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newbie seeking stereo system advice

hello - i have recently began to purchase my first decent stereo system, actually to me this would be a great stereo system as i have been accustomed to junk hand me downs from best buy and the like.

so i purchased a roksan kandy integrated amp and a pair of axiom m60 speakers and i have been pleased with the result.

now i am looking to take a "next step", i am looking to get a little more power (in my terms, that means i would not have to make the amp work as hard to get the volume level where i want it) i do not know if this is an accurate assessment

finally to my question(s), would bi amping be a logical next step? if so, could anybody recommend an good used amp to look out for, unfortunately, i need to stay around the $400 range

thanks in advance for any suggestions and bearing with me through i am sure are rather too general or ridiculous questions

sean
seanl5b47
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,111 posts
 
I've been coming to this site for over two days now and Elizabeth's suggestion is by far the wisest advice I have ever seen posted here. I'm impressed.

You really sell yourself short when making those little upgrades. In the long run you will be much happier saving for a while and making a relatively big step. Save for an Adcom, Aragon, or Krell. On the used market you can get some real deals and you will be amazed how much better things can/will sound.
elevick
2,439 posts
 
Bi-amping is not so simple and should not be an option for a while/ever. A nice sub with a built in crossover will let your amp work a lot less and improve the bass. You need to either have pre-amp outs on the roksan or use a sub with a nice built in crossover that will take speaker level in, split the signal to the subs and speakers and have volume and phase controls to allow for good blending.
Look at Velodyne or REL to give you a good idea of what you need.
audiobomber
11 posts
 
You didn't mention what you're using for a source. IME it's the most important component, and upgrading should normally begin there.

With a better source you may (should) find that you get more clarity without extreme volume levels.
seanl5b47 OP
1 posts
 
wow - i did not expect to get so much advice this fast, i really appreciate everyone taking time out to respond. my source is a cheapy pioneer 5 disc dvd player. being new to all this stuff, i always figured that a cd player plays a cd all one in the same. but now i will look in the direction of a new cd player, any suggestions here? i like and agree with the suggestion to avoid the "tiny upgrade path", so i will save a get a nice cd player.

thanks again in advance, all of you guys have been a real help to me

sean
mghcanuck
116 posts
 
Hi Sean:

In your price range, either used or new on sale, a couple of good bets are the NAD C541i and the Cambridge D500 SE, both of which have been very well rated in various audio mags (for what that's worth). Also, you could try to find a dealer who will let you borrow for an in-home audition.

Most people recommending the Cambridge also suggest a power cord upgrade. The Signal Cable or Absolute Power Cord, both available here at Audiogon, are great bargains.

Max
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