[quadmaniac]

Hi guys,
 I am buying the lepai tripath 2020 amp from amazon for about 20 bucks. I want to build a decent sounding system on a budget, and am interested to know your thoughts on my requirement -
 
I want to carry the amp and speakers back to India (I'm in the US for a short trip, and any audiophile equipment costs a lot in India). My question to you is - what speakers would you recommend with the lepai tripath for a decent sounding stereo system? I might be playing it off an mp3 player (such as the Nano)  - let me know if this is not possible. That is, an mp3 player + lepai tripath + 2.0 passive bookshelf or other speakers.
 
Before you recommend me something like the Dayton audio B652, I'd like to point out that I'll be carrying these back, and would ideally love SMALL speakers. I've seen the A2 in person - and size wise, that seem to fit the bill perfectly (but price and SQ wise, I didn't like them as much). And, I'm looking for something much less than $100. Preferably about $50-$70. I know thats not much - but I want to know the best I can build out of that budget.
 
Thanks for your advice!

 

[quadmaniac]

Also, specifically, does anyone have any experience with the Pyle Home PCB3BK 3-Inch 100-Watt Mini Cube Bookshelf Speakers - seem pretty popular on Amazon! - http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PCB3BK-100-Watt-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B000MCGF1O/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1345054195&sr=1-2&keywords=bookshelf+speaker !

 

[viveksaikia22]

Quote:

Also, specifically, does anyone have any experience with the Pyle Home PCB3BK 3-Inch 100-Watt Mini Cube Bookshelf Speakers - seem pretty popular on Amazon! - http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PCB3BK-100-Watt-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B000MCGF1O/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1345054195&sr=1-2&keywords=bookshelf+speaker !

Stay away from Pyle. They sound crappy.
You can buy two Fostex drivers and construct a transmission line enclosure for them once you get back to India.

 

[quadmaniac]

Well I guessed so .. 
 
But what you say is extremely intriguing. At the risk of sounding noob-ish. Are you suggesting I should go back, buy separate drivers and build my own speakers?
 
I've never done anything even close to that, but wow! I would be most willing to - can you give me some pointers to get started? I'm in no hurries. I stay at Hyderabad and can go back and satisfy the geek in me by doing this! The only thing I wonder is whether these components would be available online/at Hyd.

 

[viveksaikia22]

Quote:

Well I guessed so .. 
 
But what you say is extremely intriguing. At the risk of sounding noob-ish. Are you suggesting I should go back, buy separate drivers and build my own speakers?
 
I've never done anything even close to that, but wow! I would be most willing to - can you give me some pointers to get started? I'm in no hurries. I stay at Hyderabad and can go back and satisfy the geek in me by doing this! The only thing I wonder is whether these components would be available online/at Hyd.

The Fostex full range drivers are very nice sounding. They go well with tube amps and given the fact that the Topping chip has much of a tube flavor, the combination works really well.
The Fostex drivers are not available in India and importing them will cost a fortune, adding to it the risk of damage which may cause during shipping or custom checks.
You can buy the drivers here in the US and carry them with you in your luggage.
 
You can check out the following link for the enclosure construction details:
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/diy-speakers/32840-big-d-s-folded-horn-speakers-w-fostex-full-range-drivers.html
 
You can also check out the HiFiVision.com forum for all the knowledge on the Fostex horn speakers.

 

[quadmaniac]

Thanks for the inputs! This looks like a long term project requiring quite some study. I'm looking into this, but meanwhile would still like some inputs on my original post - if there exist small-ish matching speakers for the lepai amp in budget 

 

[viveksaikia22]

Quote:

Thanks for the inputs! This looks like a long term project requiring quite some study. I'm looking into this, but meanwhile would still like some inputs on my original post - if there exist small-ish matching speakers for the lepai amp in budget 

You can consider the Cambridge Audio S30 if on a decent budget. If you wish to go a little bit higher, then you can consider the Usher S-520s. These two speakers have wonderful synergy with the Topping amp.
 
I am using a TA2020 chipamp to power my KEF Q90 floorstanders with two 8 inchers and the little amp drives them loud and clear with minimal distortion.

 

[mtkversion]

viveksaikia22 made an excellent suggestion in just buying the raw drivers and taking them back and building the enclosure yourself.
 
If you want a finished product though and if you can extend your budget just a bit more to $100 then the NHT SuperZero are a good choice.
 
Google them for various reviews and you should be pleased with what you find.
 
Good luck.

 

[quadmaniac]

Thanks for the inputs guys. The NHT also seems to have rave reviews. Time to do some research

 

[viveksaikia22]

Quote:

viveksaikia22 made an excellent suggestion in just buying the raw drivers and taking them back and building the enclosure yourself.
 
If you want a finished product though and if you can extend your budget just a bit more to $100 then the NHT SuperZero are a good choice.
 
Google them for various reviews and you should be pleased with what you find.
 
Good luck.

 
Quote:

Thanks for the inputs guys. The NHT also seems to have rave reviews. Time to do some research

 
Yes, NHT are good choice.
But finally believe only your own ears and do some auditioning.

 

[quadmaniac]

Agreed 100%. My ears found the AudioEngine A2 over-hyped, for instance. 

 

[msvs]

A quick post that may be helpful for others.

The amplifier in my active speakers (used with a Squeezebox Classic wireless streamer) finally gave up after 10 years. I needed a cheap replacement, and decided that passive speakers with a small amplifier would be the best approach. Did a lot of research online, and as price and portability are major factors at this point in my life, I settled for the LP-2020A+ (US$22). Finding small, cheap, good quality speakers compatible with the LP-2020A+ was the main issue. I found a good deal for a pair of Behringer 1C speakers ($55). I bought a couple of metres of secondhand QED 79 Strand ($4) speaker cable on Ebay. And I bought a 12V 5A power supply on Ebay ($6).

This combination works very well. The amp does produce a bit of hiss, but it is not that noticeable. There doesn't seem to be any significant distortion, and there are no sound drops. I use the system for 6+ hour stretches without a hitch.

Only issue is that the tone button has to be activated so that bass and treble can be applied. Direct sound is incredibly flat and uninspiring.

For a total of around of around $80, this is a fantastic system.