I think I remember reading that the speakers should be at least 50% of the cost of the entire system. It was a while ago, but it mentioned that speakers don't really wear out before our ears get used to and bored with them. After 20 years of this hobby I was finally able to do that, it did make more of a difference than I ever thought possible and I am only up to Wilson Audio X-1 Series lll's. The next step is the X-2's.
Todd |
Wow, Wattboss, you're welcome!
Yes, I really like this hobby - it does integrate well into my life. |
Cjsmithmd,
I have to say that your post is one of the most sane and helpful and insightful and practical posts I have ever read. Somehow in reading it, I drew larger lessons about life, about career choices, etc ... You seem to say, just start, do some research, understand that the journey will take time, make adjustments, learn what you like, move toward what you like, understanding all along that you will never achieve perfection ... and enjoy yourself as much as you can along the way ... man, a great philosophy of life! ... thanks! .. |
My .02$
For a begining audiophile: Understand that you don't buy a system in a day - you assemble a system over years. Find the best speakers you can afford. Go to shows, shops, friends etc and find a speaker whose sonic characteristics you like and can afford. Buy them even if you have to use a reciever and lamp cord for a while. Then slowly, over time, find an amp/speaker cable to mate with them, evaluate your room and begin a treatment program, carefully pick a preamp to mate with your system and continue to work out to the front end. Don't worry that your system is not immediately perfect. It will never be - just better and better. Buy cheap used until you can afford (and fully evalutate in your system)the expensive new. When you are done you will have a system you really like and fully know. Of course if you are Bill Gate$ endowed you can just throw money around and it will come out ok in the end. But for the rest of us building a system takes time which is really more important than money. And by all means enjoy the hobby! |
there is no rule of thumb. if you like the speakers and can afford them, you buy them.
given a budget constraint, buy the speakers first. sacrafice on the elctronics and thenm at some point, upgrade the electronics.
for example. let's say you have a $3000. budget.
buy a "cheap" dvd player and receiver and inexpensive cables, and save the rest for the speakers.
you may not get great sound, but you will presumably buy the speakers you want and will hold onto them for a while. |
I have always believed the room was half the battle.
The room is the most important component, not the sexiest but the most important. IMO, don't spend big money until you get the foundation settled, then build your system.
If what you've got doesn't sound good in that space, work with the space first and see what improvement you get. Maybe the speaker isn't harsh afterall. |
I think that the formula must include money for room treatment - besides speakers that is the #1 influence on sound quality. Fortunately room treatments are a big bang for buck category too, especially if you can DIY.
Speakers: 40%
Room Treatments: 10%
Pre/Amp: 35%
CD Source: 10%
Wires: 5% |
- The rule of thumb that I would use is the following:
40% of your budget - Speakers
30% - amplification
30% - source
Good luck! -
|
Here Here Cdc!
Speakers should have little if any character and a flat extended frequency response. Quality drivers and electronics will yield good resolution. There has been little development in the technology of speakers over the last 50 years or so and that is why there are some classic speakers which, used, sell for more today than they did in their day. There is so much bass information in movies, music and even cartoons and commercials today that you would really be selling yourself short by not getting a full range system either satellites and subwoofer or floor standing monitors. A pair of LS35as and a TBI subwoofer will cost you about 2k to 2500 new and little else will compare. A pair of LSA-2s will cost you about 2k and little else will compare. You can get a pair of KEF 105s, used, for about $1500 and have one of the best dynamic speakers ever produced. You could get a pair of Quad ESL 57s for about a grand and a new TBI Subwoofer or a used REL or Janis for about another $1200. As a point of reference if you took the best amplifier on the planet and played it through all of the speakers on Earth you would find that the sound quality relative to cost curve would drop off quite quickly assuming that you were using the above examples(which are just a few of many outstanding offerings). So, though dollars do not necessarily correlate to quality, if you trust your ears and use live music as a reference you can get the best cost relative to performance used for about $1200 to $1500 used and about $2000 to $2500 new. Speakers like Klipschorns have phenominal bass in their way, Fried Transmission Lines have phenominal bass in their way, Electrostatics like Quad are capable of awe inspiring resolution however, and though these qualities are not orders of magnitude greater than their budget competition they are unique and special and quite worth the difference in price for someone who can afford the difference (again, these are just a few of many outstanding offerings). This is why people buy Ferraris when they could get comparable performance for a small fraction of the price. |
IMO, it's a major mistake to go into a purchase with a dollar amount. Typical dealer question "How much do you plan on spending?". Then they sell you a speaker at that amount without considering you could have gotton acceptable sound for much less. Or maybe you need to spend more to be satisfied.
I understand people have a budget but if you go in with a dollar amount you will automatically go up to your maximum amount instead of just focusing on the sound. |
Whoaru, as you can probably agree, the second the Sony's and JVC's of the world hit the home electronics industry in the early 80's all bets were off with fact. The fact is you can no longer measure facts, because the entire industry was turned on its head with inaccurate measurements...THAT is when the industry (mostly seasoned audiophiles) turned to using there ears instead of measured spec. I won't dispute that some companies and magazines in general exploit the ear first approach.
Alot of the science behind audio was taken out of audio because the science was corrput to begin with. If you actually think about it, using your ears is the only way to distinguish good audio. In regards to a dbx, its rubbish. The second you impose a test on anybody all bets are off. Most of the dbx's are tainted in the way they are setup, usually in favor of the theory of the person who is hosting the test.
In closing, most dealers have a fraction of what they use to have in terms of market, home theatre is king, 2 channel audio is on its last legs...I doubt most dealers would put themselves in a position to making 1 isolated sale, its simply not possible to continue business this way in the current economic climate. |
As much as possible! Then you can slowly upgrade your other components. BUT pick the best full range speaker your budget and room can support or if you think you may move to a bigger domicle...the best your future room might support. If you like bass then find a big enough speaker to give you that. There's plenty decent mid-fi amps/preamps to buy to get started. I prefer Thiel and Dunlavy. A pair of Dunlavy SC IVs can be had cheap on Audiogon. Company no longer in business however. If you go Thiel then I'd say the 3.6 or 2.4 would be minimums, but the CS 6 would best support my theory. In my ugrade process for electronics the first step up to the "big leagues" would be in source components (CD/SACd player and/or turntable/cartrigde/arm). short answer is therfore "as much as possible on speakers as per your budget". |
I'd certainly agree that top notch speakers should better when driven with good electronics.
I would love to sit in on a properly done ABX test comparing cheap, mediocre, and high-end gear to find out for myself just what, if any, differences there are. Funny thing is, when called to the carpet, most "pros" find some reason to not take the test. Wasn't there a big deal one time where some relatively famous golden eared people couldn't tell a lowly Yamaha receiver from a Pass amplifier setup?
A number of reviews have favorably compared the Benchmark DAC1 to units costing several times more - but there are tons of reviews that come to the same conclusion on any number of pieces, "Comparable to units costing much more." What does that really mean? My interpretation of it is (from the reviewer's perspective) "I think I hear a difference..."
Hey, don't take it the wrong way, if you have tons of disposable income, good for you. I have no problem with that. You are entitled to spend it any way you choose.
The only problem I have is when I hear stuff like "there is so much difference in component X once you get past Y dollars" passed off as fact instead of what it really is, opinion backed up by anecdotal evidence. |
Whoaru99, most people that suggest source is the most important (and this apply's to digital even more so) is because you really have to spend far more then $1k to get good digital. I've heard speakers as little as $1k used that I could live with, I'm not so sure I could do that with digital.
I've heard a number of setups that were inferior using great speakers and bad electronics, I've heard good setups using decent speakers, with great electronics that sounded...good. The fact that people support digital sources or sources in general has more to do with what you just suggested, perhaps there isn't as big a difference in lower end digital and that you have to actually invest quite a lump sum to get something that resembles music, at least digitally. |
IMO there is nothing in the audio chain that will change the sound of a system more than the speakers.
The best electronics in the world will not make crappy speakers sound good.
My .02 is the most on speakers, maybe half, give or take a litte. Then, nearly as much on the amp/preamp/integrated amp.
Lastly, the digital source. No doubt this is blasphemy to some but the least amount needs to go here. I'd say not necessary to spend any more than say $500, and maybe less, on a digital source.
Really, to find out for myself, I have a Benchmark DAC1 on order and I'm going to put it against a $120 Pioneer DV-588A, a Denon DCD-1560, a Denon 2900, and a Music Hall MMF CD-25. If there is much difference in digital the Benchmark DAC1 should be clearly superior. We'll see.... |
Intersting comments, Sony. There may be something to that. I have about $13,000 worth of front end in the TT/arm/cartridge, and about $15,000 (I think) worth of electronics for the amp. That certainly coincides with your assessment. BUT since I did not pay retail, in actual dollars there was more money spent on the front end.
Velly intaresssstingk! |
Nrchy, I haven't said that the amplifiers are more important than the source, but that I would put more money on them. Without a good source, forget about it. The main reason to spend more money in the amplifier than the source is simple: Good amplifiers are much more expensive than good sources!
With 5K you can buy a good source.
With 5K you can only buy an average altough powerful amplifier or a fine but weak amplifier.
|
In my system,I spent about half my budget on speakers,about a quarter for amplification,and about a quarter for sources. I used supplied innerconnects and 16g hearter cord from the hardware store as speaker wire.
I have no quibble with those who would break it down into thirds instead of 2 to 1 to 1.
You mentioned that you are a beginner at this.I hesitate to tell you how to spend five thousand because I don't know your room or your listening preferences.
That said,for a beginner,I suggest using a search engine to find AVA (Audio by Van Alstine) and Odyssey Audio. Take the time to look over their sites and when you have any questions,e mail them,with the knowledge that they market excellent stuff for the money and will give you honest advice.
I have not heard the Biro L-1s(I'm one of those panel speaker nuts.) but I'm sure those(from AVA) and anything Klaus(from Odysssey Audio) recommend with their equipment would be fine deals for the money.
Then,when you are no longer a beginner and can put together used stuff properly,you can do well at this site. |
Sony I agree that better electronics are more important than better speakers. The issue I would have with your statement is that the amp is more important than the source.
What is the better amp going to add back into the music that the lesser source did not get off of the LP or CD? Everything lost at the source is lost forever. The source is far and away the most important piece, but all things are important! |
I subscribe entirely Swampwalker's opinion:
"In other words, high end speakers driven by average electronics will NOT sound as good as good electronics driving average speakers."
I had one system where the weak-link were the speakers: they were too good!!! Superb detail and transparency showed all the limitations of the source, amplifiers and cables!
I've only found two ways of making that system play enjoyable music: Replace all the electronics and cables by much more expensive ones (5k source; 11k amps; 4k cables); or replace the "high-end" speakers by normal "hi-fi" speakers.
From my personal experience I have also found out that for most balanced systems, the largest sum of money should go for the amplifiers, and not the speakers:
1. Amplifiers
2. Speakers
3. Source and cables |
My plan of attack was to purchase "A class" 7.1 electronic equipment and then to purchase a borderline high end 5.1 speaker setup. This allowed me to get equipment I won't have to upgrade for a long time, while allowing me the time to save up for the "A class" stereo speakers that I can add to my setup to complete a 7.1 system down the road. The borderline high end speakers are close enough in quality to bring out the best in my equipment without me having to sacrifice in any area while I save the cash to complete my setup. |
I always ask my wife...... |
i bought a VPI MK3 with a Morch Arm,and with the money left over purchased a Grado Reference The Reference Phono Cartridge.You would be very hard pressed to find any CD RIGsound like this one.Of course I can always upgrade the table a little more with an Aries Platter,SDS,and outer ring clamp.
You can try to get an Analog Table like this.With everything mine cost me about $1,500.00 counting cost of cartridge.My spekers cost a little more the Martin Logan Quest Z.
Happy Hunting
Don |
If you have the room for Magnapans, like the 1.6s or even 3.6s, consider them at 1725 and 3500 per pair respectively. Because the sound improves as you feed them more power, you could start with an integrated amp, or good preamp and amp, with the intent of adding more power over time. You could even monoblock or biamp them as budget allows in the future.
Audition multiple CDPs (or even the new universal players) to determine if, on your selected cuts, you can hear a difference. I would avoid SACDs and HDCDs for now, unless the specific cuts you desire are already available in these formats.
The ultimate judge of the music is YOUR ear, and no one else's. |
Buy the best speakers you can period, that way as you up-grade all your components, your speakers will grow with you, you will hear more, feel more, and smile more as your sources get better. |
In my humble audiophile opinion start by spending half the budget on a excellent source (turntable/tonearm, or disc player), first. Fact is, if you can't recover the data from the source you will never hear it, no matter how swing the speaker. Many audiophiles will agree that there is a far more satisfying future in a system built around a outstandingly musical and detailed source. Now understand, your hearing this from a guy who in 1983 bought a Linn Sondek Lp12 with Ittok arm for about (1700.00 USD) and then found a modest amp and speaker combo. Since then I have upgraded three times completely with exception to the source, which I still own and am very pleased with. If you notice I have not mentioned a phono cartridge because my first was very modest as well and over time I have upgraded to something outrageous. I have always remained happy with my system and my upgrades have followed in this hierarchy. I digress. Split the remaining half on the best speaker and power amp combination to your liking. Caution. Be careful in this pairing to find synergy in performance. I recommend you do not buy any power amp or speakers that are individually auditioned, recommended, or reviewed. I know this is sometimes difficult but, you must hear the magic of these two components together. Read around Audiogon of the mismatch problems and general discontent with the synergy of many combinations. There is a lot of great amplifier products and great speakers that will never work well together. I happen to like and could finally afford Aesthetix preamps, Atma-sphere amps, and Coincident Technology speakers. I auditioned them on and off for two years while coming up with the funds. For me, this combo gets me closer to the music than I have ever been. Enjoy! |
I say you just need to take as much as you think you can afford for new speakers, and then double it. ...or perhaps simply make your own... |
There is a bigger difference in sound quality/characteristics between speakers than there is between electronics. Therefore, speakers are DEFINITELY where the money must be spent. |
Hi All,
The challenge so far is the room size 20'x18'. Any new suggestions? |
i would call klaus at odyssey and tell him you want a 5k digital system. you could probably get his top of the line speakers with that. then you have 45 days to decide if it blows you away, and i'm sure it will. the components are all trade in approved if you want to upgrade later. i'm sure he can suggest an economical cd player that "works" with the rest of the system. i don't own any odyssey gear but i have heard it plenty at my cousins house and it is very good. if i had known then what i know now i would have gone that way, the price is right and you get great synergy. |
I just replaced the 901s with a pair of Klipsch RF7s. Wow! What a speaker!!! Blows the 901s back to the 70s where they should have stayed. For $1800. I am very happy. |
Sensitivity rating on the speakers should be a consideration if you like your music loud and you are on a budget. Less $$$$ to spend on an amp capable of driving your speakers to a satisfying volume.
Another note.....I think on a modest system interconnects and speaker cables are the last thing I would spend big bucks on. Blue Jean cables makes good stuff for a very reasonable price. Keep in mind that I am new at this too, but I believe that to be sound advise based on my experience. |
Decent speakers w/crap electronics=crap. Here is my example.
Before i begin let me just say that I plan to sell my current speakers (Bose 901's MKVI). They were the first item purchased when I decided I want a good stereo. I always wanted a pair since I was a kid in the '70s. So I bought them without even an audition. (very bad idea). Hooked them up to a Pioneer Elite VSX52. Very disapointed. I hated them. So I bought a McIntosh MC-2205. They sounded much better, but I still did not like them at all. Recently I bought a McIntosh-252 and what a dfifference! They actually sound pretty good. Even at very high volumes. So my point is that even though the speakers may be the most important part of your decision, without quality amp, even the best speaks in the woirld will disapoint. I am looking for the 'right' speakers now. Guess I need to spend about $3-4k...and all I came in here is for some milk and a loaf of bread.... |
Yikes....5K in plenty. The speaker-room interface is probably the most critical part of your system. Remember to budget for room treatments as it doesn't matter how much you spend on the rest of your system if the room is bad. The most expensive system in the world will sound like crap set up incorrectly without regard for the room. |
Re: digital sound. In my experience, a good DAC can do wonders for transforming edgy, flat digital sound towards a more layered, musical, liquid analog-like experience. Like Lush, I use a modified Museatex Data II. It's the real deal. The improvement is dramatic, not subtle, compared to playback from my Sony CDP. If you find one, get it. If it doesn't work for you, you can resell at little to no economic loss. I haven't heard the unmodified version, my comments pertain to the John Wright mods. My cost was $350! Other DACs I listened to are DCS, EMM labs, Lavry, Electrocompaniet, Audio Aero, and some others I forgot. |
Hi all
For those of you that are curious, I have purchased the following components so far.
Bryston BP-20 preamp
Aragon 2004 MkII
Arcam cd72.
Creek obh-9 i believe (moving magnet forgot the number)
I am currently looking to try some new speakers. Currently using wharfdale e-90s. Right now I have a strong inclination toward the Vandersteen 3A signatures.
Interestingly enough I have made my want into analog and have started to despise the cd-sound. Could by my player so I'm currently looking into either upgrading that or buying a new analog rig. Decisions decisions.
After that, the Power Amp is next. |
basicly I believe there are two schools of thought, one says put your money into your speakers, and upgrade everything behind them till you are satisfied and then upgrade your speakers and begin again. The other says put it into your amplification then go either to your source or speaker next and keep on going back and forth, cabling included until you can't get it any better and then upgrade your amp. i buy my equipment with the idea of hanging on to them for at least a decade, so it is a splash but it lasts. Hope this helps. |
Personally I start with speakers. Whatever does it for me that I can afford.
And then I build a system around them that works as best it can as funds permit.
This way you end up with a good front end that when the time comes to upgrade the speakers, there is little to do to optimise for them, simple as cables, or perhaps an amp, and then move forward.
A "strategy" for progress.....although recently I have been through wholesale changes as everything is getting on a bit in age now. And I've mellowed as I 've got older and priorities do change. |
Personally, it's not the loudspeakers as much as the equipment behind them. I've heard reasonably priced speakers, (4K a pair), THAT I didn't care much for, sound superb with $22K of preamp, mono blocks, and CD player. My own experience proved that. I spent most on speakers, not front end. Consequently, not only did it become frustrating, it was costly.
Front end first, as much as is your budget to do. That is the priority.
Loudspeakers second - and here you can start low and move up with almost a new system each time there after.
The only other point to consider is synergy. Throughout a system, it is important. Details like sensitivity, size, price, resale, cosmetics, (not a high priority but important) should not be discounted.
I like the idea of powering less efficient speakers with big power amps. . . but it's costly. The 22K & 4K system I heard that blew me away was top of the line THOR preamp, blocks, and Shan Lings top CD player, p[utting out 30 wpc into a pair of von Schweigert VR 4JR's. pretty impressive sound came out of those little 2K a copy loudspeakers. (audience & HT wires) |
I think Douglas Schroeder is using the "DeBeers Equation", heheh. |
Krazeeyk,
IMHO there is no set point as to what to spend on what. With 5K to spend. You can put together a sweet system SS or tubes. There are a few speakers in the 750-1500 (DynAudio) range that would easlilly foot the bill. That leaves 3500-4250 for an Integrated, a Digital front end and cables. Let your ears choose.
If I were to suggest a system in your budget:
Musical Fidelity X-80 or X-150 Integrated $1000.00
Musical Fidelity X-RAY CDP $1000.00
B&W Signature 805 $2500.00 (Maby less with the 805S out)
Synergistic Research Alpha Active IC 1M $200.00
Synergistic Research Signature 10 Active 10' is $800.00
Ok I am over by 500.00 but I am a firm believer in cables and that does not include stands.
Michael |
A good rule of thumb would be 10 to 15 percent of your net worth. At least. Maybe more. |
Krazeeyk:
Get a used pair of Infinity Intermezzo 2.6's with stands and a matching Intermezzo 1.2 subwoofer. I saw a guy on Audiogon offering these for $1,250 obo. These are rated Class 'A' by most audiophile magazines in the world.
The Intermezzos have built-in 250W bass amps, so they're easy to drive, and they sound splendid with vacuum-tube electronics, which is the only way to go. Also, you won't have to spend much money on room acoustical treatments, because you can tune their low frequency response to suit your listening room.
Buy the Prima Luna Prologue Two integrated amplifier and the AH! Supertjoeb 4000 from Upscale Audio for circa $1,345 and $1,250, respectively. Buy the P.S. Audio UPS 200 line conditioner for $500.
Now you've got $655 left for cables. For an interconnect, look to D.H. Labs Revelation or Nordost Blue Heaven. For speakers cables get Nordost Blue Heaven with gold-plated Z-clip bananas (I've seen many used Nordost Blue Heavens on Audiogon.) And get your power cables from Frank at Signal Cable.
You'll have just enough left to take your Sweetie for a hot fudge sundae.
Good luck,
Jay
|
Monthly income x 3.125 = quality speakers
Annual income x 3.125 = divorce |
To anybody that suggested Audibile differences can't be detected at the price points listed for digital frontends are wrong in my very humble opinion.
John Wright of museatex heavily moddified my Melior DAC, and the differences were huge. The problem with hearing digital differences is patience. Everybody wants instant results. The same people that can't hear differences in interconnects and speaker wire probably don't hear many differences in CDPs or digital front ends. They want instant change. They want to go from hearing RED to hearing BLACK within seconds.
I had been using a NAD 541i CDP and I hooked up the Meilor DAC (using the NAD as a transport) with a Moray James interconnect and a Harmonic Technology Cyberlink Platinum cable. At first there were differences but they were small, or so I thought. After 6 days I hooked up my NAD again and listened. I was disgusted. What I thought was a decent CDP sounded horribly 2-D stale and flat in comparison. These differences were not leaping out in front of me within the first 5mins of listening. After a week of listening to the DAC I heard differences that weren't subtle upon going back to the NAD. The Museatex gave me what the NAD did and didn't take anything away but simply added. Speakers can both add and subtract from other speakers, making the differences more striking.
I think part of the problem stems because speakers can be subjective and people can hear instant change. I sincerly doubt a person could spend $5k on a CDP/dac combo and "hate" its sonic signiture. Generally the more money spent on a CDP will allow you a better overall sound. Likewise, I have listened to speakers costing $5k that I hated. Speakers might be more subjective and might change the sound of music more, but don't disregard the frontend.
The kind of improvements take time, but when you hear them its all worth while. If you had to take away one thing from my system I can tell you right now, the DAC and digital interconnect would be the last thing you could get your paws on. I'd be content listening to this setup on cheaper speakers then a cheaper source. I can live with a system living up to its potential. Having more expensive speakers not coming close to what they could sound like would drive me insane, or kill me. |
This is a good question to which I don't think there is a firm answer, as you can tell by the myriad of responses here. The question is basically: "which components contribute the most to the quality of sound reproduction?", since it would stand to reason that one should sink the largest sum of money there. I was initially told by my local audio retailer that the most important part of the audio chain is the source (i.e. the CD or DVD player), since the rest of the system can, at best, only reproduce exactly what this component puts out. The argument was to allocate money to buy the best CD or DVD player, followed by the preamp/amp, and lastly the speakers (i.e. that the order of importance parallells the flow of the signal, since at each step the performance of that component is limited by what is upstream). While this is probably true, in reality, the MARGINAL difference from spending an extra $1000 on a CD player may not be the same as another component (say, a speaker).If there is a component that is onviously lesser in quality than the rest of the system, I'd say the money should be spent upgrading that component (i.e.-- "the chain is only as strong as the weakest link" theory). However, assuming you have a system where basically all the components & speakers are of relatively comparable (and reasonably good)quality, I'd agree that upgrading the speakers will have the largest effect on the sound, followed by the source components, then the preamp and finally the amp. I should also mention that adding a power conditioner and quality cables/interconnects can have a large effect as well. With respect to speakers, it is important to audition them with your system, since I find it difficult to predict from a store audition how the speakers will sound with my electronics and in my room. For example, my CD player is a bit on the bright side, so my aerial 7b speakers (which are slightly "reserved") sound alot better than my Thiel 2.3s (which are brighter), even though they are of relatively comparable quality, and both excellent speakers. Interactions between speakers and the electronics, I find, make it difficult to know sometimes if I'm really "upgrading" my speakers, or simply changing them. |
Krayzeeyk, this thread is getting close to 3 years old. Just curious: Have you purchased a system? How is it working out? |
First, decide on what YOU like to listen to and then scour the magazines out there (all of them) to help narrow down your choice on speakers. Speakers first, don't forget. Don't rush into this. Let the hype direct you but trust your ears: listen carefully, as long as permitted, with music you are familiar with. Don't deal with someone who won't let you listen and never feel compelled to buy based on pressure. The good ones are used to seeing the earnest ones come back. Check out the latest issue of Absolute Sound and read the article entitiled "Steak and Lobster on a Spam budget'. Good way to start. In fact, I, myself might buy the amp or pre-amp made by TAD (mentioned in the article). Be wary of 'sonic jewelry': there's tons of mark-up in this industry and alot of those glossy ads underwrite the sales of those mags and therefore get favorable reviews. If you can, talk to someone who's been around in the industry (20-40 years) and glean what you can from them (eg: Pierre @ mapleshaderecords.com or Paul @tubeaudiodesigns.com.). There's a reason why there's so much buying and selling of used, high-end audio gear (your reason here). Good luck. |
Czik=Newbee; i've heard a NAD-Lynn chain the other day for 1 1/2k and honestly i was blown-away. I've got all that heavy-metal-crap for zig-thousands at home and here comes someone that does it for less than 20% ( cd-player and integrated amp from NAD / speakers and TT from Lynn (sondek). If your not runnig it at insane levels ... 2x35W thru minimalistic electronics in a 250sf scarcely furnished room : utterly detailed, wonderful soundstage, not overweight at any Hz, a thoruoghly enjoyable listening experience for hours! Go for it. |
Engagement ring money...but get the prenuptial done so you get to keep the speakers! |
