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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.

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jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
i would agree that fritz speakers should be seriously considered, as they are easy to drive, tube amp friendly and in a small room, can present music fairly full range or close to it (always can add a rel sub later if the listener feels he wants a more solid bass foundation)... remember, close to walls, small room means bass reinforcement from the boundaries - win/win! :)

fritz's carrera be's and https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649769956-ayon-orion-ii-tube-integrated-amplifier/ - or any of the other used integrated i posted earlier would be very nice together
donvito
400 posts
 
The Spendor 4/5 is worth looking into. I have owned the Spendor 3/5 R2 and it was an outstanding shoe box size speaker! Here is a review!
https://www.avforums.com/reviews/spendor-classic-s4-5-standmount-speaker-review.18041
drbarney1's avatar
drbarney1
179 posts
 
If possible have him audition some systems of the kind he wants in rooms of similar acoustics to choose the parts of the system that sound best to him. Gone are the days when anyone could save up and afford "the best" expensive such as McIntosh or Marantz which cost the most but unlike today do not cost as much as half a million dollars for "the best" most expensive that goes far beyond the point of diminishing returns of what people who are honest with themselves can hear rather than imagine through placebo effect. That one can build a system almost nobody could begin to afford sets us free to try out more approaches to putting together a system where "You get what you pay for," might not be true, e.g. speaker cables costing over $20,000 a pair.
What sounds "best" is not the same for any two people.
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,681 posts
 
He has already pulled the trigger on the VTL I-85. I am a little concerned about the supposedly horrendous customer service from this company though. Well, it is done now ... too late at this point. 

@avitacom --
Its sound is very similar to a good solid state amp except in lower frequencies where it is inferior to a good solid state amp.
I talked to a couple of folks who have owned the newer version of the IT-85 and their impressions were just the opposite, i.e. tube-like sound in the upper frequencies and midrange (holographic, big, lush, etc.), but better bass than most tube amps due to its healthy wattage. Is it possible that VTL has made improvements in the new model? Anyways, it goes to show how everyone hears differently based on system synergies and listening habits. The good news is that as he continues his speaker search, I will get to try it out in my main and secondary systems in the meantime. I can compare it to other amps I have in the house -- Qualiton a50i and Moonriver 404. I recently sold the Blackhawk but it has not been that long (3 weeks) so hopefully I can do some comparisons albeit not side by side.



arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,681 posts
 
So top speaker contenders at this point ...

1. Fritz Carrera BE 
2. Spendor 4/5 
3. Harbeth P3ESR or M30.1

My friend has been reading about Klipsch Heritage line and is interested in Heresy IVs. Personally, I have never been impressed with Klipsch, but then again I have never heard them in my own system. Considering his goals, i.e. an intimate and cozy experience, close to front wall, etc., do you guys think Heresy's play in the same league as the top contenders in the list?
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