AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Cheap and Cheerful HiFi => Topic started by: Mariusz on 27 Aug 2009, 07:02 pm
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Dear fellow audiophiles
First of all, I would like to thank you for your support and interest in "Cheap & Cheerful" Circle
and hope we can enjoy our hobby from somewhat different perspective and a hair of humor.
We plan to offer a wide variety of inexpensive products, whole systems, DIY experiences and other aspects of affordable music experience.
If there is enough interest and with your help, I will try to work with manufacturers in organizing Audio Circle group buys and tours.
I would also like to encourage DIY crowd and those with well of information on projects which will be appropriate for this Circle to step forward and offer their knowledge.
Last but not least, I would like to welcome everyone in "Cheap & Cheerful" Circle and lets have some fun.........on the cheap side of cause.
Here are general guidelines:
- headphone system = $200 max (head-amp and cans)
- PC only system = $400 max (including speakers or cans)
- analog only system = $650 (phono or pre/integrated amp with phono build-in +
turntable/arm/cartridge
- maximum stereo system price = $1000 (I'll accept 20% overhead given variations in 2nd hand
market and currency difference)
- no brand cables in this circle except DIY. We can make some exception for true basement bargains tho.
Components with humor factor and gadgets are acceptable as well.
Individual components shouldn't exceed $350 however in cases of full featured components like integrated amps with DAC, phonostage or headphone amp - its value can be as much as $650.
DIY and kits are more then welcome.
Sincerely
Mariusz :thumb:
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Do I qualify if my speakers were loaned to me and didn't cost me any money but the rest of my system meets the dollar amounts or was DIY?
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Congrats on your new circle!
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Tres coolio :thumb:
John
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Do I qualify if my speakers were loaned to me and didn't cost me any money
Would that be one of those indefinite type of loans? :lol:
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Hooray for the new circle! May it be frugal and merry for years to come..... :thumb:
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Yeah... congrats.
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Thank you guys and have fun showing off your cheap & cheerful.
Do I qualify if my speakers were loaned to me and didn't cost me any money but the rest of my system meets the dollar amounts or was DIY?
Not really but if your friend has more freebies..... we are all ears. aa
Mariusz :thumb:
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Congrats on the new Circle Mariusz. Job well done Sir. 8)
Bob
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Very cool idea :)
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Bob, Jim thank you and we will try to have some fun on the cheap in the near future.
Mariusz :thumb:
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You may wish to consider making this thread a "Sticky" to keep it up at the top. :)
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You may wish to consider making this thread a "Sticky" to keep it up at the top. :)
Indeed. This needs to be a sticky.
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What an excellent post/ thread/ idea!
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i know that many consider DVDPs to be below standard in audio sound but there IS an exception. most players that do SACD make rbcd sound better than other players including some dedicated CDPs.
this is due to the upsampling performed by these sacd players. i have two-the old sony ns500v (long discontinued) and my marantz 6001 which also gave me DVDA capability. both yield great rbcd sound which made my large cd collection more valuable to me.
the main force in my system is vinyl but much music isnt available this way just as much isnt available on cd thats on vinyl. i never purged my system of vinyl as i could see no real reason to do so.
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Dear friends, it appears on of my favorite people at AC has gone AWOL. Attempts to contact Mariusz have gone unanswered so I'll be stepping in to help facilitate going forward. I see no reason to make any sweeping changes in the guidelines, but if anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to voice them as now would be the time. Nothing more to add other than keep on having fun with cheap and cheerful hi-fi.
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Good deal, thanks for stepping up.
If you need any help, lemma know.
Hope Mariusz is sitting on a beach, sipping a cocktail right now, and forgot to let us know before hand.
Bob
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I love the concept of this circle, but I feel like the original dollar requirements are a bit too restrictive.
An affordable circle is a great idea, but most don't abide by those numbers anyway and there is plenty of great budget gear that should be considered cheap and cheerful but falls outside of the criteria.
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I love the concept of this circle, but I feel like the original dollar requirements are a bit too restrictive.
Um, this was gone through over and over in the orignal proposal. So please don't second-guess it unless you are prepared to step up and manage it (which presumably you're not, since you didn't respond to my message asking for another Facilitator).
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It wasn't a personal slight, John... Just an observation as 75% of the posts on page 1 don't meet the criteria. I'm not complaining about that as the posts are useful--I just hope under new moderation they don't go away as I LIKE how things are.
You are correct, I did not step up. But I do contribute when I can and I try to be polite and courteous when I do.
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Um again... not sure why you think I'm taking it personally. I would agree that some threads don't meet the guidelines, although 75% seems on the high side. I think these dilute the original point of the circle, which is the challenge. It was never really supposed to be the "not all that expensive" circle ;) Anyway.
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touche! point conceded :lol:
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I'm not complaining about that as the posts are useful--I just hope under new moderation they don't go away as I LIKE how things are.
Perhaps it's all my fault for asking for opinions, but when John asked for someone to step in it was with the proviso that the circle be administered as it had been. I would take this as both the guidelines and the way they had been interpreted to stay the same. Therefore I think Cheap should stay, as in the guidelines, and Cheerful should stay, as in we're all friends and there need be no heavy handed edicts laid down.
Mariusz was somewhat liberal only stepping in when something was clearly not in the C&C spirit, thus the large number of threads that seem to push the limit. Everyone appears to be happy with this, I didn't detect any Palace revolts, so I don't anticipate any wholesale chopping of threads or posts. I'll be looking at the threads started since our dear friend's absence to see if anything might be more appropriately placed in another circle, but I wouldn't stress over anything, gentle forbearance seems most appropriate here. This has been the fun to post in circle and I think it should stay that way.
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No fault at all, but thank you for expressing your thoughts. Unless I'm blind to it, I think everyone is very happy with the circle and I know its one of my favorites here.
I agree that there is no need to change any rules as long as interpretation stays liberal. Truth be told, that was the first time I'd actually read the guidelines of the forum (it was on the front page/new threads) so I was just hopeful things wouldn't change too much.
I enjoy it here and didn't mean to sound critical.
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I agree that there is no need to change any rules as long as interpretation stays liberal.
For example your Zu Omen thread. Clearly even at the $999 former sale price the Omen is way over the limit for the entire friggin' system, as per guidelines. Mariusz not only signed off on the thread, he bought a pair of the speakers. By rights it should have been moved to one of the speaker circles, but at 28 pages now what am I to do with it? Obviously since everyone signed off on it way back when, it shouldn't be moved now, but what to do with the next $1500 speaker? Is it fair to make that thread move?
Here's how I see it. The rules say $1000 max limit with $200 wiggle room, with some sub limits on analog etc. If you can convince a reasonable person that your special component combined with anything you can beg, borrow, or steal could possibly make a functioning audio system come in under the limit, you're in. For example the $500 DAC thread could be combined with a $29 DVD player transport, a $50 chip amp, and some Parts Express DIY speakers to come in way under the limit, therefore passed muster. The same standard passed on to the sub system limits. Therefore your Omen thread would be moved if posted today, despite being grandfathered in at this time.
Does that make sense and is anyone but we two reading this?
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Makes sense to me and I agree with your philosophy on the circle, have fun with it. :thumb:
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Makes perfect sense to me, and I agree.
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I gotcha and that makes sense to me as well.
As a point of information, it wasn't ever my thread. Marisuz didn't sign off on it, he created it. :lol: He severed my post from another thread and it grew from there.
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Here's how I see it. The rules say $1000 max limit with $200 wiggle room, with some sub limits on analog etc. If you can convince a reasonable person that your special component combined with anything you can beg, borrow, or steal could possibly make a functioning audio system come in under the limit, you're in.
Cool :thumb:
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I gotcha and that makes sense to me as well.
As a point of information, it wasn't ever my thread. Marisuz didn't sign off on it, he created it. :lol: He severed my post from another thread and it grew from there.
Thanks for the clarification. Even more validation for grandfathering the thread into C&C.
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I love this "Cheap & Cheerful HiFi", great:lol:
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The is the plan, please consider.
Musical Paradise MP-302 $70 + AKG K240 $80 (Headphone System <$200)
Musical Paradise MP-301 MK3 $299 + AKG K702 $299 + PSB Alpha B1 $250 (Stereo System <$1000)
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Both are great options, why don't you start a thread about it?
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Wow, coming up on four years that I've had the distinct pleasure of facilitating one of the best circles on AC with some of the best contributors on this board. You guys deserve a big congrats for making this circle what it is. And a big thanks to JohnR for making it all possible. Here's to many more years of Cheap and Cheerful fun, thanks guys.
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DYNACO 400 AMP 400
ONKYO 301 PRE AMP 100
4 ADVENT 1 300
ONKYO CD PLAYER 25
This system will blow your head off!
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Looks like a great little system Tucker.
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I have a RCA receiver 200 AMP, 701 Yamaha turn table a crate of albums- plus two Polk 705's speakers plus Dento BLT-HT for streaming
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Looks like a nice system. The speakers and turntable may kick it over C&C guidelines, but only if you squeal about what you paid for them.