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Finally saved 3000 what is a good setup.

After year trolling this website and saving I have finally earned 3K to spend on a system. Currently I am using some old Sony studio speakers my friend gave a few years back but now its time for a change. I am firmly in the digital camp and have been using a Squeezebox for the last few years and have transferred much of my collection onto a hard drive. What I need advice how to split 3000 between a set of speakers and an integrated amp or power amp (my setup now and use the digital volume on the SB).

To help with suggestion, my living room in going to be my main setup. The room is 18 X 14 X 10 with carpeted floors. I have room to spread these puppies at most 8 - 10 feet apart. I don't care if their monitors or floor standers but cannot be panel. I am married and my wife, who is also into music, would not like something that will dominate the household.

Heres a little about me. I am a studio musician and teacher by trade. In addition, I listen to all types of music, considering I am exposed to so much different types of music at the studio, and regularly go to live concerts to see a wide variety of music. As such, my idea deal speaker is true to the source without adding too much, makes me feel like I am actually one of those live concerts, is realistic, and just disappear. I know for many bass is key but I like honest bass not the exaggerated bass that so many speakers produce IMO.

So what you think. What would be a good combination?
aldres
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
Slightly over your budget at $3350, but here are a pair of Gallo Reference 3.1s for $1650:

http://emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=emporium&action=display&thread=21813

Mate those to this Butler Audio hybrid amp for $1699:

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1328334220&/Butler-TDB-2250-tube/trans--hy

This will give you a world-class speaker/amp combo that should work marvelously in your room. The Gallos are exceptionally good speakers. And the Butler amp will drive them effortlessly and with great authority.

Google these items and you will see that they are universally priased for their exceptional sound and build quality. My HT setup sounds terrific using a Butler TDB-5150 to drive my all-Gallo suurround sound setup...

-RW-
agear
1,362 posts
 
Rlwainswright, I have heard both the Gallos and Butler amps, and I concur.
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Hmmm. I'm thinking maybe Merlin TSMs or Vandersteen 2ce sigs (either around $1.3-$1.4K) and a nice tube integrated. There are lots of tube integrateds for $1500-$1600.00. If you want to watch the classifieds and are prepared to move quickly, I think a VAC Avatar would be great choice, but it might push you a a couple of hundred over your target price. I would strongly recommend getting away from the digital volume control on the Squeezebox; you are losing resolution if you attenuate it more than about 3 dB and it gets significantly less resolving as you go down from there.
agear
1,362 posts
 
I used to own the Merlin VSMs and I thought about the monitors too. It depends on what kind of bottom end he warns. The sp tech monitors would be on my list as well if you could find a pair
aldres OP
4 posts
 
Actually, I want to try to buy everything used here on Audiogon to maximize my savings. I have a buddy who has brought a lot of equipment here and they look brand new.

Swampwalker: Good point on the digital volume control.

Thanks for the advice so far everyone. I am not a bass head overall but I do like to listen to organ music, which I heard is a challenge for many speakers, if that gives you any ideas.
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