[threebie]

hello everyone.

im new here and to the audio game for that matter. just trying to build a decent entry level stereo on a budget and my knowledge in these things is limited to what i read online in the past 6 weeks. i dont know if there is anybody out here whos got free time to deal with my problems but i still have to get it out of my chest. so here goes nothing.

how important is it to match components? everybody talks about it but nobody tells you how you should do it or what specs you should look at. so should i match if so how?

now another dilemma. one that should come before the previous question actually i didnt buy the receiver yet. well i narrowed it down to hk 3480 and denon dra-685. and i was leaning towards harman kardon. my mind was almost set until i saw cambridge audio azur 340a. well im only after quality music nothing too fancy so if this is the one maybe i will end up getting this one

now we come to the speakers. couldnt listen to any of the speakers i want since in my area audio stores are pretty much limited to circuity city. best you can do is tweeter and they dont have variety. my online research led me to these speakers: PSB image 4t. athena as-f2. klipshc sf-2. wharfedale diamond 8.4... never heard single one of them i know i need speakers that can handle bass and high ends. asking too much?

well.. i listen to all kinds. techno & trance is my favourite but classical, rock, hip hop is up there too. and i need a system that can handle all of these.

ok i know its been long. but all comments&tips appreciated. and i promise if i can get answers i wont bother anyone until i get all the parts in my house and its time to set em up the right way with the right cables n everything.

if you made it this far thanks for reading my question and i hope you are one of those who can help

my best!

 

[jdurbin]

Welcome to the forums. You should ask your speaker question in the Speaker forum and your receiver question in the Receiver forum. Basically, the only thing that needs to be matched are speakers. It sounds like your interest is music and not home theater so that makes your life easier.


When choosing speakers, the most important thing is how they sound. If you're just starting out BUT so discriminating that you are not willing to settle for Circuit City first of all good for you and second of all you should look for boutique high-end stores. If your town is big enough for a Circuit City then you must have some high-end audio shops. All of the Internet-based speaker outlets give you a month or two to audition the speakers and then if you don't like them you can send them back. That's pretty nice because even if you buy your speakers locally you will want to audition them in your own home. Personally, I think you ought to audition the www.magnepan.com speakers but be warned they require a lot of power! When considering speakers you need to look at efficiency because that determins how powerful of a receiver or amp you need.


As for electronics, it is a lot easier to get them at Internet venders. www.onecall.com has some very good equipment and they frequently have closeouts. www.outlaw.com is an Internet-only vendor of equipment. They have a new stereo receiver that's cool as heck if all you care about is stereo. Their HT electronics are quite good too.


Regarding cables and speaker wire, don't waste a ton of money on Monster and AR and other high end brands. www.monoprice.com and www.partsexpress.com and www.accessories4less.com are all excellent vendors.

 

[chasw98]

Check out www.ascendacoustics.com for another well regarded internet only speaker selection.

 

[doober]

I agree with pretty much everything just said. You are at a great place right now and that you seem to be primarily concerned with stereo only, will make your life easier.


Speakers: you MUST take some discs and go out and LISTEN. Bring music you are intimately familiar with, and a notepad. I bought my first 'real' speakers 10 years ago, and after going to some of the larger retail outlets (which I've since learned are generally useless for decent audio), finally found Paradigm at a little shop. It's a good Canadian company and I've been loyal ever since. Check their website.


Receivers: My first 'real' one was also HK, and I was completely satisfied until the biter end, when I upgraded to a NAD reciever for home theatre. I still have the HK downstairs. Some general rules: if it looks cheap, it probably is. Heavier is usually better. Avoid bells and whistles. Check out the remote. Spend as much as you can afford, no more, no less.


Speaker calbe and interconnects: I have two truths. 1) I don't have hundreds of dollars for jewellry for my gear. 2) I bought some entry level Kimber Kable speaker cable (8PR) and it made an immediate and noticeable difference.


This will not be your last audio purchase. Take care of what you get because you'll likely resell it someday, when you upgrade. Speaking of upgrade many local shops around here offer upgrade programs--ask around.


Oh yeah, if you get the audio bug, you're screwed!!!! haha

 

[threebie]

thank you a whole lot everybody.

i guess i will have to do a little more searching until i find the right equipment.

and yea i think i got the audio bug