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I need your advice on system for a non-audiophile

While I am sure this type of thread may have been posted before, I'd really like your input on this. At the risk of sounding like an out of touch audiophile, I simply have been away from the lower end market (e.g., the Best Buy scene for audio) for so long that I really don't know if I can be of help to a work colleague who asked for my help in buying a new "stereo."

My colleague told me she has a "crappy Sony system" that really doesn't sound that good and would like my suggestion for buying something new. I suspect its an older cheap rack-type all Sony system. She tells me it has "5 tiny little speakers."

I asked her to tell what three things are most important to her in this new system and here is her reply:

1. Sound quality that is clear

2. Not small system, but not too large. My house is really small so I don't' want a system that takes up all of my free space (she has seen my 300 pound Rockports and triple wide loaded SRA rack so she may be thinking about that when she worries about a system taking up all of her "free space.")

3. Price, between $700 - $1,000 if possible.

Any suggestions? Thanks
fmpnd
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
she has seen my 300 pound Rockports and triple wide loaded SRA rack so she may be thinking about that

Frank

Watch out! It sounds like she might be after you...a guy packing a pair of heavy Rockports with a triple wide rack.

I'd recommend something like an audioengine 5 with s8 sub, an airport express an Apple iTunes account and let he play music using airtunes. That is the future. Only issues are microwave oven or 2.4 Ghz wireless telephone interference.
loomisjohnson
1,958 posts
 
sit: since yo uasked, i went down to the basement to check. my particular piece of sonic nirvana is the philips pwb-c798/17 and it's quite the jewel of the disco. in fact, i regard this multi-function, brightly-lit unit as the finest exemplar of audio engineeering extant--something i would hold proudly against the "high end" crap so futiley touted on these very pages. i'd rush to ebay and buy several before word gets out.



maddoggy
77 posts
 
I went to Moms today a remembered ,I told her about a cd BE THERE ,speaker demo.It sounds incredible.she wanted to listen on her bose 2.1 computer set up.She thought it sounded incredible,through her bose.Your ears will tell you.Great Marketing.
nick_sr
263 posts
 
Tivoli RadioCombo, amazing sound for such a small system, stylish (WAF of 10) and within the price range stated.

My wife wanted a new clock radio for Christmas with a CD player or Ipod jack. So of course the audiofile in me gravitated to the Tivoli system it sounded great and looks even better. But unforutnately with the CD player and clock radio it started to be a little to much budget wise. I ended up getting the Squeezebox radio instead. (I am not sure that this really relevant).

My mom on the other hand went out a bought a Bose Wave system for my father, to my chagrin. It is really anoying to listen to, Boom, Boom, Boom...

So once again Tivoli
cyclonicman
693 posts
 
Is her system really that bad, maybe she should just try replacing her 5 tiny little speakers first.
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