I recently popped by the thrift store and bought a pair of bookshelf speakers. I was looking for something with a lower profile and a little more presence than the speakers that I had been using. While I have big Cerwin-Vega VS100 speakers, I don't generally run them late in the evening. Bookshelf speakers are my designated "quiet" speakers for playing at low to medium volume so that I don't disturb neighbors.
But, now, I have too many little speakers. In our living room, there can only be one pair of bookshelf speakers and one pair of floor standing speakers. Frankly I'm pushing my luck by having the bookshelf speakers so low profile and inconspicuous is good!
I have to choose between KLH 9030 surround speakers and Philips MCM704D micro hifi speakers. It's time for a dirt cheap speaker battle!
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| KLH9030 Surround Speaker and Philips MCM704D Micro Hi-Fi System Speaker |
The KLH9030 speakers are 8-Ohm speakers that were originally sold as part of a set with a sub-woofer. I found them at Goodwill for $5.95 without the sub-woofer. They have an attractive plastic cabinet and they have a woofer and a tweeter. They are decent little speakers, but they seem to lack presence. The KLH speakers are totally enclosed.
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| Behind the Grills: KLH9030 Surround Speaker and Philips MCM704D Micro Hi-Fi System Speaker |
They are challenged by 8-Ohm bass reflex speakers that originally came from a Philips MCM704D micro hifi-system. These speakers are simply a 4-inch woofer in a box with a rear port. But, the cabinets are actually wooden and they are quite a bit heaver than the KLH speakers. The Philips speakers are not as tall as the KLH speakers, but have a deeper cabinet. The port in the rear enhances bass response over an enclosed speaker system.
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| Tall vs. Deep |
But, how do they sound? On my full-sized Technics stereo, both sets of speakers sound pretty good to my untrained ear. I think the Philips speakers have a little more presence than the KLH surround speakers. Perhaps, the Philips speakers were designed as 2-channel stereo speakers from the outset and this gives them an advantage over speakers that were merely designed as rear surrounds. The KLH speakers would sound better with a subwoofer. Is this a fair and objective opinion? Nope, but it is what you can get at the thrift store for less than $10.
