Would a Pioneer VSX-D814 with Bookshelf Speakers Be good for music?

Question

I am torn. I have this dusty old pioneer receiver that I bought about 10 years ago but never used. I want a small music stereo for my home office. A nice iPod speaker dock like the Kicker iKick501, Yamaha PDX-31, or an entry level Klipsch are appealing candidates for this task. But since I had the old receiver laying around I thought buying some speakers like

JBL Studio 1 Series Studio 130 Home Audio Speaker
Yamaha NS-6490 3-Way Bookshelf Speaker
Klipsch Synergy B-20 Premium 5.25-Inch Bookshelf Speake

Or something like that might be a better option so that the receiver could get use. I have a JBL OnBeat Extreme Dock in my family room so I know what a high-end speaker dock sounds like, but just not too sure if bookshelf speakers would or would not do the job as well as that dock. A decent dock and a pair of speakers are in the same price range anyway.

About me:
I love a wide variety of music Classical, Jazz, Electronic, RnB, Bluegrass, HipHop, Rock, the whold gammut really, and take the time to archive my music as FLAC and generally listen to LAME 320CBR mp3s. I usually listen to music with my Sony MDR-V6 headphones via an old Rockboxed 5th Gen iPod video or Sansa Clip. So I like sound, I would not call my self an audiophile, but I do want a small system that will give me the best results without spending anymore than $150.

At most this will become a very small 2.1 system. I could picture adding a small subwoofer at some point but maybe never. This is strictly for music.

Thanks for any responses that come!

? · Accepted Answer

Why buy new when used speakers are so affordable dollar for dollar sound much better? Craigslist is your friend here, not the big box retailer.

Lance · Answer

It should work quite well for what you want to use it for...It might take up a little more room in an office than you like but the sound should be good.....I used a Denon AVR 800 for a long time in an analog stereo  system mostly because it had a phono stage for my record player and it worked really well...I now use a NAD stereo receiver instead........You might take a look at Pure Acoustics Dreammaker speakers as an alternative to the JBL's or even the smaller JBL Studio 30 just so it doesn't take up so much room...I like the Klipsch and I like the JBL but I would chooses a Pioneer Andrew Jones speaker before the Yamaha also a BIC formula speaker may be a cheaper choice than the Klipsch with similar sound characteristics...You also might want to get a small 8 inch sub-woofer by Velodyne; Polk Audio even Yamaha etc it doesn't have to be fancy just something to augment the bass on small speakers...

Melv H · Answer

The Infinity Primus P163BK are good speakers, and, at $172/pair, come pretty close to your stated budget of $150.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/723778-REG/Infinity_P163BK_P163BK_6_5_2_Way_Passive.html

http://www.jr.com/infinity-systems/pe/IFY_P163BK/

One advantage of the Primus P163BK is that they should be physically large enough (with a 6.5" woofer) to play with good dynamics, and reasonably full range sound, without the help of a subwoofer.

The Pioneer SP-BS22-LR are also very good low priced speakers. (In spite of having a smaller 4" woofer, they also have comparatively good bass output. However, they are exceptional in that regard. Most speakers that size would have very weak bass.)

If you keep watching at Amazon, Tiger Direct, and Best Buy, you'll see the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR speakers go on sale for $90 per pair, pretty regularly.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG/

http://www.scribd.com/doc/179920058/Andrew-SP-BS22-LRSingle-Sheet-pdf

Buying the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR speakers for $90 may also leave you enough money to add a small subwoofer sooner, rather than later.

Basically, the Pioneer speakers are great for $90/pair on sale, but, if you like to play music fairly loudly, and think you may never really add a subwoofer, I would lean toward getting the (somewhat larger) Primus P163BK speakers.

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Would a Pioneer VSX-D814 with Bookshelf Speakers Be good for music?

3 Answers