Bookshelf Speakers For 350 Or Less?? new & used

Hey! Where are the accolades for the Sound Dynamics RT-3 ?
These are Harry Person's favorite small speaker for under $500, and I could not agree with him more ( I rarely agree with this guy, and his typical overpriced recommendations).

I bought these speakers for a small office system, and cannot believe how much they offer for around $200 new! We are talking about high end sound here. The sweet treble and integration of both drivers is utterly amazing. (I have another serious high end system that is over $30k+ , and I'm not complaining the least about these small wonders).

Since I have owned these, I have compared them (at my home) to Spica TC-50's , the NHT super ones and the Paradigm titan. In my opinion the Sound Dynamics are in a totally different class by themselves.(The Spicas had some interesting qualities of their own, but DON'T even think about playing them loud, these things do NOT rock).

Something to note about the Sound Dynamics is that they can get quite boomy sounding if they are too close to a rear or side wall. Like almost every speaker I've ever tried, you can't put them against boundries without sonic comprimises.

As of right now I think I'm leaning towards the Axiom 3MTi, the B&W 302/303, or the Sound Dynamics RT-3. I've also owned several pairs of Mission speakers, so I'm fond of those too. I'm not sure if she's going to want to deal with ordering several and comparing, or if she'll just pick one. She may have to try several to see which sound best with her placement.

Unfortunately, she has her left speaker sitting on top of a bookshelf (in the open...not closed in) with its back to the wall, and her right speaker is about six inches above the floor (but away from both walls). I know that's not ideal placement, but I'm not sure if the placement is negotiable...ya know?

Just saw B&W 601 mkII listed for $350 obo. Much better than the 302, best bet IMO.

I believe both the Axiom and B&W 303 have bass ports at the rear of the speaker. This may not be a good thing considering that one of your speakers will be placed against a wall..may want to look at the PSB Image 2B ($399 new)... or something like a used Triangle Titus, which I believe has the bass port at the front of the speaker...in either case I believe they will offer you more flexibility in terms of placement

Not sure of the price but the Bronze line from Monitor Audio should fall somewhere in your budget range. I just replaced a pair of JM Labs Tantal 505 with the MA Bronze 2 and there was a nice swing upwards in definition and low end reproduction - somewhat typical of the "polite" British sound which may very well mate nicely with the lower priced solid state sound of the Sony/JVC gear. Dual front ports and nicely finished in cherry although I prefer the fit and finish (rosewood) of the Tantals. The Tantals have been replaced by the Chorus line which you should also look at.