Noobs first system - Where do I start?

[mewoods]

Posted in the greeting section so "Hi' to anyone that hasn't read it. I am noob in hi-fi systems. I have communicated with a number of friends and professionals who have been super helpful but wanted to get input here as well. (If there is a similar thread ( I did search but nothing came up for noob system) please feel free to link me to it). I would like to build a system for my 216 sqft living room (15 x 16 with one angled wall) . My budget ranges from $3 to $5 k depending on the components and I am hoping to build my own speaker boxes (experienced craftsman) with decent drivers an cross overs sourced form idk where. Knowing very little to nothing about speaker design I would likely go with a tried and true design or from plans that someone else has had success with. Biggest question other than speaker design/part sourcing is, where the hell do i start? Build around an amp? Music preference? Room size? Component availability at a given budget? I can easily see my budget growing as my interest and involvement grows (shh... don't tell my wife) . I am very analytical and definitely plan to visit friends, shops and shows to listen to what people are doing. My preferred listening would range from a jazz trio to Zappa volume turned to 11 to orchestral music. I really want to hear separation and accuracy. I am open to all input sources: building an analog (vinyl) library, clarity of cd and convenience of streaming (tidal MQA interests me). Any book s you can suggest or other online resources would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[xero-D-hero]

I am hoping to build my own speaker boxes (experienced craftsman) with decent drivers an cross overs sourced form idk where. Knowing very little to nothing about speaker design I would likely go with a tried and true design or from plans that someone else has had success with.

A few places I'd look at are Falcon Acoustics (BBC style DIY stuff) and Madisound,both have lots of DIY speaker stuff.
And of course there's always Parts Express which has tons of stuff for that as well.

where the hell do i start?

Seems you've answered your own question,start with the speakers.

But that said,I'd probably go this route:
Figure out what sorta speakers you're interested in and then I'd source out & purchase your stuff for that project.
Then you'll know how much of the budget is left and that gives you an idea what sorta gear you can go after.

Next I would find a nice integrated amp,this can range from something like the popular Yamaha integrateds all the way up into the stratosphere.
And keep in mind that many modern integrateds include digital audio inputs,so that can likely tide you over till you figure out that situation a bit better.

Then I'd go about finding a nice turntable,this is probably one of the more difficult areas to say "do this" as personal preferences vary so widely.
Me,I'm a vintage DD kinda guy so I'd be looking at Kenwood,Sansui,Denon,or JVC direct drive tables.
But I'd also explore the current TT offerings and see if anything there really caught my attention.

After that it's mostly just smaller stuff,interconnects and speaker cables and such.

You'll get tons of input here,and as new questions pop up you can ask more specific questions in the most appropriate forum for detailed info.

Good luck & welcome to AK.

Bret P.

 

[Aptone]

Welcome to AK @mewoods . Are you in Maine?

One fundamental question is vintage or new? I like the old stuff despite the occasional issues. I like older stuff for the sound, the looks, cost, and nostalgia.

The other questions is do you like to experiment, or are you looking to settle on a final solution as much as possible from the start. I like to experiment as that is at least half the fun.

 

[musichal]

You might consider buying a good, used pair of speakers with beat-up cabs (but good drivers), then rebuilding the cabinets. You get a proven design that you can audition first. The drivers should cost you less this way, and restoring crossovers - if needed - is also affordable and easy to do, with the correct value caps and inductors already determined. Stand a better chance of showing off both your woodworking skill and the speaker's sound with such an approach, imo.

 

[Alobar]

You might consider buying a good, used pair of speakers with beat-up cabs (but good drivers), then rebuilding the cabinets. You get a proven design that you can audition first. The drivers should cost you less this way, and restoring crossovers - if needed - is also affordable and easy to do, with the correct value caps and inductors already determined. Stand a better chance of showing off both your woodworking skill and the speaker's sound with such an approach, imo.

I like this approach as speaker design, driver implementation, crossover design is so far above simple carpentry skills. That stuff takes time and dedication. Fixing a good old pair of proven speakers stands the best chance of success.

 

[HTWillie]

A big decision to make with speakers is whether to go with larger fullrange-ish speakers, or smaller speakers plus a subwoofer. Each have complementary costs and benefits.

Building your own speakers does have a few downsides. It's a lot of fun so you'll not want to stop after making your first pair. And you'll try and do the next one even better than the first.

For me anyhow, the biggest downside is that after all my efforts and time invested in design and building them, I'm so proud of my work I can't readily recognize or admit their faults. I've built a few ugly duds which didn't sound that good but I kept them around for years trying to like them. Building or rebuilding a well known speaker solves that problem.

 

[432HzBob]

Speakers are the big thing, as most everyone here says.
As one guy above says, find something a bit rough you can perhaps fix up and over time swap components in to get it right for what you like.
That said, few things elicit more debate than which speakers to get and the choices are almost unlimited. Eventually you will find that name brand DOES matter and gives you some idea what you're getting.
Amplifiers have different sounds as well no matter how powerful they are.
Some are warmer, "sloppier" and more forgiving to the ear. Some are fast, tight and more clinical sounding.
Even different models of CD players have different sound despite playing the same CD.
I wasn;t satisfied with any I had until stumbling across a simple and inexpensive mid 80's Luxman CD player that actually gave digital sound a modicum of "warmth" in sound.
All a function of the DAC chips they used and you'll see people debate over various makes and models of DAC chips alone around here.
Everyone develops a taste for their preferred sound over time and as deals on "new" (used) gear comes and goes.
For several years I was contented with a 100 watt newish model Marantz AVR, B&W 685's and a Velodyne subwoofer for a small apartment.
10 years later I'm on to 70's &80's vintage gear and larger speakers as I've run across good deals and tried them out.
Hendrix DOES sound better btw, on JBL floorstanders than on B&W bookshelfs. That's been my experience anyway...
Eventually you'll find yourself experimenting swapping things in and out to see what sounds best and there will almost always be that favorite amp, speakers or other piece of gear that has earned a permanent place in your system.
The thing I've learned being here is always be open to new ideas and things you haven;t heard before because you might just come to like it.
Above all, unless you've got alot of $$ to buy the nice new stuff, teach yourself some basic electronics repair because you can find really good deals on things others have ditched that just needs to be taken apart and re-lubed, a few things soldered in and some lights replaced.
Yo will find yourself giggling with delight for years when you know that excellent sounding amplifier you use daily only cost you a few bucks and an evening on the repair bench.

 

[Yamaki]

This is just me but I'd start by listing what sorts of music sources I want to use, such as a TT, CD, DAC (digital music), tape, etc...

Then I'd find a receiver or pre-amp that has inputs that meet the needs of the sources I will use.

Following that comes an amplifier. I tend to not use the internal amps in a receiver or AVR because I like to use larger, more power hunger, speakers and use a stand alone amp to power them. Here comes a bit of a conundrum...amp first or speakers first? You can go either way but I start with the amplifier and select it based on the power it puts out. I like my McIntosh MC 501 amplifiers as they give me power options of 2, 4 & 8 ohms to play with, all with the same watt rating.

Then I listen to speakers that will work well with the power ratings of the amplifier, leaving myself a bit of "headroom" to play with. For instance, my MC501's are rated at 500W into 8, 4, or 2 ohms (27dBW, 24dBW, 21dBW, respectively) and my large Aerial Model 8 speakers are rated up to 300W @ 8 ohms. But it's not simply plug and play. I called Michael Kelly at Aerial Acoustics to discuss that model speaker when using the MC501 amplifier. He strongly suggested I use the 4 ohm tap after listening to the speakers plugged into the 8 ohm tap. It was an eye opener. My takeaway from this is while you can match components, there's enough variability there that small changes can make a big difference.

So there may not be a perfect match out there for you simply based on specifications. Rather, I'd say the perfect match is what sounds the best to you!

 

[62vauxhall]

I do not envy anyone wanting a first 2 channel system these days. It was so much easier in the heydays. Hit the shops, listen to speakers, pick some speakers then go from there as budget allows.

I'm too old school to comprehend buying speakers sight unseen or unheard. It does not compute. Old speakers, I've heard enough in my lifetime to have an inkling of what to expect from the makers in days gone by but modern speakers, I can only guess.

If you want or are considering vintage, there seems to be a proliferation of shops dealing in such things. Where I live, there were only two such stores but interest had grown enough recently that at least three more players are in the mix. Last night I saw an ad for yet another one but it was by appointment only.

If there are any such establishments where or near where you are, seek them out and listen to some speakers. Might not be fair to the dealer, but after auditioning a few, start looking for what you liked on Craigslist et al.

Prices in those shops seem high to me but as I've said, I'm old school. On the other hand, buying from an established business does have it's advantages.

I just remembered, Best Buy is still around and probably still has a finger in home audio. So at least some new speakers can be heard and compared. Don't expect much from the sales staff. However, my experience included working from an office within a Best Buy for several years and there was nothing of any interest to me. But that was over seven years ago so things might be different now.

 

[mewoods]

Welcome to AK @mewoods . Are you in Maine?

One fundamental question is vintage or new? I like the old stuff despite the occasional issues. I like older stuff for the sound, the looks, cost, and nostalgia.

The other questions is do you like to experiment, or are you looking to settle on a final solution as much as possible from the start. I like to experiment as that is at least half the fun.

I am in Maine. I love the look of vintage but I'm leaning to newer used high end equipment.