Your questions is wide open to many interpretations. I have been in this game for only 8 months. I do not consider myself an audiophile. I am, however, a musician with a music degree and a music lover. I decided I was going to go on e-bay and audiogon to put together a budget system, listen awhile and decide what I really wanted to spend money on. I've bought 3 amps, 2 sets of speakers, 2 tuners and 3 CD players. I will buy one unit, then another, then sell the first. That way I get a lot of diversity while training my ear. I have listened to 100's of different speakers and amp combinations at stereo shops. You name the speaker, I've probably listened to it. What I have found is that at my level of expertise, it is very difficult to hear the difference between budget gear and high dollar gear. So, for the time being I have decided to spend very little money and enjoy. What I settled on is:
PSB Image 2 speakers - $299
NAD 320BEE integrated amp - $299
NAD 3155 CD - $92
NAD 4150 Tuner - $37
AudioQuest Interconnects - $68
14 Gauge speaker wire - $20
That's $815 for everything and I am enjoying the music a great deal. I listen for hours and have the stereo on most of the time when I'm not actually listening. I plan on selling the CD and Tuner and replacing it with a more contemporary set from NAD, strictly for the remote capability. That will bring the total cost of my system to about the $1,100 mark. I will listen to this system for quite some time.
I ended up with this system because of advice from this site. While audiogon doesn't have a lot of discussion about budget gear, the advice you do get is excellent. The discussions about high end (and priced) gear is also excellent and very informing.
I'm am in the process of developing my sense of what I want. When the time comes to upgrade, I will be going to local shops. I know I'll pay more, but without them I believe stereo will fall by the wayside. They need our support.
Cripes! Where did all that come from. The simple answer is you don't need to spend a lot of money, and probably shouldn't, at first.
As I type this and listen to contemporary Norwegian Folk Music, I am in a kind of sonic Vahalla. And that for $815.
God Dag!
PSB Image 2 speakers - $299
NAD 320BEE integrated amp - $299
NAD 3155 CD - $92
NAD 4150 Tuner - $37
AudioQuest Interconnects - $68
14 Gauge speaker wire - $20
That's $815 for everything and I am enjoying the music a great deal. I listen for hours and have the stereo on most of the time when I'm not actually listening. I plan on selling the CD and Tuner and replacing it with a more contemporary set from NAD, strictly for the remote capability. That will bring the total cost of my system to about the $1,100 mark. I will listen to this system for quite some time.
I ended up with this system because of advice from this site. While audiogon doesn't have a lot of discussion about budget gear, the advice you do get is excellent. The discussions about high end (and priced) gear is also excellent and very informing.
I'm am in the process of developing my sense of what I want. When the time comes to upgrade, I will be going to local shops. I know I'll pay more, but without them I believe stereo will fall by the wayside. They need our support.
Cripes! Where did all that come from. The simple answer is you don't need to spend a lot of money, and probably shouldn't, at first.
As I type this and listen to contemporary Norwegian Folk Music, I am in a kind of sonic Vahalla. And that for $815.
God Dag!