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Budget secondhand standmount speakers

gerlando

gerlando

Prog Rocker
I may soon find myself in the situation of having to sell my Guru Audio QM10 speakers.

Wanting to replace them with something cheaper, what would be the best option for a pair of second hand budget standmount speakers around £ 100/200 max?

I was thinking about the ubiquitous Q Acoustics 3020i, but I have read a lot of positive reviews on the Dali Zensor 1 or maybe the new Spektor 1.

My amp is currently an Arcam A19, but I would like to replace it with a Rega Brio-R.

PS: WAF factor is mandatory (never be against SWMBO).

Thank you.
Mauro
 
There’s plenty to choose from at that price range. I’d say go to a Concept 20 if you like q acoustics. Rega rs1 well within budget which are really good.
 
Bangaio said:
There’s plenty to choose from at that price range. I’d say go to a Concept 20 if you like q acoustics. Rega rs1 well within budget which are really good.
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I like Rega speakers.
Unfortunately the RS1 are not easy to find second hand.
 
Had a fair few through over the years, study/kitchen/office systems. First choice would be Rega RS1 which I still regret selling years later (used with UQ and Brio), then Mission LX2 or Dali Zensor (used with Vena and Yammy 303).
 
+1 for the REGA R1 or successor RS1 preowned.

I had the R1’s in my office system …terrific without reservations
I’m a REGA speaker fan … I’ve owned R1’s, R3’s, R9’s and RX1’s in prior systems… so I know their considerable strengths and their warts very well.

REGA R1 review

http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/the-rega-r1-loudspeaker
“ … The Rega R1 becomes my new budget reference speaker. In addition of its ability to get the fundamentals of music right, it adds clarity and resolution, and an ability to lay out a vivid and coherent 3-dimensional stereo image. In small room applications, what more could you want?…”

BUT … a new dark horse contender at a not-insignificant discount = TRIANGLE ELARA LN01’s

I now run the TRIANGLE ELARA LN01’s (the passive bookshelf speaker model, not the other current LN01A active self-powered bookshelf speaker model which I also now have as my “C” system), along with a 10” subwoofer, and all driven by an ARCAM SOLO NEO unibox receiver amp as my TV 2.1 channel “B” system

They pleasantly surprised me during a dealer ad hoc browse to the point that I had to buy them. I am thrilled (… equally so, - and in a “boogie” performance context - even actually more so…) when compared to the legendary REGA R1 and it’s fine successor and improved RX1’s, AND …AND ITS A BIG “AND” ….. at a fraction of the price.

IMO, they are highly recommended. The following review is a fine précis summary statement:

“ … One of the best looking loudspeakers, if not the best, for anything like this kind of money. Wonderful rhythm and bass really creates the boogie factor. Cons: Slightly reticent treble output but nothing else at this price point…”

https://www.hifipig.com/triangle-elara-ln01-loudspeakers/

With their exemplary premium high-gloss finish (choice of black or white ) = WAF checked off …. they are well worth an audition and they do perform with ARCAM …. full stop. Buy them preowned and they are in your budget ballpark with the requisite WAF.

PS
I am a REGA electronics fan (REGA OSIRIS & REGA ISIS VALVE upstream stablemates) The REGA BRIO integrated amp upgrade is a killer contender and no pretender at its price point. But you may first consider a proper test-drive with your current ARCAM integrated amp, and be pleasantly surprised at what kicks out.

FWIW… I was running the ARCAM/TRIANGLEs initially with REGA FSC QUATTRO speaker cable (but split down in half from a 4x4 to a 2x2 configuration) with yeoman duty good results.

I recently upgraded them on a whim to a pre-owned pair of a doubled-up “shotgunned” cable configuration run (4x4 to a 2x2 “doubled up” configuration) of CHORD RUMOUR, with an ethereal step-up in clarity and slam that my normally agnostic wife immediately noticed .

A doubled up CHORD RUMOUR = proxy for CHORD ODYSSEY …. they are an identical build other than the more expensive ODYSSEY is twice the diameter thickness of the thinner RUMOUR.

Q: Why did I do this ?
A: I followed the advice of Alan Shaw ( owner and designer of HARBETH) because I run HARBETH 30.2XD’s in my “ A” system and he parroted what I’ve been already doing for the last 10 years: using shotgunned double runs of speaker cables as a proxy for a thicker diameter single run.

his take as extracted from the HARBETH forum:

“ … Speaker cable

So, the moral of the story is this: the most important factor of the loudspeaker cable that you should select is the amount of metal in the cable core. More metal means lower resistance. If the core is round (as most are) then the correlation is simple: the fatter the diameter of the metal core the better because the electrical resistance between amp and speaker will be lower. Thin and really thin cores should be avoided regardless of how exotic the metal material is claimed as the lack of metal in the core conductor will increase resistance. That will reduce amplifier damping, effect the frequency response of the speaker and give unpredictable results that will vary from amp/speaker combination…

Do not be fooled by the diameter of the external plastic sheath: what matters is the metal content of the core. The more the better, without exception...”
 
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Amber Audio said:
Had a fair few through over the years, study/kitchen/office systems. First choice would be Rega RS1 which I still regret selling years later (used with UQ and Brio), then Mission LX2 or Dali Zensor (used with Vena and Yammy 303).
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I really appreciate the RS1s, but as mentioned before they are not easy to find second hand.
I'm not familiar with the Mission LX-2, how do they compare to the Q Acoustics 3020s?
Are the mission better than Dali Zensor / Spektor?
 
gerlando said:
I like Rega speakers.
Unfortunately the RS1 are not easy to find second hand.
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Keep your eyes pealed. I sold my RS3s and regretted it for a couple of years. Started watching and found a mint boxed piano black pair a mile down the road from me a month or two later.

They are some of the most musical well gelled together speakers I have heard for that sort of money.

If I was looking for stand mounts I’d be after RS1s and would get watching or put some wtd adds out.
 
gerlando said:
I really appreciate the RS1s, but as mentioned before they are not easy to find second hand.
I'm not familiar with the Mission LX-2, how do they compare to the Q Acoustics 3020s?
Are the mission better than Dali Zensor / Spektor?
Click to expand...
The RS1 do come up used occasionally, you’d need to be patient and maybe not fussy about the finish, they are defo what I’d buy if for long term. My mate brought the Q Acoustics over for me to try but they were too deep for the space in my Study I wanted to use them in, Mission LX2 were being sold off cheap so I took a punt on them and was really amazed how good they were, Richer were offloading them before the V2 came out for £60. Always a stop gap and now replaced by ProAc.

The Dali Zensor are at my Office and have been little used due to WFH, I did have the LX2 there for a while and compared them, but kept the Dali as they were a more rounded speaker and it’s a fairly big space, sold the LX2 some time ago. I did buy the bigger QX2 thinking they would be a better version of the LX2 but they were really disappointing so the Dali remained and got sold on, took a while to shift them too.

If you can’t get RS1 and they suit your space the Q Acoustics should do the job, you don’t see bad reviews and my mate’s very happy with them, he did add the matching Sub after a while, again it’s a funny shape thin/deep.
 
If you’re very lucky, you might find Linn Katans for that money… also worth a look are any Royd stand mount models, or Ruark. One thing to keep in mind for any of the models I’ve suggested is parts availability… but that shouldn’t really be an issue unless you’re a Neanderthal. If you like the Rega models, any of the above should be of interest too, they major on musicality/ liveliness.
 
Amber Audio said:
The RS1 do come up used occasionally, you’d need to be patient and maybe not fussy about the finish, they are defo what I’d buy if for long term. My mate brought the Q Acoustics over for me to try but they were too deep for the space in my Study I wanted to use them in, Mission LX2 were being sold off cheap so I took a punt on them and was really amazed how good they were, Richer were offloading them before the V2 came out for £60. Always a stop gap and now replaced by ProAc.

The Dali Zensor are at my Office and have been little used due to WFH, I did have the LX2 there for a while and compared them, but kept the Dali as they were a more rounded speaker and it’s a fairly big space, sold the LX2 some time ago. I did buy the bigger QX2 thinking they would be a better version of the LX2 but they were really disappointing so the Dali remained and got sold on, took a while to shift them too.

If you can’t get RS1 and they suit your space the Q Acoustics should do the job, you don’t see bad reviews and my mate’s very happy with them, he did add the matching Sub after a while, again it’s a funny shape thin/deep.
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the q acoustics are my wife's favorites due to the white glossy finish (like the Guru).
I'm not too sure of their sound though, many prefer the Dali Zensor / Spektor or the Mission LX, which, however, are less aesthetically attractive.
Also, which of the 3020i, 3030i and Concept 20?
 
gerlando said:
the q acoustics are my wife's favorites due to the white glossy finish (like the Guru).
I'm not too sure of their sound though, many prefer the Dali Zensor / Spektor or the Mission LX, which, however, are less aesthetically attractive.
Also, which of the 3020i, 3030i and Concept 20?
Click to expand...
3020i. Sub 3070 (in my AV system we did a head to head with my REL T5i I preferred the REL). The LX2 come in a white finish, I had them.

My QX2 on left, LX2 on right

​
 
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gerlando said:
budget standmount speakers around £ 100/200 max?
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If budget is fixed, Rega R1/RS1 are fine as are any Royd 7L or Ruark if you can find a good pair.

As for Q.Acoustics, my experience the #10 range are better than #20 but more power demanding.

I clearly preferred 2010 & 3010 to 2020 & 3020.
 
I recently sold some Myryad A170's. For the £100 or so they go for secondhand, they're a very good buy and appealing in their piano black finish.

Outside of an outrageous bargain, any flavour of the passive AVI Neutron is likely to be as good as it gets in small speakers for less than £200.

As ever, 'collection only' items from e bay, FB marketplace and gumtree is where the outrageous bargains can be found.
 
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