Speakers

OK, so I'm trying to build a stereo system from scratch for the gf. So far, I managed to find a pair of used Maggie MG10s, but I still need a dac and amp for an htpc as source. And probably a sub, but I'll save that for later. I'm trying to shoot for 100W to 250W rms, which is what the manual says I should do. I want to keep the budget tight, as she's no audiophile; when I'm not there, they're most likely not going to play music. I'm shooting for under $700 used for the dac/amp. I've managed to come up with a few budget ideas: - vintage Adcom based system with maybe the 600 dac, 555 amp, and some kinda pre - Outlaw's RR2150 - old NAD integrated plus a dac? I really …

Wall of sound WAT. WAT. WAT. I really hope this is an elaborate joke.

Will its been a year with the Harbeths. (and Manley amps) Truly one of the most enjoyable years listening to music I have had. I've probably bought more records since getting the Harbeths than any time prior. It took a couple months to really appreciate what they do, which is recreate recordings in a way few other speakers I have heard can. They (my system in general) walks the fine line of speed & resolution and warmth and musical about as good as I have heard. They play really big and transparent. I've listened to them from 3' away up 13' feet and they sound great at either distance. My goal is to someday own the 40.1s driven by BAT VK-150se amps. But if i stay wi…

My sister wants me to help her with ideas for a simple system under $500 or close. She will use her Ipod. I think she also has an airport express? Here is what she said: i want something that looks good (minimal design) and, of course, sounds good and can connect to my ipod. i don't really have a home system - just a small bookshelf stereo that i might get rid of. She is definitely not an audiophile. Any thoughts appreciated.

I'm looking into a NAD 325BEE, and I'd like to know if it can output enough power to my speakers. My speakers are some vintage AKAI's with 8 ohm impedence and 100Wpeak. I see here: NAD Electronics :: C325BEE Stereo Integrated Amplifier that the NAD 325BEE is rated for 110W power, but only 50W continuously? What does this mean?

Like a maroon, I'm getting the itch to ditch my highly enjoyable and convenient active Quads for some passive P3ESRs. This means I'll need an outboard amp, which is going to be a tight fit on my already-overloaded desk. So I guess I'm looking for suggestions on amps that are modestly sized and modestly powered and might have modest synergy with the Harbeths -- which are a 6 ohm load and 84dB sensitive and will be used in the very nearfield. There are a couple of Class D options which obviously fit the form factor -- Headroom, Bel Canto S300 -- but I'm not sure about the sonics. An Aleph 3 would work, but might just burn its way through to freedom. I nearly pulled th…

Hi all, I'd appreciate your help on the following: I have medium pile carpeting over an uneven floor in my listening room. My old Apogee Centaurs used to have spikes and they were always a nuisance because it was so hard to reposition. After those speakers died (RIP - I loved them!), I have since acquired a pair of used Meadowlark Shearwater Hotrods which I'm very happy with, but they didn't come with their spikes. I am noticing now that the left speaker's back left edge is tilted back a bit because of my uneven flooring under the carpeting. Now I'm missing those spikes I used to hate. I wonder how much it is ruining my imaging because I think even small changes in how…

I just realized that I probably won't ever be able to afford a decent multichannel setup, even though I believe that is the primary benefit of the new digital formats... perhaps a lot of "stereophiles" are the same way - they don't actually have a philosophical bias against multichannel recordings, they just can't stomach the cost of buying the new equipment (e.g., 5 more speakers, amps, preamps/controllers, cables, stands, etc.). So I am a stereophile by default.

Well, my Harmon Kardon AVR 85 is giving up the ghost faster than I had hoped. Since I have the Smyth Research Realiser and plan to use that inline with pre outs from a surround processor to speaker amps (not for awhile, may end up with active monitors mainly in the future), I am focusing on separates now. No need for amp(s) yet, just the front end processing. HDMI switching is not a priority for me at all, since my TV has 4 HDMI inputs, and I'm only using one right now. So, I have plenty of room for expansion. I also plan on eventually giving in and getting an Oppo BDP-83, which from what I hear has excellent onboard decoding of lossless high res audio (DD True…

Anyone have any opinions on this vintage receiver as both a headphone amp and a speaker amp? Seems extremely popular even today and people say it mates well with some ESLs like Quads. Problem is it needs an assload of tubes and the p2p rat's nest wiring scares me.

Want to play some classical stuff for the little one (get them started on hi-fi while they are young What's the range of dB (C-weighted) safe for babies < 6month?

I recently moved my speakers into the living room to be used with our TV so we can open up the room I had been using as the listening room. With no HT in the future, I

Yay - new gear acquisitions to help ease the burdens of life... As to why I bought it... Well I must admit I like to listen fairly loud at night, as I'm all alone for blocks from 12am to 5am. I thought the 35 Watts of the restored Eico HF-87 (cathode biased, quad of EL34) was enough into the 93db/Watt Tannoys, as the sound it yielded was for the most part super-clean. Funny thing I only recently discovered about hard-clipping on these tube amps, though - it sounds a LOT like the light crackling you get from minor flaws on a record. So, when it did clip it was somewhat camouflaged, though I still should of made the connection WAY earlier...yep I still feel pretty stupi…

so fucking happy right now even with the t amp at 15% they can fill up my office beautifully. was skeptical about the 1.8 watt decware amp but all reservations have been removed. yes i know the drivers are mounted sideways but theres a brace directly behind the driver and thats the only way the driver would go in without damage to driver posts. i did about 15% of the work in building them. rather happy with the outcome. the guys who built them did a beautiful job. pictures dont really shop the texture all that well.

SACThailand came across them while researching the gm70 tube. some of the amps look very well done.

Hello all, It's been a while and I hope all of you are doing fine I am looking for some advice. The speaker amp broke down again and it's time for something more decent. The problem is we want to have a minimum of 2 (preferably) digital inputs to attach our sources to. It seems quite hard to find. Does anyone have an idea on where to look? Thanx in advance!

Just plugged it in today. Wow, fantastic bass, in fact too much, had to pull out my horns from the corners a bit. May need to play around with stuffing or even loading the outputs with some resistance to get some extra dampening. Crystal clear, focused sound, beautiful soundstage and great tone. Nelson Pass knows his stuff. Currently being driven by the headphone output of my moth with EML 45 tubes using a 1/4 inch to RCA adapter with monster cables, lol. I can't wait to get my real headphone/preamp when it's done. Pictures probably tomorrow or the weekend.

I am currently going over ideas on beefing up my speaker rig. I've got my power amp pretty much solidified, but I need ideas for a cheap preamp that can suffice until I replace it with a more high end headphone/preamp combo. B&K PRO 10 Don't know much about that pre, but $329 for a FET discrete pre with MM/MC phono stage and balanced output doesn't sound too shabby. Any ideas or thoughts you can share would be great. Again cheaper the better, ideally not a long term solution.

I'm shopping around for a pair of speaker stands to hold my Quad 11L and I've read conflicting opinions regarding which material is better, so I'm wondering what you guys think? Does it make a noticeable difference? For what it's worth, I'm looking for something around 30 inches, with a budget of 100-120$, so feel free to shoot recommendations.

Anyone going to give it a shot? High-end sound system, for half the price | The Audiophiliac - CNET News

It has been a long time that I have purchased a pair of bookshelf speakers (1981 and I purchased a pair of AR18. Now I find myself wanting a pair that could serve initially as near-field speakers while working at the computer station but later (18 months away) to fill an small room (12' by 15'). I ran across the Fitzspeakers while looking for information on used Omega speakers and two models interest me. These are the Jr Monitors (Fritz Jr Monitors Technical Specifications) and their Fostex 6 Full Range (8inchFullRangeSpecs). Initially they would be driven by a Red Wine Audio Signature 30.2 and I listen mostly (over 95%) to jazz. Has any of you listen to these spe…

so, if you had 3k to spend, which would you get? i've decided against going the hi-eff + set/jfet route... i'd like to stick with an AB amp >60w + tube pre. i know what i like when i hear it, but everything i like is too expensive ) fwiw, if money were no object, i'd get a pair of b&w 802d. if i go over budget and pickup a new pair of 804s's ($4500), my local dealer is willing to give me a generous trade-in (basically 99% of what i paid new) once i have enough for the 802d ($14000)... and i know that if i change my direction, i can get really good resale value on agon for any of the b&w line (speaking from experience, having sold 3 pairs of b&w's …

What do you guys think about Zu's? Specifically the Druid mk IV? I'm thinking of picking-up a pair used for around $1600... I briefly heard them at a dealer and really liked what I heard, but they were being driven by a big solid state amp (even though they're very sensitive)... I plan on driving them with a 2 watt decware SET amp. Thanks, mjb

I have a friend who is looking for good active monitors, under $400 or so, and mostly used in a near-field/desktop setup. Coming more from the pro audio (mixing and post-production) side than the audiophile side, so as flat a frequency response as possible would be nice. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance. In case anyone cares, I'll also be sending along my modded Fostex T20v2 and T40v1 to this friend on indefinite loan to see if they're up to the task of being good studio headphones. I'm sad to say that I really don't listen to headphones very much, anymore, otherwise you'd have to pry the T40 off my cold, dead hands.

I'm hoping to pick up a pair of A5s soon but due to my desk arrangement I can only handle stands with about a 4 inch rise max. I just noticed these stands on the Audioengine site. Audioengine DS1 Anyone try them out or something similar? I know ideally I should get the speakers up higher but angled like this may be my best option.