2. amps-preamps
  3. 1141546804

What to get freinds into on the cheap?

Just wondering what folks out there might suggest for our "normal" freinds who think that spending what they would on a automobile versus us who spend same on a system or a component.Maybe Acurus DIA 100 II for $250?A set of Rotel or Adcom seprates used or a NAD integrated?Would like to reccomend a Jolida set up so the difference between that and their current Onkyon reciever is night and day but even their your talking not $500 or less but more like $750 or more.Geting a dcent set of speakers for them sell themselves.Slap a mass market CD and innexpensive wires and maybe they will join our insane club or simply be satisfied and not settle for a Aiwa mini system.Electronics seem to be the problem since cheap digital has gotten pretty good (realtiveley speaking time wise i.e. the fisrt CD players were terrible)).A set of speakers can be had for a reasonable sum and one can even get "good" sound from a Polk or Infinity if not a better set you drag over with denser cabinets and better components.So what to reccomend?Just spend $30 for a Harmon Kardon 330i from 1978?What to give as gift or reccomend to the folkks whom think were nuts even those who have heard our systems that cost as much as their new Camry.The integrated or seprates on the cheap for me are the problem.Any ideas?
Chazzbo
chazzbo

Showing 2 responses by pabelson

pabelson
344 posts
 
First of all, set a realistic goal. You aren't going to turn your friends into audiophiles. (One or two might one day turn themselves into audiophiles, but encouragement/pressure from you will not do the trick.) Your goal should be to get them to better sound than they have now, whatever their budget is.

That means: No tubes. Tubes are for committed audiophiles, not for people whose friends want them to be audiophiles. Ditto any other non-current technology (except a turntable if they already own a bunch of vinyl). Keep it simple.

You say they already have an Onkyo receiver, and I'm sure they already have a DVD player. So speakers are the key here. How powerful is the Onkyo, and what speakers do they have right now? And what are they (or you, if it's a gift) willing to spend?
pabelson
344 posts
 
The audiophile market drops 50% in 2 years so maybe the message is getting through.
Just out of curiosity, where'd you get that figure? (I'm not disagreeing with you, by the way.)
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