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Modestly priced bookshelf speakers for cabin.

I have a small cabin in the country where I spend weekends.

Current system is a 1980's Toshiba 25wpc receiver I got in high school. Bose 2.2 bookshelf speakers that are about 28 years old. They actually sound okay to me most of the time. $14 Sony DVD/CD player from Goodwill.

Even though this 'system' is sufficient most of the time, I've got the hi-fi bug since getting my home system and I've started thinking about slowly upgrading the cabin system on the lowest budget I can.....since I can't really justify doing it at all. ;-)

Rarely do I do any serious listening down there but would like to be able to when I have the chance.

So my first step is to replace the Bose speakers. Looking to spend no more than $350 or so. Is it possible to significantly improve on the Bose at that price? (I'm assuming yes).

The only thing I've even considered is the Klipsch RB-61 IIs or RP 160Ms. Why Klipsch? Back in the 70's my eccentric uncle used to have a massive pair of them that I thought were cool. Open to other options and advice.

Thanks for any advice.


n80
motown-l
182 posts
 
1. Cheap good speakers - picked up a pair of used Acoustic Energy Ageis 1's for $70 on CL. Paradigm Atom Monitors are discontinued. About $250/pr. NIB. Very efficient will fill room with 25 WPC. 
2. Hook up sub woofer via RCA's to "Tape Out" on vintage 2 channel. Use a "Y" connector to mix down to a single RCA input if it's a newer HT sub. Run both RCA's to L/R on older or Hi Fi subs.
16f4's avatar
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16f4
1,062 posts
 
Just bought a pair of ELAC Debut 6.2 s, MSRP $300, on sale at Amazon for $150.  They sound fabulous plugged into my vintage NAD 7020 integrated amp.  I loved my 15 year old Paradigm Atoms, but it was time...
shazb0t's avatar
shazb0t
2 posts
 
The Debut 2.0 deal recently was a pretty awesome one! Don't sleep on the Elac Uni-Fi UB5's either. Great value 3-way bookshelf when on sale for $350 per pair. Very well reviewed for stereo. 
n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
Finished the shelves for my old Bose speakers. Nothing fancy but they will do and have enough room for a little aiming if necessary.

Up until now they have been sitting on the floor, which is pretty much the worst place for this sort of speaker. I'm sure they'll sound much better at ear level. Bass port faces out.

The cabin is pretty rustic. My daughter (who helped me build it, along with many others, when she was in elementary school) is peeved that I'm mounting speakers on the wall next to an antique Winchester cartridge board and deer horns. The things we do for music.

Maybe I'll tell her that I'll take them down if she gets me a nice set of towers for Christmas!
bigkidz
3,381 posts
 
Best small monitors I have heard are the Sony SS-A3 speakers if you can find a pair.
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