Audiophiles, help me build a decent stereo

[Bunion 2020]

RE: Speakers. I always wanted these when I was in my early 20s, never could afford them. A buddy managed the Model 2 and they were pretty fucking amazing.

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/l..._brochure.html

RE: Cables. Cheap cables can be noisy and annoying.

[zion zig zag]

Look for a nice set of smallish bookshelf speakers with front ports that you can put on stands and easily move into position. Front ported will make them sound better closer to the wall, and smallish easy to move, so when you are qeuein up dark side you can move them into position. Enjoy nice soundstage. I have some Canton Karat 30 (west German $900 back in the day, beautiful real wood cabinets) that sound great, look great, and are sealed. They don't mind being closer to the wall. They sound great. Probably worth a few hundred these days.
Go for a smallish integrated like a ps sprout, Peachtree nova, or other $1000 integrated with bt and phono pre. Get it used for $5-600. Add turntable and CD player.
Have a nice compact system. Don't get analysis paralysis.
Attachment 395875Attachment 395876

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You may have just pulled me back in....

[basinbeater]

ZZZ, these are in Utah right now, and I was getting ready to grab them before the signets popped up. I've had a pair of pinnacles similar to these, and I regret selling them.
Grab these, for $150
Pinnacle AC-850 Loudspeakers https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/64264092
And this NAD c316bee for $185,
Nad 316BEE https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/66215048
and I bet you'd have a nice performing entry level system for just over 300 bones.

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[Meathelmet]

Audiophilism is an illness, one has to accept that if going that route. The cable issue Bite Me mentioned is one of the myriad can of worms.
That said, if music is the main point, it is an interesting hobby...for an autist.

Had semi listenable stuff in the previous life and due to the Big C decided to jump back in a month ago and build a cheap & decent set.
Have limited space so no possibility for larger floor speakers (ruling out KEF R500, Gradient Evidence etc) and as fantastic as, say, KEF R3s sound, did not have a 1k+ budget on smaller speakers. So, got a Rega Planar 2 vinyl player (changing the box at some point to Rega Elys 2), cheap demo NAD D 3020 V2 combo amp (active,passive,DAS etc) and took some Genelec 8030A active speakers for a long time loan.

Well, how do the package sound? Good. Only good partly because of the acoustics (small space with complex dynamics), but mostly because the Genelecs are basically reference monitors and can be a bit brutal to listen for an extended period of time. So here we go again...

Decided to browse the interwebs for some older vintage speakers and just got hold of an older pair of Acoustics of Finland AE-1-X speakers for less than 100$ from a freak. They are "supposed" to be fantastic...but there are basically no reviews as maybe a couple of dozen pairs have ever been manufactured. And the seller proceeds to suggest replacing the vinyl player with a Garrard and getting a "quality" amp, like Luxman L-405, Rotel RB-1070 or Yamaha CA-2010... now one can see where things are heading.

Oh well.

At least I scored two original Mars Volta vinyls for dirt cheap so basically I am saving money atm...

[EWG]

Audiophilism is an illness

This. Welcome to your disease.

[zion zig zag]

ZZZ, these are in Utah right now, and I was getting ready to grab them before the signets popped up. I've had a pair of pinnacles similar to these, and I regret selling them.
Grab these, for $150
Pinnacle AC-850 Loudspeakers https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/64264092
And this NAD c316bee for $185,
Nad 316BEE https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/66215048
and I bet you'd have a nice performing entry level system for just over 300 bones.

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I looked at that NAD yesterday, super tempting at that price. Although after reading reviews on that PS Audio Sprout I’m tempted to wait for one of those to pop up.

I have a pair of Bose 301’s that I “inherited” a long time ago. They’ve been sitting in my basement for nearly 20 years. Any value at all? It seems like people generally hate Bose.

Edit: looks like the same series of the Bose speakers are priced around 1-200 on eBay.

[EWG]

I looked at that NAD yesterday, super tempting at that price. Although after reading reviews on that PS Audio Sprout I’m tempted to wait for one of those to pop up.

I have a pair of Bose 301’s that I “inherited” a long time ago. They’ve been sitting in my basement for nearly 20 years. Any value at all? It seems like people generally hate Bose.

Edit: looks like the same series of the Bose speakers are priced around 1-200 on eBay.

I have two of the Take 5 Energy systems they talk about here for TV surround sound.

[4matic]

Bose makes some good stuff. The 301 isn’t one of them.

[54-46]

Always liked the Rotel and B&W stuff from early century…

[riser4]

I used a buddy's 301 Series II speakers for a while and they sounded pretty good in a small room. But I didn't buy them so I don't know if they were worth what he paid.

[Terrapin Ben]

I put my first system together about 13 years ago when I began buying records.

I grabbed my dad's old turntable and amp, and bought some pioneer Andrew Jones designed bookshelf speakers.

I figured out my turn table was decent - Technics SL-1301 - and first upgrade the amp to something I thought looked cool - a Pioneer SX 535. Eventually, I put a new cartridge on the TT - an Audio-Technica VM530EN/H - and upgraded my speakers a year ago to some bad ass JBL L82 classics. Now that I've got these speakers, I need a more powerful amp to really get the most out of them.

As my adventures in stereo progressed, I'm glad I started with vintage equipment and kept it basic with a dedicated tuner/turn table two channel stereo. Vintage was cheaper, less complicated, and forced me to learn some basic repair work - replacing capacitators and bulbs and what not. It's been a great adventure. It seems to me that stereo equipment and audiophile pursuits are a hobbies with no discrete end goal. You need to enjoy learning, setting stuff up, and geeking out on spec sheets to enjoy the hobby.

I'd love to be able to playa digital source/stream music through my system, but I'm still trying to wrap my head arounds DACs and all that fun stuff. I feel like when I upgrade my amp to something more powerful, and likely more modern, that will make streaming music a little more straight forward.

Really I just wanted to post my system so you guys could judge me.

But to circle back to the OP, yeah, definitely spend as much on your speakers/amp as you can. Then upgrade your components from there as you can.

[basinbeater]

I hadn't an old Nakamichi sr4a receiver that kicked ass, i moved it along, regretted it, and viva hooked me up with another one, so back in the Nakamichi sr4a. Excellent sounding receiver. Way better than any other than I have come across. Perfect for high quality bookshelf speakers. Can't recommend the old nak Sr units enough. Their internal amp is a licensed nelson pass stasis design.

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[doubleeject]

I'd love to be able to playa digital source/stream music through my system, but I'm still trying to wrap my head arounds DACs and all that fun stuff. I feel like when I upgrade my amp to something more powerful, and likely more modern, that will make streaming music a little more straight forward.

You could get your digital source playing through your system pretty easily and affordably. For example, if you wanted to stream through your iPhone, you could use the aux input with a lightning-to-RCA adapter. It's not a solution that a self-proclaimed audiophile is gonna go wild over but it could meet a need in the interim.

[Meathelmet]

Vintage was cheaper, less complicated, and forced me to learn some basic repair work - replacing capacitators and bulbs and what not.

Well, things can go to hell in a hand basket...pronto...

Found a Harman Kardon Citation 11 for cheap, but that led to the realisation that I need a Citation Twelve Deluxe to go with it.
Like, the "regular" twelve is not enough.
FML.

[basinbeater]

I like that stuff... Do you have the nice wood cases too? Beautiful vintage stuff...

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[ghosthop]

^^that is the proper sort of 'integrated' setup

[AdironRider]

Found a little hole in the wall place with the following setup:

Crosley c6 (rebranded Pro Ject apparently) turntable

Adcom GFA 545 and GFP 555 amps

Advent prodigy towers that were refurbed with new woofers and circuitry

$700 bucks all in. Thoughts?

[Bite Me]

$600-700 is about the sweet spot for that set up. The Adcoms' are very good mid-fi gear, quality sound at reasonable price. The Pro-ject table is a staple of value. The Advents are vintage, and probably can't really compete with better stuff today, but a decent hold-over.
Some vintage freak will grab them when you decide to move up.

[basinbeater]

Here is my main system as it sits right now.
Denon pra-1100 preamp, modded power supply, recapped. $200. I rotate this one in and out with an apt holman preamp.
Denon badger power amplifier, Denon transformer and power supply, honey badger diy amp boards. $80+250 in diy parts
Rotel rcd 951 CD player, $50
Yamaha t-80 tuner free
Turntable JVC l-f210 Free
Signet sl-280b/u speakers $150. JBL L5 in storage room, will come back out after Xmas. But the signets, whoo boy, what a deal. Almost as good as the L5. I like.
Total cost...$730.

Sounds very nice to my ears.
Just an example of a nice sounding system for not a lot of cash.
KUAA 99.9fm playing at the moment.

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[ghosthop]

Buy the setup, sell the 545 to recoup some cash.

I am a big fan of vintage Advents. We run a pair of Smaller w/ fried eggs on our vintage SS setup at home and I have always been happy with the sound, especially the bass for the footprint. I don't have a ton of experience with the Jenson era but what I have heard I am not overly impressed. That being said, if you can get $300 for the 545, $400 for the turntable and 555 seems like a good deal to me. Make sure everything works or the shop has some sort of guarantee.

Linked thread is pretty comprehensive Advent info. Of the hifi forums, I have preferred AK and found good info on Steve Hoffman and the Polk forums as well.
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index....eakers.126376/

[Bite Me]

[QUOTE=basinbeater;6480886]Here is my main system as it sits right now.
Denon pra-1100 preamp, modded power supply, recapped. $200. I rotate this one in and out with an apt holman preamp.
Denon badger power amplifier, Denon transformer and power supply, honey badger diy amp boards. $80+250 in diy parts
Rotel rcd 951 CD player, $50
Yamaha t-80 tuner free
Turntable JVC l-f210 Free
Signet sl-280b/u speakers $150. JBL L5 in storage room, will come back out after Xmas. But the signets, whoo boy, what a deal. Almost as good as the L5. I like.
Total cost...$730.

Sounds very nice to my ears.

I have no doubt it sounds good. Stepping into dangerous territory I know, but try something on here - many are less than $50, and see if there isn't a significant difference - https://www.whathifi.com/us/best-buy...speaker-cables

[AdironRider]

He also has a Dual 1229 turntable for $250 which he says he need to go through and get the timing right, which may or may not take a while.

That seems like a decent deal though once refurbed according to a brief google.

[liv2ski]

I like that stuff... Do you have the nice wood cases too? Beautiful vintage stuff...

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That picture gave me a boner...

[basinbeater]

I have no doubt it sounds good. Stepping into dangerous territory I know, but try something on here - many are less than $50, and see if there isn't a significant difference - https://www.whathifi.com/us/best-buy...speaker-cables

Alright. I'll play. I have a few different types of speaker cables. I haven't bothered with them too much. I run equal length cables (matching impact of cable capacitance on phase). I am currently using 16awg ofc cable, pretty basic. I do buy into the ofc... None of this copper coated tin crap. I also have some monster in wall speaker cable, 12awg ofc I believe, as well as a set of multi able woven cables.

(Grumble grumble switching cables goldang snake oil grumble grumble)

[Meathelmet]

I like that stuff... Do you have the nice wood cases too? Beautiful vintage stuff...

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Nope..no wood cases yet, looking for them on ebay...or might ask a friend who is a carpenter to do them.

Sadly the seller said that they had encountered some problems when (re)testing the unit so let's see if the deal goes through.
350€ for the Citation 11 would be a decent price. The next challenge would be getting Citation 12 for a decent price, the 12 Deluxe is out of my price range as they
can go for several grand...and would require a different price range speakers than my 70€ barn find speakers...

But yeah, as an aesthetician, the look of that set could justify robbing a bank...or selling (somebody's) kidney.