My price range is $1,500 hopefully less (obviously not looking to spend a lot). I'll need a pair of speakers and a source and a nice CD player would be nice as well. I'm not really going to have a room to listen to music in so this will be just in the living room. The thing is I like listening to music while just walking around my place doing nothing.

Right now for audio I simply using my computer with an Audigy 2 zs and my MS-1 headphones which works good and the quality is good but I realize how I'm a speakers guy more than a headphone guy. I mostly listen to rock if it makes a difference (Led Zepplin, Coldplay, Hendrix, Beatles, Radiohead, Queen, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, etc) and Jazz (Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellignton, etc) anyway you get the picture.

Any help would be great.

I'd check out Audiogon and other places for used stuff. More bang for the buck. You have A LOT of choices. :)

larry

Since you already have a computer source, you might check out a squeezebox 3 as the source. To that there are many options but one good sounding setup in your price range would be:

Squeezebox 3: $299
Era Design 5: $660 on audiogon right now $900ish new
HK 3480 Refurb: $200ish direct

Certainly there are lots of options in that price range, but in my opinion that is one of the better setups. I used an HK 3840 with my Design 4s for a bit before my Integrated came in, and it was a suprisingly good combination. The squeezebox will use wireless so you dont have to wire your computer to your living room.

Since we're only working with $1500 here, this is the best I can recommend. Pretty nice sounding and respectable system, though.

Speakers: Dynaudio Audience 42 or ERA Design 4/5

Integrated: Onix A60MKII

CD Player: Onix CD5

This little system will not only sound nice it will look like a million dollar system. ;)

This guy (http://cgi.videogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?rcvr20ch&1185814314&class&3&4&) has a pretty cool integrated up for $700 w/ speakers.

You might also consider the little Bel Canto 300iu (http://www.belcantodesign.com/pdfs/UG_S300i.pdf) (PDF) for its USB input. It's bound to have one hell of a DAC. Probably too expensive, though.

sscaff1,

Where are you located? You may have a local A/V club in your area where you can check out other folks' systems.

With a tight budget, I would either go local used (Craigslist and/or zip code search on ebay/audiogon/videogon), or DIY. If you don't have the skills to design loudspeakers and associated electronics, there are folks scattered around that might be able to help you out.

If you are going with a stereo loudspeaker setup, then budget the largest percentage towards the speakers. If you get efficient/sensitive speakers (around 90+ dB/m) then you won't need a very expensive, power amp to drive them either. You might hear about the budget Tripath amps (Sonic Impact, Trends, etc - those are popular among the high-efficiency loudspeaker crowd).

Your PC by itself (no streaming client is necessary here) with losslessly compressed tracks from CDs or high-quality digital store downloads should a fine source, especially running FooBar2000 or other configurable software. The Audigy sound card was and still is a very good card for the money.

If PC or iPod will be your only sources, you only really need an integrated amp (or amp with volume control + inexpensive source switcher), a pair of loudspeakers, and some basic interconnect and speaker wire.

- Steve O.

Here is a recommendation that'll get you real close. Shoot, now I even want to listen to it :D I've haven't heard the speakers, but Onix is very well respected. Anyway here you go:

Onix x-ls monitors $215/pr - unbelievable
Not going to touch build quality/performance at this price, period.
Read the stellar review in this month's HomeTheater (sry couldn't find it online...)

Jolida 1501RC $575 100wpc - insane
Look, do yourself a favor, unless your a rocker, go tube for 2 ch. Just starting off, go hybrid, you won't be disappointed.
http://stereos.about.com/od/gtamplifiers/fr/jolida1501.htm

Rega Apollo CD Player $995 Used ~700
Awsome deck, don't bother fooling around with anything else anywhere close to this price.
http://stereophile.com/cdplayers/606rega/

Best of Luck!

This guy (http://cgi.videogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?rcvr20ch&1185814314&class&3&4&) has a pretty cool integrated up for $700 w/ speakers.

You might also consider the little Bel Canto 300iu (http://www.belcantodesign.com/pdfs/UG_S300i.pdf) (PDF) for its USB input. It's bound to have one hell of a DAC. Probably too expensive, though.
thats a beaut of an int amp wish i could afford one

take a look at this thread for some insightful ideas:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=848152

Onix x-ls monitors $215/pr...
...Rega Apollo CD Player $995 Used ~700
I haven't had an opportunity to check out the gear you suggested, but on a $1500 budget, $200-ish seems very low for speakers and $700-1000 seems very high for a CD player/transport. I just put together a Pioneer Elite 55txi, Pioneer Elite DV-45a, and Ascend Acoustics Sierras for $1300 before cables. It's a HT setup that I'm using strictly for 2-channel no-sub listening (the Sierras don't need a sub for music), and that I can transform into a 2nd HT down the road if needed or if I upgrade our 2-channel setup...not to mention that it sounds fantastic for 2-channel use.

J.

ONIX SP3 integrated tube amp - used on audiogon or av123forum.com for about $500

ONIX Ref 1 speakers - new $1100, used for about $500, they show up pretty regularly on the hi end sites classifieds, and are incredible speakers, very highly reviewed all over the place.

Denon 2910 CD player used for $200-275. Better yet, find a used 3910 for $500.

You're at $1500 with an extremely nice system.

There are so many things you can do in this genre. I've been thinking about going hi-fi in my office and hooking up a little usb dac (maybe apogee?) to a pair of powered monitors. The Mackie HR824 monitors have the flattest measured response I've ever seen. Benchmark makes a USB DAC1 also.

Since this is your first stereo system start off slow. I would suggest the following:
1-Paradigm Atom V.5 Speakers(pair)-- $250 (Absolute Sounds' editor's choice award)
2-Sherwood Receiver RX4105---100 Watts per channel--$85
3-Sony CDP-CE375----5 disc player--$100
Total-$435
Remember it's not how much you spend but what you spend it on that counts.
Don't underestimate this audio system based on the reasonable price. Also consider inexpensive gold interconnects and inexpensive copper speaker wire(12 to 16 gauge). Since speakers have the most effect on the final sound, audition them if you're going to do any auditioning.
Richard

I will throw this one in as a suggestion for the under $1500 system with speakers and CD/DVD player.

http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/catalog/tree/en/us/consumer/home_entertainment_gr_us_consumer/audio_systems_ca_us_consumer/ce/_activeTab_specifications/_productId_MCD908_37_US_CONSUMER/DVD_Micro_Theater+MCD908_37?proxybuster=DDJMCF3OSLC3TJ0RMRCS HQNHKFSESI5P