Audiophile newbie


I'm a mid-twenties yuppie. I love good sound, but I'm also not reckless with money. What are some basics I should know about when in comes to audio set-up (pre-amps, amps, speakers). I actually don't understand what purpose a pre-amp serves.

Here are a couple straight-up questions:
What does a pre-amp do?
What are the concerns to consider when choosing cables?
What are the best "bang-for-your-buck" brands? (ifi, Arcam, Vanatoo?)
jwilsco

Showing 2 responses by xti16

Personally I find when starting a system find speakers that sound the best for you for the type of music you like and what is in your budget. A very general rule of thumb is to spend approx 50% of your budget on speakers. I would then suggest an integrated amp to start (pre and amp in 1 box). Then there is the source (garbage in garbage out).

That said there is something known as system synergy. That is when all the components sound good together. So once you have picked out speakers you need to find an amp that can drive them and sound great. Not all amps - speakers or sources sound good together. Some will be better than others. What may sound great to me may sound like cr@p to you or visa versa.

What you really need to do is get out and seriously listen to as much as you can to get a feel for what you like and can afford.

Best of luck
Something a little different to consider. Dynaudio Xeo wireless/amplified speakers. All you need is a source which connects to the transmitter and power near where the speakers will be located (since they have built in amps).