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M-Audio AV40's + Vinyl

OnTheFritz

New Member
Big time gnooob here. For the past decade I've been listening to music via laptop + powered studio monitors. My Dad is giving me his Luxman receiver from the 80's so I decided it's time to dive into vinyl and put together a setup.

I'm going to buy a vintage turntable, probably Technics or Pioneer. Do I need to replace the AV40's with some passive speakers?

Any other advice?

Thanks
 
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Someone told me that if the receiver has pre-outs then I can use the receiver with the AV40's...?

So you're basically just going to use the receiver as a turntable preamp? Why not just get a cheap preamp and hook that up directly to the AV40's?
 
This seems like real overkill to me. You've got a lot of unnecessary power consumption for the signal level that's going to be produced. The amp in the receiver is basically being wasted.
 
This seems like real overkill to me. You've got a lot of unnecessary power consumption for the signal level that's going to be produced. The amp in the receiver is basically being wasted.
Free is free. And using a receiver in this manner isn't uncommon. Besides, Luxman makes nice stuff.

Personally, I would upgrade to nicer passive speakers but the system would be fine as-is.
 
I have to agree. Use the Luxman for what it is. Get decent passive speakers. You don't have to spend a lot to get good sound, as long as your expectations don't exceed the abilities of the gear. Barring any issues based on its age, the Luxman is worth listening to as is, and bigger speakers just means bigger sound. Personally, I'm not a fan of most powered speakers(that I've heard) for vinyl, unless it's a desk-top system. I understand it if space is a limitation, of course, but depending on your budget, I think a pair of larger bookshelf or small floor-standers would be more enjoyable in the long run. ymmv...
 
Really appreciate all the input. I absolutely plan on getting some nice passive bookshelf speakers (apartment living) in the near future. Hoping to come across some used vintage hi-fi speakers for $250-300.
 
Really appreciate all the input. I absolutely plan on getting some nice passive bookshelf speakers (apartment living) in the near future. Hoping to come across some used vintage hi-fi speakers for $250-300.

When I was looking for some bookshelf speakers late last year for my vintage Kenwood and Realistic bedroom receivers I went back and forth over vintage speakers and finally decided on going new. I found an incredible deal on Polk Tsx 110Bs. I liked the first set so much that I bought a slightly used pair for the second system. They were closing out at the time and I got the first set of Cherry finished ones for the incredible price of $129 shipped.

I am not saying they are the only choice, I am saying that there are advantages in buying new (or nearly new) speakers, especially when they are a great price and in the case of the Polks, a very well made and reviewed speaker.

These are the set on my wifes side of the bedroom,(hence the dolls and teddy bears). They are a great choice for a vintage amp since they are easy to drive at 90db sensitivity.

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Here's the receiver I got from my dad: https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/luxman/r-3030.shtml

Would this be able to give the Elac Debut B6 enough power?

The Elacs are rated 6 ohm and 87db sensitive rated for 30 to 120 watts. The Luxman is rated at 30 watts and is rated for 4 ohm speakers (using one set only) so it will be ok. I had never stopped and looked at the specs on the Elacs but was a bit surprised that they are 6 ohm.

For a normal sized room or bedroom 30 watts should be fine. But I would find an easier to drive speaker for a 30 watt vintage unit. The Polks I talked about above are 8 ohm, 90db, rated for 20- 100 watts and on sale for $129 at Crutchfield. It is difficult to talk about speakers online without hearing them of course but the Polks at this price are an extremely good deal. I have heard the Elacs and they do indeed sound very nice, but (this is IMO and difficult to be sure of since they were used with different receivers than mine) they are not worth twice the price of the Polks.

These are the specs for my Kenwood KR 4600...... a very similar unit in specs and the Polks work like a dream with it and both my Kenwood KR 850 (75 RMS) and my Realistic STA 85 (35 RMS)

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https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/kenwood/kr-4600.shtml
 
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The OP is currently using powered speakers with 20 wpc internal amp. The Lux is 30wpc into 8 ohms, 40wpc into 4 ohms so figure 35wpc into 6 ohm speakers. And this is RMS watts, actual peak power will likely be closer to 50 or even 60wpc. He'll have plenty enough power, whatever he decides to get. It's the first watt that is most important, and Luxman is good clean power.

OnTheFritz: Take ALL speaker recommendations with a grain of salt. Or two. Just because a pair sounds good to me in my room doesn't necessarily mean that you will like the sound in your room. And yes, the ELACs are a little expensive. But they were designed to be music speakers first. According to A. Jones, if a set of speakers can do music well, they will do home theater well also. The reverse is not always true. Don't get me wrong, the Polks that were recommended are also pretty decent little speakers. In fact, my main music speakers are Polk Monitor70's, large floor-standers, which replaced a set of Andrew Jones-designed Pioneers, so it's not like I'm prejudiced. The point being, get what YOU like, and don't worry about what I think...

(Edited to add: The main reason the Polks replaced the Pioneers in my front room is because I run separates, and have no tone controls. I decided that I needed more bass in my rather open listening space. My options were somewhat limited, but I chose larger, more efficient speakers. And, had the ELAC F6 been available at the time, I would likely have gone with them)
 
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I agree that 30 RMS is fine for 90% of people and rooms, obviously since only the KR 850 I have is over 35 RMS (I do have a Sony STR 5800 on the way however).....But my point is that on a vintage receiver of unknown condition I think it is better to keep the strain to a minimum......especially when there are a ton of new speakers that are 8 ohm and 90db or higher avail.

I am just very conservative when it comes to equipment of any kind. I am sure the Luxman will do fine with most any speaker you put with it.
 
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