Cigar Weekly

carmine7075 · 08-31-2015, 03:34 AM

I am looking to replace the Polk Audio satellites that I have been using as mains on my secondary listening setup that sits in a 14 x 14 room. According to the interweb, excellent budget bookshelf speakers can be had, and I have decided to audition three pairs of those that are highly touted.

The test will be almost completely unscientific, as all I have to go on is my ear, but I suppose that is what counts in the long run.

The speakers will be:

Dayton B652 - tons of positive reviews on the web, super cheap at $39 for the pair.

Insignia NS-SP213 - Yep, a best buy speaker, word is manufactured by Pioneer. Glowing albeit surprised reviews online and second cheapest at $59

Micca MB42X - The most highly touted speaker of the bunch and darling of Amazon. Also the most expensive at $89.

All will be "tested" on a the same gear. Sansui 2000A receiver, Realistic LAB-500 turntable and Iphone streaming Spotify @ 320 kbps.

I'll be using Dire Straits Communique or Brother in Arms, New Beatles Mono Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Duke Ellington and Harry James in Hi-FI as test Vinyls.

More to follow ...

Sancho Panza · 08-31-2015, 04:09 AM

Buy all my speakers pre-listened off of Craig's List, or similar, ads.

carmine7075 · 08-31-2015, 04:13 AM

That is a good option too. Thought about that, but decided to look at new speakers because I don't really have the time to recondition an old set.

Sancho Panza · 08-31-2015, 04:21 AM

All the ones I've found were good to go; some of the older ones I'll have the crossovers re-capped in the future.

carmine7075 · 09-01-2015, 04:55 AM

Unscientific tests were conducted last night, and we have clear winner. Each set of speakers made quite a difference in the listening experience, some good and some bad. Will post my observations later today for anyone who may be interested.

beevod · 09-01-2015, 07:12 AM

I'd be...thanks.

BigO · 09-01-2015, 08:53 AM

Let's hear it, Carmine...

Most of my speakers are bookshelfs (depending on how you define it). Advents and MacIntoshs aside, my favorites are the Bose 201s and the Klipschs (don't remember the model number, too lazy to look it up). I hated the Polks I had in my surround system in NOLA. Best combo was the Boses on top of the McIntosh and A+B speakers engaged. Bose delivered the highs and the MacIntosh the lows. The MacIntoshes need to be re-coned now, but I'm not letting go of them.

Dixie Speaker in Birmingham has a great selection of used vintage speakers and will re-cone any of my speakers as long as I own them. Good people, superior work.

carmine7075 · 09-01-2015, 05:06 PM

Here goes . . .

Reviewing the Dayton B652, Insignia SP213 and Micca MB42x.

All results are based upon completely unscientific methods; no sophisticated audio monitoring equipment was used. So here is the disclaimer, these are my observations of these speakers, and my conclusions are based upon my impressions and my listening experience. What sounds good to me may not sound good to you. That said, in depth reviews of these speakers are posted online, and if you are interested one of these sets, you could continue researching the speakers.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I auditioned these speakers in a 14' x 14' room using a vintage Sansui 2000A receiver and a Realistic LAB-500 turntable paired with a middle of the road AT cartridge. The speakers were tested in one session, only taking time to either change speakers or media.

The following songs were used for the test:

Duke Ellington Take the A train– selected for the variety of instruments, dynamic range

Dire Straits Once Upon a Time in the West – Knopflers voice and guitar are instantly recognizable, this album also has quite a bit of dynamic range.

Oscar Peterson Trio I’ve Never Been Love Before – Piano. Everyone knows what a piano should sound like. This is live album and also a good bit of background that proved interesting.

During the test I took detailed notes for later reference, and the results surprised me to a certain extent.

The top finisher was the Micca MB42x. It is both the smallest of the speakers and the most expensive of the lot. It also features the smallest woofer in the crowd. The speakers are alright looking plain vinyl and they have cool magnetic grilles. But, how do they sound?

The Miccas won this challenge because they sound natural. From Knopfler’s trademark guitar to Peterson’s piano, everything sounds as it should. Cymbals, drums and brushes on snares sound true, and the drum transition in Once Upon a Time in the West shines. Ellington’s horns sound off but aren’t harsh and the woodwinds have depth. The piano, especially the high notes are not distorted, and the vocals sound great, true to life. But what about the small woofer? I have no idea how these speakers do it, but have very nice bass output and seem to handle the lower register well.

The cons, if there are any at this price point, would be the fact that the speakers are the least sensitive of the bunch, and they require a bit more power, though I didn’t have to crank them to fill my room with sound. The power requirement isn’t a problem with my receiver, but it might be if they were paired with low output vintage solid state gear or T amps.

While the Micca MB42x are not high end audiophile speakers, they overachieve, sounding like a much more expensive pair.

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-Bo.../dp/B00E7H8GG2

The second place finisher was a surprise. The cheap Dayton B652s actually sound good.

The Daytons are the largest and heaviest of the three speakers, and they have the largest woofer at 6-1/2”. They are also more sensitive speakers that may pair well with T amps. The thing that I first noticed about these speakers is that they are crisp and clear as a bell. From the ice clinking in the glasses on the Oscar Peterson track to the drum work in the background of Ellington, the clarity is there. The bass response is good, and the standup bass sounds deep, and really very good. They faithfully reproduced the sound of the piano, Duke’s big band woodwinds stood out and Knopfler’s guitar seemed to jump to the front. The Daytons were surprising to say the least.

Why aren’t they number one? They don’t have the depth or accuracy of the Miccas, and times the higher register could be a little much, horns somewhat blared at times. Another knock, though not hideous, they look their price point. That said, they might be the “best bang for the buck.”

Even with all the hype surrounding these, at $39, they are very good. I would guess unbeatable at that price. Had I only ordered this one set, I think I would have been happy with my purchase.

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-B...ds=dayton+b652

The Insignias were the best looking speaker, but that’s about the best I can say about them. Maybe I got a bad set, but they were a huge disappointment. The mids were nice, but the 5-1/4 woofer really fell short when it was asked to reproduce the sound of standup bass, or any bass for that matter. They somehow minimized the cymbals and drums, and really struggled to accurately voice the electric guitar and the piano, both of which sounded hugely distorted at the high end of the scale.

Even though there is at least one glowing review of these online, I wouldn’t recommend them.

Best Buy - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia...&skuId=8959098

Hopefully, this really amateur review helps someone.

beevod · 09-02-2015, 06:56 AM

Two words: Boston Acoustics.

carmine7075 · 09-02-2015, 06:58 AM

They used to be good ones, but aren't exactly budget.

The Miccas do sound really good though.

08-31-2015, 03:34 AM	#1
carmine7075 Herf God Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Carolina Posts: 11,892	Budget bookshelf speakers . . . I am looking to replace the Polk Audio satellites that I have been using as mains on my secondary listening setup that sits in a 14 x 14 room. According to the interweb, excellent budget bookshelf speakers can be had, and I have decided to audition three pairs of those that are highly touted. The test will be almost completely unscientific, as all I have to go on is my ear, but I suppose that is what counts in the long run. The speakers will be: Dayton B652 - tons of positive reviews on the web, super cheap at $39 for the pair. Insignia NS-SP213 - Yep, a best buy speaker, word is manufactured by Pioneer. Glowing albeit surprised reviews online and second cheapest at $59 Micca MB42X - The most highly touted speaker of the bunch and darling of Amazon. Also the most expensive at $89. All will be "tested" on a the same gear. Sansui 2000A receiver, Realistic LAB-500 turntable and Iphone streaming Spotify @ 320 kbps. I'll be using Dire Straits Communique or Brother in Arms, New Beatles Mono Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Duke Ellington and Harry James in Hi-FI as test Vinyls. More to follow ... __________________ Last edited by carmine7075; 08-31-2015 at 04:06 AM.

08-31-2015, 04:09 AM	#2
Sancho Panza Floridays Herf God Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: La Habaña, Cuba Posts: 19,755	Buy all my speakers pre-listened off of Craig's List, or similar, ads. __________________ For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it’s still not yet two o'clock on that July afternoon in 1863... William Faulkner, Intruder in the Dust 1948

08-31-2015, 04:13 AM	#3
carmine7075 Herf God Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Carolina Posts: 11,892	That is a good option too. Thought about that, but decided to look at new speakers because I don't really have the time to recondition an old set. __________________

09-01-2015, 04:55 AM	#5
carmine7075 Herf God Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Carolina Posts: 11,892	Unscientific tests were conducted last night, and we have clear winner. Each set of speakers made quite a difference in the listening experience, some good and some bad. Will post my observations later today for anyone who may be interested. __________________

09-01-2015, 07:12 AM	#6
beevod Herf God Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: New York City Posts: 20,927	I'd be...thanks. __________________ "Moderation in all things. Excess in everything else."

08-31-2015, 04:21 AM	#4
Sancho Panza Floridays Herf God Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: La Habaña, Cuba Posts: 19,755	All the ones I've found were good to go; some of the older ones I'll have the crossovers re-capped in the future.

09-01-2015, 08:53 AM	#7
BigO Publisher/Owner El Chefé BBQ Guru Herf God Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Atlanta. Posts: 55,762	Let's hear it, Carmine... Most of my speakers are bookshelfs (depending on how you define it). Advents and MacIntoshs aside, my favorites are the Bose 201s and the Klipschs (don't remember the model number, too lazy to look it up). I hated the Polks I had in my surround system in NOLA. Best combo was the Boses on top of the McIntosh and A+B speakers engaged. Bose delivered the highs and the MacIntosh the lows. The MacIntoshes need to be re-coned now, but I'm not letting go of them. Dixie Speaker in Birmingham has a great selection of used vintage speakers and will re-cone any of my speakers as long as I own them. Good people, superior work. __________________ Every time you think you've become too cynical, the world finds a way to teach you that the real problem is that you haven't become cynical enough Free speech is free speech is free speech. There is no qualifier. If you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention. Never attribute malice to that what can be explained as stupidity. Unborn lives matter too.

09-01-2015, 05:06 PM	#8
carmine7075 Herf God Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Carolina Posts: 11,892	Here goes . . . Reviewing the Dayton B652, Insignia SP213 and Micca MB42x. All results are based upon completely unscientific methods; no sophisticated audio monitoring equipment was used. So here is the disclaimer, these are my observations of these speakers, and my conclusions are based upon my impressions and my listening experience. What sounds good to me may not sound good to you. That said, in depth reviews of these speakers are posted online, and if you are interested one of these sets, you could continue researching the speakers. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I auditioned these speakers in a 14' x 14' room using a vintage Sansui 2000A receiver and a Realistic LAB-500 turntable paired with a middle of the road AT cartridge. The speakers were tested in one session, only taking time to either change speakers or media. The following songs were used for the test: Duke Ellington Take the A train– selected for the variety of instruments, dynamic range Dire Straits Once Upon a Time in the West – Knopflers voice and guitar are instantly recognizable, this album also has quite a bit of dynamic range. Oscar Peterson Trio I’ve Never Been Love Before – Piano. Everyone knows what a piano should sound like. This is live album and also a good bit of background that proved interesting. During the test I took detailed notes for later reference, and the results surprised me to a certain extent. The top finisher was the Micca MB42x. It is both the smallest of the speakers and the most expensive of the lot. It also features the smallest woofer in the crowd. The speakers are alright looking plain vinyl and they have cool magnetic grilles. But, how do they sound? The Miccas won this challenge because they sound natural. From Knopfler’s trademark guitar to Peterson’s piano, everything sounds as it should. Cymbals, drums and brushes on snares sound true, and the drum transition in Once Upon a Time in the West shines. Ellington’s horns sound off but aren’t harsh and the woodwinds have depth. The piano, especially the high notes are not distorted, and the vocals sound great, true to life. But what about the small woofer? I have no idea how these speakers do it, but have very nice bass output and seem to handle the lower register well. The cons, if there are any at this price point, would be the fact that the speakers are the least sensitive of the bunch, and they require a bit more power, though I didn’t have to crank them to fill my room with sound. The power requirement isn’t a problem with my receiver, but it might be if they were paired with low output vintage solid state gear or T amps. While the Micca MB42x are not high end audiophile speakers, they overachieve, sounding like a much more expensive pair. Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-Bo.../dp/B00E7H8GG2 The second place finisher was a surprise. The cheap Dayton B652s actually sound good. The Daytons are the largest and heaviest of the three speakers, and they have the largest woofer at 6-1/2”. They are also more sensitive speakers that may pair well with T amps. The thing that I first noticed about these speakers is that they are crisp and clear as a bell. From the ice clinking in the glasses on the Oscar Peterson track to the drum work in the background of Ellington, the clarity is there. The bass response is good, and the standup bass sounds deep, and really very good. They faithfully reproduced the sound of the piano, Duke’s big band woodwinds stood out and Knopfler’s guitar seemed to jump to the front. The Daytons were surprising to say the least. Why aren’t they number one? They don’t have the depth or accuracy of the Miccas, and times the higher register could be a little much, horns somewhat blared at times. Another knock, though not hideous, they look their price point. That said, they might be the “best bang for the buck.” Even with all the hype surrounding these, at $39, they are very good. I would guess unbeatable at that price. Had I only ordered this one set, I think I would have been happy with my purchase. Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-B...ds=dayton+b652 The Insignias were the best looking speaker, but that’s about the best I can say about them. Maybe I got a bad set, but they were a huge disappointment. The mids were nice, but the 5-1/4 woofer really fell short when it was asked to reproduce the sound of standup bass, or any bass for that matter. They somehow minimized the cymbals and drums, and really struggled to accurately voice the electric guitar and the piano, both of which sounded hugely distorted at the high end of the scale. Even though there is at least one glowing review of these online, I wouldn’t recommend them. Best Buy - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia...&skuId=8959098 Hopefully, this really amateur review helps someone. __________________ Last edited by carmine7075; 09-01-2015 at 05:36 PM.

09-02-2015, 06:56 AM	#9
beevod Herf God Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: New York City Posts: 20,927	Two words: Boston Acoustics. __________________ "Moderation in all things. Excess in everything else."

09-02-2015, 06:58 AM	#10
carmine7075 Herf God Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Carolina Posts: 11,892	They used to be good ones, but aren't exactly budget. The Miccas do sound really good though. __________________ Last edited by carmine7075; 09-02-2015 at 07:37 AM.

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