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Help: ISO Beginner full setup for excellent sound on $2000 max budget

Overview: Brand new at this, looking for help purchasing beginner full setup of TT, Tube Amp, Speakers, Preamp that is aesthetically pleasing (i.e. minimalist, blends in as piece of furniture with plants), that sounds fantastic, and will stand up over the next 5-7 years, for $2000 max. I'm in search of the best sound, most aesthetically pleasing, and holds up longest overtime. If you could put together a beginner set of quality products for somebody about to enter their 30’s for xmas with a $2000 max budget, what would you include?


Hey y’all, I’m brand new to this and don’t want to jump down a huge rabbit hole, or spend countless hours contemplating decisions about these, not because I don’t have time, it’s just not good for me: I’m so bad at making decisions and I want somebody’s advice that I can trust. So, figured I’d start a dialogue:

I am looking for a simple setup with the following components for a small to midsized room:
- Turn Table (I like Rega, UTurn, and Pro-ject easthetics);
- Preamp (whatever pairs best with the entire setup);
- Speakers (what I think I should invest most in? - I like Omega Super 3 XRS Speakers); and
- Tube Amp (whatever pairs best with the entire setup - I like the Almarro a205a).

The most important aspects of these products are all:
- Durable (wanting to last a while and feel a little modern classic 6-7 years from now);
- Best sound for the price; and
- Aesthetically pleasing (this is important, it will be the center of my living room for the foreseeable future).

My music style: is mostly slower independent stuff: Sun Kil Moon, John Prine, Iron and Wine sounding stuff. Other than that I’ll mostly listen to Hip Hop, like J Dilla, or Rock, like Pearl Jam).

I’d love for it to be something that’s not jumping head first into this as a hobby, but something I can be proud of owning that I can play every day.

If you have any specifics please ask, I apologize for the length of this post, just figured I ’d try to be general enough so y’all could get an idea.
whyistherenopie
br3098
994 posts
 
So if I read Doug's post correctly, it seems that he is not fond of Omega speakers. But I'm not quite sure as Doug's critique was quite subtle...

Although I recommended something different I would like to take a few seconds to rebut: it's true that Omega speakers, like almost every high-efficiency speaker, are not to everyone's taste just as low powered SET amps are not everyone's cup of tea. But I take exception to some of Doug's specific remarks that seem to imply that you are naive, clueless or just plain stupid if you don't accept what Doug considers to be good sound and proper audio design parameters.

Namely:
1- pretty speaker. Where's the problem here?
2- cabinet coloration. Yes, it's intentional and part of the design. There are many speakers that use resonant cabinets (Snell/Audio Note, Klipsch Heritage, virtually every Altec Lansing design, to name a few)
3- can't play at higher listening levels (repeated as don't play real loud). Well, my Omega Alnico 6s played plenty loud (92dB+) with my 5W SE EL34 amp in my 17x26 living room.
4- dynamically limited/bass very weak.Well, I guess that will depend on your needs and perspective. My Omegas 6s have taut, well-defined bass down to about 46 Hz. I didn't want more for years but when I did I paired small REL subwoofers. This worked very well for me.

My point is not that Omega is the best speaker. It's not. There is no best speaker for all ears, all music, all gear or all rooms. You need to decide what's best for you by listening, not magazine reviews or Audiogon opinions (even mine!). Yes, you have a challenge based on your price limit but it's doable. My suggestion is to look, then LISTEN and have fun while doing it.

hbarrel's avatar
hbarrel
342 posts
 
I will second soix system. You’d be happy with the simplicity and sound. Easily last more than a couple years.
If a Blue Circle NSCS or FiTh ever comes up at the proper price point... grab it.
soix
9,456 posts
 
If possible, though, can you or anyone else reading this help guide me, in layman’s terms, toward a system that could work.

If you could choose a nice-looking set up for somebody who looking to gain some knowledge but not dive into this headfirst, what’s respectable and what makes sense together based on the previous posts.
Have you even really read any of the helpful advice being given to you here? You make it sound like nobody as of yet has provided any helpful advice or information. I read your stated goals carefully and actually spent quite a bit of time putting together a coherent system to meet your specific requirements and budget (as have others). Read reviews of the products I (and others) recommended here and I think you’ll see why they were chosen and why they’re particularly well suited to meet your all your needs. You’ve already received some good advice and recommendations, so at this point YOU should be doing a little research into what’s already been given to you and either asking us specific questions on why this or that is a good choice for what you’re looking to achieve or start buying the components that you find are a good fit for you. Putting together a good system is going to require a little effort on your part at this point, and it will be well worth it.

whyistherenopie OP
18 posts
 
@br3098 yeah I think that’s right. I’m still not sure what the critique is other than: take my advice because you obviously don’t know what you’re doing." Which, given that I’ve explicitly said I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m still not sure what the critique is.

I need a librarian, somebody with industry knowledge that can point me toward sources so I can do whatever layman’s research I can to try to make an informed decision about something I know nothing about.

A bartender isn't going to tell you the ins and outs of spirit production and town history when you get a cocktail you like. They’re going to invite you in to have a drink and then if they ask questions about what they're drinking you can help understand what you’re drinking and why it's important and interesting. I liked your suggestions about Edwards Audio, I'll get back to you with some further questions.

I also like the direction of @mofojo thats more my speed. Does anyone have any critiques about that setup or would you swap out any pieces for better sound?

soix
9,456 posts
 
A librarian? Ok. Go to Google and type the names of each of the above recommended components followed by the word “reviews.” That’s where you’ll find useful information on each of the products recommended specifically for you given your requirements out of the thousands of other audio products out there.

A bartender? Got it. You have all the ingredients you need to make the kind of system you say you’re looking for. All you need to do is read a little about each of the ingredients to see which brands fit best with your particular taste to get the best mix for you within your budget. There’s tons of info on the internet, or perhaps a librarian can help you find some helpful books or publications.

Peace out.

(p.s. maybe there’s no pie because someone needs to get off their butt and start making one)
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