I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

So -- I'm sure you've all thought about this -- if you were in
bargain-hunting mode, what would you go for?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Fitz wrote:

I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

So -- I'm sure you've all thought about this -- if you were in
bargain-hunting mode, what would you go for?

I'd go for good basic technical information, and as much education and
experience about and with what equipment you can find and listen to...

The next best thing would be to see what gear *happens* to work
for someone else, and that you like, and then merely clone that combination.

Naming brands or models is an exercise (generally speaking) in futility,
since (for example) a Krell amp with a Quad 57 is a combination that
is fraught with problems, while each unit has merit on its own when
properly employed with appropriate other pieces in a system.

The other factor, of course, is your budget for the project. Also,
there is the issue of what you may or may not be able to do in terms of
DIY building...

So, there is no answer to such a broad question. You've got to
learn more and/or be much more specific before any useful data
will appear in response (imho).

:- )

_-_-bear



Thanks in advance for your help.

--
_-_- BEAR Labs
- Custom Audio Equipment, Cables, Mods, Repairs -
http://www.bearlabs.com

I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

So -- I'm sure you've all thought about this -- if you were in
bargain-hunting mode, what would you go for?

Several years ago I helped a friend pick out equipment. On his own, with almost
no advice from me, he selected Martin-Logan electrostatic speakers and an Adcom
amp. The resulting system was both accurate and very "listenable" -- much
better, overall, than most systems costing a lot more that I've heard.

Go ye and do likewise.

How about providing a budget for starts?

"Fitz" wrote in message
news:f5Arb.154621$HS4.1266402@attbi_s01...
I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

So -- I'm sure you've all thought about this -- if you were in
bargain-hunting mode, what would you go for?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Depending on your room configuration, I would consider Bryston
amplification, and perhaps Magnepan speakers. If your room isn't suitable
for dipole speakers, try Paradigm.

"Fitz" wrote in message
news:f5Arb.154621$HS4.1266402@attbi_s01...
I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

So -- I'm sure you've all thought about this -- if you were in
bargain-hunting mode, what would you go for?

Thanks in advance for your help.

John Steed wrote:
Depending on your room configuration, I would consider Bryston
amplification, and perhaps Magnepan speakers. If your room isn't suitable
for dipole speakers, try Paradigm.

Good heavens..the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a fortune, and you
folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end amps.

--

-S.

"Fitz" wrote in message
news:f5Arb.154621$HS4.1266402@attbi_s01...
I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

So -- I'm sure you've all thought about this -- if you were in
bargain-hunting mode, what would you go for?

Thanks in advance for your help.


I'd listen to as much equipment as you can, regardless of price. Learn as
much as you can about what's out there. Then hit the church rummage sales,
garage sales, and flea markets. In the last year I have picked up a Thorens
TD-124, Nakamichi TA3A, and Nakamichi CD-3 for a grand total of $50. It's
been a very good year, but it just goes to show that bargains are out there.

Bill Balmer

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 18:52:53 GMT, Steven Sullivan
wrote:

John Steed wrote:
Depending on your room configuration, I would consider Bryston
amplification, and perhaps Magnepan speakers. If your room isn't suitable
for dipole speakers, try Paradigm.

Good heavens..the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a fortune, and you
folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end amps.

?? He has never told us what he considers a bargain or what his budget
is.

Kal

In article 98Rrb.161202$HS4.1315189@attbi_s01,
Steven Sullivan wrote:

John Steed wrote:
Depending on your room configuration, I would consider Bryston
amplification, and perhaps Magnepan speakers. If your room isn't suitable
for dipole speakers, try Paradigm.

Good heavens..the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a fortune, and you
folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end amps.

How about the NAD 521BEE cd player and C320BEE integrated amp with
Magnepan MMGs? About $1300 all new. To get really cheap, substitute a
used NAD or Rotel integrated amp and a commodity disc player.

Stephen

John Steed wrote:

Depending on your room configuration, I would consider Bryston
amplification, and perhaps Magnepan speakers. If your room isn't suitable
for dipole speakers, try Paradigm.

"Fitz" wrote in message
news:f5Arb.154621$HS4.1266402@attbi_s01...

I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

So -- I'm sure you've all thought about this -- if you were in
bargain-hunting mode, what would you go for?

Thanks in advance for your help.


I second this. A used, mint condition McIntosh SS amplifier is
also a great option. Magnepans are very good speakers.

If you don't mind used, there are also a ton of choices. My music
proferros from college had an old McIntosh amplifier(about 60lbs - a
large one) and a pair of KEF 105/2 (or 105) speakers. Excellent sound.
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...ull&1073447174
Some nice pictures. These obviously were sold by someone for a lot less
than the $1000-$1200 they normally go for.

For true classical, a pair of re-foamed 107s would be also a good
choice, though they wouldn't be as "clean" sounding as the 105/2s.

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...ull&1072319023
Keep an eye out for these two - both do justice to classical music
like few other speakers I've heard outside of planars and electrostatics.

Note:Big Maggies are also very good - just that they don't really do
justice to big orchestral pieces unless you get the top-end couple
of models and *big* amps like a 4B-ST.

As for McIntosh, I'd go with Bryston due to their 20 year warranty.
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...ran&1073520302
A nice three year old 4B-ST. A 3BST would likely be good enough to
drive most speakers, but this removes all doubt. The preamp would
be whatever you wish. IME, this is not nearly as critical as the
other concerns, plus you can "fiddle" with the preamp later on.
A good CD player shouldn't cost you very much either, since it's all
chips and such. Maybe $200-$400. Try your existing one first.

A good amp and speakers like these - $3000 should easily put you into
another world of audio enjoyment.

Kalman Rubinson wrote:
On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 18:52:53 GMT, Steven Sullivan
wrote:

John Steed wrote:
Depending on your room configuration, I would consider Bryston
amplification, and perhaps Magnepan speakers. If your room isn't suitable
for dipole speakers, try Paradigm.

Good heavens..the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a fortune, and you
folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end amps.

?? He has never told us what he considers a bargain or what his budget
is.

He wrote that he 'doesn't want to spend a fortune', and he asked what we'd
buy in 'bargain-hunting' mode.

This , to me, does not shout 'high budget'.

--
-S.

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 20:48:29 GMT, Steven Sullivan
wrote:

Kalman Rubinson wrote:
On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 18:52:53 GMT, Steven Sullivan
wrote:
Good heavens..the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a fortune, and you
folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end amps.

?? He has never told us what he considers a bargain or what his budget
is.

He wrote that he 'doesn't want to spend a fortune', and he asked what we'd
buy in 'bargain-hunting' mode.

This , to me, does not shout 'high budget'.

Y'know, what's high to one person is not to another. Most people do
not "want to spend a fortune" but the definition of what constitutes a
fortune (or not a fortune) varies widely. Someone can be in
"bargain-hunting" mode and still be willing to spend much more than
another can contemplate in his wildest dreams.

Kal

Good heavens... the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a fortune,
and you folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end amps.

It depends on how you define "fortune." Anyone who's a _serious_ listener should
have no hesitation spending $5K on a system. (How much do people spend on cars?)
With careful selection, you can put together a terrific system -- of "new"
components -- for that price.

By the way, Magnepans aren't electrostatic.

Steven Sullivan wrote:

John Steed wrote:

Depending on your room configuration, I would consider Bryston
amplification, and perhaps Magnepan speakers. If your room isn't suitable
for dipole speakers, try Paradigm.


Good heavens..the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a fortune, and you
folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end amps.


I'll 2nd the maggies as a great all around speaker that gives you back
way more than you paid for.

A person doesn't have to buy new. Look for a a used B-60 and a set of maggie
MGLR's, MMG's or 1.5QR's. The cost is relative if a person doesn't have to
endlessly upgrade.

"Steven Sullivan" wrote in message
news:xQSrb.119094$275.345739@attbi_s53...
Kalman Rubinson wrote:
On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 18:52:53 GMT, Steven Sullivan
wrote:

John Steed wrote:
Depending on your room configuration, I would consider Bryston
amplification, and perhaps Magnepan speakers. If your room isn't
suitable
for dipole speakers, try Paradigm.

Good heavens..the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a fortune, and
you
folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end amps.

?? He has never told us what he considers a bargain or what his budget
is.

He wrote that he 'doesn't want to spend a fortune', and he asked what we'd
buy in 'bargain-hunting' mode.

This , to me, does not shout 'high budget'.

--
-S.

William Sommerwerck wrote:

Good heavens... the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a fortune,
and you folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end amps.

It depends on how you define "fortune." Anyone who's a _serious_ listener
should
have no hesitation spending $5K on a system. (How much do people spend on
cars?)
With careful selection, you can put together a terrific system -- of "new"
components -- for that price.

By the way, Magnepans aren't electrostatic.









True. Also, buying electrostatic speakers, especially in the used equipment
marketplace, doesn't necessarily involve spening a lot of money. Used Quad and
Martin Logan models can often be found on eBay, Audiogon, etc. for around $1000
to 1500 per pair (if not less). In the context of putting together a "high-end
system", I think it's fair to say that most would not consider that an
excessive aount to spend oin an excellent sounding pair of speakers.

Bruce J. Richman

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message
news:TfUrb.164854$Tr4.435593@attbi_s03...
Good heavens... the fellow said he doesn't want to spend a
fortune,
and you folks are telling him to get electrostatics and high-end
amps.

It depends on how you define "fortune." Anyone who's a _serious_
listener should
have no hesitation spending $5K on a system. (How much do people
spend on cars?)
With careful selection, you can put together a terrific system -- of
"new"
components -- for that price.

By the way, Magnepans aren't electrostatic.

I think this guy should be talking to me. Sounds like he's in my
price class. I'm also a classical music fan, and I wouldn't dream of
spending $5000 on a sound system.

Fitz, consult Consumer Reports. Therein you'll find recommendations
for good equipment that will easily satisfy your desire for good
sound, and still keep you under $1000.

Cheers,

Norm Strong

I think this guy should be talking to me. Sounds like he's in my
price class. I'm also a classical music fan, and I wouldn't dream
of spending $5000 on a sound system.

Fitz, consult Consumer Reports. Therein you'll find recommendations
for good equipment that will easily satisfy your desire for good
sound, and still keep you under $1000.

Spending a lot of money will NOT necessarily get you really good sound. I've
heard pricey equipment that not only wasn't good value for the money, but wasn't
even very good in an absolute sense (eg, the Thiel CS-5).

On the other hand...

There is a huge difference between the sound of a "good" $1K system and a "good"
$5K system. With the former, you're limited to not much more than $500 for the
speakers. With the latter, you can spend five to six times that much -- and
given careful selection, you'll get much, much, much better sound quality -- the
sort of improvement that will enable you to get more deeply involved with the
music.

In my opinion, there is no such thing as a $1K system (of new components) that
will satisfy a serious listener -- someone who sits down and actively listens to
the music.

Consumer Reports depends too much on measurements and not enough on listening.
You might want to look up J. Gordon Holt's trashing of CR's review of the Decca
pickup -- one of the all-time-classic pickups. CR focused on all the (valid)
reasons one might criticize the Decca, but heard nothing special about its
sound -- which was far superior to most of the pickups of its era.

On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 17:57:46 GMT, "normanstrong"
wrote:

I think this guy should be talking to me. Sounds like he's in my
price class. I'm also a classical music fan, and I wouldn't dream of
spending $5000 on a sound system.

And since he never says anything, he might be in your price class or
not. Mebbe even $1K is too much for him.

Kal

Fitz wrote:

I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

Would you care to give us an approximate budget, the size of
the room, and your listening tastes? Solo piano IMO is less
demanding than orchestral works, and the most demanding of all
may be opera (though string quartets are not far behind).

Also, which is more important to you: detail or warmth? I
think it's easier (and cheaper) to get a nice sounding warm
system than to get one that has extended high frequencies and
still sounds good.

Mike Prager
North Carolina, USA

"normanstrong" wrote in message news:uq9sb.172951$Tr4.462602@attbi_s03...

I think this guy should be talking to me. Sounds like he's in my
price class. I'm also a classical music fan, and I wouldn't dream of
spending $5000 on a sound system.

Nor would most serious music lovers. Being serious about music and
being serious about musical reproduction are two very different
things. You can be one without the other.

Fitz, consult Consumer Reports. Therein you'll find recommendations
for good equipment that will easily satisfy your desire for good
sound, and still keep you under $1000.

While it's possible to put together a decent-sounding (not great)
system for $1K, CR is not the place to look for advice. (And I say
this as a big fan of CR in general.) First of all, the only
amplification components they rate anymore are multichannel receivers,
so they're no help to anyone looking for a 2-channel system, which is
what we're talking about here.

As for their speaker ratings, they are and have always been perverse.
There's been some good research on what measurements correlate with
listener satisfaction, but CR doesn't measure that way. They look only
at "accuracy," which, if I recall correctly, is a crude measure of FR
between 100 Hz and 10 kHz, and "bass extension," which could mean
anything. They also tend to rate very cheap, mass-market speakers
almost exclusively, in part because they expect people to be buying 5
of them. When PSB rates below Bose on accuracy, eyebrows ought to
rise.

I've helped a few music-loving non-audiophile friends put together
nice sub-1000 systems, so I know it can be done. But the stuff rated
by CR isn't the ticket.

PA

Someone wrote:

I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.


1. First thing I'd listen to would be the BEE CD player and integrated
amp from NAD:

http://nadelectronics.com/cd_players...EE_framset.htm

http://nadelectronics.com/hifi_ampli...EE_framset.htm

2. Cambridge Audio has a number of options, including their new Azur
series of integrateds and CD players:

http://audioadvisor.com/store/mfglis...udio&MFGID=184

3. I'd look into this budget SACD/DVD/CD player from Philips at
amusicdirect.com:

http://amusicdirect.com/products/det...u=APHIDVD763SA

4. Speakers: I'd listen to Paradigms. I like the Atom. And I think
from the reviews I've read and the recommendations of a couple of
people here, that an appropriate pair of Paradigm Reference Studio
speakers would be even nicer. There'd be no compatibility problems
with the above referenced amps, as most Paradigms are highly
efficient.

I also like Magneplanar/Magnepan. Check their website for info on the
MMG. Or call 1-800-474-1646. I don't know how compatible they would be
with any of these amplifiers, though.

Hi -- it's me, the one who kicked off this whole thing. I want to
thank everyone for your generous advice, and I'm sorry for not
checking in sooner: lots of stuff came up.

Everyone's asking for a budget. All right: let's say I'm after an
amplifier and speakers. I'll stick with a commodity CD player for now.
And -- just to push the envelope a little -- I'd like to get it all
done for under $1,000.

Remember, I'm after bang for the buck here. Really it's a starter
system. Once I learn more about all this, I'll upgrade to the better
stuff.

Thanks!

-- Fitz

Mike Prager wrote in message news:oZbsb.174404$Fm2.153055@attbi_s04...
Fitz wrote:

I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

Would you care to give us an approximate budget, the size of
the room, and your listening tastes? Solo piano IMO is less
demanding than orchestral works, and the most demanding of all
may be opera (though string quartets are not far behind).

Also, which is more important to you: detail or warmth? I
think it's easier (and cheaper) to get a nice sounding warm
system than to get one that has extended high frequencies and
still sounds good.

Mike Prager
North Carolina, USA

(Fitz) wrote in message ...
Everyone's asking for a budget. All right: let's say I'm after an
amplifier and speakers. I'll stick with a commodity CD player for now.
And -- just to push the envelope a little -- I'd like to get it all
done for under $1,000.

The standard approach would be an integrated amp, and the low-cost
contenders here are NAD, Rotel, Marantz, and Yamaha. Their least
expensive units run $400-550, I think. (I'm looking at last year's
prices.)

If that doesn't leave you enough room for speakers, there's a cheaper
route: Onkyo, Denon, and Yamaha all make stereo receivers (gasp!) in
the $200-300 range. They wouldn't be the high-end choice, but they'll
probably drive the speakers you choose just fine.

For speakers, everybody's got an opinion. Brands to look at include
PSB (Image 4T), Paradigm (Monitor series), and maybe B&W (602s). Find
out what's available near you, and choose from that list, but go far
enough afield to hear some of these brands.

The most important point is not to stint on speakers. If you've
devoted substantially less than half your budget to them, you're
probably settling for less than you can afford.

Finally, of course, don't take anybody's word for anything. Listen
yourself.

PA

I would caution you against the notion that you can save money by buying an
inexpensive system and upgrading later. That's an extremely expensive way
to purchase a system.

The problem when one is starting out is that one might not know what one
really likes, particularly in speakers, which vary enormously from one
manufacturer to another.

My suggestion is to go to a few reputable audio salons -- yes, they do
exist -- with a stack of CDs you know well and let the salesperson have you
audition a number of systems, starting at the bottom, and going up to around
$5,000. No, you don't want to spend $5,000, but you will at least find out
(i) whether the differences between price levels are audible and important
to you; (ii) how close you can come to a dream system at some lower price.

Good luck.

Curt Simon

"Fitz" wrote in message
...
Hi -- it's me, the one who kicked off this whole thing. I want to
thank everyone for your generous advice, and I'm sorry for not
checking in sooner: lots of stuff came up.

Everyone's asking for a budget. All right: let's say I'm after an
amplifier and speakers. I'll stick with a commodity CD player for now.
And -- just to push the envelope a little -- I'd like to get it all
done for under $1,000.

Remember, I'm after bang for the buck here. Really it's a starter
system. Once I learn more about all this, I'll upgrade to the better
stuff.

Thanks!

-- Fitz

Mike Prager wrote in message
news:oZbsb.174404$Fm2.153055@attbi_s04...
Fitz wrote:

I'm a classical music lover, and I've been listening on bad equipment
for years now. So it's time for an upgrade. I'm primarily looking to
get a new amplifier and a new set of speakers.

I'm no audiophile, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but I do
appreciate good sound. So I'm after the best value-for-money set I can
find.

Would you care to give us an approximate budget, the size of
the room, and your listening tastes? Solo piano IMO is less
demanding than orchestral works, and the most demanding of all
may be opera (though string quartets are not far behind).

Also, which is more important to you: detail or warmth? I
think it's easier (and cheaper) to get a nice sounding warm
system than to get one that has extended high frequencies and
still sounds good.

Mike Prager
North Carolina, USA

"Curt Simon" wrote in message ...
I would caution you against the notion that you can save money by buying an
inexpensive system and upgrading later. That's an extremely expensive way
to purchase a system.

Not necessarily. If you're starting with a $1,000 system, the most you
will waste is--$1,000! And probably less, since you could sell that
equipment later on for a few hundred at least.

And it's not really a waste at all if it's what you can afford now,
and that means you can enjoy music more now, instead of waiting till
your ship comes in. Plus, you'll be able to upgrade a piece at a time,
which spreads out the hit later.

I agree that people who are constantly upgrading, a thou at a time,
are playing a fool's game. But Fitz doesn't sound like a fool to me.

The problem when one is starting out is that one might not know what one
really likes, particularly in speakers, which vary enormously from one
manufacturer to another.

And one room to another.

My suggestion is to go to a few reputable audio salons -- yes, they do
exist -- with a stack of CDs you know well and let the salesperson have you
audition a number of systems, starting at the bottom, and going up to around
$5,000. No, you don't want to spend $5,000, but you will at least find out
(i) whether the differences between price levels are audible and important
to you; (ii) how close you can come to a dream system at some lower price.

I like this suggestion. But how many of us can listen to a $5K system
and then say, "Yeah, but the $1k system will do for now"?

PA

Looking at eBay yesterday, I noticed that one could get an NAD 3140
integrated amp (40 wpc, does have long-term problem with switch
contacts getting dirty) and a pair of Rogers LS3/5a's for well under
$1000.

Mike Squires
--

Mike Squires (mikes at cs.indiana.edu) 317 233 9456 (w) 812 333 6564 (h)
mikes at siralan.org 546 N Park Ridge Rd., Bloomington, IN 47408

(Fitz) wrote in message ...
Hi -- it's me, the one who kicked off this whole thing. I want to
thank everyone for your generous advice, and I'm sorry for not
checking in sooner: lots of stuff came up.

Everyone's asking for a budget. All right: let's say I'm after an
amplifier and speakers. I'll stick with a commodity CD player for now.
And -- just to push the envelope a little -- I'd like to get it all
done for under $1,000.

e-bay.
That's really tough. I'd suggest you look at Yamaha NS-1000M speakers,
but they go for $600-1200 on e-bay, and any number of good power amps
in the 100-200 watt range by Yamaha, Denon, or Sony. Should be in the
$300 range.


Remember, I'm after bang for the buck here. Really it's a starter
system. Once I learn more about all this, I'll upgrade to the better
stuff.

"Curt Simon" wrote:

....snip to content......

My suggestion is to go to a few reputable audio salons -- yes, they do
exist -- with a stack of CDs you know well and let the salesperson have you
audition a number of systems, starting at the bottom, and going up to around
$5,000. No, you don't want to spend $5,000, but you will at least find out
(i) whether the differences between price levels are audible and important
to you; (ii) how close you can come to a dream system at some lower price.

Good luck.

I have an effective efficiency and reliability enhancer to this process.
Instead of bringing a stack of cds make a sampler cd-r of the material you
think is the most demanding/revealing of speaker systems. It's a great idea to
limit the selections to 20-60 seconds of the most demanding passages.

This enables you to use exactly the same program material for EVERY evaluation
in the SAME order. This will not eliminate the possibility of listener/proctor
bias but the routinization of process will reduce the likelihood of same.

"Curt Simon" wrote:
My suggestion is to go to a few reputable audio salons -- yes, they do
exist -- with a stack of CDs you know well and let the salesperson have you
audition a number of systems, starting at the bottom, and going up to around
$5,000. No, you don't want to spend $5,000, but you will at least find out
(i) whether the differences between price levels are audible and important
to you; (ii) how close you can come to a dream system at some lower price.


(Nousaine) wrote:
I have an effective efficiency and reliability enhancer to this process.
Instead of bringing a stack of cds make a sampler cd-r of the material you
think is the most demanding/revealing of speaker systems. It's a great idea
to
limit the selections to 20-60 seconds of the most demanding passages.

This enables you to use exactly the same program material for EVERY
evaluation
in the SAME order. This will not eliminate the possibility of
listener/proctor
bias but the routinization of process will reduce the likelihood of same.


Sorry but I have to disagree with Tom's advice. I urge you to take the time to
sit and listen to a number of complete cuts or pieces of music over as long as
possible to a component you are thinking of purchasing - ideally at home in
your own system - before making a decision. Listening to "demanding" short
bits of music might be helpful if you are in a big rush and don't have the time
for relaxed listening at length, but what you get will be much less meaningful
to the long term enjoyment of music being played through the equipment you
ultimately purchase.
Regards,
Mike

"Mkuller" wrote in message
news:Tl9ub.226660$Fm2.227964@attbi_s04...
I have an effective efficiency and reliability enhancer to this process.
Instead of bringing a stack of cds make a sampler cd-r of the material
you
think is the most demanding/revealing of speaker systems.


Sorry but I have to disagree with Tom's advice.

Me too. While it's possible to make a good quality copy with the right
equipment, many people would do this by dumping the tracks they want into
their computer, subjecting them to a sample rate conversion, and saving them
on CD-R as MP3 files. Maybe without even knowing that's what they're doing.
Take the originals - that way you know you're starting with good source
material. This also allows you to take some real vinyl if you want to.

Bill Balmer

(Mkuller) wrote:




"Curt Simon" wrote:
My suggestion is to go to a few reputable audio salons -- yes, they do
exist -- with a stack of CDs you know well and let the salesperson have you
audition a number of systems, starting at the bottom, and going up to
around
$5,000. No, you don't want to spend $5,000, but you will at least find out
(i) whether the differences between price levels are audible and important
to you; (ii) how close you can come to a dream system at some lower price.


(Nousaine) wrote:
I have an effective efficiency and reliability enhancer to this process.
Instead of bringing a stack of cds make a sampler cd-r of the material you
think is the most demanding/revealing of speaker systems. It's a great idea
to
limit the selections to 20-60 seconds of the most demanding passages.

This enables you to use exactly the same program material for EVERY
evaluation
in the SAME order. This will not eliminate the possibility of
listener/proctor
bias but the routinization of process will reduce the likelihood of same.


Sorry but I have to disagree with Tom's advice. I urge you to take the time
to
sit and listen to a number of complete cuts or pieces of music over as long
as
possible to a component you are thinking of purchasing - ideally at home in
your own system - before making a decision. Listening to "demanding" short
bits of music might be helpful if you are in a big rush and don't have the
time
for relaxed listening at length, but what you get will be much less
meaningful
to the long term enjoyment of music being played through the equipment you
ultimately purchase.
Regards,
Mike

Instead of taking issue with this apparently well-meaning but seriously wrong
veiwpoint; I'll just say bring a cd-r with your well-chosen material, of
whatever length, will allow you to efficiently use the same material in the
same order for EVERY listening session which beats the pants off a 'stack of
cds.'

Since the OP is looking for inexpensive equipment (under $1000) it's
very unlikely that he has a CD burner.


-MIKE

In article ,
---MIKE--- wrote:
Since the OP is looking for inexpensive equipment (under $1000) it's
very unlikely that he has a CD burner.

The last computer I bought included one for free.
--
a href="http://www.poohsticks.org/drew/"Home Page/a
Life is a terminal sexually transmitted disease.

Drew Eckhardt wrote:

In article ,
---MIKE--- wrote:
Since the OP is looking for inexpensive equipment (under $1000) it's
very unlikely that he has a CD burner.
The last computer I bought included one for free.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/
eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2765278268&category=33 870
There's a nice reliable one that does all the formats.

$14 with free shipping.

A CD burner is an under $100 option on virtually every computer purchased in
the past 4 years. Why assume he doesn't have one?

"---MIKE---" wrote in message
...
Since the OP is looking for inexpensive equipment (under $1000) it's
very unlikely that he has a CD burner.


-MIKE

Take a look at the small speakers available from Dana Audio in
Tennessee. These are made by a physics professor and have received
very good reviews.

A pair goes for a couple of hundred and they are great for classical.
I have used his speakers off and on since the late 70's.

Cheers!
kaschenatattdotnet