What are the best stereo speakers on A budget?

Question

Need to keep under $250

Answer 1

I like Klipsch and Polk. A quality speaker at a reasonable price.
I have purchased both on EBay and found great deals on Bizrate.com.

Answer 2

Unless you insist on "new" I would recommend "better quality" used speakers such as Klipsh, Warfdale, Tannoy, B&W, Rectilinear, JBL, Infinity, Polk, etc.

I have about 30 speakers of one type or another and all, including some over 30 years old, are still in great shape, and some of my favorites (Klipsh) were purchased were over 10 years old when I found them in a used equipment store for under a $100.

One consideration is that efficient speakers (and generally Klipsh are a good example) require less power to give a good volume potentially reducing the size / cost of the amplifier ... more money for the speakers. Look for efficiency ratings of 87-88 (and no more than 90) db @ 1 meter @ 1 watt. The only downside is they are likely to be larger than some lower efficiency speakers.

Just remember to ensure you examine them carefully and test listen before buying (or have a return guarantee). For example look for and reject if there are any sign of cuts or punctures on the speaker cones or any delamination. Similarly any staining on the cones might indicate water damage. These types of problems may show up as buzzing or rattling in the speaker when driven above low levels. Condition of the enclosures and grill cloth are up to you, but generally scratches and dings won't impact on sound and will result in savings to you.

You may consider reading reviews of speakers to zero in on some likely models. Also search for reviews on anything you find and are considering buying. Sometimes they are gems, but may be best avoided.

Bottom line: look for used high efficiency speakers from a reputable manufacturer. My personal recommendation is Klipsh.

Answer 3

First answer the best. You don't need something rated at a bizillion watts or a super brand name. You need quality construction. A high quality speaker at a mere 50 watts rating will often make mince meat in sound reproduction and volume of a cheap speaker rated at 200 watts.

Depends on you budget. Most companies, like polk, Infinity, JBL, and others make models to suit different budgets. And guess what? The difference between the product lines is quality of materials (kevlar versus polypropelene, titanium woofers versus plastic, etc).

Think about it like this: copper and aluminum both conduct electricity. Which one does it better, and which would you rather have in your walls. Think of speakers the same way.

Answer 4

if you are in the market for a bookshelf speaker, check out the Rocket X-LS bookshelf from www.av123.com . You will not find a better composed, more well balanced and better behaved speaker at anywhere near the price. AV123 manufactures all the speakers themselves, and cuts out the middleman, leaving you with a product that would cost you double if you were to purchase it at a chain store or dealer.

http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=82.1

they are $219 a pair, and would sell for easily double that at a dealer.

Answer 5

it has been my experience that to find a good cheap speaker, do your homework , check the magnet size, mhz ranges and quality of materials versus price and add them all together and you will have your speakers.

Answer 6

I know of a few examples of surprisingly good value...

Radiient Europa

Athena Audition AS-B1.2

ADS CM60

H a p p y
L i s t e n i n g !