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Help a confused newbie build his first setup...

Hello everyone,

After saving my pennies for the last few years, I have finally saved up the money to buy some speakers but to be honest I am confused with two thing and would love everyones opinion. First off, what would be a better bang for the buck, floor standers or monitors?. I am a musician by trade with good ears that listens to everything and love to hear things as truthfully as possible. To me accuracy, neutrality, musicality, and soundstage are very important. For instance, I am not concern about bloated, unrealistic bass, since I know exactly how a bass should sound like. I need a speaker that can handle different situation effectively. Additionally, my living room is connected to a dinning room and kitchen. The living room itself is 20 X 12 with 10 foot high ceiling.

My other concern is how much do I need to spend. Right now all I have is a dac going going to airport express. I was thinking of buying a good speaker first then buying a fairly cheap amp and upgrade later. Is that the right way to go about it? I do know I want to use SS amp for this setup since it is overall easier for me. All this being said, I have collected $1000 so far but am not sure if this would be enough to get a good setup. I do not mind saving up if I have to.

What would be your ideal setup for the following price points (amp included if possible).

$1000

$2000

$3000

Thank you in advance and let me know if you would like more information.
aldres
phaelon
1,052 posts
 
"I have collected $1000 so far but am not sure if this would be enough to get a good setup. I do not mind saving up if I have to."

I hope this doesn't come off as too presumptuous. Typically in audio, the newbie's ear grows in its sophistication just as his system does. You're not the typical newbie, and even if you hadn't disclosed that you are a musician, it should be obvious from your posts, that you already have a discriminating ear. I would be surprised if $1000 would be enough for you. You're on the steep part of the return on investment curve. IMHO
aldres OP
4 posts
 
Phaelon,

I know what you mean. I wish I had all the money in the world to be able to afford whatever sounds best to my ear. My attempt of setting a budget is more of a challenge for myself than anything else. I know the world of audiophile is the quest to get the best sound but I want to try to avoid spending a bunch of money just to gain a 2% increase in sound.

Anyone know some of the places to visit in NYC? Any also know of any clubs I might join to start listening and zeroing in to the sound I am looking?
weseixas
519 posts
 
NYC,

I would try Sound by Singer, ask for Andy, let him know you have 1K you wanna spend... :)

regards,
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Isn't Sound by Singer no longer (at least as a B&M retailer?)
shazam
205 posts
 
A question, what do you love about music? If you can figure out how to quantify this, that will go a long way to helping you choose a path.

I don't know what kind of music you play, but it likely has an influence in this. I'm a drummer myself and if equipment can't be articulate in the bottom end and provide correct tone on acoustic drums, I'm not interested (no horns for me). Maybe you are a bass player and you want something that "swings", so SET might interest you. Whatever the case, knowing what moves you will help.

Bottom line, don't think about a piece of equipment, think about what you want the total package to deliver. Listen to as many systems as possible and seek something that makes you sit up and take notice. Then figure out how to get your first piece of it. For me, I started looking for an amp and ended up with a pair of speakers (ProAc Response 1SC) that have lasted multiple amp and other equipment changes. That vivid sound grabbed me and i new that was what I wanted - even if the total package I heard was 10x what I could spend at the time, I knew the path I wanted to peruse and got the biggest piece first.

Lastly, I know you said you wanted room filling sound, but if you were to consider a nice pair of headphones and a head amp, you could spend $1,000 and get quality that will cost you $10,000 to match in a full setup. Worth considering.

Good luck.
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