Want speakers for 700 but none sound good.

If you're able to audition a set of Rega speakers I think you'll be impressed. I was recently at a dealers & was just playing with some of the equipment & was surprised at how good these little speakers sounded.

Here is a company for you, HALES! Remember them?
Great speakers, and when they are available, very cheap.
A heavy speaker, so shipping (and risk with them OOB) could take you out of the $700 range. I have seen a few 3's for $800! Not to mention, my favorite monitor for less that $450, the Rev 1's!

Awesome!

Dan

Thanks guys. I now have a new list that I hope I can audition. I dont mind used at all, as long it is about a couple years old and depending on condition. If you have any more suggestions that you want to add, please do so.

I really appreciate the help. So, among the speakers that I already auditioned, you dont think I can make them sound better with proper setup etc? especially the Paradigm Studio 20s? Just curious.

thanks.

you probably do have audiophile taste becasue all those speakers you mentioned are genuine high-end quality speakers. I have owned Kharma Cermaique 2s (11,500), Mini Utopia (8200) and Sonus Faber Guaneri (10,000) as well as auditioned quite a few others in this same range and I now own the Triangle Titus 202 and am satisfied.

Some of what you are struggling with may be expectations. This can change your feeling quite a bit.

With that said...I agree with others to consider used so you can move up another level or two. If you can come up with a few more bucks and get your budget to 1k you will open a quite a lot of choices.

I also agree with the Theil 1.5s...I have had two different pairs in my home (bought for friends) and they were hard to let go of. Friends were VERY satisfied as a matter of fact the Thiels went beyond their expectations (which were addmittedly low).

You should be able to pick up a used pair for $850 to $950. I didn't think they needed stands but maybe I would have if I kept them for a long time. Many people will tell you this has been Thiel's best speaker, a real jewel, highly recommended.

cd

I too, am in a small room of almost the exact same dimensions as yours (11X12x8). I've tried a number of speakers with varying results.

I should emphasize what Lthkeepr mentioned regarding bass ouput. Full-range speakers may be tempting and may sound terrific at the dealer's showroom but could result in boomy, annoying, one-note bass in your room.

You didn't mention whether you're looking to only buy new or if you're open to used as well. For new, I would STRONGLY recommend the Magnepan MMGs. $550 shipped to your door directly from Magnepan. Your NAD will have no problem driving them (unless you like to listen at headbanging volumes - in such case the MMG is not a good choice anyway). For the money they cannot be touched.

There are a fair number of monitors that would work well also (Like the Epos M12 that were mentioned), but you need to be prepared to spend another $200 for some quality stands. Monitors are great, but the issue of stands brings your budget down to $500 ($450 if you're having them shipped) and there's not much to choose from at that price point.

The Thiel 1.5 is a nice speaker too, but I wouldn't recommend it with your equipment. They can be very revealing of upstream components and are probably not a good match for your NAD.

Based on your post, I get the impression that you're not one to buy/sell/trade equipment regularly and want to find something that you can be happy with for a long time? If that's the case then I really can't recommend highly enough that you give Magnepan a call. For your $550 you're getting a brand new speaker with a warranty that includes shipping from a VERY reputable manufacturer that's not gonna' close its' doors tomorrow. What's more is that there's a 60 day in-home trial period, so if you don't like them (I highly doubt it), you can simply return them for a full refund! Or, if you love them and want to move up the Magnepan food chain, you get full trade-in credit during the first year. You really can't lose.

I've been in your situation. Several years ago, I was looking to replace a pair of Boston Acoustics T-1020s. They were not the last word in refinement, but when I set out looking to replace them with a budget of about $1,000, I was shocked and discouraged. I didn't hear anything that was worth getting excited about. Some of the older BA stuff is really quite good. I finally decided that the only way to make my $$ stretch was to buy used. If you're willing to take the risk, it's hard to beat some of the deals you'll find on this site. If you want new...call Magnepan and order your MMGs today!

Best wishes to you,

Dan