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Complete newbie needing guidance/purchase advice

Hi folks-

First of all, let me apologize in advance for a lengthy post. I'm a brand new forum member after recently being introduced to this site by an acquaintance who heard I was looking for sound advice... As my thread title states, I'm completely ignorant when it comes to the audiophile world, but I really want to start building a system and learn something in the process. A little background on me: I've been making a living as a recording artist and studio musician for almost 20 years, but my career choice as a music-maker has somehow ironically detached me from the simple pleasure of just sitting and _listening_ to music for the sheer enjoyment of it. My wife and I are currently in the process of remodeling our bonus room into a media room, and one of my objectives is to at the very least turn it into a space where I can do some critical listening.

I currently don't have anything decent... Just some old Bose bookshelf speakers and a Yamaha surround receiver. The closest thing to 'something decent' that I own are a pair of Etymotic ER-4S headphones coupled with a Headroom headphone amplifier.

The big limiting factor is my budget. Given that fact, maybe I have no business posting here... I will probably need to build this piece-by-piece over time, so I'm content with having to stretch the process out. I'm not concerned with having to have the 'best' of anything; I would just really like to make listening to music an engaging and emotional experience for me like it was for me many years ago.

Would a speaker purchase be a good place to start? I was perusing the Audiogon classifieds today and saw that there is actually a pair of DK Designs LSA-2's for sale local to me. The asking price is at the top of my speaker budget, a little over a grand, which I realize is probably 'chump change' in the audiophile world. However, I've read some reviews and they seem mostly positive. Would be super-convenient to be able to find something nice that was used and local, but as I said before, I'm completely new to this. Another related question: Is it better to go with floor-standing speakers, or can decent sound also be accomplished with bookshelf speakers combined with a subwoofer?

Also, what are the other 'basic' components that would need to be purchased? The only other thing I know I'd love to have would be a decent turntable; I'd love to be able to go and purchase some of my favorite classic albums to listen to once again. Do I need a separate preamp and power amp combination? Are there any 'receivers' that do a decent job of covering both tasks?

Any other feedback or direction you experts could throw my way would be greatly appreciated... Thanks in advance!
renaissanceman9
unsound
7,311 posts
 
From what's currently available here on Audigogon, this should get you started:

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1327992457&/Vandersteen-2Ce-black-ash-+-ba

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1328909001&/McCormack-DNA-1-Standard

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatran&1328700775&/Conrad-Johnson-PF-2L-Line-Stag

Comes in without going over budget, but doesn't include source(s) (you can get by with what you've got for a little while), phono stage, cables (used Goertz MI 2's speaker cables can be found cheap and should work great, do use separate runs for bi-wiring, if not right away, then in the future) interconnects (many to choose from), or a rack.
These are amongst the best values in audio, proven separately to stand the test of time, and more importantly synergistically together, and still offer the flexibility to upgrade any of the pieces as deals might appear.
You might need to sit back another 6" or so to really make the speakers sing.
No relation to any of the sellers, buyer beware, but, while Audiogoners may not always agree, they do tend to be an honest crew.
Caution; vinyl can be rewarding, but can start to get expensive.
toddnkaya
493 posts
 
Stringreen!, You don't get it I guess!! The OP never stated that he wanted a high dollar system .
My point to you before was ,you can create a GREAT sounding system with low to mid level components, and get tons of enjoyment from it.
I guess the thousands of us wallowing in junk low to midfi, should stop deluding ourselves that we are enjoying our music and sound from our stereo set ups.
Let's all throw out our collectivly junky lowfi systems to buy headphone set-ups ,until we can afford $15,000, and $8,000 dollar amps that we all "must" desire. Most of us will NEVER be able to afford components at this price level. Congrats on your maga dollar system. I'm sure you are reaping so much more pleasure from the sound and music,
than the rest of us.
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,280 posts
 
Unsound - Nice stuff! Next time I get the yen to upgrade, I think might be asking you for some advice.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,370 posts
 
Todd...stop screaming to me, you sound like a nut. Im telling him (not you) that I spent way too much money on stuff that people like you think makes music. If you save your money and buy the stuff that really sings and brings the pleasure that you're after, you don't have to spend multi-thousands (as I did) that only brings frustration and updateitis.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
IMHO Renaissanceman9, those are great suggestions from Unsound. Stringreen's point about the expense of upgrading is well taken too. At $1K it's a (fun) challenge to put together a system that plays something close to music. At $2K you can get closer.

Money does help, but no matter how much you spend, it is always possible to step wrong and buy gear that plays sound, not music. This fact, plus what money can buy, are the two reasons this is a learning game, and consequently an upgrade game. You buy something that you can live with until you can afford what you really want. You buy used to make your dollars go further and come back to you on resale. You avoid committing the error of choosing at a dealer and then buying the gear second hand.

Most of all, you enjoy the music. Although I would agree with Stringreen that it makes financial sense to go for the best as quickly as you can, it doesn't make sense to go into debt to do it. Enjoy the best you can pay for now.
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