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New member Username: Lonewolf0715Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-07 | Hi guys, back again (new username). It's been a tumultuous couple of months (no, I am and was not married!), and the bottom line is, I moved from a house into a one-bedroom apartment, and I have to buy a stereo (no, I no longer have my Outlaw systerm). Not being a working man -- i.e., retired -- and not rolling in it, I'm wondering about cost allocation. I have a living room thats 11' x 21'. I realize that there's a symbiosis between the source, speakers, and room acoustics. At this point, I'm considering a receiver and a pair of speakers. Do I spend more on the receiver, or the speakers? What we hear obviously comes from the speakers and the room acoustics, but if the source is inferior, no pair of speakers will improve it, right? What say you? G |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 2408 Registered: Sep-04 | I'd say, not sure of your budget but a lot of our more mature customers love this: http://www.thef80.com That said, I'm not sure it's exported to the US yet and at the equivalent of $3000 it's not exactly cheap. If it is in the US, it's a remarkable machine with a huge, clear, engaging sound - and better than many $3000 separate systems I've heard. Regards, Frank. |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1052 Registered: Apr-06 | "Do I spend more on the receiver, or the speakers?" There are arguments on both sides of this debate. The folks that spend more on the speakers make the argument that they are typically the weakest link in the chain when it comes to distortion and frequency response problem. Folks that spend more on the source side make the simple argument of garbage in, garbage out. In the end, both sides are more or less irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. When you build a complete system, it is best to audition complete systems, not piece them together and hope for the best. If in the end you end up with more money spent on one side or the other, who cares. You picked it out based on your own listening preferences. It should be considered that price isn't always an indicator of either quality or the capabilities of the product. There are $300 integrated amplifiers that are more robust for the two channels they drive than $1500 surround sound receivers. Also of note, the choice of speaker and amplifier are pretty intimately connected. If you have your heart settled on once specific speaker, it will have specific demands of what it requires from a partnering amplifier. Conversely, if you have your heart set on an amplifier, that limits your options in speakers. Then there are things like synergy to worry about... So to sum it up, don't worry about which side to spend more on. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 11480 Registered: May-04 | . If you are buying a receiver, you'll find most are compromised in some way. Either through the basic design and execution or through parts selection and construction. Reliabilty of a receiver is typically lower than other amplification type electronics. In 90% of the cases I would consider it safe to say a receiver of equal "power" output will always be inferior to separates or a well done integrated amplifier. Power is not necessarily the operative for comparison but merely a convenient benchmark. There are some receivers which have very good sound quality. Most, however, fall short in some way. If you are committed to owning a receiver based system, I would spend sufficient amounts to find a speaker that satisfies you while not revealing the shortfall of the driving amplifier. I would then invest in a receiver that satisfied the needs of the speaker and the user. That would mean being flexible in both areas. On the other hand, should you opt for low cost separates that appear to offer higher than average price/performance ratios, I would place the bulk of my budget in the electronics and then find speakers that sounded quite good when driven by a superior front end. Check what I believe is still the current issue of The Absolute Sound for six "budget" system recommendations beginning at under $700 for the complete set up less cabling. Also read the review of the Vincent separates in the same issue for another alternative. . |