I am going to set up my first Hifi system. Due to the budget, I am not going anywhere higher than $1000. I google a little bit and find that Swan Diva 2.1se received some good reviews. Any idea to choose amp to go for this one? BTW, I am living in NYC area. What is a good way to buy this product? When you recommend amp and speaker, your kind help of putting link to some local store or online store would be greatly appreciated.

So if I want just a pair of bookshelf speakers and listen to strings and vocal most of the time, any other good recommendations on speaker and amp? Thanks.

Do you already have a reciever? If so for 1000 you should be able to get a fairly decent set of speakers.... Paradigm / PSB / Energy all good brand names you could look at.

No. I don't have any. So that's why I am asking advises for both speakers and receiver, etc.

I have a used setup in my family room - Spica TC-50s (bought locally for about $250), driven by a vintage tube amp - 20-25 watts, push-pull (bought off Craigslist for about $250). My source is an older Marantz CC65 5-disc changer (bought from Goodwill for $9). No fancy power cords, simple RCA interconnects, and romex wire for speaker cables. I really like the sound, and the system is very simple.

I would shop around locally - various audio clubs, craigslist, local ebay sellers. Get a better idea of what kind of speaker you like - there are LOTS of choices out there.

- Steve O.

Hi-Fi? Is that like when two people slap their hands together over their heads? ;)

Sorry, but it sounds like 1960's terminology.
Today it's 5.1 or 7.1 or DTS, DD-HD, Dolby PlxII and on and on and on.........

Good luck on your search!

well, you may argue. but I still think a pair of good bookshelf is ideal for music, especially for classical. putting speakers in the right position is already too much work for me. It is more like a fancy idea to have multiple speakers and mostly a marketing strategy to me.