Challenge for the modern fans - The best $1000 system.

[Poultrygeist]

The Scottish blood in me loves this topic. So here's another $1000 system:

Horn Shoppe Horns ( highly rated by Art Dudley ) - $875 shipped

Topping TP30 amp with built in USB DAC source ( nice owner reviews at PE ) - $109 shipped

$16 balance more than enough to cover Monoprice RCA's and Walmart Woods Patio Cord speaker wires

 

[MWalt]

I think I could live with this system.

cubdog

Me too.

One could substitute the Tekton OB45 for the Tekton M Lore for a savings of $50. Both would work fine with the APPJ Miniwatt SET but you'd give up some bass response for more detailed mid/highs. My friend in Charlotte has the OB45 paired with the APPJ Miniwatt EL-84 in his bedroom and likes the combination as well as his Zu's driven by a custom 300B.

The Scottish blood in me loves this topic. So here's another $1000 system:

Horn Shoppe Horns ( highly rated by Art Dudley ) - $875 shipped

Topping TP30 amp with built in USB DAC source ( nice owner reviews at PE ) - $109 shipped

$16 balance more than enough to cover Monoprice RCA's and Walmart Woods Patio Cord speaker wires

Good suggestions here. The white lightning cables really are very good and are Taco Bell cheap. I made 2 sets of them and they are bettered only by my $800 a pair cables. The Hornshoppe Horns? Let's just say that they are hard to beat at any price. I am doing a review very soon on these.

 

[Bigerik]

The Scottish blood in me loves this topic. So here's another $1000 system:

Horn Shoppe Horns ( highly rated by Art Dudley ) - $875 shipped

Topping TP30 amp with built in USB DAC source ( nice owner reviews at PE ) - $109 shipped

$16 balance more than enough to cover Monoprice RCA's and Walmart Woods Patio Cord speaker wires

Very impressive. Great take on this concept.

 

[chefde]

Wharfedale Diamond 10.1

NAD C316BEE & NAD C515BEE

Loom with Blue Jeans cables.

I've been living with & loving my <similar> system:

NAD 314 (close to the C316BEE)
NAD C515BEE
Wharfedale Diamond 10.1

I didn't care much for the Wharfedales until they were used for a few hours. I pulled them out of rotation and my son listened to them for a few days. After his insistence; I gave them another listen and they haven't left the living room for weeks!

 

[estreeter]

`

The Scottish blood in me loves this topic. So here's another $1000 system:

Horn Shoppe Horns ( highly rated by Art Dudley ) - $875 shipped

Topping TP30 amp with built in USB DAC source ( nice owner reviews at PE ) - $109 shipped

$16 balance more than enough to cover Monoprice RCA's and Walmart Woods Patio Cord speaker wires

Boom. Like John's active speaker suggestion earlier, you have turned the usual AK obsession with amplifiers on its head and put the focus on the speakers. I have absolutely no idea how that combination would actually sound, but I salute you for thinking outside the, ahem, box

 

[Poultrygeist]

I'm on a roll and for $969 I came up with this all tube full range single driver vinyl package: :thmbsp:

Music Angel Mini L1 691 push pull tube amp 15 wpc - $253 shipped

Yaqin MS-22B tube phono preamp - $186 shipped

U-Turn Orbit belt drive TT with Ortofon cart - $150

Tang Band D4-1 back loaded horns 89 dbs - $380

Although these Tang Band horns are classified as a kit you only need a screw driver for assembly. No cutting, no painting, no staining and no gluing. My wife could put these puppies together with one hand tied behind her back.

http://diyaudioprojects.com/Speakers/Tang-Band-D4-1-DIY-Horn-Speaker-Kit/

 

[estreeter]

Tang Band D4-1 back loaded horns 89 dbs - $380

Although these Tang Band horns are classified as a kit you only need a screw driver for assembly. No cutting, no painting, no staining and no gluing. My wife could put these puppies together with one hand tied behind her back.

http://diyaudioprojects.com/Speakers/Tang-Band-D4-1-DIY-Horn-Speaker-Kit/

PG, I spend a lot of time ignoring temptation, and will have to continue to do so for another 15-16 months unless I want to pay for a shipping container, but I would order those horns right now if I wasn't relocating overseas. My pathetic excuses aside, seeing the build instructions for such an 'idiot-proof' kit sorely tempted me. Full marks to the folk who got it to the point that you dont need anything resembling a cabinetmaker's toolkit to build the enclosures. :thmbsp:

 

[riversideguy]

Usher s520 and a nad 326 and nad cd player. You could do worse...much worse

 

[Poultrygeist]

estreeter,

You're itching to put something together but once you start it's like a drug. The Tang Bands are as easy to take apart as they are to put together. Plus they take up little room stored flat. Wherever you're going I'm sure you can find something to whet your appetite. Great stuff can be found overseas.

 

[estreeter]

I have no problems with the 'finding great stuff' part of it - the world is a much smaller place now than it was 10 years ago - but I plan to leave here with one suitcase and a carry-on. Imagine condensing your life to that point - its a challenge, I can assure you !

 

[MWalt]

I have no problems with the 'finding great stuff' part of it - the world is a much smaller place now than it was 10 years ago - but I plan to leave here with one suitcase and a carry-on. Imagine condensing your life to that point - its a challenge, I can assure you !

You live in OZ at the present right? Where are you going?

 

[Poultrygeist]

Wow! I can't imagine. You're a brave soul my friend.

 

[onepixel]

Can the amp be inside the speakers?

I was impressed with the value of the bi-amped M-Audio powered monitors I had. Chip-amps, one each for the 8" woofer and 1" dome tweeter, active x-over.

Mine were the M-Audio BX8a's, which have been replaced with a newer model, around $500.

Just mate with a DAC and your existing PC.

M-Audio makes some freaking amazing speakers. I prefer the smaller M-Audio BX5 D2 for $300. Seemed better balanced. I'd say they would kick ass on any vintage and new speakers well over a $1000.

 

[Doc Spratley]

Source: any ole' computer

Dac: Shciit Modi - $99

Rca cable: Monoprice premium - $2.50

Pre: Gemini pa-7000 - $80

XLR cables: Monoprice premium - $16/pair

Speakers: Focal CMS40 - $800

 

[Billfort]

Some really interesting takes on this here - nice to see such out-of-box approaches being considered.

Would love to hear some of these systems, especially the ones embracing computer based streaming.

 

[estreeter]

Wow! I can't imagine. You're a brave soul my friend.

Maybe, but how many here can say they are within two hours flying time of Singapore / Hong Kong / Tokyo / Seoul ? I look forward to posting a few pics from my trip to Akihabara in 2014, assuming I dont have a seizure as soon as I step into one of those 'audio superstores'.

 

[Poultrygeist]

It would be shameful not to partake of Chinese gear.

 

[estreeter]

Chinese, Japanese, Korean - even the Thais have a small boutique audio industry. Established high-end gear from the US and Europe/UK can be found in every one of the cities I named above, and mid-fi can be found everywhere. I knew we were being ripped off on Marantz here in Oz, but seeing the sticker price in Singapore drove home just how badly .....

 

[riversideguy]

Aussie

Living out in Perth I find the prices for high end stereo here shocking. Some brands are not marked up like others as some dist are not gouging.

 

[ksucats96]

@JesusChrysler, you are no idiot, if you are indeed Mattspew!
I just joined, time to update the Pioneer 3way 12 in speakers. Foam rotted out..
Snoop


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