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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
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.
michaela
314 posts
 
I use a Yamaha RX596 to power outdoor speakers and a pair of inwalls in the living room. I can tell you that whatever speakers you choose, make sure they are very efficient. Although the Yamaha is rated at 150 WPC, it's not a high current design and you'll have trouble with inefficient speakers. Good Luck, Mike.
paulwp
585 posts
 
Another inexpensive speaker that I think you'd like is the Acoustic Energy (AE) Aegis Evo One. Very smooth and natural for the price ($300 list), and you may be able to find the previous model, Aegis One, essentially the same speaker for maybe $150-175. This speaker has plenty of bass. Those tasteless audiophiles Charlie mentions probably don't like this speaker because it isn't bright and hyper detailed like their favorites - they would say it's dull or dark. It is smoother and less detailed than an absolutely accurate speaker would be, but you don't get absolute accuracy in your price range, and it is better to err on the side of soft and forgiving, especially with inexpensive electronics.

The Monitor Audio Bronze 2 mentioned above is also good.

Get cheap stands, wood is good, and don't let anyone sell you cables.

Where do you live?

Paul
baileyje OP
45 posts
 
This is great stuff. You guys are a wealth of knowlege. I live in Northern Michigan. Any suggestions? What makes a good speaker stand? It seems like most I see in the magazines are metal. I took a friend sailing today who is an electrician and a talented welder. We were discussing how to make good speaker stands. I told him I thought they had to be heavy with no open cavities that could amplify vibrations. Any thoughts on this?
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