Newbie to the awesome audiophile world


hi all, i'm a new member here and looking to learn from here of starting a stereo system. I'm thinking a basic 2 channel amp that can power a pair of floor standing speakers. I'm currently eyeing a pair of bowers & Wilkens cm9 or kef iq9 both used of course (my budget is around 2k for the setup) so around 1000 for the speakers or about 1000 for the amp. Given the speakers, what are your thought on amps to pair with them that provide the best sounding? I'm looking for high fidelity sound over raw power. 

thanks all for viewing and helping this newbie out.
retsameht01

Showing 1 response by knotscott

My recommendation is to buy what you love the sound of. It’s like picking a favorite color....it’s unique to your tastes, and there’s no wrong way to do it.

As a rule of thumb, speakers tend to influence the sound the most, but the more revealing the speakers are, the more you can hear the other components, so in a high res system, everything matters...learn how to optimize your components to get the most from them. It’s also worth noting that smaller speakers with a little less bass output are easier to match to a room than large boomers. You can always add a powered subwoofer system later on if you feel the need for more bass. Speaking of the room....it’s a huge factor, so you may need to address your room as well.

I’ve owned a lot of amps over the years. None have brought me more pleasure than Bob Latino’s VTA ST-70 from Tubes4hifi. Tube amps can have incredible resolution that offer insight like nothing else can, and are easy to listen to. It’s within budget as a kit, which depending on your skill set might be a tall order, but it’d sure help you learn about and appreciate what you’ve got....food for thought. Used components and kits can help you get better sound for your dollar.

It’s a journey with a learning curve and filled with great music....enjoy it!