Starting my setup

[jaikarsbains]

I've narrowed down my list, are these prices reasonable? (all in CAD)

• Yamaha NS-690 (Listed for $750)
• JBL L40 (Listed for $600)
• JBL L110 (Listed for $750)
• Klipsch KG 5.5 (Just Listed for $650)

 

[malden]

JBL L40 is overpriced

JBL L110 is a good price if in perfect condition

 

[Dswankey]

“A good rule of thumb is you can never have too much power”. Those of us that grew up involved with audio in the late 70’s and on into the 80’s, were lead to believe that more watts mean better quality.

Not what I meant, what I was getting at is you don't want to run an inefficient pair of speakers with a low watt unit, let's say he saw some other speakers rated at 4ohms and low to mid 80's sensitivity wise those speakers are gonna need more.

I based this on the assumption that this is all new to the OP and was trying to suggest a better safe than sorry approach not too mention maybe as he get's deeper into the rabbit hole speaker wise he'll be ahead of the game

......choose an integrated amp with lower watts (absolutely no loss of quality) and match it with speakers that are very efficient.....

Agreed!

 

[Dswankey]

I've narrowed down my list, are these prices reasonable? (all in CAD)

• Yamaha NS-690 (Listed for $750)
• JBL L40 (Listed for $600)
• JBL L110 (Listed for $750)
• Klipsch KG 5.5 (Just Listed for $650)

Have you heard any of these speakers in the past? if not why these specific ones?

... If you don't plan on listening before buying, you might as well just throw darts at your list.

^ This!!!!

I'm not sure where you're at in Canada, where are you planning to purchase? online? local to you CL, FB Marketplace? if locally again DEMO & inspect before purchase.

As you shop for speakers you should research completed sales on sites such as Reverb, HiFiShark & eBay this will give you a better idea of what's reasonable and what's not price wise.

 

[jaikarsbains]

Have you heard any of these speakers in the past? if not why these specific ones?

I picked these based on what I have read online and what was available locally.

I'm not sure where you're at in Canada, where are you planning to purchase? online? local to you CL, FB Marketplace? if locally again DEMO & inspect before purchase.

I definitely will demo before purchase.

 

[jaikarsbains]

Ended up getting the Yamaha's for $700 CAD (~$500 USD). They're in really good condition. Original everything, just a couple scuffs on the top and bottoms.



Now for an amplifier...

 

[Dswankey]

^ Congrats on your speaker acquisition! spec wise they look like they will play well with a myriad of different amps.

What are you contemplating with regards to amps? if you need advice, suggestions, opinions, etc post what you've seen and hopefully we can point you in the right direction.

 

[jaikarsbains]

^ Congrats on your speaker acquisition! spec wise they look like they will play well with a myriad of different amps.

What are you contemplating with regards to amps? if you need advice, suggestions, opinions, etc post what you've seen and hopefully we can point you in the right direction.

Thanks!

Am I correct in saying that the RMS of an amp should match the speakers wattage?

 

[Genov]

Your speakers are 96db sensitive, so not a lot of watts required to make them play as loud as you’d want.

Why not match a new Yamaha integrated amp (60 wpc) with your vintage Yamaha speakers?

Yamaha A-S301

Stereo integrated amplifier with built-in DAC

www.crutchfield.com

Just a suggestion, and the price is right.

 

[jaikarsbains]

Your speakers are 96db sensitive, so not a lot of watts required to make them play as loud as you’d want.

Why not match a new Yamaha integrated amp (60 wpc) with your vintage Yamaha speakers?

Yamaha A-S301

Stereo integrated amplifier with built-in DAC

www.crutchfield.com

Just a suggestion, and the price is right.

I'll check it out!

I was looking for something vintage to match the speakers like the CA1000.

How many wpc would be too low for these speakers?

 

[Genov]

I'll check it out!

I was looking for something vintage to match the speakers like the CA1000.

How many wpc would be too low for these speakers?

Anything over 20 watts, and you should be ok.

The only thing about buying vintage, is that you would need to be sure what shape it’s in internally. I’d look for something that has been restored (new capacitors, etc). If not, you run the risk of having to pay someone to restore it for you. So more money on top of whatever your purchase price is.

And really, just because the speakers you just bought, are in good shape physically, does not mean that some of the crossover components don’t need to be replaced.

 

[jaikarsbains]

Anything over 20 watts, and you should be ok.

The only thing about buying vintage, is that you would need to be sure what shape it’s in internally. I’d look for something that has been restored (new capacitors, etc). If not, you run the risk of having to pay someone to restore it for you. So more money on top of whatever your purchase price is.

And really, just because the speakers you just bought, are in good shape physically, does not mean that some of the crossover components don’t need to be replaced.

I found the same amp you recommended for 225 USD.

I'll grab that.

Edit: It sold.

 

[Dswankey]

..I was looking for something vintage to match the speakers like the CA1000.

I had a CA-1010 succesor to the CA-1000 is was equally impressive however mine was fully serviced by a local tech.

..The only thing about buying vintage, is that you would need to be sure what shape it’s in internally. I’d look for something that has been restored (new capacitors, etc). If not, you run the risk of having to pay someone to restore it for you. So more money on top of whatever your purchase price is.

@Genov makes a great point

 

[Genov]

I’m not trying to steer you away from vintage. Just wanted to make you aware of what is involved.

I have 4 Sansui amps, 69 to 74, and love them. One was restored, but the other 3, I had restored after I got them. But I knew going into it, that this would be needed.

If I were you, I’d slow down a bit, and do some looking, and some research.

 

[jayvis]

I was looking for something vintage to match the speakers like the CA1000.

There are many on AK who are mixing vintage with modern in their systems with positive results. I think that modern Yamaha component aesthetics aren't drastically different from their vintage stuff. Most of Yamaha's integrated amps also give you the choice between black and silver faceplates. Buying new would also give you the option to use the integrated amp as a DAC if you ever want to add streaming to your system and/or want to have more DAC options than what's built into your CD player or streamer. The new Yamahas also have subwoofer outputs that make it easy to add a subwoofer if you'd like. They have a loudness control feature which has become rare in modern integrated amps plus a remote control which is a very important feature to many. Power isn't going to be a limiting factor with the speakers that you bought, so you should take your time to find an amp that produces the best results with your speakers and has the features you need now and in the future.

 

[jaikarsbains]

Thanks for your replies regarding the amps. I definitely will be doing more research.

 

[Genov]

As far as a vintage amp, this is a good example of what you would look for. Good pictures, and a very detailed explanation of the restoration that was done.

And offers excepted, so a chance to bring the price down a bit.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[malden]

and chances are the above amp will be packed properly,

most ebay sellers either don't want to spend the time it takes to make sure the amp won't get damaged during shipping if dropped, or they are simply clueless and pack as though there is absolutely no chance it will be tossed around by mail carriers who handle thousands of packages daily

 

[jayvis]

and chances are the above amp will be packed properly,

most ebay sellers either don't want to spend the time it takes to make sure the amp won't get damaged during shipping if dropped, or they are simply clueless and pack as though there is absolutely no chance it will be tossed around by mail carriers who handle thousands of packages daily

And they probably won't ship it insured unless you pay for it.

 

[malden]

And they probably won't ship it insured unless you pay for it.

The problem is that if a seller does provide insurance, most do, they don't think about the collectable value of a piece of gear. They proceed as if you can just get another.

I have several pieces of hard to find vintage gear that were damaged during shipping because the seller thought that insurance was enough. Okay, I got my money back but I still have to find replacements which takes time and effort, not to mention that one is already out of circulation.