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I've got a Scott 299(A) which I partly restored and partly had professionally restored. It works great with a pair of Boston A-70's. I've had it for over over 15 years now and it was partly due to the help of people on this site which got me through the restoration work.
Now the question. We're moving and my wife has always hated the Bostons. Says they are "huge" and take up too much space. She wants to use small modern speakers that we can tuck away somewhere.
I know some are available which are not much more than 6 or 7 inches tall. Went out to Best Buy and looked around online. It seems like most of these are 6 ohms and not sensitive enough for the old Scott, which is only 17 watts per channel. Their range is poor too - only going down to 55 Hz or so.
Does anyone know of options here? Are there some 8 ohm & small size speakers which are reasonably efficient? I don't need ton of sound, I don't listen at high volumes. Just need something that's reasonably efficient.
Follow Ups:
Don't you read Stereophile?
Don't you read Art Dudley? [The Holy Audio Prophet - blessed is his name and his interconnects]
Don't you read user evaluations of bluetooth speakers on Amazon?
Don't you talk to frat kids?
Don't you read the posts on this very board?????????
The high end is dead. Even mid-fi - such as your BA speakers - are dead. We're in a new age - and it's the age of low fidelity. Bad sound is good sound.
1. The Holy Prophet of Audio [blessed is his very perspiration] long ago rejected any considerations such as imaging, detail, delicacy, air, tonal and harmonic accuracy - and especially - any reference to the absolute sound - real instruments playing in real spaces. The Holy One says that all that matters is Humaneth. What't that? Anything that has extemely poor, roller coaster-like frequency response, limited frequency extension, lot's and lot's of gruesome distorsion, lot's of resonating wood panels, etc. Big, old, painfully nasty horn speakers are at the top of the list for humaneth.
2. Even the formerly reliable Mike Fremer has tossed in the towel of true high end ideals to which he'd previously adhered and lined up behind The Holy Prophet of Audio [blessed are his tweeks]. This month in the Stereophile, Fremer went crazy over some low fidelity cartridge designs from the 1950's that Ortofon's brought back into production. The fact that a manufacturer has taken the risk and expense of producing some obsolete, low fidelity, high-tracking force device means that they're recognized a shift in audio consumer values towards low fidelity, and seek to make a profit from that market change.
3. Ever look at amazon.com? Tons of user comments. One bluetooth speaker has 430 user reviews [and counting] - and NOT A SINGLE ONE even hints at the sound quality of the bluetooth speaker. The only thing that counts is loudness. College-dorm residents will tell you the same thing. Loud. Louder. That's all that counts. [I saw that you indicated that you didn't require loudness - but I just want to make sure you know what's important today in audio].
4. Do you read this board? The guys here've been way ahead of the curve for years. They signed up to the low fidelity/loudness-dynamics-uber-alles train years ago. What sounds great? Why - consoles. Big, heavy, resonating consoles. Alternatively, any old speaker boxes. The more poorly designed, the lower quality the drivers, the more resonant the particle board enclosures, the better. The AR3a, with its horribly colored sound that I know so well [it virtually defines the term "box speaker sound"] are venerated almost as pieces of the True Cross [and the grill must be parts of The Shroud].
AND NOW, THE NEW ULTIMATE
5. But, the market's moved even beyond the low-fi inclinations of the guys here. The new greatest sound ever is to be found in the following:
* Electric guitar speakers
* Old ceiling PA speakers used in factories, supermarkets, etc. The ones with 70 volt transformers on them. Brands such as Quam.
* 1960's era Detroit automotive speakers. Guys encourage each other to raid auto salvage yards, and trade tips about that.
You think I'm kidding? Do an google search and you'll find a buzzing hive of activity about all of this.
This board functioned on the unspoken but assumed idea that if it's old - it's great*, but they've been eclipsed by even more extreme low fidelity adherents who view PA speakers [and probably amplifiers] as the very keys to heaven on earth.
*Old = great. By implication, anything new is corrupt, suspect, a swindle, garbage-sounding, and part of the conspiracy designed to take away your Altecs, your rights, your guns, your trucks, your M-80's, and your dogs.
Rock on
Severius! Supremus Invictus
Oh yeah I'm aware. To be fair when I was in college (1991-1996) I cared about how loud it was too. Loudness counted, and it needed to be available for cheap. But I also developed a taste for jazz/soul/funk in college and there was one band we followed around to all the local spots. Pretty much a Tower of Power band with some old blues of various artists thrown in. And you never knew when they'd pull out some 1950's rock just for kicks. Even the Sandford & Son theme song was part of the show (but they did a much better job with it than the original version)!That set the foundation. After college I picked up the Scott in 1999 or 2000. Still worked, but needed an update (capacitors, etc). I went back to grad school so I wasn't able to do it right away but it continued to work OK. Finally restored it about 2005 or so. Been great ever since.
I guess I should just use my Victrola (yes, I have a working one) and that's about as low-fi as it gets!
Edits: 08/21/16 08/21/16
Being most loudspeakers have low resale value,you can go on Craigslist in Chicago or even Ebay and score some killer two way monitors in the price range of 250usd or less.ADS mini-monitors are really good and if she lets you have a small sub woofer you can tuck behind the couch,you are in business.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken
Using small speaker tucked away will nullify the qualities of your amp.
I don't get it, doesn't your opinion count in this relationship? I say if she is going to be so dogmatic about it, she is the one that needs to go. It doesn't sound like much of a relationship to me....
I mean, you're on the Vintage Asylum, and they seem to fit a number of your parameters ... apart from "6 or 7 inches tall" of course. Still, they're far from huge.
Jon, I have a pair of ADS L400s on a Fisher X101b that sound pretty good.
I'd search craigslist for something like these (may not be modern enough).
looking for some jazz and a little libations - joe strummer
Try the kits at Madisound and Parts Express. The best bang for the buck. And Awe-d is right don't get anything smaller that half a cubic foot.
I'm using the Zaph Audio SR-71 but with that one you need to build your own cabinet.
charles
I wouldn't buy anything smaller than about half a cubic foot volume with a five inch driver and then a sub to go with it. What concerns me more is your comment to tuck them away. To have a nice image small speakers should be on stands and at least a foot away from the back wall IMO.
ET
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936
Agreed about stands and placement. At the end of the day, I find that small speakers on stands take up essentially the same amount of room as big speakers - with some obvious exceptions.
I agree with you but that's not gonna happen. I've had these for over 15 years and this is end of it. Stuff will probably be available for sale on this site once we get moved into the new place and semi-organized. Thanks for your advice just the same!
Since you started at Best Buy I suspect that you are not ready to pay audiophile prices and even if you are, it is likely that there are no high-end shops near you. With those assumptions (which both might be wrong!) I went to the Best Buy website to see if anything might be suitable. Assuming that you don't need to play very loudly, here are my recommendations:
Polk Audio T15
Klipsch R-15M (will play louder than most)
Klipsch R-14M (ditto)
Boston Acoustics A25
Boston Acoustics A26
JBL Arena B15
Wharfed ale Diamon WHD210BLK
Yamaha NS6490
Derwin Vega XLS-6
If you want to keep the bucks low, give the Dynex and BIC, MTX and Insignia a listen. If you need more volume an active subwoofer will help.
Dave
I'm in Chicago - high end audio shops all around me. Budget is the problem. We have a good income but no way will more than $250 be spent on this & that's why I started at Best Buy. Honestly I've never thought much of that store, just to their poor customer service if nothing else, but there's times when it works.
Still, thanks MUCH for your suggestions. I will check it out at least.
The Gallo Micro se is the size of a orange if that's small enough for her, er um, I meant you.
Though as others here have eluded to; How in the hell is she going to put up with the Scott 299 if she won't abide a medium pair of speakers?
I have heard the Gallo Micros (The Venetian, CES 2013) and they are amazing. They are also within your budget.
I have included a link to a CNET review.
Meat; It's the right thing to do. Romans 14:2
I know what you mean about having a good income, but still having not much money to spend. That is what's keeping me shopping at the thrift stores. It is not just audio equipment and media. Quite a few of what I listed are in you price range. Good luck!
Dave
Yeah, it's called being a father! And owning a home from 1903 that needs regular maintenance (although overall, I think it's better built than ma good portion of what's on the market today).
I think you are attacking the problem at the wrong end.
Go to Home Depot and buy pieces of marble to put on top of your speakers to turn them into decorative pillars for plants or statues. You need to get creative in making what you have (and hopefully like) more attractive to the sig other.
I use Dynaco A25's with my 299A. They are not extremely large but larger than what you are contemplating. The Dynacos are great and my wife likes them, too. I wound up changing out the grille cloth to something more to her liking. Compromise compromise.......
That's a good idea but my wife is very much a techie. She has no idea why I would own a tube amplifier or use a turntable today. She's 100% mobile electronics - which, to be fair - that's the world today for most people. It's not so much the appearance of the speaker, it's just the fact the speaker is big enough you can see it. It has to be small enough to hide away in a corner.
I think most of us know there is a price to be paid in sound quality & other ways by doing that, but this isn't an issue for her. She listens to her phone and that's about it. We are just from different worlds on this issue. She doesn't even own any CDs. It's 100% mobile electronics.
In her defense she wants it to work and would like me to keep it. The house we're moving to is certainly a lot bigger than this apartment. I'm going to just take it with me and see if there's a way to make it work. If not, you may see my whole system listed on this site in a few weeks. I hope not but we shall see!
I'm wishing you well in the new digs. Wives are funny that way.
If you go out and get some big Klipsch or a few Bozak Concert Grands she will gladly long for the Boston's.
Sounds like you will need to get a man cave in the next place.
You haven't mentioned how big your LP collection is. Usually that takes up far more space than the gear. Is she making you ditch that as well?
because the 299 is a nice amp when restored right and can give a really big sound on good speakers. Perhaps if she got to hear your system set up correctly and playing she would be more amenable, after all you are getting a bigger space that she can share with you, if she is so inclined. Otherwise, it looks like your only option is to accede and find another hobby. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but to get the good sound you can't beat the physics, hiding tiny speakers in corners is not going to get it done...
What about in-wall speakers? there are some good ones available now.
Dave
At the end of the day, I believe you will dispose of the 299A. ;> (
FWIW, I suggest you acquire a good headphone amp and a superior set of "cans". Your wife's "invisibility" requirement is satisfied and you get good sound quality, albeit in a somewhat inconvenient form.
SOAF issues are a royal PITA .
Eli D.
Pierre Sprey of Mapleshade Records uses a Scott 222c to drive Gallo Strada monitors with great success.
Meat; It's the right thing to do. Romans 14:2
There's small and there's tiny. IMO, you will not find something that's both suitable and tiny. OTOH, the DECWARE product I've linked below is not especially large and you have approx. 2X the power needed to drive it. :> D
Eli D.
I owned the DM-945's and they are excellent speakers. One of those sorry I sold them deals...
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