keeden615 Posted July 15, 2013 Posted July 15, 2013 Hi all, I'm currently in the process of setting up a small sound system in my room and need advice on what speakers to look at. Don't want to spend a ridiculous amount as im currently saving for an overseas trip but I'd be willing to spend maybe $300. Here's the receiver I'll be using: http://www.sherwood.de/site/sherwood/receiver/RD5405.html I'm new to this so not sure what other information to put up. Cheers
Dolphy Posted July 15, 2013 Posted July 15, 2013 (edited) I own a pair of Usher S520.....everyone here loves them, so do I Their pretty cheap and punch way above their weight. Edited July 15, 2013 by dolphy
keeden615 Posted July 15, 2013 Author Posted July 15, 2013 Great, I'll definitely check them out! Have you got any suggestions for a good/fairly cheap turntable too?
pete_mac Posted July 15, 2013 Posted July 15, 2013 The Ushers are a brilliant speaker, but they do tend to like a reasonably grunty amp behind them to sound their best. Your Sherwood, at 50WPC @ 6 ohms, may be a little bit light-on. I guess there's only one way to find out though! There should be many, many second-hand speaker options that will fit the bill. <cue shameless plug> I have a really nice pair of restored and enhanced near-mint Energy ESM-3 speakers for sale for $150. I thoroughly enjoy my Ushers in my PC rig, but I also appreciate the bigger, more effortless sound the ESM-3s. These are a larger speaker than the Ushers though (53cm x 26cm x 22cm vs 30cm x 18cm x 26cm). The upside is that they are slightly more efficient and they also offer deeper bass response. Of course, being larger speakers, pick-up in Sydney would be required. <end shameless plug> 1
keeden615 Posted July 15, 2013 Author Posted July 15, 2013 The Ushers are a brilliant speaker, but they do tend to like a reasonably grunty amp behind them to sound their best. Your Sherwood, at 50WPC @ 6 ohms, may be a little bit light-on. I guess there's only one way to find out though! There should be many, many second-hand speaker options that will fit the bill. <cue shameless plug> I have a really nice pair of restored and enhanced near-mint Energy ESM-3 speakers for sale for $150. I thoroughly enjoy my Ushers in my PC rig, but I also appreciate the bigger, more effortless sound the ESM-3s. These are a larger speaker than the Ushers though (53cm x 26cm x 22cm vs 30cm x 18cm x 26cm). The upside is that they are slightly more efficient and they also offer deeper bass response. Of course, being larger speakers, pick-up in Sydney would be required. <end shameless plug> I've done a little research and it seems the Ushers are very popular and have great reviews so I think I'll invest in a pair of those. Would you be able to suggest a decent sub and turntable? Again, I can't afford top of the line stuff.. just need something that will get the job done nicely
pete_mac Posted July 15, 2013 Posted July 15, 2013 I've had experience with second-hand B&W subs which didn't sound too bad when asked to augment a pair of small standmount speakers, however I had better results with a REL and a SVS. If you can afford $500 then you can definitely secure something quite reasonable second-hand. You may manage to score something cheaper (from memory, my B&W was around $250) but it's luck of the draw re: how well it will actually integrate. You may find that the Ushers deliver sufficient bass anyway, especially if you place them reasonably close to the rear wall. I was impressed with the bass my Ushers back when I used them in my main rig. They don't have the mid-bass hump that many small standmounts have in order to make them seem bassier... the Ushers are tuned more for accuracy and depth in the bass department. I think you'll really like the Ushers, and if you find that they underwhelm you for any reason, I'd point the finger at your amp rather than the speakers. They are fantastic bang for buck for under $350. re: second-hand turntables, your best bet is to keep an eye out for second-hand stuff in decent condition and then ask the question on here. There are far too many options to be able to provide a definitive list of recommendations at the lower end of the price spectrum. That said, you'll find that many of the 'half-decent' second-hand tables will sound quite reasonable indeed when fitted with a fresh cartridge. I'm definitely not all that knowledgeable on turntables, so I'll leave the recommendations up to the more experienced members amongst us.
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