New Budget Speakers/Vintage Hi-Fi

[andyn8519]

'Er indoors has finally 'allowed' me to replace some cheap and nasty Acoustic Solutions speakers 'that go with the furniture' for something that will actually sound decent. I still run my beloved Sansui SR222 MkII and even more beloved Sugden A25 (early model - no headphone socket) and need some suggestions for new speakers - the compromise being that I'm limited to £200. Music taste of the same era as the hi-fi - 70's rock.

Any help/guidance would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[matthewpiano]

Lovely kit you've got there. My Dad has an SR222 Mk1 and it's a lovely turntable. Sugden amps are equally lovely.

For around £200, there are a number of good choices in stand-mount/bookshelf speakers, and it would be advisable to have a listen to some, preferably with your system.

I can very confidently recommend the Wharfedale Diamond 220. They're a very neutral speaker, with a sound that lets you hear right into the recording and stereo imaging you just don't commonly get at this point in the market. They are best on stands placing the tweeters at ear height, and positioned close to the back wall. If you like a bass heavy sound they won't be for you. They aren't light-weight by any means, but the bass they give is natural and in proportion rather than hyped up and is a result of the clever porting arrangement.

Others worth a look would be the Mission LX-2, Q Acoustics 3020, and Tannoy Mercury 7.2. If you can stretch a bit more, the Monitor Audio Bronze 2s are superb. As I said, an audition would be highly recommended to see what appeals to your ears.

 

[muljao]

Speakers are hard to recommend.

I recently bought a pair of Cambridge Audio sx 50 speakers, they are 130 pounds, quite small bookshelf speakers that sound very lively. I really like them

I also bought a pair of Q acoustics 2020i, that can be bought rather inexpensively in a well known shop that is a bit like wealthy acoustics.

I think though if you are allowed (and I know the feeling) you should probably blow the 200. I believe some places still sell the Monitor audio bx2 for 199, they are quite big and well reviewed

 

[andyn8519]

Thanks for the recommendations. The alternative was to dig out the speakers that got banished to the loft in the first place - Celestion DL4 MkI, but I didn't know if speaker technology had advanced considerably since these were made.

 

[matthewpiano]

Thanks for the recommendations. The alternative was to dig out the speakers that got banished to the loft in the first place - Celestion DL4 MkI, but I didn't know if speaker technology had advanced considerably since these were made.

I'd dig those DL4s out. Celestion made superb speakers and things haven't moved on that much.

 

[nopiano]

Thanks for the recommendations. The alternative was to dig out the speakers that got banished to the loft in the first place - Celestion DL4 MkI, but I didn't know if speaker technology had advanced considerably since these were made.

I'd dig those DL4s out. Celestion made superb speakers and things haven't moved on that much.

I'd second Matthew's suggestion, and hope they are still working ok. (As long as they've not been stored in a damp shed!)