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Your top 5 mid level audio makers.
What is your favorite top 5 audio manufactures? Im asking about mid level. Not the best of the best or anything. More quality for the money manufactures. My top two are NAD and Rotel. I dont know allot about audio but I do know NAD and Rotel are great for the money.
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Marantz for the CD5001 and the SA8001 cd and sacd players
Onkyo for the A9555 integrated amps
Mobile Fidelity for the OML 1 speakers
Rega for Planar 2 turntable
Cambridge Audio 640P phono pre-amp.
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Cambridge Audio, NAD, NHT, Music Hall, Rega Apollo CDP, Marantz SA8001 CDP, Denon 3000 series AVR's
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnMichael
Marantz for the CD5001 and the SA8001 cd and sacd players
Onkyo for the A9555 integrated amps
Mobile Fidelity for the OML 1 speakers
Rega for Planar 2 turntable
Cambridge Audio 640P phono pre-amp.
That's odd. Don't you own those components? :idea:
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Emotiva, Adcom and Outlaw for amps.
Outlaw and Adcom for processors.
Onix (AV123) for speakers
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Rotel & Marantz for electronics and Monitor Audio, Mission & PSB for their entry level speakers...
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Front End:
NAD, Cambridge Audio, Rotel, Jolida, Denon/Marantz
Back End:
Paradigm, Energy, Focal/JM Lab, NHT, B&W
Note: List subject to change depending on which way the wind is blowing
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Source components:
NAD, Cambridge, Rotel, Denon/Marantz, Rega
Speaker (the things that really make the noise)
Focal, PSB, Ascend (although they really only have maybe one product that falls in the mid level price range)
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Rotel, Marantz, NAD for electronics. B&W, Vandersteen for loudspeakers.
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It looks like there should be a consensus of what "mid level" means. I personally would never consider Denon, especially a receiver. But then again, the question was ambiguous, no one excluded HT and Denon would be in there. I know they build some gear with big price tags but I've not been impressed with their gear when getting into the area starting to breach the limits of mass market. I don't find their digital playback balanced or natural. I also realize how subjective this all is and I'm not ragging on Denon they just would not be on my list and those are my reasons.
Rotel, I would not care to own but they should always be on that list.
Adcom, good bang for the buck, some exceptionally.
NAD, will always be in there.
Cambridge as well.
I would add brands Like Arcam and Creek who still offer gear in that range but you'd have to decide if you wanted their clarity and detail vs one of the other brands power. CD playback Arcam would be a "no brainer" for me.
Jolida I haven't heard but from the feedback I see they'd have to be there.
Parasound, I don't have much experience with but would seek if I were shopping mid-fi.
Music Hall and Rega I feel aren't strong enough as a whole line, maybe a piece here and there.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
That's odd. Don't you own those components? :idea:
Yes and that personal experience is why I suggested them. Since they are also in my signature members will understand that I have first hand experience.:dita:
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Monarchy Audio, Pathos, Magnepan, Velodyne
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Mid Level?
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Originally Posted by stevef22
What is your favorite top 5 audio manufactures? Im asking about mid level. Not the best of the best or anything. More quality for the money manufactures. My top two are NAD and Rotel. I dont know allot about audio but I do know NAD and Rotel are great for the money.
Like Mr.Peabody, I question what is a "mid level" component. To me "mid level" is NOT "mid-fi" but a step up from that. I'm probably prejudiced but most receivers are mid-fi as well as models from the following that are below my stipulated prices ranges: NAD, Adcom, Rotel, Cambridge, Parasound, and Marantz.
Think I'm being an audio snob? So bite me :dita: Prices, new ...
- Stereo spearkers: $1000 - $3500 (per pair)
- Digital sources, incl. DACS: $700-$1500
- Integrates, pre/power amp combos: $1500 - $3500
- Vinyl playback combos: who cares?
- A/V receivers: no opinion
- 5.1+ speaker combos: no opinion
My favs for current production equipment -- bear in mind I can only talk abut stuff I've heard or with whose reputation I'm quite familiar:
- Speakers: Magneplanar, PSB, Paradigm, NHT, B&W
- Digital players: Cambridge Audio, Marantz, Rega
- DACs (<$1.5k): Monarchy Audio M24, Cambridge Audio 740C & 840C, PS Audio
- Integrates: PS Audio, Bel Canto
- Power amps (<$2k): Monarchy Audio, PS Audio, Bel Canto, NuForce, Parasound Halo series
- Preamps (<$2k): not that many great choices -- maybe Parasound P3, PS Audio, Bel Canto, NuForce, or Monarcy Audio M24 DAC+one line source
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Feanor
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Think I'm being an audio snob? So bite me :dita: Prices, new ...
- Stereo spearkers: $1000 - $3500 (per pair)
- Digital sources, incl. DACS: $700-$1500
- Integrates, pre/power amp combos: $1500 - $3500
- Vinyl playback combos: who cares?
- A/V receivers: no opinion
- 5.1+ speaker combos: no opinion
My favs for current production equipment -- bear in mind I can only talk abut stuff I've heard
I agree with Feanor's parameters and lack of opinion about receivers and multi-channel systems, so bit me too if you need to.
(I will try to forgive him his comment about vinyl playback systems)
And, let's not overlook Music Hall/Shanling. Very warm, musical gear. Lots of quality specs and build for the price.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Feanor
.....Prices, new ...
- Stereo spearkers: $1000 - $3500 (per pair)
- Digital sources, incl. DACS: $700-$1500
- Integrates, pre/power amp combos: $1500 - $3500
- Vinyl playback combos: who cares?
- A/V receivers: no opinion
- 5.1+ speaker combos: no opinion
You can get a really nice 2 channel setup for those prices (lots of options... way, way, way too many good options in those price ranges)... frankly, I doubt you're in much danger of being called an audio snob for that price list... By audiophile standards you've barely even crossed entry level.... as some would spend the entire $3500 on cables!!!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
... frankly, I doubt you're in much danger of being called an audio snob for that price list... as some would spend the entire $3500 on cables!!!
Proof that snobbery knows no financial limitations! :)
If I had a string and plastic cup "telephone", I'd surely poo-poo the poor slob who has wimpy waxed dixie cups on his.
http://wow.osu.edu/experiments/sound...stringtele.jpg
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
You can get a really nice 2 channel setup for those prices (lots of options... way, way, way too many good options in those price ranges)... frankly, I doubt you're in much danger of being called an audio snob for that price list... By audiophile standards you've barely even crossed entry level.... as some would spend the entire $3500 on cables!!!
Therein lies the problem, whose mid level are we discussing here?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brett A
My cups are made of wood. It gives them a more earthy tone. And my string is piano wire. A "G" I think.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GMichael
My cups are made of wood. It gives them a more earthy tone. And my string is piano wire. A "G" I think.
Show off.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brett A
Show off.
Trade you for the Rotel.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by emorphien
Therein lies the problem, whose mid level are we discussing here?
Whoevers mid you want it to be... mid for you vs for me vs a guy with a $200K setup is likely to vary substantially...
For me, entry level for 2 channel begins once you move away from generic, Mass Market Mini-Systems... whether by purchasing relatively inexpensive low powered amps such as Trends audio or buying (more expensive than mini-system) entry level NAD/Cambridge Audio combos... mid for me starts pretty much around the $700-$1500 price point, since that's where I find that differences from 'entry level' become far more noticeable...
What's your mid?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
Whoevers mid you want it to be... mid for you vs for me vs a guy with a $200K setup is likely to vary substantially...
For me, entry level for 2 channel begins once you move away from generic, Mass Market Mini-Systems... whether by purchasing relatively inexpensive low powered amps such as Trends audio or buying (more expensive than mini-system) entry level NAD/Cambridge Audio combos... mid for me starts pretty much around the $700-$1500 price point, since that's where I find that differences from 'entry level' become far more noticeable...
What's your mid?
Sounds like we're on more or less a similar page. I honestly don't consider the opinions of the people who own a 200k system and think 1k is below entry level just as I don't consider the opinions of those that think $500 for a boxed surround system is a lot.
On the grand scale of audio, I'd say entry level is really nebulous depending on what you're talking about. A 500 home theater kit is entry level whereas a 500 subwoofer may not be.
I'd say it follows sort of an exponential curve really which is specific for any given kind of product. If I looked at a pair of bookshelf speakers I'd say mid could extend anywhere from $500-5000, with everything below that being entry level and everything above being high end but being an exponential curve that high end just keeps going higher and higher (however that does not imply that performance does or does not go up in the same manner). It's hard to really say though. Certainly for those who feel $500 is a lot for a home theater kit, a $500 pair of speakers is far from mid range, they would find it to be quite a lot of money. And for someone with ludicrously expensive speakers a $500 pair of speakers would be quite entry level but I also don't generally find either have much of a grasp of the reality of the full spectrum of audio products.
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When I say mid level audio gear I mean mid level gear from the late 70s to 90s. I am talking about audio gear from about $600 bucks to no more then $2,700. Im asking for top 5.
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Was that Feanor who said, "bite me"? :) What's in the water?
I think "mid level" will be where you start to achieve a certain level of sound. I know this would be subjective but I think it's more what you get than what you spend. I sort of base level of gear on level of refinement of sound reproduction. I feel "high end" is probably the broadest, or largest, group because you can reach "high end" sound without spending $200k. I mean there's a lot of room between $5 - $10k to infinity. You can begin to break into "high end" reproduction with the right purchases and synergy with $5 or $6k. Some may think you can find it cheaper. With that being said, I still believe more expensive gear can reach even higher levels of sound and be worth the expense if you have it. I hope this makes sense to some one besides me.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevef22
When I say mid level audio gear I mean mid level gear from the late 70s to 90s. I am talking about audio gear from about $600 bucks to no more then $2,700. Im asking for top 5.
I read more quality for the money manufacturers and not particular decades.
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