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New member Username: KidstereoPost Number: 8 Registered: Sep-05 | As stated in a previous thread, I was considering buying a new stereo a year from now. Unlike that thread, however, this time, I am going to do all I can to not sound as "clueless." But now I need better suggestions. My budget will be $300 for the speakers, $200 for the receiver, $300 for the CD player, and $300 for the subwoofer. My parents were the ones who helped me come up with this budget, as they are "money experts," or so they claim to be. I also do still like a lot of bass. Any suggestions? Again, if this sounds redundant, I do apologize. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2307 Registered: Mar-05 | $1100 for a 2-channel system is pretty generous, sure wish I had parents like that when I was your age! Anyways, here's how I'd spend it: receiver: Panasonic all-digital xr55, $230 shipped from Amazon.com CDP: Marantz 4300, $142 shipped from accessories4less.com subwoofer: Hsu STF-2, $425 shipped from hsuresearch.com speakers: Ascend CBM-170s, $340 shipped from ascendacoustics.com (you can get the STF-2 from them too, maybe with a slight savings bundled together) That's a total of $1137 shipped, add maybe $30 for generic 12-16 gauge speaker cables and interconnects from HomeDepot or Walmart. This is a system that you will want to hold on to and/or possibly expand (that Panny can drive 7 speakers for HT) in the future. Do a search on this forum as well as other forums, and on Google, for reviews on all of those components listed above. |
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New member Username: KidstereoPost Number: 9 Registered: Sep-05 | I've actually heard bad things about the Panasonic brand. Also, the HSU subwoofer is $125 above my budget. That is kind of steep. Thanks for your help, though, Eddie. In fact, I think you are one of the most helpful people on this board. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2314 Registered: Mar-05 | Thanks Matt, I guess I just enjoy vicarious shopping when it comes to electronics! I agree with you on the Panasonic brand in general...I would never buy a Panasonic analog receiver for example, though I do have a cheapo 20" Panasonic curved tube TV and VCR both of which I've been reasonably happy with. However in this digital receiver field they have squarely grabbed the lead at least in the non-audiophile pricepoint category, in large part due to the Texas Instruments chip they use. If you take the time to browse through the threads on these Panny digitals you'll read of people selling off high end analog receivers and even separates from VERY respected brands in favor of this thing, and nobody writes back months later complaining of breakdowns either. That Hsu sub does seem steep considering your $300 limit but is worth every penny especially for music listening, and you can afford the extra $125 if you go with the $142 Marantz cdp instead of a $300 CDP anyways. That Marantz 4300's usual street price is $250 by the way and many people find it compares well to $500 players: http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/store/category.cgi?item=m1cc4300&akhg1999=WFR OOGLEB3 https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/151023.html Hsu does make a smaller sub, the STF-1 which does go for $300 but I wouldn't use it in a medium/big room. You can get the STF-2 for about $320 B-stock, just call up Hsu and ask. |
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New member Username: KidstereoPost Number: 10 Registered: Sep-05 | Thanks for your help, again. However, I have one more question for you. Are there any good 10" or 12" subs in the $200-300 category? What I mean by good is one that can play really loudly with minimal rattling. Also, I have also heard that digital receivers can tend to sound a bit bright. Any more suggestions? |
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Silver Member Username: Touche6784USA Post Number: 617 Registered: Nov-04 | all from jr.com HK3480 for $268.88, NHT SB-2 $300 pair, velodyne DSP-10 $449. you wont find a good sub over 10" under $300. you can get all three of those items with free shipping and no tax as long as you arent a resident of NY. I have the Marantz 4300 with the HK3480 and it sounds very good together. i tried cutting my spending on the sub and regret it alot. I got the velodyne VRP1000 and it is a disappointment. |
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Silver Member Username: CheapskatePost Number: 401 Registered: Mar-04 | i'd say: $250 panasonic SA-XR55 reciever (class-d!) $150 for a DVD player (using coaxial in to the panasonic to stay with a 100% digital signal) when you use a reciever's onboard processor, spending extra money on a unit with "better D/A" converters is a dice game. with panasonic class-d, an expensive marantz unit eats your budget and would require D/A back to A/D conversion again which would only add more distortion. stay with digital. besides, when your player breaks... it's cheaper to replace than fix. my $200 onkyo cost $140 to fix while i could just buy a new unit that featured the progressive scan and CD-R capability of newer units (now HDMI, upsampling & SACD/DVD-A too!) and HD-DVD players aren't far off in the future. $550 for magnepan MMG speakers. ($1000 maggies kick $20,000 B&W hiney to my ears) planar speakers are super fast and coherent. sounds like piano and vocals are super realistic on planars and make much more expensive speakers sound just like the boxes they are. maggie bass is awesome too. it's the fastest most detailed bass you'll ever hear if not as deep as a subwoofer. this is the system i'll be scrapping my onkyo reciever and DVD player and NHT superzero system for. i ESPECIALLY can't wait to get rid of that sluggish (acoustic suspension!) 12" subwoofer i'm using. i don't want a gut massage, i want total clarity. if i had just one maggie right now, i'd use IT as a subwoofer. it won't rattle walls, but it will sound super realistic. then, down the road, i'll be adding a behringer DCX24/96 electronic crossover to biamp the maggies for 100w + 100W per speaker, and using it's onboard digital EQ to tune my system and room for a super flat response. i can't wait to embarass $5000+ systems with $1000 or so in gear. p.s. my current $1000 system isn't shabby at all... it images better than much more expensive speakers (including maggies) but planars just sound so realistic it isn't funny. that's my 2 cents. read up on the panasonic SA-XR series and magnepans. here... check this MMG review out. http://www.goodsound.com/equipment/magnepan_mmg.htm and check this DEQ review out. it's a sister product for the DCX (the DCX is more of a crossover than an EQ, but has EQ too) http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0705/behringerultracurve2496.htm there are several people raving about the panny/maggie match (maggies are amp fussy) already and i'll be joining soon. the previous need for expensive ($500 per stereo AMPs ONLY pair) to drive maggies has been the only thing holding me back, but now that $250 100wpc X6 class-d is here... no more excuses. class-d amps also offer very nice sound for the price. i've read claims of people getting rid of their $1000 reciever to switch to panasonic SA-XRs. i live for maximimum bang for the buck. ;-) |
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Silver Member Username: CheapskatePost Number: 402 Registered: Mar-04 | for $150, you can get a DVD player that will play higher resolution SACD and/or DVD-A titles. for pop music, there's alot more titles in SACD. nearly everything i saw for DVD-A was junk. if you wanted to futureproof your system, spend an extra $50 for the panasonic SA-XR70 because it features HDMI which will allow full 24/88 multi-channel sound and also has a digital out i believe. some DVD players have HDMI outs. i remember reading somewhere that MOST DVD players with coax out don't send full range signals and downconvert SACD and DVD-A to just 16/44 standard CD resolution. i'll be going with the XR55 though because i plan on using it in biamp mode, and the behringer only crosses over with analogue outs. i'll be trading bit depth for biamping and room tuning. |
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Bronze Member Username: KidstereoPost Number: 12 Registered: Sep-05 | How much bass do the Ascends have? |
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Silver Member Username: Devils_advocatePost Number: 457 Registered: Jul-05 | None. That's why you buy a subwoofer. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2375 Registered: Mar-05 | The Ascend 340s actually have somewhat passable bass especially if you have a good amp/receiver. With my NAD separates and now with the digital Panny I often listen to them without the sub for music. The 170s however absolutely require a sub, but that's how they deliver midrange and treble performance that you normally would have to pay several times more to get, because they don't try to be good at everything at the same time. Now of course some people prefer very light bass, my friend Marc for instance says the 170s provide plenty of bass which I personally cannot fathom. |
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Bronze Member Username: KidstereoPost Number: 13 Registered: Sep-05 | Yopu guys have been really helpful, thank you. In fact, you're even more helpful than Paul, methinks. However, I need just a few more recommendations. You guys said that the Ascend 170s have no bass. Well, I would like speakers in the $100-300 price range that can give out a lot of bass, AND a subwoofer. And for those of you who think that I am not doing any research of my own, I have! I've been to Best Buy, and all their speaker systems are crap. Their JBLs sound harsh at high volumes, the Klipschs, well, let's not even go there with their horn tweeters, and the Sony speaker systems weren't even hooked up! I've been to Circuit City, and their Infinity Beta tower speakers had impressive bass, but they sounded a tad bit bright at high volumes, and at $1000/pair, they're waaaaayyyyyy out of my price range. The Polks had too light bass for my tastes. Therefore, I have come here for your helpful suggestions. I kind of have an idea on what kind of receiver I am probably going to get, probably a Sherwood, since Edster told me in a previous post that they have a warm sound to them. Any more suggestions? If not, then that's okay. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2393 Registered: Mar-05 | Well, any speaker in the $100-300 range that puts out strong bass is going to give you crappy mids and highs especially when cranked up. There's no such thing as a true full-range speaker when you're still in 3-digit-land. Furthermore, if your room isn't huge and you get a good sub like the Hsu and position it properly, you will have all the bass you want. In the pre-digital age, those $150 Sherwood receivers were not bad for the money. Now that you can get the xr55 for a measly $100 more, they're toast IMO. |
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Bronze Member Username: KidstereoPost Number: 17 Registered: Sep-05 | Okay, Eddie, then here's my expectations for home speakers: I want them to have as much bass as those Kicker car speakers, not car subwoofers, but car speakers, but I do not also want to spend anything over $300, and since I am in college, money is a bit tight here. |
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New member Username: ChrisePost Number: 10 Registered: Jan-05 | Matt, You just need to look at some specs on various speakers to see which ones will play lower. I doubt you can find something in your price range that will give you what you want. You really shouldn't be worried, though, and I think you are wanting something that is pointless. The HSU will give you all the bass you need, and paired with the 170's you will have a very nice speaker setup. Chris |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2405 Registered: Mar-05 | Those Kicker car speakers might work because you're in a tiny enclose space plus all the plush seats and upholstery absorb the harshness of the highs and mids. The home environment is a different ballgame, those Kickers would sound like crap in your room. Closest thing to $300 would be the $400 Athena AS-F2.2s from audioadvisor.com that claim to go down to 35Hz, or you might try their $250 Athena AS-B2s which claim to go down to 50Hz. Hell with the AS-F2s you might even decide not to buy a sub at least not for music. |
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Silver Member Username: Touche6784USA Post Number: 620 Registered: Nov-04 | Matt, you are asking for an immposibility. either compromise your budget or your expectations. $300 is chump change for what you want. you have the choice of the ascends with a nice sub and sounds good. or CVs with a sub that sounds like crap. you choose. |
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Silver Member Username: Stu_pittNYC, NY Post Number: 619 Registered: May-05 | If you're spending $300 on just the speakers, and not $300 for the speakers and sub combined, check these links out - https://dmc-electronics.com/Default.htm http://www.hipposaudiovideo.com/closeout1.htm PSB's are a great speaker at a great price, and these are even cheaper than retail. If you've got a PSB dealer in your area, listen to them for yourself. Another company to look into is Jamo. They make speakers in every price range, from dirt cheap to insanely expensive. If you call Hippo's, they may have some Jamo's left around. I was in their retail store a few weeks ago and they had some floor standers that they were selling for about $250. They were normally about $500, but they were either discontinued or they are getting rid of the Jamo line. If the person at the 1-800 number doesn't know anything about it, ask him for the number to the Albany, NY store. They are the same company, but the internet shipping dept is in Yonkers, NY, whereas the retail store is about 2 hours away in Albany. |
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Bronze Member Username: KidstereoPost Number: 18 Registered: Sep-05 | okay, guys, thanks for your help. Just one more question, though: Would you guys consider a room of 8 x 12 ft. small, medium, or large? |
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Bronze Member Username: ChrisePost Number: 11 Registered: Jan-05 | Small. If $ is the problem, you could look at the STF-1 for something that size. It is all you will need. The STF-2 will do damage to something that small. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2413 Registered: Mar-05 | Have to agree with Chris. Though you could just turn the gain down on the STF-2...it'd give you more flexibility if you move into a bigger room later. |
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Bronze Member Username: ChrisePost Number: 12 Registered: Jan-05 | Can you imagine where that gain would be in that little dorm room on those drunken Thursday nites? LOL, it would be no problem finding the party. |
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Silver Member Username: NuckParkhill, Ontario Canada Post Number: 129 Registered: Dec-04 | Matt, before you make the move, consider the room you are in. Are you going to move soon? To a bigger room, or a lower level? Dont underbuy if you are. The STF 2 will fill a large area for a long time. If you get the STF1 your folks will still feel it. Get the STF2, they dont break, It'll be an investment when you upgrade later on. For the speakers, I have psb(dont touch the sub), and I dont think tahts what you might want right now. The ascends are sounding more like the match for you. In that small a space, you go deaf. But with good sound. Still iffy on the digital amp d-class, but when i get one, Ill let yall know. Think ahead a couple years, its a lotto$ (no matter whose). I like the ooutline from ed. Happy shopping |
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New member Username: KidstereoPost Number: 5 Registered: Oct-05 | I am not moving out of my room for another 5 or so years. Also, I just want a speaker system that sounds better and has more bass than my crap JVC mini-system (can't believe I even bought that thing in the first place). I'm not looking for anything audiophile-grade. I am a bass addict. Another thing, THAT PSB SPEAKER IS WAAAAAAYYYYYYYY OUT OF MY PRICE RANGE!!! $6999 a pair? YIKES!! I know that any speaker in the $300 and under is considered "garbage." But, guess what? I can't afford anything over that yet because I'm in college and I only work part-time. My mom doesn't "feed" me money either, so I have to work hard for my money. |
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Silver Member Username: Stu_pittNYC, NY Post Number: 664 Registered: May-05 | Hey rocket scientist, if you scrolled down a little ways and saw the whole page - not just the first pair - you would have seen that they have speakers in every price range. I was thinking about the Image B15 starting at $250 or the Image T45 for $480. If you can save a few bucks in the next year or two before you buy the speakers, the towers may be the way to go, provided that they still have them. I was simply trying to give out suggestions and show you that you can get speakers for far below retail if you look around. I think hardly anyone here, myself definitely included, has $7000 to spend on a pair of speakers. It would be even less wise of me to suggest a pair of $7000 speakers to a kid who lives at home - unless of course your last name is Gates, Trump, or Hilton. For $250, you'd be very hard pressed to find a better pair of speakers than the PSB Image B15 bookshelves. You'd be even harded pressed to find a better pair of towers for under $480 that the T45's. |
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Silver Member Username: Stu_pittNYC, NY Post Number: 665 Registered: May-05 | Matt - Shuffeling money around but staying at $1100, here's my suggestion - http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/category/HomeAudio Marantz stereo receiver SR4320 - $300 Marantz cd changer CC4300 - $130 or Marantz DVD player DV4400 - $160 https://dmc-electronics.com/Default.htm PSB Image T55 towers - $580 You really shouldn't need a sub with these. I own them and listen to a lot of bass heavy music and never contemplated getting a sub. That would be $ 1010 for the system with a cd player. $1040 for the system with a DVD player instead of a cd player. If you already have a DVD player. PS2, Xbox, etc, I'd go with the cd player. It'll save you $30 to put towards candy, and probably sound a little better too. Or you can get the receiver, cd player, dvd player, and Image T45's for $1070. I'd rather the T55's though. They have better bass. Hope this helps. |