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Seeking Advice to Improve My Audio System ($1000 Budget)

Hello everyone. I have started collecting physical media (mainly Classical Music, but also some Metal, and older singer/songwriter material) for a few years now, and have built up a collection that is mainly vinyl, but also some CDs. I have slowly built up a stereo system to support it. I am not very knowledgeable with audio equipment and feel like I am drowning in information, and so I have pieced together what there seems to be a consensus around with my budget. So far I have:

Audio Engine A5+ 150 W Speakers

REGA Planar Plus 1 Turntable with built in stage

SMSL PL200 CD Player 

I use the RCA port for my turntable, and the aux port for my CD player.

Now I am wondering where I should go with my setup. I want my next investment to be around the $1000 range, but am not sure where to go with it. Should I get a woofer for the speakers and an external preamp for my turntable? Or at this price, am I better off looking for better speakers...or is there another weak point in my system? My main concerns are that the midrange and upper frequencies do sound muddy compared to other systems I have heard (but they aren't terrible) and while the bass isn't bad, it certainly could be enhanced.

As a final question, I am confused when it comes to the pre-amp. I don't quite understand how they work, and I am a bit confused and worried that I would run into an issue with my existing built-in preamp overriding an external one? Any advice?

carlyleciv

Showing 1 response by mahgister

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,782 posts
 

At 1,000 bucks it is difficult to buy good system ...But possible...

I am happy with powered  Edifier speakers but if i had money i will buy  better one for sure...( My Sansui alpha can drive anything but for now i dont want to invest 1000 bucks on  passive speakers alone i am happy with which i could achieve as secondary system (speakers) versus my main one (K340) )

How much cost a linear power supply ?  I own a Chinese one very good at peanut cost... I am happy with it if it goes on for few years as now... (No power button on/off i disconnect it at night but  it is a better  than a IFI linear supply i paid almost 3 times the price)

How much cost a good purifier ? I bought a Chinese one which work better than my Panamax for peanuts...

How much cost  a pre-amplifier equalizer ? I bought a Douk T8 for peanuts 

How much cost an acceptable dac ? I bought one from Douk the Q11 ... Peanuts costs...

Now , the main important part, any speakers even in nearfield listening need acoustic corner control... ( i use Helmholtz resonators i make with different size tubes and tune, others acoustics controls could be needed relatively to your room parameters)

All this will be not satisfying without clean power and a purifier is not enough, i make my own grounding boxes for all pieces of gear even the purifier and the linear power supply...

 

I hope i suggested to you some research  clues...

Acoustics controls matter at any speakers price, grounding method matter at all price...

Others things matter but i dont want to write a long post...cool

 

For the same  price  i also own my main system which is headphone (AKG K340)  Sansui alpha amp and Hidiz pro 80 dac...

because i bought all this some years ago the total price of my 2 system do not exceed 1000 bucks by much...

If i dont count all the minerals i used in my grounding boxes and my other  homemade tweaks...

To create a peanuts cost acceptable system ask for much time and experiments...

 

Purchasing any system at any price is not being an audiophile but being a consumer we must study and experiment...

Read about acoustics concepts.... And grounding boxes homemade design... 

Others will advise you to spend more money...

It will be an error...

Study first and learn how to make the best with a 1000 bucks system... Replace the speakers you own if you are not happy by low cost one but better one... Upgrading without studying and thinking is not good idea...

 

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