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new budget system help please

S

scottyharpr

Member
Hello my name is Scott, i stumbled on this forum looking to put together a system for my home.I know budget and audiophile really don't go together but im on a budget of $1,500 or less in total and i dont mind purchasing used.

If anybody could help with what i should buy im no expert my last system was a bose :no: ! i really want a nice sounding system and all of you guys are the experts.Thank you
 
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Go ahead and buy a complete system for under $200 now and start getting the hang of it.
Then you can upgrade each part as you see fit without being in a big hurry, and take advantage of your own knowledge and whatever good deals you find from time to time.
 
Well, that's a deep subject, and wide too. It depends on what you want and what you want your system to do. Is it just for stereo music listening or for TV surround sound? Lets assume it is just for stereo listening. If it was me, I would go used as you get the most bang for the buck. Figure on $300 to $400 each for a receiver and speakers-or do you want to go separates, amp and preamp? What about a turntable, CD or tape player or will you be using an iPod? Figure on another $100 to $200 for a god CD and the same dor a turntable and then you have maybe another $100 to $200 on cables. I just spent your budget.
Stick with the name brand products, too many to mention here in depth, but just a few follow:
Pioneer
Sansui
Kenwood
JBL
Klipsch
AR
Polk
Boston Acoustics
Dual
Garrard

Give us a little more info on what you are wanting your equipment to do for you.
 
Now, how to allocate that budet...

Two channel?

Two channel with sub?

Multi-channel?? All now, or building towards multi-channel?

If building towards multi-channel, two, or three, speakers now?

Expect to buy a sub now, or in the future?

What sources will you be using in this budget.
 
ok awesome this is what im looking for: A pair of good floor or book shelve speakers for stereo listening , a quality receiver , i have most of my music on hard drives/ipods so i dont have a need for a player . Im not sure about the preamp part and what ever else i may need. @stereofanboy i live in South Florida. thanks again guys
 
1500? Absolutely. There is a ton of gear out there that will do nicely in a medium sized room.

My one piece of advice is to match your system to your room first, then to the kind of music you listen to most. For an average sized room (no more than 15 by 20) the best bang for the buck is to get good stereo main speakers and build out from there. Good sets can be had for 300 to 500 dollars. Next would depend on whether you go with a wall buster system which requires a lot of watts or whether you want the features of an AV receiver and only modest loudness levels. If you want surround, go with small surrounds and a small sub at first (easily obtained for 200 or so) and upgrade later. But don't skimp on your main speakers or your center speaker. For music only I'd go with an integrated amp and separate tuner so you can buy one with a good phono section for your turntable. The rest of your budget will do nicely to get a source (LP or CD or digital media player, maybe a DVD or BluRay player), etc.

With the benefit of hindsight I would always put half the money on good speakers, the rest on mostly the amp/receiver and then worry about the sources and little do hickeys . You can always patiently wait for a good deal on turntables, cd players, etc as time and opportunity arises.
 
I would spend some time reading the Dollars and Sense forum here at AK. It will help you with the 'lay of the land' regarding pricing. A little homework goes a long way!
 
Excellent advice so far thanks! so far i see i should be spending half my budget on speakers. What brands of speakers should i be looking in too ,some say the DIY kits make really good speakers a bit more affordable. Any thoughts?
 
Three other places to check to familiarize yourself with what is out there:

1. audioreview.com
2. audiogon.com
3. ebay.com - use the advanced search option and look at completed auctions for price info
 
While I agree that the speakers are so important that Scotty should wind up dedicating half the budget to speakers, if he does not yet know his preference in speaker sound it is a risk to recommend he do that now. Should we mention at least the great divides: east coast versus west coast sound... horns versus cone/dome tweeters... big bass versus not much bass... newer versus very older? It would be a good thing if he could audition various speaker sounds before spending the budget all at once only to discover that he bought into the wrong preference.
 
Find a used sx model pioneer( sx-750, sx-850, sx-950,sx-1050 ) , should run you between $200 and $450. Then find some used Klipsch Heresy speakers in good shape between $300-$450. Hook your Ipod into aux and enjoy!! Just an easy, friendly,starter suggestion.
 
luddite said:
While I agree that the speakers are so important that Scotty should wind up dedicating half the budget to speakers, if he does not yet know his preference in speaker sound it is a risk to recommend he do that now. Should we mention at least the great divides: east coast versus west coast sound... horns versus cone/dome tweeters... big bass versus not much bass... newer versus very older? It would be a good thing if he could audition various speaker sounds before spending the budget all at once only to discover that he bought into the wrong preference.
Click to expand...

I think it is best to start with 1) per cent you expect to use the system for music vs movies, 2) what kind of music you like most of the time, and 3) how loud do you like to play the music/movies (moderate conversation level, soft music, or party-level quasi-live levels. The answers to these questions will narrow the field greatly while staying within your budget.

You should also use the forum search function in the speakers forum and look at what people do / listen to with specific brands and models to get an idea.

Here's an example: I like to listen to jazz and classical but occasionally I listen to rock and bluesy electric guitar. My solution was to get several systems for different rooms in the house: Martin Logan electrostatics for the living room for classical/jazz, ADS L810 and Pioneer speakers for rock in the office, and DCM TFT350 in the bedroom for general use. Total cost: about $4000. Another person would make different choices, based on their budget, and come up with different brands/models. And then there is the amplification: the electrostats and ADS require about 100 clean watts to perform well, but the DCM's only need half that or even less (I often use them with a 10 watt/ch Lepai amp).

So you see, narrowing down choices depends on your music, your room, how loud you play music, and your budget. The key concept is BALANCE - think of a car: you want the right size engine for the right gear box, to turn the right size wheels for the kind of riding you want to do.
 
ok here are some of my preferences: i listen to mostly jazz,lounge music and classical.I have guest over and i like to listen to the music loud sometimes so i want to put together a system that can handle it.

I want to be pointed at some decent equipment . thanks again
 
Since you said you will be listening mainly to digital sources,I would say,get a newer integrated amp,an ipod dock,speakers,and maybe a DAC,although that can wait till later.
Maybe an NAD or Cambridge Audio Integrated Amp,a pair of effecient speakers,like Klipsch Heresies or Klipsch Fortes.You could always get a bigger integrated amp,and older speakers that are great with jazz,such as KLH Six,or Twenty Three or Five.Orignal Large Advents,although you will probably have to refoam the woofers on those.Or some ADS speakers-620,710,810,etc.
The Polk Monitor series(Seven,Ten,Twelve)are also good.
But with your budget and needs,you could go all new,and still be in good shape.Check places like Accessories4less,Newegg,etc for really good deals on new stuff.
Jimmy
 
Amazon sells the Yamaha AS-500 integrated amp,for about $400 with free shipping.Im using the equivielent receiver,and really like the sound.It has a retro look to it,and it leaves you plenty of money for new speakers,or really good used ones.Dont know how your SO is about big speakers,but you could probably get some nice Klipsch Cornwalls or Fortes or even Chorus II with what you have left,and still have enough for a dock.
Jimmy
 
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