2. best-of
  3. 138040-118073

Another amateur in need of advice

Hello all. I'm basically as green as they come, and am looking for some advice in putting together my first 2- channel audio system. Looking to keep it analog, with vinyl playback being the primary purpose of this whole escapade. If I feel compelled to stream something, i would just get a decent bluetooth receiver to appease the crowd of an informal get-together. 

I am looking to experience an "audiophile-grade" sound, but one that is also a giddy and involving listen. Some bass presence would be welcome (newb). In any case, I would prefer to keep the budget under $5k. First question - do I need an integrated amplifier? Can I just get an amplifier and connect the Lounge phono stage that I'm leaning towards? Or connect a CD player or radio tuner? Basically, does a power amp require a pre-amp, which it seems that an integrated provides? As far as integrated amps, I was first leaning towards the newer Rega Brio, but then I heard about the Rogue Sphinx V2. But then I read about all the noise issues with the Sphinx, which really turned me off from it. Noise issues would really steal the jam from my doughnut. The Heed Elixir seems to tick a lot of boxes, but it also seems that it really imparts it's own texture to the music. Maybe that's a good thing? A budgetary stretch - the Croft integrated looks pretty dang cool. If I only need an amplifier rather than an integrated for my purposes, any opinions on the Croft Series 7? 

As far as speakers, I'm as lost as the previous paragraph suggests. Right now leaning towards the Quad S-2, but was considering the KEF LS50 until I read that they sound best with a more powerful amp. Ditto for the Dynaudio Excite X14. And apparently the LS50s are rather bright sounding? Was not considering floor-standers until I found out that the Monitor Audio Silver 300s are pretty easy to drive. Every gosh-darn review I read only sends me deeper down the spiral of confusion and indecisiveness. 

My turntable choice is pretty set - the Mofi ultra deck with the better cartridge. Since it's $2200, it kind of eats up the budget considering the additional costs of cabling and, potentially, speaker stands. But it seems that it's the sort of component that I'll keep for life. 

I'd appreciate any words of guidance and wisdom! Have a good one! 
cleanshirt
inna
5,245 posts
 
Yeah, to have audiophile sound first of all you need audiophile speakers. Buying unheard is always a big challenge and in your case even more so. I would not go anywhere before choosing speakers. In addition to what is on your list, I suggest you audition Vienna and Spendor. For integrated amp and possibly separate phono stage I would probably go with used, the same with cables.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
1,457 posts
 

@cleanshirt At the most basic level, think of it as a series of boxes, some of which are packaged together, while others stand separate.

CD transport

DAC

Turntable+cartridge

Phono preamp [amplifies signal from cartridge]

Preamp

Power amp


CD transport+DAC=conventional CD player.

Preamp+Power amp=basic Integrated amp.


Now, many Integrated will also include a Phono preamp, but not all. Be sure to check.  If you have a free-standing Phono preamp (MM and or MC), you don't need one built into your Integrated.  An increasing number of Integrateds also include a DAC, in which case you only need a transport (or another digital device) to do digital.  If you're not interested in digital, you don't need this.  Some Integrateds with built-in DAC will *also* have built-in Phono preamp, but not that many.


Making a firm choice re. one component usually reduces the options re. the other components, though the record deck/arm/cartridge choice really doesn't.  It just tells you whether you need an MM and/or MC Phono preamp (either free-standing or built-in).


Those are pretty nice speaker models, you might look at ELAC and Vandersteen too.  Different people will tell you different things about where to start--at the head of the chain (source) or the end (speakers).


As you're firm on the LP deck, my personal recommendation would be next to "audition" some speakers in your price range.  No amount of reviews can tell you what your own ears tell you, and once bought, you're living with the results on a day-to-day basis for some time to come.

 


cleanshirt OP
8 posts
 
marktomaras, inna, twoleftears, thanks for your replies! Super informative and provided lots of new stuff to explore. Can't say I can spring for a set of vandersteens just yet, though. 

Since I'm going to be using this system mostly for vinyl playback, possibly a cd player, and looking for as small of a noise-floor as possible, I've begun considering the NAD C 316BEE and 326BEE. Reviews seem pretty darn enthusiastic. And that would free up my speaker budget to more seriously consider something like the silver 300s. Kind of a weird combo, I guess. 

inna
5,245 posts
 
Very generally speaking and to somewhat simplify things, within this price range I would most likely go after British set-up. They know how to get a good sound without big expenses in smaller rooms. Definitely consider only Moving Magnet cartridge, I like Goldring 10xx series, they have been proven performers for decades. If you decide on Rega turntable then maybe Rega cartridge. Phono stage is important, $500-$750 should be enough for an acceptable separate unit new.
tls49's avatar
tls49
1,318 posts
 
Having worked ~25 years in the audio industry, I definitely saw many mistakes made as people assembled their systems. One of the most common was spending the majority of their budget on speakers. The best speaker available can only sound mediocre when it's driven by a poor signal. This poor signal could be caused by anything else in the system. Keep in mind that the overall system is only as good as the weakest component. Another common mistake was a poor match with amp and speaker as this is very important.
More to discover