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Low budget, just for fun

So I'm lookong to buy my girlfriend a stereo for christmas. Here's the catch: I'm trying to piece together a receiver, cd player and speakers, all used for a little more than the price of a boom box from say, best buy or whetever, but it has to sound way better than said boom box. I found an onkyo receiver ($45), sony dvd / cd player ($45), and some infinity sm 122 floorstanding speakers ($75 with crappy rca receiver, going to offer $50 for just the speakers). Anyways, this is actually pretty fun trying to piece together the best system you can for the least amount of money possible. Anyone else out there do something similar? It would be interesting to have an audio show with a $200 system limit and see who could come up with the best sound!
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Showing 7 responses by b_limo

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b_limo OP
2,271 posts
 
Lol Tpreaves, have you been talking to her, because you're exactly right. Problem is, I can't go proposing to any girl without a stereo, now could I? In all actuality, I got her some cd's and the only way she can listen to them currently is through her tv speakers so I was going to get her some little boombox, but then figured for an extra $100 I could get her something decent. By the way, her last radio got sucked up by the f5 joplin tornado.
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,271 posts
 
I was considering powered speakers also since you can just get a headphone to rca cord and plug in a discman. There was a pair of audioengine m5's for $100 on craigslist but I missed it. They sold in two days :-( At this point it might be some cheap boombox type stereo that I can charge on the best buy card since I'm blowing $500 on some cullen power cords for my system tommorrow.
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,271 posts
 
Just got back from best and scratch that idea. Might as well flush $100 down the toilet as I'm sure it would sound better than any of that crap!! You can absolutely annihilate that junk with used gear off craigslist for the same money.

I'm gonna buy those "really big and loud, brown speakers" that I saw listed! ;-)
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,271 posts
 
eek, those missions look horrible. They must sound fabulous, otherwise they would never have sold any. My first stereo was made by a compny called sound design! If was terrible all they way around.
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,271 posts
 
Hey Rok, I think everyone here tries to piece together the best system they can for the least amount of money possible; it would be stupid to buy a more expensive piece of equipment because it sounded worse. How much $ have you got in your rig? I would be suprised if it were less than $2k or $3k; I highly doubt it's only $250.00 :-)
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,271 posts
 
Rok, totally off topic here, but what is your current set-up, and how much do you have in it? I'm more interested in the attainable systems here on audiogon, and am curious as to what you are running. You seem to be like me in that the proof is in the pudding and that there is a definite point of diminishing returns. Seems like that last 10% of sound can cost 1,000% more.
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,271 posts
 
Beautiful Rok! I love these well thought out inexpensive (relative here) systems that sound great! I'm not familiar with that amp but everything else in that system, I've read about previously and it's all good equipment! I've spent a little more on my rig (in the 5-6k range) and I wonder sometimes if there aren't better sounding systems out there for less $, like yours, and Milpai's comes to mind also. If I knew what I know now, my set-up would look totally different. But oh well, you live and you learn!
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