649143551-infinity-rs-25/

If you were going down this route, I would consider looking for a good 2nd hand factory-refurbed Threshold S500 Mk2 amp with optical bias & Audio Research SP11 Mk2 preamp. Those 3 components would be an awesome combo!

These should fit the bill!

http://vandersteen.com/products/model-1ci

Thanks guys,
My NAD integrated amp is 80 watts into 4 or 8 ohms. My NAD 2200 power amp is 100 watts into 8 ohms.
I have a new NAD C 546BEE CD player.

melbguy1,

Do you own a pair of Infinity RS2.5's. Just curious as I'm interested in a pair. I currently have the RS1.5 and love it.

nadamp,

The Vandersteen 1ci, as recommended by yogiboy, or a pair of Vandersteen 2ce are great speakers. Kind of a "can't go wrong" choice, especially if you get a good used pair at a decent price.  

Golden Ear Triton 5

But, is there any advise someone could give me? I want to get a pair of good stereo speakers for $2000 or less.

There are literally hundreds of very good speakers that are at or below your budget.

So I suggest a pair speakers that can be properly driven by your amp, are within your 2K budget and sound the best to you.  Not us.

So go out and start auditioning as many as you can that meet the above parameters.  Happy hunting!

The recommendations for a Vandersteen 1 or 2 are spot on.  You might be a bit low on power for 2.

I am a big fan of Vandersteen, but urge you to compare them with Maggies - 1.7i or a used 1.7, 1.6, 1.5QR, etc.

I sold my 2ce's for the 1.5QR -- tho it took me several months to make that decision...

If if you would consider used I have a beautiful pair of Proac Response 2.5 listed now on Audiogon.

Well within your budget, and they are in wonderful condition.  Pairs great with NAD.

I don't recommend buying speakers for amps. Buy the speakers that suit your budget, room and preferences, and if need be, sell your amp and buy appropriate amplification (this is Audiogon).

reubent1,623 posts11-12-2016 6:20ammelbguy1,

Do you own a pair of Infinity RS2.5’s. Just curious as I’m interested in a pair. I currently have the RS1.5 and love it.

I don’t own a pair, though i’ve got a friend who owns the RS4.5’s & he raved about them. The previous Infinity speakers i’ve owned are Renaissance 90’s, Reference 60’s & Reference 3’s back in my student days. Another fun Vintage Infinity speaker would be the RS2B’s.

Custom makers will build you incredible speakers for that amount. :)

Are you looking for floor standers or bookshelf or standmounts?

If you are located within driving distance of southern California, there is a  pair of awesome VMPS RM30 speakers with auricaps, silver wiring, side 10" woofer, two 6" woofers, two 6" passive radiators, 3 neoribbon midranges, and a FST ribbon tweeter per speaker.  They need to be picked up--110 lbs. each.  There is a picture and description on p.36 of Audio Circle--VMPS speakers.  The seller was a demonstrator and seller of their speakers.  I was also and owned a pair of these.  I still have their big brother RM40 in a very nice system.  If John still has them for sale and they aren't bought yet, it would be hard to beat these at his $1500 asking price.  There are a couple of reviews you can read online.  These were about $5300 new--dynamics, clarity, soundstage, good clear bass, and adjustability to any room or system in the mids, highs, and bass.  At $5300 they were a steal.  If you don't live close enough, that's too bad.  I friend who bought a similar pair from me uses a Japanese theater amp and a cheap cd player and swears they sound stunningly good.  They sure did in my system--the 40's have deeper bass, can play a little louder, and a slightly higher soundstage.

I would go with a pair of Vandersteen Model 1's. You can put them next to anything you want up to 2k. Over the years, I've compared them to at least 30 different speakers, and have yet to hear something that I would say sounds better for anything near what they cost.

Your room is big enough for a pair of planars, if your taste includes them. Many would suggest the Maggie 1.7i, but even better is the Eminent Technology LFT-8b, a hybrid magnetic-planar/dynamic woofer design. Easier to drive than the 1.7i, too. $2499 retail, rarely found second hand.

My thinking, given that you own the NAD 356 integrated and CD player and want to keep them. 

There are many choices that would mate well with this amp and represent a major upgrade from your aforementioned speakers. I totally agree regarding the Klipsch RP-160M. I have a pair which I drive with a NAD 326.  

I generally don't get into recommending speakers as choice is so subjective, however I agree with the Vandersteen recommendation as one to consider. Given your room size I would think the 2C to be the better choice over the 1C. The new version of the Vandersteen 2Cs retain at $2200 I believe. Earlier versions come up used and can be had for much less. They are very highly regarded and can be driven effectively by your amp (80wpc). Should you wish to one day, they will respond to an upgrade in amplification. Look them up, call Richard regarding questions. 

Nadamp,

You have been given some good options, although somewhat diverse. I've owned Vandersteens, Magnepans, and Silverline. 

My advice is take your time and balance your risk/reward. Audition speakers in your room with your gear if possible- preferably with an option to return if they don't suit you. 

You can learn a lot on here from past posts and reviews, as well as check out gear for sale. Most on here are happy to answer questions and help as needed.

Sorry if I talked below your level of understanding, just trying to help.

Best-
gary

@mesch , The OP has a budget of $2000 or less.Why would you recommend these? Just curious!
http://vandersteen.com/products/model-2ce-signature-ii

 Glad to try to help.Of course, in a thread like this, everybody is going to tend to recommend what they have!That said, I will put in a pitch for the Spatial Audio M3 or M4 open baffle speakers.  They are an INCREDIBLE value. My M4's are the speakers that got me off the merry-go-round. I'm just happy. 

@donvito101 

+1. 

Otherwise I would have recommended Golden Ear Triton Three Plus instead of 5

Rega's new RX series of speakers. RX3- WOW!
Extremely easy to drive and possessing high resolution.

nadamp,

Lots of good recommendations. I'll second the Golden Ear and Vandersteen suggestions. If you can, check out the Bowers and Wilkins 683 S2, one of the best values out there right now. I've lived with them for over a year, love them. Also, the Monitor Audio Silver 8 is a great speaker as well. A little harder to drive but the 80 watts from year NAD should be enough for your size room. Good luck with your search.

Cheers,

Scott

" The OP has a budget of $2000 or less.Why would you recommend these? Just curious!"

He may be willing to buy used.

mb1, Yes, at his/her budget the 2C signatures are out of range. I was thinking they were within 10% of budget ($2200). Buying used would be within budget. I have heard earlier versions of both the 1C and 2C and felt that the 2C would better pressurize the OP's room given he mentioned that he sometimes plays music loud. I believe any of the later model 2Cs to be great all around speakers, could be driven by the NAD 356 amp, would fit his room size, and accommodate all types of music. I also mentioned there were many other choices available (as per samac), though I was hesitant to recommend a single one. Truly believe the Vandys to be a worthy contender considering the OP's situation.

I have two suggestions that come in right at your price point ($2K):

Magnepan 1.7 and Monitor Audio Silver Series 8.

I auditioned the Magnepans powered by an NAD C 375BEE and it was a good match--smooth and natural, it let the Maggies show off what they are about. For impedance matching and tonal balance, your C 356BEE should sound similar, but you'll be missing a little bit of volume potential. However, while the C 356 is rated at 80 wpc (into 8 or 4 ohms), they have a lot of headroom built in, so they should cleanly hit peaks 3dB above that cleanly. You could get those 1.7s and possibly be happy with the C 356, but I don't know your listening tastes and your room is medium-largish. But there's no harm in getting them and checking out the match. Worst case is at some point you might sell the 356 and move up to the 375, which I *know* is an excellent match with these speakers.

I have had my Maggies for exactly three years, and they still so captivate me, continue to pull me into the music, and reveal natural-sounding music reproduction that I still think of them as my "new" speakers. None of the "new toy" novelty has worn off. In fact, the way they've gotten better with extended break-in and the more ways I notice how well they do so many things, I look forward to listening through them as the months and years pass.

I've also heard an earlier version of the Monitor Audio Silver 6 and Silver 8. They are more sensitive than the Maggies, and should be able to hit clean peaks of 107-109dB with your current NAD amp. These have excellent tonal balance, transparent midrange, smooth, even, extended highs, good bass reach, etc. They also look very nice. If the bass overloads the room, you could plug or attenuate the ports with rolled up towels or something. Or you could go with the Silver 6 with less bass output. I'd personally go with the Silver 8 because it has a dedicated midrange, is in your budget, and you can attenuate the bass by plugging one or both ports.

Stereophile review of earlier version

"mb1, Yes, at his/her budget the 2C signatures are out of range. I was thinking they were within 10% of budget ($2200). Buying used would be within budget. I have heard earlier versions of both the 1C and 2C and felt that the 2C would better pressurize the OP's room given he mentioned that he sometimes plays music loud. I believe any of the later model 2Cs to be great all around speakers, could be driven by the NAD 356 amp, would fit his room size, and accommodate all types of music. I also mentioned there were many other choices available (as per samac), though I was hesitant to recommend a single one. Truly believe the Vandys to be a worthy contender considering the OP's situation. "

I used to have the 1's, and now have the 2's and 3's. The 2's are definately a better speaker, but the 1's are much easier to drive. Given the large room and high volume requirements, I think they're a safer choice. The NAD may strain trying to push the 2's in that room. However, if the OP plans on upgrading in the future, the 2's are definately good enough to be a last speaker purchase. 

Another option may be to get a pair of 1's and a sub. Later on, another sub can be added, and 2 subs work really well with the Model 2 and 3's, so they can be a solid, long term purchase. 

Someone else mentioned the Monitor Audio Silver 8's. I had a pair of those and thought they were great. I wouldn't take them over the Vandersteen, but they would probably be a 2nd choice. MA does a really nice job with their cerimac coated tweeters.

Kef 104/2 for $650 on the 'gon and spend the rest on better amplification/ sources etc.

+many for ProAc. I love my studio 148s. Very efficient, same tweeter as D series and much better bottom end than D18 or D20. Some up here for sale or similar models. I use mine with soundocity SEV 9 outriggers. 

Magnepan MMGs run $600 pair
SVS sells a pair of 12" sealed subs for $1,000

Your NAD will IIRC allow you to cross the subs at line level and the power output should be adequate for highish (tho not crushing) SPLs in that room.  Very high SQ and full range reproduction for less than $2,000

No one on this site has any idea what you will like personally. Basically we recommend stuff we ourselves liked and that's about as far as it goes. So many to choose from, don't take our word for any of this, just way too many variables in my modest opinion. In the end it's a crapshoot as you cant A/B audition all of them in your home anyway. 2K will get you some great sound so dont sweat it too much

Have you heard the kef ls 50?

So, what speakers have you been using?  What are you looking to improve upon or what sonic properties of speakers and music reproduction are most important to you (i.e. Micro/macro dynamics, tonality, timing, imaging/soundstaging, etc.)?  This info would help greatly in making more targeted recommendations. 

The ProAc jumps out at me right away as interesting choice.

speakers I have heard and liked with that NAD amp or close relative:

-Vandersteen 1c
Dynaudio Audience (82 and 122 both available now on Agon used)
-B&W 683 S2
-Focal Chorus 726

note these are all very different sounding speakers but had their charms with NAD power.

other intriguing suggestions mentioned in this thread that I have heard but not with your NAD amp:

-Monitor Audio Silver 8 (Full Disclosure I own some MA speakers now and like them a lot)
-PSB Imagine tower
-Magnepan MMG's plus SVS subs (very intriguing idea)

for that matter, SVS sub(s) with any synergistic stand mount speaker like B&W CM-5, Monitor Audio Silver S2, KEF LS50, Dynaudio Excite X18, others?

There are some Revel Perfoma F32's on Agon now for $2K which strikes me as a good deal, but not sure of match with your NAD amp.

A suggestion on the NAD no matter what speakers you end up with, scrap the stock metal jumpers between the Preamp "out" and power amp "in" on the back, and replace them with decent 0.5m interconnects. Might even help tame Klipsch's treble a bit.

Magnepan has their own "bass reinforcement panels" they want you to use instead of a sub

not clear if they add any freq. extension or just SPL at freq.s that their speakers already reach

Active version of  KEF LS50 called the  LS50 Wireless is coming out, it's going to be game changing.

get a pair of Audioengine's HD6 and be done with it.

Vandersteen is a solid recommendation unless you listen to classical music.  I did not like my 2CE sigs for orchestral works.  There are so many great speakers out there in this price range.  Check out Monitor Audio, JBL 580/590, Focals.  Can't really go wrong with used Revel's either except the box/packing they use has never been great, so a good chance of getting dinged by UPS/Fedex.
How about Sonus Faber Chameleons?  Any owners care to comment on them?

Hello nadamp,
I own a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 8s, and a pair of Vandersteen 2Cs. 
Based on your room size and your statement you like some of your music pretty loud, I would suggest the Silver 8s. They will play louder than the 2Cs.
Notice I didn't say they would sound better.
However, my wife prefers the sound of the Silver 8s to the 2Cs.
I much prefer the 2Cs, but I am listening for different things.
Just my 2c (pun intended) worth...

Tom

There are some good recommendations above. I see listed on A'gon, Paradigm Reference studio 100v5, Piano black. Original box, manual, condition 9/10 and willing to ship. $2200.00, asking for offers.They will give you ample SPL.  
Good luck! 

N

I'm not sure whether the OP is still lurking about, but since I'm a C356BEE owner as well, I thought I'd share my experience.  NAD sounds great with Tannoy, and I'd opt for the concentric tweeter design mounted in the center of the drivers.  Aside from that, it's also well known that Nad has good synergy with PSB speakers, and I believe they are owned by the same parent company.  

On the Nad integrated, I'd also suggest replace the stock preamp jumpers.  Audioquest makes a pair as well as a few others, or you can just use a pair of interconnects, but I'd make sure they are shielded.  I picked up noise on a pair that were not.  Good luck!