[Hank_Venture]

I picked up a restored 2230 recently as the center of a small home system I want to put together. Figure these would do best with a set of small monitors or bookshelves, but don't really know what to look for. Older set recommendations are very welcomed. I want to pick up something from the upper 22 or 23xx series, so a set with a little room to be pushed is good too.
 
Looking for a real solid low end, focus on mid and highs. Trying to keep things in the $400 range
 
 
Thanks for any help.

 

[trog]

Hmm looking at past owners of your Marantz, peeps seem to report doing well with the PSB Image B25?
 
http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/1204psb/index.html
 
http://www.independentaudiovideo.com/store/item_view.asp?estore_itemid=1000260

 

[Uncle Erik]

Nice set!

It should do fine with most speakers. More importantly, how big is your listening room and what kind of music do you listen to?

Also give some thought to DIY. There are some really nice kits at Madisound, some with a lot of the hard work already done. Those would be about the same as assembling a desk from Ikea. No soldering and simple tools.

 

[hellomoto]

Hello!
 
You should probably take a look at the old JBL Speakers. I own a Marantz 2220BL which fits perfectly with my 1970's JBL L26 speakers, bass and mids are great, and highs are good too with rock music, a real pleasure. They might be a bit too big for your needs, but they're a real steal, you probably can get a pair for $150 in good shape in the US. However, if you want to upgrade your receiver, it will become too powerful for these, as they are made for 20W each if my memories are good. Note that L26 are usually more regarded than its higher end 3-way model the L36.
 
I don't know higher end models from JBL, so I can't talk personnaly talk about it, but I always read great reviews about them, you might find speakers with better highs in the $400 range. I would suggest the legendary JBL 4311 or L100, but then you'll need more watts!
 

 

[Hank_Venture]

Thanks for the responses and recommendations.
 
 
They will be in my room, L shaped and of a decent size. I listen to stuff from bands like Sleep to Frank Zappa (to point out a different end of the audio spectrum)
 
Stuff derivative of bands like Kyuss and Sleep is pretty bottom heavy on the guitars, so the bass is getting pushed even more than others at times. You'll have some strange and unique effects with the mids and highs mixed in.
 
The JBL's are the ones I'm getting most interested in, second would probably be Klipsch. There is a pair of JBL L86 on ebay right now I am watching, as I understand they are a great bang for the buck and closely related to the L96. The models you mentioned are really nice too but the price points haven't been too close to the $$$ I am aiming for.

 

[hellomoto]

Getting a L100 or a 4311 at a fair price is a matter of luck, you can check this classified, it seems close to you considering the location on your profile:
http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/msg/2570645594.html
I however don't know if there's a difference between a standard 4311 and a "4311 XA"
 
Anyway, by checking eBay and craigslist regularly, you will probably end up finding a nice pair for your budget! I don't know the L86, just make sure your amp is powerful enough to drive them correctly, considering my readings, these vintage JBL speakers really shine when properly amped!
 
Good luck! I had to search for a long time to find my pair of L26 at an affordable price, I had problems with the tweeters and so one, but once completely repaired, it's a delight with the vintage Marantz, these two seem made to work together!
 
 

 

[Hank_Venture]

http://lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/catalogs/1982-home/page07.jpg
 
I think it is rated at around 70w max or something, apparently able to handle higher rated receivers well.
 
The 96, 100/111 and definitely the 4311's and other 4XXX would be high on the list. I think the WXA for those 4311 is to denote a Walnut finish, I don't drive but Bayside isn't too far so that could be feasible if they are in good shape.