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I need your advice on system for a non-audiophile

While I am sure this type of thread may have been posted before, I'd really like your input on this. At the risk of sounding like an out of touch audiophile, I simply have been away from the lower end market (e.g., the Best Buy scene for audio) for so long that I really don't know if I can be of help to a work colleague who asked for my help in buying a new "stereo."

My colleague told me she has a "crappy Sony system" that really doesn't sound that good and would like my suggestion for buying something new. I suspect its an older cheap rack-type all Sony system. She tells me it has "5 tiny little speakers."

I asked her to tell what three things are most important to her in this new system and here is her reply:

1. Sound quality that is clear

2. Not small system, but not too large. My house is really small so I don't' want a system that takes up all of my free space (she has seen my 300 pound Rockports and triple wide loaded SRA rack so she may be thinking about that when she worries about a system taking up all of her "free space.")

3. Price, between $700 - $1,000 if possible.

Any suggestions? Thanks
fmpnd
gsm18439
895 posts
 
I did something similar for a friend - although I spent a bit more money. I bought a pair of Spica TC50s on Ebay (there is a pair for sale on Augiogon) and complemented them with older Linn electronics. The Spicas are wonderful and not space hogs visually or physically.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
Seeing is believing. Best you see/hear the room, existing system before making a recommendation. The statement of 'clear' leads me to think the issue is just not the equipment.
loomisjohnson
1,909 posts
 
i vote with sfar and recommend avoiding the nad combo units, which from my experience are quirky and unreliable. the cambridge sonata receiver and dvdp are nice, small form factor units (easily available around $600); add some of the above-recommnded monitors like psb image or perhaps rega r1/rs1, canton gle or energy rc and you're in business.
fmpnd OP
481 posts
 
WOW! Thanks to all of you for the great suggestions. I have to find out if she needs a tuner or other source other than CD. I like the NAD, Marantz or Cambridge integrated idea but it may have to be a receiver.

To be honest, I really don't like doing this for this type of user (it's not helping a friend I dislike but the "expectation" that I am an "expert" in this market). I worry that what she thinks is "good sound quality" may be different than what I would think $1,000 should best be spent on. The problem is getting that friend with an untrained ear to be able to ariculate what she is looking for. The difficult part is the potentially different meanings two people, not in the same hobby, may ascribe to the terms or words used to describe their preferences.

It may seem I am over-analyzing this but this is for a bright 50-something work friend/colleague who really is looking to me for help but is who also not as able as she would normally be in defining exactly what she is looking for (except what you see above).

Too bad she has "tiny little speakers" she is not that happy with as I could have just told her to buy Bose Acountimass!!! LOL!
rcprince
3,062 posts
 
One thing you could do, if there's one around that you trust, is take her to a brick and mortar dealer that has some entry-level components like the ones mentioned above. That way, you can let her hear for herself and determine if that's the sound she likes. I have done that with quite a few non-audiophile friends in the past, and all of them are still quite happy with their systems 10 years later. The key to this is a dealer that you trust; I'm fortunate enough to have a few in the area that meet that criterion.
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