|
Anonymous | I have budgeted fifteen hundred dollars (and change) to spend on a stereo system, not home theater or surround sound, but just pure unadulterated stereo. Stereo salespeople give me both the heebies and the geebies. What should I get, and where is the best place to get it on-line? I listen to quite a bit of jazz, blues, and pop music, with an occassional foray into hip-hop, r&b, reggae, and 60's rock. I'm looking for an amp, cd player, and speaker combo that'll soothe my weary soul. Got any suggestions? Also, do pricey interconnects and speaker wire really make a difference? Or would I be better off buying generic stuff at Radio Shack? |
|
Hawk | Anon: Easy question, because your budget accomodates some of the best components out there which also happen to be some of my favorites: 1. NAD C370 integrated amp: MSRP of $699, available for $449 from Saturday Audio Exchange (www.saturdayaudio.com). Has 120 wpc x 2 (with a dynamic headroom of 185 wpc x 2!) and it is really clean, with a beautiful sound. Better sounding than any stereo receiver, it has a smooth sound that never wears on you or causes listener fatigue. Furthermore, it is fully remote controllable so that you can control your music without getting up from your chair (perfect after a long hard day at work). 2. NAD C 541i CD player: MSRP of $499, available from Kief's for $399 (www.kiefs.com). Has separate power regualtors for the digital and analog sections of the player, thus providing cleaner sound. Connects to the C 370 so that you can use one remote to control the whole system. Has won a comparison of mid-level CD player in Britain's What Hi-Fi magazine. A superb sounding player. 3. Magnepan MMG speakers: $550/pr. delivered from the factory. Look them up on the Magnepan website (www.magnepan.com) under "An Offer We Hope You Can't Refuse". These are quasi-ribbon planar speakers that are cleaner, clearer, and more realistic than any other speaker out there for under $1K. Frankly, there are not enough superlatives to tell you just how good this speaker is. You must hear it for yourself to believe how good stereo can sound. Comes factory direct with a 60 day money back guarantee, so if you don't like them, you ship them back and they refund the whole $550. I doubt if you would ever ship them back, though. Once you hear them, you will be hooked. Interconnects: I don't care for the Radio Shack lamp cord, but I can get the quality stuff just as cheap. Go to Parts Express (www,partsexpress.com) for these interconnects to connect your CD player to the amp: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&User_ID=16240877&St=1113&St2=-62203319&St3=-35027059&DS_ID=3&Product_ID=117463&DID=7 Now, speaker wire you can also get from Parts Express. Don't know how much you need, but 50' should usually be enough. Parts Express offers Monster Cable, 50' of 16 gauge wire, for $19.96. Here is the link: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&User_ID=16240877&St=1113&St2=-62203319&St3=-35027059&DS_ID=3&Product_ID=2835&DID=7 Good luck! |
|
Anonymous | Hawk-- Thanks for the advice. One question, though. Aren't the MMG's a little "bass shy?" I know they'll do justice to vocals and acoustic jazz, but how about the heart-thumping bass that I just can't live without? How low do the MMG's go? Will I have to add a sub? If so, which one do you recommend for these particular Maggies? Thanks again. |
|
Hawk | Anon: Absolutely not. The MMGs go down to 50 Hz (- 3 db point), which is lower than most speakers, especially bookshelfs. But even few floorstanders (other than very large ones) can go as low as the MMGs. I had a pair of MMGs on trial and I was amazed at how low they went. I was initially going to order a sub to go with them because I was told the same thing, but soon discovered I didn't need a sub at all. I would be amazed if you thought you needed a sub. I got all the bass I needed by putting the speakers 12" from the back wall. If you do get them and decide you need a sub after all, I would simply recommend a nice PSB Alpha Subsonic 5i, which you can get for $329 from DMC Electronics, or a Velodyne CHT-10 for about the same price from Kiefs. |