Help a new guy get started

your question comes up alot--i've recommended starting with something like a peachtree decco/nova or music hall mambo, which are integrateds with inboard dacs and will give you a lot of flexibility going forward.

I second the Peachtree recommendation. I've heard the Nova and was very impressed. The inboard dac in the Nova is particularly good and would allow you to connect your Macbook via USB. If you can stretch your budget a bit to $1400-1500, you could look for a used Nova for around $900, a used pair of monitors for around $500, and speaker cables for around $100. Although the Nova is rated at 80 wpc, it won't drive inefficient speakers very well. I'd look for speakers with a sensitivity of 88 db into 8 ohms or higher.

The usual rule of thumbs here are these…

Good INTs usually have better 2 ch sound than do likewise priced receivers. The receivers have greater flexibility. For a second or third system, or a very very, first, I normally opt for a receiver. Especially if it’s a budget system. It accepts far more input types, digital and analog, and enables you to grow pretty easily…. Into a separate two ch or into a multi ch HT system.

The other matching aspect is that the spakers themselves, dictate the power needs. Under 1500 cu ft. is a small – ish room. Lots of speakers will do really well in there, providing from decent to great bass reproduction…. Depending on the spaker choice. .

I feel a minimum and often adequate starting point for a system is 100 wpc. Unless it’s a SET oriented lower powered amp + high eff speakers setup. Again, smaller rooms can get away with some less power, say 50-100… I just feel better with 100wpc or better on tap for any beginning rig… room size and setup notwithstanding.

Monitor speakers take up as much space as do floor standing speakers. However floorstanders usually output better low end response, though not always.

If right now you are unsure of the actual direction you want to go I’d say get a receiver. If you are sure, make your best pick paying attention to the eff and impedance of the spakers you want to get and adding the proper amp to them. The room plays a part in the outcome of every rig, so that too might enter into your choices as well… small room …. Small speakers… mid sized room… mid sized speakers… etc. it’s a debateable topic on the power levels though… usually the idea that one can’t have too much power carries the day… while too less power is indeed a problem waiting to happen.

if 2 ch only is your pick... go with an Integrated amp. period... the issue is the budget here then. A grand for speakers and amp limits you a bit.... so I'd put the greatest portion into the INT and get just adequate speakers... figuring to upgrade the speakers asap.

I’ve a 14 x 11 x 8 BR. I run a Sony ES receiver w/110wpc and a pr of 85db 8 ohm two ways up front and a pr of 87db 8 ohm 2 way speakers for rears. … and a subwoofer. My office is smaller still and I use a pr of 3 way 87db, 4 ohm tower speakers driven by a 150wpc @ 8 ohm, amps, in a 9.5 x 11 x 8 and no sub is needed at all! Naturally the amps output more into 4 ohm than into 8 ohms, almost doubling up their total power output.

While it futile to argue what should be the top priority as far as speakers, amplification, or sources from a sonic standpoint, I think in the begining your most solid investment is the amplification. The most imporant thing in a stereo is balance and synergy between the gear (actually it's the room and recording quality, but we're talking about components right now).

I say the amplification should be the first thing at your stage for several reasons. Sources and formats come and go. Today's latest and greatest DAC chip is superceeded with next month's flavor of the month. Rooms pretty much dictate speakers. If you move in 2 years, or decide you want the stereo in the living room, your speakers may not work out well. Amplification does get better with new technology, but it's no where near the pace of everything else. If you're looking for a solid foundation to a system, I say start at the amplification.

I don't think there's a magic number to amplicication. Some say 100 watts. I've heard and owned amps with less than half that that had no problems in average sized rooms. My Bryston B60 is 'only' 60 watts, yet can get far louder than I care to listen to while still staying clean and in control. The Naim Nait 5i is only 50 watts per channel and pulls off the same thing. Both are solid state, not tube.

There's a ton of great sounding integrated amps out there easily within your budget. The best best advice I can give is to determine what traits you're after and start narrowing down the options. 'Clean and articulate highs and good bass' doesn't tell anyone anything. Some systems forgo some of the hifi stuff like precise imaging and hyper detail in an attempt to get better rythym, some trade warmth and smoothness to get more detail, and so on.

The ultimate reference isn't a stereo, it's live music. Don't have the preconceived notion of what a stereo is supposed to sound like. Think about what live music sounds like. Think about where you're favorite place to sit at a concert is so that the music sounds best - is it up front a few rows away, or is it in the back of the hall?

Try visiting a few hifi shops and see what they have. If you like what you hear after hearing a few different set ups, buy that. If not, we're not going anywhere.

Also, the NHT Classic line is a bit demanding from a power standpoint in my experience. They'll sound acceptable with average power, but really need some good current to open up and play to their potential. They need amplification that a good bit more expensive than they are to make them worth while IMO. I'd look into a speaker that is more forgiving to start out with. PSB is a solid choice in that regard. I like PSBs, and they were the first two pairs of 'real' speakers I bought, but that doesn't mean anyone else feels that way.

PSB pairs up very well with NAD, as both are owned by the same parent company and are most likely used together in development of each other's products.

Not that I'm telling you to buy PSB and NAD.