Small inexpensive "bookshelf" speaker help needed

[ebinmaine 76,056]

I have a set of speakers that I've been using in the past but they're too big to practically fit in my workshop.

 

I'd like to get a set of inexpensive small speakers that could potentially be wall-mounted above the doors on each end and not take up too much space. Maybe another set fore and aft of the workbench...?

 

The receiver is a mid to late 90s Yamaha that's pretty powerful. Exact wattage unknown but I'm sure it's over 100W per channel.

 

I'm not necessarily trying to create a rock concert environment but I would like to have at least two, maybe four speakers that would be able to keep up with the unit and have them spread throughout the workshop.

 

What is it that I need to know as far as ohms, watts, resistance, Etc?

 

 

 

[Kenneth R Cluley 646]

I have a Pioneer set up in my shop with Bose 101 "outdoor" speakers. Four speakers total for two different areas. They work and sound good. Find them used fairly cheap @ yard sales, craigs, marketplace, etc. The issue i had was signal, Metal roof and fluorescent lighting wreaked havoc on signal. Installed "Rabbit Ears:" antenna rated for FM inside at peak of roof and fiddled with until i got reception i desired for local station. I went with outdoor speakers due to environment, 

[Handy Don 15,349]

3 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

What is it that I need to know as far as ohms, watts, resistance, Etc?

Typical speaker outputs for the 70’-90’s sound systems (I don’t have any experience with later sound systems 😁) expected 8 ohms per speaker. Putting two speakers in parallel on the same output would halve the resistance and potentially blow out the amp. Putting them in series doubles the resistance with poor sound results. Some amps had outputs for two sets of speakers (a good friend once joked that “the ohms get all jammed up in there”). Some amps have provisions for two sets of speakers. 

 

Around here, CL and tag sales are great sources for used but good sound systems. 

 

All the above said, since I use ear protection almost continuously in the shop, I’ve gravitated toward a set of retired-from-traveling noise-cancelling bluetooth over-the-ear headphones linked to my phone or tablet. Podcasts and audiobooks mostly. 

[Bar Nuthin 1,907]

6 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

What is it that I need to know as far as ohms, watts, resistance, Etc?

 

On the back of your receiver, it should list the recommended ohms rating.

Some receivers will handle low impedance setups (4 ohm) while others (rated and 8 ohms) can be stressed to failure if too low impedance.

You can manipulate the ohms depending on how you wire your speakers (series or parallel).

 

I have a couple nice Polk studio speakers that I might be willing to part with. I'll have a look when I go out to my garage in a bit.

 

Edit: You can buy speaker switches (for selecting multiple sets of speakers) that have built-in impedance control

Edited December 23 by Bar Nuthin
additional thought

[ebinmaine 76,056]

1 hour ago, Bar Nuthin said:

 

On the back of your receiver, it should list the recommended ohms rating.

Some receivers will handle low impedance setups (4 ohm) while others (rated and 8 ohms) can be stressed to failure if too low impedance.

 

Makes sense. I have two receivers I could wire up. I know at least one of them can do 4 or 8 ohms. 

 

1 hour ago, Bar Nuthin said:

You can manipulate the ohms depending on how you wire your speakers (series or parallel).

 

I have a couple nice Polk studio speakers that I might be willing to part with. I'll have a look when I go out to my garage in a bit.

 

Definitely interested. Thanks! 

 

1 hour ago, Bar Nuthin said:

 

Edit: You can buy speaker switches (for selecting multiple sets of speakers) that have built-in impedance control

 

Back in the late 80s I did a little DJ-ing for a teen organization. I used a set of switches to choose which Disc player  was on. 

Never seen a speaker selector. 🔊 

I'll check that out too.  

 

 

 

[Kenneth R Cluley 646]

This amp had connection points rated for either four, or eight, ohm speakers. It also had two channels which can be used independently or at the same time. A or B or A/B combined. It also had a built in antenna, as well as an external antenna connection which I utilized.   

[ebinmaine 76,056]

19 minutes ago, Kenneth R Cluley said:

A or B or A/B combined

 

This is familiar.  

 

 

19 minutes ago, Kenneth R Cluley said:

antenna

 

Radio 📻 🎙 doesn't matter to me much. 

I can definitely do without it. 

 

I have a fair collection of CDs. 💿 💿 💿 

 

I would like to be able to listen to my YouTube channels on the stereo if possible. 

 

[Handy Don 15,349]

50 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

I would like to be able to listen to my YouTube channels on the stereo if possible. 

 

WI-Fi in the Barn or cellular?

[ebinmaine 76,056]

5 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

WI-Fi in the Barn

 

Working on that.  

[tunahead72 2,594]

3 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

... I would like to be able to listen to my YouTube channels on the stereo if possible.

 

Very possible if you have the right output from your computer (?) and input to your receiver, and some simple connectors and adapters.

 

I don't remember the details, but back in the Year of Covid (a.k.a. World War "C") my all-time favorite guitarist did a series of live shows on YouTube that turned into a weekly event at our house during dinners.  It didn't take me long, even with my limited knowledge, to figure out how to connect the (headphone?) output from my laptop to maybe the AUX input on my amp.  My laptop wanted to know what kind of device I was "listening" to at some point, and I fiddled about with the volume levels to make it sound good without stressing either device.  Overall it worked quite well.

 

I'll see if I can replicate the setup after the holidays and get back to you, but I'm sure others here will have ideas as well.

 

[tunahead72 2,594]

To answer your original question, I have a pair of older KEF C10 speakers that I use as the "B" speakers in my system.  They're small and lightweight and sound pretty good, but would probably be overwhelmed by your receiver.  KEF did have some larger speakers in that series (C20 through C80) that would handle more power and might work better for you.

 

Check out hifiengine.com for manuals and catalogues and such.  Try NOT to get sucked in to the black holes of knowledge that appear there, but enjoy them if you do.

 

Besides the usual CraigsList and Marketplace ads, check local Goodwills or other thrift shops, you never know what you might find there.

 

[Bar Nuthin 1,907]

9 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Definitely interested. Thanks! 

 

Suckers are heavy - not sure what you'd be looking at for shipping.

 

   

[Bar Nuthin 1,907]

9 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

I have two receivers I could wire up.

 

That's how I have my garage and outdoor speakers set up.

 

100 wpc Onkyo feeding 4 speakers in my garage. And a cheaper Sanyo 100 wpc feeding 2 pair of outdoor speakers. One pair faces our fire pit, and the other faces the backyard and my wife's pool. 

 

Receiver #2 gets its input from the "Tape Out" on my main receiver then leads to a switch box so I can independently control which speakers play and at what volume.

 

Signal comes from either Alexa (Sirius XM or Amazon Music), Bluetooth, or from the digital out on my TV.

 

When I listen to Bob Seger, the whole neighborhood listens to Bob Seger! 

[ebinmaine 76,056]

On 12/23/2025 at 11:24 PM, tunahead72 said:

 

Very possible if you have the right output from your computer (?) and input to your receiver, and some simple connectors and adapters.

 

I don't remember the details, but back in the Year of Covid (a.k.a. World War "C") my all-time favorite guitarist did a series of live shows on YouTube that turned into a weekly event at our house during dinners.  It didn't take me long, even with my limited knowledge, to figure out how to connect the (headphone?) output from my laptop to maybe the AUX input on my amp.  My laptop wanted to know what kind of device I was "listening" to at some point, and I fiddled about with the volume levels to make it sound good without stressing either device.  Overall it worked quite well.

 

I'll see if I can replicate the setup after the holidays and get back to you, but I'm sure others here will have ideas as well.

 

 

I have no computer to use in the workshop. 

I could potentially use my mobile phone to "cast" a signal to a Roku capable TV and put that into the stereo. 

 

[ebinmaine 76,056]

On 12/23/2025 at 11:43 PM, Bar Nuthin said:

 

Suckers are heavy - not sure what you'd be looking at for shipping.

 

      

 

I'll have the BBT get us a freight quote soon. 

 

 

[ebinmaine 76,056]

I was able to get tunes in the workshop!!

 

I'm still not sure about what speakers I'll keep long term. 

 

I have a Sony Surround System with a separate bass and center speaker plus 4 small units like you can see here on the right just under the row of tape measures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still seriously considering relocating a few things to make room for these monsters. 

 

 

The cabinets measure 36" tall x 18" wide. 

15" woofer. 

 

Old ugly and worn. Man do they sound good though.  

 

 

[Bar Nuthin 1,907]

22 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

I'm still seriously considering relocating a few things to make room for these monsters. 

 

 

The cabinets measure 36" tall x 18" wide. 

15" woofer. 

 

Old ugly and worn. Man do they sound good though.  

 

Do like @Pullstart does with his tractors, and hang them from the rafters!

[ebinmaine 76,056]

Just now, Bar Nuthin said:

 

Do like @Pullstart does with his tractors, and hang them from the rafters!

 

 

I had actually considered just that. 

 

But what to use.....? Ratchet straps? 

They vibrate A LOT.  

 

[Bar Nuthin 1,907]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

I had actually considered just that. 

 

But what to use.....? Ratchet straps? 

They vibrate A LOT.  

 

 

When I had my building out in the country, I made cradles out of some 1" angle and hung them from chains. And these were a couple of massive Pioneers. 

[ebinmaine 76,056]

Got one of the speakers located by the front door. 

I notched the bottom shelf for clearance.  

 

I now have 5 outta 6 speakers 🔊 on. 

 

The other one will be at the back.  

 

 

 

Sounds GREAT.  

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 76,056]

I took the shop Electronics a step further today. Got this tiny little TV so I could connect to YouTube via Roku. I can listen to music and as @Oldskool Mike pointed out I can also watch how to videos and be right at the tractors.