Bookshelf Speakers under $500

[Ruddiger]

Hi folks,

I am looking to upgrade my audio from a basic hifi setup and am looking for a pair of bookshelf speakers under $500. They will be used in a small lounge room but it is likely i will move around so cant be certain of their habitat.

I was looking at either Wharfedale Diamond 10.0 http://www.csvav.com.au/wharfedale_diamond_10_speakers.htm

or Usher S520

http://www.penhometheatre.com.au/index.htm

I am also buying a stereo amp and turntable (for around $300-400 each) to go with them so not sure of the rest of the system yet. A subwoofer will also follow when funds allow.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Im also interested in peoples opinions on buying second hand.

Thankyou in advance

Ruddiger

[pete_mac]

If you're happy to grab the timber veneer Ushers, this price can't be beat:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Usher-Audio-S520-speakers-Cherry-Color-/150627037893?pt=AU_Hi_Fi_Speakers&hash=item23121232c5

Couple this with a grunty amp (the Redgum SonofaGUM works very well with the Ushers) and you'll be set. Excellent synergy between the two - refer to digitalaudioreview.net.au for more info. This amp is above your nominated budget though. Alternatively, you might find something within your budget on the used market. I run mine with a grunty restored vintage Sansui and they sound wonderful.

Nowadays I have two pairs of Ushers, but back when I was on the market for speakers, it was a toss-up between the Ushers and the Wharfedale 9.1/10.1. I decided to grab the Ushers and have never looked back.

I've always been curious about the Wharfedales though, so I recently bought a pair of 9.1's to see what I might be missing out on (from what I have read the 10.1's are pretty similar in terms of sound, but a bit more refined). After much back-to-back listening/swapping I certainly prefer the Ushers, but your ears may vary. The Wharfies have great midrange performance, but sound a bit flabby and artificial in the bass department compared to the Ushers.

[Mushroom01]

Adelaide Speakers has some good quality bookshelf units which fit into your budget.

http://www.adelaidespeakers.com/firesprite-bookshelf-speakers.html

Cheers Jase

[Luc]

Hi folks,

Any advice would be much appreciated. Im also interested in peoples opinions on buying second hand.

Thankyou in advance

Ruddiger

G'day Rudd, all the gear in my signature was bought right here at SNA via the classifieds and I couldn't be happier.

Advice for you:

Don't rush the process.

Read everything you can get your hands on.

Look at every Oz audio shop site you can find online and scour their sale pages and second hand sections.

Learn the market value of your chosen pieces of gear.

Live here in the classifieds section+the audio section@Ebay

Pore over the threads here and use google search in this site and some of the American+British sites for information and advice.

When your heads right and you know what your choices are going to be(within reason)...'Pounce!'...as soon as you set eyes on your bit of kit, don't haggle too much, you know the market prices by now so you'll recognise a good deal when you see it.

Don't rush it.

Then sit back and enjoy it all(as I'm doing right now), did I mention I'm not satisfied with my speakers and that I want some more?... see I've caught 'Upgraditis' and only some more speakers can assuage this need at the moment.

Plus a... 'mumble mumble'...well that's enough from me.

[MooneeBeach]

Loved my Ushers - such outstanding value and the real timber veneer is beautifully finished.

[Ruddiger]

Thanks for all the help.

I am leaning toward the Ushers and the Redgum SonofaGUM at this point.

I should of mentioned before tho that i also need an am/fm receiver as there is a local music station that i listen to a lot.

Sorry to ask a rookie question but is it an issue not having the am/fm receiver as part of the amp. I assume i can just buy an am/fm receiver to run in addition to the amp. Would that be cost effective?

Also would it be simple to run a subwoofer from the Redgum SonofaGUM along with a a pair of Ushers with option of adding another pair down the track?

Thanks again

[pete_mac]

The Redgum has multiple inputs, so connecting a tuner will be a piece of cake.

The Redgum has no pre-outs so you'd need to use a powered subwoofer that has speaker-level inputs and run an extra set of wires from the speaker binding posts on the Redgum to the subwoofer.

The Redgum appears to be rated for 4-8 ohm loads, so you can run two sets of Ushers in parallel if you want... but pray tell, why would you want to do this?

[Luc]

Just connected a 24 year old Marantz 510 tuner to the Redgum and it works perfectly.

[Ruddiger]

Any other suggestions on an amp that would suit the Ushers but a bit cheaper (or possible to buy second hand) and with pre-outs? Not sure if i want to stretch that far on cost of the amp.

There is also the difficulty of finding some Ushers to road test in Perth.

I should add i listen to a wide variety of music but jazz, experimental electro, metal are things i commonly listen to so that may help recommendations.

As for running two pairs of Ushers i was subscribing to more is better (in my ignorance). Would there be any benefit in adding extra speakers down the track or would it be better to simply upgrade?

Slightly off tack has anyone got any experience with this Outlaw Audio RR2150 Stereo Receiver

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/Magazine/equipment/0807/outlaw_audio_rr2150.htm

cheers

[pete_mac]

There are heaps of second-hand options out there that will do the job reasonably well. Start scouring ebay! You really want something with a good strong power supply (grunty).

Rather than add an extra pair of Ushers, you would be far better off upgrading to larger speakers.

Outlaw Audio is a US brand that only make 120V gear, so it is incompatible with Australia's power supply (and is therefore not sold here). You will need a step-down transformer to run one.

[Ruddiger]

Ok thanks,

Ill have to see if i can stretch the budget for the redgum or wait for something to pop up second hand.

I guess i just want to be sure that the extra money is going to give me something i will really notice as its my first foray into decent audio equipment. However music is my number one past time so happy to spend a bit of cash.

How would the redgum go if i was to use it in larger rooms down the track with floorstanders at high volume. I guess i might be tempted spending the extra if it would allow me to simply upgrade my speakers later and hold on to the redgum for the next ten years or so.

With the powered sub is there any advantages or disadvantages in using a powered sub with the redgum compared to running a sub through an amp with pre-outs?

cheers

[pete_mac]

The Redgum will have ample grunt to run many larger speakers - it really depends how loud you want to go, and the sensitivity of the speakers. You will have to spend big bucks to find a set of floorstanders that the Redgum won't do a decent job on IMHO. The Redgum would be a very sound investment, and very easy to resell if you ever wanted to upgrade.

AFAIK connecting a sub via preouts will tend to give slightly better sound quality vs speaker-level outputs, but I have no direct experience in this, so do not take this as gospel. I do know that several people (on SNA and elsewhere) run their subs via speaker-level outputs and are very happy with the result.

[Luc]

Could I just add to Pete's observations here as a baby Redgum owner and a new fool to this pastime:party . I've been playing it everyday since I received it (about two weeks ago) and the initial hot electronics smell is dissipating and the Quads it is running are sounding very nice (with the right recordings etc), but as it gets a few hours up there is this hint when I've had a couple of beers and a glass of red of what it could do to a bigger set of speakers.

On certain recordings it does 'loud' on it's ear, a laziness to be truthful as though they're just sitting back and muttering: "Try me! Yeah, you! Turn it up stupid and see what happens."

I'd be fairly confident Ruddiger (name sounds like someone out of Harry Potter or Tolkien) that if you purchased a baby Redgum you'd be more than happy with it and it's depth, it's ability to drive what your prepared to throw at it.

They do pop up on Ebay and one or two have appeared since I've been a member here (which isn't long) and if you've not made a decision in a month or two then you might be

able to buy my 'little' Redgum as I've convinced myself that I want the next Redgum up!

If your not going to upgrade your amp at any time in the near future then I can certainly recommend the Sonofa'Gum

Cheers Luc

[Luc]

Ewww, double post.

[Bunyip]

As a thought, maybe consider a second hand Squeezebox. Then you have access to nearly every radio station on thae planet. Ever since I got mine, my vintage tuner is gathering dust, sad to say.

[Batty]

I used to have a Rotel RA-04, 40 watts RMS and had pre outs oh and a phono in if required. I sold mine for $300 so should be in your price range. The RA-05 is the same amp with remote.

[Ruddiger]

Thanks for all the help guys,

Im definitely keen on the Ushers and the Redgum.

I think i will bide my time and try and pick up a 2nd hand Redgum Sonofa'gum.

I did notice a thread elsewhere on this site about a hum coming from the Redgum when on standby. Can anyone shed any light on this and weather or not this should be expected. That is the kind of thing that would irritate me.

[markjd101]

Thanks for all the help guys,

Im definitely keen on the Ushers and the Redgum.

I think i will bide my time and try and pick up a 2nd hand Redgum Sonofa'gum.

I did notice a thread elsewhere on this site about a hum coming from the Redgum when on standby. Can anyone shed any light on this and weather or not this should be expected. That is the kind of thing that would irritate me.

I have the Redgum Sonofa'gum amp and Wharfedale 10.1 speakers and haven't had any issues with hum.

[katzer]

Do the Usher S520 project to the rear ? I want to wall mount my next speakers at the room corners and with rear-projecting speakers it is not a great thing to do....

[JeffK]

No the port is at the front.

[buddyev]

Hi

These Quad 11ls are nice - should get them for under $500.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Quad-11L-Bookshelf-Speakers-/310331117997?pt=AU_Hi_Fi_Speakers&hash=item48412d11ad

Russ

[Luc]

Thanks for all the help guys,

Im definitely keen on the Ushers and the Redgum.

I think i will bide my time and try and pick up a 2nd hand Redgum Sonofa'gum.

I did notice a thread elsewhere on this site about a hum coming from the Redgum when on standby. Can anyone shed any light on this and weather or not this should be expected. That is the kind of thing that would irritate me.

No hum here at all.

And those Quad 11L's would be a great buy if they're anything like my Classics.

[gainphile]

How about Behringer B2031A ?

Great directivity, even impressing Dr. Geddes himself.

Mr Linkwitz compared them to his Orions(!)

http://linkwitzlab.com/frontiers_6.htm#Z%20-

And zaph tested the individual drivers (in passive version)

http://zaphaudio.com/blog.html

The problem with normal Woofer + Dome tweeters is mismatch of directivity

[Ruddiger]

Well folks,

I have now bought a pair of Usher s520s and a Redgum Sonofa'gum amp and am awaiting delivery.

After some deliberation i decided to go down this path due to their known synergy, reputation and some good prices i was able to find.

Thanks all for your help and guidance,

I look forward to adding to my system further.

Cheeers

[pete_mac]

Very nice work my friend!