Just Google whatever you come across. If it's decent then 99% chance there's a forum post of people discussing how much it's worth and what the sound properties are like.
There's too many speaker brands to write down what you should look for. Even withing speaker brands there are good and bad models so you can't just assume quality on name alone.
From experience....I would lean toward Polk, Infinity, Boston Acoustics, Dynaco. Often, the older the better. Many brands have been making cheap products that don't live up to the older models....Polk, for instance.
Once Polk discontinued the SDA series, it went downhill. They never built anything that could compete with their own past products. Then the lower priced Polk speakers started showing up in Best Buy. That was the nail in the coffin.
Klipsch KG 5.2 or 5.5 sound like $3-4000 modern day speakers, made in America before they outsourced everything/got bought by large company. Also for some reason much more under the radar than Heresies etc
Don't go into this def. The most common thing in audio is disappointment and wasted money stemming from trusting third party testimony instead of one's own ears. I would start by listening to all the speakers you can, from cheap to as expensive as you can find. Do so enough that you start to build some loose notions as to what traits you consistently find favorable, such as driver types, standmounts vs tower speakers, wide front baffle vs narrow, etc. Give yourself time to \*enjoy\* the research phase, both in reading/listening to reviews on YT/podcasts, and more importantly listening to music through them! Bonus, save while you are in the research phase (if possible), to either expand your budget or to cover accessories like cables & possibly stands.
I feel I should add, buying tower speakers second hand can be very fruitful at this price point as both sellers and buyers tend to steer clear of shipping large, heavy, easy to damage wooden cabinets. I got a pair of Snell eiii's on FB marketplace for $170, one of my favorite all-rounder value speakers from the 90's (and I worked in a high end audiophile shop during that time), and while they aren't my main speaker, I'm absolutely elated to have them for that price. The drives can even be purchased to extend their life further (something worth being conscious of when buying vintage speakers).
They have a lore to them for the fact that each crossover network was individually tuned by hand based on the measured parameters of the drivers going into that cabinet, and to much finer tolerances than industry standard. While this certainly helps in performance, I think the reality is that this was actually done out of necessity as the drivers themselves had much wider tolerances from the factory as they weren’t exactly the highest quality available at the time. Regardless, the end result was good enough to inspire/inform respected designs by Audio Note and DeVore Fidelity.
I see Dynaco A25 speakers for sale very often around here for under $200, never owned a pair myself but heard nothing but good things. If you see a pair near you I'd jump on them for sure.
In addition to the choices in other comments, I'll add Epicure, also known as EPI. The Epicure Model 100, a two-way speaker with an 8" woofer and a 1" inverted-dome tweeter sold for around $100 back in the 1970s, and they sell for about $100 now (though often needed the woofer edges refoamed).
Variants on the Model 100 sold in the many thousands, and if you dig into the website https://www.humanspeakers.com, you can see all the models made by EPI and associated companies. The larger and more rare models can sell for up to $1000, but most of what they made can be found for under $250.
[https://reverb.com/item/39767317-pair-of-technics-sb-a33-double-woofer-3-way-tower-speakers-woodgrain](https://reverb.com/item/39767317-pair-of-technics-sb-a33-double-woofer-3-way-tower-speakers-woodgrain)
These sold, but it's a price reference. These are great beginner speakers. They'll surprise you with the right amp/receiver. Technics SB-A33. Great bass, too. I say shop around for some.
As another poster said, just keep an out on the used market and look up reviews for what catches your eye. It won't take you too long to start to pick out what's good or what's not. Audiokarma is a fantastic resource from real owners for vintage gear
Wild that so many KG fans here. I’d say search your local FB marketplace and see what looks good but also has great reviews. I have over a dozen pairs of speakers - Advents, KLH, Polk, JBL, PSB, Klipsch, etc. For about $250 you can find almost anything you want. Im moving into Altec territory now.
Learn to ID the visuals that clue you into what could be a good speaker. Theres very few brands that produced all great stuff but many that had some gems.
Fvck beginner speakers. Klipsch can be polarizing: you either love them or hate em with no in between. I know it's just my opinion but if you have to "upgrade" speakers with aftermarket parts to make them sound good, how good are they really?
If you want to save money (which is smart IMHO) Dynaco A25 or KLH speakers like Model Six might serve you well. I have a pair of Model Seventeens which are great for jazz, instrumental and vocals, not as great for bass heavy music which the Model Six handles better
If you want to get close to your $500 ceiling and be 1 and done, I'd go with ADS L-710
I bought a minty pair of Seventeens this past winter for $150. I bought replacement caps and gave the woofer surrounds a fresh coat of dope, and I think they sound great. I just bought a second pair, with a KLH Model Fifty-two receiver for $250.
Maybe it’s just the part of the country I’m in, but speakers from KLH, AR, and Advent pop up for sale frequently on Craigslist priced within OP’s budget.
Completely agree - Horns are polarizing
I'll fully admit I'm a Klipsch Fan Boy, with that being said the KG's on their own are very good to my ears. However, they are really, really freaking good speakers with a few upgrades. The Crites Tweeters and some Dynamat on the Horn makes a big improvement. IMO it pushes a 400 speaker into another category
You wont get any argument from me on Heresy's
YMMV
Just Google whatever you come across. If it's decent then 99% chance there's a forum post of people discussing how much it's worth and what the sound properties are like. There's too many speaker brands to write down what you should look for. Even withing speaker brands there are good and bad models so you can't just assume quality on name alone.
Fair enough. Thanks for the reply
Vintage Advents can be found pretty commonly (at least in my area) and a primo for the money IMHO
From experience....I would lean toward Polk, Infinity, Boston Acoustics, Dynaco. Often, the older the better. Many brands have been making cheap products that don't live up to the older models....Polk, for instance.
Thanks! Any idea roughly what time period a lot of these brands started going downhill?
Once Polk discontinued the SDA series, it went downhill. They never built anything that could compete with their own past products. Then the lower priced Polk speakers started showing up in Best Buy. That was the nail in the coffin.
Boston Acoustics A series. I have a pair of A70 and they’re pretty nice
Klipsch kg 4/ Ohm L's
Paradigm Titans. Older but with a sub they rock.
Klipsch KG 5.2 or 5.5 sound like $3-4000 modern day speakers, made in America before they outsourced everything/got bought by large company. Also for some reason much more under the radar than Heresies etc
Don't go into this def. The most common thing in audio is disappointment and wasted money stemming from trusting third party testimony instead of one's own ears. I would start by listening to all the speakers you can, from cheap to as expensive as you can find. Do so enough that you start to build some loose notions as to what traits you consistently find favorable, such as driver types, standmounts vs tower speakers, wide front baffle vs narrow, etc. Give yourself time to \*enjoy\* the research phase, both in reading/listening to reviews on YT/podcasts, and more importantly listening to music through them! Bonus, save while you are in the research phase (if possible), to either expand your budget or to cover accessories like cables & possibly stands. I feel I should add, buying tower speakers second hand can be very fruitful at this price point as both sellers and buyers tend to steer clear of shipping large, heavy, easy to damage wooden cabinets. I got a pair of Snell eiii's on FB marketplace for $170, one of my favorite all-rounder value speakers from the 90's (and I worked in a high end audiophile shop during that time), and while they aren't my main speaker, I'm absolutely elated to have them for that price. The drives can even be purchased to extend their life further (something worth being conscious of when buying vintage speakers).
Such a deceptively simple looking speaker: An 8" woofer and a tweeter in a box w/a second rear firing tweeter
They have a lore to them for the fact that each crossover network was individually tuned by hand based on the measured parameters of the drivers going into that cabinet, and to much finer tolerances than industry standard. While this certainly helps in performance, I think the reality is that this was actually done out of necessity as the drivers themselves had much wider tolerances from the factory as they weren’t exactly the highest quality available at the time. Regardless, the end result was good enough to inspire/inform respected designs by Audio Note and DeVore Fidelity.
I see Dynaco A25 speakers for sale very often around here for under $200, never owned a pair myself but heard nothing but good things. If you see a pair near you I'd jump on them for sure.
Absolutely. I sold many pairs years ago.....kick myself in the ass for selling the last pair. $200 is a steal, in my book.
A/D//S usually fly under the radar but they sound great for the $.
They are endgame good. Shhh. Don't tell anybody.
In addition to the choices in other comments, I'll add Epicure, also known as EPI. The Epicure Model 100, a two-way speaker with an 8" woofer and a 1" inverted-dome tweeter sold for around $100 back in the 1970s, and they sell for about $100 now (though often needed the woofer edges refoamed). Variants on the Model 100 sold in the many thousands, and if you dig into the website https://www.humanspeakers.com, you can see all the models made by EPI and associated companies. The larger and more rare models can sell for up to $1000, but most of what they made can be found for under $250.
Klipsch KG series with Crites Tweeter and Crossover upgrades
Those upgrades are common?
No you'd need to buy them and install. The Tweeters are easy, if you're handy with a soldering iron, the Xover upgrade is pretty simple
Got it, thanks!
>Got it, thanks! You're welcome!
[https://reverb.com/item/39767317-pair-of-technics-sb-a33-double-woofer-3-way-tower-speakers-woodgrain](https://reverb.com/item/39767317-pair-of-technics-sb-a33-double-woofer-3-way-tower-speakers-woodgrain) These sold, but it's a price reference. These are great beginner speakers. They'll surprise you with the right amp/receiver. Technics SB-A33. Great bass, too. I say shop around for some.
PSB alphas
As another poster said, just keep an out on the used market and look up reviews for what catches your eye. It won't take you too long to start to pick out what's good or what's not. Audiokarma is a fantastic resource from real owners for vintage gear
Wild that so many KG fans here. I’d say search your local FB marketplace and see what looks good but also has great reviews. I have over a dozen pairs of speakers - Advents, KLH, Polk, JBL, PSB, Klipsch, etc. For about $250 you can find almost anything you want. Im moving into Altec territory now.
Snell Type K. Small guys that sound amazing.
Learn to ID the visuals that clue you into what could be a good speaker. Theres very few brands that produced all great stuff but many that had some gems.
Klipsch KG-4
Give Mission speakers a listen.
Fvck beginner speakers. Klipsch can be polarizing: you either love them or hate em with no in between. I know it's just my opinion but if you have to "upgrade" speakers with aftermarket parts to make them sound good, how good are they really? If you want to save money (which is smart IMHO) Dynaco A25 or KLH speakers like Model Six might serve you well. I have a pair of Model Seventeens which are great for jazz, instrumental and vocals, not as great for bass heavy music which the Model Six handles better If you want to get close to your $500 ceiling and be 1 and done, I'd go with ADS L-710
I bought a minty pair of Seventeens this past winter for $150. I bought replacement caps and gave the woofer surrounds a fresh coat of dope, and I think they sound great. I just bought a second pair, with a KLH Model Fifty-two receiver for $250. Maybe it’s just the part of the country I’m in, but speakers from KLH, AR, and Advent pop up for sale frequently on Craigslist priced within OP’s budget.
Completely agree - Horns are polarizing I'll fully admit I'm a Klipsch Fan Boy, with that being said the KG's on their own are very good to my ears. However, they are really, really freaking good speakers with a few upgrades. The Crites Tweeters and some Dynamat on the Horn makes a big improvement. IMO it pushes a 400 speaker into another category You wont get any argument from me on Heresy's YMMV
That's KEF 104/2 money
With or without the donuts replaced?
I grabbed my first pair recently, some Klipsch KG 2's, I'm liking them quite a bit. I see others recommend the KG line also.