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[Ernest]

my parents will buy me a new stereo for my birthday.  I want to be able to play it loud and long without blowing out the speakers, and I don't want it to be excessively bassy or treble-y, not that most stereos can't adjust those things, but I don't really know much about stereos.  this is all the information I will start you guys with, sorry.  what should I get?  price range is like two to three hundo, but feel free to suggest something that costs more if it is really good

[Johnny C]

I was wondering the other day why you hadn't posted here in a while, and I thought you were dead.

Glad to see that isn't the case!

I mean, I don't know shit about stereos. But still.

[Ernest]

my meat life at collej is a lot more interesting than my meat life at home

expect much more posting over the next three months!

[imapiratearg]

How coincidental!  My godfather came up the other night and gave me a brand new stereo system as a belated birthday present!  I got this really nice Pioneer elite amplifier and a 5.1 surround sound set of JBL Pro speakers.  I was listening to Ef through it last night and it was bloody fantastic.  I've got my computer's speaker output running through this old Onkyo twelve band equalizer I found in my dad's shop downstairs the other day and it makes the signal a bit livelier.

Definitely look into JBL speakers, but they may be on the pricier side.  As far as I can tell, Bose speakers are very nice, too.  I don't know a whole lot about stereos, but my dad does, and I'm just referring to experience with his stuff.  I can't really tell you much about amplifiers.

[imagist42]

I don't know if Sennheiser makes stereo sets, but you should look into it. The brand's products are usually on par with or better quality than Bose, and less expensive, too.

[michaelicious]

Crew optional, but recommended.

[öde]

You might want to look into buying the speakers and other things necessary seperately, depending on what you want, it should save you some cash. I'd recommend getting some fairly high power/quality speakers and a decent amp. What input methods are you going to have? I play all my music through my computer so my bulky stereo gets in the way and I never use the 3 CD changers, two tape decks, radio, or the turntable I bought. I'm selling two 90 watt speakers and a turntable in great condition if you want to pay transatlantic postage for them

[DMart]

My housemate has two bookshelf monitors that used to be used in a studio - they were like AU$200 or something and the quality and volume you get from them is astounding (can't remember the power rating though, sorry). I had a look around recently for some similar stuff, and if you look hard enough it's not difficult to find ex-studio monitors. Be careful of the the ones that need power to each speaker seperately, that tends to complicate things. I think my housemate runs them through a Yamaha amp.

[Ernest]

thanks for the JBL suggestion

[Is it cold in here?]

A good approach is to pick the speakers first and cram everything else into the remaining budget.

[thedavo]

an equally viable approach is to spend the most amount of money on the source, or split it evenly between the three.

[Kai]

Music is more pure when it is hella-grainy and played through a boom-box.

Basically, get a boom box and only listen to Guided By Voices.

[_yoda]

Dudes.. what? Do any of you know anything about stereos?

OK, first things first: do NOT buy your stereo from a general home electronics store. That means if a sales person has the ability to go from washing machines or TVs to sound systems, you do *not* want them selling you a stereo.

Instead, go to a hi-fi specialist. One with a lot of brands that you may not have heard of. Talk to them for a while. Explain your needs and budget. If it sounds like they're switched on, let them continue with recommendations. If they're snooty and talk down at you like you're a pleb, move on to the next store.

It's likely that you shouldn't buy a brand that you see in most loungerooms, as a general rule. Don't buy Sony gear. And all the rest like it.

USE YOUR EARS.

Also, check that the model's assembly has not been outsourced to a cheaper centre. Many high-end brands are getting their cheaper models assembled in places like China and the quality can be substantially worse. Try and work out where your stuff is coming from.

OK, onto specifics:

* The amp is more important than a lot of people here are making out. Make sure you get a good one. If you don't need surround, don't get surround. It's a waste of money and it costs a *lot* to get right. The amp should probably cost nearly as much as your speakers.

* If it's CDs you'll be playing ensure that you get something with a good DAC. Ask what the CD player has. Do some Googling of it and see what the reviews say. If you play vinyl, that's nice, but for crying out loud guys vinyl does not immediately equal "good" you need a good turntable and a decent preamp. A $30 jumble sale record player does not sound better than a CD. sorry but it doesn't.

* Finally, speakers. Read your reviews. These are likely to get outsourced, so do your research. See what other people think but THEN use your ears. Really, it's a taste thing, so do lots of listening (with your own music) in the store and see what works best for you.

Make sure you match your speakers and amp. Probably let the salespeople know what you're hooking up. Don't get something more powerful than you need - if you're in a small room, 75-100 watts should be heaps. If you are or will be living in a big place, maybe you'll need something bigger.

I don't know what hi-fi values are in the US (I'm in Aus), nor do I know what the supply situation is like or who gets distributed there so unfortunately I can't suggest brands. If you're wondering, I have an NAD C372 amp and C521 cd player (which I am really happy with), and an older (but pretty great) Pioneer PL-6 turntable and Jamo E875 speakers. Just FWIW...

[Jimmy the Squid]

USE YOUR EARS.

Wait, do you mean to tell me that I've been wasting my time licking the speakers when I buy a stereo? Fuck man, I wish someone had told me earlier, I could have saved myself that bronchial larangitis.

[thedavo]

Dudes.. what? Do any of you know anything about stereos?

OK, first things first: do NOT buy your stereo from a general home electronics store. That means if a sales person has the ability to go from washing machines or TVs to sound systems, you do *not* want them selling you a stereo.

Instead, go to a hi-fi specialist. One with a lot of brands that you may not have heard of. Talk to them for a while. Explain your needs and budget. If it sounds like they're switched on, let them continue with recommendations. If they're snooty and talk down at you like you're a pleb, move on to the next store.

It's likely that you shouldn't buy a brand that you see in most loungerooms, as a general rule. Don't buy Sony gear. And all the rest like it.

USE YOUR EARS.

Also, check that the model's assembly has not been outsourced to a cheaper centre. Many high-end brands are getting their cheaper models assembled in places like China and the quality can be substantially worse. Try and work out where your stuff is coming from.

OK, onto specifics:

* The amp is more important than a lot of people here are making out. Make sure you get a good one. If you don't need surround, don't get surround. It's a waste of money and it costs a *lot* to get right. The amp should probably cost nearly as much as your speakers.

* If it's CDs you'll be playing ensure that you get something with a good DAC. Ask what the CD player has. Do some Googling of it and see what the reviews say. If you play vinyl, that's nice, but for crying out loud guys vinyl does not immediately equal "good" you need a good turntable and a decent preamp. A $30 jumble sale record player does not sound better than a CD. sorry but it doesn't.

* Finally, speakers. Read your reviews. These are likely to get outsourced, so do your research. See what other people think but THEN use your ears. Really, it's a taste thing, so do lots of listening (with your own music) in the store and see what works best for you.

Make sure you match your speakers and amp. Probably let the salespeople know what you're hooking up. Don't get something more powerful than you need - if you're in a small room, 75-100 watts should be heaps. If you are or will be living in a big place, maybe you'll need something bigger.

I don't know what hi-fi values are in the US (I'm in Aus), nor do I know what the supply situation is like or who gets distributed there so unfortunately I can't suggest brands. If you're wondering, I have an NAD C372 amp and C521 cd player (which I am really happy with), and an older (but pretty great) Pioneer PL-6 turntable and Jamo E875 speakers. Just FWIW...

QFT. Also, don't be afraid to haggle - from someone who works in a hifi store we get it all the time.

lower end brands i'd recommend checking out/reading up on:

Rotel
Marantz
Denon
NAD

Again I don't know too much about the US market (UK here), but over here for budget speakers generally Wharfedale, Mission and Tannoy are pretty good.

Finally, buy decent cables. I'd recommend spending anywhere between 5 and 15% of your budget on cabling. It DOES make a difference.

On a side note, my system = Linn LP12 (ittok LVII/valhalla/dynavector DV20X), Project Phono Box MKII, Audiolab 8000A (old)/2x8000M (new)/8000CD(new), Epos M22. I've spent way too much money on it.

[loam]

What everyone else said, and stress on only get a stereo setup if you don't need surround sound. Two good speakers are way better than fifteen crappy ones. Avoid Bose at all costs. If money is an issue and you want top quality for just you listening - consider getting a quality headphone amp and good headphones instead.

[imapiratearg]

My dad once told me that Denon was more high-end...

 

[imagist42]

My dad once told me that Denon was more high-end...

 

Compared to, say, Philips, or Sony? Yes. Yes it is.

[BlahBlah]

Dudes.. what? Do any of you know anything about stereos?

OK, first things first: do NOT buy your stereo from a general home electronics store. That means if a sales person has the ability to go from washing machines or TVs to sound systems, you do *not* want them selling you a stereo.

Instead, go to a hi-fi specialist. One with a lot of brands that you may not have heard of. Talk to them for a while. Explain your needs and budget. If it sounds like they're switched on, let them continue with recommendations. If they're snooty and talk down at you like you're a pleb, move on to the next store.

It's likely that you shouldn't buy a brand that you see in most loungerooms, as a general rule. Don't buy Sony gear. And all the rest like it.

USE YOUR EARS.

Also, check that the model's assembly has not been outsourced to a cheaper centre. Many high-end brands are getting their cheaper models assembled in places like China and the quality can be substantially worse. Try and work out where your stuff is coming from.

OK, onto specifics:

* The amp is more important than a lot of people here are making out. Make sure you get a good one. If you don't need surround, don't get surround. It's a waste of money and it costs a *lot* to get right. The amp should probably cost nearly as much as your speakers.

* If it's CDs you'll be playing ensure that you get something with a good DAC. Ask what the CD player has. Do some Googling of it and see what the reviews say. If you play vinyl, that's nice, but for crying out loud guys vinyl does not immediately equal "good" you need a good turntable and a decent preamp. A $30 jumble sale record player does not sound better than a CD. sorry but it doesn't.

* Finally, speakers. Read your reviews. These are likely to get outsourced, so do your research. See what other people think but THEN use your ears. Really, it's a taste thing, so do lots of listening (with your own music) in the store and see what works best for you.

Make sure you match your speakers and amp. Probably let the salespeople know what you're hooking up. Don't get something more powerful than you need - if you're in a small room, 75-100 watts should be heaps. If you are or will be living in a big place, maybe you'll need something bigger.

I don't know what hi-fi values are in the US (I'm in Aus), nor do I know what the supply situation is like or who gets distributed there so unfortunately I can't suggest brands. If you're wondering, I have an NAD C372 amp and C521 cd player (which I am really happy with), and an older (but pretty great) Pioneer PL-6 turntable and Jamo E875 speakers. Just FWIW...

QFT. Also, don't be afraid to haggle - from someone who works in a hifi store we get it all the time.

lower end brands i'd recommend checking out/reading up on:

Rotel
Marantz
Denon
NAD

Again I don't know too much about the US market (UK here), but over here for budget speakers generally Wharfedale, Mission and Tannoy are pretty good.

Finally, buy decent cables. I'd recommend spending anywhere between 5 and 15% of your budget on cabling. It DOES make a difference.

On a side note, my system = Linn LP12 (ittok LVII/valhalla/dynavector DV20X), Project Phono Box MKII, Audiolab 8000A (old)/2x8000M (new)/8000CD(new), Epos M22. I've spent way too much money on it.

What's that Linn turntable like? My dad has a friend who worked for Linn years ago, and supposedly he once had a complete stereo of theirs, but had to throw it out when I was born. It's selling for thousands of pounds on the internet :O

[bicostp]

You don't necessarily need brand-new equipment.

Here's the best setup we have, out in the garage (where we can blast music without getting yelled at):
- 1970s or 80s receiver
- Early 70s Sony ps-77 turntable
- 1983 Realistic tape deck
- Homebuilt enclosures for Yamaha studio speakers (midrange and tweeters, with a small circuit to separate the treble and bass signals)
- Large box with a huge woofer in it (I think it's about 14")
- An old Pentium II Dell with couple big hard drives full of high-bitrate or uncompressed audio files and an old SoundBlaster Live card
- 2 other speaker enclosures with replacement woofers at the other end of the garage, switched with a couple light switches
- 5-disc CD changer

(The setup inside isn't anything special, just a 1982 Realistic receiver, new floor speakers, and a 6-disc changer. It's nice and clear, but can't blast like the ones in the garage. Sure makes DVDs and the 4'th of July specials more fun, though. )

For the most part, all the music is on the PC so we don't have to juggle discs all the time. All of the speakers sound crystal-clear through the entire frequency range.

The speaker enclosure's size and design are both really important, so the speaker has enough air space to resonate properly. Some people have told us our enclosures are ridiculously large, but really they're necessary to get the most out of the speakers. (Cramming 2 12" speakers into a little trunk box makes them sound like absolute garbage.)  How do you think Bose makes their otherwise mediocre speakers sound decent? They put them in tuned cases.

[thedavo]

My dad once told me that Denon was more high-end...

 

Denon's flagship AV Receiver sells for £10000, and their flagship stereo amp and cd player for £5500 each. So yes, they can go stupidly high end if they want to, but their entry-level gear's pretty decent.

What's that Linn turntable like? My dad has a friend who worked for Linn years ago, and supposedly he once had a complete stereo of theirs, but had to throw it out when I was born. It's selling for thousands of pounds on the internet :O

it's really, really good, i bought it second hand off one of our customers just before christmas, he was selling it due to wife pressures (poor bastard, he had a kickass naim/linn setup which if i'd been after a new everything i'd have bought the lot off him...). i tried it in the shop against a Project Xperience fitted with an Ortofon Rondo Red cartridge (UK retail £750), and it wiped the floor with it. If you're after a new linn system, amp, cd player, turntable and speakers will set you back somewhere in the region of £6k. A full-spec LP12 is somewhere around the £10k mark.

Buying them second hand is a gamble though, Valhalla power supplies are dodgy to say the least, and more often than not it will require a new cartridge/stylus and/or a service.

I've still got my project rpm5 that i need to sell, just havent got round to it yet.