Messing around with low to mid cost speakers...

Ian

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Here's a ramble ! So you love the hobby, have the core system you want and don't want to mess about with it. But you do want to mess about !
Answer, low to mid cost speakers. Just bought some old Wharfedales, loved them. And pocket money too.
Next up, Spendor S5e, a wammer kindly accepted my offer for some speakers I don't think will work in my room. But of course, the most golden of rules, you don't know till you try.
Does anyone else just mess about in an unfocused manner ? My criteria is basically what turns up here that I might loose little or nothing on.
 

MVJ

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I am blissfully happy with my system in my music room (as listed) BUT! I must admit some kit has been coming up in the classifieds and I'm hovering over the pm button thinking I would love to have a play with some of it.

So far I have resisted but for how long...
1677007159870.png
 

vinyl4ever

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Here's a ramble ! So you love the hobby, have the core system you want and don't want to mess about with it. But you do want to mess about !
Answer, low to mid cost speakers. Just bought some old Wharfedales, loved them. And pocket money too.
Next up, Spendor S5e, a wammer kindly accepted my offer for some speakers I don't think will work in my room. But of course, the most golden of rules, you don't know till you try.
Does anyone else just mess about in an unfocused manner ? My criteria is basically what turns up here that I might loose little or nothing on.
I do, always changing my kit to experiment. Nothing expensive but have a bit of spare pocket money so why not.
 
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m7rso

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Here's a ramble ! So you love the hobby, have the core system you want and don't want to mess about with it. But you do want to mess about !
Answer, low to mid cost speakers. Just bought some old Wharfedales, loved them. And pocket money too.
Next up, Spendor S5e, a wammer kindly accepted my offer for some speakers I don't think will work in my room. But of course, the most golden of rules, you don't know till you try.
Does anyone else just mess about in an unfocused manner ? My criteria is basically what turns up here that I might loose little or nothing on.
Absolutely, 2 pairs of wharfedales, some castles, yamahas, leemas, then further up the ladder, ae1, 104/2 kef ref, 1.7 maggies ……apart from my main system..always looking for more speakers to try out, they give the biggest change in sound in any system as far as i am concerned.
 

BarefootGuy

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Hi,

Yes, I do this all the time, particularly with speakers. It's a bit of fun and sometimes I find something that really surprises me. For example, I bought a pair of old Gale GS220s in good condition for £30, totally on impulse. I recapped the crossover, changed the ferrofluid in the tweeter, added a little extra dampening material in the cabinet, and, hey, its pretty decent. Or some Cambridge Audio Minx XL speakers for £60, used. Another impulse buy, and they are sweet and fun just as they are. A nice little find.

But my main system stays as it is. I spent ages getting it the way I like it, so playing around is on another system only.
 
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pmcuk

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I'm happy with my cheapie Wharfedale Program 30D-6 speakers - all of £17. Very common on eBay - a lot were made.

But I always have an eye on an upgrade. Heard a Kef Q bookshelf and a small ATC bookshelf in my system in comparison, and I'd still prefer the Wharfedales, surprisingly enough. The Kef was rather shouty in the treble, and the ATC was just dead sounding - no life.

I fancy a build, but too many other projects on the go. I have heard very few speakers - I really should go for a demo somewhere or ???. It would be a 2 way of some kind. I'm in Kensington, London, so can't be too hard to hear some other speakers.
 
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MVJ

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Hi,

Yes, I do this all the time, particularly with speakers. It's a bit of fun and sometimes I find something that really surprises me. For example, I bought a pair of old Gale GS220s in good condition for £30, totally on impulse. I recapped the crossover, changed the ferrofluid in the tweeter, added a little extra dampening material in the cabinet, and, hey, its pretty decent. Or some Cambridge Audio Minx XL speakers for £60, used. Another impulse buy, and they are sweet and fun just as they are. A nice little find.

But my main system stays as it is. I spent ages getting it the way I like it, so playing around is on another system only.
There's the reason I don't I guess any playing around can only be done in my room & I'm not prepared to start stripping my system out to do it.🤔
 
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BarefootGuy

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It would be a 2 way of some kind. I'm in Kensington, London, so can't be too hard to hear some other speakers.
Richersounds used to do demos...maybe they still do. All new gear at new gear prices...you may walk out with something though. Be warned ;)
 
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uzzy

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Here's a ramble ! So you love the hobby, have the core system you want and don't want to mess about with it. But you do want to mess about !
Answer, low to mid cost speakers. Just bought some old Wharfedales, loved them. And pocket money too.
Next up, Spendor S5e, a wammer kindly accepted my offer for some speakers I don't think will work in my room. But of course, the most golden of rules, you don't know till you try.
Does anyone else just mess about in an unfocused manner ? My criteria is basically what turns up here that I might loose little or nothing on.
I mess about lots - it is called playing music on the fabulous system you spent ages to put together. I guess it is a problem for some that the fiddling with different kit is more important than actually playing music? Perhaps working in a shop for six years made me realise what a waste of music time is by faffing around trying different kit
 
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Amormusic

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I have done this. A lot. But not for a little while now. I've finally arrived at my pretty much end game system and when I switch stuff in now it's generally disappointing.

I am happy with my little bundle in my house. I do not have spare rooms to make new systems in so I've arrived at the pinnacle of what's possible in my limited space and godamn it's been fun along the way.

From Bristol I've driven to Oxford / Manchester / Portsmouth / London / Sheffield / Southampton and various other places in my buying speakers and bits of kit quest. So it's also now quite refreshing to have ended my faffing.

Although, as ever I still look at stuff and think, mmm what if?!
 

bigrod

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Anyone who has been to Lawrence town and my mancave will know that I mess about with stuff a lot . Fortunately I can “hide” a lot of it behind sliding storage units ..so the room isn’t cluttered. All cheapo gear in the main but there are a couple of top end bits of gear ..My main system is for life but as a side track I do like to buy and try things for very little money, specially vintage gear with a decent pedigree. I also like to resurrect speakers from oblivion with some TLC . Problem is I don’t want to sell them when I’ve made such a nice job ..
 
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bigrod

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As MVJ said earlier. There is some cracking gear in the classifieds that would allow you to have a second stonking system that in many cases would probably surpass what we already have for a lot less cash ..
It is so tempting sometimes.. but I’m saving for a wedding in May …
I must stop drooling over the classifieds and curb my addiction..
 
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DomT

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As MVJ said earlier. There is some cracking gear in the classifieds that would allow you to have a second stonking system that in many cases would probably surpass what we already have for a lot less cash ..
It is so tempting sometimes.. but I’m saving for a wedding in May …
I must stop drooling over the classifieds and curb my addiction..
You are right. There is some great stuff on sale right now and if I was in the UK ai would be buying some of it.
 
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Sotosound

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I've been fiddling around with some lower priced speakers recently and have also fiddled around with the amps that I have, which range from a budget TEAC half-width receiver through Arcam Delta 290 to tweaked Croft. It's been fun and continues to be so.
 
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Ian

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I'll report on the Spendors when I have them. Not till a week on Sunday though.

It'll be really interesting to see if the Audion drives them.
 

Beobloke

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Hell yes!

My main system and my reviewing system rarely change but there’s a hell of a lot of other stuff that comes and goes from Beobloke Towers as I simply love trying all kinds of things.

Spotting something for sale that I read about 30 years ago and liked the look of invariably signs an immediate Purchase Order! Admittedly, it is usually turntables or speakers, though, hence why I currently own 32 of the former and 26 pairs of the latter…
 

DomT

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Hell yes!

My main system and my reviewing system rarely change but there’s a hell of a lot of other stuff that comes and goes from Beobloke Towers as I simply love trying all kinds of things.

Spotting something for sale that I read about 30 years ago and liked the look of invariably signs an immediate Purchase Order! Admittedly, it is usually turntables or speakers, though, hence why I currently own 32 of the former and 26 pairs of the latter…
Well that’s clearly having far far too much fun!!!
 
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