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Cult Classics for Young Future Audiophile

My young nephew turns 10 this week and I would like to buy him his first stereo, assembled from used classics that I will clean, restore etc and wrap up in big boxes.

He is taking piano and saxophone lessons, is generally very creative and artistic and has expressed an interest in Charlie Parker. As his Uncle, I am encouraging him to listen to music as much as possible while he is "working" on his artistic interests.

Can anyone help with ideas for assembling a high end, classic system that will be fairly reliable, inexpensive and whet his appetite for music and high end audio?

At first I thought a kid his age might enjoy some of the big classic receivers or amps from the 70's with multiple LEDs , VU meters, tone controls etc. -- remember Yamaha "Natural Sound" -- but he is very smart and technical and would also get the mimimalistic, straight wire with gain, audiophile approach.

Apt Holman amp and preamp? Classic Hafler amp and preamp? A pair of used Maggie SMGs? With one of the less expensive, discontinued but still new in box SACD players?

I would like to keep this well under $1000.00 -- closer to $500 would be ideal.
cwlondon
drrasta
224 posts
 
Hey, when I was that age I had a little crystal radio with an earphone. The radio was shaped as a rocket and the tuner moved in and out of the nose. That was a neat way to listen to all those, now "vintage" 50's sounds on am radio.
Boy, then I graduated to a desktop GE clock radio and the parents console Magnavox "stereo". Now there's some vintage "audiophile" stuff! Regarding the Apt preamp, which I owned for 15+ years, it's a great piece with the "forbidden" tone controls, that were actually fun to play with. Soundstage was somewhat flat but otherwise a very neutral presentation. The reason I bring up the radio, is that I'm not sure your nephew wouldn't like to listen to the radio. Unless he has a big cd collection...Look at Cambridge Audio separates (which should keep him going through college) or an NAD reciever. Otherwise get the Apt preamp, amp and don't forget a tuner. Agree with the discussion on the speakers byn Sdcampbell.
audiotomb's avatar
audiotomb
1,112 posts
 
how about an old Nakamichi Cassette deck or maybe even a phono stage?

Tom
macrojack
1,303 posts
 
My 10 year old has a Yamaha digital piano and lessons. Part of my deal with him was a sound system to play the piano through. He has a Reference Line 3000 passive preamp, NHT Pro M-00 and S-00 (satellites and sub) which are self-powered, a Mitsubishi DA-F10 tuner and a Pioneer PDR-609 CD recorder. I realize this runs over budget but the tuner (or something comparable) can be had for under $100 and I remember paying $200 for the passive pre some years ago. I bought the speakers and sub for $500 but they don't seem to be for sale used.The Pioneer CD recorder came from etronics for about $230. This is a rig a kid can love and it has interesting expansion potential. Good luck.
I admire your desire to plant a seed. This could be a gesture that boy never forgets. I can imagine him standing on stage at Carnegie telling this story. Maybe that image will expand the budget a little more.
aboldor
49 posts
 
I heard the monitor 5's with NAD components and for the money the Paradigm's are pretty tough to beat. They're nicely "voiced", with good/vg imaging and good detail. Their sensitivity (89/92dB) should make them a decent match for the 40W/ch of the Creek, which I think sounds better than a NAD – more musical, more… “vibrant”, if you will (maybe because it has more detail?). So I did not hear the Creek with the rest of the setup, but if I had to build a system with that budget those would be my first choices.
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