Best used speaker under $1000 for tube low watter

Any news to report yet?

Did you make a purchase?

Spendor BC1? thanks again for your responses... i've been looking into what you have all mentioned. how about the spendor bc1? i have not been able to find much info on them, outside how amazing they are, especially for classical. do they require more power?

Totem Arro's. Used about $750. Not fussy with placement. I use a pair with a Conrad Johnson tube amplifier & listen to classical and jazz. 15 watts is enough power in a room your size.

The Type K Audio Note speakers are 90db rating; the Type J is 92 and the Type E goes from 94 to 98 depending on model.

Used Klipsch speakers are a great deal and sound good, too, with8 tubes; very efficient. Some models of interest would be RB5, RB25, RF35. Go to the Klipsch page and look around. These things go from 93 to 98db. And they are inexpensive used; a pair of RB25 locally is going for 299.

Do a search on Eico here and on AudioAsylum and you may come up with some more suggestions as well as those here. I seem to recall those EL84-based amps being a pretty good match for vintage Quad ESL57s which would be just over your budget and also a bit large. The sloped ceiling behind the speakers may actually work in your favor, but it's hard to say. I'd still keep the Cornwall's in the running to. No experience with your KEF's.

Marco

I'll second Bryhifi's recommendation of the Eric-1s. I heard them in January when Quest for Sound was at THE Show in Vegas, and I was extremely impressed.

Another possibility is a used pair of Tyler Acoustics Taylo Reference Monitors. They should be about $1000 as well.

---Dave

Contact Steven at "Quest for Sound".....He is a dealer here.
He is a tube guru and sells lots of tube power and speakers that work with low power.
I heard a pair of Consonance Eric 1 monitors there 2 weeks ago being driven by a 2A3 amp that was absolutely engaging and amazingly full range. I am a full range speaker listener and these monitors blew me away especially after asking what the price tag was. Less than your budget new and he'll sell demo as well. Trust me! He is worth talking to!

Anything Spica

It's going to depend on your taste with the Omegas. I have the Grande 8s. But you would probably be happy with the Omega 6s or the Omega 3s as well. Don't let those little 3s fool you. I guarantee you will be trying to come to grips with how much sound comes out of them! The 6 models are probably the most balanced. The 8s are more up front but fuller to me.

Basically the Omega 3s will sound like your on the 5th row of the venue.The Omega 6s will put you on the 2nd row and the Omega 8s put you on the stage. The sonic signature is the same, just personal preferences will decide which one works best for you.

Also Louis has been working on some new cones made from hemp.That's the cool thing about these speakers. To change the sound just swap out the drivers to different drivers that will work in the same enclosure.No crossovers to worry with.

I'm waiting to see what his larger dual driver speakers are going to sound like(with 6 and 8 inch drivers). Should be more dynamic with a little more impact. Mated with a sealed sub this isn't a big issue with the regular models.

I also like the Soliloquys.Maybe one of their monitors will work for you.

Although I haven't used them with tubes, the Meadowlark Kestrels would work nicely for you. Before purchasing mine(used) my research found many a recommendation from tube users. Mine are the Hot Rod version. They are unobtrusive and easy to place, from my experience. A step up would be the Shearwaters. Both are sold regularly here used. Good luck with the search.

one more thing... i currently have nice old kef 103.3s. will an upgrade within a budget of $1000 be much superior to them?. the problem is that the kef speakers are for more powerful amps, but they still sound quite nice with the eico.

thanks again for the quick responses! i am a college student on a limited budget, my amps are eico hf-12s. they are amazing and musical little amps, running with a norh cd-1. i will soon be adding a TT, which i'll save for another discussion. the room is not exactly 14x14, actually more like 14x12.5. the speakers will be against the long wall, but the ceilings slope low behind them (its an attic room). i don't need to have speakers perfectly tailored to this room, as i probably won't be in it much longer. corner placement will NOT work in this room.

I'm just reading your other post after posting earlier. I'm a big fan of vintage Klipsch. I've owned the Heresy's and they are great little speakers, but definitely not as refined sounding as the larger Klipsch such as the LaScala and Khorn. They do utilize the same drivers, but with a much smaller midrange horn body. The Cornwalls, on the other hand, may be a good choice as they use the same size horn body and driver as my LaScalas. They are one of the very few older Klipsch designs that I have not heard so I can't really comment specifically. Like all the older Klipsch stuff, I think they'd likely stand for some improvement via reinforcement of the cabinet, swapping out the zip-cord wiring harness, better crossover components, and a better tweeter. Still, with all those 'faults' my older Heresy's sounded pretty darn good stock and were quite lovely with the various tube amps I paired them with and a great deal at the price you pay for a pair. 15 watts may be at the lower end of where I'd personally take them though I'm sure they'd perform for you, especially in that small a room. Still, as much as I do like the vintage Klipsch + Tube sound, I think if Heresys were one of my options, and I had a grand to play with, I'd look elsewhere for a more refined sound. I did compare the Heresy's to my Soliloquy's and there was really no contest on any level - the 5.3's were superior in every way (this was using both the 25 watt Quicksilver Mini-monos, as well as the 11 Watt Wright Mono 10's). If the contest was with the LaScala's on the other hand, I'd take the Scala's every time. So the Cornwalls could be in the running, but again, I'd go try to listen to a pair, especially given their large size and heavy weight.

Marco

The square shape of the room may be your biggest hurdle (not ideal for a listening room). Otherwise he 90db efficient Soliloquy 5.3's sound wonderful with my Wright Mono 10's as well as other lower powered tube amps I've tried them with. Posting the rest of your system, especially the amp you are using, may help others make suggestions tailored to the synergy with your specific components. There are going to be many options/suggestions for you, and each may give your system a slightly different voice (or a very different one). Your preference may not be the same as mine, or someone elses as to which is "better". The used route is great for just that reason, you can listen and resell if you don't like it. The only drawback with speakers is that they are often quite heavy and difficult to pack and ship. If you can listen before you buy, even used, it may be save some hassle. The more information you give here to get the advice you are seeking, the better. You can ferret out other users with similar musical preferences and system components and hopefully get more focused advice.

Marco

thanks for the response gmood1. the hornshoppe horns are too sensitive to room placement for me. i was looking at the omegas, what do you think would be superior, the grande 8, or grande 6r? also, anyone know about the decware 1.5 radials? they seem quite interesting and have been getting some rave reviews.

but again.. anything vintage or used? how about klipsh heresy or cornwalls (may be too big for a small room)?

Here's a few suggestions..sorry it's not easy to find these used but that is a good thing! Omega Speakers , Bob Brines Speakers , The Horn Shoppe .
Two of these companies have a return policy. So you don't have much to lose by trying them.

Good Luck

I recommend Audio Note speakers as they are designed to be placed in the corners and are usually 94 db efficent. I have the model E and really love them with my 18 wpc Audio Note amp.

Omega Super 3's are what I bought for my small room. Great with low watt tube amps. They're $550 new, bookshelf sized, so you'll need to buy stands.

Coincident Triumph UHS