edler (11/06/82)
A few weeks ago I asked for suggestions for a basic $1000 system: a receiver, speakers, turntable, and cassette deck. Here are the (slightly edited) responses I got; thanks for all of them. I haven't made a purchase yet, so further comments are welcome, either by mail or on the net. I hope none of the people below mind being publicly quoted; I must apologize in that case. Jan Edler cmcl2!edler (nyu) pyuxll!jse (btl piscataway) --------------- >From floyd!harpo!decvax!ittvax!sii!mem Sat Oct 23 15:13:38 1982 Date: Sat Oct 23 15:04:11 1982 I bought my system last year for about $1k. I chose the receiver more on looks than anything, since everything in the price range I was considering was as good as I could discern, anyway. I found that in speakers, on the other hand, there was a great deal of difference in sound quality between various brands. To keep it short... I ended up buying a pair of Bose 601 model II, which look rather funny but sounded (to me) better than anything I listened to except the 901s. I am very happy with them. Mark Mallett --------------- >From rocky2!steward Tue Oct 26 03:29:50 1982 Date: Mon Oct 25 14:06:21 1982 Of course, when you place a request for information some joker comes along and tries to sell you something else. I have never bought a receiver but have bought several integrated amps. I bought a tuner separate from the amp with the thouht that I would want to change the amp more often. I have. Anyway, the nicest sounding integrated amp that I have heard is one made by NAD. (I didn't know of that brand before either.) I bought it a Harvey's in NYC. It is a class A amplifier and behaves extremely well under varying loads. From what I remember NAD makes two integrated amplifiers, a 20 watt and a 100 watt. I have the 100 but seldom use more than 5 watts. (I, too, live in an apartment.) It costs around $220. You will need to get a good turntable to use with this amp. If you get a bad one, all you'll listen to will be motor noise. I see no reason to get a super-duper quartz phase-lock gizmo machine. When I buy a turntable I get the heaviest one I can afford. A light turntable picks up feedback at high volumes, skips when people walk by, and, according to thems that hear it, varies in turntable speed. I find a strobe is handy to set the speeds after you move it. Also, get a good needle and cartridge. With a little bargaining you can usually have them install a Stanton EEE (triple E in lingo) when you buy the turntable. The Stanton isn't the best but it is consistently good. HAVE THEM INSTALL IT. The last turntable I bought was a Mitzubishi for about $250. You should find one cheaper. Get it on sale. By the way, someone is bound to tell you to get a turntable with straight tone arm or a bent one or a loaded one or a graphite one etc. Bunkum! For what you probably want or can probably hear, just get what comes on your heavy turntable. For speakers, you are going to have to go down to the store and listen. I steer away from acoustic suspension speakers (no bass) and speakers that use a dummy speaker instead of a bass reflex port. The latter, I feel is too expensive for any benefit it might provide. Get whatever your happy with. The NAD amplifier will give a good sound out of most anything you hook up to it. If you get away with $250 on a pair of speakers, be warned, you're doing good. I can't be much help with cassette players. I had a Sharp computer- controlled job. It was fun to play with although it hissed a bit. It got stolen, and remains unreplaced. Bill Steward --------------- >From floyd!vax135!ariel!deimos!steve Tue Oct 26 10:22:20 1982 Date: 26 Oct 82 10:17:56 EDT (Tue) I would strongly suggest the following: NAD receiver NAD cassette I would suggest the following: Boston Acoustic Speakers B&O manual turntable --------------- >From floyd!harpo!decvax!microsof!fluke!bhaskar Tue Oct 26 12:13:49 1982 Date: Tue Oct 26 07:13:21 1982 i went through the exercise of assembling a system about a year ago, and though i started out with a target of $1000, i ended up with a system worth 3 times as much. but i do have a recommendation for speakers, though: check out speakerlab in seattle (i don't have the address or phone number, but directory info for area code 206 should get you a number). i found their speakers to be good value for the money, and if you are a reasonable carpenter, most of their units can be bought in kit form (they also sell the assembled units). i almost bought the speakerlab 500s ($800 / pr), but many of their lower priced speakers are also excellent for the money... (my system is a phase linear 3000 preamp, homebuilt amp, nesterovic type 5a speakers, and a technics turntable with a cheapie cartridge that i am in the process of upgrading.) good luck with your system! --------------- >From philabs!sdcsvax!logo Tue Oct 26 21:59:27 1982 Date: 23 October 1982 2202-PDT (Saturday) try NAD for your reciever. they also make a turntable and a cassette deck but i know nothing of their quality. sony and teac now seem to be making reputable decks again. nakamichi (try audiophile stores) makes a $300 cassette deck and tandberg makes a similiarly priced model (i LIKE nakamichi but it may not be the best performance per dollar). folks whose opinion is worthy of merit suggest the ~$50 Grado cartridge as cheap, sonically decent (praise at that price) and not damaging to records. you might look in the International Audio Review yearly issues and go backwards from A rated stuff thru D rated looking for things you can afford (each issue covers only turntables or only amps, etc). listen to things, with reprsentative records. listen to one system long enough to develop an idea what it sounds like, then listen to the identical system with only one part changed. if you hear a difference in the sound you know it was due to that particular part. i am losing coherency (too many news groups). if i come up with other suggestions, i will type. David (Reisner) uucp : ...!ucbvax!sdcsvax!logo arpanet : sdcsvax!logo@nprdc --------------- >From floyd!harpo!ihps3!houxi!houxz!hou5d!hou5a!mat Wed Oct 27 00:38:49 1982 Date: 27 Oct 82 00:35:53 EDT (Wed) I have a personal recomendation ... check out the Boston Acoustics speakers, as well as the Polks. Both have gotten excellent reviews, and I am very pleased with my B. O.s ( as a friend is with her Polks ). One thing that impressed me -- Julian Hirsh as well -- is that they have got very even radiation patterns -- excellent Hig Freq dispersion and all that. I bought Carver's 'Sonic Holography test record' and played it back WITHOUT moving the speakers around -- it Still worked just fine. Read the stuff Jiulian Hirsch wrote in the last 12 mos. or so in Stereo Review -- it's pretty good. And one final thing -- when you audition your system, bring along some piano music -- preferably some highly colored classical or jazz. Brahms Piano Concerti will do just fine. Why? If you haven't already read this dozens of times, NOTHING tests the power reserve of an amp/speaker combo at a given apparent loudness like piano music. Nothing. Try having quality receivers of the same or similar brands and widely different output power ratings switched in and out as the music is played. If it sounds as though a cardboard box has been inverted over the piano, the receiver hasn't got enough power for the speaker. There's a lot of other good advice out there, and some conflicting as well. Good luck. ---------------