Doesn’t change the choice much if you choose front ported, or sealed speakers. I’ll second the JMR Bliss Speakers. My pair work well with SS or tubes, and they sound really good.
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.
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.
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- 105 posts total
Another option is the sealed ATC ( acoustic suspension). My friend has the SCM 7 v3 and they sound great with his 60 watt solid state amp. Take a look at them or some of the larger models! http://www.atchifi.com/ |
@arafiq After purchasing the integrated amp, how much of the budget is available to purchase the speakers? Bookshelf speakers are limited in their low end bass extension. Is your friend aware and/or open to floorstanders? |
@yogiboy Thanks for mentioning ATC. I remember listening to ATCs a few years ago, and I walked away with the impression that they were more on the neutral, cool side of things. It could have been a combination of other factors, but at least that's what I remember about them. @kennyc -- We still have about $3 - 3.5K left for the speakers. Since my friend has asked for an intimate, cozy listening experience, I did not want to lead him down the floorstanders path. I always feel that smaller speakers do a much better job of disappearing and creating the intimate sound that he is looking for. His room is fairly small, but we can always add a sub down the line if the need arises. |
I have owned many Harbeth and Spendor speakers. This Spendor 4/5 seems like the kind of speaker that your friend might be looking for. It is warmer sounding than the Harbeth P3ESR! https://generubinaudio.com/shop/ols/products/spendor-classic-45 |
- 105 posts total