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Building a Magnepan System, Please Help...

Hello everyone,

I am going to be shortly building an audio system, my first high end set up ever. I have decided on Magneplanar 1.7 speakers. The reason is that everything I have read seems to indicate that they are the best deal in audiophile speakers and the sound signature appeals to me. But since I have never built a high end sound sytem before, I need some help in picking components that match up well with the Magnepan speakers.

I am on a budget here. I want to get the best quality I can for the lowest price. I will even get the Magnepan speakers used if I can find them. I would like to be up and running for somewhere in the $3000 range but I can stretch that if need be.

I have all but decided on an Emotiva amp as they seem like a good deal and others have said they match up well and have enough power to drive these speakers.

So lets start out with saying that I bought a used but good condition Magneplanar 1.7 speakers for under $1500.

Then I bought an Emotiva XPA2 for around $700.

What else do I need to have a good startin system?

I have no intention of buying a subwoofer at this time. Maybe I'll add that later.

Do I need a pre amp to pair with the XPA2? I don't know too much about high end audio. What is the precise function of a pre amp and do I need one? Please recommend one for this set up.

As for the source, I would like to get into vinyl but I will hold off on that for the present. But bear in mind that I would like to be able to incorporate a record player into this system without much trouble in the future.

Instead of purchasing a high end CD player or SACD player, I though it would make sense to get a high end DAC for a computer source like a laptop so I can store my audio on my computer.

Can you recommend a good DAC that would be not too expensive but good enough to get the most out of the rest of the components I have selected?

So far I have, Magneplanar 1.7 speakers, Emotiva XPA2, maybe a pre amp and a DAC for running digital audio from a computer source. Not counting the cables to hook everything up, this is basically what I need right?

One final question. Should I also get a power conditioner to protect my components from surges and also to "clean" the power from my home outlets? I don't want to spend this much money and have my components damaged. If I should get one, please recommend one that is inexpensive.

Thanks for the help.
jrodefeld

Showing 1 response by elevick

elevick
2,638 posts
 
Jrodefeld,
You need to ask yourself a couple more questions: Do you want to be able to hook this to a tv or don't care? Do you think you will go high end on a turntable or just a basis one? Is a remote control a must?
1-YES, it is imperative that you protect the equipment with some sort of surge protector or conditioner. A basis PS Audio can run a couple of hundred. However, your deductible on insurance is a lot higher if lighting hits.
2-The Emotiva is a good choice. Maggies like a lot of power.
3-External phono preamps run about $100 to $150 used for something in the range of a Cambridge or similar. You can find a preamp with built in phono if you want to keep things less complicated. But most newer units don't have this.
4-Have you looked at the Emotiva Pre's? The XDA-2 is really cheap and possibly a nice choice. The UMC-200 has way more than you need but is quite flexible for the future and has a nice built in DAC.
Brownsfan, besides being a Browns fan, has a good point about an Oppo. To be able to stream into a 103 is great and you can even plug a hard or flash drive into it as your source.
So, $1500 for the Maggies, $800 for the XPA-2 (buy used?), $300 for a pre, $300 for a line conditioner and then all you need is cabling (yes, you broke $3k).
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