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Further Information: Present in excellent condition the integrated Amplifier is the Xindak A06 it is still being made and is very popular, it sounds natural with a slight warmth to it, in addition to 5 analogue imputes has an inbuilt BURR BROWN DAC via usb. Excellent for those who are just starting out lots of bang for your buck. When paired with the Infinity Kappa 60s bookshelf (you will need a very strong bookshelf ) you get an amazing room filling sound, these are a fairly universal speakers that sound great with almost any genre of music. Clear highs without fateguing. Controlled bass and clear mods, honestly all the system you will ever need. Come have a coffee and listen to some of your favourite tracks.

Hello everyone, I am new to Hi-Fi but am just assembling my first (entry-level) serious system. I just bought a Rotel RA-1520 integrated amplifier and now I am on the lookout for a set of bookshelf speakers that would be a good match. This is for a 10m x 3.6m x 3m quite dead (mostly carpeted) open-plan space. The lady of the house has dictated that floorstanders are not an option. Ultimately I would also be looking to add a subwoofer to the mix to adequately cover the bass. At the moment I am just using a Pro-ject DAC box for input which I will also upgrade down the track. I was thinking to spend $AUD1000-1500 but could stretch to $2000 if there is a significant and justifiable increase in quality. I know that the only way to pick speakers is by auditioning them which I plan to do shortly. However, it would be very helpful to have a list of vetted options on which to focus. There is an incredible number of different options out there. It would also be helpful to get an Australian perspective given the different pricing and availability here. So far I've only listened to the Polk LSiM703 which I thought were excellent. A lot of people talk about B&W being a good match for Rotel (685, CM1, CM5). From other forums, KEF (Q300, R300, R100, LS50), Dynaudio (Excite X12, DM 2/6, DM 2/7), ATC (SCM11) and PMC (DB1i, twenty .21/.22) have also been recommended, though the latter are a little out of my league. If anyone could share their experiences with the above or suggest any other options, it would be very much appreciated. Many thanks in advance. Kind regards, Nick

All, So I took my barely used B&W 686's out of surround duties and set them up with a Rotel RA-04SE Integrated to perform 2 channel duties in another room. At last I have been able to give them a proper listen, and while they are Ok, they are bit too warm for my liking. Its not the amp, as I auditioned it with a couple of other speakers and it performed well with the better B&W Bookshelf (685) and Klipsch floorstander. I like detail and soundstage - thats why I LOVE listening to my Ascension Summoner floorstanders. So, I am going to look around for a replacement for this wee bookshelf. Any recommendations for auditioning? Willing to spend up to $800. I hear the Ushers and Mordaunt Short are worth a look? I did audition the B&W 685, and loved the sound. That would be my default choice, but perhaps I can get equivalent performance cheaper? Ideally, I would still like to have a bookshelf for the acceptance factor. Cheers, Neil PS - Anyone want to buy a pair of barely used B&W 686s? I'll be putting an EOI up soon. PM me if interested.

Hello SNA members. Some of you may have read my rant on these speakers. Curiously, I went and bought MA RX2's.. My setup consists of a Rega Brio 3, Rega P5 with Ortofon 2M Bronze cart (soon to be changed to either a Shelter 301 MkII or a Benz Ace) Musical Surroundings Phenomena II Phone Pre-Amp, Rega TT PSU and some poxing old Denon CD Player. Basically, I'm in a bedroom. with, not surprisingly, a queen sized bed in it. Oh, and an Apple Mac setup for my graphic design course. Oh, yes, and shedloads of records and a few CD's... So I thought it was a bright idea to forget how much I fell in love with the Toy Monitors and put a whopping great pair of RX2's in there. The excess bass (for my modest accommodation:)) was killing me, I had no dynamics, shallow soundstage, but a lovely treble. I was bored, and barely listened to my setup. Something had to change... So I revisited these little gems. All I can say how important it is to match the speaker to the room, I now have no bass bloom, it's actually tight as a nut. Sure, it doesn't go as low as the RX2's, but the glorious midrange is now clear, but full of warmth. I can hear nuances I haven't heard, but it's not analytical. SF speakers have got that habit of keeping the musicality intact. I care not for super accuracy, but a balance. Music is played by musicians, not robots. The soundstage now has depth too. I'm not fatigued from listening either, and, currently have all my records strewn over my bed!! (Well, not actually all of them, but you get the picture:)) I listen to Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Mazzy Star, Bjork, Black Sabbath, Portishead.. Mostly Rock, Blues, Alternative, Classical. Even the Chemical Brothers has enough punch!!! If someone finds these not analytical enough, and desire something super accurate, then grab some Legend Joeys. Anyhow, I've got to wait for my tax return so I can grab that new cart for my Rega P5.. (It never ends does it?) **Just a caveat. In no way shape and form and I knocking Monitor Audio's RX2's.. It just wasn't a good fit for me.** Hope this was in some small way informative!!!

Hello SNA Members! Here for sale is my beloved Sonus Faber Toy Monitors. Only about 5 months old, and barely ruin in. I'm selling this due to downsizing to a headphone system, need room for my Graphic Design computer setup. I LOVE these speakers. But they have to go. I have the original receipts. Ken Kessler from HiFi News loves these! Here's his review http://www.hifinews.co.uk/news/article/sonus-faber-toy-pound;745/9465/ I will deliver to anywhere in Melbourne for free. Interstaters you will pay and organise your own freight, I will ship in the original box. You will bear all the responsibility for the condition as they work perfectly. I look after my equipment. * Item: Sonus Faber Toy Monitor * Location Kilsyth South, Victoria * Item condition description Immaculate, Used * Price and price conditions $900 * Reason for selling Downsizing to headphone setup * Payment Methods: Paypal, Cash on Pickup

Hello SNA members. I'm selling my beloved Rega Brio 3 amplifier and Sonus Faber Toy Monitors. (For Sale in another posting) This is a great combination, and have had much pleasure from it. Beautiful silky sound, but also, you can hear the midrange clearly and superb imaging. I'm selling these items as I only have a small room, and I need the available space for my graphic design setup, so I'm keeping my turntable and phono pre-amp and hooking up a headphone setup. This sale will fund it! I would love to keep this combo, But other needs come first! I've got all the original receipts. I've had the amp since early 2011 I will deliver for free to anyone in metropolitan Melbourne, Interstaters can pay, and organise there own shipping, I have all the original boxes, and it will be shipped in these. You bear all the responsibility for the condition of the goods when they arrive. I look after my equipment, and both items work faultlessly. * Item: Rega Brio 3 (bought in early 2011) * Location: Kilsyth South, Victoria * Condition: Immaculate, Used * Price and price conditions: $450 * Reason for selling Downsizing to a headphone setup * Payment Methods: Paypal, Direct Debit, Cash on pickup

Item: John Blue JB4 Mk2 Bookshelf Speakers with Jarrah stands. Location: Melbourne, Vic - Coburg to be exact. Item condition: Speakers as new, no marks, well looked after - same for the stands. Price: $600 the lot - includes 8 x Vibrapods to decouple the speakers from the stands. Reason for selling: No longer required. Payment Methods: Paypal, Cash on Delivery - pickup only. Extra Info: These JB4's are the mark 2 versions, they're a well known single driver speaker. Come around for a demo. The Jarrah stands are custom made, they have rubber feet and cable groves with retainers. May be persuaded to split if I have local buyers for both Pictures:

Item: Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor (RRP: $5999) Location: Adelaide (Will post interstate in original packaging at buyers cost) Price: $3300 Item Condition: 8/10 - Fantastic condition with only a couple of faint marks around the handmade housing if you look very hard. Drivers are mint. Great working order Reason for selling: Funding major upgrade Payment Method: Pickup - EFT, COD, Paypal (buyer to cover PayPal fees) Extra Info: These speakers have amazing clarity and surprising bass. They will image beautifully when driven with good gear. Original manufacturers stands were a bit full on for me, so I purchased Lovan isolated stands which are much more elegant - I am happy to do a deal on these as well. See http://www.sumikoaudio.net/sonus/prod_cremonaauditor.htm#spec for technical details. Plenty of glowing reviews going around: http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/sonus-faber/cremona-auditor/prd_327880_1594crx.aspx and http://www.audioaficionado.org/sonus-faber/909-sonus-faber-cremona-auditors-review-reprint.html Pictures: See below

Item: Paradigm Studio 20 v3, Black Ash colour Location: Canberra Condition: Excellent, would be mint except for a mark on one of the tweeter domes Price: $500 Negotiable

Item: Usher 718DMD (Tiny Dancer) Standmount Speakers Location: Canberra Price: SOLD Item Condition: Physically 8/10 but see description below Reason for selling: Moving overseas Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, Direct Transfer Extra Info: At the time of purchase these were Usher's top standmount speakers. They retailed for $3K. Recently they have been replaced by the Usher Dancer Mini-X speakers, which retail for $3500. These are by far the best standmount speakers I have owned, and are, IMO, significantly ahead of ProAc, Paradigm, PSB, B&W etc for the same kind of money. They are also beautiful looking; the finish is outstanding. This pair were purchased new by me as the BE version. They have been upgraded to the DMD version, which is a $700 upgrade (I didn't pay this, I swapped tweeters with an owner of the DMD version (here on SN) who preferred the more forgiving BE tweeters). Physically, they are in great condition, bar a chip in the paint at the back bottom corner (you'd never see this from the front). I've included an image of the chip in the photos. Why am I selling them so cheap? Well, several reasons. Firstly, I stupidly disposed of the boxes so they are pick up only. They are seriously heavy speakers (for the size) and have a fantastic finish. I don't want to risk shipping them in a wrong boxes. Secondly, I'm moving overseas in three weeks, so I need to sell them before then. And thirdly (and perhaps most importantly), I possibly damaged the left tweeter yesterday when, after listening to a very quietly recorded classical track, I booted into a new installation of Linux without remembering to turn the volume down. This resulted in the stupid default start-up sounds playing at close to full volume. I've been giving them a good listen since then, and think that there might be slight damage to the left tweeter. I thought it was sounding slightly distorted, but now I'm not sure. I can't seem to get the it to distort in any reliable way, so perhaps it was just the track I was listening to. In any case I don't want to sell them under false pretences, so I've priced them so that if there is any issue, the tweeter can be replaced and the total price will still be exceptionally good. (I contacted an Usher dealer last night and he said he had a replacement tweeter he could sell for $250 -- I'll pass the details on to whoever purchases the speakers and they can decide whether they think the tweeter needs replacing or not). Apart from the stupid mistake last night, the speakers have always been well looked after, and have been driven with quality amplification. Here are a few reviews: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/usher2/tinydancer.html http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/508ush/ http://www.soundandvision.com/content/usher-be-718-speaker-system Pictures: I took one of these photos before I upgraded the tweeter, so in one image the BE tweeter is shown. Please ignore this, the tweeters are the DMD tweeters as shown in the other front-side image.

Item: B&W 685 Bookshelf Speakers (Black Ash) Location: Melbourne Eastern-ish suburbs (Balwyn) Price: $620 $590 Item Condition: Immaculate as new Reason for selling: Surplus to my needs Payment Method: Pickup - Cash if picking up, DD if posting Extra Info: These were purchased 11/02/14 from Clef HiFi. They are in immaculate as new condition, not a single mark on them and as you'd expect sound fantastic. Run from the Burson Audio Conductor and Timekeeper since new and in a child/pet/smoke free home. Getting married in a few weeks things are heading over budget I have other expenses to worry about. All original packaging still available. Will sell as a package deal with my Immaculate 2 month old Burson Audion Timekeeper power amp for a package deal price of $2600 and will throw in a 3m pair of Chord Silver Screen speaker cable. That's less than the RRP of the Timekeeper alone! Pictures:

Item:Pair of Quad LS 2's in Light Cherry Location:Goulburn NSW 2580 Price: $500 Item Condition:Excellent Reason for selling: No longer required. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, Bank Transfer Extra Info: Will Post Packed in Original Makers Box or Collect Pictures: Attached

Hi. Having largely sorted (does one ever stop - having started!) my main listening area - which is in an adjoining space to my kitchen / dining room, I am now looking at some gear I can use in the kitchen/dining room that gives us some ability to listen to music, without having to have the volume in the main listening area turned up really loud. The plan is to use airplay (or similar) to carry the signal (from my mac mini - which is the new main source) into the kitchen (I can get a cable through...but I'll try the wireless first. And to have either an active monitor (probably new - like the A5+) or an amp/bookshelf speaker combo - (probably 'vintage' - and perhaps from this forum) (It makes no sense having different music in the two adjoining spaces...) I'm just wondering if there's anyone here who has an older set up - perhaps in a bedroom - that they're looking to sell on, so they can 'upgrade'. I'm not talking lots of money here - ideally $300-500 tops. And the sound I prefer - is quite a laid back one....my old CD player was a meridian 506....now replaced with a mac mini/audiophilleo/rega dac combo. The amps are audiolab Q/P and the speakers - Monitor Audios (MA 1200 gold). I know what powered speakers sound like as I've dabbled in studio monitors for synths etc...hence my reticence to just leap into the A5+s....though they are reviewed well....I've always found active speakers just that bit harsh. Sorry - a long spiel...just wondering if anyone has anything.... Last thought - I really want a remote on the amp (or powered speakers) - as the amp will be a bit inaccessible! Thanks Ears

Item: Dali Helicon 300MKII Speakers with matching stands - Rosenut Price Range: $2000 Negotiable - Will pay shipping Item Condition: Preferably flawless or 9/10 Location: Melbourne Extra Info: I've been looking for a pair of these for a few months now with no luck. I love the Dali sound and my Helicon center has me in awe frequently. As they're big, beautiful pieces of furniture I'm really looking for speakers that have been well cared for, as I intend to. For similar reasons, I'm willing to drive as far as Adelaide/Canberra (maybe Sydney) to minimize any shipping damages. Willing to pay shipping. Would prefer if in original boxes but if not, we can try and work something out. Please include images of the speakers in replies. Thanks!