Recommendations for vintage Polk (or other brand) bookshelf speakers?

Pastor Bill
Pastor Bill Posts: 130
edited July 2014 in Vintage Speakers
Due to the enormous amount of cats I have...bookshelf speakers are my best option. Willing to consider all recommendations. Currently have some Fried Model Qs...but the replacement of a woofer changed the personality of the pair. Still good but not as uncolored as before. So am considering replacements of either vintage or modern. Have a pair of Audio 4 available for $70...reasonable? NAD 7140 receiver @ 40 watts RMS to drive 'em. Am considering Axiom or Fluance as moderns...Polk or Advents as vintage. What say you? Listening genres are all over the place...but all is musical. Just not into the HT surround sound type thing.
Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Me." - John 14:6

NAD 7140, Fried Model Qs, Pioneer PD-4700
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  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited July 2014
    For the cost (inexpensive), the new Pioneer bookshelves designed by Andrew Jones are hard to beat. Can get them at best buy - try them out and if not to your liking the return policy is reasonable.

    If you have a substantial budget, then I would highly recommend Polk's best bookshelf to date- the LSiM 703's. Awesome speakers.

    Welcome to Club Polk.

    Stay around awhile and post frequently and before you know it you'll be over 100 posts and have access to our For Sale section which has some great deals from other members from time to time.
    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited July 2014
    9420465531_6f3b7ba93f_b.jpgDSC_5417 by mhardy6647, on Flickr
    10676373535_201159c7b8_b.jpgP1020547 by mhardy6647, on Flickr

    Vintage? Polk Audio Monitor Series Model 7 family (personal faves are 7As) or ads L-710 would be high on my list... my ears aren't yours, so try before you buy if at all possible.

    Kittehs? Two's more than enough IMO, but, of course, YMMV!

    14210705656_26d3a13824_b.jpgDSC_1506 by mhardy6647, on Flickr
    14254021293_f0d4f49685_b.jpgDSC_1508 by mhardy6647, on Flickr
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  • Mystery
    Mystery Posts: 2,546
    edited July 2014
    ADS L620 with metal grills.

    attachment.php?attachmentid=99461&d=1405213627attachment.php?attachmentid=99462&d=1405213628

    ADS L620-3.jpg
    ADS L620-2.jpg

    Klipsch RB81, KG3.5, B&W DM602.5, Polk.
    Subwoofers: Klipsch RW10, Triad ProSub Bronze.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited July 2014
    Good point! Actually some versions of the L-710, including the ones I have, also have the perforated metal grilles.

    BTW, the aforementioned little Andrew Jones (of Pioneer's top-end TAD division) two-ways have an outstanding reputation & are very inexpensive. I haven't heard a pair myself, though, so I cannot give them anything but an indirect endorsement (i.e., folks whose ears I trust have them/have heard them and pronounced them good).
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  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited July 2014
    IF you are interested in Monitor 7's and understand shipping is expensive, keep posting and after 100 posts I will have a pair available in the classifieds soon. I have 3 pairs and all are early with peerless (the preferred by most) tweeter. At least one pair will be avail and maybe 2 if the wife has her way....
    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited July 2014
    +1 on everything above. Polk Monitors and ADS. YES!

    Andrew Jones SP-BS-22rl bookies. Pretty darned good for less than 100 on sale! Tough to beat at that price. I was in a BB today to check out the NEW speakers Sony put out to compete with the Pioneers, the SS-CS5. They retail for 219 a pair, so quite a bit more than the Pioneer on sale.

    So I'm in the store with a DIGITAL touch screen set up and some Pioneer bookies, the new Sonys, some Polk R-15s, the requisite Bose 301 whatever series, etc. And I'm switching back and forth. The Polks are OUT, too cheap, weak crossover, boxy (but these are the cheapest Polks), Bose, not much base, treble weighted but not necessarily the most "detailed".

    So the REAL contenders A.J.s Pioneers vs. the more expensive Sonys. The Sonys have a tweeter and a super tweeter as well as a slightly large bass driver. The cabs are a tad larger.

    I'm switching back and forth and the first thing I notice is that the Sonys are MORE EFFICIENT. Oh, Oh! The Sales guy comes up and offers help. I turn to him and say, "yeah, I'm just trying to see what the new Sonys sound like, I already own the Pioneers. Obviously the Sonys are more efficient, and as "you" know, more efficient speakers usually sound better to the UNTRAINED ear. That's why I'm correcting for that as I listen. The Sonys sound OK so far." Our man says, "well let me know if you have any questions; we just got those in?"

    So I spend another 10-15 minutes with the speakers and also run the Sony towers against the Pioneer towers (the Pios were the clear winner there)--more dynamic slam.

    Back to the bookshelves:

    What I noticed was that the Sonys sound signature is tipped toward the TOP end. Had decent mids and highs but not as much weight or "fullness" down low as you'd expect from the larger woofer and cabs. When the Pioneers were adjusted to a matching volume it was clear that they had a more balanced sound from TOP to BOTTOM. They were more seamless than the Sonys which though clear seemed to suffer from a gap in the high/high mid to low mid/bass transition. The Pios were smoother, silkier sounding, more dynamic as you cranked them, and a hell of a lot cheaper.

    So although I think the Sonys are not a bad speaker and better than the Polk R-15s. They're just NOT worth 219 a pair. They should be selling in the Pioneer range $129 a pair or, hopefully $89.99 or less.

    Jones continues to stay on top of the low budget speaker market. And I think it's going to take a LOT to dethrone him there.

    Of course I can see some people liking the Sonys, they are clean, have good detail and can play reasonably loud. But I'd certainly wait for a SALE!

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,554
    edited July 2014
    NAD 7140 receiver @ 40 watts RMS to drive 'em.

    The Jones/Pioneer speakers would not be a good match with your receiver.
    What I noticed was that the Sonys sound signature is tipped toward the TOP end.

    That's their house sound and not one I'm fond of.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • StantonZ
    StantonZ Posts: 444
    edited July 2014
    I originally used my Polk Monitor 4's for "bookshelf" type listening when I was young (they were actually ON my bookshelf in a college dorm); they sound amazing for their size.
    Yamaha RX-A2050 AVR (5.0.2); LG OLED77C2 4K TV
    (4) Polk Monitor 10B's w/SoniCaps, Mills, and RDO-194 tweets (R/L F/R)
    (2) Polk RC80i (Top Middle)
    Polk CS300 center channel
    Analog: B&O TX2 Turntable, Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1
    Digital: Pioneer CLD-99 Elite LD, Panasonic DMP-UB900 UHD Blu-Ray
    Bedroom: Arylic Up2Stream AMPv3 driving Polk Monitor 4's w/peerless tweets
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  • BKphoto
    BKphoto Posts: 409
    edited July 2014
    Unknown_zpsc5bb108e.jpeg
    Marantz 1152 DC- Denon DP 1200, Soundsmith Carmen MKII- ADS L980 - Blue Jeans IC's
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  • Pastor Bill
    Pastor Bill Posts: 130
    edited July 2014
    BKphoto:

    I like the appearance and what I've read about various Infini speakers. One of the things that concerns me about the vintage speaker thing is that it is appreciably harder to audition speakers...especially when using sources like Ebay or Craigslist. Since I'm rather chea...er, frugal, that gives me pause for thought
    Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Me." - John 14:6

    NAD 7140, Fried Model Qs, Pioneer PD-4700
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited July 2014
    Yeah, but the speakers are cheap -- and if you chose speakers that are in good demand, you can just pass 'em along and try again.

    Try to buy local if you can -- lots of upside to a local purchase.

    FWIW (and strictly from my perspective!) I find the affordable Infinity speakers to be brighter than I prefer. A few pairs have passed through my house... and they kept on goin'.
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  • Pastor Bill
    Pastor Bill Posts: 130
    edited July 2014
    cnh wrote: »
    +1 on everything above. Polk Monitors and ADS. YES!

    (massive snip of good information that took some time)

    Of course I can see some people liking the Sonys, they are clean, have good detail and can play reasonably loud. But I'd certainly wait for a SALE!

    cnh

    Thanks for the detailed reply, cnh!
    Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Me." - John 14:6

    NAD 7140, Fried Model Qs, Pioneer PD-4700
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  • BKphoto
    BKphoto Posts: 409
    edited July 2014
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Yeah, but the speakers are cheap -- and if you chose speakers that are in good demand, you can just pass 'em along and try again.

    Try to buy local if you can -- lots of upside to a local purchase.

    FWIW (and strictly from my perspective!) I find the affordable Infinity speakers to be brighter than I prefer. A few pairs have passed through my house... and they kept on goin'.

    they are not cheap and possibly the best small speakers ever made...the sound that comes out of them will make you just shake your head and stare...
    Marantz 1152 DC- Denon DP 1200, Soundsmith Carmen MKII- ADS L980 - Blue Jeans IC's
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited July 2014
    I thought that they were cheap (i.e., inexpensive) -- must've been another model.
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  • audiomagnate
    audiomagnate Posts: 48
    edited July 2014
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Good point! Actually some versions of the L-710, including the ones I have, also have the perforated metal grilles.

    BTW, the aforementioned little Andrew Jones (of Pioneer's top-end TAD division) two-ways have an outstanding reputation & are very inexpensive. I haven't heard a pair myself, though, so I cannot give them anything but an indirect endorsement (i.e., folks whose ears I trust have them/have heard them and pronounced them good).

    The Pioneers were only $63 a pair brand new so I can't complain, but my RT-25's clobbered them in a recent small speaker shootout that I hosted at my place. The winner was my buddy's KEF ls50's, which at $1,500 a pair better be nice! I found the Pioneers glarey and flat sounding, but for the price they are a real bargain.
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  • bigaltx24
    bigaltx24 Posts: 141
    edited July 2014
    I picked up a pair of Snell KIIs last winter. They're not very common, but well worth seeking out. Since I got them I've gotten rid of my NLAs, Bozak B-201s, KLH model 32s and Paradigm Atoms
    Denon PMA-900V
    Linn Axis with Grado Red
    Cambridge Azur 650C
    Polk SDA-1BTL
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited July 2014
    audiomagnate wrote: »
    The Pioneers were only $63 a pair brand new so I can't complain, but my RT-25's clobbered them in a recent small speaker shootout that I hosted at my place. The winner was my buddy's KEF ls50's, which at $1,500 a pair better be nice! I found the Pioneers glarey and flat sounding, but for the price they are a real bargain.

    mmm... "glarey" would be a deal-breaker for me; it does seem to be the current fashion, though.
    I like my loudspeakers smooth, like buttah...

    10127672406_daf8cdc207_b.jpgDSC_8059 by mhardy6647, on Flickr
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  • Pastor Bill
    Pastor Bill Posts: 130
    edited July 2014
    Mrh:

    My bride would absolutely have a spastic fit if I outfitted a room like that. She actually asked me if she could PAINT the cabinets on my Frieds white to match the decor. Something about my expression or demeanor must have impressed her...she hasn't asked since that initial faux pax.
    Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Me." - John 14:6

    NAD 7140, Fried Model Qs, Pioneer PD-4700
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited July 2014
    that, ol' son, is my room... and not even the kittehs are allowed in there...
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  • Pastor Bill
    Pastor Bill Posts: 130
    edited July 2014
    Felt I had the same thing in my gun/handloading/library/man cave. Then...almost like magic, things began appearing in it. Has resulted in some rather terse and forthright discussions. Only room in the house she hasn't painted.
    Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Me." - John 14:6

    NAD 7140, Fried Model Qs, Pioneer PD-4700
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited July 2014
    Mrs. H may do as she pleases with the rest of the house; I gots me one room -- I think we're both pretty good with that ;-)

    Now... that said... I invite her up occasionally to relax and listen to the radio or a record; once in a while she'll take me up on the offer, but I think she's a little put off by all the junk up there :-P
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