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Newbie looking for speakers

Hello I'm new to this site.  I just picked up a Sansui 5700 receiver and a pair of Pioneer HPM 60's.  I'm having fun with the retro system.  I'm interested in serious speakers with a budget around 3000.00.  Any helpful information about speakers, pre amp, etc would be absolutely amazing.  Thank you -Joe
leverjk
williewonka
3,072 posts
 
Let’s hypothetically consider you only had 5k to build a system that makes you happy.

I assume you are talking a simple system with a digital source...

(Used) Tannoy Eyris speakers ($800)
(Used) Naim 5i MKII ($700)
Bluesound Node 2 steaming player ($500)
KLE Innovations QFLOW3 Speaker Cables ($1000)
KLE Innovations gZero6 Interconnect Cables ($700)
2 x KLE Innovations gPOWER2 Power Cables ($600 - $300 each)
2 Tbyte NAS or USB Drive with dual RAID Mirrored drives ($600)

+ some network cables

I assume you own a computer to build you library on the NAS drive

This system will last you for years and sound fantastic
- I have the NAIM - it has a passive front end and sounds great
- and the Node 2 - it’s one of the best streamers out there and sounds great when connected with great cables
- I am a fan of Tannoy - sound dynamic and detailed and they last a long time
- I have tried the KLEI speaker and interconnect cables and they are exceptional
- I have not tried the KLEI power cables, but the are from KLEI so they should be very good
- I run a NAS RAID drive and had disk failures - so I simply pop in a new drive and RAID takes care of copying everything

There are better speakers, but the Eyris are a fantastic starting position - they will spoil you - trying to find a more detailed speaker for less than $3000 will be difficult - but then that depends on your ears really :-)

That’s my system

Worried about spending so much on cables?
- cables can make or break a system
- not all cables respond well to all components, but the cables and components above work well together - I have tried them and liked what I heard

You can save about 50% on the cables if you are handy and can solder.

You will get lots of other suggestions - I would suggest you read through them carefully and try to audition as many of the components/speakers you can


Good luck with your quest and trust your ears - Steve
audionoobie's avatar
audionoobie
357 posts
 

Hey Joe,

Sounds like you are where I was about 2 and a half years ago. Have a look at this thread I posted (hence the screen name audionoobie) back then. I was given a TON of valuable advice from this community.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/looking-to-build-a-system-for-under-5k

Find a local dealer or two in your area and listen to a bunch of different speakers. Speakers will have the biggest impact on the overall sound of your system. Take notes as to which ones you liked, didn’t like, what sound qualities each possess, and what other components were in the chain.

Buying gear on the used market, like the Audiogon community, will stretch your dollar a LOT further vs. purchasing new. I fought this for a long time. However, I came to realize that most audiophiles treat their gear better than their children!

Get a good quality integrated amp which combines pre amp and output sections. This will be a little cheaper than buying separates.

Something like a Bluesound Node 2i streamer with a $20/mo. TIDAL subscription will get you access to thousands of high quality artists, albums, tracks, playlists, etc.

Have a look at some of the virtual systems on this site to get ideas on gear to check out.

DO NOT spend a fortune on cables initially. BlueJeans speaker cables and AudioQuest interconnects will get the job done.

For example you could do something like:

- $1.5k for speakers
- $1.5k for integrated amplifier
- $1 for a DAC (something like a Mytek Liberty is a good start, again used is your friend)
- $500 for a Bluesound Node 2i
- $500 for cables
- $20 on a nice French Bordeaux

Keep us posted on your progress and post any specific questions you may have. Perhaps include any pertinent details like your listening preferences, room dimensions, any WAF requirements, etc.

Have fun and enjoy the music!
Joe

erik_squires
15,902 posts
 
Parts Connexion has an awesome selection of Monitor Audio right now. :) 
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
I have a pair of HPM-40 that I occasionally rotate into my system and they sound OK. I suggest you give more detail on the size of your room, type of music you like, and how loud you listen to get better suggestions. With $5K or even $3K you should be able to upgrade to a system that will be exponentially better than what you have as long as your listening room can squeeze all its potential. Good luck.
leverjk OP
4 posts
 
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction!
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