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New member Username: HaucksPost Number: 7 Registered: Jul-05 | Hi, here is the deal. I recently updated my car with some good audio equipment thanks to suggestions from ecoustics message boards. My dad is an electrical engineer who was talking to me about how he used to be very interested into audio equipment before he got married. He is interested in suggestions for building a 3k-4k audio system, and he enlisted me to help because I am good with message boards. So, here is what he is looking for. 1. Amp, a good amp 800-1500, no bells and whistles, not to be used for home theater. Two channels most likely. THD is his main criteria 2. Speakers, good set of 2 speakers, same as amp 800-1500 3. good turntable to play his records. 4. a good cd player/receiver, but nothing too fancy. 5. anything else that he would need- cables, extra power devices, transformers, all that stuff. 6. ability to hook up a computer and play music (for me ;)) any suggestions are appreciated, thanks a lot. sam. |
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Silver Member Username: EdisonGlendale, CA US Post Number: 822 Registered: Dec-03 | First of all, I would buy them gently used at With this integrated amp, you won't need a receiver - if you want radio, get a tuner. Rega p3 turntable Waveterminal u24 soundcard (to get the sound out of a computer) spkrmoni&1126328488 Go slow and do research before buying. This sight has reviews done well : www.hifichoice.co.uk |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 4585 Registered: May-04 | I have to generally disagree with James. If you have your budget established, go to a higher end audio shop with a few of your own discs and listen to what they have to say and sell. If it has been several years since your father paid attention to audio products, he will find new names but he should still focus his attention on the quality of music he listens to. Suggesting products on a forum that you might not be able to listen to in your area is fruitless. A good dealer can provide the service and advice you require. If this is to be a major purchase, it is worth scheduling a trip to the nearest large city if you don't have local dealers of any quality. Schedule a concert for the same trip; you'll double your pay off. As to reviews, they are fun to read and better to wrap yesterday's fish in. While I support the idea of buying pre-owned products of quality, buying a system without hearing it put together beforehand is ignorance asking to be disappointed. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 1281 Registered: Feb-05 | I would have to agree with Jan. There alot of products and brand names out there. Many of them are very good but not very easy to access. Demo's are the key to satisfaction with a system purchase like your father is undertaking. Take a good cross section of his favorite music and head to a nearby city and listen to as many products as possible. Stay away from the big box stores like Circuit City and Best Buy. I suggest looking up the locally owned boutiques that have been in business for awhile. That is where you are likely to find the best products and the most knowledgeable sales staff. You may pay a little more in a store such as I am talking about, but the likelihood of you and your father having a satisfying experience not to mention buying a great audio system that your father can enjoy for many years is much enhanced. Good luck. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3487 Registered: Dec-03 | James makes good recommendations of equipment, but I also vote for finding a dealer, with Art and Jan. If you state your location, people here may have some suggestions. Take some LPs and CDs along for a demonstration. If he would welcome advice, Mr Hauck Senior should be reassured that not much is new in audio; all the things he learned still apply, and he may end up teaching the saleman some things. A computer is just another input for the amplifier or receiver, provided it has an audio output of some kind. That can usually be upgraded, but it is not something to worry about at the outset. |
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Bronze Member Username: BrijeshBudapestHungary Post Number: 20 Registered: Jul-04 | Sam I recollect that when i started to build out my system, i was in the same boat ... around the similar budget and more or less same requirements ... after nearly 3 months of harrassing the hi-fi stores, scouring the internet and end less suggestions from friends .. here is what i settled with .... And i must say am ecstatic the way my system sounds !! I have been living with this now for nearly two years, and am more than satisfied. AMP : Heard everything from NADs to Creek to many others. Nothing came close to the AUDIO ANALOGUE PUCCINI (Remote model) ... amazing liquidity, warmth, enough bass punch, awesome with vocals. It has a pre-out, so down the years you could also connnect a poweramp to it if you wish. Though i dont see a reason why you would want to do that, given the way this beauty sounds SPEAKERS : My choice came down to two QUAD 21L or the SHAHINIAN STARTERS ( www.Shahinianacoustics.com ). I had to struggle to decide ... completely different sounding speakers both of them. The Quads are very nuetral, great bass, amazing mid range, and do a great job in ensuring that they dont burn your ear drums with screeching high frequencies, like a lot of speakers in this price range do sometimes. The Shahinians on the other hand a completely different from any other speakers that i had heard (They are omni directional) ... the conventional ideas of soundstaging. imaging etc are buried, as they present you with a wall of sound which is the closest that i have heard in this price range to 'live' sound ... bottom line they are more like listening to a live concert than hi-fi speakers. But they need space to sound their best ... and given my soace constraints .. i had to decide against them ... Having said that, i have no complaints about the Quads ! I have a Project Debut III turntable ... no frills... does the job beautifully ... though i might look for a better cartride soon Am not so hot about the cable bandits ... a entry level Van-del-Hul cables should do the job for you. Try this gear out ... will love to hear your expereince with them. |
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New member Username: GreenearsPost Number: 4 Registered: Jun-05 | i too agree with the advice about going to local reputable dealers. they will often help you achieve teh sound ur looking for within your budget. 3 things xtra though: try to do all in one day or so or take notes, because acoustic memories for most people are short. specs like thd (most people can't hear about 1%), watts, are pretty much useless, as are reviews in the end the final sound result is what matters (speaker impedance/sensit the exception) remember its a whole system, so make some room for budgeting cables and wires, power acc. not necessarily the most expensive that might outperform your system but will match well, knowledgeable staff should know what will work well. |
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Bronze Member Username: StevizardIndianapolis, Indiana USA Post Number: 11 Registered: Aug-05 | Sam, I heartily recommend speakers by RBH Sound. The sound is absolutely "present" like the instruments are in your room and the soundstage is huge. Here's the website http://www.rbhsound.com/index.html |
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Silver Member Username: CheapskatePost Number: 203 Registered: Mar-04 | even more than getting 1st hand experience listing to equipment... train your ears to know what you like and hate FIRST. for a LONG time, i was a diehard fan of acoustic supension minimonitors for their speed (especially bass punchiness) lack of distortion and box resonances and superior imaging (small speakers are best here!) but recently, after being blown away by a maggie demo, have totally changed my old imaging priority for a "tonal accuracy" priority where everything just sounds more nstural. i love planar SUPER speed total freedom from box resonances and especially there seemless midrange which doesn't sound like a typical speaker at all i STILL hate big poted speakers like poison though! LOL my point is find out what kind of sound YOU like first with casual demos, then play the narrow your choices down with A/B comparisons game. one piece of equipment may do ONE thing that you really like well while another one does something ELSE you like. when you train your ears... then you can tell how any piece of equipment fares in bass treble extension freedom from distortion flatness of EQ speed imaging dynamics ultimate volume/compression/efficiency and so on. heck... even how something looks can make a difference. there are MANY things to consider... pick your battles first. |