Entry-level speakers

I have a friend who has the 4T's and they are good for the money. They will leave you with a pretty serious upgrade bug pretty soon though.

with your budget this is what I would do. I'd go for a pair of the Jordan single driver based speakers from www.carolinaaudio.com either the floorstander or the monitor. So for $1500 you will have one of the best an most accurate speakers out there at any price with much better bass than the bulky 4T's. carolina is also coming out with a great line of budget cables in the near future. I had a chance to hear them and they are really something.

As you'll be spending a lot of time in a small room you won't need to much power to start with I would go with the excellent sounding little kit here www.tubeaudio.com click on the amplifier kit. quite a little conversation piece and will give you wonderful sound for only $139.

This way you wont have to upgrade your speakers down the road ... just find a nice tube or 47labs style amp down the road and you'll be in heaven.

I'd consider a used pair of Soliloquy 5.0 monitors.
I sold a pair about 2 years ago for about $425 without
the optional stands. They are very musical, obviously
with limited low frequency extension, but outstanding
imaging and soundstaging.

I second Chelillingworth.
If you want to go the kit route the basic Speaker he is talking about can be made w/ little fuss too.

The Jordon drivers can be had here for $115 each
http://www.creativesound.ca/products.php?make=Jordan&category=

The basic enclosure used by Carolina audio.
http://www.ejjordan.co.uk/enclosures.html

You could have a good lumber yard(not Lowe's or sosmething)
cut the pieces to dimensions if you do not have access to a table saw. It is an easy speaker to make. I just made one for a relative. Total about $350.

I used the Ella tube amp(kit) from diycable to power it (doesn't need a pre amp if the source is a cd) and it is an
amazingly nice sounding system for the $$$. About $550

http://www.diycable.com/main/default.php?cPath=25&Cid=068b7226f81d6b0a17f3b464ce284d60

This is the nicest sound I've made for under a grand (w/o source). Really exceptional for blues, jazz etc. Both of the kits are easy. There is lots of support online for making the Ella. The manu. has its own forum.

The plans for the enclosure are not exactly how Caroline does it. I'm messing with the depth and tappering of the pipe a little. But the basic enclosure sounds very good!

Cheers,

You need to go nearfield -- get some nearfield monitors; this way you will cancel out the effects of bad room acoustics as well as allowing you to get away with lower power. I recently tried this out in a small, cramped bedroom with a pair of Spendor 3/5 (which I think you should consider used) --

these speakers are descendants of a strictly nearfield monitor and so, unsurprisingly, I have found they sound best nearfield--in my case 6.5ft apart, sitting 6 feet away. The sound is smooth, full and balanced with great soundstaging. Volume is not a problem---in any event, I think you should take care not to get speakers that are too big and overpower the room.

A pair of tannoy saturn s8lr would fill the bill nicely and fit the budget. While tannoy sound takes some getting use to, I enjoy there imaging, sense of dynamics, and non fatiguing sound. Couple them with a good tube integrated (stingray, jolida, golden sound, used arc ca50 and you will have glorious sound for the money

Agree....stick with monitors....

Clueless.... I saw the pictures posted re your Jordan speakers. I have a soldering iron but a woodshop is another thing altogether.

Carolina has done quite a bit of work with the damping and tapering. They also add a lot of pieces to angle off the corners in the line for a smoother flow. The finish is then quite exceptional.

As a basic speaker from the plans if you have the where-with-all to do it is quite a deal and a good sounding speaker.

Carolina's little T-line monitor with the Jordan is quite something as well.

That Ella kit looks good... I'd love to have an EL34 amp around.... nice to hear that it is a good combination with the Jordan driver.

If you get a chance check out that little kit I mentioned. very cool and cheap.

Take look at either the Acoustic Energy Aegis or Energy Connisour line

I would recommend you audition the Energy Connisour C-1. Absolutely fantastic loudspeaker for small/mediun sized room. An audio bargain for I believe $300 retail. I've owned the Spendor S3/5(Superb loudspeaker), Harbeth's, JM Labs, Kef's, PSB's and I personally find the C-1 superior to them all.

Does anyone have the PSB stratus minis? I like PSB but the Image bookshelves sound too small. Can anyone describe the difference between the Minis and the Image 4ts?

Dana Audio 1 monitor for ~ $250 (new) have been on Sensible Sound's recommended list for years. Deservedly so. I have a pair I bought off Ebay for $105.

I also own Tyler Reference Monotors ($1100 used; $2450 new) and the Dana's are every bit as enjoyable at times, depending on equipment matchup. Different voice, different quality; still the Dana's are for real. You can live with them for a long time and never be ashamed of the sound. Passive sub is available to match the 1's for $250; active for $350. First class budget set-up. Well reviewed.

I've never seen Dana mentioned here and really wonder why. Anyone else with experience?

Green Mountain Audio Europa's are becoming legend, it appears. Comfortably under $1000 and you would never likely want to trade up. Just add a subwoofer down the road. Or not. These speakers are special.

Axiom M3ti, only $275 and superb performance. Checkout the Soundstage! review at www.axiomaudio.com

Your going to be in a dorm room that you share with someone you've never met do not spend a lot of money on your stuff. It is going to have beer spilled on it, people you don't know puking on it, get stolen, etc. Get a pair of Ascend Acoustics 170s( see the $ensible Sound reviews at the Ascend site) for $330 and an older NAD amp or receiver here or on ebay. Keep it under $500 it is going to be abused in a dorm unless you take with you every time you leave your room.

...If you take a $2K rig into a dorm setting be prepared to kiss it good-bye in a hurry. If you don't believe me then I ask that just wait thru 6 weeks of dorm living before you drop that kind of money.

...Just because you're responsible in saving money and planning a year out doesn't mean that whoever you end up paired with won't think that seeing how many time his soda/beer goes around your turntable before it flys off is great entertainment. Remember that your roommate will be using this stuff while you are in class/library etc. Also, you are going to have to teach them how to use a turntable and care for vinyl because very few people your age own(or have even seen) either. Ascend Acoustics has the CMT-340(approx $500) that would be simuliar in size/style to the PSB 4T that is a pair of their center channels turned up on end with the crossover modified for this setup. You may have to email or call them for more info I don't think they have put them on the web site yet.

Hi, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped. I've had had my system for almost half a year now, and I love it. I ended up deciding on the PSB 4Ts and the NAD C320BEE. The only downside is that I can't listen to my car stereo without thinking about how much better my home stereo would sound. I'm probably going to take my old speakers to college next year and bring the 4Ts along with my TT and all my vinyl when I get an apartment.
Thanks again