Trying to make a system and I am buried under the BS

Tough question 'cause most people will want to know a little something about your preferences in every area. Here's a couple of "in my opinion only" inputs that might get you started.

(1) Decide what your price ratios are. I have pretty much settled on a ratio of about 4:1 spent on speakers relative to amplification. So if I were spending $5k total, I'd probably be in the range of $500 for sources, $1K for amplification, and $3.5K for speakers (I don't use a turntable anymore though - maybe that could change your ratios big time). Once you settle on the ratios, it narrows down the field considerably.

(2) Do some serious listening to see if you repeatedly choose a tube amp over a SS amp. There's a lot of literature out there to say that if tube amps make a difference at all, it's only because they give you an innacurate response curve (exaggerated midbass, rolled off highs, or whatever). You may find you get a whole lot more for you money in your price range with solid state.

(3) Always remember that rooms make a huge diference - size, absorption, scattering, everything. So what you hear one place with a particular component has to be weighed with how different that room is compared to what you're used to.

(4) My personal rule of thumb - get bigger speakers if your room can stand it. 3-way floorstanders have some natural advantages over bookshelf speakers and over 2-1/2 way floorstanders if the rest of the quality and technology is comparable.


I'm sure lots of other people can fill in lots of other blanks. Have fun!

What was your friend's setup?

Rega, & Roksan make turntables.

Manley, Audio Research & conrad-johnson make expensive tube amps, but you might find something used. I just read a favorable review of a Pure Sound A30 integrated. Good luck finding one for purchase, though.

Paradigm (Signature S2 or S4), PSB (Platinum M2), Vienna Acoustics (Haydn Grand), Von Schweikert (VR-1) - Sensitive speakers at a decent value. I'd think anything under 89dB and you're going to have to pay for more amp than a $5k total system can provide. Look in the 1 to 2k price range.

You don't tell us what you are starting with. What is your current setup? What about your friends setup did you think was better? Are your dads old records in good shape? Is your current needle in good shape?

You should be able to put together a pretty good turntable system for $5K.
I'd put
$1-2K into table and cartridge
$1-2K into amp (and phone preamp if required)
$2-3K into speakers
$100-200 into cables

I think my setup is listed in my profile - click on my name. I have less than $5k invested in the analog part of my system ( the Adcoms were bought used, the speakers were demos at 40% off list)

For turntable systems, IMO the biggest thing that determins the overall sound are the cartridge and the speakers. And of course the record, and the room. That is where the sound reproduction system starts and stops. The middle parts are important, but the
start and end seem more critical from what I've heard.

Come to Colorado. We have 10,000 shops. Also, next month the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest is going on. If you want to hear some awesomely priced stereos this is the place to be.

Narrowing down the choices from the many comments and suggestions from this site and many others I have chosen the following Amp/Preamp systems.

Parasound A23/P3
NAD Ca62/C272
Rotel RB-1070/RC-1070

I cannot go to any one store and do side by side comparisons

All are list priced about the same, I have checked resale values thru eBay and AudiogoN and they all have about the same re-sale vales.

All of the great posts on this site list many pro/cons of each, none of which make any one stand out or be rejected.

How do you make your final choice, flip a 3 sided coin?

If you are on a budget, I'd suggest going the integrated amp route. I think money would be better spent on speakers than a preamp. Although, you'll probably need a phono preamp, but they aren't too expensive. I think dknightd's $ breakdown is pretty good.

It would be interesting to find out which B&W speakers your friend has. If he has the 802Ds (which are, like $12K a pair), it's probably going to be hard to build up a system that will compare for $5K.

Anyway, I agree that the bulk of your money should be spent on speakers. I'd consider getting a subwoofer, too (I personally use an SVS).

The B&W 805 bookshelf speaker is about $2K a pair, I think--that wouldn't be a bad place to start for a listening session.

I personally own the Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand floorstanders which are about $2,700 a pair and have a nice compact size, great looks, and (to me) a great sound. They're considerably more laid back than the B&Ws, too, which might make for an interesting comparison.

Finally, you should also try and listen to some of the more exotic speakers, like Magnepans or MartinLogans to see if you like that sound better than conventional speakers.

And, of course, if you buy used you can save a bundle.

How about this...
Used Musical A5 intergrated amp...$1700 (all ready has phono stage built in)
Used Music Hall or Rega TT with Cart...$800
Used Acoustic Zen Adagio Loudspeakers...2400
Cables...500 bucks

This system would sound fantastic and fall close to within your range.

Based on used prices you can't go wrong with the above choices. The Speakers are really the biggest variable in the group above. There are literally 100's of speakers to choose from. happy shopping!