Nova-15 Bookshelf Speakers

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Tweeter: 2.5 inch paper cone/dome
Woofer: 8 inch paper cone
Power rating: 5 - 60 Watts
Frequency: 60 - 20,000 Hz


These are classic Realistic speakers with real Walnut veneer. They will sound better than the average speaker, and loads better than the cheap $200 home-theater-in-a-box speaker systems so popular these days. These were my first set of "real" speakers.


If you are a Jimmy Buffet fan, I will confess that Jimmy sounds excellent on these speakers. I now have much pricier speakers, but for certain types of music these still beat them. Most recently my parents had been using them.

Polk Audio Monitor 4

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Below is an image from a Polk Audio sales flier from the late 80's or early 90's (I honestly have forgotten where I got this picture, but I remember having the same flier many years ago.)



The other pictures are of the actual speakers. These are in pretty good condition. One of the grill pins is broken, but with 3 of the 4 functioning the grill stays in place with no problems.



Twenty years ago when these speakers were new they were the best bang for your buck from Polk Audio, using what was mostly the same woofer all across their line, these were about $200 a pair, and considered a bargain when that driver design was used in $1000 Polk Audio speakers.

Frequency Response 50Hz - 20kHz
Nominal Impedance 8 ohms
Recommended Amplifier Power 10 - 100 w/channel
Efficiency 91 dB


The Polk Audio Site has a page with descriptions and specs.

Boston Acoustics HD10

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These are Boston Acoustics HD10 speakers from around 1992. They retailed for $449 at that time. They have the distinctive tight and controlled bass of Boston speakers from that time period. The clean controlled sound is why I preferred them other speakers from the period.

Dimensions: 24 1/4" X 12 5/8" 9 3/4"
Weigh: 25 lbs
Frequency Response: 40 - 20,000 Hz
Recommended Amplifier Power: 15 - 150 Watts per Ch.
Tweeter: 1" soft dome
Mid/Bass: 6.5" poly
Bass Radiator: 10" poly




These had a hard life with a previous owner, but the damage is purely cosmetic. It could have been repaired more cleanly, but such is life. The 10" surrounds have been repaired/treated with a special latex formula to extend their life past the point where foam rot would have ended it. The mid/bass surrounds were factory treated and are in great shape.

Norelco 5602X

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I have gone back to using cream and razors. This electric shaver is around 5 or 6 years old, but hasn't been used in over a year. It has a pop-up beard/mustache clipper on the back side. New blade packs are about $25 and I replaced them about once every 12 to 18 months. Comes with case, charging cord and electric razor.

Boston Acoustics CR65

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Boston Acoustics pretty much invented the small moderately priced high quality speaker with the A40 back in the early 80's. They have remained masters at good quality at a moderate price ever since then. The CR65 could be called the 2002-2003 successor to the A40. Unlike the A40, the CR65 woofer have a rubber surround instead of foam, so they won't suffer from foam rot.






These are smooth sounding speakers that sound great with Jazz, pop, classical, etc. They will surprise you with the bass output for their size, and also blend very well with sub-woofers for a home theater set up. I am listening to them as I type this and they are detailed and alive. When I first bought a pair of CR65's I compared them to speakers ranging up to twice their price. The Boston's matched or beat the detail of more expensive speakers. Even when I expected the higher priced speakers to be better based on appearance and reputation.

These are great for Dorm room, office, bed room, or other small to moderately sized rooms. Paired with a T-Amp they worked very well for me as home office speakers.

Used with a sub-woofer they can easily fill a whole 2400+sqft house with sound. The CR65s also make a wonderful introduction to the world of high fidelity sound. I have seen area bars use 3 or 4 pair of these speakers to provide sound, so they can take demanding content and long hours of play.

As I have told may people given the choice of a cheap home-theater-in-a-box system, I'd much prefer a pair of good STEREO speakers. These fit the bill, nicely.

There is a small scratch in the side of one speaker, seen in the middle photo above.

Speaker Specs:

• Compact bookshelf speakers with outstanding audio performance
  
• 2-way system-specific crossover
  
• 5.25-inch copolymer woofer for exceptional bass response
  
• 0.75-inch soft dome tweeter for smooth, natural highs
  
• Coaxial phase plug cools voice coil to increase power handling
  
• Rigid, internally bracd CR cabinet delivers clean sound
  
• MagnaGuard magnetic shielding prevents CRT interference
  
• Integral keyhole plate allows for wall mounting options
  
• 65-20,000Hz frequency response
  
• 15-100 watts recommended amplifier power
  
• 8 ohms nominal impedance
  
• 88 dB sensitivity
  

Read reviews at OverStock.com (where they are Sold Out).

For home theater use and action movies you might want a sub-woofer:
Velodyne Impact-10 Powered Subwoofer
Velodyne DEQ-10R Subwoofer
Hsu STF-1 Sub
BIC AMERICA V-80 8
JBL 300 Watt Powered 10" Sub
Polk Audio Powered 8-Inch Subwoofer

Sold for $75