Good speakers for a low budget

If he is looking for a bookshelf speaker, try the Energy RC10 . Just picked up a pair and am very impressed with them. Excellent pricing (almost 50% off) for certain speaker finishes.

Regards,

Rich

What a concept ... someone who buys equipment and actually holds on to it. So most likely, your friend will hold on to this equipment for another 15 years. So, she wants stuff that will sound good, look good, and last another 2 presidential elections. So, let's think systems.

I don't like buying used. I prefer to buy close-outs, look for deals, etc. If you were to look at new clearance items that Audio Advisor is offering right now, you could do the following pairings. I own or have owned this equipment at one time or another and have paired it together over the last 6 years.

NAD amp/ Energy speakers ($633)
NAD receiver/ Energy speakers ($833)

NAD amp/ NHT speakers ($950)
NAD receiver/ NHT speakers ($1150)

Cambridge Audio amp/ cd player/ Energy speakers ($933)
Cambridge Audio amp/ cd player/ NHT speakers ($1250)

The links:

1. NAD receiver at 500

2. NAD amp at 300

3. Energy speakers at 333

4. NHT speakers at 650

5. Cambridge Audio amp at 300

6. Cambridge Audio CD player at 300

Another option is to buy a $1600 pair of speakers for $800 like these Spendor 3se and gradually grow a system around them.

Best regards,

Rich

There's an instructive, current thread concerning soundstage that might be useful here. Has your friend experimented with moving the speakers around in the room?

I don't think that the Pioneer CD player is necessarily the problem, unless it is beginning to show its age and not work well after 15 years. I owned one of these players years ago and it was a fine player and is definitely keeping with the level of the rest of your friend's system.

Even when this system was brand new, the SONY receiver was the limiting component. It is your basic SONY HT receiver, fine for what it is, but music is not its strong suit.

My question about the PSB speakers would be ... what shape are the woofer surrounds in?

I don't mean to spend your friend's money or come across as snooty, but it just sounds like it may be time to replace the system. You can do it piecemeal, but the whole system really needs to go. I went through this two years ago with a good friend and she resisted like heck, but in the end she spent about $700 on TEAC 500 series mini separates (receiver and dvd player) and NHT speakers. The new system sounds great, she's happy, and she felt that she got her money's worth. This may be the situation here.

Regards, Rich