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Buying equipment

Ok, I've been looking online to put together a system and man is it frustraring. I live in rural wyoming and cannot go to a stereo store. So I will need to buy online.

None of the companies sell their components online, they only refer me to a dealer. Then even on the dealer's sites there are very few photos and again no prices. I did find 6moons' site, but it is tedious clicking through reviews to get to the bottom and find out its $45,000.

Amazon doesn't have much that is interesting- I want something unique and all that I would have access to is Sonos, Focal, 'Bird', marantz, and yamaha. Fleawatt is done building for the year and that seems to be it.

I'm looking for a tight little system that will fill the living room of a one bedroom apartment with hardwood floors.

I want something that will play standard CD's and one that I can eventually hook up a Pro-ject turntable to.

Any help of how to find a system to buy?

Thanks,
S.
swarthy
swarthy OP
12 posts
 
Wow thanks everybody for the thorough responses.
the room is ~20x25. I listen to 'all kinds of music' (yeah I hate it to when people respond with that when I ask them;)
But, I tend towards:
industrial/metal and classical such as Bartok, mozart, shostakovich(sp.)

I have a signifigant amount of 80-90's punk/grunge/industrial (Nine inch nails, Godflesh (guitar...guitar...guitar, drum machine, cop shoot cop (bass guitar +drums), Morphine (sax, base guitar, drums)

I listen to Rolling stones, indie movie soundtracks, Rhianna, Snoop dog, Johnny cash, Bob wills, Dylan and librivox audio recordings.

You get the idea:)

coincidentally, I found music direct today and put this in my cart:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YgkC8EPVeUxjxTVz90uPIjvoA9byFshBI74OjmkBYEo/edit?usp=sharing
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,784 posts
 
Hi Swarthy,

You are kidding me right? I don't think it is that hard to select decent components on-line and have them shipped to your house. This is not a perfect way of doing things, but I think you can only go so wrong. At the very least, you will wind up with a good system. So you won't hear it ... reviews will give you some idea ... and you take a chance.

You can buy an all Rega system from Needle Doctor. You can pick up Prima Luna tube equipment from Upscale Audio. Upscale also has a number of desirable pieces from Opera and Musical Fidelity and Cary in its New & Used Specials. You can have speakers made for you by Omega or Zu Audio or Ascend Acoustics.

For $3500, I would consider a Rega Brio Integrated, Rega Apollo CD Player, and some RS3 speakers. Or go for a Rega Brio, with the Rega Apollo CD player, and Ascend Acoustics Sierra 1 monitors for $3K. Or swap in a Prima Luna tube integrated for a total of $4K.

Granted I used components I know, but I have purchased what I have on-line. I have 64 pins in my back, so I don't drive and I don't have that type of spare time to audition components.

It is not nearly as frustrating as you think.

Rich
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
You might want to talk to someone like Wally at Underwood oe Mehran at Sorasound both of whom advertise extensively on this site and sell a lot on-line.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,011 posts
 
The OP had my sympathy as soon as he said he lived in Wyoming.
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
Well you are asking this question on the premier site for used equipment.
Do some research on used prices, pick a few items from sellers with solid feedback, negotiate a sale and listen.

I'm not making any specific suggestions as that is too wide open. And more importantly, our musical tastes are matching up real well.
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