These indoor/outdoors are my primary home speakers. I am going to cry now.

This thread has inspired me to go to digging around some thrift stores today.

i have an old pair of infinity bookshelf two-way speakers that sound great.

I thought of a few new that I can recommend at $500 or less (sort of). I have personal experience with these, all "bookshelf/ monitor" in size:

Epos ELS3- tiny little things- I heard these at an audio show earlier this year and was very impressed.. You won't rock the house without a sub, but great build quality and very detailed SQ. They go for around $300/pr.

Polk Audio LSi7- these normally retail for over the $500 price point ($800). Last year, Fry's had a crazy sale on what they were calling "refurbished" ones for two bills- I bought a pair and I couldn't see anything refurbed about them cosmetically. These are AMAZINGLY good speaks (with great bass for their size), if yr willing to hunt for a deal on them.

Audio Note AX-2- I bought a pair of these last year also. If yr room can stand corner lacement, they also put out a lot of bottomm end for their size. I think AN discontinued production on this model this year, so a deal might be had (they retail for $550, IIRC). Not easy to find dealers- shoot Brian at Venus Hi-Fi an email at info@venushifi.com, tel him tentoze sent you. Or hell, I don't need the pair I have.

Thanks! I look into these.

O dear...

Yes. I believe the Blueroom Minipods are around that price. And they're almost full range, so you won't need to get a sub right away.

Other brands that might have something in your price range: Mercury, Tannoy, Focal/JM Lab(s), Klipsch. I'll look around and see what else I can find out.

Heartily recommend the ELS3s...wonderful speaker, but remember to factor in a good pair of stands and to get the most out of them you have to give them room to breath.

If you are really willing to go to $500.00 http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1135975449, these are even better. Or for a real classic, that is better than both, try these http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1136053853

Now if you're looking for a little more bass and don't really want to futz with stands, these are killer for the price: http://cgi.ebay.com/Infinity-Primus-360-BRAND-NEW-PAIR_W0QQitemZ5827655932QQcategoryZ61376QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Are you good at building? Look here or here.

While I love Consumer Reports, audio is not their specialty

I bet for US$25 more, I can beat both of those:

Thiel

While I agree with you, after all I own a pair of 3.6s, they would probably make mince meat out of whatever he is probably going to drive them with.

Oh, are they hard to drive? I forgot about that.

How about Swans? Most of these are less than US$500.

Damn, folks- dude just wants some speaks, and he's already more than doubled the prospective budget. Just how in the hell is he going to buy over-budget speaks on audiogon AND pay to get them shipped to him with being relegated to eating spaghettios for the next 2 years?

Don't you mean Ramen? And you kind of get used to it after the first couple years...

Priorities, man.

And I think you mean 'pentupled'.

I would alernate, Ramen on odd days and spaghettios on even. On holidays you can have a treat, Mac and Cheese.

Notorously. While the impedance is pretty stable it remains below four through the entire ferq. range. You really need either a ballsy tube amp or a solid state that doubles it's power as impedance dips.

Can't comment on these...haven't heard them. They have a rep. for being brite.