A recent eBay purchase fell through and the seller decided to refund my money, so now I'm really itching for an upgrade (or at least to look around). I'm currently using a pair of Boston Acoustics VR-M60 bookshelf speakers, which have been great, but like most bookshelves, they can be a little too directional.

What are some decent floorstanding or bookshelf speakers in the $1,000 used range? They don't need to include built-in subwoofers, but should at least be capable of hitting 50 Hz without too much roll-off. Also, decent treble extension and midrange clarity are pluses. I'm looking for studio-monitor-like accuracy--house-sound coloration should be kept to a minimum.

Basically, I want to avoid downgrading from the VR-M60s.

Von Schweikert VR-2. They should go around $1K used. At least maybe the older versions.

I like my Dynaudio 122s. Very spatial homogenous sound.

Kef iQ7 or iQ9

You won't regret it.

B&W 683's (which are new) or B&W 603 S3's you can find them for less than 1k because they have been replaced. I did a full B&W test with all their old and new speakers and both of those stood out for me in the 1k range

totems

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X2

Totem Arro is awesome.

I know this is not cool to Hifi stores, but I would go to listen at some stores and find out what you like. Then, find it used on Audiogon. It is just plain silly to buy without listening. Use your ears - everyone has different tastes! But If you absolutely can't go and listen yourself, I'd go for some Totems - really detailed and and transparent while still being warm and musical. Dynaudio tends to be a little analytical in my opinion.

What is the amp driving them? From my understanding, you can get a lot of speaker for a grand that doesn't perform as expected if it's not being driven properly. If I remember, those B&Ws have a relatively low SPL and require adequate amplification to be useful (and when they do they sound great). On the flip side, if you have a high power/high current amp driving a relatively efficient speaker, you may end up wasting your amp.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, guys. It's nice to have a few brands and models in mind when I start searching. My main concern is that I don't waste my time looking at overpriced speakers that are bested for far less money.

MatsudaMan, at this price range, I think listening starts to become very important.

unclejr, I'm planning on an amplifier upgrade, so that shouldn't be a problem either way, but thanks for the reminder... My current amp (45 wpc @ 8 ohms) definitely couldn't drive just any speaker.

I'm mostly looking at floorstanding speakers because I want the most accurate full-range speakers for the money. Neutrality and resolution are very important to me.

Do Dynaudio's home speakers sound anything like their studio monitors?

You might be disappointed, as I was, when you realize you cannot get a full range (20-20) speaker until you are into the $7-10k range (and those in that bracket are considered a bargain). However, if you can take (35-20), then your range of choice becomes much wider starting at around $4k you can have some decent floorstanding. e.g. Opera, Vienna Acoustics, Legacy, etc. And below that, you are better off with a bookshelf (which mind you can also produce bass down to about 35hz if your room is not super huge).

If you must have a floorstander around $1k, what little you gain in the low end, you will loose mid range purity, HF extension, holographic imaging, tone purity, and timber accuracy. ...alot to give up for those couple bass notes.

IMO $1k used is strictly reserved for bookshelfs

Note: I have read Spendor makes some splendid floorstanding spkr (40-20 IIRC) used for around $1.8k I have never heard spendor, but you should try to find one and give it a listen, might be a bargain.

Something more about Totem Arro's.

Even though they have very small drivers and size, the spacious and big sound they produce is simply amazing. When I first saw them IRL I almost laughed (because they're quite tiny) but when I heard them I was amazed. Because of the small size the deepest deepest bass isn't audible but it really doesn't matter in most of the cases. They're also very easy to position in your room because they actually sound better near the wall than far away from the wall.

These speakers are must hear definitely.

Quad 21L can be had for less than £500 second hand and have superb clarity. They need a lot of room behind to breathe though.

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Ouch... That sounds like the ring of truth.

I wouldn't mind integrating a decent subwoofer to provide the last octave, so 35 Hz isn't such a bad figure. I think that your suggestion to stick with a bookshelf speaker is probably a good one.

What sort of bookshelf speakers in the $1k used range would be good deals? Studio monitors are okay, too...

Might I suggest taking a look at the Monitor Audio Silver RS6s, floor standers for a grand NEW. Sounds great and very efficient. For even less you can grab some Monitor Audio Silver RS1s, which I am currently driving with a Rega Brio 3 amp that's rated at 49 W/ch. @ 8 ohms also. Love this setup ....