What stereo(s) do you listen to? What do you want? - Page 133

entry level shit

stumbled upon some old pics spring cleaning





In a 11' x 15' room it's probably impossible to beat without spending at least 5K more

Dynaudio

I grew up listening to my father's AR Turntable feeding an Onkyo Integra amp and a pair of JBL L112s. At Christmastime, I spent some time listening to some vinyl with my gf on that system and it was sounding really, really good. I'm thinking that a nice 2 channel system would be very nice. I'm probably only really interested in dropping a grand or so (Amp/preamp/speakers), and I could probably do that by picking up an vintage Integra amp/preamp ($500 total), and dropping the rest on speakers, though I have a sent of JBL bookshelf speakers which are pretty decent. Is that reasonable, or should I really be considering something more modern -- heck, maybe I should just get a surround receiver and use that?

 

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions for components, vintage or modern, especially the amp and speakers?

 

~ H

 

 

 

(I spent a lot of time watching those VU meters dance in my younger days)

 

~ H

If you want something simple (it kind of sounds like it), try an integrated amp instead of separate amp and preamp. If you liked the JBL, then you should get it or some modern equivalent. Many of the cheap Harman speakers like the JBLs and the Infinity Primus are really good speakers for the value.

Do you need to get a turntable, too?

Thanks, AY and AF.

 

AY, I was considering some integrated amps -- it is cheaper and simpler and takes less space. I will need a turntable, and I posted about that in the turntable thread. I was considering a Rega, and AF suggested I also look at the Music Hall 2.2, but what I really wanted was appropriate guts with which I could fab my own plinth out of something beautiful.

 

AF, thanks for the suggestions; I believe I've heard you rep the Mangepans before. I'll look at Rotel and NAD for the amp, too.

 

I guess it is fairly accurate to say that surround recievers don;t really have phono stages? It would be nice to have the L and R channel speakers serve a dual purpose as the L & R for a surround setup as well, but I guess that is asking too much,

 

~ H

 

Just don't try and run Magnepans with a surround sound receiver. I've always avoided electrostats because of high power requirements and difficult DIY maintenance. Buying new would at least alleviate the latter issue.

Integrated amps are convenient if you can find one with a good phono stage. On the other hand, separates tend to offer better performance and much more flexibility for the future. I used a nice integrated forever before I switched to separates. If you're an enthusiast, it's usually only a matter of time before you feel like upgrading or simply trying something new. Integrated amps make this a little more difficult and expensive. It all depends on whether you're simply buying a system because you need one (everyone should have a decent hi-fi) or if you're taking up a new hobby.

That Onkyo Integra posted above (M-504 maybe?) is one of my favorite amps in terms of aesthetics. I get such a thrill out of those huge VU meters.

Finally, another +1 for the Rega RP1. I've read good things about the Music Halls, but have never actually heard one.

Most receivers today don't have phono stages, but some integrateds do. You can always buy a relatively inexpensive outboard phono preamp that performs pretty well.

Maggies are not electrostats. They are planar magnetics, and they have a pretty benign input impedance, so they are pretty amp friendly --- just make sure the receiver can drive a 4-Ohm load relatively well (not all can). Their input impedance is also mostly resistive, whereas some old school electrostats looked like capacitors from the amp's POV, and could drive some amps into instability.