Any bookshelf speakers worth having on a bookshelf (which cost £200 or less)?

[fish face]

Pull up a chair.

In a previous address I had a pair of PMC DB1s on lead shot filled stands on a (carpeted) concrete floor. I l fell in love with those speakers at the dealers after hours of listening to various others but not really liking anything. Then the man said 'these cost a bit more than you said but listen to these'. I fell in love with them and couldn't really afford the £555 price tag but had to have them - and did. They were used with a Rega P3 and Mira Amp. Then I moved to this older house with wooden floors downstairs and the speakers turned in to monsters. Bad monsters. Then we had a baby so the HIFI was moved to the upstairs study - a small room of about 6x20' and the monsters became even harder to live with so I sold them.

I'm currently using Wharfedale Diamond 9s on bookshelves on the wall. There isn't much room here to do much else. They are o.k. - I certainly can't complain for the money. Then last year I acquired a Heathkit S-33H amplifier. Suddenly I had a glimpse in to what people see in Class A valve amplifiers - and then it broke! So I continued to listen to music but with less of the passion than previously.

Then the other week I bought a tatty Thorens TD 160 B Mk2. I paid far too much for it having got carried away on e-bay but, like the valve amp, it suggested something good could be had from it. The supplied arm and cartridge weren't good and fitting the RB300 from the Rega didn't seem right. Then a kind friend gave me a Mission 774LC so I bought a suitable arm plate and fitted the arm and my Goldring 1012GX.

Crikey me it's good! I only got the cartridge half properly aligned this morning and now, six hours later am taking a break from listening to records to type this. It has something that my Dual 505 had many years ago which the Rega never had, (I know suspension). So to re-cap:

Thorens TD 160 / Mission 774LC / Goldring 1012GX / Rega Mira / Wharfedale Diamond 9s.

Can you spot the weakest link?

Money is currently tight in this house but if there was a good time to ask my wife for a present then it's coming up. Is there any point thinking about replacing the Wharfdales with either something new for a maximum of £200 or something old for a maximum of £200? Note, they either have to be used on the existing shelves or I suppose on a dedicated wall bracket. If on the shelf they can't be more than about 250mm high.

Any thoughts or suggestions please? Thanks for reading.

 

[dangermouse]

Why fret about spending money when there's no need?

If you can listen for six hours before taking a break, it sounds as if you've nailed it already.

 

[fish face]

Why fret about spending money when there's no need? If you can listen for six hours before taking a break, it sounds as if you've nailed it already.

That ^ is fantastic advice! Thanks.

 

[Tarzan]

Why fret about spending money when there's no need? If you can listen for six hours before taking a break, it sounds as if you've nailed it already.

:^

 

[jkbmusic]

..

 

[rockmeister]

Dear fish.

I'd suggest that 250mm is VERY VERY small and you'll be whistling dixie with that as a restriction. If you can fit wall brackets, then I'd build a small shelf instead, clear out your shed and build a pair of these,

http://www.wilmslow-audio.co.uk/wa-hb2-loudspeaker-2131-p.asp

or these ...http://www.wilmslow-audio.co.uk/wa-ls3-bookshelf-loudspeaker-2107-p.asp

...the latter are smaller, and maybe will be closer to the Wharefdales in presentation (but better IMO) and the former will be sweeter and gentler...a bit fuller I think. If you're ok at woodwork it's the best way to stay in budget.

 

[fish face]

Thanks RM - those kits look very interesting. However I'm not sure my woodworking is up to making a decent job of them. The other thing is time - I'm slightly better with a soldering iron than a saw and I've a Leak Trough Line and the Heathkit S-33H to 'fettle' back to full working order and have been meaning to do that for ages. When I've done that I've make a start on the valve mono blocks I bought the valves and expensive transformers for some years ago

I think another project started would be another unfinished project for a while.

Cheers.

 

[styles997]

Some impulse Maya's in the classifieds.

 

[twotone]

I've a pair of Dali Zensor 1s that have no right to sound as good as they do, there's a pair on PFM currently in white for about £160 inc delivery I believe however I bought mine (black) for £120 or thereabouts.