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Got $1000...how should I spend it?

Hello everyone,

Last year I had to sell my gear, which consisted of GMA Europas, melody tube amp and squeezebox, in order to finish up my graduate studies. Well I am done thankfully and want to get back and want to build a system to listen to music again. Unfortunately, my girlfriend has given me some guidelines: it must be relatively compact and at a thousand or less. All understandable considering we are trying to save for a house.

What are my options. I really enjoyed my Europas and ideally like to get
something along those lines but maybe in an active speaker design to try to get the best bang for my buck. Although if anyone can recommend a setup for $1000 for speaker and amp please go ahead.

Any ideas?
daimbert
bongofury
1,160 posts
 
80 gig iPod ($250) with Ray Samuels Headphone Amp ($300)with Sony 7506 headphones ($80). Will blow away anything above. If you want loud, hook up into Audioengine 5s ($300).
energizer
113 posts
 
IST RULE BE PATIENT.I spent a little less than a thousand.Look at my system-Always changing something.I bought good used equipment.But you have to look hard and not be in a hurry.It can be done.
audiowoman
249 posts
 
$360 will get you a pair of Kanto ipair5 speakers, that with a ipod, fill a small room very nicely. I use this in a small office setting and am very impressed for the money. Add a Squeezebox or Apple Airport thing and you are all set. Now patience and when you finish saving for the house, get a big room that will accommodate the "big" system. Keep changing the system regularly is what then happens for most of us ;-).
Congratulations on finishing grad school - may need to provide some guidelines for the girlfriend for after the saving process - good luck to you!
weseixas
519 posts
 
Sure , easy peasey !

System 1 :

Consonance B2000X 100 wpc SS Integrated ..
Magnepan MG-2.5/R or Magnepan MG12/ planar speakers..
Paradigm PDR-8 v.4 subwoofer

well a couple hundred over ....

regards,
blindjim
3,092 posts
 
You’ve got a PC of some type… that could be the source with just a nice PCI sound card, or a USB/1394 sound card with analog outs. Either way you ought to get a nice one for < $250.

My M Audio delta series 24/192 new at Sam Ash was about $160 SPDIF & rca ANALOG OUTS & INs.

An Oppo player used could do, otherwise.

I like the idea of a tube pre SS amp integrated amp, or an all tube int.

Monitors seem logical too for speakerage. Where your priorities are in speakers vs front ends ought to determine how the int and speakers divide the budget.

Going active about eliminates the int portion allowing for a lot more $$$ into them. It also subtracts from some more flexible growth of the system, if you decide later on to go with passive ones. They’ll also need stands. DIY?

If you choose older speakers, you can get towers of course. Room size is gonna say something about things here.

Micro Pearls are quite decent ICs but a tad dry with SS, Audio Art work a bit better, either way but cost a bit more.

The Rat Shak 1.5M RCA ICS for $20 are surprising!
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