wjm@whuxk.UUCP (MITCHELL) (09/26/83)
Several hints for the neophyte wishing to buy his/her first stereo system: 1) If you're looking for a system in the $500 to $700 class you'll get the best value for your money if you forget about any tape equipment, since the $$ are better spent on a better receiver, turntable/cartridge, and speakers. The general rule in this price class used to be 1/3 electronics, 1/3 speakers and 1/3 turntable/cartridge. Frankly, now with the drop in the prices of electronics I'd say a better split is 20% electronics, 30% turntable and cartridge and 50% speakers. You really can't get a high-fi pair of speakers for less than $250 discounted (about $300 list) and you'll rapidly be disgusted with cheaper ones. One important point is don't let your salesman throw in a cheap phono cartridge as part of a "package" or "system" deal. There are several good inexepensive cartridges around that sell for about $50 discounted like the Shure M97HE and several Audio-Technicas. That leaves you with $100 or so (discounted) for the turntable and you can get a decent model for that price from several of the large Japanese manufacturers. I'd recommend as little automation as you can live with - preferably a full manual or model with auto-arm-lift (and possibly auto shutoff) only. You're paying for those "whiz-bang" automation features and you can put the green stamps to better use getting a better arm and motor. As for the electronics, you can get about 30 RMS W/channel into 8 ohms which is adequate for most of the speakers in this price class (unless you like to listen to acid rock at disco levels) and a reasonable FM tuner in a receiver. NAD has a nice model (I think its the 7130) in this price class. 2) In general stick to lower priced equipment from reputable companies. While these units won't have all the convenience features of the more expensive models and may not sound quite as good (you do get what you pay for in audio equipment, as I've said many times on this net), they do share one very important item - the comapany's name and reputation. No company that prides itself on making high-fi equipment is going to put out a budget unit that is a real dog, since it will adversely affect their reputation. The following companies (and this is NOT intended to be an inclusive list - leaving a name off does NOT necessarily mean the company is no good) make good budget equipment (I have not included companies that specialize in high-end equipment only) - Yamaha, Sansui, Pioneer, Technics, NAD, Sony, Sherwood (made in the USA if you prefer to buy American), Kenwood, Kyocera, Hafler, Shure, Audio-Technica, Boston Acoustics, AR, Ohm, Koss, and Onkoyo. 3) rabbit!jj's advice about salesmen is very appropriate. Heed it - there are some reputable salespeople out there, but you'll generally find them at the more expensive dealers. There are several "sarks" operating in the NYC area who are everything jj said and then some (I don't want to mention names on the net for legal reasons). However, you may wish to pay a bit more to get more service - "full service" dealers do have their own service departments and will help you if you have a problem with a unit - if you buy from a mail order house its between you and the manufacturer. One full service dealer I recommend (and I've personally bought several K$ of equipment over the years from them) is Harvey Sound at 2 W 45th St in NYCity. Their service department is very good and they will exchange or fix free units that die within several weeks of purchase (which can happen on both budget and high end units - I had a $1200 Yamaha tuner die 2 days after I got it - Harvey's swapped it for me and the 2nd one has been working perfectly with only one repair (and realignment) needed in 5 years). They may not be the cheapest, but given the service they provide their prices are competitive. Also a full service dealer will set up the turntable and mount the cartridge in the tone arm for you. This is a pain in the <bleep> job and if you go the mail order route its yours. I'm not criticizing mail order - it's a good way to get equipment at a low price but be aware of whats NOT included in the sale. 4) In general stay away from the "one brand" systems being offered by some manufacturers. You can get the most sound per $$ by mixing components from different companies. Don't worry too much about compatibility if you stick to reputable companies - their stuff generally works well together. 5) Enjoy !!! The proof of the pudding is in the listening in this case! Bill Mitchell Bell Laboratories Whippany, NJ (whuxk!wjm) Disclaimer - the opinions expressed here are my personal ones and are not necessarily shared by my employer, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated.
jj@rabbit.UUCP (09/27/83)
I would suggest adding Nikko to the list of excellant, inexpensive equipment. Their older stuff wasn't so good, but their last two product lines have been quite good. They are also widely discounted. <The opinion is my own, and not that of my employer, as usual. I don't think anyone ever doubted that fact in the case of jj, though.>