Reddit mentions: The best home audio products

Yeah it's crazy the little details we think are super important when getting into a hobby that seem to be pretty unimportant later on. I had a Lamy Safari as my first pen, but going into it I thought that the snap cap would be a huge issue. I thought it would be super loud or annoying to put on and off or something like that. Turns out it's not even a problem now that I've got the pen lol.

That pentel looks awesome! I really like the simple and classy look of it. That's a big reason I like the Lamy 2000. It looks like a black pen at first, but is much cooler once you really look at it.

Honestly with speakers, cheap stuff is a lot more fun that expensive stuff to me. I've got a pair of Quad Z-3 towers. Yeah, of course they sound good. If they cost that much and don't, there's a big problem. The thing I like about cheaper speakers is how they all have a very fun character. Once you're spending a lot of money, every speaker out there just tries to sound exactly the same. Cheaper speakers do different stuff though. There are some speakers that focus on midrange, so vocals sound really sweet and warm. There are some that focus on the top end, so you get every little detail up top. There are some that focus on dynamics, so you get that "front row of a concert" sorta feel. I like experimenting with all that stuff. It's just fun. And you don't have to spend a ton of money and get those KEFs to really get into it.

Just for fun, I'll build a cheap setup for you, so you'll know what to get in the future if you ever feel inclined haha.

The Micca MB42X are really the "go-to" starter speaker. They're one of the cheapest that sound decent. And, honestly, they sound really good.

SMSL SA50 to power them. That's on sale for the same price as the SA36 right now. They're the same thing, just this has more power. You don't need it, but you might as well have it haha.

Some speaker cable. You need to cut it and strip it to put it into the speakers. There are quite a few tutorials out there on it. It's pretty easy.

Cable to plug it in.

Boom, just like that you've got a sweet stereo speaker setup that will blow any single speaker out of the water, and easily impress anyone! It comes to around $150 with everything.

I'm not trying to talk you into anything, but I'm basically pointing out that you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get a respectable system.

While we're on this, another thing I like about hobbies is that anyone can be in it at any price range, and that's super cool to me. If someone only has money for a $15 Pilot fountain pen, who cares? That's awesome that they like fountain pens! They don't need to have a $200 fountain pen to be cool. Just anything is sweet. Same with speakers. You don't need a multi thousand dollar system to be "into audio" or whatever you'd call it. If you've got a setup that you like, at whatever price, that's sweet! I'm glad we both enjoy music.

EDIT: I put main points in bold so that people can skim through this and get the gist of what I'm saying here. Very long post, so I thought it would be merciful to do so.
 

Alrighty, this may be long so buckle up and get ready for a journey.
 

I don't consider myself a hardcore audiophile or an expert in turntables/records, so I did some research when I was first looking to purchase one. I was originally looking at a Crosley record player but was soon warned about how notoriously evil they are -- by the way, DO NOT GET A CROSLEY, THEY ARE TERRIBLE!!! They are notorious for putting too much pressure on vinyls with their needles and end up scratching, carving, and ruining perfectly good records (for reference, ideal tracking force is two grams while the Crosley applies five grams tracking force). The parts are cheap and outdated and the player itself is extremely unstable and will skip if there's any sort of vibrational disturbance nearby. It's not good at all.
 

That said, I want to make sure you know what exactly you're getting into right now. When you buy a turntable, there are other things you need to buy along with it to make it function correctly. I don't know whether you're planning to get a turntable just as a gift that only your SO will use or if it's something you both will use, but it's important nonetheless to know what exactly a turntable requires to work properly. See, when people buy a turntable, a lot of people don't realize that there are three things that are needed alongside it: a pre-amp; an amplifier; and speakers. Speakers is obvious, sure, and of course you'll need something to control the volume, but a lot of people I've talked to only thought about that kind of stuff after purchasing their turntable.
 

The reason why these things are important is because most turntables rely on an electrical current in order to transmit vinyl to audio, but the current the turntable generates on its own doesn't matter if there's nothing to turn that current into sound. Think of it like a secret code. The vinyl is the coded message, and the turntable is the tool that deciphers the code. It can't decipher the code without the correct key, though; a preamp is like the key. It takes that current the turntable generates and amplifies it so that the signal is strong enough to be decoded by the amplifier. The amplifier is what actually turns it into the sound format, and is how you control volume as well. The speakers project the deciphered sound that you get to hear and enjoy. If you only plan on buying a turntable, then you don't need to worry about these things. Otherwise, keep reading; I'm finally getting to the point so please bear with me after this terrible analogy. :P
 

It's a lot to take into consideration when buying a turntable; when I did my research, I found that the Audio Technica LP series was pretty reliable. It's not exactly ultra high-end, but it's a great starting point for beginning collectors. There are two ATLP record players, the 60 and the 120, and some other variants that I'm not really aware of. I personally use the 120 because I thought it was funny being able to mess with the pitch settings on it, and I like the extended options the 120 has over the 60. This is just a comparison between both the 60 and 120 below if you're interested in the Audio Technica LP series:
 

In Favor of the 120:

• the LP60 is a belt-drive turntable which means that you'll be replacing a belt in the turn table if it breaks, whereas the LP120 is direct drive and there's no broken belts to worry about replacing
  
  
• the stylus is also a better quality in the 120, but I don't know from experience whether this is true in comparison to the 60
  
  
• the 120 is also sturdier than the 60 as well
   
  
  In Favor of the 60:
  
  
• the LP60 is smaller and more portable than the 120, as the 120 is kind of bulky and heavy
  
  
• the LP60 is cheaper than the 120 (Amazon says that the 60 is about $100 while the 120 is about $300. I recommend the 60 as the best way to start listening to vinyl over the 120 as it's less of a financial commitment than the 120 is, especially if you turn out not to like records. not meaning to be negative but it's something to consider, as well
  
  
• the LP60 has less options, but the options on the 120 don't usually matter to people who are just getting into vinyl so that's more of a personal preference
   
  
  Something in the favor of both players, though: they both come with built-in preamps, so you won't have to worry about buying one of those. Some people don't like the sound quality of the built-in preamp, but I think it's fine and it really isn't something to worry about as a beginner. The amp and speakers matter a bit more.
   
  
  When I went to go find a good amp, I made the mistake of going to Best Buy. Never go to Best Buy. It's a nightmare. The guy I talked to about amplifiers promptly directed us to home sound systems that cost over $1,000 in price. I found one on Amazon for $39. Not only does it work with my turntable, it's also bluetooth so you can stream from your phone if you want to as well (I'll link it right here so you can see it). I only set the amplifier up to half volume and it fills the entire room. I thought it was a miracle how I was seeing all of these huge ass home systems and then I get this little tiny ant of an amplifier and it does just as well.
   
  
  Now, onto speakers. You should think about the speakers the same way as I described the amp. The biggest, most ultra high-end stuff is just not worth it when you're starting out. I use Micca MB42 Bookshelf Speakers, which are amazing (the link is here). It's also $60 on Amazon, so you'll be saving money there, too. Oh, and you'll need speaker wire, which is $11 on Amazon as well.
   
  
  The total amount of money I spent on my system was $400 (it's really $399 but I rounded up), including the Audio Technica LP120, the mini amp, and the bookshelf speakers. If you get the LP60, you'd only be spending $200 ($199 but again rounded up). My setup and recommendations aren't the most top-of-the-line stuff, sure, but this is all I can recommend to you as this is all I've ever really used. It sounds great and I wouldn't really change it for anything.
   
  
  I'm so sorry this is such a long read, but I went through a lot figuring this out the hard way. I got my turntable as a gift along with those speakers, but then found out that I also needed to buy an amp to actually be able to make my whole setup work, and it spawned a two week-long horror show of trying to figure out what kind of amp to get. I feel like getting a turntable or really anything on such a scale as this should be a momentous and memorable occasion to cherish forever, and shouldn't be tainted by having to go through the ringer just to get one missing piece of the puzzle. I am also a music lover and feel your first foray into vinyl shouldn't be associated with high costs but rather being able to experience it for the first time and marveling in its strangely magical quality. It's a great gesture, especially towards an SO.
   
  
  Now I might be over-exaggerating a bit throughout this whole thing, but I think what you're trying to do is very sweet and I thought it would be good to take it seriously. Also, reading long posts like this can be exhausting, so I thought it'd be easier to get through if I did over-exaggerate and make it a more interesting read. Thanks for reading, and I hope your SO appreciates the gift. :)

Part 1 (over 10,000 character limit)

__

Ok, let’s first start off with, while you have a very healthy budget, keep in mind, just like with everything else, there are always better/more expensive gear; PSAudio’s BHK 300 pair, two mono amps (only powers 1 speaker each) is $15,000 on its own, and thats only scratching the surface.

However, diminishing returns are very real in audio. Your ear and listening environment is also important, one user I helped went from a pretty good $200 speaker pair to a well regarded $1200 one, yet he said he could barely tell a difference. On the flip side, you have people who can hear stark differences between two speakers who perform almost identically. I personally do not feel I have a “golden ear”, I can tell when a speaker is doing badly, and maybe I can do comparisons if I have both speakers to play with, but I can go from my <$400 self powered speakers to my $4000 towers with a $300 power amp (all bought used) with a MiniDSP for DSP correction, and if I just go room for room, I really don’t hear a staff contrast. They of course do sound different, especially if placed side-by-side, and my towers have more bass, but it’s just that to get “good enough”, you don’t need to spend much.

___

Now, let’s start with the turntable; I am a purely digital guy, so no hands on experience, but I did search around for what the most highly regarded models where, from both reviewers and everyday people. Now, since I have no experience, I cannot tell you how much better a ~$100,000 MSRP turntable setup would be from a $100 turntable.

For $500-600, the cream of the crop seem to be:

• Pro-Ject Audio Debut Carbon DC Esprit SB (comes in White/Black/Red)
  
• U-Turn Orbit custom, with the acrylic platter, 2M Blue cartridge, cue lever, no preamp. It comes in 5 base color options with 2 premium wood finishes.
  
  For $2200-2500, the cream of the crop seem to be:
  
  
• Rega Planar 6 Turntable (Ania)
  
• VPI Prime Scout Turntable
  
• Clearaudio Concept Turntable w/ Verify Tonearm & Concept MC Cartridge
  
  Again, no clue how they compete against each other, even if the U-Turn vs Clearaudio. Maybe buy one from each bracket and compare; or maybe even buy them all, pick one, and return the rest 😬.
  
  I would maybe get an isolation pad or stand for the turntable, depending on how sturdy/inert the surface you are putting it on is, there are pads for like $100 and a stand would be like this, check that the turntable would fit of course. Or, a thick/dense piece of a non-resonant material, like a wood block, or even something like granite.
  
  
  
  These turntables need a phono preamp. Now, most stereo gear will have one built-in, but some feel an external one is worth purchasing (depending on the quality of the built-in one of course, if applicable). These can range from $50 to well over $5000.
  
  
  
  For the stereo preamp, the Parasound Halo P5 is $1100 (find a local dealer on their site, maybe haggle down to $1000 😉) and it seems to be unparalleled in that price bracket. It has a good phono preamp built-in.
  
  _
  
  For the power amp, I’m also thinking around the same price as the Halo. There are two options that stick out, the Monoprice Monolith amp (2ch variant) and the Emotiva XPA-2 Gen3. Now, I’m usually quick to recommend Emotiva, and that model has more wattage, but the Monolith has a bit better overall specs, and Audioholics gave it (7ch variant) a glowing review (with measurements); plus, it still has more wattage than you’d need. The reason I included the Emotiva is for two reason, you may like the look more (the Monolith looks cheap) and it has balanced XLR connections (doesn’t really make a difference unless doing like 50ft runs, but some people really want them).
  
  
  
  For speakers, Internet Direct brands are usually the way to go (though large brands like KEF and Revel, who pour a ton of money into R&D and aim for ideal sound, are really good as well). One downside is wait times, some ID brands ship within a week, if units are in-stock, but many of the expensive ones are built to order (as there are just so many finish options, and they don’t have millions of dollars in capital to produce a lot without orders), and these wait times can range from a month to 3-4 months (rarely more). Users here have speakers from all these brands, they are well known for being amazing for the price.
  
  Options:
  
  
• Ascend Acoustics Sierra Towers with RAAL upgrade ($2800-$2900 depending on standard finishes, even more for custom). These speakers are excellent, totally accurate with great imaging and a large-ish soundstage. They get to 41Hz. They ship within a week if units are in-stock.
  
• Philharmonic Phil 3 ($3500 for standard cabinet, I think excluding shipping, and goes more expensive with more expensive veneers, and is $200 more expensive to get a slightly sleeker cabinet, both made by Salk). These get to 25Hz! Email for wait times.
  
• Salk Song3-A ($3900 plus shipping in standard finishes/dyes). All these speakers I’m listing are all great in most every category, so kinda hard to describe differences. They get down to 33Hz. Email for wait times.
  
• Salk Silk Tower ($4500 plus shipping in standard finishes/dyes). They get down to 34Hz, and are a tad less dynamic than the Song3-A, but the drivers are high quality (or should I say, more expensive). Email for wait times.
  
• If you want to come close to that $15K budget, the only speaker Salk has ready to ship is a trade-in model (owner wanted the next model up; finish was re-done and in like-new condition, photos on listing). It is the SoundScape 10 in a premium finish, it is their 3^rd most expensive model. It is $9450 plus shipping, it is normally $13,000 plus shipping for a new one ($12,000 plus shipping in standard finishes). So, if you want a true endgame speaker (without getting crazy by thinking about a KEF Blade or something), this is a real good deal. Now, “How much better is it than the Song3-A / Silk Tower?”, that’s hard to say, I’ll just remind you of diminishing returns (the audible difference between the best $300 speaker and the best $1000 speaker is larger than the audible difference between the best $3000 speaker and the best $10,000 speaker). However, if you really want to squeeze out how much quality you can get for your budget, this is it.
  
  For speakers that you can go and demo (but won’t be as good, but still real good):
  
  
• Focal Aria 948 for $5K. They get to 37Hz.
  
• Revel F208 for $5K. They get to 31Hz.
  
• PSB Imagine T3 for $7500. These are would sound better than the Sierra RAAL/Phil3/Song3-A, obviously a lot more money. Specs state 27Hz, but actual measurements show it’s closer to 40Hz, so I think they were being sly and used the in-room spec. This speaker also needs some dampening behind it due to port noise, but they are great speakers.
  
  

  ---

Not OP but I can help you out here. Let's break this down by component:

1. Speakers - There are two types: active and passive. Active = amplifier built into each speaker (i.e. most dedicated "computer" speakers from the likes of Logitech, Creative, etc.). Passive = 90% of speakers out there, must be connected to an amplifier to work. Typically passive speakers will get you a better speaker for a given price for an active but you have to figure in the cost of an amplifier. For a passive speaker set up, the cheapest system recommended over at /r/audiophile is a SMSL SA-60 amp and Micca MB42X Bookshelf Speakers. If your budget is higher, ask in the daily purchase advice sticky there (read the rules/suggestions thoroughly). I don't mess around with active speakers so I can't recommend any.
   
   
2. Microphone - For simplicity's sake, I will recommend you look into USB connecting condenser microphones as they are affordable and have good sensitivity. Something like the Audio-Technica AT-2020 or Blue Yeti are popular mics for under $100. I have the Yeti and can attest that it is a very good and sensitive multi pattern mic. They can be hooked directly up to your PC or if you want to get really fancy, check out an audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett Solo or Scarlett 2i2. The nice thing about an interface is it allows you get a nice mic with an XLR connector (generally better than a USB connection) and it will work with your PC.
   
   
3. Headphones - Don't waste your money on "gaming" headphones. A nice 2 channel pair of cans with a standalone mic like I listed above will hands down outperform the likes of Turtle Beach and Razr headsets. /r/headphones has a really good wiki with more info than I can provide here and headphones broken down by price range and characteristics. Plus, then you can use them both for gaming and general music listening and have a good experience, something you don't get with dedicated "gaming" headsets. The amp I listed in the speakers section is fine for headphones but Schiit makes absolutely fantastic headphone amps and DAC (digital to analog converters, check out both /r/audiophile and /r/headphones for more info on them and why they are good for your set up) with very respectable price tags.
   
   Hope this helps. Higher quality audio equipment can be confusing and daunting, what with all the technical details, wide price ranges, parsing through all the marketing bullshit and the sometimes snobby attitudes of some "audiophiles". I wish you luck and feel free to ask me if you have any questions.

[standard "audio is very, very subjective" disclaimer]

I was actually just helping someone out with this. I feel that while all parts of your computer are important in some way, the parts you actually interact with - Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Audio - are just as important, if not more important than the insides of your computer. Now I'm NOT saying go blow your budget on a 1440P monitor, mechanical KB, high quality mouse, and $300 in audio while running an HD5450. But I am saying you should ideally spend at least 1/3 of the cost of the tower into peripherals. A very blanket statement, and I don't necessarily mean do literally that, but I think it gets the point across.

I'm going to focus mainly on speakers here since headphones have been pretty well covered.

More to the point of audio, if you are spending less than $50 on speakers, any of the multitude of speakers labeled "computer speakers" will be just fine. If you are looking for physical surround, those 5.1 systems aren't too bad either, and get the job done since "real" 5.1 set ups can get costly.

BUT if you are venturing into the $60+, please DO strongly considering getting bookshelf speakers, or monitors (as in studio monitors, not displays). A real 2.0 setup with quality speakers and an inexpensive amp will sound loads better than all of the 2.1 "all-in-one" speaker setups (think Logitech cheapos). Because think about this: when a "real" subwoofer costs $90+, and you buy a pair of speakers and an sub for $40, corners are being cut.

They sound great, will have much better imaging, range, clarity, separation, fullness, tone, and just better sound quality.

You also get the awesome flexibility and "modularity" of putting together a system. Want to upgrade the speakers? No need to buy a new amp, just buy nicer speakers, and vice versa. Want to add a subwoofer? No problem, just add it to the chain! With the "all-in-one" systems you'd have to get a whole new system if you wanted to add a sub when your current one didn't come with one, or you want a better one.

Not to mention they look great sitting on a desk. If you care about aesthetics a set of speakers will look very nice compared to the dinky, cheap, plastic speakers in the sub $100 range.

/r/zeos has great guides he put together for all sorts of speaker systems, from 2.0 to 7.1. For most people on this subreddit, a good 2.0/2.1 system would be fitting.

If you are thinking about spending more than $50 but less than $100 consider this:

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
Speakers | Dayton Audio B652 Bookshelf Speakers | $51.99 @ Amazon
Amplifier | Lepai LP-2020A+ Class-T Digital Audio Amplifier | $21.59 @ Amazon
Speaker Wire | RCA 50FT 16 gauge Speaker Wire | $6.99 @ Amazon
Audio Cable | Startech 6FT 3.5mm Male to Male audio cable | $4.99 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $84.56

This is a GREAT entry level 2.0 setup, and has everything you need. The Speakers are the best $50 speakers you can buy, and they are normally $39.99 but for some reason have seen a price hike. Still 39.99 direct from Parts-Express, but no free shipping. They sound great, look pretty decent, and get pretty loud. Great for music and games. The Amp is great little amp, all metal construction, good feeling knobs, 2 inputs, tonal controls/bypass, and will power these speakers sufficiently. If you have wire/cables lying around you wouldn't need to buy those, saving $10. An 3.5mm Male to RCA male would work too. Highly recommended for people who want to dabble with quality audio but don't want the "audiophile" price tag.

EDIT: Formatting

I actually don’t see the need for surround sound. That’s more of a marketing gimmick really, as the usb 7.1 dongles suck. If you really need surround sound, get Dobly Atmos on your computer.

But I don’t think you really need either. Most games have really good audio, and some games like rainbow six siege literally say don’t use surround sound because it’s broken. You need a headset with good soundstage.

What’s soundstage? Well it’s being not only able to tell the direction of your enemy, but also the distance. That’s why I recommend open back headsets for gaming, though they do leak sound and your mic may pick that sound up. Don’t worry about it though, because what I recommend is omni directional and will basically only pick up your voice.

I recommend the Philips SHP9500/SHP9500s. They are to same thing but the s has a little bit more bass. You also might have trouble getting the 9500 because it is discontinued and not many are left. I recommend these because:

Great soundstage

Very comfortable

Has a lot of treble which is good for hearing footsteps.

Has a detachable cable Incase the wire breaks and so you can use a mic

It is extremely well priced at 80USD. It’s probably the best for gaming under 150 USD. And most importantly it will definitely fit you.

For mic, I recommend the Vmoda BoomPro. You just unplug the cable from the headphones and replace it with the BoomPro which is just a 3.5 mm cable with a mic attached. This is a super good mic.

I also highly recommend an amp both for gaming and music. The one I recommend has a switch with T D and B. T is treble boost (for gaming), d is flat, meaning it won’t change anything, and B is bass boost. Which you want if you listen to music because the 9500 has little bass.
I recommend the Syba Sonic DAC/AMP. Link at the bottom. This will definitely help sound quality as it bypasses your pc soundcard.
IMPORTANT: DON’T use the included usb cord in it as it will cause a short in your computer. You’ll need a different mini usb cable as the provide a really bad one.

To use the amp: This is a usb amp, so plug the usb into your computer and the mini USB port into the DAC/amp. The will power it so it will drain laptop battery with a laptop. Then all you do is is plug your headphone jack into the big 3.5mm headphone jack. Don’t use the one for a split cable because your headset isn’t a split cable.

That’s it! The total is about 150 bucks and will surpass anything for the price.

Don’t get a gaming headset. They just use cheap divers and RGB and day gaming to trick you, as they are way overpriced.

Z Reviews on YT (total audiophile geek) recommends this as well. I invite you to spend more time researching on his channel and other places to understand the mic and amp better. He has a best gaming gaming headsets video from a year ago. This setup is at the very front and one of the first things he talks about. Also goes very in depth on the whole subject of sound for gaming at the beginning. Here are the links:

9500s-https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW

Vmoda BoomPro Mic - https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK

Syba Soni DAC/amp - https://www.amazon.com/Syba-Digital-Headphone-Amplifier-Coaxial/dp/B009WN7QT4

Remember you need a different mini usb cable. I’d throw the one it came with away because it’s garbage and possibly a fire hazard.

Please watch Z Reviews Gaming Headphone guise from a year ago. The first 25 minutes are all you really need to hear. They explain audio in-depth and talk about the headphones and this combo. Good luck!

Feel free to reach out to me as I can help with the setup or usage, but r/ZReviews is probably a better option. You’ll get help ASAP from a whole hutch of audiophiles who know their stuff.

Why not spend the $50-$100 its going to take to put a headshell and decent budget cartridge on the Gemini? That's cheaper than a night out, and you'll get a lot of hours of enjoyment out if it (setting the turntable up, tinkering/learning, and playing records). Even if you upgrade later, it's better than letting the Gemini collect dust or throwing it in the dumpster and raising the amount of perfectly serviceable and fun e-waste rotting in our landfills.

Edit: You will need to fix the speed adjustment slider and buttons on at least one of those though. That's very important for a record player.

Audiophiles are very picky and tend to invest a lot in their equipment (especially if they're buying brand new high end manual turntables, which is what this subreddit has a fetish for). Yeah the Gemini and the Sony look like shit if you sit them next to a brand new Rega, but why should you care?

Your Sony is cheap to buy, very simple and cheaply made, therefore to an audiophile it must be bad. It is also nearly impossible to tinker with (which is probably what is causing your dissatisfaction). That being said, it plays records and plays them pretty well. Your new turntable(s) won't give you much improvement in audio quality, but it will give you a ton of room to have fun with the hobby.

The Gemini is what is referred to as a Technics SL-1200 clone or Super OEM, and your assessment of it is mostly correct. It looks almost like an SL-1200, and it functions almost like one, but it has NONE of the refinement. Nice price though. It's actually pretty comparable to an Audio Technica AT LP-120, which costs a lot more than $15. Like I said, the Gemini probably won't give you much in terms of an audio improvement over the Sony. It will require a phono preamp if you don't have one yet (the Sony has a built-in preamp, the Gemini does not).

Changing headshells is a huge part of the fun of vinyl, and definitely something you want to get into if you're wanting to get technical with the hobby. The AT95e is one of the best budget cartridges and the Ortofon OM10 is the other. Since you specifically said you want to tinker, I would not buy the preassembled cartridge. I would buy a seperate headshell and an alignment protractor and do the installation myself. It's slightly cheaper than spending the $60 for the ready to install kit, and you'll learn more that way. If you're intimidated, there are A LOT of youtube guides on how to do this.

The Ortofon 2M Red and Shure M97xe are slightly classier budget cartridges, but they won't offer a big performance boost over the good budget option (the Ortofon Red sure is pretty looking though...). You'll need to spend >$200 on a cartridge before you start to see a significant upgrade over the budget options.

edit:
Quick links -

Budget headshell - https://www.amazon.com/ADJ-Products-TT-HEADSHELL-Turntable-Cartridge/dp/B0002E51V2

Alignment protractor - https://www.amazon.com/Turntable-Phonograph-Cartridge-Alignment-Protractor/dp/B079ZBLJ4M

AT95e - https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-At95e-Phonograph-Cartridge/dp/B004NRVUMI/

Ortofon OM10 - https://www.amazon.com/Ortofon-Super-OM10-Phono-Cartridge/dp/B000CCEQM4/

Ortofon 2M Red - https://www.amazon.com/Ortofon-2M-Red-Phono-Cartridge/dp/B000WMCEKK/

Shure M97xe - https://www.amazon.com/Shure-M97xE-Performance-Magnetic-Cartridge/dp/B007ZC2EYQ

AT LP-120 - https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120-USB-Direct-Drive-Professional-Turntable/dp/B002S1CJ2Q/

for $250 this would probably work great for you. its a little over your $200 budget but TEAC makes great amps & dacs (i have the big brother ud 501 DAC/Headphone amp and absolutely love it), and this deal is great as it would be both an amp and would also work as a DAC that should sound much better than from the motherboard.
https://smile.amazon.com/Teac-HR-S101-BB-High-Resolution-Micro-System/dp/B00UVTO5V0/ref=sr_1_11

there is even a subout on that so you could add a sub easily if you wanted. Plus it has a headphone amp that is wayyyy better than whats on the motherboard, so you would get improved sound from both speakers and headphones.


another option could be a little amp like this one for $74
https://smile.amazon.com/SMSL-SA-60-black-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B00PA3ECGK/ref=sr_1_4

and some speakers like these on sale for $90 (sales over in a few hours though). i have the tower version of these and they are amazingly good for the price. these speakers are way better than the ones that come with the TEAC above, but the smsl amp is nothing compared to the TEAC. the smsl will sound just fine, but its not in the same field as the teac.
https://smile.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG/ref=sr_1_1


or if you are trying to keep it more simple, these would probably work just fine too. i had the z623's (just older version of these) for a long time and they actually sound pretty damn good for their size and price. plus you get the little sub, while it isnt going to impress all that much it helps add a little bass to the smaller speakers. should get plenty loud if needed though, and sound pretty good doing so.
https://smile.amazon.com/Logitech-Powerful-Speaker-Consoles-Computers/dp/B01JPOLLKE/ref=sr_1_2



tons of options really, if it were me i would go with the TEAC as the base amp is also a great DAC and headphone amp so it will do far more and do it better too. i love spending money on stereo stuff though so i may be a bit biased.

These have been getting some good user reviews lately and a nice price too, and a pretty small cabinet for a 6.5 inch woofer, 79.99 / pair: 2 Pack 6.5" Bookshelf Home Theater Speakers 100W RMS TP160S-CH DCM by MTX Audio

As for amp's I have two of these (on two different computer systems), Dayton Audio APA 150. This is a serious Class A/B design topology, but no frills, just a well built, serious, "old school" heavy amp. No remote, no DAC, no Bluetooth, but WOW, a really nice, serious, amp! Lots of good user reviews and recommendations all over the net.

A often recommended smaller digital amp S.M.S.L AD18. This one DOES have it all, remote, DAC, bluetooth, relatively small, great reviews all over the net.

If you are really on a budget, try something similar to Lepai LP-2020TI Digital Hi-Fi Audio Mini Class D Stereo Amplifier. Do some searches for tweaking this amp, a very simple way to improve this amp, is to buy a more powerful power brick. There are many versions of this type of amp, amazon, ebay, parts-express, look around.

The other two, often recommended, "great value" speakers that work well with a computer (but you will need an amp), are the Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System (Pair). I have seen these on sale for well under 100/pair, from memory, in the 60's and 70's.

Another great value is the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Andrew Jones Designed Bookshelf Loudspeakers(7-1/8” x 12-9/16” x 8-7/16” & weighs 9 lbs 2 oz). Again, search around, these do go on sale for well under 100.00.

I have both the Pioneer and the Sony, and I currently am using the Sony SSCS5 with the Dayton Audio Amp. Was temped to buy the DCM, but I have to stop buying "great value" speakers. If I ever want to upgrade my computer speakers, I should save up and buy the Ascend Audio Luna Reference Ribbon Mini-Monitor.

Good luck, have fun, and Enjoy!

So this is the current state of my listening setup, it's definitely not the usual around here so I figured I'd take a minute to do a little gear overview and review.

• Receiver: Yamaha R-S500bl. I got this receiver well before I was planning on buying a TT. It's an absolutely solid receiver that can put out up to 75w/ch and can be had for good deals if you watch. These are retailing for $349, I only paid $267 for mine (warehouse deals) and then ended up getting $50 refunded as the remote was damaged when I got it. The sound quality is fantastic and clean, but possibly a little harsh compared to some of the older receivers you could get in that price range.
  
  
• Speakers: JBL ES20. These ran a whole $113 for the pair (again, warehouse deals) and have been fantastic. I bought these with the intention of upgrading when I have a house, but in all honesty I don't think I'll need to. The sound is tight and clean, exactly as I expected it to be. They aren't horribly efficient, but I can drive them pretty hard with 75 watts. Aesthetically they are great for my style, very modern and clean.
  
  
• Subwoofer: Polk PSW10. This sub is just what I needed to fill in the lows that the bookshelf speakers couldn't quite hit. I needed something highly adjustable as my receiver has no adjustments for sub output. I picked this up for $100 on sale, and it was worth every penny. I've been blown away by how well this reacts to different music, it can be loose and boomy for rap, but tight and clean for rock or electronic. Worth the cost to fill out the system.
  
  
• Turntable: Technics SL-D2 that I found used for $50. It is in perfect condition, even the dust cover is beautiful. I have no issues with it at all and only added another cartridge later because I felt like it.
  
  
• Cartridge 1: AT Pro14s. This was included with the TT and come to find out it is brilliant. It runs a nude shibata stylus and is very clean sounding. It can be a bit soft, but the clarity makes up for it IMHO.
  
  
• Cartridge 2: Shure M97xe. I picked this up on recommendation from everyone here. I tripped over one for $50 and couldn't pass it up. The clarity doesn't quite match that of the AT cartridge, but it makes up for it with being loud and heavy. Great for harder rock.
  
  
• Stand and speaker stands: I made these myself awhile back as I couldn't find anything I preferred for a reasonable price. The surfaces are slats so I get great ventilation on this and my receiver rarely gets very warm.
  
  So overall there you have it, I built this entire setup for $530 or so with a bit of patience and some work on my end. I use it mostly for listening to either vinyl or digital. Right now it's almost 100% vinyl, but it also works great for watching TV or movies.
  
  I definitely suggest a similar setup for anyone looking to get into the hobby for a reasonable price but without needing to upgrade after just a year of use. It's capable of everything I've thrown at it from listening to gaming, and never skips a beat.
  
  I will likely upgrade the speakers and eliminate the sub at some point in the future, but for the time being this is a fantastic setup for the space that I have.
  
  Ask any questions you may have and I'll see what I can do to fill you in.

Hello! First off I want to thank you so much for this contest! That is an awesome thing to do! I hope my comment doesn't get too buried but here we go.


I am listing items that somewhat define me as a person. This might help you learn a little more about me and maybe even help you find something of interest. These items are entertainment, music, coffee and beer.

1. [Amazon Fire TV](Amazon Fire TV https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U3FPN4U/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_sewOwbZ2BH5MS) - Entertainment. TV, games, movies, I am all about entertainment. We have cut the cord in our house so this would really help with entertainment.
   
   
   
2. [A record player](Audio Technica AT-LP60 Fully Automatic Stereo Turntable System, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GYTPAE/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_LiwOwbZXCJCTP) - Music. I am very passionate about music and I recently have gotten the idea to get into vinyl. I like the idea of having the records for music but also to be able to display them as art.
   
   
   
3. [Luwak Coffee](Luwak Star Gourmet Coffee, 100% Arabica Sumatra Gayo Luwak Coffee from Indonesia (or Kopi Luwak) Whole Beans, Medium Roast, 100 Gram (0.22 Lb) Bag, Roasted in the U.S https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005OCU80Q/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_blwOwbHR0DSYH) - Coffee. There's almost nothing I love more than a good cup of coffee. I love trying different coffees from all over the world. This coffee that I have listed is one of the most exotic and expensive coffees in the world. If you are not familiar with this coffee, here is some info. The cherries of this coffee are eaten by a wild cat like animal in Indonesia. Farmers then collect the feces of the animal and pick the coffee beans out. Supposedly the mix of the coffee cherries and stomach acid enhance the flavor of the coffee. I absolutely must try this coffee someday!
   
   
   
4. [Beer Home brew kit](Monster Brew Home Brewing Supp Complete Beer Equipment Kit (K6) with 6 Gallon Glass Carboy, Gold https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01467U8KY/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_YswOwb3CG9E9B) - Beer. I took my love of beer to the next level and started home brewing my own. The problem is that it is a very long process, 6-8+ weeks. So I wait 2 months for the beer to finish and then after I give some to friends and family and drink a few (okay a lot) myself it doesn't last very long. With this kit I would be able to double the amount I make at a time so it would last longer.
   
   
   This last one is actually something for my wife. [Jawbone activity tracker](o UP2 by Jawbone Activity + Sleep Tracker, Gunmetal Hex (Dark Gray), Lightweight Thin Straps https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01649SM6O/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_XwwOwb78E30GT) - like many people my wife has made a resolution to shed some pounds and get back in shape. This would be very useful for her to help accomplish her goals.
   
   
   Thanks again for doing this!

I started back in with vinyl earlier this year - it can be a little expensive, but if you have some spare cash and need a hobby, it's definitely something to get into. I love the larger album art, but what I really respect is the technology - with everything being digital nowadays, it's pretty fucking cool that something as analog as a needle (scratching a groove and making music) is still around and relevant.

When I was younger, I had an old record player from a garage sale and used records (pop/rock like Led Zeppelin, Boston, AC/DC, etc...) were anywhere from $.25 to maybe $5 tops. With the resurgence of vinyl recently, used records are still fairly cheap (maybe $5-10, higher depending on rarity), but new records can set you back $18-40 (depending on number of pressings, colors, etc...).

I've since bought an Audio Technica LP-120, cleaned up and pruned (ditched anything too far gone) my old collection, and started my new vinyl metal collection - I love it. To be honest, I wish I stayed with it when I was younger, as I probably could have built quite a collection (especially with metal) in the time I was away from it.

Records make you appreciate full albums instead of playlists or single songs. It might get a little annoying to have to flip/change a triple LP (metal bands especially have longer songs that don't fit on a single LP anymore), but that's what makes you appreciate the whole album.

It's the perfect time to get into it - Led Zeppelin is re-releasing all their albums on remastered vinyl (and they sound incredible), modern bands do vinyl releases (usually with download cards to get digital copies), and I'm sure it will be continue to be relevant for a long time to come.

Some tips:

1. Check out record labels (Earache, Inside Out, Century Media, etc...), as they regularly do "free shipping" promotions, and you can get much better prices buying directly from the label instead of some douche bag reselling records through ebay at higher prices. Also, check out local record shops - http://www.recordshops.org/ can be helpful.
   
   
2. Don't bother with colored vinyl if you have the choice - it looks cool and all, but sometimes you wind up paying more for it, and it doesn't sound as good as black vinyl (or so they say). Picture discs are cool for display, but tend to have horrible sound quality.
   
   
3. Don't cheap out on a record player, especially with the tonearm - you want to be able to adjust how much weight you're putting on the record, so as to not ruin them.
   
   
4. Buy sleeves for your records - they stop the covers from warping, and (obviously) protect them from dirt and whatnot. Inner sleeves are also a good idea, as some records ship with paper inner sleeves that can actually scratch them.
   
   
5. Make an account on discogs.com, and use it to organize your collection/wantlist - it's probably one of the best places to get used vinyl online.

I'd stay away from something like this. A lot of these console players don't have the best components, and if you're spending good money on records, you want to play them on something good. Some of the console style players come with great turntables and receivers, but a lot come with cheap stuff. For instance, the turntable could not have an adjustable counter weight on the tone arm, or not have pitch control so you can accurately set the speed. It could have something other than a standard mount cartridge too. Plus, things that are this old are prone to breaking, so if something goes out, it might be hard to fix or flat out impossible.

That being said, vintage isn't a bad route to go, just go with a dedicated turn table and receiver from a reputable company. r/vinyl has a lot of great guides for buying your first set up and what to look for as far as vintage gear. Just make sure you've got an adjustable counter weight and pitch control as I think those are the biggest factors in having a good turntable. With receivers you have a little more leeway, but you basically just need something with a phono input. Just test whatever you buy before you buy it. Remember, a lot of these things are 20/30/40 years old at this point and not everything is going to work properly. A vintage tube receiver from the 70's will sound incredible if you get one that it's great shape, but something solid state from the 80's or 90's will be just fine and much more affordable. Speakers you can probably find pretty cheap. Again, I'd recommend trying them before you buy them to make sure they're not blown, but typically if they're made my a reputable speaker brand, you're usually fine.

If you go new, I'd recommend getting one of these Audio Technica's. It's got all the features you'd need and it's got a built in phono preamp so you don't even need a receiver right away (you can buy a nice one down the line and improve your sound a ton). $250 for the turntable and drop another $100-200 on speakers and you'll have a badass setup, and the peace of mind that your gear isn't decades old and prone to breaking.

​

Edit: Again, I just want to drive home the main point I want to make. If you spend $20-30 on a single record of something you really love, don't cheap out when it comes to what you'll be listening to that expensive record on. I have a few friends who spend good money on new records, but play them on cheap $100 record players with horrible speakers and I think they're kind of missing the point. You don't have to drop thousands on a crazy audiophile setup, but why spend money on physical music if it's not going to sound good? Your smartphone through a $50 bluetooth speaker shouldn't sound better than what you're playing your $30 records on. I hope that makes sense.

I agree that we need more info, but I'll suggest a pair of the Dayton Audio SUB-1500, added to some full range speakers and a used HT receiver. A good alternative would be to DIY the sub or subs - the VBSS (Value Buster Subwoofer System) is probably a good choice.

But others are correct, if not done carefully, the bass may be irritating to others, and if the venue is too large, these may even be insufficient.

Edit - I managed to skip a good chunk of your questions:

For a home sound system that will work for your party, you'll need:

• A 2 channel amplifier, or better yet a Home Theater receiver. Decent used receivers can be had for under $100. The advantage with a HT receiver is that it will have bass management, that is the ability to split the sound signal into upper frequencies for the main speakers, and bass frequencies for the subwoofers, which typically come with their own amplification. If you use a 2-channel amp, it can work ok, as nearly all subwoofer amps have filtering in place available to limit the signal range to only bass frequencies (for example below 80 Hz). But the other speakers will play these bass frequencies too, so there will be some overlap, and the main speakers could be more efficient if they were relieved of their bass duties as with an HT receiver.
  
• 2 or more speakers. Two are usually sufficient for music. Do you want small, medium, or large bookshelf speakers, or tower speakers. Size is not always related to how loud they play, but small speakers may have difficulty filling a venue, even when subwoofers are used.
  
• If you build your own subwoofer you'll also need an amplifier specifically for the subwoofer, either a plate amp to be part of the subwoofer, or another type.
  
• With a subwoofer, you'll need a hearing person to help tune the system a bit. There is a gain knob on the back of most subs that helps to balance the output with the rest of the music. You may wish it to be higher than normal, which is fine, but not by too much. In particular, you may wish it increased a bit more for your party, but back at the house, have it turned down some. Bass travels through floors, windows and walls too, to an extent. You probably don't want to bother neighbors.
  
  Edit 2: Without any knowledge of your specific room sizes (which would still be good to know!), I'll recommend the following setup:
  
  
• 2 Dayton Audio SUB-1500s, total $380. (Two subs will help provide sufficient output and even out the bass response over the area).
  
• 1 pair of the Dayton Audio B652-Air, $45
  
• 1 used 5.1 Home Theater Receiver, from Denon, Yamaha, or Onkyo for about $100. I'm partial to Denon, but the others can be fine.

Dude, holy shit! First and foremost, thanks so much for typing all that out. You didn't have to, but I'm very happy you did.

I've been reading ad-nausaem about audio and how it relates specifically to gaming. Certain things like sound clarity, minimal bass, and soundstage are very very important. I've found lots of little nuggets of information which have been GOLD and sound advice, much like the ones you wrote out.

But you know whats the crazy about all of this? The dire distinction and SPLIT ideology of the differences between DAC's and soundcards within the audiophile community. One side swears by a DAC/AMP combo like the ODAC, other side maintains that a soundcard is still optimal and more than sufficient.

This has been one of the few instances where the more research I did on a topic, the deeper my hole went and the more confused I got.

I decided to put the Astro Mixamp aside for a moment. If you don't already know, the Mixamp I'm using is the 5.8 Wireless version, I was somewhat skeptical about how the audio would sound traveling both wirelessly and through optical out. So I hooked up my headphones directly to my onboard and holy shit, it sounded BETTER than my Mixamp. I wouldn't say night and day but DEFINITELY noticeable.

At this point, after watching numerous videos displaying sound stage and clarity like THIS and THIS, and seeing how great the clarity with onboard is as opposed to Mixamp, I decided to drop coin on the Sound Blaster Z. I got it for $55 because of Black Friday. I was definitely NOT disappointed. SBX makes a huge difference and as gimmicky as it may sound, Creative's "SCOUT MODE" turned out to be awesome and actually expands the sound stage and lowers bass. Incredible.

The sound card has an OPT IN/OUT so if anything, I can simply hook my Xbox or Playstation up to it via OPT IN and use the Creative soundcard properties for surround sound gaming and completely bypass the Astro Mixamp all-together. Didn't even think of it before.

I've got the Sennheiser HD598 and will be getting the AKG K7XX (that recently showed up on Massdrop) so I ended up getting a headphone DAC/Amp, THIS one specifically as it was mentioned by /u/ZeosPantara of being great. I feel a bit stupid because as you probably guessed it: I don't need a DAC, I would just like the headphone AMP'd as I will be using my soundcard as the DAC itself. I'm going to be going OPT OUT from SOUNDCARD to DAC. My question once again is: Do you think it'll retain all the surround sound qualities that it did when I was plugging my headphones directly into my sound card, things like SBX and Scout Mode if I went through SPDIF TOSLink instead of 3.5mm AUX?

If not, then I will simply either return it (or sell it) and start building an Objective 2 Amp :)))).

Seriously dude, its crazy to think where I am NOW in relation to audio fidelity and where I was a year ago. Back then, I thought the Astro Mixamp was the be all/end all of sound clarity. This is very exciting stuff!

Also, have some Gold. ;) Thanks buddy!

Thanks man, I really appreciate you giving it a listen.

I do all my recording on a PC I built a few years back. I purposely went overboard on RAM when I did, because prior to that I'd had nothing but trouble with laggy, crashing audio software during marathon sessions. Beyond that, mine is a "budget" setup to the max, but it works for what I do.

The DAW I use is Reaper - I've experimented with several over the years but this is the most responsive one I've found yet, and even the "vanilla" plug-ins are awesome. I think it cost me $60, but in reality it's a Winrar type deal where you could use the free "trial" forever. In the end I really wanted to support the dev though, because it's a great tool for the price tag.

When I'm just looking to bang out a quick recording before an idea escapes me (most of the time), I literally just use a $50 Blue Snowball wired directly into the PC via USB. I never intend for those to be the final versions of my songs, but sometimes I just kind of fall in love with random happy accidents and can't bring myself to toss out tracks with "real" moments in them. Hence the poor quality on a lot of my stuff.

When I want to record something "for real," I use this six-channel USB mixer, this standalone compressor/gate (I'm a bit old school about that), and some combination of a Shure SM58, an MXL 990 and an MXL991 depending on the situation. I was gifted a pair of Sennheiser HD280 cans many years ago, and they have been my faithful monitoring headphones ever since. When I want to play back what I've recorded so far at unreasonable volumes, which I consider a mandatory part of the process, I use the time-honored pair of Dayton B652 bookshelf speakers with a Lepai LP-2020A digital amplifier.

The only thing I somewhat regret is the mixer. It's fine for what it is, but I wish I'd spent a little more money on something that had more channels and enough juice to support the unpowered speakers I use for live performances. Other than that, my setup won't hold a candle to a $5000 or $10,000 rig, but it gets the job done and it's something I'm proud to have built one piece at a time. I paid for all of it using money I've made on gigs at local bars and coffee shops over the years, so it has some sentimental value as well. One day when I have the money for a serious upgrade, I hope I get the chance to pass this stuff down to a random kid who's just getting started and make his fucking year. :)

I was in your position not too long ago. I really wanted to get into the hobby but didn't have enough money to buy anything decent. The first thing I did was look for a job. This is easier said than done but once I found one I was surprised as to how quickly I could make money. One of the first things I bought was a nice pair of headphones. I bought the Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT, but the cheaper version without bluetooth looks just as good. I also started to collect records. It did feel pointless at times with no way of listening to them but I still appreciated the artwork. After that I decided to buy some nice bookshelf speakers, the Edifier R1280T's. Although the price was cheap, I absolutely love these speakers. Even though I didn't have a turntable yet, it made listening to Spotify more enjoyable. Additionally, I knew that I would have a nice pair of speakers for whenever I could afford a turntable. These speakers have two inputs so I can have both my PC and turntable plugged in at the same time which is really nice. Once I had enough for a turntable I had a little trouble picking out the right one. I almost settled for a lp60 but I'm glad I didn't. For me, it was between a U-turn Orbit, AT lp120, and Fluance RT81. All of these are great turntables but I ended up choosing the Fluance model. The wood look, large number of features, and good reviews made this the best turntable under $300 for me. That's my story! Please don't buy anything cheaply made. It won't sound any better than Spotify will for you and will be a little disappointing. Also, don't give up on trying to sell the PS4. I gave up video games around 6 months ago and I've had so much more free time to work and enjoy other things! Good luck!

As a rule of thumb, you should dump your money into the end points of the audio chain - in other words, have quality speakers and quality source material. The stuff in the middle of the chain - amplifier, CD player, cables, etc. - doesn't have as much of an effect on the audio quality, but you certainly don't want to cheap out.

Source material isn't as much of a concern as it was in years past, since so much of our music is delivered digitally - provided you stay away from low-bitrate MP3s and such. We don't have to deal with scratched records and worn-out cassette tapes anymore. I kind of feel like people sometimes mis-apply this guideline and sink crazy money into DACs, when they would of been better served with a speaker upgrade. You speakers, provided you're starting with high-fidelity music to begin with, have the most profound effect on audio quality.

I'd recommend a set of Pioneer BSR-22s for speakers and a decent Sony receiver.

I have the Pioneer speakers and love them. I bought them as a temporary solution while I was renting for a while, but enjoyed them so much that I never replaced them. They're wonderful, accurate yet kind of warm-sounding speakers. If you have the opportunity, listen to a variety of speaker and choose the ones that sound best to you. Sadly, this can be a bit of a chore since online shopping has shut down many hi fi shops. People really like those Micca and Dayton speakers, too, but I only have experience with these Pioneers.

I have the 7.1 version of that Sony in my home theater. Personally, I prefer Yamaha receivers that have a Burr-Brown DAC in them, but I needed a 4K switching receiver on a budget and ended up with the Sony. The one I linked to is a 5.1 receiver, so if you ever wanted to upgrade to surround sound, the possibility is there. Also it will do 4K video switching. A good stereo setup is fine for movies, however. If you know that stereo is all you'll ever need, you could find a good stereo receiver for a few bucks less.

Grab whatever budget Blu-ray player that suits your aesthetic.

Most importantly, have fun and don't stress out about your choices. Part of the fun of this hobby is enjoying the music while knob-dicking around with the equipment. You'll enjoy whatever you end up with.

Please don't do a Bose system unless you just absolutely love it. I don't find their sound quality/performance to match their price.

In the above reply you mentioned a 5.1 or 7.1 setup. Unless you have the proper room to setup a 7.1 you're better off going with a 5.1 for both easy of setup and cost effectiveness.

Here are some options I would consider.

AVR - (pick one) The heart of the system. I'm going Yamaha because they are very easy to setup and have a really good app to control them.

• Yamaha RX-V581 $500 or Refurb $350 Great 7.2 AVR with a lot of features. Gives you the option for a zone 2, 7.1 or atmos speakers.
  
  
• Yamaha RX-V481$400 5.1 AVR that includes networking features. Less channels but also less price. If you feel like you won't be expanding in the near future this could be a winner.
  
  Speakers - (Pick one) These are some packages I would look at. I went with packages to make it easier but honestly there are so many combinations we could sit here all day.
  
  
• KEF - E305 $600 on sale This is a great 5.1 speaker package to get you started. Amazing sound and a very small footprint.
  
  
• DefTech - ProCinema 800 $900 another 5.1 speaker package that has small satellite speakers that are very easy to place around the room.
  
  
• Boston Acoustics - CS2300 5.0 set $200 + SVS PB1000 $500 Another good option for smaller speakers and you're getting a very capable subwoofer too boot. Be careful of sub placement as these speakers cross higher than most.
  
  
• Pioneer - SP-PK52FS $480 + BIC F12 Sub $220 This set gets you towers speakers for the front so you don't have to worry about stands for them. You could get the bookshelf set but I would still upgrade to the F12 as the Pioneer sub is probably too small for your room.
  
  
• Q Acoustics - 3000 Series 5.1 $800 Kind of new to the US but they get great reviews from the UK. Different looking speakers.
  
  Keep in mind that you'll probably need speaker wire, HDMI cables, and possibly an optical cable depending on your sources.

I have suggested similar setups to a few friends working at deli's and pizzaria's, but no takers yet.

Grab a decent home theater receiver. Something with a good AM/FM tuner and capable of multiple channels running in 7 channel mono or split stereo (IE 5 and 7 channel stereo). THIS DENON should work perfectly. It has three preset keys on the face so you can setup three specific modes it remembers with Master Volume, channel volume, source and sound mode all remembered. In a restaurant situation it helps if things can stay simple. Having just three buttons on the face of the unit to set everything back to a predefined scene helps greatly in this. One can do the radio in mono very quiet. The other an ipod with party music in stereo a bit louder and the last you could have do anything, broadcast TV audio if you want.

Since this is a 7.1 receiver you can use up to seven speakers. You mentioned four but for better balance let's say you use SIX for now, all playing stereo (or mono depending on what sounds best when testing). You would wire the speakers to Front left/right, Surround left/right and Surround Back left/right. Placing the receiver into 7 channel stereo will have three of them play left and three right. And with the ability to adjust speaker gains you will be able to quiet or raise each speaker's individual volume to better level the sound throughout the restaurant.

As for speakers I would simply recommend my favorite budget speaker. The Dayton B652. An amazing speaker for the price and since you will be buying three pairs (six speakers total) it helps that the price is low.

My biggest concern however when I hear the word SPEAKER and RESTAURANT is "Whoops! That speaker fell on that child's head and now we are sued" To avoid this I must recommend the only speaker mounts I consider overkill. These HTD HD-brackets are rated for MUCH bigger speakers but help keep many minds at ease.

So just some Jacketed speaker wire (if you need to run it) and you are set.

Sorry it took a while before I could provide this list, it took a bit longer for me since I am not very much into the bass style of headphones & music.

Ow interesting, do know which Sennheiser's exactly?
Just so I have a reference.

But we have a very high budget left over for some amazing headphones or even some great headsets (altho, there aren't a lot).
The difference between headphones & headset is that the latter got a microphone. That's all! In general this means that a headset is more focused towards "gamers". So they're often marketed and produced to give gamers "everything they need!".

• Gaming vs "real" headphones
  
  ---
  
  So.. bass heavy headphones are often closed headphones, which means that you lose some of the sound stage, it means that the music will sound like it comes from inside your head, instead of from around you.
  I absolutely love open-back headphones for this reason. They sound a lot more natural and especially for my music styles this is ideal. Those are classical, rock & metal. The instrumentals sound fairly close to what they sound like in real life and the vocals are very natural and crisp.
  
  
• Open vs closed-backed headphones
  ^(sorry.. I can't help it why he freaking used that.. guy in the video to show us what a concert is. He makes up for it a little bit later on.)
  
  
  Anyway, I've had a lot of looks at some contestants for great headphones for your use.
  
  ---
  
  

  Headphones
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker part list
  

  
  

  Product Name|Open/Closed|Ohms|Review|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----|:----|:----
  Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Headset | Closed | 60 | Click & Click | $70.29 @ Newegg
  Kingston HyperX Cloud Headset | Closed | 60 | Same but in white |$74.99 @ Newegg
  Audio-Technica ATH-AD900x Headphones | Open | 38 | Click | $149.00 @ Amazon
  Philips X1/28 Headset | Open | 30 | Click | $194.00 @ Amazon
  Beyerdynamic DT 880 Premium 250 Ohm Headphones | Semi-open | 250 | Click |$239.00 @ Amazon
  Beyerdynamic DT 990 Headphones | Open | 250 | Click & Click |$258.99 @ Amazon
  HiFiMAN HE400S Headphones | Open | 22 | Click |$299.00 @ Amazon
  Sennheiser HD600 Headphones | Open | 300 | Click | $329.95 @ Amazon
  Prices include shipping, taxes and discounts |
  Total | ||| $1351.22
  Generated by Kiwiandapple |
  
  So I list the impedance (Ohms) for a good reason. The 3 that are above the 80Ohms would benefit a lot from dedicated amplifier. The motherboard I selected got some pretty good on-board audio and a solid AMP, but a dedicated one will be a much better experience.
  Now DACs (Digital to Analog Converter) & AMPs (AMPlifiers) can get expensive really quickly.
  
  But there are also a couple of great value options out there.
  
  ---
  
  ##DAC & AMPs
  
  Type|Product Name|Review|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----|:----
  DAC & AMP combo | Schiit Fulla | Click | $79
  DAC & AMP Combo | FiiO E10K | Click | $75
  DAC & AMP Combo | SMSL SD793-II + Toslink Cable | Can't find an in-depth review. | $65 +$6
  
  ---
  
  Now my suggestion would probably go towards the Philips X1's. How-ever the DT880's aren't bad either, but they require an AMP.
  The HE400S would be a slightly cheaper option if you exclude the AMP.
  The AD900x would be my next option and then it's followed by the DT990's & HD600's.
  
  I only included the Kingston headsets in case you don't want to spend as much money.
  
  As for the AMP/DAC options, I really like the Fulla Schiit (yes that's really their name). But if you read the product page & FAQ, you'll see that they're no bullschiit at all.
  The company was founded by 2 audio veterans who wanted to create affordable, high quality audio devices. Well they did just that.

I think your best bet is to use Chromecast Audios (CCA), as some others have recommended.

We bought our first CCA right when they came out, and we hooked it up to a pair of speakers in the kitchen. We quickly bought two more, eventually adding two Google Homes (which can also participate in speaker groups with CCAs), bringing us to five speakers spread throughout our apartment. So we've been using our Chromecast Audios for well over two years, now, and I can't make any significant complaints.

The synced multiroom audio works great, and the Google Home app lets you adjust the volume collectively (if there's a quieter song or album) as well as on each individual speaker. You can create multiple groups of speakers, and each speaker can be in as many groups as you like, so you could have, for example, All Speakers, Upstairs Speakers, and Downstairs Speakers if you wanted. You can cast separate audio to separate speakers, and even cast separate audio to separate speaker groups if you want. We regularly use our setup to put on music in the living room and kitchen when we have company, as well as to play podcasts in the whole apartment when we're doing chores in separate rooms or while moving room to room.

A big thing that I like about the CCA versus smart speakers is that it's easy to upgrade my sound quality without having to re-buy a whole speaker. When we got them, we were able to use them with whatever speakers we already had, basically getting a bunch of smart speakers for $35 a pop (or less if there's a sale on). Then, when one of the inputs on my (ancient, but still good-sounding) Altec Lansing computer speakers started to go bad, I got a nice new set of speakers for my computer and moved the old Altec Lansings to the bedroom, replacing a cheaper, lower-quality speaker set that also had only one input.

As far as quality goes, I'm wouldn't call myself an "audiophile", but I enjoy listening to music and I want good sound quality. I've been consistently pleased with the Chromecast Audio. Hooked up to a good quality set of speakers like my Edifier R1280T* that I have on my computer, the CCA sounds great. If you have (or acquire in the future) an analog HiFi stereo system, the CCA also offers the option of outputting full dynamic range audio. It also has optical output built into the stereo minijack, so you can hook it up to a newer A/V receiver that takes digital optical input, like equipment you might have as part of a surround sound system.

If you want to start with a sound bar, there are a number of manufacturers who actually ship speakers and soundbars that have Chromecast Audio functionality built-in. They will operate just like a regular speaker with a CCA attached to it. You can cast to them individually, add them to speaker groups or control them with a Google Home. Of course, you could also buy a soundbar without that feature and just hook a CCA into one of its inputs (most have multiple inputs, as far as I know).

Sorry if that got kind of long, but I wanted to answer all your separate questions and be fairly thorough.

----------------------------------

* These aren't super cheap speakers, but I'd give them a very good recommendation for a speaker with excellent sound quality at a non budget-breaking price. I also think they look good in a variety of different rooms and decor styles. There's another model, basically identical, but with more input options that I'm planning to buy to replace our aging Philips stereo system for our living room TV.

That is a very thoughtful idea for your son! I've been collecting vinyl since I was that age and thank my dad for my interest at a young age.

Unfortunately a lot of inexpensive turntables are poorly made and not only do damage to records but sound quite poorly. If you are unsure of his interest in vinyl and think it might not be worth it in the long run to pay for a more expensive one, then it will most likely be fine. Upgrading is fun and will teach him more about the hobby.

If you think that his interest in vinyl will grow it might be worth it to spend a bit more money for a better sounding record player. If you are trying to buy new, maybe take a look at this one: http://www.amazon.com/Technica-AT-LP60-Automatic-Driven-Turntable/dp/B002GYTPAE. This is a pretty good sounding record player for under $100, although since there is no counter weight, you do not know how much force is being applied to the record. Having the option to adjust the tracking force will produce the best sound from your records and keep them in the best condition possible.

My advice would be to consider his interest level in vinyl before you make any big (over $100) purchases, but IMO buying an older used record player would be a better bet. You could scour some local thrift shops/ Goodwills for a couple months and one is likely to turn up there. You could also check eBay/Craigslist/etc.

As for the speakers, if you go with the Jensen, it has 2 speakers built in but also has the option for external speakers without needing an additional preamp. So those should work fine with it. The AT LP-60 has the option of using either an external preamp to play your speakers or using the built-in phono preamp on the turntable.

If you end up getting a used turntable you will likely need to buy an external preamp. Check out the sidebar for more info, hope this helps!

It's not 50% faster, it just has 8 GB VRAM versus 6 GB VRAM. Games today don't even use that much so you're really talking about future gaming. Yes, if you keep raising your budget, you will get a faster computer and GPU. If you want to spend the extra money, then go for it. It's really not that big of a jump from 6 GB VRAM to 8 and definitely not worth the extra $400 in my opinion, but that's up to you. Remember, the mobile versions of GPUs are slower than the regular ones in desktops. You're looking at a 1060M 6 GB and 1070M 8 GB. I would save the money for a larger SSD, more RAM, good speakers or a good headset instead, and get the Asus GL502VM-DB74.

If you game and want good sound and use a headset/headphones check out the Sennheiser PC 363D headset (Amazon link) or the other Sennheiser gaming headsets. If you use speakers, check out the Micca MB42X (Amazon link). Make sure you use a DAC like the Schiit Modi 2 or DAC/amp like the Schiit Fulla 2 to get the best sound possible. (Fulla 2 is very new and not yet on Amazon, but you can still get the original Fulla from Amazon and other retailers. It's better to just buy the Fulla 2 from the Schiit website.) Some other good options are: Micca OriGen+, FiiO E10K, AudioQuest DragonFly / AudioQuest Dragonfly v1.2, Audioengine D3, SMSL M2, etc. Check out /r/BudgetAudiophile /r/Audiophile /r/Audio and /r/Headphones if you want more info. The great people there taught me a lot about quality audio. You can also check out /r/AVexchange for good audio deals.

I'm not saying your Edifiers aren't fine, but that it's not what they were designed for so you'll need to be a bit unorthodox when adding a subwoofer. I'll give you 4 options:

1. Keep the Edifiers and pick up a Pioneer SW-8MK2. This will cost the same as the Yamaha sub you were looking at. Connect your current RCA cable to a volume knob like this one. Split your signal coming out of there with RCA to Dual RCA cables and You're good to go.
   
   
2. Spend your money on a great pair of speakers and forget a sub for now. This will offer the best sound by far and you can always add a sub down the line. Maybe you find a subwoofer for sale locally. A pair of JBL LSR305 speakers would fit the bill here. You can add a cheap mixer if you wanted more sources and convenient volume control.
   
   
3. Purchase a pair of powered speakers with a sub output like the Kanto YU4. These are super convenient since you just connect a sub through an RCA cable and you're good to go. You can still fit in a cheap sub within your budget like the cheapo monoprice or the Acoustic Audio RWSUB-10. If you wanted to spend the extra bit for the pioneer subwoofer, that's great too.
   
   
4. Purchase a passive system with a separate amplifier. Assuming you don't have infinite space on a desk or something then pick up an SMSL Q5. Pick up passive speakers like the Pioneer BS22 or Micca MB42X. Choose any of the aforementioned subs that fit in your budget. Pick up cheap speaker wire to connect your speakers to your amp, and use an RCA cable to have your amp send signal to your sub.

The only good monitor/sub setup I'm aware of for that price is probably a Swan system. I haven't heard the one I'm linking to, but I do have a set of M200s that I really like and Swans get good reviews online.

Usually good active monitors are going to cost you most, all of or more than your budget. So getting good monitors and a sub is a trick. Personally, I'd give the Swans a try or consider dropping the sub requirement and getting good monitors and living with them until you can save up for a sub, if you still want one by then. I can live without one using the M200s, and I'm pretty sure I could with the Audioengine A5s, too, given my experience with the A2s.

You could always try something like the Audioengine A2s (they're excellent, but not big in the bass dept.) matched with one of the cheap subs out there. Say, this Polk, or one of the Daytona subs. Personally, I've found matching a sub to monitors is too much of a dark art for me to mess with it across brands like that, but it might be perfectly fine if a competent person dials it in.

I definitely recommend getting a different subwoofer; every system I recommend using these Pioneer speakers has left out the subwoofer in favor for another one.

With your budget I would do this.

• Your $400 receiver that you're set on
  
• Wait for a sale on the Pioneer BS22's which frequently go on sale on Amazon for under $100 a pair. Get 2 of these (a pair for the fronts and another pair for surrounds). Since you'll be getting a nice subwoofer, you won't need the bass extension of the floorstanders; the sub will take care of this. So $200 total for fronts and surrounds.
  
• The center channel frequently goes on sale for $75 on Amazon (currently it's around $100).
  
  So you have a 5.0 system with your receiver for $675.
  
  A few subwoofer options depending on how much you want to spend on one. Note that all of these are significant upgrades over the Pioneer subwoofer.
  
  
• Dayton Sub 1200 ($130): http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-SUB-1200-12-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B00669L3HS The cheapest subwoofer I would actually recommend for a home theater setup. A nice review here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/speaker-subwoofer-reviews/71766-dayton-audio-sub-1200-subwoofer-review.html
  
  
• BIC F12 ($185) a step up from the Daytons in terms of output: http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M
  
  
• NXG NX-BAS-500 (on sale for $234) http://www.radioshack.com/nxg-nx-bas-500-12-500-watt-powered-subwoofer/55058551.html I use this subwoofer for my office. Good output and surprisingly musical for the price. IMO, this is the best subwoofer under $300. A review here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/speaker-subwoofer-reviews/67178-nxg-nx-bas-500-subwoofer-review.html
  
  
• Then there's a large gap where I don't feel there's a ton of improvement in the price range up to $500. One noticeable exception is the Hsu STF-2 for $375 (http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-2.html), but I would actually push my budget more if you start spending this much...the next subwoofers are well worth the price difference.
  
  
• SVS PB1000, $500 http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/ported-box/pb-1000 The REAL subwoofers start in at $500 and this is the lowest priced real one. Good for music, great for home theater. Another option that goes on sale for $500 with free shipping is this one: https://www.outlawaudio.com/products/lfm1plus.html It's a bit of an upgrade over the PB-1000, so at the same price, it's definitely the better value when on sale.
  
  
• This is the subwoofer I use for my personal home theater, the Rythmik LV12R, $600: http://www.rythmikaudio.com/LV12R.html It's tight, articulate, precise, and has ample output for medium sized rooms. Awesome for both music and movies. A review here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/speaker-subwoofer-reviews/67309-rythmik-lv12r-subwoofer-review.html
  
  If your budget is even higher than that, let me know and we can figure out a very nice subwoofer for the price. Judging by your initial budget, however, I feel like this is a good list to start looking at.

So, I'm new here. I do have a few questions that I'd like answered from this community as opposed to the more vinyl-based friends with whom I normally chat.

Right now, I have a slightly sad setup: AT-LP120 outputting through the on-board preamp > RCA into a pair of Bose Companion Series 2 multimedia speakers.

Ideally, for now at least, I'd like my setup to run like this: TT phono out > receiver (with two speaker lines if possible for future expansion) > new decent bookshelf speakers. I'll just leave these Bose ones through my DAC and leave it with my computer setup.

So, I have a few questions:

1. What is your opinion of these Dayton bookshelf speakers? They're pretty heavily recommended as a budget option in a lot of places. I only live in a small apartment, so I don't need a whole lot of sound, but evenly-dispersed frequency range is what I'm going for. I'm not looking to spend more than $50-60 on speakers. Space is also an issue.
   
   
2. I saw this Numark MA-4000 on /r/vinyl and I didn't know such things existed. It looks like it's gonna be a little hard to source, and, while I want it badly, I'm wondering if there are any more recently produced options that have a EQ like this but also have a phono in and act as a receiver. This unit is beautiful, but I don't really know if I want to pay 20 dollars shipping on it. $120 is the highest I'd be willing to go on a receiver. My vinyl collection contains indie rock, jazz, metal, and classic rock, but I may soon start collecting more classical and world music, so an equalizer like this would be great to adjust for each different type of music that I play. Is this worth it? Something better for the money?
   
   
3. However, if that's not an option, I'd just like a unit with a decent phono stage. I'd like something that's not huge, though I wouldn't be adverse to that. Is there something that looks like a DAC but actually has a phono stage on it? If not, is stalking Craigslist the best option for finding a decently priced, quality receiver?
   
   tl;dr Turntable setup: need new speakers and receiver for >$200.
   
   Thanks in advance for the help.

I just bought a pair of Behringer Truth Studio Monitors that are excellent. I believe the listed price is for just one monitor so to get two you'd need to spend around $300.

Right now, I also have an Audio Technica LP-120 connected straight into the monitors. Because the monitors are powered themselves you won't need a pre-amp or DAC but I will warn you I currently have very little volume control. (There is a +/- 6 db on the monitors themselves but that's as much volume control as you're going to get).

They are plenty loud as they are and the sound quality is excellent. I got mine used from a buddy for $150 total so I got a screaming deal but $300 for two of them is definitely going to last you a long while.

The cords are 1/4 inch cable cords like you would use to plug your guitar into your amp but they have adapters that can convert them to just about any cord you need. Before I got my record player, I had the monitors hooked straight into my TV via the adapater turning the two 1/4" cables into on Aux cord to plug in to my TV's headphone jack.

While we're on the subject of TV's sound, I would also like to suggest a sound bar I recently purchased that's in your price range. The LG I picked up from Best Buy for roughly $200 is also excellent for what I use it for. I have a desktop tower hooked up to my TV so I use the sound bar for everything from TV shows and movies to playing music and it's really great. I like the addition of the subwoofer to really drive home some of the bass sounds.

While the Truth Studio Monitors offer a great range of sound, they do not have the kind of ooomf on the low end that a subwoofer can carry. That being said, I'm satisfied enough with the monitors to not feel a pressing need to invest in a subwoofer for the time being.

My current setup is just a quick and dirty budget (sub 1000$) system I hooked up to enjoy my music.

I bought this entry level Sony receiver, some Sony and Pioneer speakers that all hover around 100-125 watts and this bargain beauty of a subwoofer.

That subwoofer is absolutely amazing and on sale for 300$ off listing price with free shipping if you have Prime. Rich and full sound, not overpowering, good harmony.. You might really be surprised by how full of nuance the audio can be from that sub.

Overall, I'm super satisfied with what I accomplished. Especially for the price. Everything sounds good, I'm especially pleased with the sub and receiver. The speakers are so-so, they're not bad but they're not especially great, either. Good sound for good value.

As for technology.. I just have the Chromecast hooked into one of the hdmi inputs from the receiver. The receiver supports hdmi-cec (if the receiver is off and the input becomes active, it'll turn on) but I just leave it on standby (along with the subwoofer) anyway. Same result, just the power is on and the system is on sleep instead of power off.

I have the speakers and subwoofer hooked up directly to the receiver (copper for speakers, line in for sub).

The first thing is deciding what your budget is and what you want to accomplish. D'you want a 5,1 surround system? Are the acoustics of your house/apartment such that you can designate one room for audio and be able to hear the music from every other room? How are you going to be playing music? Are you gonna stream it from online? A local server/drive? D'you need your equipment to natively have wifi? Will you use an adapter? A Chromecast? For example, Sonos doesn't (yet?) offer hdmi in, are you ok with using an audio splitter/extractor? Questions like that.

500-1000$, especially if you shop around a bit, compare, read reviews etc, will get you good to great audio at bang for your buck to start off with.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | $194.79 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | ASRock B450M/AC Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $69.89 @ OutletPC
Memory | G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $59.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Western Digital Blue SN500 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $64.98 @ Amazon
Storage | Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $49.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | XFX Radeon RX 5700 8 GB DD Ultra Video Card | $319.99 @ Amazon
Case | Deepcool MATREXX 50 ATX Mid Tower Case | $45.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Cooler Master MasterWatt 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply | $54.79 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $99.89 @ OutletPC
Custom| Lepy LP-2020A Class-D Hi-Fi Digital Amplifier with Power Supply Black| $21.90
Custom| Dayton Audio B452 4-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair| $27.88
| Prices include shipping, rebates, and discounts, but not taxes |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1020.08
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $1010.08
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-29 05:35 EDT-0400 |

CPU: Easily the best performer in its price range. Comes with a respectable fan.
Motherboard: PCPartPicker warns about compatibility, but this motherboard is new enough that all units support Ryzen 3000 series CPUs out of the box. Has built-in WiFi.
RAM: Good value, fast enough that it won't hold back the CPU significantly.
Storage - SSD: Great performance that doesn't degrade heavily as it fills up. Some other SSDs, such as the Intel 660p, have this problem.
Storage - HDD: 7200 RPM and isn't a used and repackaged drive like many others sometimes are.
GPU: A beast. This should easily push 144 FPS at 1080p in most games. Hopefully your monitor has FreeSync!
Case: Looks pretty good with tempered glass windows; not sure how easy it is to build in.
PSU: Semi-modular for easier cable management. Tier B on the PSU tier list. Fully 200W over PCPartPicker's estimated wattage.
OS: You could save money short-term by not buying a license key and leaving your Windows unactivated, but you only get feature/security updates for a year and there's a watermark on the desktop.
Speakers/speaker amp: I don't know a lot about this stuff myself, but these seem to be about the minimum possible for a not-terrible system according to /r/BudgetAudiophile. You'll need a 3.5mm to 3.5mm or 3.5mm to RCA cord to get the amp hooked up to your PC, I think. Better speakers for more money are Dayton B652 ($31) - Micca COVO-S ($45) - Micca MB42X ($80).

Sidebar links are a great starting point. You've got a good grasp of the beginning points.

I would recommend going with a setup that consists of a Receiver/Amplifier, Passive Speakers, and a Turntable. Yes I left out Phono Stage Amplifier, but I would personally pick a receiver that has it built in.

For a receiver if you want to go for new my two cheap but very well featured options would be the Onkyo TX-8020 and the Onkyo TX-8220. These do have built in phono inputs. Compare the features for yourself to see what seems good to you.

If you want to go used, check out eBay and do a search for "stereo receiver", You can go with anything you think is good as well as looking into the reputation of the brands/models, though it becomes hard to find reviews of old hifi equipment. Almost anything from mid-90s and before will have a phono input that will save you the phono stage purchase.

For passive speakers a very cost effective and something I use in my setup are the Dayton Audio B652 bookshelf speakers. These are decently loud and have great sound.

For a turntable going with new ones will be more expensive and you should look at the recommended ones from the sidebar as they explain it there best. If you're going used, look on eBay for "turntable" and find something that is claimed as working well and is also a recommended brand from the sidebar links. In general something decent is 100% going to have an adjustable tonearm weight, all these new bad turntables always lack this.

One last thing you didn't explicitly ask for, but you should be knowledgeable about is cartridges. You will most likely want to buy a new one for a used turntable. I would say the most cost effective cartridges are found in the range of $50 to $150, do thorough research on installing cartridges and setting them up correctly and you should be on your way to great sound.

I looked it up and you have dome tweeters so don't get anything with a horns such as Klipsch. However they are from a home theater in a box which generally speaking aren't great. My suggestion is you should get the center now but plan on buying the matching left and right as soon as you can. The issues you could run into with running miss matched from stage (LCR) is timber imbalance where sounds don't have the same volume or pitch so sounds traveling across your front stage could sound like aaaaaaAAAAAAAaaaaaaa. My suggestion is listen to some bookshelf speakers and find ones you like then buy the center that matches them. Here are some options I found on Amazon but going to local shops to listen would be best:

• Fluance XL7C they are a Canadian company and make products that are great for what they cost this is $10 over budget though
  
  
• Sony Core Series center known to be a smidge bright I believe in store at best buy
  
  
• Pioneer SP-C22 Andrew Jones is a well regarded speaker designer and most of his products have a sound signature that's well liked
  
  
• Micca MB42X-C the cheapest you could go
  
  
• Polk CSR Polk is a good brand haven't heard anything about these however in store at best buy
  
  
• Paradigm Cinema 110 C heard good things about this brand don't know how their entry level stuff is
  
  I'd look up what the matching bookshelf speakers cost and factor that in as well.

Hey, so I picked up a Phillips AF-777 turntable. It is in very nice condition, but the cartridge (Stanton 680EE) sounds very flat and undynamic. It is worn down looking (Not really the needle by just the actual cartridge). I assume it hasn't ever been replaced or maybe once. So I was thinking about replacing it. I cannot go above $100. (So under $100) I want to achieve a Hi-Fi sound. I am currently using a Cambridge Audio Azur 640a v2 and a pair of Vienna Acoustic Bach. I saw the Shure M97xE, but am open to other suggestions on the under $100. (The M97xE is $100).

_

Now you may be thinking, what am I using for a phono preamp? Well I had a Kenwood KR-720 I was using, but seeing I picked up the Cambridge, that replaced the Kenwood. But the CA 620a v2 does not have a phono stage. I was looking for a good Hi-Fi quality phono preamp under $100. I looked around and saw this.. ART DJPRE II. It is $38.. and it seems to cheap to be good. But who knows, that's why I am here. I was also looking around on my CL and Ebay, but there hasn't been anything that I've seen.


I want a clean, non-distorted, accurate sound, with a bit of fun and great dynamics. Dynamics are important for me! If it matters, I plan to play music from Disco to Jazz to Vocals to Acoustic to Pop to etc. I enjoy lot's of kinds of music, so I like an all around sound.

__

I have been trying to get help with this for a while, and have not recieved any help with purchase advice! I appreciate ANY help avaiable here! Thank you!

I would give it a try, just make sure you have a reasonable return option if it fails. This issue plagued us around November of 2014. (Plus or minus a month.) I would hope Vizio got their stuff in order and this was clearly a Vizio issue, not Sonos.

I just Googled the issue and found numerous references to the issue.

Oh and now that I am racking my brain about it, it only occurred when the AV source was external to the TV (via HDMI and in our case an AppleTV or Roku). If you watch Netflix or Amazon Prime via the internal app, there wasn't an issue. This made the whole thing a bit more obscure.

The issue was horribly obvious and would have affected Vizio sounds bars and any other device that connected via optical so I am sure it eventually got some attention.

If your TV is still affected you don't have many options since it will affect any sound bar / system connected via optical. My fall back was to go with a Marantz surround sound system. We were looking at the Marantz because they offered shallow system and we were bookshelf constrained. There are certainly other options out there.

And all of these will sit ahead of your TV and do the HDMI switching eliminating the audio delay. You can use the TV's HDMI ARC to supply the surround sound tuner when using internal apps on the TV.

http://www.us.marantz.com/us/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=AVReceivers&ProductId=NR1403

or

http://www.us.marantz.com/us/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=AVReceivers&ProductId=NR1506

and some low-end but well reviewed Andrew Jones Pioneer speakers:
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG

I would have saved over the Sonos but we already had Sonos in the house and I didn't want to deal with running speaker wires to the rear surrounds.

I figured it would have cost about $1000 to go with this (or similar) non-Sonos solution and run cabling. In the end, we returned the Vizio for a full refund of about $900 and purchased a 1080 Sony for about twice the amount. Both 65" TVs. The Sony did not exhibit any audio delays out of the optical and had a superior image but nothing wrong with the Vizio and I would have never noticed the difference (and I realize returning the TV is not an option in your case).

And if by chance you do look at a different TV, be careful as many of them won't transcribe 5.1 surround from an external HDMI to the optical out. This is an entirely different issue. There is a 2014/15 CNET article on which TVs support transcribing in this case. I know Sony and Vizio are 2 of the 3 or 4 manufacturers that do. Samsung is the major exception and if you look at their sound bars and surround sound systems, none of them support 5.1 out of the optical because their TVs don't support it or at least didn't a year ago when we were looking.

Ultimately optical audio is really a dated technology and you will find lots of criticism of Sonos for going with this but I got it to work and will continue to buy Sonos equipment. What Sonos really needs is to either support ARC or a switching box that accepts HDMI sources and then feeds their various speakers, eliminating the optical and working more like other surround sound tuners. Guessing the ARC solution is ideal but ARC is relatively new and didn't see widespread implementation until around 2013 / 2014 (my guess). As more TVs support ARC, the need to support optical will decrease. And I would think your TV supports ARC. Mine did and they seem to be of similar vintage and specs.

Good luck. Let me know how it works out.

-Andy

For 300 bucks personally I would go with decent Powered speakers. Make sure you pick up a phono preamp as well if you go this route as opposed to using an amp+passive speakers (which is much more expensive, unless you go used). That's the setup I did, minimalist, clean, decent value, but still relatively cheap. Here's my setup for example...

https://www.amazon.com/rolls-VP29-Phono-Preamp/dp/B0002BG2R2 - Rolls VP29 Phono Preamp

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R1700BT-Bluetooth-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B016PATXSI - Edifier R1700BT Powered Speakers with Bluetooth - For the value these sound really awesome. Only downside is there are not great with lots of bass, they flubber. In retrospect I might have gotten something different, but most stuff I listen to isn't bass heavy so I'm not torn over it. I also wanted bluetooth in this room because it's a guest room.

https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Ject-Elemental-Gray-Turntable-Grey/dp/B01CZW826Y?th=1 - Pro-Ject Elemental Turntable - Great value turntable on the low-end if you buy new.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000513O4/ - Tripp Lite Isobar surge protector - Because I'm paranoid about this stuff and these are high end surge protectors that we use at work. They are bulletproof.

----------------------------------

So anyways... for 300 bucks you can pick up the same phono preamp and these...

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R2000DB-Bluetooth-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B01CDU3IAI

I hear the R2000's don't have the same bass issue that the r1700 does, but they cost a lot more. Edifier is kind of one of the best in value right now, it's "Chi-Fi" good. The hardcore audiophile kiddos are often brand-whores, so take their allegiance with a grain of salt and try to remain objective, read reviews, technical analysis, etc..

https://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-A2-Powered-Speaker-System/

The A2's always get good reviews in this price range, I have no personal experience, but there are recent reviews that show problems with quality control, maybe the company is getting worse?

https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-2017-R-14PM-Powered-Monitor/dp/B075JRF295

A lot of people swear by the Klipsch powered monitors once you get into this price range, but I don't have any personal experience, maybe someone else can chime in, just showing it here because you might want to consider it, read about them more.

https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Signature-S20-Bookshelf/dp/B01LVWWXQG

These are just barely in the price range, definitely consider them, my friend has a Polk setup and he loves it. These seem to get good reviews from hip hop heads too, so the bass response must be good.

It really depend on your musical taste, the room, what kind of setup you are wanting to go with overall and for what purpose though. If you want to be able to handle everything, up the budget, or buy used honestly. If you stay on a small budget and buy new, you are going to have to have compromises. I was wiling to have that compromise, but others may not.

Oh god, don't start shopping for a DAC. They're a waste of money for almost everyone, but /r/audiophile talks about them like they're the most important part of the system. A DAC is the device built into your smartphone or computer's sound card that converts the digital file to an analog signal for the amplifier to boost. People who have been misled by hype or have run out of things to spend money on start shopping for external DACs.

Most devices have perfectly fine DACs. You probably won't ever hear a difference between the one built into your iPhone and a $300 standalone unit.

What you want is an amplifier with a few different inputs, which is typically a receiver. There's a host of inexpensive new stereo and 5.1 home theater receivers that will do the job, but most will be the same width as your old receiver. Another issue with modern receivers is that most of them don't have a PHONO input, which means either you need an external PHONO preamp like this one or a turntable with a built-in preamp. Good news-- that Pyle I linked is dirt-cheap, and works great.

Alternatively, you could buy a little 50-watt amp like this one and pair it with a manual A/V switch like this. You'll still need the phono preamp, of course.

The cheap and simple solution is to learn to live with a full-sized receiver and go hunting for a good-quality early 90's home-theatre receiver with 80 or more watts/channel. People don't want old Dolby Surround receivers because they don't have all of the modern A/V doohickies, however they'll have at least 4 RCA inputs and a built-in PHONO input, and provide plenty of clean power. I love my Yamaha RX-V850 for this reason.

I hope this helps!

The positive I see here is that there are many awesome integrated amps, amps and pre-amps that are quite minimalistic in terms of aesthetics and are also very small and great space savers. I too am a minimalist but have created a set up that is aesthetically and mentally pleasing to me, and in my opinion, have not compromised sound.

One thing you could do to save space would be to get some good powered speakers and a good, small, minimalistic pre-amp, thus eliminating the need for a separate receiver. Some people may find passive speakers better, but in your situation, it could be a good compromise. You could also opt for no speakers and invest in a good headphone amp, which would also save space. The Orbit is already pretty minimalistic in design and is quite pleasing on the eyes.

I am not sure about selling what you have other than Craigslist.

Edit: Grammar

First step: have you read noaudiophile's reviews? He does very thorough reviews on a lot of budget speakers, and has corrections for many of the popular options. His corrections for the Infinity P163s that I'm currently using made them sound like completely different speakers.

First let's start with powered options:

The Micca PB42X would be a good option. They are basically a powered version of the MB42X so you don't need to purchase a separate amp. Also in the similar realm that get recommended here a lot would be the Swans D1010 and the Edifier R1280T.

Personally I'm a bigger fan of passive speakers, as you get a lot more options to expand your system.

Pioneer BS22 bookshelf speakers are great and have gone on sale quite a bit lately for $70-80/pair.

Dayton B652 I am currently using as my surround speakers, but people rave about them as a budget desktop option

Micca MB42X also get great reviews.

You could also go used for your speakers, but sometimes it can be hard to parse through all the junk out there if you don't know what you're looking for.

Take any of those passive options and pair them up with an inexpensive amp like this SMSL or Lepai for a good budget setup.

I would also recommend checking your local Craigslist or Facebook marketplace for a used receiver, you could pick up a very decent one for just a few bucks and have a great starting setup. This will give you a lot more powerful amp, and the ability later to easily add a subwoofer or expand to surround sound. Personally I'm using an older Sony home theater receiver at my desk, it's old enough that it doesn't have HDMI or optical inputs, someone was just giving it away so I snagged it.

haha wow. Well, it would depend on a lot. But lets say you have a few bucks but not a lot to spend. I imagine you're interesting in keeping a clean look so definitely 2.0 for now (no sub). If you don't mind having a receiver I'd suggest the Elac B6 or B5 speakers. Amazing value. Pair that with a modest hdmi receiver by yamaha or denon....

Alternatively if you have headphone out you could get powered monitors. I'm a big fan of Emotiva's line. The Emotiva Airmotv 4s would be a great start....I really enjoy them for my desktop speakers. Could I always go bigger for better low end. With something like the 4s you may not get huge bass but you'll get solid lows but everything will be insanely clear and accurate. You'll never go back.

You'll want stands. I suggest Sanus...make sure whatever you get the tweeter is about head level while sitting.

Enjoy!

Turntable:

U-turn Orbit is $40 more for the cue lever and lacks adjustable anti-skate. Less importantly, it lacks a removable head shell and the counter weight is slide with set screw instead of a dial.

Fluance RT85 is a much better value than the RT84 for only $50 more for a $100 better cartridge. However both are out of stock. The RT82 $299 is available in black and has the same optical sensor speed controlled motor with auto stop as the RT85 for lower wow and flutter and speed variation specs than the Orbit and many other new turntables under $500. The RT83 is not worth $50 more for the same quality level but newer cartridge. Fluance plans to sell the acrylic platter as an upgrade for around $99 when they can make enough to keep the RT85 in stock.

Phono stage:

Schiit Mani sounds great with my RT82.

Some Phono preamps also have a built in headphone amp. Bellari VP130 $275. Cambridge Duo $299.

Receiver/Amp:

Make room for the Onkyo AVR-3803 with class A/B amplification if you can for whole room listening. You already have it, costs nothing, and it is better than the SMSL AD18 class T digital amp. If it already has a phono input, you can upgrade to the Schiit Mani later. For wireless streaming audio add a Dayton Audio WBA31 Wireless Wi-Fi, Airplay and Bluetooth Receiver for $35 for better streaming over WiFi or optionally Bluetooth. Or an Alexa Echo Dot or Input for streaming music via voice control as well as Bluetooth. If also using the Onkyo with a TV you can add a center speaker for better movie and TV dialog and side speaker for movie and TV surround sound.

If you want something slimmer, Stereo PIONEER SX-S30 Elite $499.99 $329.99 or Cambridge Audio Topaz SR10 $299 or AV MARANTZ NR1509 Slim 5.2 $549.99 $299.00.

For something more compact, Emotiva A-100 $249 and it does have good headphone output so you may not need a separate headphone amp for around $100. Add an A/B switch if adding a second input such as a wireless audio receiver.

Or for a similar price of the AD18, the Dayton Audio APA150 150W Power Amplifier $135. It is a clone of the discontinued Emotiva BPA-1 that the A-100 replaced. Add a headphone amp. Add an A/B switch if adding a second input such as a wireless audio receiver.

AD18 does not have TRS inputs. It has RCA, USB and 3.5mm inputs.

If you have to go with a digital mini amp, Topping MX3 is a bit better, however the headphone output on it and the AD18 are only basic and not that great.

Speakers:

C-Notes are much better than the Edifiers.

The Mirage Omnisats 1PB-1 may be ok to start with. They seem to be small satellite surround speakers. Or add a subwoofer if keeping them.

Speakers on sale for under $200:

• 4" Pioneer SP-BS22 $93.
  
• 5.25" Infinity Reference 152 $139 factory refurbished $349 MSRP new.
  
• 6.5" Infinity Reference 162 $175 factory refurbished $449 MSRP new.
  
• 5.25" Wavecrest Audio HVL-1, and order on sale at Ascend $80 each + shipping, "budget/baby Ascends" from the same speaker designer. Neutral sound with a linear frequency response. To me, comparable to KEF Q100s. Great mids which many speakers in the price range lack.
  
  Subwoofer on sale: 12" Infinity Reference R12 $499 $199.
  
  Speaker Wire: Pure Copper Oxygen Free 16 Gauge Speaker Wire 50 ft, with self adjusting wire strippers or 4 Ways to Strip Wire - wikiHow. Optionally add banana plugs. Sets with banana plugs, Crutchfield or custom DFWCableConnection and Blue Jeans Cable.
  
  Speaker Stands: Size to get speaker center or tweeter at ear height from your seated listening position. Affordable Dayton Audio SSMB24 or Monoprice Glass. Sturdy Monolith by Monoprice can be filled with lead shot, sand or kitty litter. Also Audio Advisor where most are also available at Amazon.

The LP-60 is considered the very bottom of entry-level turntables. It's not murder on vinyl like the BSR tables (though some here might disagree), but it isn't a "hi-fi" turntable by any means. But if you do decide to go that route, you will need speakers and a way for the sound to be amplified to those speakers.

There are generally two types of speakers: passive and powered. Passive speakers will need an amplifier (in the form of a receiver, integrated amplifier or separate pre-amp/amplifier) to send sound out to the speakers. Powered speakers will have their own built in amplifier.

In addition to speakers and amplifier, turntables need a specialized phono preamp. The phono preamp converts the signal from the turntable into a line-level signal that most audio equipment can handle. It also add equalization called the RIAA Curve to compensate for some of the limitations of the vinyl medium.

The LP-60 has a built-in phono preamp, so that part is taken care of. What you will need next is to decide on what type of speakers you want. There are good powered speakers, like Audio Engine, but they can be fairly spendy. Some people use powered monitors designed for mixing music, but I find that they aren't "musical" and can be fatiguing over long listens. You can also get a cheap 2.1 system, but the sound quality will be lacking.

I would recommend going the passive speaker route. If you have a local craigslist, your best bet is to find a decent '90s era receiver. Equipment from the '90s, especially older home-theater units, are the best value in audio gear right now. They aren't desired by collectors because of their plain look, but they were manufactured at a time when quality and power output standards were high.

If you get one of those receivers, I would then recommend getting a pair of these Pioneer BS-22-LR speakers:

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Speakers/Home+Theater+Speakers/SP-BS22-LR

http://www.stereophile.com/content/pioneer-sp-bs22-lr-loudspeaker

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/a-great-bookshelf-speaker/

http://www.budgetphile.com/2013/10/budget-speaker-review-pioneer-sp-bs22-lr.html

They routinely go on sale for $99 (and sometimes $89). Keep an eye out at the big retailers and usually within a month one of them will have them on sale and the other will follow suite suit.

If you don't want to go used, then I would recommend the Sherwood RX-4105. It's inexpensive and proven:

http://www.amazon.com/RX-4105-2-Channel-Remote-Controlled-Stereo-Receiver/dp/B0002EPWC0

Both the speakers and receiver are available at most big box and online retailers (Walmart, Best Buy, New Egg, Amazon, Target, etc.).

If you thin you are fairly serious about vinyl as a hobby, I would step up the turntable to a U-Turn Orbit and get the Sherwood RX-4109 receiver (with built-in phono preamp) instead:

http://uturnaudio.com

http://www.amazon.com/Sherwood-RX-4109-Stereo-Receiver-Black/dp/B000MBUSD6/

In this case an all-in-one player would be just fine.

If nothing is priceless, the player doesn't need to last many years, and sound quality isn't the most important thing, go for an all in one. The Crosley's with built in speakers would probably work well enough.

These won't have the best quality or durability, but if you need something quick and easy, with external speakers (they might sound a bit better than the internal speakers) you can look into this or this. I don't have personal experience with them, but they might work well for the cause.

If you're looking to spend a bit more, an LP60 or Sony PSLX300USB might work better. I've used the Sony before and it works pretty well. It has an automatic play feature so it's really easy to use and setup. You'll just need a stereo receive and speakers which might cost a bit too much depending on how much you're willing to spend.

If you were looking to get into records, I'd definitely recommend something better, but there is no reason a Crosley won't get the job done.

I'm very sorry to hear that, and I hope you and your family are doing the best you can at this time.

1. Budget

I don't have a budget since I'll be saving for each individual necessity for the long run, though I would not spend more than $1,000 for speakers. That being said, you can make a decision on what are price points for each respective item.

2. What are you looking for?

I'm essentially looking for a living room audiophile set up. I would not mind recommendations other than floor standing speakers, but that is what I have now and I'm very pleased with the way it looks. I do not know what I'm looking for since I'm not sure what should be upgraded and what is missing.

3. How will you typically be using the gear?

Mid-Field

4. What gear do you own?

Specifics, I have a Yamaha RX-V381BL Receiver with a pair of Andrew Jones's ELAC B6 speakers. For headphones, I only use an Audio Technica's ATH-M40X.

5. What do you intend on using for a source?

I'll be using a laptop connected via HDMI to the receiver (unless someone thinks I should opt for a different source if I get a dedicated stereo receiver.)

6. What material will you be using your gear for?

Dedicated for music. I would like it to connect this system with HDMI ports i/o, but if a dedicated stereo is necessary, i'll be glad to go through that route.

7. Are you willing to buy used?

Yes, I am willing to buy used, though craigslist, etc. is not preferred. Something like Amazon would be nice. Local: Los Angeles.

Thoughts:

I do not know anything about amplifiers, DACs, tubes, etc. so if you could inform me, that would be appreciated.

Note:

This was re-uploaded with updated information for further suggestions and aid. I'm not too new to audiophile but I never have owned my own full set up. Any information would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advanced.

Great!


Try these settings that Fairchild, a forum member, posted up on AVSforums. He calibrated it using professional tools for a darker room, so it might work for you. Otherwise, perusing/searching the forums should net you some more settings that worked for other people.

Best Buy has excellent deals on the Denon 1613/1713/1913 speakers right now. They’re all on clearance or in excellent condition as open box items. The Denon 1713, for example, I was able to buy for 199 before taxes (amazon still shows it as 378.99).


To check online stock, do the following:


Go to the store locator -> Enter zip/address -> click on the stores that are closest to you within the search results -> for each individual store website, click “Open Box and Clearance Items” on the left side -> Shop this store (in blue) -> Under “Shop Best Buy” (left side pane), click “Audio & MP3” -> Under Narrow your results, choose Denon as your brand.

Hopefully you’ll find some good sales.


Speakers.
I’ve thought about the Pioneer SP BS-22 and the Polk 30s. You really can’t go wrong with either, but you just missed a sale where the Pioneers were going for $70.


Depending on what L/Rs you go with, you’d get the matching center channel from their respective manufacturers.


Subs, for our budget, the consensus seems to be the Bic America F12, but others have stated that a better alternative may be the Polk Audio PSW505.

The gist, I think, was that the Polks would perform better if you listen to a lot of music.

Anyways, that’s where I am with my research. My goal is to save as much money as I can, but to spend when necessary to fulfill my needs. I hope that television works out for you. We’ve loved ours and the calibration went a long way. Happy shopping!

Oh sorry, it's hard to not go all jargon-crazy sometimes.

So studio monitors are designed for mixing audio, as such they're designed to be very very accurate. The flat response means if you plot a line representing all the audible frequencies from bass to the highest treble the line would be flat, so no boosted bass or lowered midrange or any of those things people usually fiddle with knobs to do. Just dead accurate, which lots of people think they want until they hear it, mids and highs can get a little tiring to listen to and is sometimes considered not a "warm" sound.

B&W is Bowers and Wilkins, a very good brand and I just meant find some from the 1980's because they crop up for sale used from time to time and sound great (check craigslist for B&W, Mission, Elac, Mirage, PSB and Wharfedale). Other options that aren't used would be Cambridge Audio SX50's, Elac B6.2's, and Wharfedale Diamond 210's. (Tons of reviews of all of those out there) As for an amp, the SMSL SA50 is plenty for most people for normal listening levels.

As for a DAC, you wouldn't necessarily need one for active monitors, but you would definitely need some interesting cables like these shitty ones. One of the advantages of pro-audio gear is they use balanced audio signals which makes long runs of cable safe from electromagnetic interference/noise/hum, most people don't have runs long enough for it to matter in their house but they look cool and "pro". Also to actually have a balanced signal going through those XLR cables you need a balanced output, which is where a DAC with balanced outputs or volume controller would come in. Here's a cheap ok controller.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to talk you out of studio monitors, speakers are super super super subjective and if I encountered a set of studio monitors that really blew my skirt up I'd probably buy all the balanced cables and some huge volume knob to be able to listen to them and be happy as a clam. Just hasn't happened yet.

I was wrong on the speaker setup pricewise. It's about $150 which is quite a bit more than I mentioned. The setup would be MUSE M50 amp and Micca MB42XSpeakers. I love music and spent quite a bit more on my setup, but I feel most setups ignore peripherals so I made it a point to mention it :)

For keyboards, I like mechanicals. They tend to have a higher build quality and the clicky clack noise and feel they have is fantastic! I use the Corsair k95 as I play multiple MMO's as well as FPS, but would not reccomend at its current price ($130, I got mine for $90). The Razer keyboard I linked is one of the few products I like from them and would recommend. The Coolermaster Storm series are nice as well and anything Ducky or Das Keyboard are also good brands.

For a mouse, I actually don't mind the Razer Naga/Deathadder. They are pretty fairly priced and pretty durable. Their $100+ mice on the other hand, I don't like at all. Corsair, Coolermaster, Logitec, and Razer (within reason) are the brands I would suggest. I use a Corsair M95 mainly for the additional binds, and it's color matches my case.

I would budget, at the top end, $130 for a quality keyboard and $80 for a mouse.

In your shoes i would suggest doing a 2.0 or a 2.1 if you can squeeze a little more juice out of your wallet. Explanation: a 2.0/ 2.1 will give you a far better sound quality with a dedicated amp/receiver and external speakers rather than in all in one sound bar type unit. although you don't crank your system sound quality is important and will be better out of this set up too. And lastly you then have the availability to upgrade and expand your system later on. I know these were posted once but here why.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-FS52-LR-Designed-standing-Loudspeaker/dp/B008NCD2S4 great price point, great sound quality. I think the rest of this sub would agree these are a fantastic speaker for the price. They are rear ported, the closer to the wall the more low end you will get from them.

http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-S500BT-Receiver-Capability-Bluetooth/dp/B00JR6GJLW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415645951&sr=8-1&keywords=AVR-S500BT Big fan of denon, they make great receivers starting from the bottom all the way to high end. built in bluetooth, powerful enough to handle a slightly bigger speaker if you want to upgrade later

http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M If you have the money or the want, this is a great subwoofer for the money. Fairly clean, pretty crisp, not real muddy.

That one costs 250$, it's an Audio Technica-LP120



I got it on Amazon using Anthony Melonheadtano's affiliate to kick him some money since he's the one that got me into vinyls.



It's expensive I know. The first one i got was a cheapo 40$ one on amazon, but upon reading reviews, and seeing how cheaply built it was, I returned it and just waited a few more weeks to get me the expensive LP-120. In terms of turntables, it's quite cheap and a great price for such a quality turntable.



I'm not into vinyls all that much (I only have 7 records, of which all of them are Kendrick Lamar). But I decided to return the cheap one because of the damage it does to your records. Any turntable under 200$ will scratch your records over time, and it's not worth it.



I'm not a snob either. I hate snobs, but this is probably the lowest end you'd wanna go. It has a counterweight setting for the needle so it doesn't put too much weight down onto the record (which is what separates cheap turntables from the good ones). It's heavy as fuck and has a lot of little fancy doohickeys like reverse mode, pitch settings, different record lengths, and those dots on below the record indicate if the turntable is spinning at a precise rate that you want it to.



I know this is too much information for what you asked, but i'm letting you know why it's so expensive. You can still collect vinyl records without a player. If you don't have 250$ to spend on a turntable, just keep your records on a shelf to look at and wait until you can get a decent turntable so they don't ruin your records.



Another good option is to try and find one on craigslist, ebay, or local garage sales/swap meets/goodwills, but I don't know much about old turntables so I just chose the slightly more expensive route.



One day when I'm older I wanna be able to play Kendrick's albums to my grandkids (if i even have kids) or friends down the line, and if you use a cheap turntable that's under 200 bucks you won't be able to do that without it sounding scratched and skipping over portions of the song.




Believe me I didn't want to spend 250$ dollars on this shit since I don't even have that many vinyl records or play it that often, but I wanted to go the high way or nothing at all.



edit: You also need your own speakers for it. I got lucky and found some very nice logitech speakers next to the dumpster at my apartments. I dont know why someone threw them away but they worked so good and have the best bass i've ever heard in two tiny little speakers. It's better than the speakers I have hooked up to my computer right now lol. They were 140$ logitech speakers that worked perfectly fine and I got them one day just taking out the trash.

Just my two cents, you could do the Best Buy $300 on speakers and like you said get whatever 5.1+ receiver elsewhere. Best Buy will price match Amazon if it's "shipped and sold" by Amazon. So for example you could get the Pioneer towers and center channel for around $300:

Pioneer SP-FS52 Andrew Jones Tower each $110 Amazon (x2 for $220) / $125 Best Buy (x2 for $250)

https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-FS52-Designed-standing-Loudspeaker/dp/B008NCD2S4/

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/pioneer-5-1-4-floor-speaker-each-black/5086937.p?skuId=5086937

Pioneer SP-C22 Andrew Jones Center channel $85 Amazon / $95 Best Buy

https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C22-Designed-Channel-Speaker/dp/B008NCD2EI/

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/pioneer-dual-4-center-channel-speaker-black/5086891.p?skuId=5086891

Total if you Amazon price match = $305 before tax

EDIT: just be sure to factor in cables/speaker wire to total budget, and make sure everything will fit and has a proper place to be setup. and don't overlook a universal remote if that's an option/need. :)

EDIT 2: OK so this doesn't satisfy the need for surround. So you could throw in cheap surrounds for now as well. Top 100 Amazon satellite speakers, others on here may have cheap suggestions?:

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Satellite-Speakers/zgbs/electronics/3236454011#1

EDIT 3: And here's the matching bookshelf speakers if you wanted to match them up for the surrounds, swap these in front as a cheaper alternative to the towers, or both... for pair $110 Amazon / $125 Best Buy:

https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG/

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/pioneer-4-bookshelf-speakers-pair-black/5086955.p?skuId=5086955

Hey!
So I'm looking to buy some speakers for home use, with a budget of around 100-170$. I'm kind of a speaker noob, so I can't really say anything that I'd actually wanna go for, but the Micca MB42X looked pretty attractive both money and performance wise (atlest with the little knowledge I have).

I want a mid-field speaker for my room, it doesn't need to be too loud cause I live in a flat with pretty thin walls, but every once in a while it would be nice to turn up the volume and blare loud music for a party or something.

I wanna play music from my computer mostly, so I guess I'll need an amp or a DAC, not sure.

I wanna use the speaker pretty much solely for playing music. I listen to electronic msuic, mainly trap and house, so bass is pretty important. I have smaller crappy speakers for normal usage, so I want these for the premium listening experience.

Well that's all, hope you guys can help me out! :)

My Encore mDac has been working intermittently as of late. I have the pleasure of listening to headphones for about 6 hours of my work day, so having a DAC/Amp combo at my desk is nice. However, with a 4 week old baby, my budget was super limited. I came across the Syba Sonic SD-DAC63057 and decided to give it a try. It checked all the boxes. Cheap ($37). No driver install needed (work computer, can't install anything). Enough power (100mw) to drive my IEMs and more sensitive over ears. USB only power.

Full specs can be found here

The unit features variable line outs, top mounted volume knob, optical out, coax digital out, usb in (for power and signal), mic input, 3.5mm input, 3.5mm headphone out, and 1/4" headphone out (both headphone outputs work simultaneously.

The unit has indicator lights to show what signal is being received (96, 44, or 44.1), and an indicator light of sorts that flashes with the music, that comprised of a red and blue LED. Kind of neat.

The unit also features a hardware EQ that includes a 7db (yes, 7db!) treble boost, a direct no EQ option, and a 7db bass boost. The hardware EQs are a bit much for me, and I find I leave the unit set to direct most of the time. However, there is one expectation. I have set of custom reshelled Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10's, and in the process, the treble took about a 6db drop. So, for that one set of CIEMs, the treble boost is just right. However, that is a pretty oddly specific scenario, and I would imagine most people won't want to use the hardware EQ.

Of note, the device is always on, as there is no power switch. The volume knob has the most minute channel imbalance as the absolute lowest setting. And, there is an uncomfortable audible crackle / pop when plugging in sensitive headphones to the 3.5mm headphone out. All be it, it doesn't seem to be enough to damage anything.

I have successfully used the Syba Sonic DAC/Amp with my Chromebook, MacBook Air, and my Windows 7 work PC. I have not tried it on a Windows 10 device, but after scouring the Amazon “reviews” it seems that it may not play nice with all Win10 installs so YMMV. As the unit is not battery powered, it won’t work with mobile devices.

When compared head to head with my Encore mDac, the Syba Sonic unit sounds a tad better. The bass is a bit fuller and the treble has just a hair more sparkle. Detail representation is on par, if not better than anything in this price range. All in all, for $37 I am super pleased with the purchase. I love the design with the volume knob on top. And the fact that the RCA outs are variable makes this a great option for those that want a budget option to use with powered monitors.

I have run the unit, as mentioned, with my CIEM reshelled TF.10's, as well as with my UM3X, Fischer Audio FA-003 wooden cup over ears, NAD VISO HP50's, AKG K7XX, and handful of other mid-range to lower IEMs. I did find that it struggled a bit to run the K7XX with any authority, but all the other headphones / IEMs I have tried have worked just fine. The only other negative is that, with the volume knob at full tilt, there is an audible hiss on most sensitive headphones (read: 32ohm and below).

I would recommend this unit for anyone with a tight budget that wants a somewhat feature rich DAC/Amp. It would also make a great external sound card thanks to the mic input.

Hey Zeos! I want to thank you so much for your guide. I just started looking at making a home theater setup yesterday for the very first time and it was pretty daunting at first. After reading through your posts and several others at /r/hometheater I have it narrowed down to a couple of options and would appreciate some advice on the selections I've made. I apologize for the long post but I want to make sure I make the most informed decisions for my first home theater purchase.

I just purchased the 65" Samsung JS8500 and I have an Xbox One that will be my main bluray player for now with a focus on movies / games.

Through my research last night and going through your suggestions at the top of this thread, I've chosen the Denon AVR-S510BT.

My question is in regards to speakers. Last night I had decided on the Micca MB42X Bookshelf Speakers with the accompanying Center since it's my first system and I was thinking of trying out something cheaper for an intro setup which would be better than just my TV speakers.

Whenever I get into a new hobby I tend to start thinking of an intro setup and get sucked into the nice expensive parts because I believe in "buy once cry once". I'd hate to get the Micca's and then a year later want to upgrade them to something nicer anyways when I could have just spent a bit more and got something that would have lasted me longer.

edit after more reading and watching your videos I see you recommending the Elacs quite a bit, I know you mentioned they would be great for music and I loved how they sounded, is this the case with movies and games as well? My budget is pretty open if it's for the right items and I can afford the Elac 6.5"s or something in that similar price range like the HTD Level3's (loved that sound demo too) if they would really make the whole setup shine and last me for years to come.

If I do end up choosing more expensive speakers and could only purchase one or the other to start with, would you recommend a Center speaker or a Subwoofer like the BIC America F12?

Thank you so much in advance, I appreciate all the time you've taken to write up these guides and answer questions.

I ended up tightening my budget quite a bit on this new home theater, so some of my choices aren't as nice as what I had before, but I'm very happy with what I got in the end. I want to thank everyone who gave me advice in my last post here. It was all very helpful!

I went with a 65" Samsung 120Hz smart TV. I decided against getting the 240Hz because I couldn't see a difference between the two when looking at it, and the 3D makes my wife sick in any case. That saved me almost $500.

For the receiver, I took everyone's advice and opted away from the all-in-one set I'd been looking at. Instead, I got a great price on a Pioneer VSX-824 that I've been very happy with.

I know the Denon reciever is what everyone recommended, and it's what I bought at first, but strangely enough my PS3 didn't work with it. It worked just fine connected to the TV directly, and other devices worked with that HDMI cable and port, but the PS3 just told me to go fuck myself. A quick google search told me that it's a flaw in the way the HDMI handshake works with Denon receivers, so back it went.

I went with Pioneer speakers as well, hooking up a
pair of tower speakers for front left and right, a pair of matching bookshelf speakers for the rear, and the matching center speaker.

The subwoofer will have to wait, for now, but the plan is to purchase the matching subwoofer when we're ready.

Instead of the Harmony Ultimate, which didn't seem to get any good remarks, I opted for the much cheaper Harmony 650, which has made my wife very happy. No more frayed tempers about what button does what on which remote. I'm even buying my parents one for Christmas.

I'm hugely pleased with the upgrade over my previous setup, even if it's not everything it could have been. What do you all think?

Think of a turntable as a lens on a camera. A good lens on a crappy body will help a lot but there is no benefit at all with a cheap lens on a good body. The turntable is the first thing in the signal chain, you are going to be limited with the LP60X so I would go with the following and save the rest of the money for a better turntable down the road as nothing is really going to make much of a difference until then.

These bookshelf speakers are great value. Not the nicest looking ones but do some research as they have great reviews. Best $100 speakers out there IMO.

I would look into getting a used vintage receiver with a phono stage on craigslist, should be able to find a very nice one for around $100-150 and combined with the speakers above I think you will be very pleased.

Start to build a system not limited to one format as that way your money will go a lot further as everything will be able to work together.

If it were me and you really want to upgrade your sound now, but also want to have the ability for a full 5.1 sound later I'd check out craigslist. You can probably find an older 5.1 receiver for under $70. A quick look in my area brought up a few. A few months ago I sold a 12 year old Pioneer that still was great, but I wanted the ability to get music via my network/internet. I sold it for $60. Then I would look for 2 decent book shelf speakers that you would use for fronts now and later use them for rears. These are as low as they go according to camelizer https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-T15-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B002RJLHB8/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1510803743&sr=1-3&keywords=polk+bookshelf+speakers&dpID=31bhM1nV3tL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch Then I'd get a sub https://www.amazon.com/Polk-10-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer-Single/dp/B0002KVQBA/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1510803898&sr=1-3&keywords=polk+subwoofer&dpID=51JGYWW4N4L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
That would get you started and would kick the shit out of any 2.1 soundbar. So you'd be looking at $140 for the 2 speakers and sub and then w/e you could find on craigslist for an a/v receiver. If you can stretch your budget to about $300 you could grab this which is certified refurbished https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrs510bt/denon-avr-s510bt-5.2-ch-x-70-watts-bluetooth-a/v-receiver/1.html
None of this is going to be wireless. IF you can stretch out to $400 you could get this receiver which I really like for the price: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrx1300w/denon-avr-x1300w-7.2-ch-x-80-watts-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html

Keep in mind you'll have to buy some speaker wire and a crimping/cutting tool. But yeah about $400 will get you a decent setup like Mtown said.
The best way to go about buying home theater equipment is to buy stuff that you'll use later. So if you have a soundbar now, I'd just use it and save up until you have enough for a decent refurbed 5.1 av receiver ~$250 and some bookshelf speakers ~50-100.

If you absolutely need a 2.1 soundbar. I bought a refurbed lg sh4 2.1 for about $130 on amazon. I believe they are more now. It's enough for a small room. I use it for my office and it's decent.

You can probably get better advice about starting up a ht system by searching r/hometheater.

You have many many options! I would lurk around the sub for a while to get some ideas. The suggestions that come to mind:

For speakers, going from lowest to highest price, I'd check out the Micca MB42x's, the Fluance SX6's, and the ELAC B5's.

The SMSL SA50 is a nice budget amp but (if you have the space for it) a used receiver is the best bang for your buck and will likely be more powerful.

I have the MB42x's. They're quite capable and will do just fine for me for some time. Just remember that there are so many options out there. Do your best to find the right setup for you.

Just to get started, I'd check out Zoes' 2.0 Desktop Suggestions list from his suggestions sub. His influence as a youtuber is a bit of a controversial topic on this sub but I'd say he has some good suggestions. Good luck and have fun!

Edit: I should also mention that it's always useful to demo equipment if you can. Hit up a local audio shops and demo some gear if you have the time.

I haven't really heard much about Sony receivers so I can't really comment on that aspect of it but generally Denon or other manufactures are recommended around here. Might be worth looking into something like the Denon x1300 on acessories4less. It's a little more expensive but you get audyssey room correction which can be really helpful.

I'd skip the center channel for now and maybe even the subwoofer and go with some higher end speakers. Something in the $300 range would probably do you much better than skimping on the speakers and getting the center channel right now. The Elac Debut B6's are highly recommended (haven't heard them myself but have heard a lot of praise):

https://www.amazon.com/Debut-Bookshelf-Speakers-Andrew-Jones/dp/B014GSEQ06/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519671824&sr=8-3&keywords=elac+debut+b6&dpID=41zNEwhnFGL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

They're also about to announce the 2018 model lineup and they are front ported which is cool. Maybe some others can chime in on some good speakers in the $300 price range as well.

So the Denon receiver plus a pair of the Elac's would run you about $600, you could save the $100 and put it towards a nicer subwoofer. Something like an HSU, Rythmik, or SVS. I think you'd be MUCH happier going this route than skimping on the components now just to get started and then having to spend more money later on when you realize how much of a difference a quality setup will sound. I skimped out when starting my setup and I definitely have regretted it and spent more money than I otherwise would have had I just spent the money upfront.

If you want to go the passive route, a decent setup would probably be around $150-200. If you want something with a tuner, a receiver would be a good choice over an amp.

Right now, you can get this Yamaha R-S202BL Stereo Receiver on Amazon or Best Buy for $119 which is an excellent deal. Usually this receiver costs $149 or more and Yamaha makes some of the best budget stereo receivers. Sometimes you can find this Insignia Stereo Receiver for about $99, but right now it costs higher than the Yamaha and is not worth it. Those are probably your best deals on receivers right now that won't break the bank. Most other receivers will cost you about $150 to start.

You can find a lot of good speakers under $150 and a few under $100. What you need to do is sign up for Fry's Electronics newsletter. Just this last week they sent a coupon code in my email to get the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR speakers for $58! Super good deal. Normally cost just over $100. They are sold out now, but this deal pops up quite often and they are well worth that price.

Here are more great speakers around $100 or less:

Micca MB42X speakers - $90.

Polk T15 - $100

Dayton Audio B652 - $30

Dayton Audio B652-AIR - $44

JBL Arena B15 - $79

Long story short, my front left tower has a damaged tweeter and my google skills cannot find the replacement available for sale.

1. What is your budget?

I am open to spending up to $1500.

2. What are you looking for?

I want a new LCR and I think I am leaning towards floor speakers sa I have kids and bookshelves on stands seem WAY more likely to get knocked over. I COULD mount some speakers on the wall, but again... they might be likely to hang on to them. (Kids. Not Even Once.) Also I am NOT interested in ATMOS at this time.

All in I think I prefer the ease of use with the towers but I dont know if they are the best bang for the buck for me as my subwoofer handles the bottom end pretty well.

3. How will you typically be using the gear?

I use it for home theater (Movies and Games) 50% and music the other 50%.

4. What gear do you own?

• Denon AVR‑X2100W
  
• Pioneer SP-FS52 Andrew Jones x2
  
• Pioneer SP-C22 Andrew Jones
  
• Pioneer (AJs) SP-BS52 Andrew Jones x2 (as rear surrounds)
  
• HSU VTF-15H Subwoofer
  
  5. What do you intend on using for a source?
  
  I stream Spotify Premium or use my PS4 for BlueRay, Games, Netflix and Youtube (mostly kids).
  
  6. What material will you be using your gear for?
  
  In order of importance I think I want movies, music and gaming. Lately I have been listening to a lot of
  
  7. Are you willing to buy used?
  
  Yes. My problem with used research is there are SOOOO many brands and models for me to lookup on a price/sound ratio that I quickly get inundated.
  
  All in I have been thinking about updating my setup for a while, and this tweeter issue is a perfect excuse.
  I have a buddy using the HSU 5.1 and it sounds great. Otherwise I don't have much exposure to a lot of other brands (and there seem to be a LOT of them).
  
  As of right now the following combinations have caught my attention:
  
  
• HSU CCB-8 x 3 (so matching center on its side) (also these are not out yet... so minimal reviews)
  
• ELAC B6 pair with C5 Center
  
• ELAC UB5 pair with UC5 Center
  
• ELAC F6 with C5 Center
  
• ELAC UF5 pair with UC5 Center
  
  What other speakers should I consider? Or is there a clear winner?
  

Ideally, you want to spend the most money towards obtaining better speakers. You can't improve upon the sound of your source, but you can lose less detail; the speakers are the culprits that lose/alter/affect the most of your sound's detail/musicality/etc. So naturally, this is what you want to spend the most money on (cheap speakers with cheap components really dull down the music). The best NEW budget speakers you'll find are $80 Micca MB42X's.

As a rule of thumb: used audio equipment is usually cheaper and better than new items at the same price range.

As far as turntables go, the LP60 does need to be upgraded. When looking for a better turntable, you really want to have tracking weight adjustment, anti-skating adjustment, and the possibility to upgrade cartridges (the part that houses the needle and interprets grooves into analog audio signal). The LP60 has none of those. My go to recommendation would be to look for a used Rega Planar 3 or P3 on eBay (~$350), those are some quality tables with lots of room for upgradeability (installing upgrades to the Rega can make it come close to $3,000+ TTs).

For a phono preamplifier, on a tight budget, I'd recommend a Cambridge Audio Azur 540p, which can be found for ~$50-60.

Increasing your budget up to $500 would put you together a setup that would definitely sound FAR better than an AT-LP60!

Wish you two best of luck, and enjoy the music!

Well, that depends. Many people here swear by going used. I'd probably be among them, but after scouring my local Craigslist and pawn & thrift shops in my area, I decided it wasn't worth my time and the money I was dumping on gas everyday and just ordered a brand new one. I'd recommend at least checking out craigslist before jumping to a new table. There is a great guide in the sidebar called "The Cheap Setup Thread". Take a look, it has some GREAT info.

If you want to go new, there are quite a few options:
For bottom of the barrel in price and functionality, there is the AudioTechnica LP-60. This is pretty bare bones, and not a lot of people recommend it. It's about $90 on Amazon right now, but I've seen it anywhere from $70 to $120.

The pros are: it's cheap, automatic (hit play and the tone arm will lift up and set down on your record), and has a built in preamp, so you can just plug into any receiver or even a pair of computer speakers and go. There's a little bundle with the player, a small t-amp, and pair of halfway decent bookshelf speakers on amazon for $170 under the "Frequently bought together" part of the page.

Cons: A few. I had this for about a month and returned it to Amazon because I was unhappy. It's a halfway decent table, but has no adjustable counterweight and no upgradable parts. It is what it is. If you have a record in fine shape, it'll play it just fine. If your record is a bit scuffed, or maybe pressed a bit off center (as was the case with a couple I had), the sucker will skip and skip to no end. When this happens on a regular table, sometimes you can adjust the counterweight and fix the problem. That's not an option here, if you've got a bad record, you're stuck.

Next level up would be the LP-120 from AudioTechnica. This is what I've got. I upgraded the cartridge right away with the Shure M97xe since the stock cartridge requires a pretty heavy tracking force. This is the next model up from AudioTechnica, and it's miles better, but it's over three times the price if you want to upgrade the cartridge. However, you've got a lot more room to upgrade, adjustable counterweight and anti-skate, and still a built in preamp so you can plug into whatever receiver you have, or again, even just a pair of computer speakers. Still not a lot of love for this guy here, but pretty much everyone here, when pressed, will admit that it's a way better option than the LP60, and will admit that it's not a total waste of money.

The last one I've heard a lot about (but have no experience with) is the Pro-Ject Debut. From what I hear, this sucker is awesome right out of the box, no need to mess with cartridges or anything. I don't think this has a built in preamp (I could be wrong), so you'd need a receiver with a phono input or a separate phono preamp, which you can find on amazon for around $20.

In short, you get more out of a turntable with either more money (when buying new) or more effort (when buying used). Check out the sidebar guides and search /r/vinyl for previous discussions, as mine is by no means an exhaustive list, simply two tables I have experience with and one I've heard great things about.

Enjoy! And by all means, if your Crosley isn't driving you insane, stick with that for awhile and save up/look around and get what you want. Take it from me, if you settle for something less than you want, you'll regret it later.

Sounds like the 305's would fit the bill then, you may have to hang them, but for the dollar they are very good.

>Years ago, people used to be all about tweeters. Is it worthwhile having one?

Er, the tweeters on the LSR's are very good, Im not sure if you are confusing the waveguide tops on the speakers with a traditional dome tweeter. Both serve the same purpose, but the waveguide just distributes sound better than domes do at this pricepoint.

The only thing you may want with these speakers is a separate subwoofer. If you want to get one, it'll be a tight fit in the $600CDN you have to spend on the audio stuff.

This would probably work, but would put you $50 over:

https://www.amazon.ca/America-12-Inch-430-Watt-Down-Firing-Subwoofer/dp/B0000Y2WYS

Good response down to about 30Hz, which should compliment the LSR's nicely in your small room though if you can spend a bit more, the F12's are a bit better:

https://www.amazon.ca/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M/

I'm not an expert on mobo amplification I do know they have one (otherwise you wouldn't be able to hear sound at all) but generally they're tuned for 80ish-ohm or less headphones. Some headphones can benifit from amplifation even if they have low impedance. Not sure why it wouldn't be showing up in the front port but if you genually need a good headphone amp then buying an external DAC/amp combo is the best thing you can do. The SMSL 793 is a great choice. Cleaned up my audio quite a bit, gave me volume control next to my keybaord and even though my headphones didnt really "need" amplification they certainly gave them an extra umph and bite. Z reviews did a YouTube video about it if you're interested in that. What kind of headphones do you have?

Edit - One last note. If you ARE interested it seems like your mobo has an optical out. That makes the SD793II perfect as it pretty much only accepts optical audio as an in.

I'm assuming that you love your records and as such want to keep them in the best possible condition so you can enjoy them for years to come. With that assumption, I'm going to strongly urge you against taking VicTheButcher's advice. Crosley turntables are marketed towards people just getting into collecting vinyl. They use a proprietary ceramic cartridge with a heavy tonearm that will cause excessive wear and damage to your records. When looking for a turntable the general rule of thumb is to go vintage (actual vintage, not 5-in-1 combo stuff). I'm a huge fan of Technics turntables myself, but there are a lot of great brands out there. Head on over to /r/vinyl for some insight into what you should look for. If you aren't looking to spend a lot right now or want something to tide you over until you can afford a nicer setup, I would recommend an Audio-Technica LP-60, which is currently available for $89 on Amazon. It is a great introductory turntable and served me well until I upgraded. Also, check your local thrift shops for turntables and audio equipment, you would be surprised at what you can run across. I've seen a lot of setups put together for a fraction of what you would expect from people hitting up their local thrift stores. Trust me, once you get a decent setup it is all worth it.

Ohhh, a newbie! This will be fun... 🙃

A standard record player/turntable (you can use them interchangeably) will output using stereo RCA. The signal needs to go through a Phono Preamp first. Some turntables have a preamp built-in, most do not (especially as you move up the quality scale).

Then you need an amplifier to power the speakers you get. Some speakers can be plugged directly into a “line-level” jack (think headphone port). Others need an amplifier. You can get a cheap one on Amazon like this, or a nicer one like this, or you could try your local thrift store; stereo amps don’t have to be particularly new, so it’s often easy to score one for cheap.

As for the actual record player, [Rega] and Pro-Ject are the two big brands, as well as U-Turn and the every level. What I would call the first fully “proper” turntable starts at around $400. A U-Turn Orbit can be had for around $200. You can get a black plastic Sony or AudioTechnica on Amazon for $100, but I would advise against it.

The tables you’ll want to look for are the Rega Planar 1 (or “P1”), the Pro-Ject Debut/Debut Carbon, or the U-Turn Orbit. Don’t buy from Amazon. Best Buy/Magnolia is a good source, as is your local Hi-Fi dealer (assuming you have one).

I’ve owned the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon and the Regs P3, and liked them both. Please feel free to ask my anything, or PM me. I’m happy to help in any way that I can!

Alright, $250 I can work with ;)

You should definitely listen to a few different things to get an idea of what you want as different speakers are designed with different things in mind and that will change the way they sound. I like a flatter setup from my speakers themselves compared to the "smiley eq" most complete systems have. I'm running just a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 30's with a Pyle PTA4 amplifier for my desktop setup. The Monitor 30's are no longer in production but I've heard these are very comparable: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107R150/Polk-Audio-R150.html?tp=186

The Pyle amp can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PTA4-2x120-Stereo-Amplifier/dp/B003NVN1PY I personally got mine for about $30 on woot.com one day, you may be able to find them cheaper than this, or build out something slightly different. Again I recommend doing a little research. You can also setup with a home theater receiver/amp for your system. That's what I started with and then moved the receiver to my home theater when I actually bought a decent TV and speakers for it (Polk Audio Monitor 70's). A receiver/amp will be more than the Pyle and honestly I think it's a little overpriced but it was a good deal at $30. You just need a 2 channel amp.

I don't run a subwoofer on my desktop, I generally don't want to be too loud at my desk and the bookshelf speakers are capable of putting out more than enough bass for me. I run a Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer on my TV setup. You could hook it in with these no problem and if you want more bass this thing will provide. http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-10-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B0002KVQBA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1413525800&sr=1-1&keywords=polk+audio+subwoofer, the sub will hook straight into the PC so no need to worry about the amp being compatible, you can always add it later.

We're also closing on Christmas/Thanksgiving. I picked up most of my sound equipment during those sales 2 years ago. A pair of Monitor 70's for $150 each, the PSW10 for $80, and a CS10 for $100. Paying attention to slickdeals.com can save you a lot of money if you're willing to wait a little to get setup.

It does cost a good bit more for speakers like this but you get a lot more speaker for your money. I rarely turn my desktop volume higher than 25% and almost never over 50%, I always used to turn my little 2.1 complete system way up trying to get more loudness out of it. It's also generally best to keep your speakers to the same manufacturer and preferably the same speaker line as they're likely designed together so the ranges each covers will complement each other better. That's why I have a ton of Polk and nothing else.

If you're set on a complete system: I hear Klipsch is good but I avoid complete systems ever since I started buying speakers and amps myself and heard how good they sound so I can't really help much with those.

Pioneer Andrew Jones SP-BS22 bookshelves are great entry level units that regularly go for $60 shipped for the pair. The floorstanders are also great for about 80% more.

I picked up two of these for $49 each. If you need something with video input, I know there are many receivers in the $150-200 range with 5.1/7.1 output. They come and go in price and availability so often, i can't recommend a cheap one by model, specifically. Denon and Onkyo do well, and I really like Yamaha for basics. The receiver is generally the most difficult thing to swap in and out at a later time, so if a deal presents itself, or if budget allows to get closer to $300-400, you can gain a lot, and be able to support more mid-level gear.

Don't tell your audiophile friends you own it, but the original Monoprice Subwoofer goes on sale regularly. I bought one for a friend @ $70 plus some shipping.

A 2.1 setup like this is a dramatic change from any soundbar that isn't $400 or more (and some ~$1,000), generally speaking. Expand or exchange components as Craigslist, availability, and budget allows. I am not a baller that can afford ridiculous setups, but I have a variety of nice things. I have built budget setups of all kinds for clients and friends. I like my stuff, but I would enjoy a movie on a setup like this at a friend's house so much more than a TV over the fireplace with a soundbar on the mantle.

Well "best" is completely subjective. But getting passive speakers (un-powered) that require speaker wire and a separate amp will allow you to hand pick components and upgrade in the future. If you buy a powered set of speakers and they break or you want something different, you have to scrap the whole thing.

It's a bit more effort, but it's pretty damn fun and ultimately very rewarding. A simple passive speaker system will sound better than most pc speaker boxed sets that even cost 2x more. And you can add a subwoofer for the best bass quality possible.

But I understand convenience may matter more to some people.

It really depends on how much you have to spend. Start with a lepai amp if it is the strictest of budgets, but I would say spend a bit more on an amp from smsl or something for a bit more quality and power.

I started with micca mb42x which are very well regarded for the price. In the under $1-$200 price range spending or skimping even $20 will almost always provide a tangible difference in quality.

This sub's sidebar and the Zeos Guide have great speaker lists.

Hmm, not a lot to spend on speakers and headphones. Shooting from the hip, around that budget, I'd probably go one of two directions:

A pair of reasonable-ish entry-level speakers - something in the vein of the Micca [MB42] (https://www.amazon.com/Micca-PB42X-Powered-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B009IUIV4A) (which is passive, and so requires an amplifier, which can be [pretty cheap for a very budget option] (https://www.amazon.com/Lepy-LP-2020A-Class-D-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B01FZKA28Y/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=class+t+amplifier&qid=1573193876&s=electronics&sr=1-7))/[PB42X] (https://www.amazon.com/Micca-PB42X-Powered-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00NXAEPDC) (which is powered and so requires no amplifier) - which will run something a little north of $100 unless you're down to buy used, plus a reasonable lower mid end closed headphone ([NVX's branding of the Yoga CD880] (https://www.amazon.com/NVX-Over-Ear-Headphones-ComfortMax-XPT100/dp/B0093PVTPS) is a pick I like a fair bit). These speakers will be pretty alright, albeit imperfect to be sure, and there are a few decent-to-good closed-back options in the ~$100 range.

Alternatively, if speaker quality is literally of no importance, you could go for something in the budget range of those Logitechs - there really are absolutely not options that cheap that are any good at all, but if you only use speakers to occasionally listen to youtube videos, it might be acceptable. That would leave more budget to allocate to the headphone side of things, where you'd have options like [AKG's] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svAmJheRxAg) K371, NAD'S HP50,or on the used side of the street [AKG's] (https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/akg/n700nc-wireless) N700NC, which are quite robust options in the closed-back world (particularly, in my opinion, the N700NC, which sounds fantastic to my ears with its digital signal processing active, and has quite good noise cancelling as well).

It's a bit of a tight squeeze regardless - if you're down with used gear, you can get a bit more for your dollar, but at very low price points you're in a space where shipping costs may dwarf savings, so even that might not help much, outside of headphones (which don't cost much to ship, and have a quite vibrant used market).

If you'd like more information or options, just let me know - I've thrown some links in above, but I'm pretty short of time today, so I figured I'd offer what I had from the top of my head rather than leaving you waiting.

Budget: Like to keep it under 800.
What I Need: Looking for an entry level system with a receiver to build around. Only want 2 speakers.
Where it will be used: In the family room of a 1600 square foot single level. The room is 15 x 15.
Use: Music (variety). Will use with Apple TV and PC for gaming and movie watching.

I was thinking about going with the Onkyo A-9010 https://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-A-9010-Integrated-Stereo-Amplifier/dp/B00SY20TE8

Speakers: I was going with floor speakers. These look good. Pioneer SP-FS52. https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-FS52-Designed-standing-Loudspeaker/dp/B008NCD2S4

Questions:
I want the system to be a incognito as possible to placate partner. Will the system sound good? Would lay people be impressed with the sound? Or is going to sound like a glorified 5 speaker special from Best buy? I'm willing to spend more on the speakers, up too $500 if there is a significant difference that a normal person could tell. I am not interested in a loud or party system. I'm in my mid thirties and got a little one. I am interested in new right now, and preferably from Amazon. Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.

Sorry for all the questions.. really appreciate your answers, you've given me more detail than anybody I've talked to at the audio/video stores I go into. Can I buy you a beer somehow? :)

I have one final question I think... my wife chose a TV Stand/Media Console to house all this stuff, and I only have 5.67" of height for the center speaker, so unfortunately that rules out the Dayton Audio set, as well as the Pioneer set I brought up earlier.

So I'm looking at one of two options, first this Micca setup:

Micca MB42X for Front L/R and Rear L/R
Micca MB42X-C for Center (5.3 inches tall, fits my needs)
~$330 CAD for the set of 5 speakers, not bad!
https://www.amazon.ca/Micca-MB42X-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B00HHFBEK6

(Instead of the MB42X, maybe the RB42? https://www.amazon.ca/Micca-RB42-Reference-Bookshelf-Speaker/dp/B07JC416LG/ Seems better reviewed, would add $120 to the price to do those front and back, or just $60 more to do those in the front and still have MB42X in the rear)

(Another option is just to get 5 MB42X-C's?... Or 3 for the front and 2 MB42X at rear)

or this Polk setup.. only other decently priced one I found with a small center.. but this center is much smaller than the Micca:

Polk Audio TL2 for Center
https://www.amazon.ca/Polk-Audio-Speaker-Center-Channel/dp/B0043M667M
Polk T15 for Front L/R and Rear L/R
https://www.amazon.ca/Polk-Audio-T15-Bookshelf-7-25-Inch/dp/B002RJLHB8
~$458 CAD for the set of 5 speakers

(Another option is the T300 set for $150/pair. Shaves $40 off the overall price, not sure if there's much difference there. https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/polk-audio-polk-audio-t300-100-watt-bookshelf-speakers-pair-t300/10166613 )

I'm not a big fan of the look of the TL2 Bookshelf speakers.. so went for the T15/T300 instead.

Curious if you have any opinions about which to pick.. I'm leaning towards the Micca because they fill the shelves better and the reviews online seem to be decent, and the tiny TL2 center from Polk is... tiny.

To pair with all this I have a Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer.. which gets alot of hate around here but seems more than powerful enough for my needs. Got it last night and hooked it up and I'm running it at about 10% on the gain dial and it's more than enough for what I need.. will probably piss off my neighbours (semi-detached home) even at that level.

Again, thanks for your help, really appreciate folks like you that take the time to answer threads and help people out with their questions.

EDIT: All the above said.. after listening to a dozen reviews or so on the Micca line-up.. I think I'm leaning towards either:

1. RB-42 front and back, and MB42X-C center (really just because I can't get the RB-42C in Canada). This sounds like I'd have alot more bass in the RB-42, but they are weak at high volumes. Filling a large room like I'll have these in would be difficult, although most of the time I'm sitting fairly close to the speakers when watching TV, this would only be an issue while listening to music in the room somewhere other than the couch infront of it.
   
   
2. MB42X-C x 5 all around. More power and higher sensitivity and they seem to keep their clean sound at higher volumes. Less bass per speaker.. but I have the sub in the setup so hopefully that helps fill that gap (even though it's a PSW10).
   
   Long post, sorry... rambling a little as I go back and forth between options.

Asked in the last thread but a bit late, hopefully more luck now.

Budget: Hoping to stay under $300 if I can

I have the ever popular JBL LSR305's and they're beautiful, but I'm looking to round out my setup past simply having the speakers directly plugged in. I know I'll need a DAC or something in order to get rid of the hiss the speakers get when I have them over 4, but it's an entirely new field for me and I'm getting a bit lost. As long as I have solid quality, I can get the volume up without worrying about white noise, and maybe a volume knob then that'd fit my requirements for the DAC/preamp/whatnot (I know the 305's are powered so don't need a preamp at least), doesn't have to be expensive (I've seen some very pricey systems come up), just solid for my purposes and able to block out the noise my computer might be generating in the input.

Where I'd prefer the majority of the money to go though is towards a sub, the 305's have a lovely low end but I'm big into bass heavy music, especially dub so having a dedicated subwoofer will be needed to get the boom I'm looking for. My first instinct was to look for the paired sub (The LSR 310s) But while I'm sure it sounds amazing it seems like I might be able to get more than enough for less, $400 is a hefty price point, though I remain tempted. I've searched through this subreddit and seen this sub suggested, but I'd like to know if anyone with 305's has a system they might vouch for, maybe have 2 or 3 options, of which I'm having difficulty finding as most of the posts I can find tend to be 2.0 setups.

Get a basic 5.0 system, then add a sub. This should be good value for music and movies. I'm partial to Denon/Marantz for their musical audio quality, but some other folks on this sub may know a cheaper receiver that still sounds good. The speakers are definitely the best bang for your buck, but you could get higher quality speakers for music if you did a 2.1 instead of surround sound. Based on the 4K TV, I'm assuming you're going to be watching movies/tv more than you listen to music.

• AV Receiver ($280): https://www.amazon.com/Denon-Audio-Component-Receiver-AVRS530BT/dp/B06XYD1RZ3/
  
  
• L, R, Surround L, Surround R (2 x $90): https://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B00E7H8GG2/
  
  
• Center Channel ($80): https://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-C-Channel-Speaker-Tweeter/dp/B00HHFBEK6/
  
  
• Speaker Wire ($11): https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-16-Gauge-Speaker-Wire-Feet/dp/B006LW0W5Y/
  
  Boom! Slightly overbudget but you get a good 5.0 surround sound, 4K/HDR compatible receiver, and you can throw in a BIC F12 subwoofer for $200 or a Polk PSW10 for $100 when you save the cash

Firstly, if you want a better sound than these go with the https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R1700BT-Bluetooth-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B016PATXSI. If you don’t need Bluetooth and want to save money get the R1280T. Having said that, the bass is excellent (not subwoofer excellent) but it’s great for a speaker of this size. The highs are crisp and clean. The construction/heft of the cabinet probably contributes to the warm sound. The remote is just a small membrane type. Response to button input from it is immediate. I thought I would use these with Bluetooth but after hearing the difference between the compressed sound caused by Bluetooth vs direct connection I decided to wire these. This guy https://youtu.be/ApdsaDkvoj8 does some awesome reviews on YouTube. He lets hear the actual difference in the sound between the types of speakers. Since I’m just going with the wired connection I could have purchased the R1280Ts and saved $29. Anyway I’m totally happy with the clear, room filling sound of these speakers.

I have multiple Aura bass shakers (one per corner), I have a TON of the small Dayton pucks (probably 12+ of them in the house lol, not all hooked up). I have been using the small SMSL amps to power everything with very good success. I will eventually change up and get big Clark transducers, but the money can be spent for now on other stuff that would give me a bigger benefit (like motion).

SMSL SA50 50Wx2 TDA7492 Class D Amplifier + Power Adapter (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0H8TOC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GkV0Cb3HB33K8

https://www.parts-express.com/aurasound-ast-2b-4-pro-bass-shaker-tactile-transducer--299-028

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-tt25-8-puck-tactile-transducer-mini-bass-shaker-8-ohm-4-pack--300-391


Those are the current things on my rig, I also have these which are the 'knockoff' brand of the Aura (Dayton bought the company of I recall correctly, so it's not a true knockoff, but you know what I mean). They're not quite as good as the Aura but still good and much more powerful than just the small pucks. They are also a little cheaper than the original Aura if you need to save a few bucks.

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-bst-1-high-power-pro-tactile-bass-shaker-50-watts--295-244


IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!!!!!!

My rig is built of 80/20 profile tubing, and the shakers are either mounted to a thin (roughly 5 to 10mm thick depending on which transducer it is) piece of wood that's directly attached to the rig.

If you are using something like a Playseat or GT Omega rig make sure you think about how solid everything will need to be mounted and the vibrations will be stronger since the material isn't as solid or sturdy.

It's fine to use those, just pay attention to how you mount stuff to avoid buzzing or it coming loose lol.

OK. Here we go.

At your price point and experience level we should stick with solid state. tubes are more expensive and potentially temperamental. your speakers are solid, vintage big box bangers. Your room may not be too huge, but you need to push a decent amount of air to get those speakers to sound good. So you need at least 50 watts per channel.

Vintage: when in doubt, go pioneer. they sound great, look awesome and are built like tanks. I would recommend either an SX-750 or SX-780. Anything lower on the food chain might not be able to get your speakers going, and anything higher is going to be out of your price range. The 780 is a slightly later model and might cost a little less, but with no real difference in performance (IMHO). Unfortunately, getting a specific model means looking on eBay. Some folks have gotten burned buying receivers on eBay, I myself have been very lucky. Just make sure the unit has been recently serviced, and that the seller has a positive feedback rating AND SELLS A LOT OF ELECTRONICS.

If you do not want to go eBay, that means thrifts/yard sales/flea markets. Just look for something clean that has the WPC you need (at least 50 as indicated above). Look for the usual suspects, Pioneer, Marantz, Sansui, Technics. Also keep an eye peeled for Sony, Harman Kardon, Kenwood, JVC, Aiwa, etc.

2 things to keep in mind when looking for a vintage receiver:

1. Is it silver faced? It seems silly to judge a receiver on looks, but remember that silver facing was the style in the 70s, which was the golden age of hi-fi. When the faces started to turn black was when shit started to go down hill with consumer audio. Is every silver receiver good and every black one lousy? Not at all. But is this a good way to quickly get an idea about a receiver? Definitely.
   
   
2. Is it heavy? This is another good method for quickly judging vintage audio gear. In general, light weight means bad.
   
   New: a great new receiver in your price range is the Onkyo TX-8255. Has the 50 WPC your speakers crave. Also has a built in phono preamp (which you need for spinning records) which most modern receivers lack. As it is new there is no sweating shady eBay sellers, or worrying about it dying 3 days after you hook it up. But most importantly, it has a decent, neutral sound. Amazon has it for around $200
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-8255B-TX-8255-Stereo-Receiver/dp/B001AMSPQI/ref=zg_bs_667846011_15
   
   Another nice new receiver that might fit your needs is the Sherwood RX-4105. At 100 WPC you will be banging it nice and loud. It will require an external phono preamp, but at $120 you can afford one.
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Sherwood-RX-4105-Stereo-Receiver-Black/dp/B0002EPWC0/ref=sr_1_24?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1313428014&sr=1-24
   
   If you go with the Sherwood, get this phono-pre, the Artcessories ART DJPRE II . You will not do better for under $100.
   
   http://www.amazon.com/ART-II-Preamplifier-Outputs-Switchable/dp/B000AJR482/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376331900&sr=1-2&keywords=artcessories

At the bare minimum include the following things if you want help and/or advice choosing or setting up amplifiers, speakers, DACS, etc

• Budget: a little more or less than 100 u$s? I'm not sure
  
• Country: Argentina. If the product cost more than 50$, I have to pay 50% of the excedent as taxes
  
• I can buy from: Any amazon, b&h, I think almost everywhere
  
• Use: Audioslave, RHCP, Rock in general, series,
  
• Where: A desk in a Room
  
• Space: 3.67m x 3.88m, NOT really loud, I will be most of the time 1.5m away from the speakers and occasionally on my bed, or taking a bath or cooking in the next room.
  
  Optional but also helpful
  
  
• Powered, passive, or no preference: no preference, I've heard you can get a better quality with the same budget with passive speakers.
  
• Any size limitations for either speaker or amp: no
  
• To upgrade later?: not really
  
• Pref certain way of sounding (Bright/forward, smooth/laid back, neutral, etc): that immersive experience (everyone here would call it the commercial one?) but I'm not sure, I don't have any speaker to listen and compare.., I only have a HyperX Cloud 1 headsets and I won't be downloading FLAC at least for the moment, I only listen from Spotify (music) or Bluray (series and movies) most part of the time
  
  I've made my search but I have no idea about this so... I need speakers for the pc on the desk in my room. Mostly for series, music, games. I will not update the system soon after this purchase and I don't have anything right now besides my current headphones.
  
  I'm from Argentina so I have 2 disadvantages: I have absolutely no idea what I'm buying because there are no places near me to try any of these speakers. For every purchase, if I spend more than 50$ I will have to pay 50% of the excedent. That means, I can buy an amp of 30$ without paying taxes or if it exists the possibility to buy a pair of headphones by separate (1 and 1 making a pair) I will probably not pay taxes... Are there places willing to do that?
  
  This is my room: https://imgur.com/a6UVKYU
  
  Questions:
  
  - What would you recommend and why?
  
  - My motherboard doesn't have bluetooth. I want to connect my pc the 99% of the time and maybe my phone 4-5mts away. What is my best option?
  
  - I think I can buy from any amazon. I've found better prices for some of the products there. Editing..
  
  Active:
  
  Edifier R1280T 156$ - £89.99
  
  Edifier R980T 115$ - £59.99
  
  Swan Speakers - D1010-IVB (unavailable? the 2nd best option?)
  
  Passive:
  
  Micca PB42 60$
  
  Micca PB42X 110$
  
  Pioneer SP-BS22-LR 93$ (the best ones? 1st best option?)
  
  Dayton Audio B652 28$
  
  Dayton Audio B652-AIR 45$
  
  Amp:
  
  Lepy LP-2020A Class-D 23$ (I want to connect my phone occasionally without disconnecting my pc, should I get a bluetooth or wifi amp?)
  
  ​
  
  ps: sorry for the long post and thanks in advance

These are your best bet in my opinion. They will sound better than that logitech system, and probably last longer as well. With the logitech system you are tying yourself down to using their sub, which means that if you decide you want better bass in the future you will have to either scrap the whole system and start over with dedicated speakers, or try to reuse the Logitech speakers and end up with something sub-par. With the Miccas, you can just add an RCA splitter and a subwoofer and be good to go.

If you want even more flexibility, go with the unpowered Miccas and get an amp like the SMSL SA50, which will be more power than you would ever need for those speakers for near-field (close up) listening.

To save a little money now you could also go with the Micca MB42 instead of the MB42x. The MB42x come with an upgraded crossover and according to most reviewers it is very much worth it to get the upgraded version.

If you really want your system to last a long time, you are much better off separating your components. Get a pair of speakers, get an amp for the speakers, and get a sub all as separate components. That way, you can upgrade components individually in the future without needing to scrap the whole system like you would need to do with the Logitechs. This also applies if a component breaks; you can replace one thing at a time. And even without upgrading, you will still end up with a much, much better sounding system for not much more money.

Sorry this doesn't (directly) answer your question, but at your budget, I think you're better off starting off with a 2.0 system than 2.1. A decent pair of speakers will have better bass extension (goes lower frequency with better clarity) than a cheap subwoofer. It's kind of only worth getting a sub if you can spend more than ~$100 on it, which would put too much strain on your budget. Wait until you save up a little more and expand a 2.0 system to include a sub.

For equipment recommendations, I'll start with the amp, since that has the least amount of flexibility. The cheapest component worth recommending is the Muse M50, but it's not great and doesn't give you a lot of room to expand. The Audiosource AMP-100 is a very capable amp at around $100. A receiver would give you A/V control, but will cost significantly more. Fortunately, there are tons of decent receivers on Craiglist for ~$50 if you're interested in going the used route.

My recommendation to those on a budget is to buy a used receiver for the amplifier. A nice balance of Good Enough quality and low cost.

For speakers, you have a ton more options that really depends on how much budget you have left after the amp. Two suggestions to get started: Pioneer and BIC. The BIC's are more home theater speakers, rather than something for a desk. They get loud, but at a higher cost.

You could also go used again. I love older B&W stuff, and you can probably find some of their speakers used in your budget.

The TriTrix is popular because it can be built in different configurations. The sealed enclosure is good for a center channel, but you'll probably want the vented or transmission line enclosure for your main speakers, depending on what you have space for. I'm not sure what the frequency response of the sealed design is though, so it might be fine for LR when paired with a subwoofer.

I'd probably start with a pair of overnight sensations and then see where that gets you. They're pretty cheap and easy to build, so you're not really risking anything. You can then read about how they compare to other designs to get a better idea of what some of those other kits sound like.

But at that price it's hard to recommend anything other than the Pioneer BS22. They're excellent speakers, and no DIY kit can compete with Pioneer's economy of scale. There's also a tremendous number of used speakers you can get for under $100, and depending on your luck it's often the best option for a low budget.

Dump the Numark, but the other three will work fine. They aren't top of the line but will definitely get the job done. The transaudio TT does not come with a headshell or cartridge so you need to factor that in. You might be able to talk the sellers down to $100. Make sure you demo absolutely everything when you check them out: TEST TEST TEST. If you can't demo it, walk away. Also, they make some apps to check the speed of TTs: RPM, iRPM, RPM calculator. They aren't 100% accurate so if it says 33.2 or 33.4, you're probably fine. If it says something like 32 or 35, the speed is off.

Also, the Technics SL-D3 /u/RecipeForIceCubes posted in Grand Rapids is a good table, but it's like 50 miles away so that's up to you.

Next you will need a preamp: a fairly cheap one is the ART DJ PREII for $49 on Amazon--if you want to buy a cheap preamp for under $20 you could but it will be something you should upgrade ASAP when you can.

Right now you are not necessarily focused on a huge sound upgrade since you will be plugging the TT into that Panasonic all-in-one you have. Just make sure you have a TT that you can begin to build a setup around down the line and once the rest of your system has outgrown the TT you can upgrade it.

Good luck.

So, if you like the convenience of the Pill, but want more ooomph, I've gotta recommend the Logitech UE Boombox. It's been discontinued, but you can get new or practically new models on eBay for 70 bucks or so.

I've owned a lot of nice Bluetooth speakers, and some decent audio gear, and pound for pound nothing really touches the thing.

I would recommend heading up your local Goodwill or other thrift store for speakers and an old receiver. With a pretty minimal amount of footwork, you can grab something that probably cost $1000 back in the day for $100.

Skip Marantz as it's really over priced at this point, but brands like Realistic, Rotel, Sansui, and Pioneer are still affordable. They look cool as shit, and have a nice distinctive sound. You can probably get a low-end 20 or 30 W per channel Realistic off craigslist or at your local thrift shop for 30 bucks.

You can then get a nice set of Boston Acoustic or Polk audio speakers for another 50 bucks. Just make sure the foam around the subwoofers is fine, and that the tweeters aren't busted. Most people are happy to hook them up for you to listen to.

If you don't want to mess with older stuff, grab one of these :

ttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B017W13OR0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hg16xbX21C1NM

And a set of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E7H8GG2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Ih16xb227QN96

And two of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011LXUKE0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5j16xb4JV5NZ5

Alternatively, grab the amp and wires new, and then get the speakers used off eBay or Craigslist or whatever. Speakers lose value at an alarming rate, but at the sub-$100 price point you're not really risking much.

For reference, I got a set of B+W CM2 speakers for $90 off Craigslist. They were almost $1000 new 12 years ago.

So this may be like casting a fishing line into the darkness, but everyone seems helpful enough, so here it goes.

I am thinking of diving into the world of vinyl, and I would like to do it properly the first time around, rather than having to replace items as I go. The purpose of the build would be for pure listening pleasure, to include headphone use. There are other methods of listening to music currently (Sonos wireless setup), so this wouldn't be for daily listening.

For starters this is the relative area that we are working with. While there can be some slight changes to size specs on the amp, turntable, and speakers, I would like to stay as close to stock as possible.

This is the turntable that was suggested to me, as a solid piece of equipment that sounds solid. It does have lots of features that I may not use though, such as the USB connection. There isn't any DJing in my future, just listening and flipping. The price point is about my budget for a turntable.

I have no idea what to look for in an amp, but would like there to be a built in preamp (unless there is a sound quality reason to avoid it) and a headphones jack for the front portion. My budget for this portion would be roughly $500 - $600.

Speakers, I know are a world of pain when it comes to price... or at least they can be. I am currently trying to find the dimensions of the speaker section of this console, knowing this will have direct impact on the speaker choice. The budget for speakers (to include speaker wiring) would be $800 for the pair.

My headphones are reference level from a few years back. They are no where close to me, so I don't have the brand / type offhand. In regards to the new or used department, I am perfectly fine with used, as long as it is good condition and has the desired sound quality.

Thank you for any help, and if you need any more details, please let me know.

Edit: Local Craigslist(ings): http://austin.craigslist.org/ and http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/

Even though the speaker says 40hz - 20,000 or whatever it’s not gonna play the 40-80-100 hz like a sub will. Varies with each brand or series of speaker you have to look at the graphs on the speakers to see where it starts dropping off and A sub would be better.
With AV receiver or a fancier 2 channel once you have a sub you can set the speakers to play at 100 Hz and and up etc. and the sub handle everything 100 hz and below and generally the speaker sounds better when not trying to do the low frequencies. So adding a sub and doing your adjustments in the settings in the receiver can make your regular speaker sound better and the sub produce the low frequencies better than the speakers were.

Edit : I think it was Jamo that has sub amp issues not Fluance .?

The better more expensive subwoofers will have a flatter frequency response - Playing all the subwoofer frequencies better than a cheaper sub. cheaper subs generally have a range of frequency - say 50-70 hz -it plays better so that it’s louder at those frequencies and therefore boomy.

Watch this video and see the graphs and explanation.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5itOydYkEw&t=588s

Budget Choice -Dayton sub 1000/1200

https://www.amazon.ca/Dayton-Audio-SUB-1200-12-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B00669L3HS

I run Micca MS10 subs - about same as the Dayton’s - maybe Slightly Better Quality

Some Better Budget choices are Refurbished Infinity R10/R12, BIC F12, BIC PL-200

https://www.amazon.ca/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M

Klipsch sub I see mixed reviews - Decent But Lil Overpriced as you can’t get Better for same price or just a little more like the following

Better Choices a lil more $ - SVS, HSU, RSL

https://www.amazon.ca/SVS-PB-1000-Subwoofers-Black-Ash/dp/B00K88UMPW

sorry i forgot to add, im canadian so getting deals from canada is pretty hard /:

i don't really have a budget, but i would prefer to not spend too much money. im looking for value, and i don't want to spend any more than 400 bucks(canadian), but preferable i would like to spend less than that. if you think value lies somewhere above 400, then i don't mind getting it if the sound quality is improved by a huge amount

i'm gonna be using this for a playstation 4 pro, so i kinda want the hdmi input rather than optical or whatever

i also don't want to wait until black friday, as i have alot of free time now and i wanna set it up now.

when i look at all of these on canadian amazon, its just below 1000 bucks

https://www.amazon.ca/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG
https://www.amazon.ca/Pioneer-SP-C22-Designed-Channel-Speaker/dp/B008NCD2EI
https://www.amazon.ca/Dayton-Audio-B652-Bookshelf-Speaker/dp/B002RMPHMU
https://www.amazon.ca/Dayton-Audio-SUB-1000-10-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B0063NU3AA
https://www.amazon.ca/Yamaha-RX-V377-5-1-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B00HZE2WW8

again, thanks for your help, its the first time in this sub, and my first time posting things on reddit haha (:

I'm not a guru, but to my understanding at 300$ price range you want to start looking at AMP + Bookshelf Speakers for music.

I came to that conclusion with couple days of looking at forums and threads.

Even more so in US and I'm from EU.

​

and even before that price point some Active Studio Monitors or Active Bookshelf are better quality than Edifiers R series already.

More clarity, more depth and tighter bass, but I cannot speak for Edifier S series, they are supposedly good.

Adam, JBL, Mackie MRT, Klipsch, M-Audio, PreSonus, KRK and some more active brands I'm forgetting.

​

But at that price you can be looking at some proper Amp + Passive Speakers combos.

​

If you need Mini-amps for desk and on budget:

SMSL SA-50 68$

Dayton Audio DTA 2.1BT2 95$ - recommend this one for punchy bass and features

You could probably find some good new and used amps, if you can use bigger sized ones.

But like I said I'm no guru.

​

Bookshelf speakers:

ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 275$

KEF Q100 357$

Q Acoustics 3020i 299$

Q3020 non i version which I tried with Dayton Audio DTA 2.1BT v1. lacked bit bass, decided to go for Mission LX-2 they still haven't arrived.

But they do not seem available in US.

​

​

Hey guys,


The DAC and amp guide here seems a bit old and I'm a bit of a newbie so I figured I'd ask here.


Here is my current equipment at my work desk:

• Dell E1505 laptop - crappy, giant, old school enterprise laptop. Only audio output is 1/8th headphone jack and the sound card is awful
  
• M-Audio Studiophile AV-40 Active Studio speakers with built in amp
  
  
  These are currently connected using a simple 1/8th to 1/8th audio cable, but the end result sounds awful and looks ugly as well since the 1/8th cable has to be plugged in to the front.
  
  
  I would like to hook up the laptop to send audio to the speakers, I don't usually use headphones. The speakers use RCA and 1/8th as input, but I'd like to use RCA because those inputs are behind the speaker and won't clutter my desk. In an effort to accomplish this AND improve the sound quality a bit, should I get a DAC? And should I consider switching speakers or do you guys think these are ok?
  
  
  
• Audio source: laptop.
  
• Audio type: music, mostly metal, some IDM, some hip-hop.
  
• Willing to buy used: yes.
  
• Budget: ideally <$150, the lower the better.
  
  
  
  Ideally, I'm looking for the DAC to run off of AC/USB power since I intend to leave it plugged in 95% of the time. A rotary volume dial would be ideal but isn't strictly necessary. Do I need something like these? And if yes, which one would you recommend?
  
  
  
• Syba USB DAC
  
• Nuforce Icon UDAC-3
  
• Modi USB
  
• Fiio E10
  
• Audioengine D1
  
• DAC destroyer
  
  
  
  
  PS - Could something like this Fiio D3 work maybe? Not sure what kind of adapter would be needed, but it seems unlikely.
  

KC vinyl hunter reporting in :

Most of the cl postings linked here are over a month old and therefore are likely gone already. Here (like everywhere else I assume), about 80% of cl posts go unclosed even when they sell. It never hurts to check but just don't be surprised.

I also don't think any of the linked receivers would be much of a good deal, you could pick up a 90s receiver at one of the goodwill stores around town pretty easily (usually). The pioneer 780 is a good one, but I suspect it's no longer available. Not sure if its the same guy or not but I inquired about a SX780 in columbia a while back and just never got any response, might be worth trying.

In all honesty I'd consider taking a trip down to the hippy store "It's a Beautiful Day" by westport, in the back vinyl room they have a pretty significant selection of vintage audio stuff in solid condition. Most usually come with a replaced belt and a new cart, and I've seen some ok turntables there as low as $50 but they tend to have a few receivers in stock. The turntable guy isn't always there (Jason? I'm bad with names) but he has his name and number posted on the wall by the vintage equipment

If you want to go with a new turntable... Brothers music on Johnson drive had some (NIB) Uturn turntables last time I was there, you can get AT-LP120 at probably a few of the other stores in town if you want to go that route. Or obviously those can be ordered online.

Unfortunately we seem to be suffering pretty heavily from the vinyl boom here from a vintage equipment perspective as anything that's remotely a good deal on CL gets snapped up in less than an hour. For the love of everything that is holy, stay away from Vinyl Renaissance in westport... home of overpriced hipster bullshit.

For speakers the ole Andrew Jones Pioneers are pretty much a steal at their price of only $99


The store linked above in the West bottoms (this) might be a solid place to check, I've never been there. There's a few other similar small stores around but you can probably expect to overpay a little bit since they'll have done a little maintenance n the tables they have. There's one other store I knew about down there but I can't remember what the name was... I'll see if I can find it.

Disclaimer: I've read through the sidebar threads, but I have probably missed something. I also know NOTHING about electronics.

I have purchased the following things:

turntable: Audio Technica AT-LP60 Fully Automatic Belt Driven Turntable

soundsticks: Harman Kardon Soundsticks III 2.1 Channel Multimedia Speaker System with Subwoofer

It seemed like if I hooked the soundsticks to the turntable I wouldn't be able to get stereo? I got this because it seemed like an easy setup. The turntable has a built-in preamp. I couldn't figure out how to connect these though.

So then I got:

receiver: Sony STRDH130 2 Channel Stereo Receiver

Here's the user manual for the Sony receiver.

Still couldn't figure out how to connect the soundsticks.

So. Sigh. I got these:

bookshelf speakers: Fluance AV5 Powerful & Dynamic Two-way Bookshelf Speakers for Home Theater & Music Systems

And now it looks like I need wires??! And "banana plugs"?? And why do the banana plugs come with so many pairs?? Do I need 12-pair? Why?

I am obviously not an audiophile, but I like the sound of vinyl, and I just want to listen to some records (jazz, classical, pop, folk, etc.).

What sound I do? Should I return some of these things? What do I need next to connect these things and play music?

Thank you in advance for your help!

I have an SL-B3 (belt driven, but similar to the D3) with a M97xE, and I'm very happy with how it sounds. Unfortunately I currently don't have a way to hook up my Q701's to it so I can't comment on the sound signature with them combined. The Vali will probably add some nice warmness to the sound so my experience would sound a bit different anyways. I'd imagine it will sound pretty good though :)

I don't think you can go wrong with either the 2M Red or the M97xE, I've heard people say that the the 2M has a brighter sound, while the Shure's high's are rolled off. I can't say I've ever been able to hear them side by side though to confirm this.

And yes you will need a preamp to boost the turntable's phono output up to a line level signal. The ART DJ II is pretty good for the price.

Thanks! I really love the way the Orbit looks with the wood finish plinths as well, but I knew I was going to want a natural finish cabinet, so going for contrast made more sense to me. Plus they were like an extra 90 bucks.

The speakers are a great deal at $100. Knowing what they sound like, I might have even shelled out another 50 for them. If they cost $200, I would maybe start thinking about looking elsewhere. They don't have the epic clarity and separation that you can potentially get from something like the Audioengines that can run 4x-8x times the price, but I certainly wouldn't say they're murky, even at low volume. At around 40% volume, they start to reach their full sound quality. At around 75%, they have no problem filling the 300ish square foot space that mine live in. They are front-ported, and they also look pretty great with the front covers on:https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R1280T-Powered-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B016P9HJIA