[[email protected]]

Hello!

I have a question concerning buying audio equipment. My father has
quite a large collection of LPs (more than 5000) of various music
genres. Recently he decided to change his hi-fi for something better -
his current one is about 20 years old Therefore I would like to ask
You what equipment (phono, amp, speakers + maybe others that I'm not
aware of) should he buy. Which companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

sincerely
Michal Gorski

[mueller]

wrote:
Hello!

I have a question concerning buying audio equipment. My father has
quite a large collection of LPs (more than 5000) of various music
genres. Recently he decided to change his hi-fi for something better -
his current one is about 20 years old Therefore I would like to ask
You what equipment (phono, amp, speakers + maybe others that I'm not
aware of) should he buy. Which companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

sincerely
Michal Gorski
Hi Michal
First of all, where are you located. Do you have access to audio stores?
With that kind of budget, I'd recommend going to a real audio store.
$5,000.00 can buy a geat turntable, Amp/Pre with phono section and some
really good speakers. There is even money left over for a good CD player.

The bottom line will be what sounds good to you and your dad. Don't let
anyone steer you away from actually auditioning and listening. Most
higher end stores will let you try the gear for 7 days in your home.
I've done that twice with pre amps.
Good Luck
Mike Mueller

[bob]

On Apr 17, 9:02 pm, mueller wrote:
wrote:
Hello!

I have a question concerning buying audio equipment. My father has
quite a large collection of LPs (more than 5000) of various music
genres. Recently he decided to change his hi-fi for something better -
his current one is about 20 years old Therefore I would like to ask
You what equipment (phono, amp, speakers + maybe others that I'm not
aware of) should he buy. Which companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

sincerely
Michal Gorski

Hi Michal
First of all, where are you located. Do you have access to audio stores?
With that kind of budget, I'd recommend going to a real audio store.
$5,000.00 can buy a geat turntable, Amp/Pre with phono section and some
really good speakers. There is even money left over for a good CD player.

The bottom line will be what sounds good to you and your dad. Don't let
anyone steer you away from actually auditioning and listening. Most
higher end stores will let you try the gear for 7 days in your home.
I've done that twice with pre amps.
Good Luck
Mike Mueller

I'd second this advice. There are too many brands out there for us to
try to give you specific recommendations up front. (The exception may
be turntables, where various folks have their favorites, but even then
you've got the availability question.)

So the first question is, what's available near you? Visit a few
shops, then come back here and tell us what you've listened to and
liked, and you'll get more specific reactions. A few general bits of
advice:

--Think about speakers first. Do you want floorstanders, or smaller
monitors up on stands? If you want bass all the way down, think about
a subwoofer as well.

--Amplification depends largely on speaker choice and room size, so
decide things in that order. An extra $500 on speakers or turntable/
cartridge could buy you a good step up in sound quality. An extra $500
on amplification won't, unless your speakers need a LOT of power.

Out of curiosity, what's your dad got now? Just because something's 20
years old doesn't mean it's bad. You might not be able to improve on
the amp if he already has a good one.

bob

[Arny Krueger]

wrote in message ...
Hello!

I have a question concerning buying audio equipment. My father has
quite a large collection of LPs (more than 5000) of various music
genres. Recently he decided to change his hi-fi for something better -
his current one is about 20 years old Therefore I would like to ask
You what equipment (phono, amp, speakers + maybe others that I'm not
aware of) should he buy. Which companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

Just because its old, doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with it. What
is the existing hi-fi composed of?

It sounds like your dad is a man of taste and discretion, so it is possible
that he has some classic gear that is worthy of refurbishment at the worst.

[[email protected]]

On Apr 18, 6:39 pm, "Arny Krueger" wrote:
wrote in ...
Hello!

I have a question concerning buying audio equipment. My father has
quite a large collection of LPs (more than 5000) of various music
genres. Recently he decided to change his hi-fi for something better -
his current one is about 20 years old Therefore I would like to ask
You what equipment (phono, amp, speakers + maybe others that I'm not
aware of) should he buy. Which companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

Just because its old, doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with it. What
is the existing hi-fi composed of?

It sounds like your dad is a man of taste and discretion, so it is possible
that he has some classic gear that is worthy of refurbishment at the worst.

To the above good advice, I'd add two comments

1. With all those old LPs, be sure to get and use a vacuum record
cleaner, even if your records look clean. I have been well-served for
years by a Nitty Gritty Record Doctor, available for $250 from Audio
Advisor. Makes a huge improvement.

2. A modest system, carefully set up (e.g. cartridge alignment,
spikes, vibration isolation) will be more satisfying than an expensive
system casually set up.

[http://www.wenterprisesnorthwest.com]

Hello Michal,

As an audiophile and music lover, experimenting with audio gear for the past
25 years -also in the business as a high-end dealer for over 10 years, I
will give you a few choices to put on your short list for your father to
consider...

For an amp in this system price range, I suggest a good integrated with a
nice phono preamp onboard...

Arcam DiVA A90 with the optional phono input
http://www.arcam.co.uk/prod_diva_A90_intro.cfm

As for the turntable, the Music Hall MMF 5 is a great sounding mid-level
player...
http://www.musichallaudio.com/mmf_pr...&prolook=mmf_5

And as for the speakers, you really cannot beat the musical quality and
performance, paired with the petite size of the Silverline Prelude...
http://www.silverlineaudio.com/modul...ticle&sid= 77

Cables too, are a good part of the "finishing touch" in a high-end system,
and it doesn't get much better than DH Labs for a reasonably priced high-end
cable...
http://www.dhlabs-cables.com/

Market price for this entire system (including the cables) should be within
your father's budget. And it will sound oh so nice too. There are quite a
few choices in this price range, but matching the system can prove to be
frustrating if you're not familiar with different brands and their
signatures. The aforementioned system is what I would personally choose if
I were to have a $5,000 budget for a hi-fi system. I hope this helps you,
at the very least, to get going (i.e. auditioning/shopping) in the right
direction.

Helpful Hint: Also something to consider as well... Some dealers are even
willing to take your current gear in on trade to give you extra buying
power, or you can sell his gear on AudiogoN, or even perhaps eBay.

Thank you for posting this question, and please feel free to contact me
anytime...

Best regards,

-Donald

W ENTERPRISES NORTHWEST
Authorized Dealer for DH Labs and Silverline Audio (not affiliated with
Arcam or Audiophile Systems)

wrote in message ...
Hello!

I have a question concerning buying audio equipment. My father has
quite a large collection of LPs (more than 5000) of various music
genres. Recently he decided to change his hi-fi for something better -
his current one is about 20 years old Therefore I would like to ask
You what equipment (phono, amp, speakers + maybe others that I'm not
aware of) should he buy. Which companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

sincerely
Michal Gorski

[Harry Lavo]

wrote in message ...
Hello!

I have a question concerning buying audio equipment. My father has
quite a large collection of LPs (more than 5000) of various music
genres. Recently he decided to change his hi-fi for something better -
his current one is about 20 years old Therefore I would like to ask
You what equipment (phono, amp, speakers + maybe others that I'm not
aware of) should he buy. Which companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

sincerely
Michal Gorski

You know, I started to write out a recommendation. But in all honesty, it
can't really be done well unless you tell us what equipment he has now and
what shape it is in. Given his phono collection and habits, it is very
likely that some of his existing system combined with some new stuff will
give him far better sound than simply going out and spending $4000 on a
whole new system. Frankly, $4000 is not a very expensive system nowadays,
and it might actually end up being a downgrade for him.

So if you can provide some details on what he has, it really is essential to
a quality answer. Plus other issues: does he listen to FM, or would he like
to? Satellite radio? Does he have cassettes or reel-to-reel tapes. Does
he have a CD player? If not, would he like to?

[[email protected]]

On 17 Apr 2007 22:45:43 GMT, wrote:

hich companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

The Hifi mags have lists of recommended components and best buys.
Usually a very good starting point.

I make a few random suggestions

5k is a good for a hifi. Save 10% for decent cables. So about 500US is
probably the kind of sum you are talking about.

I'd say you want to spend about 2k on amp. Thinking about it the
Pathos and Unico amps from italy are fantastic. I think the Unico has
a very good phone stage. It a choice between all solid-state amps or
valves/hybrid. I'd go for an integrated amp. Depends on the music you
listen to.

- amps

Valves: Opera Consonance amps (from China), Pathos Classic MkIII or
Unison Research Unico, Prima Luna

Solid State: Rega , NAIM, Creek, Arcam

- turntables - Rega P5/P7 would be a good bet/ Music Hall/ Project /
Aries ?

- speakers - yikes ? PROAC, Thiel, EPOS, Spendor, B&W, Opera (Italian)
I think are all leading brands in your budget.

Hope this helps. You can find dealers if you get a copy of
Stereophile magazine.

[Arny Krueger]

wrote in message
...
On Apr 18, 6:39 pm, "Arny Krueger" wrote:
wrote in ...
Hello!

I have a question concerning buying audio equipment. My father has
quite a large collection of LPs (more than 5000) of various music
genres. Recently he decided to change his hi-fi for something better -
his current one is about 20 years old Therefore I would like to ask
You what equipment (phono, amp, speakers + maybe others that I'm not
aware of) should he buy. Which companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

Just because its old, doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with it.
What
is the existing hi-fi composed of?

It sounds like your dad is a man of taste and discretion, so it is
possible
that he has some classic gear that is worthy of refurbishment at the
worst.

To the above good advice, I'd add two comments

1. With all those old LPs, be sure to get and use a vacuum record
cleaner, even if your records look clean. I have been well-served for
years by a Nitty Gritty Record Doctor, available for $250 from Audio
Advisor. Makes a huge improvement.

Excellent point!

2. A modest system, carefully set up (e.g. cartridge alignment,
spikes, vibration isolation) will be more satisfying than an expensive
system casually set up.

More of the same good info.

Thanks.

[Walt]

wrote:
On 17 Apr 2007 22:45:43 GMT, wrote:

which companies make good stuff and which
should be avoided. The total cost of the hi-fi should be no more than
4000$-5000$. I would appreciate your help very much,

5k is a good for a hifi. Save 10% for decent cables. So about 500US is
probably the kind of sum you are talking about.

Without stirring up the great cable debate again, please be aware that
this is a controversial position and many (most?) audio professionals do
not think expensive cables make an audible difference. Cables and
accessories have a very high markup, which is why the shops like to push
them.

I'd say you want to spend about 2k on amp.

I would disagree with that as well. Spending 40% of the total system
price on an amp is a misplacement of priorities. You're better off
spending more on the components that make the most audible difference:
speakers and the turntable/tonearm/cartridge. I'm not going to claim
that all amps sound alike, but the differences are subtle at best -
OTOH, anyone can readily hear the difference between speakers.

As for what to suggest, you're going to have to use your ears. Pick
your speakers first, they make the biggest difference. Fit the rest of
the system around them.

//Walt

[---MIKE---]

neil wrote:

Save 10% for decent cables.

This is bad advice. The so called "junk" cables (the ones usually
included with components) will work just as well as any "designer"
cables. Heavy gauge "speaker wire" from Home Depot will be fine for the
speakers. Power cords are power cords.

---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

[[email protected]]

On 20 Apr 2007 21:55:27 GMT, (---MIKE---)
wrote:

Save 10% for decent cables.

This is bad advice. The so called "junk" cables (the ones usually
included with components) will work just as well as any "designer"
cables. Heavy gauge "speaker wire" from Home Depot will be fine for the
speakers. Power cords are power cords.

Work ? Yes they will clearly function to connect one component to
another. There's no debate there.

So the improvement in sound I hear on my system using a JPS Labs
Digital power cable plugged into my CD is entirely imagined ? That I
noted the effects described by reviewer in Stereophile did was
telepathic perhaps ? Placebo effect. Its got to be!!

Damn, shouldn't get drawn into this debate.

IF you guys are happy with your Maplin cables and interconnects so be
it.

Neil

[Steven Sullivan]

wrote:
On 20 Apr 2007 21:55:27 GMT, (---MIKE---)
wrote:

Save 10% for decent cables.

This is bad advice. The so called "junk" cables (the ones usually
included with components) will work just as well as any "designer"
cables. Heavy gauge "speaker wire" from Home Depot will be fine for the
speakers. Power cords are power cords.

Work ? Yes they will clearly function to connect one component to
another. There's no debate there.

So the improvement in sound I hear on my system using a JPS Labs
Digital power cable plugged into my CD is entirely imagined ?

I don't know, but it's entirely within the realm of possible.

That I
noted the effects described by reviewer in Stereophile did was
telepathic perhaps ? Placebo effect. Its got to be!!

It could be. Agreeement with a magazine review is not slam-dunk
proof.

___
-S
"As human beings, we understand the world through simile, analogy,
metaphor, narrative and, sometimes, claymation." - B. Mason

[Ed Seedhouse]

On 21 Apr 2007 14:52:18 GMT, wrote:

On 20 Apr 2007 21:55:27 GMT, (---MIKE---)
wrote:

So the improvement in sound I hear on my system using a JPS Labs
Digital power cable plugged into my CD is entirely imagined ? That I
noted the effects described by reviewer in Stereophile did was
telepathic perhaps ? Placebo effect. Its got to be!!

Well, if you are willing to actually consider the available evidence,
and to admit the fact that you and I are fallible and easily fooled,
then yes, placebo effect is one reasonable explanation.

Or are you one of those folks who believes everything they hear and
assume that they can never be mistaken?

[[email protected]]

On 21 Apr 2007 19:17:38 GMT, Steven Sullivan wrote:

That I
noted the effects described by reviewer in Stereophile did was
telepathic perhaps ? Placebo effect. Its got to be!!

It could be. Agreeement with a magazine review is not slam-dunk
proof.

Don't have to prove anything! That's not how science works. You have
to suggest an alternative explanation!

[bob]

On Apr 21, 10:52 am, wrote:
So the improvement in sound I hear on my system using a JPS Labs
Digital power cable plugged into my CD is entirely imagined ?

What in the world is a "digital power cable"?

bob

[[email protected]]

On 21 Apr 2007 19:18:00 GMT, Ed Seedhouse wrote:

Or are you one of those folks who believes everything they hear and
assume that they can never be mistaken?

Oh I'd never presume such arrogance. But I have a very sharp pair of
ears, and I listen to not much else apart from classical music. I can
detect subtleties in sound that maybe others wouldn't. Maybe its
placebo but the moment I plugged in the JPS labs cable the sound on my
system seemed to focus, to sharpen, a little more incisive. I was
startled and didn't expect it.

[[email protected]]

On Apr 22, 10:55 am, wrote:
On 21 Apr 2007 19:17:38 GMT, Steven Sullivan wrote:

That I
noted the effects described by reviewer in Stereophile did was
telepathic perhaps ? Placebo effect. Its got to be!!

It could be. Agreeement with a magazine review is not slam-dunk
proof.

Don't have to prove anything! That's not how science works. You have
to suggest an alternative explanation!

Most certainly THAT's not how science works. Since YOU'RE the
one making the claim, it's up to YOU to prove it, not someone
else to come up with an alternative explanantion.

And given that the worl of conduction physics, one which the
like of JPS labs does NOT participate in, to be sure, has been
around for a lot longer, has done a LOT more research, and
has a far greater degree of both expertise and success
behind it than tha high-end magic cable business, I would
humbly suggest that the claims of sterophile and yourself
constitute extraordinary claims, thus the burden much
more on your shoulders to come up with both the extra-
ordinary proof of teh claim and the extraordinary explanation
behind the claimed phenomenon.

Basciallt, unless youn can eleiminate the alternative
explanations AND subsutitue a credible explanation
of your own, the explanation that your "very sharp pair
of ears" are, indeed, as fallible as the rest of humanity's,
stands as a viable explanantion.

And it ain't the "very sharp pair of ears" (which, by the way,
have an enormous amount of lossy compression built
in as a matter of evoilution) that's the problem: it's the very
fluid brain and its emotions that it's attached to.

[Steven Sullivan]

wrote:
On 21 Apr 2007 19:17:38 GMT, Steven Sullivan wrote:

That I
noted the effects described by reviewer in Stereophile did was
telepathic perhaps ? Placebo effect. Its got to be!!

It could be. Agreeement with a magazine review is not slam-dunk
proof.

Don't have to prove anything! That's not how science works.

Actually you certainly have to prove your claims, in science.

You have
to suggest an alternative explanation!

Your 'experiment', btw, doesn't even begin
to approach scientific, so you probably shouldn't start invoking
science in your support.

What 'effects' did you and the reviewer report?

___
-S
"As human beings, we understand the world through simile, analogy,
metaphor, narrative and, sometimes, claymation." - B. Mason

[Ed Seedhouse]

On 22 Apr 2007 14:56:11 GMT, wrote:

On 21 Apr 2007 19:18:00 GMT, Ed Seedhouse wrote:

Or are you one of those folks who believes everything they hear and
assume that they can never be mistaken?

Oh I'd never presume such arrogance. But I have a very sharp pair of
ears, and I listen to not much else apart from classical music. I can
detect subtleties in sound that maybe others wouldn't. Maybe its
placebo but the moment I plugged in the JPS labs cable the sound on my
system seemed to focus, to sharpen, a little more incisive. I was
startled and didn't expect it.

First you say one thing, that you wouldn't claim such arrogance, then
you make a claim that actually relies, it seems to me, on the very
"arrogance" you disclaim. A totally uncontrrolled listening session
isn't evidence to a rational person who knows how fallible and foolible
people, including themselves, actually are.

The fact that you concluded, on the basis of such an experience, that
there actually was a difference, is to me evidence that your attitude is
actually the one you said you wouldn't be so arrogant as to hold.

Under the same circumstances I would say no more than "interesting, but
I know how easy I am to fool, and I wonder if that will hold up under
proper test conditions". I certainly wouldn't conclude that there
actually were any such differences as the ones I thought I heard, and
the fact that you do is, to me, evidence that you either don't
understand science or are willing to throw it out on no sound basis.

[[email protected]]

On 22 Apr 2007 14:55:46 GMT, bob wrote:

What in the world is a "digital power cable"?

http://www.jpslabs.com/powercord.shtml#tttop

[bob]

On Apr 23, 6:40 pm, wrote:
On 22 Apr 2007 14:55:46 GMT, bob wrote:

What in the world is a "digital power cable"?

http://www.jpslabs.com/powercord.shtml#tttop

Thanks for the laugh.

You asked earlier whether you were just imagining things. I'd say
that's the only conceivable possibility.

bob

[[email protected]]

wrote:

On 22 Apr 2007 14:55:46 GMT, bob wrote:

What in the world is a "digital power cable"?

http://www.jpslabs.com/powercord.shtml#tttop

From the "fact" sheet:

"THE DIGITAL AC is an excellent cable for any digital based component,
creating a smoother, more "analog environment" for audio and video. ...it
very effectively eliminates what we call 'digititus', the harshness present
and very difficult to remove in all digital sources. Computers and so many
other noise sources within today's homes create an invisible shower of high
frequency energy...

Who wouldn't want immunity from an "invisible shower." And at only $350.00
(plus a good review in Stereophile) it's got to be a bargain. I wonder if
they will accept payment in invisible dollars?

mp

[Rob Tweed]

I think I'll get the same company to strip out all my internal
electrics in my house and replace it with a few hundred metres of this
incredible cable, and then replace the power cables all the way back
from my house to the power station. A few miles of all that advanced
RF engineering should definitely remove any trace of invisible showers
of high frequency energy and digitus, and should probably only cost me
a few hundred thousand pounds.

How I've been able to cope with the errors that my sophisticated
electronics have been obviously suffering from without such cables is
beyond me. I thought my computers were slowing down due to the
foibles of Windows XP, but maybe I've just discovered the real
reason....

On 23 Apr 2007 22:40:04 GMT, wrote:

On 22 Apr 2007 14:55:46 GMT, bob wrote:

What in the world is a "digital power cable"?

http://www.jpslabs.com/powercord.shtml#tttop

---
Rob Tweed
M/Gateway Developments Ltd

The Pursuit of Productivity : http://www.mgateway.com