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Helping a friend build a new system

A good family friend has recently retired and is looking to build a system for his home office. He used to own a nice sound system some 25 years ago but hasn't been actively pursuing the hobby. He was visiting my home a few weeks ago and I guess listening to my system must have inspired him to finally build a new one. He asked me to help set up a new system (new to him, he's willing to buy used). I asked him a bunch of questions to find out what he wants and how much he is willing to spend. His responses are summarized below:

1. Budget -- since he's retired he wants to keep the total system budget to around $7-8K (including cables)
2. Components Needed -- bookshelf speakers, integrated amp, cables. He already has a CD player which would do for now, but he might get into streaming later on. He owns a few hundred CDs.
3. Room size -- around 10x12 with 10 foot ceilings. Fully carpeted with some furniture.  
4. Music genres -- jazz, blues, vocals (he's a big fan of Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker, Billy Holiday, etc.), and R&B
5. Listening preferences -- he is looking for an 'intimate' and cozy experience and wants to try tube amps with high sensitivity bookshelf speakers. He mostly listens at a moderate volume and can be sensitive to high frequencies.

He also mentioned that he has some hearing loss since he's in his early 60s and suffers from a mild case of tinnitus. I'm not sure if this plays a role in the choice of components but I thought it's worth mentioning just in case.

I will really appreciate it if you guys can provide some pointers. Please remember that he is retired so $8k is absolutely the max he can do. System synergy is important. And, please no Tekton or class D recommendations. He really wants to try some affordable tube gear as a starting point.

128x128arafiq
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,599 posts
 
Fritz and Spendor also sound like a good choice. Has anyone compared one of the Fritz models (in the $3-4k range) with Harbeths or Spendors?

The reason I’m asking about Harbeth comparisons is that since I have two models in house, I can provide him with a point of reference.

@lalitk Thanks for the Leben suggestion. This is one amp that even I would like to try some day. But from what I hear, you have to have super efficient speakers to get the most out of it. I might be wrong though. It is a lovely looking amp for sure.
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
@arafiq

search my old posts discussing the fritz carrera be i tried (and bought)

@jjss49 Thanks for providing the links to what’s currently on sale. That was super helpful. My friend really likes the VTL and VPI amps. What are your thoughts on long term reliability when it comes to these two brands? Also, can they drive Harbeth speakers well -- p3esr, C7, or 30.x?

c7 and 30x should be no problem - p3 much less efficient, but his room is small, that should be ok too (he will need a sub w p3's) - playing semi nearfield at moderate volumes all the amps i suggested shouldn’t even breathe hard

vpi is not really an amp maker, this integrated was a one off --  i think their gear is generally very well made, or harry won’t put his brand name on it, plus steve leung @vas in nj can service if ever needed, he is very good, very responsive

vtl has reputation for great gear but iffy customer service... small shop...  anyways tube amps are basically quite reliable, circuitry not so fancy - just make sure tubes are good, and they are pretty simple, lots of experienced techs can work on them
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 
If he goes with the Fritz, he can drive them with a fairly low-powered tube amp just fine.  Plenty of commentary out there about Fritz + Modwright SET headphone amp at CAF a few years ago.
skywachr
123 posts
 
Lots of ideas and ways to go, but if CDs are the initial medium of choice, then the CD player he already has needs to be worthy enough to be used as a transport with a quality DAC which must be made part of the system being budgeted for. Otherwise what's the point of doing this in the first place? The medium of choice HAS to be given a fair chance to show itself to full advantage.

Also, as to tinnitus, my experience is that it is not a limitation on any way. The challenge will be optimizing the listening position and getting the speakers to image for him. He may find that in his ideal listening position in the room that the speakers do not image perfectly for his guests.
goose
675 posts
 
I will throw in a wild card speaker.  What about the Watkins gen 4 stand mount?  Always excellent reviews, and seems to punch way above it's price class.  Wish I could hear a pair.
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