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I would like advice for a beginner.

I'm a "newbie" who needs veteran advice. I'm an ex-music teacher, ex-folk singer who is facing retirement and I didn't have a stereo. I have told my friends I'm going to buy a used system for not much money and incorporate the "dink" system. No, that's not "D-ual, I-come, N-o, K-ids"!! It means I want to "dink around" with my new hobby. I know nothing, but my motto will be "Learn First, Upgrade Later."

Presently I have purschased a factory reconditioned Yamaha RX-596 receiver($179) and a Yamaha CDC-845 demo CD changer($129). I purchased Yamaha, for the time being, because my local stereo shop guy told me they would be adequate and were "work horses." I have them hooked up to old JVC 50 watt speakers from an old bookshelf stereo system with a broken cartridge CD changer(free). Now, I can, at least, listen to music while I shop for speakers.

This is fun!!

I would like advice for speakers. I have liked the sound of stand mounted speakers better than floor speakers. The heavier bass sound seems to get in the way of what I want to hear. I listen mostly to classical, especially choral, Celtic and folk music, with an occasional slip into classic rock and bluegrass. The speakers I have most appreciated have been the B&W 601's and 602's followed closely by the Paradigm Studio 20's and 40's. Any opinions offered on those speakers or any other similar speakers would be greatly appriciated. Oh, by the way, I plan to spend $200 to $400 for used speakers.

After I get the speakers, I will have $500-$700 invested and will be listening to a good solid system. Let the DINKING" begin.

Thanks in advance for the advice.
baileyje

Showing 3 responses by sean

sean
6,231 posts
 
My favourite "baby" speaker that is in current production and is reasonably priced is probably the Castle Acoustics "Richmond". It is a small two way that is ported ( yes, those that know i don't really like ported boxes can go into shock now ). It sounds quite smooth and musical and quite a bit fuller than most other speakers that are of similar size without sounding bloated. I was very impressed with what i heard coming out of these "pint sized" English speakers.

Here are a couple of reviews on the Richmond:

http://www.castle.uk.com/media/reviews_media/RICHMOND_EHC_ISSUE10_orig.pdf

http://www.castle.uk.com/media/reviews_media/RICHMOND_EHC_ISSUE10_orig.pdf

If you can't find a local shop that has these ( and that will probably be the case since Castle is not a big name in the USA ), drop Andy an email at Saturday Audio Exchange here in Chicago and tell him that i sent you. He's got these listed on his website in the "new gear" section for just under $300 brand new with full factory warranty. If you are worried about buyng speakers mail-order, they ship stuff all the time and are great to deal with. On top of this, they also offer a 90 day exchange, which is quite nice. Hope this helps and good luck with your search. Sean
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sean
6,231 posts
 
Not to sidetrack this thread, but i've read the reviews on PSB's ( always glowing with good measurements ) and listened to them on several different occassions and always wondered what the hype was about ? They sounded dull, thick and bloated to me. From what i can remember, the speakers were hooked up to NAD gear, which is typically offers a good "bang for the buck" but is "typically" on the "warm & smooth" side of neutral. My guess is that these components may work great individually, but i don't think that they work too well as a pair. I"m not trying to "dig" on Charlie's comments about speakers / electronics or anyone else that suggested PSB, only warning that one really should try out combo's for themselves and see if they like it. Some stuff that we think should work well just doesn't live up to our expectations once you try it.

As to the comments about cabling, i do think that cables make a difference but there is little need to spend tall cash to obtain good performance. This is especially true if the level of components aren't up to responding to increased bandwidth and lower dialetric absorption. The use of some Belden ( or equivalent ) copper based cabling with teflon insulation and decent connectors will get you a LOT of bang for the buck. Sean
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sean
6,231 posts
 
Speakers are more of a personal preference and room acoustics type of selection than any other component that you will deal with. There are obviously hordes of people that like B&W's and their "house sound", but they must all be on vacation for the Holiday. Otherwise, they'd be making suggestions in this thread like the rest of us "sheltered" people still dwelling at home : ) Sean
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