[TheMarchingMule]

I know you guys are probably sick of my pop-up threads, but this should be one of the last ones.

Lately, I've been considering these setups:

"High"
Source: Marantz CC-4001
Amp: Onkyo A-9555
Speakers: Energy RC-10

"Mid"
Source: Audio-gd Compass
Amp: NAD C325BEE
Speakers: Energy RC-10

"Low"
Source: E-MU 0404 USB
Amp: Pioneer A-35R
Speakers: Energy RC-10

Bad enough that I have to build this setup in college (speakers aren't available until September), but with all this stuff in "High" coming to almost $1,000 (~$300 each), I wonder if I'm going overboard with the source and amp. I read that most of the money should go towards the speakers, but I rather even everything out, performance and price-wise.

Should I just stick to the "high" side and push as far as my budget can go? I rather not upgrade anything for at least a few years, so I'm thinking that's the way to go.

Thanks for hearing me out.

 

[RicHSAD]

Maybe consider the Harman Kardon HK3490 Stereo receiver. 120W per channel, 2 subwoofer out(no crossover settings though), Dolby Headphones, Radio and its got a DAC(AK4384 ... Not sure if it's any good, but my non-trained ears can't really tell the difference between it and the one on my Essence STX).

Pretty good deal for 350$ or less imo.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I'd put as much towards the speakers as possible and cheap out on the rest. $300 is pretty low for speakers. I'd rather buy $900 speakers and power them with a thrift store receiver and an iPod than have $300 speakers with a $300 amp and a $300 source.

Before the source-first crowd shows up, try it out for yourself. Take your best headphones to a junk store and plug them into an old receiver along with your iPod. It won't be perfect, but it'll be pretty good.

Then try swapping the other equipment and listen to the sound. If you have iBuds use those, or get a pair of $5.99 headphones at the store. Plug the cheap headphones into the best source and amp you have.

I've done this. I've plugged iBuds and the $20 Sonys I use for testing new builds into about $15k (retail) of upstream equipment. It makes no difference - cheap headphones still sound like garbage.

On the other hand, plugging great headphones into cheap stuff sounds surprisingly good. The 20 year old Kenwood receiver with an iPod and the HD-800 is pretty listenable. The Kenwood isn't half bad with a K-1000 on the speaker taps, either. I've also put my Quads and ProAc clones on the Kenwood, and it's not bad. And I know other receivers aren't terribly different. If all I had was the Kenwood and the Quads, I think I'd be happy. Not so with iBuds out of a Zana Deux fed by a Michell Orbe with a SME IV arm and a Fi Yph phonostage. That sounds like crap.

So put as much as possible into the speakers. Don't buy new, either. Pick around Audiogon and Craigslist for deals. If you have about $900 to spend, you might get speakers in the $2,000-$2,500 retail range. Those will smoke anything that's $300 new. You can worry about the rest of the setup later.

 

[n3rdling]

I agree completely with UE. Spend most of your money on the speakers. Find speakers that have a general sound you enjoy. You can upgrade your amp/source later to fine tune your system while retaining your overall "sound". With speakers, I think it might even be wiser to upgrade room acoustics before your amp and source, but that can sometimes be pricey. Also, buy used if you can.

 

[cpk]

You should put most of the money toward used speakers. The NAD make a great bang for the buck equipment. You could also get by with a dvd player that also plays cd-r. I am using a Denon 1920 for a source and it is pretty good. It also plays sacd. I am sure you can find something inexpensive at a Best Buy return section and then just buy the warranty for it. That should not cost to much. Then just save and the rest of the equip will eventually show up. I am using some Onix X series with a old Denon DAP 5500 and a class a Counterpointe amp with the dvd player and cheap wires. It gives out a great sound and am content with it as a secondary system. Take your time with your selection as you are on a budget. Good luck with your shopping.

Joe

 

[endless402]

+1 for the mid. nad c325 is a great entry level amp.

take a look at other speakers too/ dont limit yourself to the energy speakers...theyre not bad, but not great but everyone has their own opinion. look for dali, monitor audio, older b&w 603 S3, etc.

buy speakers used! or at least demo models. save a bit of money.

i wouldnt spend 900 dollars on speakers and 100 on an amp...that just doesnt bring out the quality in the speakers. i'd go...500 speakers, 300 amp, 200 DAC (beresford?) but everyone has their own opinion

my current setup has my amp 2x the cost of my speakers.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Well, thanks for the input everybody. I spent another few hours searching around, and now I'm pretty much hooked on the Swan Diva 6.2, even though that fetches a real pretty penny. So for once I've decided to build up my funds until I can purchase those speakers, along with a decent amp and source.

Thanks again for all the replies!

 

[skyline889]

I think for an entry level system, 25% for amp, 25% for source, and 50% for speakers is a good way to budget your money. I went overboard initially with my amp and I'm not sure it was worth it as I probably could of gotten away with much less. If you plan on upgrading your speakers though, a good amp is always a good choice. For speakers, I'd check around on Audiogon before you pull the trigger on those Swans. This is just imo but I think you could do a lot better than those if you take a look at the used market there.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyline889 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think for an entry level system, 25% for amp, 25% for source, and 50% for speakers is a good way to budget your money. I'd check around on Audiogon before you pull the trigger on those Swans. This is just imo but I think you could do a lot better than those if you take a look at the used market there.

Perhaps so, but part of the frustration is that I don't know what to look for. So many brands and models, and there always seems to be very few talks about every model. I tend to just go to AVS and search around until I find one speaker that seems good for its price, and then I search with its model name to compare it to other speakers that are mentioned with it.

Since I'm not planning to upgrade for a very long time, I figured I should wait until next summer, when I know I can afford at least the speakers, maybe find a vintage amplifier around college (at least five antique shops around there), and decide on a cheap source soon after that.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Any interest in building your own speakers? If you have access to a tablesaw and router, you can shoot for close to the high end on your budget. It's not that difficult, either. It's one of those things where you need a lot more labor than skill or experience. I think you could squeeze out a pair of ProAc Response 2.5 clones on your budget and those retailed for $4,500. They are good, too. I love mine, but remain obsessed with dipoles. You could also try for a pair of Jordan JX92S singledrivers in your budget. There's no crossover and they're remarkable speakers.

 

[pcf]

I think you could squeeze out a pair of ProAc Response 2.5 clones on your budget and those retailed for $4,500. QUOTE]

That would be sweet! If the clones have the same sound as the original you are in for a treat. Response 2.5 are one of my favourite speakers and have an amazing mid range. I actually slightly prefer them to their bigger brother Response 3.5 and also D25 which I am currently using.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any interest in building your own speakers? If you have access to a tablesaw and router, you can shoot for close to the high end on your budget. It's not that difficult, either. It's one of those things where you need a lot more labor than skill or experience. I think you could squeeze out a pair of ProAc Response 2.5 clones on your budget and those retailed for $4,500. They are good, too. I love mine, but remain obsessed with dipoles. You could also try for a pair of Jordan JX92S singledrivers in your budget. There's no crossover and they're remarkable speakers.

At the meet a few days ago, I learned a lot about the Bottlehead amps, and how they were made and how easy it was to do so. But looking at the websites that explain how to build the ProAc Response 2.5 clone, I know my OCD would get the best of me on this one, and I'd focus on one measurement for days, wondering if all the little "one-offs" would affect the final outcome. It's a real shame, because I love building with Legos and other basic things, that eventually accumulate into the product of my own imagination, and I'm always proud of that.

I would definitely have to reconsider though, if somebody wanted to build a pair for me in their spare time. Labor costs will be added, of course.

 

[hifidk]

By the way OP, where will you be using these speaker system? I am asking because you mentioned about going college. If you are going to commute I guess there is no problem but if you are thinking about using them in dorm or apartment with your roommates... I would suggest that you stick with headphones until you get your own room or apartment.

Oh and I also had Energy speakers couple years ago (veritas 2.1). I used some cheap audio-source power amp with creek pre-amp but they sounded very nice. But I had to sell them since I didn't have my own room

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hifidk /img/forum/go_quote.gif By the way OP, where will you be using these speaker system? I am asking because you mentioned about going college. If you are going to commute I guess there is no problem but if you are thinking about using them in dorm or apartment with your roommates... I would suggest that you stick with headphones until you get your own room or apartment. Oh and I also had Energy speakers couple years ago (veritas 2.1). I used some cheap audio-source power amp with creek pre-amp but they sounded very nice. But I had to sell them since I didn't have my own room

Ah, that was my original plan, but that was when I was going for a simple setup. Now that's pretty much blown out of the water, so I plan to have it in the open living room back at home.

I'm sure my father will like it to some degree, and I can always crank it up without worrying anybody nearby.

How are those A2s treating you though? I may buy them for college still. Although the whole "lack of bass" thing worries me.

 

[hifidk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ah, that was my original plan, but that was when I was going for a simple setup. Now that's pretty much blown out of the water, so I plan to have it in the open living room back at home. I'm sure my father will like it to some degree, and I can always crank it up without worrying anybody nearby. How are those A2s treating you though? I may buy them for college still. Although the whole "lack of bass" thing worries me.

A2s are ok for desktop speakers but they aren't that great compared to mid to high end headphones or passive bookshelf speakers. I can't get much detail out of these and mid/high sounds a bit recessed. Bass is no problem for me since I don't like to have a lot of bass when listening to speakers. I like these more than Klipsch Promedia 2.1 but still would prefer cheap bookshelf speakers like wharfedale evo/diamond or B&W DM series for example.