Dayton Audio MK402--$60 speakers
I needed a small, cheap set of speakers for use in a temporary office (near field) setup. I stumbled upon the Dayton MK402 after Steve Guttenburg's favorable review and a bunch of other positive feedback on the web. For $60, you get a pair of speakers with a ~4" mid woofer and 3/4" silk dome tweeter. Crossover is at 2500 Hz, first order on the mid woofer and second order on the tweeter. The box is ported on the back, and is about 9" high, 6" wide, and 6" deep. I am driving them with an old Denon AVR-2500 that I had lying around.
These things are shockingly good for their price. Bass is strong, I'd say to at least 50 Hz, and quite punchy. Clarity / resolution leave something to be desired, and it seems like the tweeter might be balanced a bit too hot. But reminding yourself that these are $60, you can't help but really enjoy them. Most "normal" people will think these are really good speakers.
So, if you are looking for a very cheap speaker for near field use, or maybe want to set something up for a teenager or someone just getting a taste for audio, these are worth trying. Worst case is you're out $60!