Budget Speakers for spare room]

[jonboywalton75]

Looking for a pair of bookshelf /standmounts for my spare room,
11 feet x 8 feet.
Budget, under £200 if possible
I have a Nad 320 bee amp and a Nad 521 bee cd player.
Looking at Q Aciustics /Wharefedale/Dali etc so far
Recommendations welcome.

 

[Gray]

In your position I'd want to listen to the Elac Debut B2.5 to see if it was worth spending an extra £50 over the max budget.

 

[manicm]

Try Q Acoustics 3010i or 3020i too

You may bag the older MA Bronze too

 

[jonboywalton75]

That's what i was thinking.
Would they be a good match for my Nad amp?

Try Q Acoustics 3010i or 3020i too

You may bag the older MA Bronze too

 

[manicm]

That's what i was thinking.
Would they be a good match for my Nad amp?

On second thoughts, not the Q Acoustics - you're matching mellow with mellow. So the Monitor Audio Bronze 1 or 2 will be a better match. Or Dali Lektor 1.

Can you stretch your budget a bit? I'd also look at a used B&W 686 S2. Or maybe even a demo 607 if you can bag one somewhere.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

I had the very same set up back in the day! though the CD player was a few runs up the ladder, the c540. Glorius little amp! Look used and if you have the room get the mission m74/i versions if they're a little big get the m73/i, 70-150 quid on the big E with a sound that would be hard to beat even to day.
A match made in heaven

 

[Deleted member 116933]

On second thoughts, not the Q Acoustics - you're matching mellow with mellow. So the Monitor Audio Bronze 1 or 2 will be a better match. Or Dali Lektor 1.

Can you stretch your budget a bit? I'd also look at a used B&W 686 S2. Or maybe even a demo 607 if you can bag one somewhere.

The NAD 320bee mellow? far from it, id say! the amp will have you on the edge of your seat most of the time its very exciting listen. The monitor audios would be a really bad match as would the B&W's, Q acoustics would much better maybe dali
but that amp comes from a time of a very forward sound sig.

 

[jonboywalton75]

Love that Nad amp, when i bought my Marantz NR1200 for the living room i couldn't part with it.
It is an exciting listen.
I fancy something like the 3020i, but briefly thought about bluetooth speakers and retiring the amp, something like Edifier speakers.
Am i deluded, will it sound bad?

 

[manicm]

The NAD 320bee mellow? far from it, id say! the amp will have you on the edge of your seat most of the time its very exciting listen. The monitor audios would be a really bad match as would the B&W's, Q acoustics would much better maybe dali
but that amp comes from a time of a very forward sound sig.

I had it briefly, it’s definitely on the warm side.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

I had it briefly, it’s definitely on the warm side.

Warm and mellow mean very different things, but as with everything, your warm is anothers cold.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

Love that Nad amp, when i bought my Marantz NR1200 for the living room i couldn't part with it.
It is an exciting listen.
I fancy something like the 3020i, but briefly thought about bluetooth speakers and retiring the amp, something like Edifier speakers.
Am i deluded, will it sound bad?

I wouldn't but that's me, Edifers are meant to sound brilliant for what they are, ive never heard them so cant comment.

The NAD is lovely, stick with your plan to buy some speakers for it. As i say mission, kef iq5's possibly even kef q1's none of those will set you back any thing

heck mission 700s will sound fab

 

[jonboywalton75]

Thanjs for the tips everyone, things to ponder on

 

[jonboywalton75]

What about Dali spektor 1

 

[gasolin]

Mission lx-2 or wharfedale diamond 225

 

[matthewpiano]

I used to have the C325BEE that replaced the C320BEE, and the best I ever heard it sound was with a pair of borrowed B&W 685s. It was a rich and detailed sound and very enjoyable to listen to.

Personally, and from ownership experience, I think Q Acoustic are over-rated, but it's worth listening to the 3020i as many people love them and you may be one of them.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

I used to have the C325BEE that replaced the C320BEE, and the best I ever heard it sound was with a pair of borrowed B&W 685s. It was a rich and detailed sound and very enjoyable to listen to.

We’ve had a C325BEE in the store for nearly fourteen years. It’s worked flawlessly. We use the amp mainly to show and help dispel some doubts that you can only use ATC Transducers with amplifiers that are mega bucks, mega watts and the size of a truck.

Btw, I see from your sig. that you’re using Pro-Ject’s The Classic T/T. Top player

 

[gasolin]

I used to have the C325BEE that replaced the C320BEE, and the best I ever heard it sound was with a pair of borrowed B&W 685s. It was a rich and detailed sound and very enjoyable to listen to.

Personally, and from ownership experience, I think Q Acoustic are over-rated, but it's worth listening to the 3020i as many people love them and you may be one of them.

Alternative could be a pair of Q acoustics concept 20, not much more than a pair of 3020i's

Q Acoustics Concept 20 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) (Gloss Black): Amazon.co.uk: Hi-Fi & Speakers

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Q Acoustics Concept 20 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) (Gloss Black) at Amazon UK.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[jonboywalton75]

Alternative could be a pair of Q acoustics concept 20, not much more than a pair of 3020i's

Q Acoustics Concept 20 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) (Gloss Black): Amazon.co.uk: Hi-Fi & Speakers

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Q Acoustics Concept 20 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) (Gloss Black) at Amazon UK.

www.amazon.co.uk

Thanks for all the replies, so many differing ooinions, as usual😁
Going to demo Dali Spektor 1's at my local hifi dealer, I'll take my Nad and see what happens.
I was initially thinking of Q acoustic 3010's as the best compromise for my wife's tastes/compact size etc
But what the heck, i need to get out and listen, despite covid.
I'll report back on my opinions.
Thanks again all.
I've never had 2 hifis set up in my house before so happy days

 

[gasolin]

Dali spektor 1 lacks alot of bass and as micca speakers they are very low sensitive speakers

 

[jonboywalton75]

Dali spektor 1 lacks alot of bass and as micca speakers they are very low sensitive speakers

Ok am i better popping to Richer sounds and demoing Q acoustics/elac etc

 

[gasolin]

Or Dali spektor 2, even these speakers are only 84.5db (spektor 1 83 db)

Spektor 2 have the warmth,richer sound the spektor 1 lack,doesn't have

 

[jonboywalton75]

Or Dali spektor 2, even these speakers are only 84.5db (spektor 1 83 db)

Spektor 2 have the warmth,richer sound the spektor 1 lack,doesn't have

Cheers I'll give em a go

 

[jjbomber]

The room is 11' by 8'. Don't worry too much about sensitivity as they won't be going very loud, i.e. driven too hard, anyway.

 

[jonboywalton75]

The room is 11' by 8'. Don't worry too much about sensitivity as they won't be going very loud, i.e. driven too hard, anyway.

Good point also👍

 

[gasolin]

My speakers are rated at 85db (often sensitivity is alot lower than rated), my amp delivers 90 watt peak in 8 ohm and 120 watt in 4 ohm, im actually fine with the power my amps has (my speakers might be closer to 6 ohm than 8 ohm).

Nad c320bee is measured to 2x110-115 watt in 8 ohm and 2x 180 watt peak in 4 ohm,despite that i would still go for the speaktor 2 over spektor 1, beacuse of the difference of the warmth,bass,fullness, spektor 1 is just a lillte thin sounding and would be best as rear surround speakers (they are very small as is the zensor pico that could be an alternative to the spektor 1 when looking for small compact speakers, with a thin sound you might need to use tonecontrols, personally i prefere a full bodied,warm sound without having to use tone controls)