I have loved music my whole life so the logical next step is to strive for best sound I can get. I recently acquired a kenwood kr 4070 amp and 2 bang olufsen beovox s45's and I actually used audiokarma a lot to do research. I am now however starting to regret my decision as I am having problems with the amp/speakers I posted in the general discussion any help you can offer would be great!
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I'm new and starting to feel overwhelmed
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vintageboy
Chicago HiFi
welcome here
Finding the sound you want (or your optimal system) can take time. Don't be discouraged. I've purchase things only to go on to other things later. Finding the right synergy between the pieces you have is also very important. I still want to try out more gear. But I don't have a lot of money to burn right now!
Killer Fox
Super Member
I can't help you, but I can relate. Right there with you!
1st of all welcome to AK!
Secondly there are those types everywhere you go!
Hobby? To me this is not a Hobby but rather a "way of life" and I know it is not for some and either you like it or not is more like it is. Again Welcome and enjoy your stay no matter how long or short it may be
:thmbsp:
ponderwilu
Bond ... James Bond.
If your like most of us here you have an idea of what sounds good "to-you" already bouncing around in your head. It's pretty unlikely your first attempts to find your "nirvana" will happen right away. It's a process. Don't give up but keep the course. Your "perfect" sound lies ahead. It's up to you if you want to pursue and find it. There's a wealth of information here to help you along the journey. Keep on keepin' on my friend. Enjoy the ride ... it's half the fun!
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45681
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45681
J English
Super Member
Go slow, take your time, build carefully so you don't wind up with a big pile of ... stuff. Buy one solid piece (amp or receiver) or the true score, and then use cheap temporaries for some items while you add the exact component you want for each thing. Don't feel like you have to do it in a month or two. More than half of the fun is the hunt/journey.
Killer Fox
Super Member
Sometimes you have to back pedal. If you bought something that isn't "right", try to sell and break even at least. Then research and start again.
KingBubba
"Too Much Stuff"
Welcome. 
This "hobby" can be addicting so beware. The items you mentioned are good quality equipment; so you are starting out well. There is one thing, however, that you need to keep in mind. Fine old stereo equipment that you and many others have here is OLD. The components inside these lovely old beasts had a limited lifetime when they were built and they are all coming to the end of their usable life unless they are rehabilitated by knowledgeable individuals, a lot of whom are old and need a few parts themselves. :thmbsp:
At present I am no longer in acquisition phase, instead I am in repair phase. I have collected as much equipment as I could ever need and now I am working to get it all repaired so they will last for another 20 years or so. Hopefully I will live that long.
If you can't repair yourself then you need to save the money to have your stuff rehabbed and this isn't cheap. As an example I had a Sansui Model 8 Deluxe rehabbed by one of the talented techs here on AK. Shipping cost me $150 round trip and $300+ for the rehab. My SX-1250 is out now and will cost me more than the Sansui. I don't care about the cost because I want this equipment and there is nothing in the modern market that is anything like it. You must pay the price for what you want. Even if you get something on the cheap at a thrift store, you will still have to pay for repair at some point.
Your equipment may be out of tolerances and need a tweak or some Deoxit to get it where you want, but eventually you will need to do some work. Your speakers may need to be recapped which you can do yourself if you are handy. The receiver will also need to be recapped at some point soon. If you are able to do it yourself, the better. If not, you must be willing to pay a qualified person to do this for you. There are many talented individuals here that can do the work. Look up AK Gurus to find a recent thread that honors those among us who are talented enough to fix this complicated stuff. I hope you can get your new stuff where you want it to be and can enjoy it for years to come. Spend a bit of time here on AK and learn more.
This "hobby" can be addicting so beware. The items you mentioned are good quality equipment; so you are starting out well. There is one thing, however, that you need to keep in mind. Fine old stereo equipment that you and many others have here is OLD. The components inside these lovely old beasts had a limited lifetime when they were built and they are all coming to the end of their usable life unless they are rehabilitated by knowledgeable individuals, a lot of whom are old and need a few parts themselves. :thmbsp: At present I am no longer in acquisition phase, instead I am in repair phase. I have collected as much equipment as I could ever need and now I am working to get it all repaired so they will last for another 20 years or so. Hopefully I will live that long.
If you can't repair yourself then you need to save the money to have your stuff rehabbed and this isn't cheap. As an example I had a Sansui Model 8 Deluxe rehabbed by one of the talented techs here on AK. Shipping cost me $150 round trip and $300+ for the rehab. My SX-1250 is out now and will cost me more than the Sansui. I don't care about the cost because I want this equipment and there is nothing in the modern market that is anything like it. You must pay the price for what you want. Even if you get something on the cheap at a thrift store, you will still have to pay for repair at some point.
Your equipment may be out of tolerances and need a tweak or some Deoxit to get it where you want, but eventually you will need to do some work. Your speakers may need to be recapped which you can do yourself if you are handy. The receiver will also need to be recapped at some point soon. If you are able to do it yourself, the better. If not, you must be willing to pay a qualified person to do this for you. There are many talented individuals here that can do the work. Look up AK Gurus to find a recent thread that honors those among us who are talented enough to fix this complicated stuff. I hope you can get your new stuff where you want it to be and can enjoy it for years to come. Spend a bit of time here on AK and learn more.
First of all welcome to AK!!
It is so easy to be overwhelmed by what to buy, what not to buy. It all boils down to two plain and simple facts... preference and hearing. One simple post of "What should I buy" will get you dozens of different answers, which leads to hearing. Everyone does not hear the same. What sounds exquisite to me may sound like crap to you.
When in doubt, do not be afraid to ask. That's what we are here for. Do your due diligence, research and read as much as you can, try to audition the components you are planning to buy. Sometimes this is harder to do when there are no audio stores in your area.
The most important advice I can give you is... enjoy the journey. This is an important purchase, and you should enjoy every minute you can because it only comes around once.
It is so easy to be overwhelmed by what to buy, what not to buy. It all boils down to two plain and simple facts... preference and hearing. One simple post of "What should I buy" will get you dozens of different answers, which leads to hearing. Everyone does not hear the same. What sounds exquisite to me may sound like crap to you.
When in doubt, do not be afraid to ask. That's what we are here for. Do your due diligence, research and read as much as you can, try to audition the components you are planning to buy. Sometimes this is harder to do when there are no audio stores in your area.
The most important advice I can give you is... enjoy the journey. This is an important purchase, and you should enjoy every minute you can because it only comes around once.
Welcome!
Welcome To AK
If you're overwhelmed don't start threads here asking the group on what you should buy or what's better. All that will do is get your head spinning as there are far too many opinions.
If you can't do tech work on equipment maybe it's best not to buy to old of gear as electronics degrade.
Think of your system as such, it all has to work together. If you can't afford a high power high quality amp don't buy high quality power hungry speakers.
Look at your space/room is what you're trying to put together fit the room in size, astetic and acoustics.
You are the only one that knows what looks and sounds good. Buy what looks good but research the SQ on the gear.
Don't just buy gear because it's cheap or you can get a deal. This will lead to a house full of "Suff", stuff is not an audio system.
If you're overwhelmed don't start threads here asking the group on what you should buy or what's better. All that will do is get your head spinning as there are far too many opinions.
If you can't do tech work on equipment maybe it's best not to buy to old of gear as electronics degrade.
Think of your system as such, it all has to work together. If you can't afford a high power high quality amp don't buy high quality power hungry speakers.
Look at your space/room is what you're trying to put together fit the room in size, astetic and acoustics.
You are the only one that knows what looks and sounds good. Buy what looks good but research the SQ on the gear.
Don't just buy gear because it's cheap or you can get a deal. This will lead to a house full of "Suff", stuff is not an audio system.
Robayb
Active Member
It's all pretty good advice here. I started out the same as you about three years ago and did accumulate too much stuff. But I found some real gems in between. I think the key is to be selective and go for quality and condition above all else. Especially with vintage gear. And if you're not going to do the work yourself make sure you have lined up a good tech somewhere. When I started I wanted to teach myself how to repair a lot of this gear and that's prove to be very complex task that requires a lot of time. I can do the basics but it's always important to have a tech available. so to be sure you're going to waste a little bit of money with this hobby you're going to second-guess yourself but I guess what sounds good to you is all that really matters and don't forget the part of the fun is hunting for the right pieces ...
at least that's how I see it
at least that's how I see it
I also have the Beovox S45 and I really like them!
Welcome to the show!
Welcome to the show!