fyremarble Posted March 20, 2003 Share Posted March 20, 2003 What is the best system you can get thats cheap,(not bose cheap!!)i mean inexpensive but can still be considered a really good system? P.S. If this question has already been asked and ansewered i'm sorry, but could you humor me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin_tx_16 Posted March 20, 2003 Share Posted March 20, 2003 Cheap is in the eye of the beholder... To some cheap is below $1,000,000, to some $40,000 and to some $1000. What is cheap to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted March 20, 2003 Share Posted March 20, 2003 Bose ISN'T cheap. Anyway, I know where you are coming from. ARE YOU TALKING NEW OR USED GEAR? HOME THEATER OR 2-CHANNEL? If used, well, that is hard to say, get some used KLF-?0's or Heresy's and a nice old tube or SS amp. With just a single CD player, $1,500ish will get you 98% of what you can EVER get out of music. New (on par with the used system), I would say something like a pair of RF-3 or 5's and a nice tube amp or SS amp for $500ish, another $500 for a nice preamp, and another $300-500 for a good CD player. So, $2,000-2,500ish. Get some nice cables from Parts Express, and those would be around $100 for speaker (12 gague with 24k banana plugs $40 for cable and 8 banana plugs) and interconnects (2 pairs, CD-pre and pre-amp, $30 each) I mean, for just closing your eyes and listening to music, systems like that would ROCK. Then you can get on a different plain - what gets you 90%? Well, $200 for a Onkyo stereo receiver, $100 for a Sony single CD player, and $300 for a pair of Klipsch Synergy or other good bookshelf speakers. If it was setup properly, a $600 system like that would be VERY nice for 99.9% of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluless Posted March 20, 2003 Share Posted March 20, 2003 Welcome aboard! Justin and Ratboy have already hit the first questions...but I'll go a bit further and put some of the questions that you are likely to be asked at first in one place What are you after? 2 Channel? 5.1 Home Theater? More? What is your budget? What do you have now? and plan to reuse? Are you just talking speakers or a complete setup? How important is flexiblity on upgrades to you?... The questions go on... Ohhh and one more...Have you had your innoculations against "upgrade-itis"?...LOL, Have Fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyremarble Posted March 21, 2003 Author Share Posted March 21, 2003 You guys are right i was a little too vague on what i meant so i took a note of the questions you asked me and here are my responses. First of all cheap to me, for a price range is maybe $700-$2000 thats all i can seem to afford right now. Secondly i'm after speakers for music mostly i dont watch alot of movies. You ask what i have now, i'll tell you and i guarantee the lot of you will laugh and thats ok i know it sucks. I have a Koss boombox that i got for Christmas 4 years ago. It sounded fine then but i've been very well educated by my cousin he has this awesome Klipsch system that i envy him for, he spoils me every time i go over there. I listen to his system and absolutly love it and i come home to a boombox thats on its last leg. I dont remember asking for a ticket to Distortion City!! Sorry i did'nt mean to tell my life story but i just wanted to let you know where i'm coming from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Welcome to the Klipsch Forums, Erica. kenratboy hit the nail on the head when he mentioned this to you: "Then you can get on a different plain - what gets you 90%? Well, $200 for an Onkyo stereo receiver, $100 for a Sony single CD player, and $300 for a pair of Klipsch Synergy or other good bookshelf speakers. If it was setup properly, a $600 system like that would be VERY nice for 99.9% of the people." You can find great deals on eBay (new and used) for all of the above components and Klipsch loudspeakers, or you could order a decent basic stereo or AV receiver and single CD player from such companies as www.crutchfield.com and www.audioadvisor.com to start, or even www.pricegrabber.com to find the best deals...also Circuit City and Best Buy (BB also sells certain Klipsch models). You gotta get away from Distortion City! I seriously doubt that you'll have to spend up to your $2000 limit, unless you buy more expensive Klipsch Reference Series tower loudspeakers (nice). Do you by chance know what Klipsch model loudspeakers your cousin has? Good luck with your search for audio nirvana! It really doesn't have to cost alot. And no need to appologize for telling us your life story, although we're all ears for some really juicey gossip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 HI Erica, I say get a hk430 reciever,pair of Heresys or LaScalas...then if budget is tight, just use a portable cd player it can be hooked up to the reciever easy.Get the speaker wire from home depot or walmart.If the speakers are going on hard floor get some grippers to put on bottom.Also you can click on my profile and look at last ten posts ,alot about the hk and grippers there.You will be the envy of your friend i bet, no matter what he has cause you will have a real good system for vey few dollars....well good luck...rick if you do get hk430 make sure you go to the hk posts on cleaning and changing the fuses..very easy to do.....hdbr has posted a lot on this subject to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 With that kind of budget I would get a reconditioned Scott integrated tube amplifier for NOSvalues and used big old horns as large as I can afford truly a musical combination! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Welcome Erica, I would recommend not buying vintage equipment, that is for hobbiests who like to play with there stuff. I think you would be better served by new equipment fomr companies like Denon, Yamaha, Rotel, NAD, etc. The question about music or movies is very important since if you EVER plan to make a HT then you should start with a HT receiver, even if for the time being you will use it only for music. otherwise I would recommend an integrated amplifier (more brands to list for these units but I would like to hear your feedback first, but an example would be a setup like this for two channel listening http://www.spearitsound.com/camaud/500spec.asp, for $799 add about $600 for RB5-II refeence speakers and people will come to your house and be envious!!!). than you could add a DVD player (which will play CDs) or just a CD player (if you say you NEVER want HT) for speakers you need to decide between bookshelf and floorstanding, et voila! we can make more specific recommendations. under $2k there are lots of great choices for both systems that will make you a very happy camper! fill us in and we will try to help. regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Also, I will say for starting out a system, speakers are the most important. As long as your amp is decent or better, you will get the most bang for your buck with good speakers. In my opinion, diminishing returns really start to pickup after something like RF-7's or the $2000/pr. speakers. Basically, the joy of this hobby is good used gear and upgrading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Cornell Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 Erica Welcome, ill give you two advices! Harman Kardon 430 on heritage excellent! Tube gear on heritage excellent as well! Big chunk of money between the 2 choices, if i were you, id jump on a H/K 430, 630, or 730, and be happy! Or you could spent up to $1,000.00 for a decent tube set up! Its up to you, i bought 3 Harman Kardons for $200.00, 430, another 430, and a 730, i own 4 Klipschorns, so my only expierence is with heritage! Both ways sounds so good, but then again, most anything will! The H/K have no hiss, with the volume all the way down, this is a tube systems performance, with a reasonably cheap SS reciever! Ill let you decide which way to go! Best regards Jim Ps im using 2 H/k now tubes system sitting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyremarble Posted March 23, 2003 Author Share Posted March 23, 2003 First of all i'd like to thank all of you for welcoming me, as a new person its nice to feel welcome. Well to answer your question jt1stcav my cousin has, if i remember correctly he has the Klipsch Reference series i'm really bad at remembering model names so i cant really give those to you off the top of my head all i can remember is that the models start with the letters RF but i cant give you the numbers that go along with it. Secondly, sunnysal i dont watch alot of movies, but i dont think i'll go that way. I listen to alot of music so i just want speakers that are more musically inclined. As for the bookshelves vs towers i was never quite sure which to go with i mean they both have their charms but now that i think about it more maybe bookshelves will be better for me but i'm still not sure at this point but i am swaying towards bookshelves. Well thanks for giving me your opinions, keep them coming i enjoy hearing what you have to say and what you say really helps me. With all your opinions and reccomendations i'll get my ticket out of Distortion City in no time!! Thanx alot!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 ---------------- On 3/23/2003 11:40:46 AM fyremarble wrote: As for the bookshelves vs towers i was never quite sure which to go with i mean they both have their charms but now that i think about it more maybe bookshelves will be better for me but i'm still not sure at this point but i am swaying towards bookshelves. ---------------- If you are primarly interested in music and want bookshelfs, than I would highly recommend you check out a pair of the RB-5s. What I have read elseware and the very small amount of time I have spent listening to these, they are an excellent musical speaker, especially if you can reinforce the bottom end with a decent sub (again for music, look into something like the RSW-12 - I think the RSW-15 would be to much for these, plus it would be outside your budget). As for the Amp, take the advice above and see if you can score a used H/K-420 or some such. I would be willing to bet the RB-5s would be excellent even with tube based gear (also recommened if you are only interested in music). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodj101 Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 if you really are more interested in music, I would go for floorstanders. bookshelfs may be more appealing size wise, but they lack the full sound that floor standing speakers have, even if you throw in a good sub. I have RF-5's and an RSW-15, and it sounds great. If you are a music lover, for amplification I would go with tube gear. or if you can't find any of that, but Mcintosh solid state stuff is always comin up on ebay, and usually at decent price. If you have the time and space, I would go with some of the heritage speakers like your cousin has. Lascala's can be had for under 1,000 easily, and Heresy's can be found for around $500. if you like the "horn sound" the lascala's would be better for music than any of the current reference line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdsang Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 Hey Erica, its me Dan. The model numbers are the RF-3IIs, RC-3II and RS-3IIs. I do have the RSW-15 but she has not seen or heard this yet. Also my reciver is a Yamaha RX-V992. I love my system as well, but after hearing the RF-7s, it makes me wish I was saveing up for em. Sadly I have other stuff to save up for and $1300 for a pair of RF-7s is an awsome deal and yet I can't do it at this moment. Well Erica, I really am thinking about doing a little DIY for you. A sub for me would be easy. Its the towers that will be a bit of a problem do to ohmes and price. If not this year, then I hope next year. Also as you know, I am trying to find out stuff for you to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 Erica, all the suggestions from everyone thus far are all excellent. You literally have a million and one choices you could make, from vintage solid-state (SS) to vacuum tube integrated amps or receivers, and from the classic Heritage Series to the Reference or Synergy Series loudspeakers. We've all found out this is a never-ending hobby, and your system could continue to grow as your needs change...you can find great deals (or it can get pretty expensive) depending on which direction you choose, but in the end, it's all about the music and how fantastic it sounds. And that's always rewarding! I don't know you or your musical tastes, but I will go out on a limb here and say that you probably want something simple, straightforward, and low maintenance. You've indicated so far that you're really only interested in music, and that bookshelf loudspeakers are mostly prefered. Your cousin owns either the RF-3II, RF-5, or RF-7 horns (all excellent tower/floorstanding loudspeakers). You've mentioned how much you like their sound quality, so I'll also suggest (like others on this Forum have) you purchase the best bookshelf loudspeaker in the Reference Series, the RB-5II. This bookshelf monitor uses the same drivers as the RF-3, just in a smaller cabinet. It has superb dynamics and great imaging (when sitting at ear level on a bookshelf or up on speaker stands); it's the perfect match to an all music audio system, and also to a home theatre system for DVD movies if and when you decide to upgrade. Loudspeakers are the sonic signature to your entire system, so you want the best sound possible. The RB-5II monitors are as clear and defined as any bookshelf loudspeaker you will find anywhere, and if and when you're ready to move up to a home theatre (HT) setup, you need not upgrade your loudspeakers if you don't want to; the RB-5IIs are up to the task! Now you won't get deep penetrating bass response from these or any bookshelf loudspeaker. I doubt very much that you listen to music that produces bass down to the 16 to 25 Hz range (like the classical pipe organ music I mainly listen to). Most jazz, pop, rock, or easy listening music have bass frequencies that extend from 45 to 30 Hz (down to about 25 Hz at most). Bass frequencies may or may not be important to you, and you certainly don't need to purchase a powered subwoofer (with its built-in power amplifier and crossover) right away...you may be happy with the 48 Hz bass response the RB-5IIs go down to, which is pretty damn good for a bookshelf monitor. But if you do like more bass just to fill out your loudspeaker's sonic range, adding a Klipsch Reference Series powered subwoofer like the inexpensive RSW-10 (goes down to 29 Hz and is a perfect match for the RB-5IIs) will be more bass than you'll probably ever need (and it won't blast out your windows or sound like that lowered Honda Civic booming away at the stop light)! Plus, if you do decide to listen to Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D Minor played on a large pipe organ, this subwoofer is also up to the task! Of course there are other subwoofers in this same price range from other manufacturers, so you can experiment. A popular maker in these Forums are from SVS, and also Hsu, Velodyne, and Sunfire, just to name a few. For now, you don't need mega-expensive audiophile grade speaker cables for the RB-5IIs. You can purchase the original Monster Cable clear speaker cable you can find at Best Buy. You can also purchase virtually the same cable at RadioShack for a few dollars less...both are satisfactory for any system. As far as powering the Klipsch RB-5II horn monitors, I'd say for now you're better off purchasing a new low-watt receiver. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a used 1970's vintage harman/kardon 430 SS receiver from eBay or www.audiogon.com, but because it's an older piece of equipment, it could be in need of a checkup or repair (which is normal). I assume that you just want something new that has a warranty, and can be used for a HT system when you're ready to upgrade. There may not be a whole lot of stereo-only 50 watt per channel (WPC) receivers out on the market right now...most people today buy Audio-Video (AV) receivers that has Dolby Pro logic, Dolby Digital, and/or DTS processors built into the receiver for watching VHS and DVD movies. I think that for now, this may be the kind of receiver to purchase...it can be used strictly for 2-channel stereo-only playback of your music CDs, and later on, you're all set when you're ready to buy a DVD player for movies! Plus there are plenty of input/output RCA jacks in the back of these units to connect a powered subwoofer, your TV, CD player, VCR, and DVD player. You can purchase many name-brand models like Yamaha, Onkyo, NAD, harman/kardon, Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, Denon, Mitsubishi, etc. Usually their least expensive models are between 80 to 120 WPC, which is more than enough power for the RB-5II loudspeakers. Any receiver from the above manufacturers will do your loudspeakers justice! And in the future when you're more stereo-savy and want to upgrade, you could always buy a used SS amp or receiver. And if you really feel comfortable with possibly achieving the best sound possible, you can jump into buying a tube amp. You will definately get all the help you'll ever need from this Forum! And finally, I'll go as far as to say that you really don't need a CD player! Of course, you can buy an inexpensive single disc CD player with the latest technology. Nowadays, though, the above mentioned manufacturers build terrific sounding DVD players that not only play DVD movies, but also CDs, CD-Rs, and MP3s recorded on CD-Rs, etc. Although the first generation DVD players sounded dreadful playing CDs years ago, the technology today has advanced in such a way that an all-in-one DVD player will do an outstanding job of playing back all these other formats! Today you can purchase a DVD player that not only plays DVD videos, but also DVD-Audio/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3 files, and has Progressive Scan, Component/Composite/S-Video/Optical/Coaxial outputs, for only $199...the same price as a basic single disc CD player! And with this sort of DVD player, you're already set to play all your existing CDs, and you don't have to upgrade later on when you go the HT route. And your CDs will sound as good as a stand-alone CD player to boot. For a basic first audio system, this is my recommendation. It's just my opinion...it's your choice of course. You can always go a different route and start off with a tube integrated amp and a more expensive CD player, or a vintage used piece that many of us Klipschans crave and love! But I think this will be the best setup for your money, and it won't even exceed your $2000 spending limit...you may actually save quite a bit! Enjoy building your new system! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyremarble Posted March 24, 2003 Author Share Posted March 24, 2003 Hey everybody! You've all given me great ideas, plus i hope Dan has gotten some too. Again i want to thank you all for your opinions, insight, kindness and understanding. Keep your ideas coming and if you find anything else that pertains to this topic let me know, i'm always interested to know whats out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluless Posted March 24, 2003 Share Posted March 24, 2003 I'm with SunnySal 100 percent. To pursue the vintage Klipsch stuff is not something to be taken lightly. Buying used gear and dealing with "obsoleted" parts and E-bay is a pain. Get to Tweeters and listen to the newer lines of Klipsch speakers. If you are pleased (but of course!...get the best you can afford- the sales won't last). Think EXPANSION! Think of how you could upgrade in the future...IT WILL HAPPEN. I would also go ahead and get a good HT receiver, because unless you are over 70..or heading off to college...you are going to get sucked in to that also. Good Luck, and Have Fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 i second the motion for the RF-3's!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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