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Second audio system in your house?

Hi, just curious how many of you have a second audio system in your house, and, actually use it? I've recently bought some new components and had planned on selling my old amp, but I'm still attached to it, and with a small investment, say $1000, I could get some bookshelf speakers and a CD player. On the fence about the whole idea. There's a whole lot of other things to do with $1000 mind you, so I'm not sure if it's the most sensible thing to get into. I won't even ask the wife what her opinion is, as I already know it.
wetfeet48
mesch
3,524 posts
 
One thing about spending $1000 on a second system is that you might find out how good one can sound with such an expenditure. I have friends who think nothing about spending $1000 on a TV and won’t spend $500 on audio to augment the experience. Oh well, not my problem.

vicweast's avatar
vicweast
150 posts
 
I have a beautiful-sounding main system in a generous living room space. It is a holographic mind travel machine (think: "musical Tardis"; Avalon, Ayon). I listen to that when ever I can... lately, I have been discovering Charles Mingus in detail in that room, while reading or with eyes shut.

My home office is where I play with gear, I have too much in here right now but it is fun!

The family room is where we have our 5.1 Parasound Halo and Emotiva HT experience (sometimes ruined by watching would-be Presidential debates ;-) 

Here is what I really want to do: Have a space big enough and with enough power to have several different systems for shoot-offs. That would be the bomb. What's that? You say I should start an audio store? That's the idea, except this is not going to be a money-making experience...
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Bose radio in the kitchen for cd playback.
vicweast's avatar
vicweast
150 posts
 
@mesch you said: "One thing about spending $1000 on a second system is that you might find out how good one can sound with such an expenditure."

I could not agree with you more. A "reasonably priced" second system that sounds great can moderate your compulsive tweaking on a more expensive primary system.  (Yeah, right.) (...Well, at least it will whisper to you that you are chasing shadows when you A/B the same media on it.)

strateahed
305 posts
 
Yeah, I have a second system (bedroom) that gets regular use. After being unable to sell a modified Oppo 983, I took that and an old Outlaw subwoofer to build around. Added a low-cost (< $300) Yaqin Chinese tube integrated and small speakers, with Blue Jeans cabling throughout. Volex and Pangea cords provide power. With upgraded tubes, this budget system sounds pretty darn good. What makes it really useful is the Audioengine W3 wireless adapter with add-on receiver. Using my laptop as source, I can listen to iTunes library, Pandora, or internet radio played stand-alone or simultaneously on the main rig and bedroom system. Like this morning when the Mrs. left to go shopping, I had both systems playing - upstairs and downstairs - while I was busy doing a few things around the house.  
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