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I would like advice for a beginner.

I'm a "newbie" who needs veteran advice. I'm an ex-music teacher, ex-folk singer who is facing retirement and I didn't have a stereo. I have told my friends I'm going to buy a used system for not much money and incorporate the "dink" system. No, that's not "D-ual, I-come, N-o, K-ids"!! It means I want to "dink around" with my new hobby. I know nothing, but my motto will be "Learn First, Upgrade Later."

Presently I have purschased a factory reconditioned Yamaha RX-596 receiver($179) and a Yamaha CDC-845 demo CD changer($129). I purchased Yamaha, for the time being, because my local stereo shop guy told me they would be adequate and were "work horses." I have them hooked up to old JVC 50 watt speakers from an old bookshelf stereo system with a broken cartridge CD changer(free). Now, I can, at least, listen to music while I shop for speakers.

This is fun!!

I would like advice for speakers. I have liked the sound of stand mounted speakers better than floor speakers. The heavier bass sound seems to get in the way of what I want to hear. I listen mostly to classical, especially choral, Celtic and folk music, with an occasional slip into classic rock and bluegrass. The speakers I have most appreciated have been the B&W 601's and 602's followed closely by the Paradigm Studio 20's and 40's. Any opinions offered on those speakers or any other similar speakers would be greatly appriciated. Oh, by the way, I plan to spend $200 to $400 for used speakers.

After I get the speakers, I will have $500-$700 invested and will be listening to a good solid system. Let the DINKING" begin.

Thanks in advance for the advice.
baileyje
baileyje OP
45 posts
 
Thankyou all. I'm having a little trouble keeping up with all the new names of components I've never heard of. It's going to keeping me dinking a long time. As I write this, I'm listening to "Finlandia" and loving every minute. I spent hours in the kitchen yesterday while cooking for family and I had the stereo going the whole time as my kitchen is open to my stereo area. I know my Yamaha stuff leaves a lot to be desired, but it is head and shoulders over nothing.

I noticed nobody sang the praises of the B&W. Is there a reason for this? Is there something I should be listening for.

Again, thanks for all the great advice.
sean
6,231 posts
 
Speakers are more of a personal preference and room acoustics type of selection than any other component that you will deal with. There are obviously hordes of people that like B&W's and their "house sound", but they must all be on vacation for the Holiday. Otherwise, they'd be making suggestions in this thread like the rest of us "sheltered" people still dwelling at home : ) Sean
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cdc
1,822 posts
 
Teac Reference 350 receiver is $200 at:
J & R Music
and try these on the 600's. Then put the $150 you saved over the B&W 601's towards an Adire Audio Rava subwoofer. The point is an amp upgrade can do more than a speaker upgrade. Yamaha is a good brand but just bring in your Yamaha reciever and compare to a Bryston B60 or Creek 4330 on B&W.
Other speakers to look at are KRK ST6 (sold at Guitar Center), Monitor Audio Bronze II, and Epos has a new <$300 speaker.
danvetc
527 posts
 
Baileyje,

Those that do not prefer B&W find their tweeters too bright, (which is the current "audiophile voicing," by the way.) As a musician, I think you will find an amazing amount of innacuracy in many speakers favored by audiophiles, often coined as "detail" or some other adjective. You have to have a good accurate speaker first. Any other advice is just plain wrong.

Charlie
baileyje OP
45 posts
 
Charlie,

I couldn't tell from your post when you said "(which is the current "audiophile voicing," by the way)" whether you meant that the tastes of audiophiles go through trends, such as clothing styles, and therefore I should trust my own ears, because the trend will change, or, that, in fact, B&W speakers are a bit too bright and so may not be as well engineered as some other speakers. (If you can get through that run-on sentence and poor punctuation I will be amazed.) At any rate, at my age, 53, people often loose a sense of the higher frequencies. Maybe a brightness in the tweeter would be a good thing for me, and possibly that's what I liked about the B&W's.

At this point I'm listening to music, loving it, and enjoying this web-site, its dialogue and the different position you all take. I'm auditioning many different speakers and I'm in no hurry. I'll wait for that "Amazing" sound sometime, hopefully soon, and keep reading this web-site.
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