STEP ONE: Go to Salvation Army or Goodwill and buy a used receiver. Wait until you find a good one at a good price. You can find an old Kenwood or Yamaha for $15 sometimes... Wednesday is half price. STEP 2: If you're lucky you can also find good speakers there. I got some Infinity Reference 6.5" bookshelf speakers to go with my used receiver. I think I paid $30ish for them. If you just can't find any used speakers for cheap, try something like a 6.5" round JBL coaxial car speaker. I think a pair will be $75-$150. Good sound and excellent stereo imaging (which is most important for 'audiophile' purposes). Slap them in a premade cabinet, or whatever. I happen to own a pair of speakers that were $2,000 each but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the sport of putting together a good system for the lowest price possible. My best was $22. $15 for a used Yamaha receiver and $7 for a pair of very decent bookshelf speakers. It would take about $400 to match or beat that system if you bought new stuff at a store. The secret is that you're doing the shipping and handling labor, by driving down to Goodwill. Shipping is the killer that makes ebay more expensive.
Being an ex sound engineer and having had a recording studio before and set up many sound systems and been a dj since 1993 I can say the best, cheap'ish way to have good sound is to get yourself a pair of studio monitors like say the JBL 306P mkII and then buy some acoustic foam to put on your walls and use speaker stands that you can fill with sand using gaffa tap to seal any holes in the stands and put acoustic foam underneath the studio monitors to absorb resonance. You can easily get some thin strips of wood and some material the same colour as your walls and you simply put the wood around each foam tile and then cut the material to stretch over each tile and then staple the fabric to the wood strips at the side of each tile kind of encasing each tile in a wooden frame. Then you use no nails or something to secure the wooden frames to your wall. Then you'll have less sound reflections within your room increasing stereo image and sound quality and the aesthetic impact of the foam panels will be very minimal thanks to the material covering them which is the same as your wall colour. There is no better way to get an accurate representation of how the artists who made the tracks you listen to wanted their tracks to sound than using acoustic treatment and good quality studio monitors. Many audiophiles think they know a lot about sound but know very little and many items such as phono cables and power cables costing hundreds or thousands of pounds or dollars are nothing more than a waste of money and manufacturers know most people who buy them will be tricked into thinking their audio system sounds better when it doesn't. It's called the placebo affect. Do a blind test and you won't notice any difference between a pair of say Van Damme phono cables costing £30 to a pair of cables costing £2,000.
Thanks for being who you are! 💖 Caring Audiophile sharing his precious experiences with us without looking down upon those who can't afford the most expensive.
My set up is composed of a 35 year old Harmon Kardon RECEIVER, EPI speakers and a technics turntable and a Sony CD player and a Panasonic duel cassette player. Vintage yes, and sounds amazing still.
Stevespecs Absolutely. You don’t have to chase the latest “improvement” as so many do. When I was in grad school I managed to buy an NAD tuner amp pair, Polk 10A speakers, and a Dual turntable. I added a good CD player many years later, and I’m still using them.
I bought them based on his review of them and he said that they pair nicely with his NAD B316BEE which I own as well. Guess what he's right! Much more detailed than my previous speakers. I wish they had a bit more base but I can't turn my system too loud anyways.
I would like to add the Audio Technica AT-LP3 automatic turntable in black or white (I always prefer white). It has a very basic cartridge that still work, and What HiFi in England gave it a 5 star rating, and they give few turntables that rating at any price. It has speed adjustment settings underneath if its a little fast or slow (each for 33 and 45). I have it with an LP Gear cartridge Vessel L3SE elliptical for $99 (2 gram down force). It's easy to upgrade that cartridge later with a line contact stylus (I have it). It really works well with that turntable. It also has a built in preamp for either MM or MC cartridges or a complete bi-pass. Note: Some of the upgrades are acrylic platter mat, aluminum feet with isolators, Denon DP-300 head shell is identical in either black or silver, complete table isolation stand, LP Gear higher quality belt. Remember it's the cartridge that gives the sound, not the expensive turntables.
Steve, thank you for your video "consultations!" After the divorce and a move into a small condo, the K-horns and tube amps ended up in the garage - so sad. But I have found a $500 dollar system that makes my small space sing! From your short review on the Dayton Audio MK442T loudspeakers, I jumped on a pair on a special. Not the highest resolution around, but warm and lively. It has enough bass to satisfy without pulsing through the walls to annoy my neighbors. In one of your videos you recommended trying something new as apposed to "leveling up" with more of the same type of gear. So what's the opposite of my beloved 7 Watt 300B SET amp? An open box special crown SLX 1002 power amp - 350 watts a side to power those slender tower speakers. They were also featured in one of your guest presentation videos. Rounding out the gear is an inexpensive (found on Jeff's Online Emporium) DAC/Pre/Bluetooth box as an input (with happy little tubes sticking out of the top). The "system" sounds great - thanks again for the advice.
In the eighties, AIWA was still a thing. One day I walked past a electrical store they had a AiWA mini stereo playing some music, the stereo imaging was stunningly good. In those days I visited a lot of showrooms for speakers, the most impressive ones were Tannoy, some theaters in Hong Kong also use giant Tannoy speakers but that AIWA mini stereo was really impressive. The main part of the stereo was no bigger than the iPad display.
Most Best Buy employees have no clue about audio components, the best they could do is to read the label off the box, they know very little about Hi-End audio electronics or any other electronics for that matter, the majority of people who work at Best Buy are not professional sales people.
This is heaven. As I have always maintained - it is all about music first and music last. Given that, a little search will always get you heaven within your constraints of hearing bias and budget and space and availability and serviceability.
This hobby is as much about gear as it is about the music. If it's only about the music then you're just a music lover. Who doesn't like music? There is an appreciation for the design and craftsmanship of the gear.
The 1st time I saw the Jimi Hendrix Experience was at MSG, NYC in 1968. Somebody slipped him some acid. He played on the revolving stage and many people were photographing with flash bulbs. He kept asking people to stop with the flash bulbs. He could not play. LSD is a very dangerous drug that has destroyed many lives. It was a real bummer and a bad trip for Jimi. He walked off the stage in 20 minutes. I remember Scott Muny of WNEW-Fm introducing the experience. He was wearing a Nehru suit with a big gold chain and medallion over his neck.
Wow, this turned into a bummer fast. Maybe it would have been better if Columbus hadn’t experimented with the edge of the earth but it worked out for him.
Michael i used to think psychedelics are not harmful and all these people saying acid give u different perspective of life once you take it made me want to take it even more and I did. Guess what? I am currently experiencing hallucinating perception perceiving disorder. I had never abused any drug and just one try with acid, I am fucked. I do understand there are tons of people abused shit out of psych and never experience any visual abnormalities but there’s def alarming number of people suffer from non disappearing visual issues. I wish i never touched lsd.
Vanatoo Transparent One Encore Powered Speakers ( at Amazon ) connect them to anything. Done. Amazing linear MBX long throw woofer and clear sounding tweeter. They will blue tooth to your phone, or RCA inputs, or Digital inputs from a TV. Outputs for a subwoofer if you want to add one. Add a Raspberry Pi with Volumio, A system in a speaker.
Here is a great sounding system for just under $500 ($495 actually)! I put one together for my neighbor, who wanted versatility (portable hi-res player) and real good sound. We were blown away! It really is incredible to be able to get sonics like this at this price point! FiiO X1 hi-res player... $75 Fluance XL7-SBK speakers... $180 Musical Paradise MP-303 hybrid tube integrated amp... $240
For a tight budget the Topping MX3 should be on that list. The biggest bang for buck ever. DAC, Bluetooth receiver, speaker amp + sub out and a headphone amp for about $100... And it sounds good.
@@reinaldobravo9462 The amp is amazing, I have no plans of changing it. The B6.2 are the better speaker, but they are big so make sure you have good stands.
So true! I am a studio guy (Producer & Singer/Songwriter) Since i came across my modified "Polk Monitor" speakers my world changed in the audio spectrum! Dont even use my nearfields anymore because these Polk speakers have an awesome full range spectrum with fast and accurate midrange. Searched for the right amp and voila,couldnt be any happier 😁💯🎵
I have a pair of moderately large Infinity bookshelf speakers for around $300. It blow everything away Circuit City had that was in their sound room and I've been enjoying them ever since. For a receiver, I swear by a Technics. I did at one point have a bottom end carousel cd player put out by Technics and wasn't impressed. I later bought JVC carousel and a Philips dual-deck cd recorder which weren't bad until I hear the single slot Onkyo 'audiophile' cd player which sounded more accurate and less blurry than the others including the Philips which everyone loved as you could burn your own discs. I go with Koss UR-30 which later only became available with a metal detector. I plan on getting Sennheiser one day as a replacement but somehow that day never comes.
One of my many "hobbies" is answering people's questions on Quora, for topics I know stuff about. Audiophile on a budget comes up seemingly once a month. Going to simply link to this video, a better answer than I can come up with on my own.
That's actually pretty cool. May I suggest you also take a look at this video from my favourite European reviewer, John Darko? th-cam.com/video/co_rYIfpfmA/w-d-xo.html
Hats off for not skipping over theses very impressive ,yet very affordable components ! Nice to see someone as famous as you in the audio world show people they can get a really nice little system for not a lot of money. A friend saw my dads old McIntosh amps and Klipsch horns & LaScalla's and said to me "oh your an audiophile" Pleas dont call me that I said, I just dig great music and like it to sound as good ss possible to MY ears..that's it.
Great video idea, Steve! We need more future audiophiles in the hobby and the idea of offering many choices that in various combinations could work for a price point. This has to be one of your best thoughts for a video. I can't wait to see the $1k, $2k $3k, $5k $10K system ideas. It's a lot of work to put together, but well worth helping newbies get in and grow in the audio hobby. I personally think that investing in music is one of life's greatest pleasures. Especially in today's crazy world, relaxing to your favorite music that sounds good, in your own home - for me it's the best pastime.
I bought the Audio-Technica LP-60 turntable and it was just ok, but then I connected it to my PS Audio Sprout 100 for the phono pre-amp and amp features and it was a world of difference. It's definitely a good beginner option for someone looking to get into vinyl on a budget and the switch in the back offers the option to either use the internal phono stage or to send the audio out unaltered so a better piece of equipment can take over.
I picked up a set of used heresy ii for $400 and and a used two channel integrated Nad amp $100.. I highly recommend my $500 budget system.. it sounds better then some of the $3000 to $4000 systems I’m heard. No joke. Now I’m not tempted to waste money on more expensive gear... hope you guys can all find a system you like. Steve makes the best recommendations.
For the Dayton Audio stuff, check out Parts Express to see if they have a better price. The new version of the BT-2 amp is a few dollars less (new), AND it's in stock. Open box is even less! As to the 652's, there's a deal at the moment that includes a Lepai LP-2020TI amp, all for under $50. Give them a look.
My budget system Onkyo tx 8511 stereo receive. 100 per channel very clean amp with two digital hook ups CD and turntable and two for tape. Got it from e- bay for 69 dollars looks brand new . Bought a pair of Polk audio rti a3 speakers for 240 dollars. Now I have saved enough to get a really good c.d . player
Alternatively, buy used vintage gear - there are fantastic bargains to be had if you're patient. I recently picked up a Panasonic SL-H350 (re-badged Technics SL-3) linear tracking turntable for £25 ($32) via eBay - didn't even need a new belt or stylus. Trio/Kenwood and Hitachi made some very nice amps and receivers circa 1980, which can be found for under $100, and Technics' sweet little aluminium-cased SB-F1 speakers often go for about the same.
I just bought a pair a Paradigm Monitor bookshelves with A Polk sub for $50. Before that, I put together a great system with a thrift store find (Yamaha rs300 $20), a Schiit Modi, and Dali Zensor 3 speakers. That system costed me $550. Using a desktop as a source streaming Tidal. It sounds great. I'm so glad I didn't listen to the people on the forums saying I had to spend thousands to get good sound.
@@bigdallyc Yep, the forums can be helpful or harmful. There's a huge forum on vintage planar magnetic headphones which is heavily skewed towards modding. So glad I didn't listen to them moaning about the tonal 'faults' of the Yamaha HP50 and Audio Technica ATH-2, which I picked up for less than £50 for the pair!
I bought the Onkyo TX-8020 based on your review about 4 years ago. Speakers were Pioneer BS22, later upgraded to Elac B6, and upgraded again last month to Martin Logan Motion 40 floorstanders (used). Still rocking the Onkyo. 😁
Picked up a nice Sony STR 7025 and a pair of Radio Shack Nova 8s for $90.00. Needs a little cleaning, smooth warm sound. Plenty for most people. Nice vintage set.
Amazing video Steve! Its great to see audiophiles such as you recommending budget speakers like these. Its great because people from third world countries can get into the hobbie without sacrificing all their money (because shit is expensive here, i tell you) Currently using a pair of BS22LR with the Yamaha R-S202 receiver, great combination, love it!
I’ve been making daily visits to the several dozen thrift stores where I live looking for deals on components…often with disappointing results. but every once in awhile I find that golden deal that’s just too good to pass up. 🎶🎵🎶
Great Start to what I think will be a great series, my plan is to get something low cost to start with I want to go with vinyl as my source. if I have something low cost to start out with and it be complete I will save each month until I can afford to replace a piece. as I live on a fixed income I am looking at this as my finished stereo system. Fluance RT84 Nagaoka MP 110 Cartridge Schiit audio MANI VIDAR FREYA + Magneplanar LRS this is my end goal for a dream system that I can save for
Just came across this video! I was into medium high end audio for 30 years! Spent loads trying to find perfection! Ended up listening to imperfections rather than the music! Ended up selling it all a few years ago but really miss one of my only pleasures in life! I love your style and will be working my way through your videos 👍 Subscribed! Looking forward to buying a lower end system as money is an option these days! Thanks again for your effort in making these videos. Barry
I live in Wyoming. I just had bought a vintage NAD tuner amp and was looking for speakers. I saw a pair of Wharfedale Dovedale speakers for $200 in Ft Collins, 50 miles away They were made in 1973 not 30 miles away from where we lived in Yorkshire so I had to see them thinking they would need some work. They are like new inside and outside. Excellent condition. They pair well with the NAD and the sound is full and deep. At half volume on Dark Side of the Moon the concrete floor under my lounge vibrates with the bass. I dont have the original stands so whether to mount them on concrete blocks or have some stands custom made I have not decided. To mee they sound fantastic and better than some high end surround sounds friends have installed.
Great start of a series for hitting price points. I would not hesitate in suggesting Schiit Audio and Elac gear to anyone starting/restarting a system.
Wait for a sale or shop online for cheaper prices. I've even negotiated a Marantz receiver for a low price that was accepted. Got it at 50% off. I try not to pay retail prices.instead buy last years model for less $. Know what speakers/ a/v equipment you want and patiently wait for a sale or good deal. This strategy has helped me buy a great home theater at almost 50% off. Saved more than 3 grand.
The correct way to do this imho is by finding used gear locally..if possible right now I'm listening to this on a excellent condition / function 80s Yamaha RX-700U $20 and a pair of JBL L1's $40 dac is a FiiO D03K $20~ hooked up to the optical out of my PC and my Turntable is a Yamaha YP-D6 (1977~ DD turntable) $25 +$10~ for a new stylus for the AT cart ..so all in all cables mostly $1 each thrift store grabs (optical cable came with the D03K .. not all sellers bundle it) blah blah all in $120~ and I humbly think it will give any of these new gear configs a pretty solid run for their money.
Great job Steve, down to earth, real world prices for those wanting to take their first steps into the world of the audiophile. We will both be criticized for using the word audiophile for such inexpensive gear, but you've got to start somewhere. A lot of young people have not experienced the loudspeaker yet. They want to Bluetooth the music library held on their phones, so be it, believe me they will grow.
Gerald Wilson got my first setup out of the trash. 2 12 in wolfers, 2 surround 8in, 2 6x9's, 2 bull horn tweets, one Pioneer receiver at the cost of carrying it home. Got a few years out of it before the whole thing quit.
I got a pair of Kenwood jl-707 floorspeakers, a crs-158 center speaker, and a ct-201 dual cassette deck sitting next to a dumpster for free. That was 10 years ago and they're still kicking hard
It's definitely doable.. Got a good deal on a serviced Marantz 2230, Technics SL-1600 and some Sound Dynamics S10 speakers, which all came in at just over $500. I'd put it up against just about anything! 😎
So glad you said both Yamaha and Klipsch ,that's what I'm running in my bedroom, Towers though, the Yamaha may produce a little more bass through the Klipsch then some other amps: When I had the Klipsch hooked up to my jolida 20 watt el84 tube amp the bass was incredibly thin but with the Yamaha it packs an awesome punch, hell they went very nicely loud through my 3 watt set el34, but so , so little bass... while mine are not the same ones, I hear people talking about Klipsch Forte, Klipsch heresy, and these newer copper models all sounding thin unless driven with higher current amps, well I've only tried it with a couple of different amps but the Yamaha sure did produce good bass compared to the others out of my Klipsch. I really used to hate Klipsch but now I don't feel very satisfied with the treble delivery of other speakers; people say there's no such thing as treble slam I say nope there is, and Klipsch delivers cymbal impacts best of any speakers I've heard including electrostatics , domes, full range, you name it I fully believe that the crossover design must be responsible fir the highly sensitive compression drivers to come to life yet the bass section with the cones and lower sensitivity? simply needs to pull more current than it's going to get from low-powered tubes or smaller D class or even weedy AV receivers... yammy and klippy play very nice together. well at least the ones I have do. Again I'm not sure about this model, but my Yamaha has an inbuilt phono preamp that to my tastes better than the entry-level NAD, the vlps the musical Fidelity- even with Pangea power upgrade, not as good imo. it's a good in built pre
Great videos Steve. Built my daughter a nice system for Christmas, under $200 and it sounds great (she already has a turntable and headphones) Dayton Audio DTA 2.1BT2 $75--thank you for the recommendation made two exciter XPS sheet panel speakers $16 for two DAEX25FHE drivers and $10 for two XPS 2ftX2ft XPS panels--really nice mid range sound, especially vocals, brass, and strings $75 for the 6.5 inch passive downfiring Dayton Audio subwoofer kit. The sound quality exceeds my expectations; and it doesn't get too loud (an ulterior motive)
I bought a Sony STR-DN1080 receiver on sale for 475.00 and found some brand new polk T-15's and a Polk Center channel on Facebook for 65 bucks ! and let me tell ya something, that receiver is the most underrated receiver EVER!!! Hands down delivers man! And its Atmos capable it blew my mind how it handled power but performed elegantly man you cant go wrong man Sony git that one right!
i dont know if my setup meets the standards of HI-Fi but im perfectly happy with only a set of studio monitors (KrK VxT8) connected to my (desktop) computer thats all no tuner no amps no nothing and i never was happier with the sound than i am now i can listen to any radiostation in the world (thats online) plenty of (music) videos tv programs are online could'nt be more happy than i am today
Lloyd Hudson, because it's not recommended to store records horizontally, as it can cause your records to warp. I did that once with a small pile of my own albums a long while back. Bad mistake. Never again.
People need to understand. U r freaking awesome. Couple years ago I got the Klipsch 100s , loved em. Just bought 500M, ones u suggested a year ago. Oh my God, crisp, clean and gorgeous. Thank u!
Steve, through thrift store purchases I was able to put an amazing system together. Usually thrift store stereo equipment is cheap crap but occasionally they get high end stuff in. It took a few years put one piece at a time I came up with a great system. I have to make a video of my system.
if audiio companies want to get more music listeners back into this hobby, or back into the fray, this is a fantastic way to start. big brand co.s in this day and age should have have multiple micro or mini boutique stores (tiny, think strip mall 20 ft wide store fronts) with a couple basic systems setup playing music,manned by people who have at least a basic idea of good sound.the store wouldnt even need to stock product, it could be straight mail order,which is what a lot of people do now anyways. even if the storefront was a small loss fiscally, it would be a big win. greater coverage and exposure. 500$ or less, fantastic. my own budget system that i currently enjoy, pioneer bookshelfs, 40+ yr old turntable(pl-514,50$,at95e cartridge 50$,TC-750 phono preamp 85$)pioneer receiver 159$(sale at best buy), apple tv for streaming and music library.
I would get the Elacs, used NAD integrated from 80's with phono, Fluance TT, and Modi DAC. A little more than 500 but we always stretch over our budget you know.
Right now with emotiva $30 off coupon plus and 30% per dollar special you can get a pt100 dac preamp 300 watt AB a300 amp and 2 airmotiv s8 subs for $1100 till end of month. Boom.
I still can't believe nobody gives the NHT Super bookshelves any credit for being a great budget line brand. Specifically the SuperZero 2.1 and SuperOne 2.1. Both for under $100 a speaker on Amazon and will compete with any of the budget line speakers mentioned here.
The video would have to be 2-3 times longer if Steve included all the possible choices. Plus these recommendations are all ones that he's personally familiar with...
@@geoffreybritain8878 I understand that but all these audio channels seem to parrot one another and review the same speakers and make the same recommendations. How about throwing some NHT's in there or some Ascend Acoustics but I understand marketing and pay for play.
I used to sell NHT and I especially like the older, Ken Kantor era speakers (before the Recoton and Jensen eras). With shipping factored in, those older Super Zeros sell for around $100 on eBay, and the older Super Ones sell for around $200. I know of no better speakers for the money.
We used 2 tweeters in each box but forgot to book-match their positions on the 2 baffle boards. M my notion is to re-baffle the speakers right to the margins, and get the woofer to center, tweets to 12 and 6 position (above & below) the dome midranges at 3 and 9 oclock left and right (inside of woofers) - then obviate level controls (never used them) and lose our later addition, which was of passive radiators, rear-firing. Would mask these over and thus thicken back wall a bit more. Terminals we chose were also dinky. I might window-box the speakers (allowing a quick woofer lift) and try some newer crossover networks, before sealing up the results. .
I have a 800 watt rms into 8ohm each 100watts per chanel for 8 speakers 7.1 surround system that i only have 280$ invested in. It sounds excellent and when cranked will shake the chachkies off the shelves so that i have had to stick them down with poster gummy stuff. 1 Technics reciever, 2 pioneer 4way floor speakers, 2 GNP bookshelf speakers, 2 fisher 4way bookshelf speakers, 1 infinity center channel speaker.,1 create stage monitor that has a new subwoofer 8ohm 78 watt and i modified the cabinet and retuned the cabinet adding insulation and changing the length of the port to match the sub that has a 17fhz to 34 hz and disconnected the horn tweeter and sealed the hole.
Klipsch make some truly excellent and affordable powered speakers too - and they're like the Swiss Army knives of speakers. Great sound with amazingly clear highs, Built-in DAC, Bluetooth, headphone Jack Aux in, USB in, connection port for a subwoofer (you might want one because while the bass is very clean there's not a lot of it) and even RCA inputs with a built-in phono preamp (!) that sounds really nice and you can switch on or off depending on what you use those inputs for, all controlled either on the back or with a remote control. They'd be my top recommendation for a budget system. Klipsch R-51PM or the older R-15PM. I've got mine hooked up USB to my PC, Bluetooth to my phone, a vintage direct drive Sony turntable, and an old VCR/DVD combo, nice and versatile little music and entertainment setup on a budget that sounds fantastic
This man is genius. If you wanna make someone become audiophilled, first give cheap choices (but nice quality). Psycholgycally, every man will never be enough, and then moving up, want more quality, spend more and more money.
Steve , please share with your viewers some specific personal musical favourites over the years, including Classical & Jazz. Musical choices which you have appreciated regardless of playback systems. Merci from 🇨🇦!
I purchased a pair of second-hand pioneers, a Yamaha sub hooked to cheap Chinese 2.1 amp connected to a Behringer U-Control UCA202. It sounds great and only paid under $100. the UCA202 is a cheap option for a DAC. It sounds great for what I listen to. I will try all your recommendations if I see them on Craigslist or Facebook Market place.
Far out Steve! Where were you when I first started my audio quest 30 years ago? Sage advice such as yours is what I’ve been trying to share with my family and friends for years. The sound quality & the pleasure is not relative to the budget! Rega p3 + Ortofon blue, NAD c320 amp, Cambridge Audio 540p pre, Kef C30 & C20 speakers.
The Onkyo TX8020.....had one for 4-5 years....left it on day and night for all that time. One day came home and tried to turn it on after a power outage but it had died. Will buy another Onkyo for sure.
Your one of the best & like the way you care for music lovers in all price ranges, but most of all don't forget to look at the second hand market with people upgrading there is some good gear going at low cost. I am currently selling a Onkyo a9010 amplifier, Sony pslx300usb Turntable & Q acoustic 3020 speakers all for £160, less than 2 years old that's around 1/3 off the original price. I am now a rega planar 3 owner with marantz 6007 cd & amp plus bowers & wilkins 607 s2 speakers but hope someone appreciates my old system leading them to upgrades later.
Samsung sound bar. Easy to use and set up and if plug a chrom cast then you can use tidel to get great music out of it. And the wife will like it to. I use one don't even need the remote
No it's for people who have developed a hyper sensitive hearing spectrum and can hear the difference of every little setting there is. Average people can't tell any difference unless it's completely obvious
This was easily one of my favorite video and I am really looking forward to seeing this series continue. I noticed that the Micca speakers weren't on your list, curious as to why. Regardless, please keep these coming, as they are extremely helpful and informative.
The AT-LP60 has been replaced by the new, improved AT-LP60X turntable, which features a redesigned tonearm for better tracking, a voltage-regulated motor for better speed stability, and other improvements.
I bought Cambridge audio amplifier for £250 and CA speakers for £119. Kenwood sub (very old) second hand for £60 and I replaced speaker for £99 and my setup takes roof of and is really full of details 👍 I know there are far better set ups but for me my is the best 💪🏻👌🏻👍🏻👏🏻
Steve , i trust you and dont even know you other then our online connections. You know your stuff buddy and it shows . Thanx for helping me pick out my new system . Sounds Unreal if i do say so myself ... 😊
Good to see $65 a pair speakers not getting snobbed out! You look like you've been getting stoned and listening to stuff since the 60s so we don't have to... Thanks!
Excellent video..! I personally own the Dayton B652 speakers. I can honestly say they do sound nice for what they are... I still haven't gotten around to it but will eventually build new cabinets for them and replace the tweeters... I forgot to volume down one day in my woodshop removing the aux cord from my phone popping the tweeters... I also ran the Dayton powered 10 inch sub... My shop sounded pretty damn good which led me to designing a budget build ($500) or less home stereo set up... I ended up buying 40 of the same factory buyout 6.5s used in the B652's to use in future builds from parts express... These are the same drivers used in some older Polk Audio speakers... I designed an MTM setup to run with stereo subs... More on the subs later lol... I ran two 6.5s along with Dayton Audio 1-1/8" softdomes crossed over at 2.5k in each cabinet... the front baffle is 7.5" wide which really helped being so narrow with baffle diffraction which in turn really made these drivers sound nice, warm, open in the vocals as vocals should be... Next was the sub build... I had two Sony 8" 100watt powered subs that I acquired for free... Honestly they are junk from factory but I designed & built new enclosures... I ended up at .57 tuned to 30 Hz factory was tuned at mid 40s lol... Now powered with 100watt Dayton plate amps these little suckers really hit well for what they are... I also own the Yamaha SR202 receiver which has met my needs above and beyond...!
Steve is an audiophile.
Steve is not a snobby audiophile.
Steve is a good audiophile.
Be like steve.
Very well said
I like steve.
cant. not. be. snobby
People like Steve make TH-cam look good.
- Steve is a True _REFERENCE_ of an *AUDIOPHILE.*
Steve I think you are really good guy, you're one of the audiophiles that are respectful and understand different budgets.
except he'll tell you that expensive cables are NOT snakeoil lmao
@@colin7moon they aren't, to a certain extent...
CS: GOPNIK agree i dont believe that cable is better sounding or worse but it certain changes things
Yes I dislike snobby audiophiles who just look down on lesser systems than their own best. You need to be open-minded in this game.
I agree. You could imagine that buying from this guy in a store would be a thoroughly pleasant and rewarding experience.
STEP ONE:
Go to Salvation Army or Goodwill and buy a used receiver. Wait until you find a good one at a good price. You can find an old Kenwood or Yamaha for $15 sometimes... Wednesday is half price.
STEP 2: If you're lucky you can also find good speakers there. I got some Infinity Reference 6.5" bookshelf speakers to go with my used receiver. I think I paid $30ish for them.
If you just can't find any used speakers for cheap, try something like a 6.5" round JBL coaxial car speaker. I think a pair will be $75-$150. Good sound and excellent stereo imaging (which is most important for 'audiophile' purposes). Slap them in a premade cabinet, or whatever.
I happen to own a pair of speakers that were $2,000 each but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the sport of putting together a good system for the lowest price possible.
My best was $22. $15 for a used Yamaha receiver and $7 for a pair of very decent bookshelf speakers. It would take about $400 to match or beat that system if you bought new stuff at a store.
The secret is that you're doing the shipping and handling labor, by driving down to Goodwill. Shipping is the killer that makes ebay more expensive.
Being an ex sound engineer and having had a recording studio before and set up many sound systems and been a dj since 1993 I can say the best, cheap'ish way to have good sound is to get yourself a pair of studio monitors like say the JBL 306P mkII and then buy some acoustic foam to put on your walls and use speaker stands that you can fill with sand using gaffa tap to seal any holes in the stands and put acoustic foam underneath the studio monitors to absorb resonance. You can easily get some thin strips of wood and some material the same colour as your walls and you simply put the wood around each foam tile and then cut the material to stretch over each tile and then staple the fabric to the wood strips at the side of each tile kind of encasing each tile in a wooden frame. Then you use no nails or something to secure the wooden frames to your wall. Then you'll have less sound reflections within your room increasing stereo image and sound quality and the aesthetic impact of the foam panels will be very minimal thanks to the material covering them which is the same as your wall colour. There is no better way to get an accurate representation of how the artists who made the tracks you listen to wanted their tracks to sound than using acoustic treatment and good quality studio monitors. Many audiophiles think they know a lot about sound but know very little and many items such as phono cables and power cables costing hundreds or thousands of pounds or dollars are nothing more than a waste of money and manufacturers know most people who buy them will be tricked into thinking their audio system sounds better when it doesn't. It's called the placebo affect. Do a blind test and you won't notice any difference between a pair of say Van Damme phono cables costing £30 to a pair of cables costing £2,000.
If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time you include images of the components you are talking about. Great work!
Thanks, but I've been doing for a couple of weeks on videos where it makes sense..
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac the pictures of the equipment really help including the prices and websites the best
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac You have a great chanel , its needed for some videos, you can put custom subtitles
I wish he kept the image of what he was talking about up for longer. Makes it easier to keep track of what he's talking about from moment to moment...
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Steve, do you favor bi-wiring for speakers ?
Thanks for being who you are! 💖 Caring Audiophile sharing his precious experiences with us without looking down upon those who can't afford the most expensive.
For people just getting into this stuff, recommendations like this are invaluable. Thank you so much, Steve, for helping so many along the way.
This by far is a great video to get people into audio gear.
More like: need to upgrade right out the box. The way to start is...used market.
My set up is composed of a 35 year old Harmon Kardon RECEIVER, EPI speakers and a technics turntable and a Sony CD player and a Panasonic duel cassette player. Vintage yes, and sounds amazing still.
Stevespecs Absolutely. You don’t have to chase the latest “improvement” as so many do. When I was in grad school I managed to buy an NAD tuner amp pair, Polk 10A speakers, and a Dual turntable. I added a good CD player many years later, and I’m still using them.
I bought my Elac Debut B6.2 speakers thanks to your earlier video, Steve. Never regretted that :)
I like the original B6 better.
I was thinking of upgrading my jbl powered monitors for the elacs, in new to audio equipment but which did you use to drive the elacs?
I need to acquire these SOON
I bought them based on his review of them and he said that they pair nicely with his NAD B316BEE which I own as well. Guess what he's right! Much more detailed than my previous speakers. I wish they had a bit more base but I can't turn my system too loud anyways.
Thank you so much Steve. you have no idea how great idea this is. will help many people. Great if we could see your thoughts on 1k, 2k, 4k systems.
Also 10-20k and money no object just because.
I would like to add the Audio Technica AT-LP3 automatic turntable in black or white (I always prefer white). It has a very basic cartridge that still work, and What HiFi in England gave it a 5 star rating, and they give few turntables that rating at any price. It has speed adjustment settings underneath if its a little fast or slow (each for 33 and 45). I have it with an LP Gear cartridge Vessel L3SE elliptical for $99 (2 gram down force). It's easy to upgrade that cartridge later with a line contact stylus (I have it). It really works well with that turntable. It also has a built in preamp for either MM or MC cartridges or a complete bi-pass. Note: Some of the upgrades are acrylic platter mat, aluminum feet with isolators, Denon DP-300 head shell is identical in either black or silver, complete table isolation stand, LP Gear higher quality belt. Remember it's the cartridge that gives the sound, not the expensive turntables.
Steve, thank you for your video "consultations!" After the divorce and a move into a small condo, the K-horns and tube amps ended up in the garage - so sad. But I have found a $500 dollar system that makes my small space sing! From your short review on the Dayton Audio MK442T loudspeakers, I jumped on a pair on a special. Not the highest resolution around, but warm and lively. It has enough bass to satisfy without pulsing through the walls to annoy my neighbors. In one of your videos you recommended trying something new as apposed to "leveling up" with more of the same type of gear. So what's the opposite of my beloved 7 Watt 300B SET amp? An open box special crown SLX 1002 power amp - 350 watts a side to power those slender tower speakers. They were also featured in one of your guest presentation videos. Rounding out the gear is an inexpensive (found on Jeff's Online Emporium) DAC/Pre/Bluetooth box as an input (with happy little tubes sticking out of the top). The "system" sounds great - thanks again for the advice.
In the eighties, AIWA was still a thing. One day I walked past a electrical store they had a AiWA mini stereo playing some music, the stereo imaging was stunningly good. In those days I visited a lot of showrooms for speakers, the most impressive ones were Tannoy, some theaters in Hong Kong also use giant Tannoy speakers but that AIWA mini stereo was really impressive. The main part of the stereo was no bigger than the iPad display.
I got one of those mini Aiwas and I absolutely loved it. My daughter filled the speakers with coins and shorted out everything.
First time checking out this channel. I walked into Best Buy and asked if they carry Shit Manny and got a lot of confused looks.
You trying to do a Klip-Schitt setup? 😅
Most Best Buy employees have no clue about audio components, the best they could do is to read the label off the box, they know very little about Hi-End audio electronics or any other electronics for that matter, the majority of people who work at Best Buy are not professional sales people.
Thanks so much for covering a budget that is not often covered. I would hardly call a $1200 amplifier a starter amplifier as some people do.
Thanks, Steve. I like how you don't have brand snobbery.
Just source snobbery!👍
This is heaven. As I have always maintained - it is all about music first and music last. Given that, a little search will always get you heaven within your constraints of hearing bias and budget and space and availability and serviceability.
This hobby is as much about gear as it is about the music. If it's only about the music then you're just a music lover. Who doesn't like music? There is an appreciation for the design and craftsmanship of the gear.
I remember when $15 bought you a hit of acid and a ticket to a Hendrix concert..
The 1st time I saw the Jimi Hendrix Experience was at MSG, NYC in 1968. Somebody slipped him some acid. He played on the revolving stage and many people were photographing with flash bulbs. He kept asking people to stop with the flash bulbs. He could not play. LSD is a very dangerous drug that has destroyed many lives. It was a real bummer and a bad trip for Jimi. He walked off the stage in 20 minutes. I remember Scott Muny of WNEW-Fm introducing the experience. He was wearing a Nehru suit with a big gold chain and medallion over his neck.
steve paul crazy
@@Peter-ff1tp Not true at all. Long term harmful effects are indeed pretty bad. Flashbacks, schizo, and more after taking these drugs long term.
Wow, this turned into a bummer fast. Maybe it would have been better if Columbus hadn’t experimented with the edge of the earth but it worked out for him.
Michael i used to think psychedelics are not harmful and all these people saying acid give u different perspective of life once you take it made me want to take it even more and I did. Guess what? I am currently experiencing hallucinating perception perceiving disorder. I had never abused any drug and just one try with acid, I am fucked. I do understand there are tons of people abused shit out of psych and never experience any visual abnormalities but there’s def alarming number of people suffer from non disappearing visual issues. I wish i never touched lsd.
Vanatoo Transparent One Encore Powered Speakers ( at Amazon ) connect them to anything. Done. Amazing linear MBX long throw woofer and clear sounding tweeter. They will blue tooth to your phone, or RCA inputs, or Digital inputs from a TV. Outputs for a subwoofer if you want to add one. Add a Raspberry Pi with Volumio, A system in a speaker.
Love love love this video! Look forward to the next ones where you raise the price the little bit.
Here is a great sounding system for just under $500 ($495 actually)! I put one together for my neighbor, who wanted versatility (portable hi-res player) and real good sound. We were blown away! It really is incredible to be able to get sonics like this at this price point!
FiiO X1 hi-res player... $75
Fluance XL7-SBK speakers... $180
Musical Paradise MP-303 hybrid tube integrated amp... $240
Unlike so many ‘experts’ in audio, you know your stuff, and are able to put yourself in your viewers’ position.
For a tight budget the Topping MX3 should be on that list. The biggest bang for buck ever. DAC, Bluetooth receiver, speaker amp + sub out and a headphone amp for about $100... And it sounds good.
I absolutely love my Elac B6.2. Paired to a NAD C326BEE amp. Great setup. I also have the Pioneer BS22. Absolutely wicked speakers!
brydon10 which speakers between those two do you recommend? Would you change the amp or are you happy with it?
@@reinaldobravo9462 The amp is amazing, I have no plans of changing it. The B6.2 are the better speaker, but they are big so make sure you have good stands.
So true! I am a studio guy
(Producer & Singer/Songwriter) Since i came across my modified "Polk Monitor" speakers my world changed in the audio spectrum! Dont even use my nearfields anymore because these Polk speakers have an awesome full range spectrum with fast and accurate midrange. Searched for the right amp and voila,couldnt be any happier 😁💯🎵
I can't wait to start my journey into HI-FI music and this video helps a lot. Thanks
I have a pair of moderately large Infinity bookshelf speakers for around $300. It blow everything away Circuit City had that was in their sound room and I've been enjoying them ever since. For a receiver, I swear by a Technics. I did at one point have a bottom end carousel cd player put out by Technics and wasn't impressed. I later bought JVC carousel and a Philips dual-deck cd recorder which weren't bad until I hear the single slot Onkyo 'audiophile' cd player which sounded more accurate and less blurry than the others including the Philips which everyone loved as you could burn your own discs. I go with Koss UR-30 which later only became available with a metal detector. I plan on getting Sennheiser one day as a replacement but somehow that day never comes.
One of my many "hobbies" is answering people's questions on Quora, for topics I know stuff about. Audiophile on a budget comes up seemingly once a month. Going to simply link to this video, a better answer than I can come up with on my own.
That's actually pretty cool. May I suggest you also take a look at this video from my favourite European reviewer, John Darko? th-cam.com/video/co_rYIfpfmA/w-d-xo.html
Hats off for not skipping over theses very impressive ,yet very affordable components !
Nice to see someone as famous as you in the audio world show people they can get a really nice little system for not a lot of money.
A friend saw my dads old McIntosh amps and Klipsch horns & LaScalla's and said to me "oh your an audiophile"
Pleas dont call me that I said,
I just dig great music and like it to sound as good ss possible to MY ears..that's it.
Great video idea, Steve! We need more future audiophiles in the hobby and the idea of offering many choices that in various combinations could work for a price point. This has to be one of your best thoughts for a video. I can't wait to see the $1k, $2k $3k, $5k $10K system ideas. It's a lot of work to put together, but well worth helping newbies get in and grow in the audio hobby. I personally think that investing in music is one of life's greatest pleasures. Especially in today's crazy world, relaxing to your favorite music that sounds good, in your own home - for me it's the best pastime.
I bought the Audio-Technica LP-60 turntable and it was just ok, but then I connected it to my PS Audio Sprout 100 for the phono pre-amp and amp features and it was a world of difference. It's definitely a good beginner option for someone looking to get into vinyl on a budget and the switch in the back offers the option to either use the internal phono stage or to send the audio out unaltered so a better piece of equipment can take over.
Many thanks for this. Too many audiophiles go only for obscenely expensive gear.
I picked up a set of used heresy ii for $400 and and a used two channel integrated Nad amp $100.. I highly recommend my $500 budget system.. it sounds better then some of the $3000 to $4000 systems I’m heard. No joke. Now I’m not tempted to waste money on more expensive gear... hope you guys can all find a system you like. Steve makes the best recommendations.
I love this guy he’s honest always has a variety of audio stuff and comparable models. Keep up the good work and the good vibes !!!
For the Dayton Audio stuff, check out Parts Express to see if they have a better price. The new version of the BT-2 amp is a few dollars less (new), AND it's in stock. Open box is even less!
As to the 652's, there's a deal at the moment that includes a Lepai LP-2020TI amp, all for under $50.
Give them a look.
Hey man, I'm starting to learn about the audiophile world. I liked your vibe, cheers!
My budget system Onkyo tx 8511 stereo receive. 100 per channel very clean amp with two digital hook ups CD and turntable and two for tape. Got it from e- bay for 69 dollars looks brand new . Bought a pair of Polk audio rti a3 speakers for 240 dollars. Now I have saved enough to get a really good c.d . player
Alternatively, buy used vintage gear - there are fantastic bargains to be had if you're patient. I recently picked up a Panasonic SL-H350 (re-badged Technics SL-3) linear tracking turntable for £25 ($32) via eBay - didn't even need a new belt or stylus. Trio/Kenwood and Hitachi made some very nice amps and receivers circa 1980, which can be found for under $100, and Technics' sweet little aluminium-cased SB-F1 speakers often go for about the same.
Yup. I just got off eBay a Dynaudio EMIT M10 bookshelves for $425.00 in mint condition... MSRP $799.00
I just bought a pair a Paradigm Monitor bookshelves with A Polk sub for $50. Before that, I put together a great system with a thrift store find (Yamaha rs300 $20), a Schiit Modi, and Dali Zensor 3 speakers. That system costed me $550. Using a desktop as a source streaming Tidal. It sounds great. I'm so glad I didn't listen to the people on the forums saying I had to spend thousands to get good sound.
@@bigdallyc Yep, the forums can be helpful or harmful. There's a huge forum on vintage planar magnetic headphones which is heavily skewed towards modding. So glad I didn't listen to them moaning about the tonal 'faults' of the Yamaha HP50 and Audio Technica ATH-2, which I picked up for less than £50 for the pair!
I bought the Onkyo TX-8020 based on your review about 4 years ago. Speakers were Pioneer BS22, later upgraded to Elac B6, and upgraded again last month to Martin Logan Motion 40 floorstanders (used). Still rocking the Onkyo. 😁
The Onkyo has a sub-out, have you tried it?
@@bluelines1792 I haven't, sorry.
Great video. All the options are nice. I got the Klipsch bookshelf/subwoofer combination for $300. Good full range sound; and amazing value.
Picked up a nice Sony STR 7025 and a pair of Radio Shack Nova 8s for $90.00. Needs a little cleaning, smooth warm sound. Plenty for most people. Nice vintage set.
Amazing video Steve! Its great to see audiophiles such as you recommending budget speakers like these. Its great because people from third world countries can get into the hobbie without sacrificing all their money (because shit is expensive here, i tell you)
Currently using a pair of BS22LR with the Yamaha R-S202 receiver, great combination, love it!
I’ve been making daily visits to the several dozen thrift stores where I live looking for deals on components…often with disappointing results. but every once in awhile I find that golden deal that’s just too good to pass up. 🎶🎵🎶
Great Start to what I think will be a great series, my plan is to get something low cost to start with I want to go with vinyl as my source. if I have something low cost to start out with and it be complete I will save each month until I can afford to replace a piece. as I live on a fixed income I am looking at this as my finished stereo system.
Fluance RT84
Nagaoka MP 110 Cartridge
Schiit audio
MANI
VIDAR
FREYA +
Magneplanar LRS
this is my end goal for a dream system that I can save for
Just came across this video! I was into medium high end audio for 30 years! Spent loads trying to find perfection! Ended up listening to imperfections rather than the music!
Ended up selling it all a few years ago but really miss one of my only pleasures in life!
I love your style and will be working my way through your videos 👍
Subscribed!
Looking forward to buying a lower end system as money is an option these days!
Thanks again for your effort in making these videos.
Barry
I love, love, love this series idea. This is what I've been waiting for! Thank you!
I think Steve has done some things like this on CNET in years past, too. I always look forward to his comments.
I live in Wyoming. I just had bought a vintage NAD tuner amp and was looking for speakers. I saw a pair of Wharfedale Dovedale speakers for $200 in Ft Collins, 50 miles away They were made in 1973 not 30 miles away from where we lived in Yorkshire so I had to see them thinking they would need some work. They are like new inside and outside. Excellent condition. They pair well with the NAD and the sound is full and deep. At half volume on Dark Side of the Moon the concrete floor under my lounge vibrates with the bass. I dont have the original stands so whether to mount them on concrete blocks or have some stands custom made I have not decided. To mee they sound fantastic and better than some high end surround sounds friends have installed.
Great start of a series for hitting price points. I would not hesitate in suggesting Schiit Audio and Elac gear to anyone starting/restarting a system.
Wait for a sale or shop online for cheaper prices. I've even negotiated a Marantz receiver for a low price that was accepted. Got it at 50% off. I try not to pay retail prices.instead buy last years model for less $. Know what speakers/ a/v equipment you want and patiently wait for a sale or good deal. This strategy has helped me buy a great home theater at almost 50% off. Saved more than 3 grand.
Thanks you for sharing your knowledge. A lot of work have gone into this list.
The correct way to do this imho is by finding used gear locally..if possible right now I'm listening to this on a excellent condition / function 80s Yamaha RX-700U $20 and a pair of JBL L1's $40 dac is a FiiO D03K $20~ hooked up to the optical out of my PC and my Turntable is a Yamaha YP-D6 (1977~ DD turntable) $25 +$10~ for a new stylus for the AT cart ..so all in all cables mostly $1 each thrift store grabs (optical cable came with the D03K .. not all sellers bundle it) blah blah all in $120~ and I humbly think it will give any of these new gear configs a pretty solid run for their money.
Great job Steve, down to earth, real world prices for those wanting to take their first steps into the world of the audiophile. We will both be criticized for using the word audiophile for such inexpensive gear, but you've got to start somewhere. A lot of young people have not experienced the loudspeaker yet. They want to Bluetooth the music library held on their phones, so be it, believe me they will grow.
Gerald Wilson got my first setup out of the trash. 2 12 in wolfers, 2 surround 8in, 2 6x9's, 2 bull horn tweets, one Pioneer receiver at the cost of carrying it home. Got a few years out of it before the whole thing quit.
I got a pair of Kenwood jl-707 floorspeakers, a crs-158 center speaker, and a ct-201 dual cassette deck sitting next to a dumpster for free. That was 10 years ago and they're still kicking hard
Thank you Steve for this valuable information! Just what I was looking for for our 3 season Room/Sun Room coffee corner. Perfect!!
It's definitely doable.. Got a good deal on a serviced Marantz 2230, Technics SL-1600 and some Sound Dynamics S10 speakers, which all came in at just over $500. I'd put it up against just about anything! 😎
Really liked this type of video. Looking forward to the $1000 system version
So glad you said both Yamaha and Klipsch ,that's what I'm running in my bedroom, Towers though, the Yamaha may produce a little more bass through the Klipsch then some other amps: When I had the Klipsch hooked up to my jolida 20 watt el84 tube amp the bass was incredibly thin but with the Yamaha it packs an awesome punch, hell they went very nicely loud through my 3 watt set el34, but so , so little bass... while mine are not the same ones, I hear people talking about Klipsch Forte, Klipsch heresy, and these newer copper models all sounding thin unless driven with higher current amps, well I've only tried it with a couple of different amps but the Yamaha sure did produce good bass compared to the others out of my Klipsch. I really used to hate Klipsch but now I don't feel very satisfied with the treble delivery of other speakers; people say there's no such thing as treble slam I say nope there is, and Klipsch delivers cymbal impacts best of any speakers I've heard including electrostatics , domes, full range, you name it
I fully believe that the crossover design must be responsible fir the highly sensitive compression drivers to come to life yet the bass section with the cones and lower sensitivity? simply needs to pull more current than it's going to get from low-powered tubes or smaller D class or even weedy AV receivers... yammy and klippy play very nice together. well at least the ones I have do. Again I'm not sure about this model, but my Yamaha has an inbuilt phono preamp that to my tastes better than the entry-level NAD, the vlps the musical Fidelity- even with Pangea power upgrade, not as good imo. it's a good in built pre
Steve, why does the Klipsch subwoofer not work with the Yamaha receiver ? Does it not even have speaker level inputs?
This is perfect video to help with a cheap decent setup for that family member or friend that always showed a little bit of interest in audio.
Great videos Steve. Built my daughter a nice system for Christmas, under $200 and it sounds great (she already has a turntable and headphones)
Dayton Audio DTA 2.1BT2 $75--thank you for the recommendation
made two exciter XPS sheet panel speakers $16 for two DAEX25FHE drivers and $10 for two XPS 2ftX2ft XPS panels--really nice mid range sound, especially vocals, brass, and strings
$75 for the 6.5 inch passive downfiring Dayton Audio subwoofer kit.
The sound quality exceeds my expectations; and it doesn't get too loud (an ulterior motive)
You're really stepping it up Steve. First off with the fascinating insights into recording with Engineer Alex and now this series. Strong work!
I bought a Sony STR-DN1080 receiver on sale for 475.00 and found some brand new polk T-15's and a Polk Center channel on Facebook for 65 bucks ! and let me tell ya something, that receiver is the most underrated receiver EVER!!! Hands down delivers man! And its Atmos capable it blew my mind how it handled power but performed elegantly man you cant go wrong man Sony git that one right!
I love the fact that you tried super hi fi system and you are still able to appreciate a good cheap system
i dont know if my setup meets the standards of HI-Fi but im perfectly happy with only a set of studio monitors (KrK VxT8) connected to my (desktop) computer thats all no tuner no amps no nothing and i never was happier with the sound than i am now i can listen to any radiostation in the world (thats online) plenty of (music) videos tv programs are online could'nt be more happy than i am today
PLEASE! PLEASE! Steve, get those records on that top shelf vertical.
I'm dying here!
Dennis Bohner who cares
@@MichelLinschoten I agree, why does it matter, I don't get it.
Lloyd Hudson, because it's not recommended to store records horizontally, as it can cause your records to warp.
I did that once with a small pile of my own albums a long while back. Bad mistake. Never again.
People need to understand. U r freaking awesome. Couple years ago I got the Klipsch 100s , loved em. Just bought 500M, ones u suggested a year ago. Oh my God, crisp, clean and gorgeous. Thank u!
hey Steve! can we update this video with 2022/2023 products?
Steve, through thrift store purchases I was able to put an amazing system together. Usually thrift store stereo equipment is cheap crap but occasionally they get high end stuff in. It took a few years put one piece at a time I came up with a great system. I have to make a video of my system.
Please do this for dac/headphone amp combos.
if audiio companies want to get more music listeners back into this hobby, or back into the fray, this is a fantastic way to start. big brand co.s in this day and age should have have multiple micro or mini boutique stores (tiny, think strip mall 20 ft wide store fronts) with a couple basic systems setup playing music,manned by people who have at least a basic idea of good sound.the store wouldnt even need to stock product, it could be straight mail order,which is what a lot of people do now anyways. even if the storefront was a small loss fiscally, it would be a big win. greater coverage and exposure. 500$ or less, fantastic. my own budget system that i currently enjoy, pioneer bookshelfs, 40+ yr old turntable(pl-514,50$,at95e cartridge 50$,TC-750 phono preamp 85$)pioneer receiver 159$(sale at best buy), apple tv for streaming and music library.
I would get the Elacs, used NAD integrated from 80's with phono, Fluance TT, and Modi DAC. A little more than 500 but we always stretch over our budget you know.
Right now with emotiva $30 off coupon plus and 30% per dollar special you can get a pt100 dac preamp 300 watt AB a300 amp and 2 airmotiv s8 subs for $1100 till end of month. Boom.
I still can't believe nobody gives the NHT Super bookshelves any credit for being a great budget line brand. Specifically the SuperZero 2.1 and SuperOne 2.1. Both for under $100 a speaker on Amazon and will compete with any of the budget line speakers mentioned here.
The video would have to be 2-3 times longer if Steve included all the possible choices. Plus these recommendations are all ones that he's personally familiar with...
@@geoffreybritain8878 I understand that but all these audio channels seem to parrot one another and review the same speakers and make the same recommendations. How about throwing some NHT's in there or some Ascend Acoustics but I understand marketing and pay for play.
Mike Dinno This where you come in. Setup a video and kindly give us a review. I will subscribe. 🙏🏾
Great speakers! NHT SuperOne! I have seen no reviews of the C1!
I used to sell NHT and I especially like the older, Ken Kantor era speakers (before the Recoton and Jensen eras). With shipping factored in, those older Super Zeros sell for around $100 on eBay, and the older Super Ones sell for around $200. I know of no better speakers for the money.
We used 2 tweeters in each box but forgot to book-match their positions on the 2 baffle boards.
M my notion is to re-baffle the speakers right to the margins, and get the woofer to center, tweets to 12 and 6 position (above & below) the dome midranges at 3 and 9 oclock left and right (inside of woofers) - then obviate level controls (never used them) and lose our later addition, which was of passive radiators, rear-firing.
Would mask these over and thus thicken back wall a bit more.
Terminals we chose were also dinky. I might window-box the speakers (allowing a quick woofer lift) and try some newer crossover networks, before sealing up the results. .
Great idea! Can't wait for your $3000 System recommendations!
I have a 800 watt rms into 8ohm each 100watts per chanel for 8 speakers 7.1 surround system that i only have 280$ invested in. It sounds excellent and when cranked will shake the chachkies off the shelves so that i have had to stick them down with poster gummy stuff. 1 Technics reciever, 2 pioneer 4way floor speakers, 2 GNP bookshelf speakers, 2 fisher 4way bookshelf speakers, 1 infinity center channel speaker.,1 create stage monitor that has a new subwoofer 8ohm 78 watt and i modified the cabinet and retuned the cabinet adding insulation and changing the length of the port to match the sub that has a 17fhz to 34 hz and disconnected the horn tweeter and sealed the hole.
Funny, I like it already, from your "...This is going to be good!'
Klipsch make some truly excellent and affordable powered speakers too - and they're like the Swiss Army knives of speakers. Great sound with amazingly clear highs, Built-in DAC, Bluetooth, headphone Jack Aux in, USB in, connection port for a subwoofer (you might want one because while the bass is very clean there's not a lot of it) and even RCA inputs with a built-in phono preamp (!) that sounds really nice and you can switch on or off depending on what you use those inputs for, all controlled either on the back or with a remote control. They'd be my top recommendation for a budget system. Klipsch R-51PM or the older R-15PM. I've got mine hooked up USB to my PC, Bluetooth to my phone, a vintage direct drive Sony turntable, and an old VCR/DVD combo, nice and versatile little music and entertainment setup on a budget that sounds fantastic
I still have my four Fisher speakers from 1969. They still work just fine.
That's badass
This man is genius. If you wanna make someone become audiophilled, first give cheap choices (but nice quality). Psycholgycally, every man will never be enough, and then moving up, want more quality, spend more and more money.
@5:20 - The Klipsch R-100SW is not going for $175..? It's $349 everywhere I'm seeing.
Bill Frigo exactly. Spent 2 hours searching
$249 new on eBay
175 x 2 = 350?? Maybe he ment 1 speaker is 175
Steve , please share with your viewers some specific personal musical favourites over the years, including Classical & Jazz. Musical choices which you have appreciated regardless of playback systems. Merci from 🇨🇦!
When I think audiophile, I think of this guy.
I purchased a pair of second-hand pioneers, a Yamaha sub hooked to cheap Chinese 2.1 amp connected to a Behringer U-Control UCA202. It sounds great and only paid under $100. the UCA202 is a cheap option for a DAC. It sounds great for what I listen to. I will try all your recommendations if I see them on Craigslist or Facebook Market place.
gotta save this for when I finally get my own place
Far out Steve! Where were you when I first started my audio quest 30 years ago?
Sage advice such as yours is what I’ve been trying to share with my family and friends for years. The sound quality & the pleasure is not relative to the budget!
Rega p3 + Ortofon blue,
NAD c320 amp,
Cambridge Audio 540p pre,
Kef C30 & C20 speakers.
With $500, in Argentina, you can buy a couple of provinces...
you wish
The Onkyo TX8020.....had one for 4-5 years....left it on day and night for all that time. One day came home and tried to turn it on after a power outage but it had died. Will buy another Onkyo for sure.
Why not buy a vintage system i did under 500 complete toshiba 330 and a set of chario speakers
This realy make me enjoy my albums again thx
Your one of the best & like the way you care for music lovers in all price ranges, but most of all don't forget to look at the second hand market with people upgrading there is some good gear going at low cost. I am currently selling a
Onkyo a9010 amplifier, Sony pslx300usb Turntable & Q acoustic 3020 speakers all for £160, less than 2 years old that's around 1/3 off the original price. I am now a rega planar 3 owner with marantz 6007 cd & amp plus bowers & wilkins 607 s2 speakers but hope someone appreciates my old system leading them to upgrades later.
Great suggestions for our budget minded music loving friends.
Cheap fix if you can't stand the sound of a friend's system. Wedding gifts?!
Thank you!
Samsung sound bar. Easy to use and set up and if plug a chrom cast then you can use tidel to get great music out of it. And the wife will like it to. I use one don't even need the remote
@@koenigsforst_ fair enough. I will last week I just built a new low end sound system. Hahaha
Carlito Melon I bought my friend a pair of A2’s, couldn’t stand shooting darts at his house listening to music via built in laptop speakers.
If you enjoy the sound coming out of the speakers, then you are a happy camper. Most high end equipment is for show.
No it's for people who have developed a hyper sensitive hearing spectrum and can hear the difference of every little setting there is. Average people can't tell any difference unless it's completely obvious
This was easily one of my favorite video and I am really looking forward to seeing this series continue. I noticed that the Micca speakers weren't on your list, curious as to why. Regardless, please keep these coming, as they are extremely helpful and informative.
The AT-LP60 has been replaced by the new, improved AT-LP60X turntable, which features a redesigned tonearm for better tracking, a voltage-regulated motor for better speed stability, and other improvements.
for me, its the logitech z313 connected to my 8 year old thinkpad with no EQ
wtf with that username ? poor cirno :(
I bought Cambridge audio amplifier for £250 and CA speakers for £119. Kenwood sub (very old) second hand for £60 and I replaced speaker for £99 and my setup takes roof of and is really full of details 👍
I know there are far better set ups but for me my is the best 💪🏻👌🏻👍🏻👏🏻
Hey Steve, would you mind doing an updated version of this video? perhaps there are new speakers and electronics to consider.
Nope.. vintage or bust
Steve , i trust you and dont even know you other then our online connections. You know your stuff buddy and it shows . Thanx for helping me pick out my new system . Sounds Unreal if i do say so myself ... 😊
Good to see $65 a pair speakers not getting snobbed out! You look like you've been getting stoned and listening to stuff since the 60s so we don't have to... Thanks!
Good Stuff!!! 😁
So we don't have to? The 60's had some of the best music ever made!
Hopefully our man doesn't do drugs
Excellent video..! I personally own the Dayton B652 speakers. I can honestly say they do sound nice for what they are... I still haven't gotten around to it but will eventually build new cabinets for them and replace the tweeters... I forgot to volume down one day in my woodshop removing the aux cord from my phone popping the tweeters... I also ran the Dayton powered 10 inch sub... My shop sounded pretty damn good which led me to designing a budget build ($500) or less home stereo set up...
I ended up buying 40 of the same factory buyout 6.5s used in the B652's to use in future builds from parts express... These are the same drivers used in some older Polk Audio speakers...
I designed an MTM setup to run with stereo subs... More on the subs later lol... I ran two 6.5s along with Dayton Audio 1-1/8" softdomes crossed over at 2.5k in each cabinet... the front baffle is 7.5" wide which really helped being so narrow with baffle diffraction which in turn really made these drivers sound nice, warm, open in the vocals as vocals should be...
Next was the sub build... I had two Sony 8" 100watt powered subs that I acquired for free... Honestly they are junk from factory but I designed & built new enclosures... I ended up at .57 tuned to 30 Hz factory was tuned at mid 40s lol... Now powered with 100watt Dayton plate amps these little suckers really hit well for what they are...
I also own the Yamaha SR202 receiver which has met my needs above and beyond...!