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Another amateur in need of advice

Hello all. I'm basically as green as they come, and am looking for some advice in putting together my first 2- channel audio system. Looking to keep it analog, with vinyl playback being the primary purpose of this whole escapade. If I feel compelled to stream something, i would just get a decent bluetooth receiver to appease the crowd of an informal get-together. 

I am looking to experience an "audiophile-grade" sound, but one that is also a giddy and involving listen. Some bass presence would be welcome (newb). In any case, I would prefer to keep the budget under $5k. First question - do I need an integrated amplifier? Can I just get an amplifier and connect the Lounge phono stage that I'm leaning towards? Or connect a CD player or radio tuner? Basically, does a power amp require a pre-amp, which it seems that an integrated provides? As far as integrated amps, I was first leaning towards the newer Rega Brio, but then I heard about the Rogue Sphinx V2. But then I read about all the noise issues with the Sphinx, which really turned me off from it. Noise issues would really steal the jam from my doughnut. The Heed Elixir seems to tick a lot of boxes, but it also seems that it really imparts it's own texture to the music. Maybe that's a good thing? A budgetary stretch - the Croft integrated looks pretty dang cool. If I only need an amplifier rather than an integrated for my purposes, any opinions on the Croft Series 7? 

As far as speakers, I'm as lost as the previous paragraph suggests. Right now leaning towards the Quad S-2, but was considering the KEF LS50 until I read that they sound best with a more powerful amp. Ditto for the Dynaudio Excite X14. And apparently the LS50s are rather bright sounding? Was not considering floor-standers until I found out that the Monitor Audio Silver 300s are pretty easy to drive. Every gosh-darn review I read only sends me deeper down the spiral of confusion and indecisiveness. 

My turntable choice is pretty set - the Mofi ultra deck with the better cartridge. Since it's $2200, it kind of eats up the budget considering the additional costs of cabling and, potentially, speaker stands. But it seems that it's the sort of component that I'll keep for life. 

I'd appreciate any words of guidance and wisdom! Have a good one! 
cleanshirt
rhutch
7 posts
 
First time posting. After spending quite a few months this year searching for a system, I decided over the summer to keep it simple: KEF LS50 Wireless. I highly recommend you give it some consideration. For $2,200 you get something that’s far superior to an LS50 paired with any of the amps you’re considering here. The tweeters are driven by 30 watt class A/B amps, while the midrange gets 200 watts of class D. And the speakers come with room correction.

I don’t find them to be too bright. And because of the DSP, the speakers can also dive much deeper into lower octaves than the passive LS50s. If you end up wanting a full range sound, you could always add a sub.  

With your $2,200 TT, you’d have $600 left for speaker stands, phono pre and interconnects. No need for speaker cables (paired with an Ethernet cable). One thing to consider that, I think, only matters in principle: The LS50 Wireless converts all analog inputs to digital and then back to analog. Doesn’t mean you would lose any of the magic of your turntable, per se, but you technically wouldn’t have an analog system. 

Can’t recommend highly enough. I feel like I’m getting a sound I would had to spend thousands more dollars and a couple years to end up with him. Read some reviews and, if you can, demo a pair before making a decision. 
inna
7,296 posts
 
Old made in England Audiolab integrateds were excellent for the price, one model even had a phono stage. Probably not as good as newer British moderately priced integrateds but you might be able to find one on ebay for $150 or so. I got one in the closet as a back-up, not bad at all to begin with. But you would want to upgrade later.
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,807 posts
 
Cleanshirst here is what we would tell you in 30 years of professional experience.

1: Get the foundation as good as you can which means better speakers and amplifier, which means spending less on the deck.

There are source first audiophiles and we totally agree that a better source makes a huge difference, however, you will have more difficulty hearing the improvements in the source on a lower level amplifier or less full range loudspeakers.

One of the best bits of advice we have given our clients in a similar situation is to purchase a Rega P3 the current table is $1100 with an Elyis cartridge and the sound is fantastic, one of the coolest things you can do is to easily upgrade from the Rega in the future by removing the tonearm, the Rega tonearms are universally praised and have been used for years by many companies on their tables so you can in the future take your arm and cart and install that in a zillion other tables that all accept a Rega mount.

Another way of getting better sound is by using dealer demos.

You should always go for a floor standing loudspeaker over a bookshelf as the floor standing loudspeakers will have a much bigger sound and take up the same amount of floor space as a monitor on a stand.
Your choice of the Quad speakers is a good one they are amazing for a budget speaker the floor standing S4 at $1,800.00 will be very hard to beat they have unbelievable treble clarity and throw a big sound stage.
As per amplifiers the Nuprime Ida 8 is very impressive at $1,000.00 and the Rega Brio has an excellent phono stage and is a terrific little amplifier.
So here would be our recommendations:
Rega Brio                $1,000Rega RP6 Elyis cart $1,100Quad S4   speakers $1,800
brand new                $3,900.00

if you went for your deck  Add $1100
and you are still at $5k and if you were to purchase a system like that many dealers would throw in the cables i know we would.

The only missing parts of the equation is what kind of music do you listen to and have you heard any of this gear?  The type of music you listen to will help guide your choice of speakers if you like bass heavy music many speakers may not do it for you.

You should go and visit some dealers and determine what kind of sound do you like.

Dave and TroyAudio Doctor NJ


inna
7,296 posts
 
Why not if the OP likes Quads ? Only I would get Rega P6 with Exact MM cartridge and next in line Rega integrated with phono. That would be about $1700 more, that's $5600 without cables and power cords.
helomech
1,698 posts
 
I'll throw out my anecdotes FWTW.

  • Component allocation: I agree with some others that a large portion should go toward speakers. They contribute the greatest amount of distortion by far - that's a fact, therefore you'll want good ones. This isn't to say you want speakers with the most impressive specs on paper - such specs are often meaningless.

  • Turntables: I think you've picked a good one. ~$1500 is where turntables really begin to shine. The MoFi and Technics 1200GR are probably the best current offerings in that range.

  • Integrateds: I agree with others that it should possibly account for the smallest slice of your budget. There are many great budget integrateds out there right now. IME however, the Sphinx V2 is not one of them - not because of noise floor, but because it produces very weak bass at lower volumes. My local Rogue dealer agrees. The Yamaha A-S801 is better and fewer $$$. A used Exposure is also a good recommendation. I haven't heard it but the Outlaw RR2160 is an intriguing piece that measures well and seems to have many satisfied owners.

  • Phono preamps: don't underestimate the importance of a good phono preamp. I've owned the Lounge LCR, and while it's good for the price there is much better performance to be had. Since analog will be your primary medium (or you think it will), I would at least get the LCR Gold or the LCR with Robert's factory upgrades (probably just have to call him about those). I was very skeptical of the importance of the phono preamp until I leaped beyond entry-level units. That MoFi package should be very well deserving of a $700^ preamp.

  • KEF LS50s: They are not bright speakers - not anywhere near as bright as the typical B&W, Revel, or Focal speaker. I think those who claim they're bright are pairing them with subpar electronics and/or using excessive toe-in. KEF also recommends 24" stands which place them below ear height for most listeners. IME, when placed properly, they're actually about as warm as you're likely to find in modern speakers, aside from a very slight metallic overtone (as is the case with 95% of metal drivers). Most are probably using them with suboptimal placement. Until I got a pair of Tannoy XT6Fs, the LS50s were my favorite speakers under ~$3K. The $1500 Tannoys (with average dealer discount) now top my list of best budget speakers - which includes the likes of Vandy 1Cis, Magnepan 1.7s, and MA Silver 200s. This isn't to claim they're the best value out there, but the best value out of the many models I have experience with. They offer many of the LS50 strengths, but with greater bass depth and output, and none of the metallic overtone. The Tannoys also manage to produce good dynamics at moderate volumes, which is pretty rare among modern speakers in general. 




 




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