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  1. #1
    Slowly Growing Deaf salad 419's Avatar
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    Introduction Thread

    Hey guys. I've been lurking and reading TONS of posts over the past month. Great Site. I'm usually more of a reader/searcher than more of a poster but I'm in need of new equipment, so I'll be posting quite a bit. I'll also probably post a few "stoopid" questions that will spark debate so I'll get more ideas or opinions about concepts that will help me decide which components to purchase. More often than not, the answers I'm "looking for" will have nothing to do with the questions.

    Background/Current: I've owned a few mid-fi/mass market type systems (at best) in the early/mid 90's.You know, top of the Best Buy Line. They mostly consisted of ~$550 JVC Recievers(RX-809 &815?) and the associated CD,VCR and cassette players. The Speakers were 15" Pioneer CS-G403 and some 10" Video Shielded Fishers that I can't remember the model # of right now. I actually wired up 2 sony 3 1/2" car speakers for the center channel back then which did the trick.

    Currently, I'm using a "back up to the back up" reciever. It's a Reference 180R by Quadraflex. It's probably mid 80's and noisy as hell. The Speakers are Cerwin Vega E-710 and LW-12 Sub. I'm NOT a Cerwin Vega fan and these speakers don't do the trick for me, but they were the best sounding speakers in my price range locally when I bought them and I got to audition them A/B with everything with the Reciever I bought at that time JVC RX-8020VBK. They DO sound tons better than the older Vegas I was used to hearing. The Mids and Highs were less "muffled", but the highs seem real compressed and rolled off but still better than the older Vegas.

    Anyway, I've recorded/mixed/produced quite a few bands with small home studio equipment so I may have some sort of an "ear" for some details, but I'm not claiming to be an audiophile, although I'd like to think I have a little better ear than the "mass market" consumer.

    I'm planning on putting together a Home Theatre to keep the wife from complaining about the cash, but MY main priority is music so the system will be geared that way and the movie sound will follow.

    Here we go. Watch out for Stoooopid Questions.

  2. #2
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    Welcome to ar.com!

    First thing you need to do is set a budget. Be realistic. You can extra $50 bucks yourself into bankruptcy with this stuff pretty quick, but sometimes spending too little will cost you more in the long run if you end up regretting a purchase. Budgets help us narrow down recommendations too.

    Allocate no less than 50% to speakers. I'd argue higher, depending on your budget. Speakers will makea bigger difference to sound than the rest of the gear chain.
    How many speakers? 5.1? 7.1? Your sub might be usuable. Start working on getting 5.1right before you add 6 and 7. Just makes it easier, and there's more value that way.

    Try to demo stuff at least in the store before buying it.

    You'll get more help here asking specific questions in the appropriate forums - speaker q's in the speaker forum, etc. Include your budget, tastes, preferences, etc.

    Good luck.

  3. #3
    Class of the clown GMichael's Avatar
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    Hey there, welcome to AR. I see you've met Kex. He knows plenty about this hobby and will take good care of you.
    Some people have said that starting with 2 good speakers and then filling in the rest later will let you spend more on two quality fronts instead of spreading the cash around to 5 or 7 speakers at once. There are so many good ones out there that the only one who can really tell you what is best for you is you. You'll have to get out to a few stereo shops and listen to as many speakers as you can before making a choice. A little patients now will pay off for many years later. Bring a couple of your favorite CD's with you. This way you can compare what you're hearing a little better.
    There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. And I'm full of them.
    WARNING! - The Surgeon General has determined that, time spent listening to music is not deducted from one's lifespan.

  4. #4
    I took a headstart... basite's Avatar
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    welcome to AR, hope you find your answers here,
    there are indeed, no 'stoopid questions'
    and indeed, if you want to ask something about buying, then give a budget first, and ask questions, as much as you can, ask us, someone will answer them,

    Greetings,
    Basite.
    Life is music!

    Mcintosh MA6400 Integrated
    Double Advent speakers
    Thiel CS2.3's
    *DIY Lenco L75 TT
    * SME 3012 S2
    * Rega RB-301
    *Denon DL-103 in midas body
    *Denon DL-304
    *Graham slee elevator EXP & revelation
    *Lehmann audio black cube SE
    Marantz CD5001 OSE
    MIT AVt 2 IC's
    Sonic link Black earth IC's
    Siltech MXT New york IC's
    Kimber 4VS speakercable
    Furutech powercord and plugs.

    I'm a happy 20 year old...

  5. #5
    Demoted to Low-Fi Carl Reid's Avatar
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    Welcome to AR!! This is a great place to start a lifelong addiction to high-end audio and eventually bankruptcy....

    As the others have said.... Ask away and remember to set a budget....

    I think someone mentioned finding your main speakers first and then finding additonal speakers to match them... I'm 100% in agreement with that... Find a pair of mains that you really love and then get the rest of the set.... I think one of the easiest ways to contract a bad case of Upgradeitis is to get a full set of speakers that don't really perform as well as you hoped they would....

    So be patient, ask lots of questions, set a budget, listen to lots and lots and lots of speakers and equipment and you should be fine...

  6. #6
    Class of the clown GMichael's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Carl Reid
    Selling My NADs
    ...
    Getting married?
    WARNING! - The Surgeon General has determined that, time spent listening to music is not deducted from one's lifespan.

  7. #7
    Suspended topspeed's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GMichael
    Getting married?
    Nice!

    Salad,

    Welcome to AR!

  8. #8
    Demoted to Low-Fi Carl Reid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GMichael
    Getting married?



    I was wondering if that one was too subtle, since no-one commented on it before...

    lol

  9. #9
    Class of the clown GMichael's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Carl Reid


    I was wondering if that one was too subtle, since no-one commented on it before...

    lol
    I didn't notice it on the first few of your posts. But then it just jumped out at me.
    Ouch.
    WARNING! - The Surgeon General has determined that, time spent listening to music is not deducted from one's lifespan.

  10. #10
    Man of the People Forums Moderator bobsticks's Avatar
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    Welcome aboard...
    So, I broke into the palace
    With a sponge and a rusty spanner
    She said : "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
    I said : "That's nothing - you should hear me play piano"

  11. #11
    Slowly Growing Deaf salad 419's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GMichael
    Getting married?

    Nice!!!!!!

    My budget is almost ZERO for now, but I have an "upgrade sequence" which is wrong on all accounts, but I'm still going in that direction with suggestions. Since I can't just plunk down the cash on everything at once, I want the components to "mesh" with each stage of the upgrade, etc. This combined with the fact that I'll be moving from a small house with carpet to a large house with lots of glass and tile flooring, I'm sure I'll need different components to get the "sound" I want.

  12. #12
    Phila combat zone JoeE SP9's Avatar
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    Have you considered buying on the used market? You can get superior sound and save a bundle. www.audiogon.com is a good place. It's much better than epay.
    ARC SP9 MKIII, VPI HW19, Rega RB300
    Marcof PPA1, Shure, Sumiko, Ortofon carts, Yamaha DVD-S1800
    Behringer UCA222, Emotiva XDA-2, HiFimeDIY
    Accuphase T101, Teac V-7010, Nak ZX-7. LX-5, Behringer DSP1124P
    Front: Magnepan 1.7, DBX 223SX, 2 modified Dynaco MK3's, 2, 12" DIY TL subs (Pass El-Pipe-O) 2 bridged Crown XLS-402
    Rear/HT: Emotiva UMC200, Acoustat Model 1/SPW-1, Behringer CX2310, 2 Adcom GFA-545

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