[uzziah]

i'm curious if anyone has been able to put together a system (amp/speakers) that would rival a similarly priced headphone system. i'm going back and forth on where to dump my money.

i'm thinking something like some efficient bookshelves and a class-T derrivation like the diyparadise charlize or the like might compete quite well. personally i'm wondering how something like the charlize ($150ish all told) + some triangle titus 202's (perhaps $350 used) would compete with $500 worth of headphone stuff, such as a pair of hd650's with a ppa.

of course the question is a tad ridiculous as we're talking two completely different styles of music listening, but i'm curious; i just can't find myself believing that headphones are still the undisputed bang/buck gear anymore.

 

[saint.panda]

Counting out DIY because that's a bit unfair and if we take a $650 headphone system ($300 for HD 650 and $350 for an amp, both bought used), you can easily buy a nice pair of active Mackie HR 624 on ebay for that amount of money. As for instant dynamics, soundstage, imaging and bass impact, et al. this system would trump the HD 650. For even-handed frequency response, transparency, tonal richness, a cleaner sound, intimacy and a few other things, I think the headphone system will still be stronger. It may depend on your listening priorities but for sound alone, I would favour the Mackie system.

 

[uzziah]

well said; the harder i try to come to an answer on this issue, the more illusive it becomes; phones and speakers have such different strengths and drawbacks; it eventually seems to always become a matter of listening prefferences, which of course makes sense.

 

[taylor]

New? I doubt it, unless you get a really good deal. But used, there's tons of options. I picked up a pair of old BIC speakers for $9 at a yard sale. $6 for fuses, some spare speaker cable, and a $5 yard sale reciever made my SR-60s sound like dirt. Early 80s gear is amazing bang for the buck. People will sell stuff that cost <$1k for under $50. Unlike computers and TVs, speakers don't advance that quickly. There's a lot of fancy computer optimized designs, but a good speaker that's 20 years old will beat -anything- you can buy new for the same price. I mean, my entire BIC system cost less than a Coby boombox.

 

[uzziah]

that's a really good point. i'm all about used gear, especially something as infragile as speakers. only problem is i've no experience with older speakers and wouldn't know what to look for. but going around and finding old speakers and what-not can be a lot of fun.

 

[michaelconnor]

There are a lot of vintage speakers flying around to choose from. After reading lots of reviews and advice from AudioKharma.com, I decided on some Large Advent speakers from the mid-seventies. A lot of Hi-Fi enthusiests still have their Advents from back in the day. They can be found from $10-$200 depending on where you look. I found a pair of pristine Advents on Craigslist for $60. After refoaming the surrounds, they sound absolutely wonderful.

 

[uzziah]

super cool

 

[stewtheking]

I second the vintage gear thing. A few years ago, my entire speaker rig. (amp, CDP, speakers) cost me around a fiver. All from car boot sales, and all needing something tiny repairing like a rubber band on the tuning knob.

My amp, a technics intergrated, is still the hub of my system, and my "new" CD player is a NAD player from the mid nineties. I also just bought some 2nd hand B&W speakers (model DM 330) that cost me £60 (roughly $100).

Used gear also loses NO value if you decide immediately that you are not happy, and want to sell it on. If the ebay gods smile on you, you could even make a profit!