Looking for “just good enuf” for garage man cave

I’ve been happily using a 20 year old Onkyo stereo receiver and pair of large Advents for similar use past 10 years...

Buy one of those $100 all in one systems then add a pair of efficient loudspeakers. Works really well. Speakers are everything. 

I have a bluesound sound bar - it might suit your needs.

I downsized a few years ago and did away with home theatre/media room and put a sound bar on my tv.  It can airplay and if you have a smart tv you can use Tidal, Spotify apps.

Is it as good as my home theatre system or my 2 channel stereo - no.  But for about $700 is a great value.

you can get a 2ch wireless streaming receiver like the yamaha n303 for <$300 (much less for used), which gives you all sorts of connectivity. add a couple of speakers (polk, klipsch, etc.) and you're all set. accessories4less has good prices on such gear.

I put a Sonos Arc under my TV in a large living room of similar size as your garage and it does pretty well for streaming music.  If you don’t want to spend the cash for LS50 wireless II, it may be the next best thing, IMO.   

I dunno.

I think "man-cave in the garage" and I’m thinking an old Yamaha amplifier and some Cerwin Vegas or some Kabuki speakers you can stack some beers on. And a fridge. And some vintage Led Zeppelin fuzzy posters or something. And a black-light. Maybe a pinball machine.

That would be “just good enuf” for me, lol.

:)

Vanatoo Transparent One Encore active speakers and source devices of your choice including Bluetooth will hit way above the cost and save space. Lots of great Modern technology applied wisely with these. Forget about old clunky midfi  stuff from years ago.

Try the PS AUDIO Sprout and some bookshelf speakers.  They gave a complete system for around $1,000.00 and some good reviews on YouTube. They also have an in home trial period so you can try it out. Good luck and have fun.  

PS. Welcome to the world of audiophile!

Go used and you will get better value for money whatever you choose.

Whatever you choose, I'd go the used route. Tons of options and much more reasonable prices over new. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, even Audiogon can have a bargain or two every now and then.

It depends, to a degree on your main system.  Since i have roon in my main system(s), i use a tablet or phone as a ROON endpoint and bluetooth it to a JBL CHARGE 4, which i think sounds remarkably enjoyable ( note I did not say good, accurate etc.)  Bit if i'm in the lab. working on a car, or have a party in the garden / patio, its ideal.

In my mountain cabin a house partner supplied some old MBQuart speakers and I supplied a 40 year old Tandberg receiver and i have a $99 Piece of Schiit DAC.

G

I have Nakamichi PA5 and CA5 driving set of JBL Control 5 and I’m playing out of iPhone or iPad  like you said for garage it’s “ good enough “

Grab a Yamaha R-N303 b4 they're all gone, and add virtually any speakers you like, such as mountable indoor/outdoor ones from Parts Express, and a powered sub from same.

Powered speakers are an option.  Bluetooth.  Don't have a bunch of stuff getting dusty.  

Great question ...

Recently purchased a pair of Fluance Ai41 powered speakers; one of the many inputs is optical ... I set mine up for Bluetooth but could easily upgrade to Dragonfly dac or other input.  I think I paid 250 for mine.  Sure it uses DSP but for $/SQ very engaging, especially for Jazz! Great for office or second, third system: easy, inexpensive highly impressive sound

https://www.fluance.com/powered-5-inch-stereo-bookshelf-speakers

ideally, an AVR with front pre-out and a separate stereo preamp or integrated with ’HT Bypass’ (an input for front l and front r that the AVR controls the volume of)

No way in your $1,000 budget, so I would look for good used, and go for a pretty good video 5.1 and simply use the avr’s 2 channel mode for stereo content.

patience to find good deals on better equipment will be rewarded for years afterward. or, don’t spend much, sell/toss it all later when you do it differently.

soundbars solve space/budget/installation issues, but separate speakers will sound better.

front L & R speakers the most important if you want say 3 people wide to get a good l/c/r image, their dispersion pattern makes a huge difference, or at least have easily adjustable toe-in.

none listed currently, but these DBX soundfield 100’s were designed for wide l/c/r, perhaps use something temporarily, keep an eye out for some, or another model designed to do what they do

http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/dbx-soundfield-100-135.html

front center speaker very important to keep close to the image (just below works best), thus think about how to arrange that carefully now.

I used my very compact Bose VCS-10 for many years, surprisingly good

I just changed to a Klipsch center (version with no rear port)

I waited until a good deal on a used one popped up.

live anywhere near Plainfield, NJ. I’ve got some good used stuff on the shelves I want to move outta here with as little effort on my part as possible!!!

onkyo 5.1 receiver

bose center channel

small speakers good for rear l/r channel use (3 optional pairs: energy/boston/b&w)

I also have a 2 channel stereo receiver that has 2 sets of speaker outputs, with remote control.

close enough? drop by, look, listen, have fun, learn something that helps you with other choices now or later.

In my garage where I'm running machines and making a lot of noise I have my "retired" yamaha reciever and some old 2 way speakers that remind me of how sound systems sounded when I was in college.  I certainly don't consider this a "man cave".  my cave is where my primary system is.

I'd stay away from sound bars. 

Jerry

I’ve got some used Cambridge Soundworks speakers and a Yamaha 660-something receiver that does just fine. I can stream Pandora on it and hear it in the front yard which is fine for what it is. 

In my garage I have a Sansui 8080  JVC KD A5 cassette deck and some  Jensen JP 1200 3 way speakers sounds pretty good .

Hey Brother,

I'd suggest you save yourself a bunch of cash & opinions. Depending on where ya are in the world, take about 800 bucks of that grand and go blow it on your kids or grandkids or fishing gear or something. Then, take the 2 bills, and hit your vintage and thrift shops. You're building a system in a big ol garage, so wired junk shouldn't be a biggie. If you have a YMCA thrift shop close (most do) those are phenomenal, Salvation Army is still kickin' it in a lot of places, and there's always a crap load of OKWill's around. If ya wanna tell me where ya are, and it's in the USofA, I can just about tell ya what's within an easy drive from ya. Not to be a braggart, but I have more Thrift shop intel than Macklemore ;) I got a pair of Infinity RS speakers, a set of pre-Sanyo Fisher floor speakers, an Onkyo TX-SR607 (HDMI) a Yamaha HTR-5940 that has an immense amount of character and plenty of ass, and including the few odds and ends, a few caps, a transistor, and a transformer I think I needed, along with some re-solder on a few brittle spots and the time involved, including gas, I'm still under a Benji. I can do that week in and week out. You may not go out and get it all at once, but if you're anywhere near civilization, you should be able to get whatever ya get in a week or two. PLUS, you get an adventure out of it, going out without exactly knowing what you're going to end up with, but it could be way more Rad than what you'd think, and it certainly will be over a Bose sound-bar ... I almost puked in my mouth a little just typing that \😂 I promise ya, at worst, you'll be a week behind schedule going to blow a grand, so there's ALL kinds of upside. I'll be more than happy to clue ya in on anything I can help with. To start, check out your junkyard, or I guess "recycling center" nowadays, but I go ALL the time, and most people would NOT believe what is thrown away. If your junk yard is anywhere a big govt. anything ... Jackpot. I got 100 laptops for 42 bucks, no lie. I wish it were. They take the batteries out, pull the HD's and the RAM, so the laptop becomes 4 parts basically  ... and guess where they send those other 3 parts to? If your junkyard dudes are organized like I helped my guys get, they'll be in bins or boxes or however your spot stores junk,  right next to the pallets of laptops. I made like 75 decent machines out 'em in a week and gave most of 'em away to poor kids here in the mountains that wouldn't have been able to have one other wise. I only had to sell ONE to make the money back. The laptops won't help your efforts, but it's an example of the stuff that goes through there. A sound output on a device comes un-connected and, "Well, that thing doesn't work anymore, toss it, and get some other cheap Chinese crap to replace it." Ya know? If I gave a shit, a man could probably make 40-50k out of the junkyard in a year. If you're not a DIY kinda guy, and ya just want it done, Thrift shops my friend. I'm not a big fan of OKWill on a moral level, but all the really old folks and the really young take the vast majority of the crap they get rid to GW, so it's a GREAT source for what you're doing. If you're in a metropolitan area, there's several GW's near you, not just one. I live in nowhereville USA, 70 miles in any direction just to get the burbs and Roanoke has 9 GW's all within 30 minutes of downtown, Charlotte has 17 GW's in the "city" and within 30 minutes outside. Sure it's a BUNCH of clothes, but if you haven't really checked it out, it'd blow ya away. Of course, I'm just one dude, and this is all just one dudes humble opinion, but I felt compelled to say it, in the off chance I can help. Anything new you'll get today under a G from around 3 bills to your limit, will just be a little better versions of the garbage that's under 3 bills. I'd personally rather see someone I care about spend a couple hundred on something that sounds like a grand, then blow the G and have it sound like White Van crap. That's just how I see it, just as everyone hears a bit differently, we see a bit differently as well. So I dunno. Even if you paid retail, ugghhh puke again, I'd still say ya'd get more bang for the buck and be better off getting some older used equipment. As far as connectivity, you can Bluetooth just about any electronics today for 20-30 bucks. I dunno how tall your building is, I just figured 20ft, but it's kind of moot anyway, you're in a space approx. 13,000 cubic feet, probably steel-ish, probably not killing it on the insulation and stuff, so kind of echo-chamberish anyway, and you're not gonna put a pair of Infinity IRS V's or Genesis 1's out there ya know. Oh yeah, I forgot, the pawn shops that rape people, if ya talk to the dudes there once or twice, you can basically take half off the tag, and they'll go for it, as they paid 25% of that, so at half they still double, and they sit on the inventory so long, half of what they're asking is always good for them. I recently got an Akai AP-Q310 still in the box from 1983 for 65 bucks. Well.. I've taken enough of everyone's time and painted my picture, I can only hope it may in some small way help someone along the way. Now "Get otta here boy ... ya bother me" 😂🤣😂

Much love!!! ✌

        .ƹ.

Cheap receiver and some Sony SSCS5s!

Any of the bookshelf ELACS, one of the small class D amps that ASR has reviewed and recommended (avoid those with bluetooth if you can), and if you need a streaming source and have good wifi in the garage, you could stream with an RPI and a decent Topping or Schiit DAC.

I just re foamed some wonderful old EPI 180 speakers for the garage and drive them with a Yamaha R-S202. Tidal Bluetooth to receiver and all is well! I swear those EPI’s sound so good I may move em inside!

@helpfull16yearslate +1 for attitude 

@doctoru used Audioengine A6 powered speakers? Not sure would fill the garage but would work great for sitting on the couch, asssuming it’s within 15 feet of your TV. My son’s pair play loud enough (with clarity) to drive me out of his 15’ x 15’ room. Have all the connectivity and remote control options you could want, and no need for a dedicated source if you don’t want to deal - can just stream tunes off your phone

Have to admit, some cool old stuff, and $500 in the pocket, could be great. Check out Oaktree Vintage Audio and Sounds Classic - I haven’t dealt with either of them, just know they have wild selection of cool stuff from the late 70s/ 80s /early 90s

Tell us what you decide and enjoy!

Have a great day

For no more than you plan to use it, I would get a Sonos Beam and a pair of Sonos Ones for surround rears. When playing Audio, you can use the Play Ones in stereo or the whole system. You can also take the Ones anywhere you want to listen to stereo, like the patio, etc.You might even start with the Beam as it may be sufficient.

If separate TV audio is not required, you could get one or two Sonos Fives. I use one in the garage and it also plays plenty loud enough for washing the car outside the garage. The app streams from all the major services and from my PC server which contains my ripped music collection. Just get white so it doesn’t show every speck of dust.

Dynaudio XEO 10 and Bluesound Node.

It seems most suggestions are ignoring the OPs CD requirements.  If the OP is looking for a all-in-one unit for AM/FM radio, CD transport, DAC, Streamer, then he's likely out of luck- he'd have to go multiple components.  Maybe a receiver plus a CD player capable of doubling as a DAC for streaming.   

Garage man cave!  = Craigslist = used and "good enough"

@coralkong 

I think "man-cave in the garage" and I’m thinking an old Yamaha amplifier and some Cerwin Vegas

+1

I’m thinking something stable into 4ohm, like a Yamaha A-1000 or A-750 integrated, and a pair of Cerwin Vega AT-15’s or DX-9’s. That’d get the walls shaking for under $1000.

I just recently picked up a new Denon M41 for $649. CD, FM/AM & BT. 30wpc, nice little stereo.  I also have a heated attached garage...sounds great.

I started slow before I bought the more expensive hifi equipment and there are some good inexpensive pieces you can get and will give you audiophile quality sound... Buy Klipsch SB3 or Klipsch sb2 (less base) from ebay or wherever... Older Kenwood speakers that were made in Japan (before china bought them) will put you there... Amps Carver 500t with c2 preamp is audiophile quality... Pioneer sx models 850 up to 1250 are all good although 1250 and 1980 are to pricey.... A Carver magnetic field amp receiver 75watts per channel driving Klipsch SB3 will make you smile..

I would stick with 2 channel audio system. Receiver or integrated amplifier with outboard AM/FM tuner. Many newer 2 channel ones have digital inputs in addition to analog ones. If one you find lacks USB input purchase a USB/SPDIF converter for coax input.  Separate bluetooth receivers can be purchased that output analog. 

There are many budget speakers on the market that are very good sounding. check out the speaker threads herein.  

Consider the used market.

A great 'good enuf' system can be had for 1K!

just keep checking the classifieds for bargains and use common sense..

Check out cheapaudioman on youtube...he covered this topic within the last week.

If you keep your eyes open, you can find a Radio Shack STA2000 receivers, designed by Foster aka Fostex for a few hundred dollars. The STA-2100's are selling for a LOT more. They are the best receiver I have ever heard, and beat the pants off of plenty of seperates. From there, you are on your own, I don't know much about less expensive gear.

Yeah that’s one of the good old Realistic Receivers.  I remember it well. 

Hey you can get some nice stuff...on Ebay, garage sales ,

A pair of Amazon Echo Studios and a Firestick 4K will set you back $440. If you want a sub, a whopping $129 more. Voice control is perfect in ths application. It means you can be elbows-deep in engine oil and still control content and volume. And unless you want ear- bleed volumes, they'll play plenty loud.