This forum has generated so much advice, I thought I'd try to get back to basics and how to get started.
1. Before considering buying anything, get familiar with the sound of live music and the instruments that create it. If your goal is to recreate these experiences in your home, this knowledge is paramount.2. Select some recordings with passages that exemplify the sound that thrills you. These will be your absolutes when going to sample equipment. You want gear that gets these passages right.
3. I suggest selecting speakers first. Read, read, read, read. You will learn which reviewers are adept at describing the attributes accurately. The reviewer's longevity is a good sign. Learn the lingo - transparency, coherence, imaging, soundstage width and depth, bass roll-off, frequency balance, etc, etc. It took me TWO YEARS of reading and going to shops and listening to MY recordings to select my first speakers - the Dahlquist DQ-10a's. They brought me so much pleasure over the years.
4. Once you get that far, you'll have learned how to learn, and choosing the rest of your gear will be easier. If you need more advice after that, check in with us again.
1. Before considering buying anything, get familiar with the sound of live music and the instruments that create it. If your goal is to recreate these experiences in your home, this knowledge is paramount.2. Select some recordings with passages that exemplify the sound that thrills you. These will be your absolutes when going to sample equipment. You want gear that gets these passages right.
3. I suggest selecting speakers first. Read, read, read, read. You will learn which reviewers are adept at describing the attributes accurately. The reviewer's longevity is a good sign. Learn the lingo - transparency, coherence, imaging, soundstage width and depth, bass roll-off, frequency balance, etc, etc. It took me TWO YEARS of reading and going to shops and listening to MY recordings to select my first speakers - the Dahlquist DQ-10a's. They brought me so much pleasure over the years.
4. Once you get that far, you'll have learned how to learn, and choosing the rest of your gear will be easier. If you need more advice after that, check in with us again.