[Cake]

I'm looking to expand my listening habits.  I'm nearly completely happy with my headphone setup, but now that I have my own place I want to get some overachieving budget speakers.  Maybe a small high quality amp to go with them, too--perhaps the new Nuforce Icon Amp (the one that has real speaker outs, not RJ-45 jacks).  
 
More about what I'm looking for in a pair of speakers:
 
- As small a budget as possible!  Preferably, max $300.  Possibly max $400.  As low as I can go, really.
- With headphones, I'm a Grado fan.
- Most important listening material is psychedelic/prog/alt/classic rock: Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Rush...
- Secondary music material: jazz, electronica (Aphex Twin), 80's pop.
- Detail/transparency is very important to me.  I am a longtime owner of a Grado SR-325i, and I happily put up with the occasional brightness because the detail is so delicious.  
- Bass should be there, controlled, and have satisfying impact, but I'm happy to lose bass extension/fullness.  
- Ideally I want big "full" enveloping sound in a small package.  
- But they only need to fill a small space.  Think large bedroom/small living room.  
- I live in a townhouse (3/4 shared walls) so I'm interested in low-to-mid volume listening, mostly.
- More interested in good bookshelf speakers and (maybe DIY) stands than in floorstanders.  
- Source will probably be ALAC files streamed to an Airport Express.  Haven't decided whether to get another DAC, but I can play around with the ones I have (V-DAC, MHDT Dialogue II) before deciding.  
 
Basically, I'm looking for the Grado SR-60/Alessandro MS-1 of speakers.  The cheap leap forward.  An entry-level, starter system for a guy who hasn't spent signifiant money on speaker hi-fi in 10 years but is used to quality headphone listening.  Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.  

 

[Uncle Erik]

I think the biggest bargain in speakers is the Magnepan MMG. They run about $600 new, but I've seen used ones around $400. No, they don't sound like Grados. However, they're so good you might appreciate the different sound signature. Hopefully, you'd also appreciate their dipole goodness - dipoles throw out an amazing soundstage. You can run them off an average two channel receiver, as well.

 

[MichealAngelo]

For an amp check out the small t-amps and for speakers check out the single drivers from tekton or if those are not your cup of tea maybe some low end paradigm atoms  or titans

 

[Cerumenator]

AudioEngine A5.
 
For $325 shipped and no tax, you get some tremendous value for the dollar. These speakers are self powered. Contains about a 40-watt amp. iPod or whatever plugs right into them. You just need AC power, and you're good to go. I got mine a few weeks ago, and I am impressed. Imaging on these guys are very, very impressive. A little big to be considered near field, they will fill a room with sound. They are versatile, don't take up much space, and if you want more thump, they include a subwoofer out jack.
 
Do the research, read reviews on this site and Amazon, I am very happy with mine. For less money, their little brothers are the A2, and Stereophile just raved about them.

 

[BadassBob]

Quote:

For an amp check out the small t-amps and for speakers check out the single drivers from tekton or if those are not your cup of tea maybe some low end paradigm atoms  or titans

I own a pair of Tekton 8.1s.  If there is any speaker that sounds like Grados, its Tektons.  They have all of the characteristics the OP mentioned.  You can get the Tekton Design 4.5s in basic black for $300.  Yeah, they tend to shout every once in awhile, but everything else is spot on.  Eric at Tekton Design recommended me a BSC filter to tame the shoutiness and smooth the total response of the speaker.  I just wired up the BSC filter last week and put it in.  Most of the shoutiness is gone now, but these speakers still have a good 250 hours of breakin time to go yet.  Eric usually installs BSC filters on his speakers with smaller drivers.

 

[Cerumenator]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The AudioEngine A5's are designed with streaming in mind. They have an AC outlet right on the back to plug in your airport express module. They AudioEngine also make some streaming gear themselves. Altogether, they seem tailor made for your needs. And, finally, they have a 30-day money back guarantee.

 

[tunarat]

I would second the AudioEngine A5 for your application as described. I heard these at Ken's 32 ohm store and thought they were quite good at this price point. You can get them from a reputable dealer - ALO Audio for a few bucks more with free cables included. 3 year warranty

 

[Kuze]

Polk Audio, offer great prices and produce great sound, you can sometimes find them for a steal on ebay, you'll see nothing but good reviews on Newegg also, look into the TSi or RTi series. 
http://www.polkaudio.com/

 

[Cake]

Thanks for the tips.  
 
The Magnepans sound really intriguing but I'd have to look into where I can audition them, since I'd probably end up trying to buy used at that price point even though I know the manufacturer has that nifty 60 day trial promo.  
 
I like the Tekton suggestion but occasional "shouty"-ness would be a definite minus.  
 
Sounds from what I've heard here and read elsewhere that the Audioengine is right up my mid-fi alley.  I especially like that the design of the A5 has the Airport Express in mind, but it seems like it would still be flexible.  
 
I still wonder, though, whether it would be better for the long term to get a small amp and passive speakers than a powered speaker like the A5.  For about $100 more than the A5 I could get the Audioengine P4 and the new little Nuforce power amp.  My instinct is to think that would be more flexible, but on the other hand the convenience factor of the A5+Airport Express is pretty overwhelming.  

 

[Kawai_man]

The nuforce amp is good little amp its one of the best ones out there, I  would also suggest single driver speakers like the tektons over regular speakers , regular speakers wont sound as clear as headphones because of the crossover thats used to separate the lows and highs from the tweeter to the woofer, the single drivers use one driver to reproduce as much of the sound spectrum as possible so there is no crossover so they sound really clear and have more detail and dynamics than regular speakers, the only drawback is that they cant reproduce deep bass but for most music its fine but you might notice this if youre watching movies or listening to rap or death metal or something like that.

 

[BadassBob]

Quote:

I like the Tekton suggestion but occasional "shouty"-ness would be a definite minus.    

Eric has plenty of options available, you can call or email him.  He can add a notch filter or a BSC filter to the speaker to tame the peak.  They dont get shouty on all music, but with either filter in place, there shouldnt be any.  The BSC filter will flatten the whole frequency response, while costing you a couple dB in efficiency, the notch filter will just flatten the peak....which is where the perceived shout is.  Fostex drivers also have a very long break-in period, usually somewhere between 200 and 300 hours.  The more you play them, the more they smooth out.  I have about 50 hours on mine, and I can tell theyre getting progressively better.

 

[Cake]

Thanks everybody.  I ended up getting the Audioengine 5's.  They're really great!  I haven't listened to them on proper stands yet, but even just sitting on my fireplace mantel they're far beyond any speakers I've had the pleasure of owning before, they really fill up the space with sound, and I haven't heard them do a single thing musically "wrong" yet.  Now I feel like I have to fill the (hollow) stands I got for them with sand or shot to do the speakers justice...  Upgraditis already!  

  
 
I think they definitely fit the bill of being the "SR-60" of speaker systems.  That is, probably not in terms of having a similar tone or sound signature, but in being a similarly affordable, accessible, uncomplicated leap forward into quality sound.  The convenience of piggybacking an Airport Express onto the left speaker alone is unspeakably awesome.