Don't know where to start
default -- Sat, 06/20/2009 - 16:22
I am a college student and wanted to start building a speaker system of a fairly good quality and I did not know where to start(i.e. what types of speakers and amplifiers) The price range I am looking at is around $800-1000 for front speakers and around $600 for a reciever. I wanted to get a pair of fronts first and then build from that point. Any suggestions would be helpful because I do not know many manufactuers. I have looked at the Paradigm monitor series and was pleased but was wondering what other brands are worth giving a look at.
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You need to assess a few things before starting to shop around. First of all if your room is large, you are more likely going to need a full range floorstanding speaker than monitor speakers on stands, which tend to be bass shy and have lower dynamic range (that is a gross generalization but in your price range likely to be the case). Also your taste in music will likely determine again if you need a full-range floorstanding speaker vs. a stand-mounted monitor. Having said that, I would start shopping for the speaker first and once you like a particular speaker, you can choose an integrated amp/receiver that matches well with your speaker. You mentioned Paradigm. You can also check out PSB, NHT, B&W, Epos, Totem, and Dali speakers (all of them have monitors and floor standing models that fit your price range that may do the trick). In terms of electronics too many to mention but a good place to start is NAD, which offers very solid entry level amplification at reasonable prices. You didn't mention if you already have a source (CD, turntable, computer audio, etc...) but you will need to budget some dollars for that along with speaker and interconnect cables as well. TAS has buyer guides and product reviews that will help you start narrowing down choices. You can check out Stereophile, Soundstage and many other online audio websites as well (6Moons, EnjoyTheMusic, etc...) for product reviews. And finally, you need to figure out if there are one (or more) high end audio retailers (i don't mean BestBuy) in your area that you can visit and audition equipment. Ultimately, you will start narrowing down choices that sound good to you and meet your needs through the auditioning process. I would not buy any equipment without listening to it first.
I hope this helps and good luck. Happy hunting.
I always advise reader to "shop for a retailer, not for equipment." The reasoning is that if you find a skilled and caring retailer, he will get you into the best gear for your money. This is easier in a major city, but can be difficult in many areas. As "cmalak" points out, don't even consider Best Buy or one of the other mass merchandisers. I also agree with "cmalak" that you should start by choosing speakers (his guidelines are excellent), and that you should listen to a few choices before making a purchasing decision. I will second his recommendation of PSB, Paradigm, Totem, and B&W loudspeakers. All these manufacturers have great choices in your price range.
Thank you for your help. There are a few quality audio centers in the area I live such as Rowe audio, which I have looked at. I went to Best Buy and left after a good 30 seconds because of the lack of quality. I will look further into this once again thank you for the advice.
If the dealer can make great sound with the gear in his showroom, you'll probably get good sound in your home. If the sound at the dealer is poor, keep looking for a dealer.
Please update us on your experience at your local retailer.
I recently started a system and had similar concerns. The advice to shop for a dealer first is key. Just go and get information first, don't mention budget or that you're in the market or anything, be a window shopper. Great dealers will treat you with courtesy as a potential customer (and should be savvy enough to tell what stage you are at in the selection process) while crappy dealers will make a bunch of assumptions about you and treat you dismissively unless they smell money.
As far as demoing a system, I have to disagree a little bit with Messrs. Malak and Harley. Since you are looking for speakers and an amp, I suggest listening to speaker and amp combinations as opposed to choosing a speaker first or amp first. After all, neither of these devices can make any sound by itself, so how can you judge what one sounds like without the other? Instead let your dealer choose a few sample systems based on your needs (room size, budget etc) from which you can suggest different combinations to try, but just pay attention to the sound you are hearing from the complete system and whether you like it or not, not the individual components. Just my two cents.
I couldn't agree more with the importance of finding a good dealer to work with. That is by far the very best option.
Unfortunately, the number of good dealers is shrinking all the time, so if there's not one or more in your immediate area then buying from on-line vendors is your next best choice. I've found the folks at Music Direct, Acoustic Sounds, and Audio Advisor to be very knowledgeable, helpful, and willing to spend some time working with you. Check out their websites and then give them a call when you're ready to talk.