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I need your advice on system for a non-audiophile

While I am sure this type of thread may have been posted before, I'd really like your input on this. At the risk of sounding like an out of touch audiophile, I simply have been away from the lower end market (e.g., the Best Buy scene for audio) for so long that I really don't know if I can be of help to a work colleague who asked for my help in buying a new "stereo."

My colleague told me she has a "crappy Sony system" that really doesn't sound that good and would like my suggestion for buying something new. I suspect its an older cheap rack-type all Sony system. She tells me it has "5 tiny little speakers."

I asked her to tell what three things are most important to her in this new system and here is her reply:

1. Sound quality that is clear

2. Not small system, but not too large. My house is really small so I don't' want a system that takes up all of my free space (she has seen my 300 pound Rockports and triple wide loaded SRA rack so she may be thinking about that when she worries about a system taking up all of her "free space.")

3. Price, between $700 - $1,000 if possible.

Any suggestions? Thanks
fmpnd

Showing 3 responses by fmpnd

fmpnd's avatar
fmpnd OP
481 posts
 
Thanks Stanwal and Uru975. I am sure she doesn't want a turntable. I agree that a unit like a used Linn Klassik or Arcam Solo might be nice but it wouldn't leave her any funds to purchase the speakers.

I could possbly try to buy the stuff used for her on A-Gon but I'd worry that if the equipment failed she might not want to fuss with unwarranted repairs (not to mention wanting to shoot me).

Frank
fmpnd's avatar
fmpnd OP
481 posts
 
WOW! Thanks to all of you for the great suggestions. I have to find out if she needs a tuner or other source other than CD. I like the NAD, Marantz or Cambridge integrated idea but it may have to be a receiver.

To be honest, I really don't like doing this for this type of user (it's not helping a friend I dislike but the "expectation" that I am an "expert" in this market). I worry that what she thinks is "good sound quality" may be different than what I would think $1,000 should best be spent on. The problem is getting that friend with an untrained ear to be able to ariculate what she is looking for. The difficult part is the potentially different meanings two people, not in the same hobby, may ascribe to the terms or words used to describe their preferences.

It may seem I am over-analyzing this but this is for a bright 50-something work friend/colleague who really is looking to me for help but is who also not as able as she would normally be in defining exactly what she is looking for (except what you see above).

Too bad she has "tiny little speakers" she is not that happy with as I could have just told her to buy Bose Acountimass!!! LOL!
fmpnd's avatar
fmpnd OP
481 posts
 
Rprince,

The SADDEST part about your great advice is that it never entered my mind because the brick & mortar guys are so rare these days. BUT, we do still have a few in the Detroit metro area (we may not have jobs or viable auto manufacturers right now but we DO have a few audio dealers still kickin).

Thanks for turning the light on for me.
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