Consider the; Music Hall A25.2, NAD 326 or Marantz 5003. I'm sure you'll be getting many more recommendations.

The NAD electronics are well matched with the PSB speakers and I believe they now have the same parent company. The NAD C315BEE would be a good match if you are on a budget, otherwise you could also look at the C326BEE. I second looking at the Music Hall A25.2. The Cambridge Audio Azur 350A is another possibility. The Jolida JD1301 and JD1501 also have a sound some people really like. The Marantz PM5003 has also been well received.

A used Krell or Creek might be interesting as well.

I know much less than the other posters, but I'm running my B25s with a cheap tripath amp at 15 watts per channel and couldn't be happier.

Scott A.
Watertown NY

If that is the route you are going to take I'd just get a Sherwood RX-4105 stereo receiver for $100 and then start saving up for an entry level audiophile integrated amplifier. No sense in spending more than necessary for a temporary solution when the Sherwood will be very servicable in the mean time. The amplifier section is surpisingly good for a cheap unit.

http://www.buy.com/prod/sherwood-rx-4105.../202106735.html

I'm of the opinion that any good quality flexible, shielded RCA cable and appropriate gauge speaker wire will do. I particularly like the Acoustic Research Professional Series (AP031 for a 6 footer) for entry level equipment, $12 at ProCablesDiect.

If you want to save a lot of money I haven't been able to tell much difference between them and the Steren Python cables (254-215BL). I know it sounds ridiculous to use a $5 cable, but hey, prove to me in double-blind testng they sound any worse than a $40 Blues Jeans cable.

An interesting read on speaker wire - http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#thetruth

Yup, those are them. They probably have an overabundance of the 12 footers and have discounted them.

Speakers do take time to break in and sound their best, depending on the speakers 100-300 hours. Leave them play at low to moderate levels using the radio for a week or two all day while you are at work.

But your placement certainly is having a negative impact on the sound quality. Nothing, and I mean noting beats good speaker placement.

While at work turn them facing each other and put one out of phase and let them play for about a week. When you are home play them normally and in a short while they will be fine.

The material under the speakers tend to "sing along". Try to put your hand on the desk while you play, and you will probably feel vibrations. Isolating the speakers from the desk and drawer may prove to be an improvement.

I have my speakers standing on box cabinets, but I have isolated them from each other with "Nano Pads" and marble slabs plus (under the marble slabs) bubble wrap. Not a single vibration goes to the cabinets, and the music sounds much better after I did this.

Ahh...the ole Iron Maiden tweak! That should fix em right up!

Good stands will no doubt be better than my tweak! Good luck.

Jim meant swichting the speaker cables to ONLY ONE of the speakers. This way this speaker will move inwards and the other will move outwards when given a signal. That is, they will move opposite of one another.

Quote:

Jim meant swichting the speaker cables to ONLY ONE of the speakers. This way this speaker will move inwards and the other will move outwards when given a signal. That is, they will move opposite of one another.

You would switch the red and black on ONE end of ONE speaker only then you would push the speakers face to face. That way when one speaker is making a particular sound by moving outward the other speaker would be making the same sound by moving inward. Since they are placed face to face the simultaneous motion of one set of drivers outward would cancel out the inward motion of the other set of drivers. Effectively it would allow you to play the speakers louder and yet produce less sound while breaking them in. It isn't necessary and if you don't fully understand the explanation just skip it because it won't save that much time. For listening you'd switch the leads back. If you forget to do so the music will sound lifeless, with a dramatic reduction in bass so if you do this make sure to switch them back when you aren't breaking them in any more.

Gox said: ...but when the music goes up, it doesn't sound so nice... This is typical for speakers that haven't been broken in. It may change drastically with time. Give them 2-300 hours and see what they can really do.

Placement , placement placement.

Actually acoustics first. If your room sucks, you need to get it treated so it doesnt suck. that should be the first order of business for any audiophool!

Nope, nothing of that sort. You just use Blu Tak between the speaker and stand.
As a personal recommendation, Nano Pads will also do well. They are kind of sticky, small (black) rubber mats, when settled it is very hard to move anything on top of them. I bought mine in a bookstore. Good luck

I would spend more and get stands you can fill with sand or lead shot. You can get the 30" Studiotech SP stands for around $70/pair. Use Blu Tack to hold the speakers a little better.

http://www.lightav.com/home/studio/speaker.html

I know I saw them earlier today for $67, but I can't find the website now. I'll check my history at my daytime computer tomorrow.

If you have a Garden Ridge near you they have those plaster columns, you know like the Roman Coliseum ones, usually about $15 each depending upon the height and style. You can fill them with cheap playground sand, but better yet you can paint them with cheap WalMart spray paind any color you want.

Use bluTak or yellow-tak to hold the speakers in place.

Plaster Column samples

They look like these only much cheaper at Garden Ridge. Hobby Lobby sometimes has them as well.

Killer price on sand fillable Lavon Affiniti 29"

Link

Found the site but, they were old pages that the outfit hadn't removed yet. The updated site no longer listed that model. So it looks like $76.69 at LightAV.com is about as cheap as you will find the Studiotech SP-30.