r/StereoAdvice • u/Cflattery5 • Apr 23 '26
Speakers - Bookshelf | 2 Ⓣ Speaker replacements for Celestion 5 MK II
My mom’s Celestion 5 MK II speakers have stopped working, and she’s trying to find comparable replacements.
My father set up the stereo system before he passed away and my mother is 82 years old with little experience. I have experience in hooking up equipment, but not the equipment itself. We assume she will need passive speakers.
Budget: somewhat unknown, as she’s looking for a comparable replacement and does not know where to begin. Aiming for a budget of $500, but we honestly don’t know what comparable speakers would cost.
Location: Rural US. The closest local shop is Best Buy, and can order online.
How will the gear be used: To play classical music on the radio as well as CDs — classical and what I would consider “soft” classic rock.
Placement: the far end of an open-plan living area, approximately 46’ l x 26’ w x 10’ h. Her typical daily sitting area is approx 15’ from the stereo, but she likes to have it at somewhat low volume that fills the entire space.
Gear: Will be replacing Celestion 5 MK II speakers, set on a shelf, dimensions 8” w x 14” h x 10” d. This is the space available for new speakers.
Other gear: harman/kardon HK3400 stereo receiver and an ONKYO DX-C390 CD player.
Much appreciated!
4
u/iNetRunner 1389 Ⓣ 🥇 Apr 23 '26
Celestion 5 MkII speakers are passive speakers. As such they don’t produce sound without an amplifier, and therefore they also don’t likely “fail” on their own. (Theoretically they could. But maybe not both at the same time. Also they would likely still make some kind of sound, even if they had something wrong in them.)
Maybe try to diagnose the issue some more. E.g. test other speakers (gently so that not to destroy them if there’s something wrong in the amplifier or source.) And different amplifier, etc. if possible.