$1500 for a whole system, budding audiophile

I fully support starting this hobby of enjoying music and good sound from a young age. Heck, by the time I was 7 I was the only person in the family who knew how to connect the different parts of my parents' stereo to play and record from various sources.

However, if I were shopping for a system for a high school student, I would be under the assumption that this person would soon be going to college. And once in college they would have a tiny dorm room, and if they were anything like me, moving 1-3 times per year. (I think I must have moved 6-8 times during my 4 years in college.)

So I'd be looking for something practical, unobtrusive, and portable. To be honest, that probably means powered computer speakers, since a young person nowadays will be playing it from a computer, iPod, or smart phone. If it must be a more traditional system, then I would look for a used integrated amp + DAC or receiver coupled with a used pair of small monitor speakers (PSB Stratus Mini's or Usher S-520's, for instance).

Michael

I recently gave a Hegel H70 to my son. At around $1,000 used, has built in Dac. He can use USB or spidf. I listened to the Hegel for about a week and was impressed. Find some old beat up classic speaker, I gave my son my Polk sda crs, maybe old Vandersteen 2 and your there. For $50 you can get a Pioneer DVD v-7400 to use as a transport, and is not bad as a cd player. You only need digital cable and speaker wire.

Btw, the Hegel made the Polks sound better than I had ever heard them. Maybe add a better dac later.

Hope this helps...

Get the Rega BRio R an NAD CD player and the Dali Zensor bookshelf speaker. Doable for $1500 and will provide quality audiophile experience.

I'd go for a mix. You might consider a) Klipsch Heresy speakers ($300-$500 used); b) Marantz PM5004 (integrated amp, about $450 new); c) Marantz CD5004 (about $350 new) and, d) Project Debut Carbon (about $400 new). You do NOT need to spend big bucks to get fine sound. This collection of stuff would be $1500 to $1700 as stated, and less if you went used on everything. Personally, I try to avoid used electronics with the exception of speakers, but that's just me. Cheers.

If the computer is covered and you are using it as a source, I'd get a USB DAC. Schiit has one for around $100 and there are other nice options out there. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the iFi iDSD, which you could also use in a portable set up.

Then I'd look at a sub-$400 receiver/integrated amp. Rega Brio-R would be a good option, as would a nice vintage receiver. Think Panasonic has a nice integrated that they have paired with their SP-BS22-LR speakers at shows. There are also some nice amp kits and assembled amps from Class D Audio. I use one of these as a back-up amp and it sounds great.

If you want a turntable, I'd look at the U-Turn Orbit. Just released. Or go vintage, but there are risks of vintage turntables breaking down, needing repairs and that can get expensive.

AND THEN... blow the rest of your cash on speakers. Best bang for your buck. Due to shipping costs, you may be best off shopping local. If you are very lucky you could get a used pair of the excellent KEF LS50s for about $1000. Though likely used they will be a bit higher than that. But overall, looking for speakers locally will also allow you to audition them. Speakers can be a very personal choice. Beware jumping on a recommended speaker from a forum post without having an idea of what the recommender's preferences are. What kind of music does this person listen to and what qualities in the music are most important to that person? Some people are very interested in quality bass, others obsess about imaging and soundstage. Some like a more forward sound, some like a more laid back sound.

So spend the largest chunk of change on those speakers, but be sure to audition as many as possible before you pull the trigger and buy. Also be aware that speakers need to be well matched to the room, and that you will want to wait on buying an amp until you have your speakers picked out, as amp-speaker matching is also very important. Some speakers need some real power to sound their best, more efficient speakers can take many fewer watts and still sound great.

Hope this helps. Even though much discussed here can be very, very high dollar, it is absolutely possible to put together an excellent system with the budget you cited.