The Bug Has Bit Me

[Badcmpne]

Being new to this latest addiction and trying to learn and then match up a smallish build mostly from scratch I have a lot of "pretty dumb" questions. (as compared to yesteryear and just buying a rack system according to what I could afford and what I understood was good back then)

I have a Marantz 2335b that will be the cornerstone, so to speak, of this new addiction. I think it has RMS
Power Per Channel 35 watts according to http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/2235b.html. I have been reading everything I can to explain all these different terms and numbers and how they work together but so far have just more or less confused myself more.
Up front I will say that I have a dual 1219 being redone by Bill from www.fixmydual.com. My old rack system had a tt Yamaha P-320 that was only working sometimes in manual mode. It came with an Ortofon 0M5E that broke in my first move from Michigan. I just bought a Ortofon 10 to replace the 5 and use the same cartridge...so Bill will put the Ortofon 10/cart in the dual I guess. I have a vintage pair of Polk Audio Studio Monitor Series 5A (I think) and because of how scratchy the speaker balance and loudness is on the Marantz I haven't been able to check them out. I do remember that I played music a lot louder back then then I do now. But I have been window shopping (lol) for some new ones. This smallish new/old system will be located in my bedroom and will not be used in the top half of the loudness scale and the dual be will used for classic rock of the 60's and 70's (old vinyl). So because the Marantz is RMS 35 watts ( as compared to my old rack system of a Yamaha Natural Sound Stereo Amplifier A-500/Natural Sound AM/FM Stereo Tuner T-500 with the amp having a RMS of 85 watts(?)) and I don't plan on playing the vinyl loud (my wife just doesn't like the music, yeah, I know poor excuse) I have been trying to research what would be the type/kind/size of speakers I should be looking at? I don't think the vintage Polk Audio's will sound the best played at low to medium volumn of the 2235b. Should I be looking for a real efficient speaker? Should I look for one that has the power rating of maybe 50-100 watt? I have lots more of them dumb Q's but am hoping my continuing research will answer some of them. Thanks for any help!

 

[swechsler]

Don't write off your Polk speakers just yet. The Polk Monitor series were excellent (not just for their day, but today as well). 35 watts should be plenty to drive them (when those Polks were new, a power rating of 35-50 watts per channel was typical of many decent quality amps), especially for a bedroom system. And if you do decide to replace them, don't worry about the speaker's power rating, that spec is meaningless.

 

[Badcmpne]

Thank you for your response
I have been looking at bookshelf only because of the room. I did look at a few 3 way bookshelf but my research was thinking that 3 way would not be the best bet for a 16' x 20' (around) bedroom. I have looked at a few Klipsch starting out at the R-14M then the 15M/15PM then the RB-61ii then the RB-81ii, then the RP-160M - lol it was like a bumper car out of control!!! But rational thinking kicked in and I was wondering if I'm probably over buying for the room and the not so loudness I would be using them at. Especially since I would have no way (at this time) to even test them out. It's pretty easy to jump on The Crazy Train. Yes, I'm going to wait and try out the Polk Audio, they look in real good shape seeing none of this has been used in the last 20 years or so.

 

[Nightwisher]

Sweet!

 

[Drugolf]

Nice. Good stuff with the Marantz and Dual. Keep your eyes out for a few of the KLH models, particularly the Model 6 and 23. Those would be efficient enough for that Marantz and be a match like butter with some bottom end oomph. There will be others too. I like the M models from Dahlquist and MarZ's recommendation for the EPI/Epicure models is good.

 

[Dave_1962]

So where's our pics -

 

[mark warren]

Welcome to AK! Don't forget there are some really awesome headphones out there if you want to blow your brains out! I do it all the time.........

 

[imral3]

I agree... try out what you already have and see if it works for you. If so, then great! If not, then great also because you get to go shopping for new, or new-old, speakers!!

 

[Badcmpne]

The Marantz 2235b is going to Randy. I need to get it to the post office to get it sent...but I still have a wait in que thou so he says I have a bit of time. Bill has my dual..that should be coming up in the que real soon. I hit a estate sale this morn and got a inexpensive pioneer receiver, a cheap pioneer tt (pl-7), and some infinity bookshelf speakers w/stands, all for $75. So I can at least listen to some vinyl in the meantime. I was looking at some Dahlquist M903 on ebay for $165, are these good?

 

[Dirk Willims]

I'm also new, old music lover. I initially started back in 1977/83, while on a wespac, in the USN. Continued to enjoy great sounding music. Back then I had 4 901boses, which were pretty snappy, or so we thought. Then life got in the way.

About a year ago I got the bug again, being retired and acquired some major injuries, life changed.

I've been making all the usual mistakes. I've literally got a room full of equipment and at least a dozen set of decent speakers. I've also got a 2235B, receiver, she's awesome, but not where I want to be.

Last week after literally a year of research I purchased a David Berning Tube pre amp, a TF12 and a David Berning tube amp,-HZ270 both units have all the upgrades. The " TF-12" is here awaiting the HZ270s arrival. I'm intending on using a HH Scott type 350 tube tuner on the Berning tube system.

Right now I've got stuff, lots of stuff. Perhaps the more significant kit is a dynaco 70 tube amp, a Dynaco pas3, tube pre amp and a Dynaco FM tube tuner.
Also a quicksilver integrated tube amp, pushing two pair of stacked Cornwall klipsch's

Perhaps the best choice I made was speaker shopping first. Good mucin must come from good speakers.

Dirk