AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Enclosures => Topic started by: mresseguie on 18 Oct 2019, 08:06 pm
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My 27-yr-old son will likely have his own place to live by Christmas, and I'd like to get him started with a modest two-channel system. I figure it'll be either powered speakers that he'll plug into his phone or laptop, or a pair of passive speakers powered by something like a Nuprime IDA-8. [My son is not an audiophile, and probably agrees with my wife that I ought to have my head examined.]
I think I would spend up to approximately $2000 USD to get him either option. Used gear is definitely an option. Oh, he likes BASS
Thoughts? Recommendations? [Warnings about rabbit holes not necessary.]
Michael
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Keep it simple. Integrated amp w/options. Budget DACs and the like.
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Good luck! When my kids were in high school they each had a very nice vintage system that they pretty much could care less about. While they do appreciate good sound they aren't at all interested in audio gear or even home theater. It's headphones and their computer or phones. That being said, a receiver with streaming capability and an inconspicuous pair of speakers should do the trick. The Outlaw receiver may work. If he likes bass, add a woofer. Have fun!
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I hope to get my daughter a pr. of these 4 Xmas...
https://www.tonepublications.com/review/the-tuk-speakers-from-kanto-audio/
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Sonos Play:5 (https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/play5.html) + cellphone + Spotify
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Keep it simple. Integrated amp w/options. Budget DACs and the like.
Any specific integrateds?
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Any specific integrateds?
What I would buy, others would not. The speakers is the big difference. Some are bright, but some like it bright. Gotta listen to some stuff. Used is the way to go on some devices.
You can nake a music server with a micro PC and music server software. Budget turntable. CD/DVD player as a transport.
I like Marantz Reference, so I would go with regular Marantz any day. This is about budget and not high end so that would make me satisfied.
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When my son went off to college I bought him a Dayens Ampino integrated. Now there is also the Vista Spark with great reviews and at almost half the price of the Ampino.
For speakers we build a great pair from DIY Soundgroup and later added a DIY subwoofer from Partsexpress. The DAC was an inexpensive offering from Shiit Audio.
Overall a great system and below $2000. However, it did involve some DIY activity (which we enjoyed).
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Vanatoo Transparent One Encore, Node 2CI and a small sealed powered sub. The Vanatoo's are powered, have a built in DAC and a sub out. Gives him the option of the dac in the Node or the one in the Vanatoo's.
https://vanatoo.com/shop/speakers/transparent-one-encore/
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Thanks, gang. :thumb:
From a purely practical standpoint, I probably ought to look no further than Kanto, Vanatoo, or Sonos. The audiophool in me yearns to express itself with a used integrated like BRM's IDA-8 and a pair of Fritz Loudspeakers Carbon 7s. DIY isn't appropriate because of my current time limitations.
I'll see what other suggestions come up, and ponder this for a spell. I have even considered giving him my own IDA-8 and my Jeff Bagby designed Adelphos two-ways (which I love!). Then, I'd buy a pair of Fritz Carrera Be speakers or similar. Hmm.....
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I sure enjoy my Klipsch Gate, pair it up with a integrated and the best speakers you can buy to stay under $2,000 and he’ll have a nice system (easy to do if buying used). Ironically that’s my system, both the integrated and speakers came from odyssey (mine was over the the 2k limit however). He can use his phone/iPad to control the music selection, it won’t take up much space, it’ll sound great, he won’t need to buy music, and I bet he’ll love it!
Just a thought.
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For speakers, these would be killer! True full range sound (real extension into the low 30s) in a stand mount design. I have a pair of these and love them.
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=165912.0
The woofer is powered and the coax mid/tweeter is passive. A steal at the asking price.
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Hope his love of BASS doesn't cause any problems with the neighbors... Might wanna factor in some good budget cans.
Decent vintage or 'nused' integrated or receiver (NAD, Onkyo etc) (might be able to skip FM b/c he probably streams everything anyway.) Hell, a Pi would do the job with most streaming services other than Apple.
Be interesting to see where you go with this.
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He may want to consider a planar headphones as a space-saving option that uses a small amp and dont bother neighbors and offer more harmonics and micro detail than a regular loudspeaker with xover.
I could suggest a used HifiMan Edition X to big soundstage or Audeze LC2Classic if he likes small soundstage, for a upstairs HP he may look the Arya at $1599 retail.
https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/arya.html
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Drop (Massdrop) is currently offering the Hifiman 4xx for $129. But since he loves BASS, maybe one of the basshead favorites (Beats, Skullcandy etc etc ) out there might suit that need better. Since your stated budget for the whole system is < $2K, all of the just-mentioned headphones would be budget-busters. Sounds as if (not being an 'audiophile'), he's probably less interested in soundstage and micro-detail than in BASS.
A lot of powered monitors have Bluetooth, so if the phone will be a source, you don't even have to plug it in. You can sit on your a** across the room and control everything. Just add a sub as needed for BASS. :lol: Vanatoo and Audioengine come to mind.
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Don't over think this and don't waste money on presents YOU want.
Heard the original Vanatoo Transparent One's a few years ago and liked them. IMO they'd make for a generous house warming/Christmas present.
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For my son’s first system in his new place I picked up a PSAudio sprout (first version) . He loves it, it Has an excellent BT connection which is how he uses it 99% of the time with his phone as a source. The DAC sounds great. It even has a phono input. It has decent power to drive many speakers, I believe the current version is 50wpc @8 ohms. That would still leave plenty for some decent speakers, I had some GR V1s that I gave him, the Combo is very nice.
Good luck!
Ed
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Excellent suggestion on the Sprout, ebag4. New unit with a warranty for just a little more than a vintage something-or-other.
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My nephew is heading off to coillege and I gave him a Polk S6 active speaker. It is part of the DTS PlayFi ecosytem so he can stream, play files, etc straight from his phone. You can get two of them and pair them in stereo as well. About $100 each on amazon. BTW, they are hirez capable and you can feed them amazon HD tracks staight from the app FWIW.
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Haven't heard these but you might consider the Elac Navis powered speakers. https://www.elac.com/product/navis-arb-61/
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Monitor Audio Bronze 6 tower speakers and the Nuprime IDA-8 integrated or the Elac EA101EQ-G Integrated, DAC, Streamer which sounded awesome at RMAF. Schiit Gear is another way to go with the Vidar amp, Modi Multibit DAC and Saga preamp.
Although, you may want to consider a receiver or integrated with tone controls so he can adjust the bass and the treble for todays crappy music.
https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/marpm8006/marantz-pm8006-2-ch-x-70-watts-integrated-amplifier/1.html#!specifications
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I’ll suggest what I put into my basement workout area over the last 2-3 months...
M-Audio BX8, Parasound Z-Pre3, and Audioquest Dragonfly Red fed by my iPhone/iPad. Not hifi in the imaging and stuff like that sense, but it’s simple, clean, loud, and the bass hits hard. If it were for an actual room, I’d opt for a Bluesound Node 2i and forego the Z-Pre and Dragonfly. He’ll probably like that better anyway. And way under the $2k budget before cables.
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Don't over think this and don't waste money on presents YOU want.
Heard the original Vanatoo Transparent One's a few years ago and liked them. IMO they'd make for a generous house warming/Christmas present.
Could not agree more.
charles
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One other thing to consider is the Elac B6.2 bookshelfs with a sub. I bought these for my daughter and they are astounding with good amplification. At RMAF this September, Andrew Jones of Elac introduced a new more expensive version of the B6.2's that will be on the market soon. They will cost $500pr. They were astounding paired with the Elac Integrated that I mentioned earlier. Pair this with a decent budget sub like the SVS SB-1000 for $499 and he will have an awesome system. That Elac integrated does it all as a DAC, Streamer and amp. It also has preamp outs.
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Bought a pair of these for my daughter a couple of weeks ago and she loves them (she is not an audiophile, just likes to play music from her phone when she entertains her friends):
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=165705.0
Packaged it with a pro Denon Bluetooth to RCA converter and an old integrated amp that I used to use.
I have learned long ago not to give my kids any expensive audio stuff - it sometimes comes back to me due to moving, small living spaces, etc! So stay cheap! If they get into it, you can always help them upgrade down the road.
gab
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Bought a pair of these for my daughter a couple of weeks ago and she loves them (she is not an audiophile, just likes to play music from her phone when she entertains her friends):
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=165705.0 (https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=165705.0)
gab
I have them and disagree. They are nice sounding speakers especially for only $80 - but the bass on them is mediocre. (Unless they are braced and dampened.)
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I have them and disagree. They are nice sounding speakers especially for only $80 - but the bass on them is mediocre. (Unless they are braced and dampened.)
I hear you and saw your posts and don't disagree with anything you said above or in the thread. I personally haven't heard them as we live far apart. My point was that she was happy with these cheap speakers. They replaced some diysoundgroup Volt-10s that I gave her awhile back (which literally have no bass to speak of). She said they were "clearer and had more bass" than the Volts, so she swapped them out.
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I hear you and saw your posts and don't disagree with anything you said above or in the thread. I personally haven't heard them as we live far apart. My point was that she was happy with these cheap speakers. They replaced some diysoundgroup Volt-10s that I gave her awhile back (which literally have no bass to speak of). She said they were "clearer and had more bass" than the Volts, so she swapped them out.
Hey, I do like them. In fact, I bought my friend a pair. However, in the OP -
Oh, he likes BASS
Thoughts? Recommendations?
Michael[/quote]
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Hahaha! I knew people would get a kick out of the comment about BASS. :lol: I know he used to like Dub Step, but I'm not sure what he prefers now. MP3 is king, and he normally listens to music, videos, etc. on his cheapo IEMs. A couple months ago, I loaned him a pair of decent quality IEMs, but he wasn't interested in them.
On a side note, our son made an offer on a townhouse in Atlanta this evening. We'll know in a couple days if this is going to be his new home. The living/dining/kitchen space is wired for HT, but the seller didn't use it. Hmm. If I were going to live there, I'd want a subwoofer (or two).
I wish to thank everyone again for all their suggestions (especially the PM). I will consider all options.
Michael
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Hahaha! I knew people would get a kick out of the comment about BASS. :lol: I know he used to like Dub Step, but I'm not sure what he prefers now. MP3 is king, and he normally listens to music, videos, etc. on his cheapo IEMs. A couple months ago, I loaned him a pair of decent quality IEMs, but he wasn't interested in them.
On a side note, our son made an offer on a townhouse in Atlanta this evening. We'll know in a couple days if this is going to be his new home. The living/dining/kitchen space is wired for HT, but the seller didn't use it. Hmm. If I were going to live there, I'd want a subwoofer (or two).
I wish to thank everyone again for all their suggestions (especially the PM). I will consider all options.
Michael
Michael,
Congratulations to the young man for making the offer on a Twn House, let me chime in have you listened to the Audioengine HD6 powered speakers ? they are in expensive and have a pretty good Bass plus Blue tooth capabilities and one can use a Sub with them I use the HD 6 with my bedroom TV and am very happy with them :thumb:
Asghar
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Replying so no one has to wonder if I fell off a cliff...
Thank you for all the replies and the PMs. My son's offer to purchase the townhouse was accepted, so I (as co-buyer) am busy getting materials/documents, etc. to the underwriters. Yesterday was my wife's 54th birthday, so I was really busy for her. I'll eventually respond to the PMs - patience, please.
At some point, I may be able to upload a photo of the living/dining/kitchen space so y'all can see it. I've begun wondering if he'd be happier with some sort of HT setup, or a sound bar and subwoofer instead of a two-channel setup.....pondering....
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Replying so no one has to wonder if I fell off a cliff...
Thank you for all the replies and the PMs. My son's offer to purchase the townhouse was accepted, so I (as co-buyer) am busy getting materials/documents, etc. to the underwriters. Yesterday was my wife's 54th birthday, so I was really busy for her. I'll eventually respond to the PMs - patience, please.
At some point, I may be able to upload a photo of the living/dining/kitchen space so y'all can see it. I've begun wondering if he'd be happier with some sort of HT setup, or a sound bar and subwoofer instead of a two-channel setup.....pondering....
I once considered a soundbar and a sub instead of a 2 channel front end.
Then after hearing the 2 setups, realized that the soundbar/sub is a creative solution, but not a real life solution. the 2 channel was way better.
with your budget, you'll need to decide to optimize either HT or 2 Chan, but not both.
Although both will be "the Jack of all Trades," it will ultimately be the "Master of None". (even with a $2k budget)
Look for a used Rhythmic sub in the classies. Buy a good 2 channel front end, a good source and amp, and call it good. You've provided your son with a generous gift. Leave it at that, and give your son the responsibility to upgrade the system.
All the brands you've mentioned are respectable- the Elac in particular: they keep building models, the bookshelves have gotten as much accolades as any other speaker out there the last 3 years. The Elac electronics and server are no joke either. The latter Nu-primes are wells-reviewed and liked. And your son will appreciate the Class D from the stand point of his Electric and Air-Conditioning bill.
OP, IMO we NOW live in the Golden Age of used gear. Ive bought 90% Used gear the last 15 years.
B/c I buy better Used gear that is built to last, instead of Newer stuff that lacks the same quality and longevity. Eg. I would rather buy a good Used DAC for $500-600 than an ok New DAC for the same price.
The good news, and likely the bad news, is that there is so much new and used competent gear out there these days, that it will be hard for you to go wrong. I mean, what is your son going to do if he doesn't like the system that you have generously given him? Complain about it?
YMMC, but you know what I mean,
Best to you and your son!
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Don't over think this and don't waste money on presents YOU want.
I agree with this also, and think you should buy those presents for yourself.
MP3 is king
Are you quite sure.... I'm quite a bit older than 27 and even I haven't listened to MP3s for over a decade. I think nearly everyone who isn't a fanatic simply streams music nowadays and even some of us fanatics do.
I vote for a BT Chip Amp with a sub out and some good speakers--bookshelfs and a sub. The chip amp can be hidden away so it'll be one less thing to contend with when laying out the space in his new house. The sub similarly, and good bookshelfs are amazing these days.
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If you would consider DIY, take a look at https://toidsdiyaudio.com/2019/05/18/the-dinas-do-i-need-a-subwoofer/ (https://toidsdiyaudio.com/2019/05/18/the-dinas-do-i-need-a-subwoofer/)
I heard these at RMAF in their under $1000 system. This is an ACTIVE tri-amp system that will play down to 35 hZ. Very small footprint.
I believe these can be built for around $350. Quite impressive.
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Look no further then you garage. As I recall there is was a F12 packed away a few years ago? There was also a intro HT setup packed away. Since this is his first place bigger then a dorm room I would let thing evolve. If I recall he doesn't own a TV?
Just because you need a audio setup doesn't mean he does.
And I will add in one of my children mentioned that the sibling didn't want a stereo in their home so I would go outside and do some work while I visited :thumb:
We have amended that situation.
Alan
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Shock! Horror!
My son actually expressed interest in audio gear today without my prompting him. I may end up giving him my lovely Adelphos speakers and my Nuprime IDA-8. Then, I'll have to come up with replacement speakers. Hmm. I wonder what might replace them? :icon_twisted:
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Darko recently posted a couple "complete systems for less than $___" videos which might have useful ideas for you...
< $1,000: https://youtu.be/c49korQoYpI
< $750: https://youtu.be/co_rYIfpfmA
Here's Guttenberg's take on < $1,250: https://youtu.be/Fdb8wLd73Tg
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Funny, my oldest just bought a turntable and asked advice on what to pair with it. His friend Greg owns Get Hip Recordings which is an insanely awesome combo record store, recording studio, record warehouse (think final scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark big), which has a small stage where we saw The Fleshtones this month. Combined with him buying a big audio video rack and needing to fill it with something he's getting the bug. I thought a Denon receiver from accessories4less with a MM input combined with those DCM speakers on sale for $85 on another thread would be a good starter. I'll stop over later this week and see if he wants to get more involved. If you guys have suggestions for a house poor 30 something just starting out I'm all ears. Oh, the table is a Pioneer PL 550 needing only a little clean up.
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If you give him the adelphos, that gives you an excuse to get some even higher end bookshelves for your setup :) Ascend Sierra 2 EX or you could build a diy Selah Tempesta mk2
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Funny, my oldest just bought a turntable and asked advice on what to pair with it. His friend Greg owns Get Hip Recordings which is an insanely awesome combo record store, recording studio, record warehouse (think final scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark big), which has a small stage where we saw The Fleshtones this month. Combined with him buying a big audio video rack and needing to fill it with something he's getting the bug. I thought a Denon receiver from accessories4less with a MM input combined with those DCM speakers on sale for $85 on another thread would be a good starter. I'll stop over later this week and see if he wants to get more involved. If you guys have suggestions for a house poor 30 something just starting out I'm all ears. Oh, the table is a Pioneer PL 550 needing only a little clean up.
Get him a Schiit Mani phono preamp or a used Emotiva XPS-1 Gen 2 phono pre. My son has the emotiva and it sounds great for the price. It does MM and MC with adjustable impedance.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133219325239
If you want to spend a little more the Lounge Audio LCR III
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If you give him the adelphos, that gives you an excuse to get some even higher end bookshelves for your setup :) Ascend Sierra 2 EX or you could build a diy Selah Tempesta mk2
Hi, uncola. Long time no see. :wave:
Actually, I posted a teaser post a couple days ago with a photo of CSS-Audio LD25X tweeters (in box). They are slated to be the HF drivers in a <not yet existent> three-way set up. I'm considering which midrange drivers to use, but will likely settle on 5.5" midrange drivers and a 10" woofer in an approximately 24" high truncated "A" shaped cabinet. The idea for this has been sloshing round inside my head for a couple years. My <potentially> giving my son my Adelphos creates the necessary excuse (to my lovely wife) to get new speakers. :wink:
Michael
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In the event you would consider a set of larger mids, I have a set of CSS LDW7's I used briefly as part of a DIY active setup.
Documented here - https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=152112.msg1627211#msg1627211 (https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=152112.msg1627211#msg1627211)
No longer in use...
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Oh....I'll check with my expert....Thanks! I have been so focused on finding a midrange driver that I forgot I could also use a midwoofer driver. :duh:
Hang onto them for me till I can get an answer. :thumb:
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Happy to. I am currently using the cabinets as my stands for my Totem Rainmakers. Don’t need the woofers in the stands in any case.
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My son and I chatted about audio possibilities today. He decided that he would like my Nuprime IDA-8 and my Adelphos two-way monitors. I'll probably
cry....buy him a pair of the IsoAcoustics stands. I told him about Rythmik and SVS subwoofers. He's going to check out their websites for 12" subs. I'll gift him whichever one he selects.
Many thanks to everyone who offered ideas. Big kudos :thumb: to those who related their own similar experiences with their offspring. I didn't push the above choices on my son. I gave him various choices - including powered speakers - yet he decided to go with the more familiar sound because he (and his fiance) have heard this combination before and they really like the sound and versatility. One big criteria they both expressed was they wanted to avoid my buying all new gear, and hoped that they could receive some of my excess gear.
Michael
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One big criteria they both expressed was they wanted to avoid my buying all new gear, and hoped that they could receive some of my excess gear.
Michael
You know, Michael, only audio nerds would understand why there would be "excess gear" in the first place, eh?
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He decided that he would like my Nuprime IDA-8 and my Adelphos two-way monitors.
Smart boy! :thumb:
Congratulations to him and his betrothed on their engagement.
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You know, Michael, only audio nerds would understand why there would be "excess gear" in the first place, eh?
:lol: I hear ya! A guy’s gotta experiment a little. A couple extra amps for flavor, a NOS DAC, and at least one unassembled kit, but who’s counting? :green:
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:dunno:
Sometime between his telling me he'd take the Adelphos and IDA-8 and my sitting down to eat dinner (2 hours?), something influenced his thinking. It may have been his sense of practicality or it may have been a serious discussion with his fiance. Regardless, he called me after a couple hours to explain that even this <to me> modest system is way more money than he'd consider spending on audio at this point in his life. He's got more immediate needs such as a washer/dryer, stools for the kitchen counter, and furniture for the extra bedroom (for guests like mom & dad!).
He'd much rather I give him a more useful housewarming gift than an audio system that will not get much use - at least in the near term.
I ought to be proud of him (I am) - not disappointed (only a little) that he suggested audio can wait a while (2 or 3 years). As he was growing up, we instilled in him an awareness of "Is this something I need or something I want?" Needs take priority over wants. Wants come after needs are taken care of, but only if acquiring the want doesn't prevent fulfilling of future needs. [That's probably a mouthful, but that's how we chose to live our lives until recently.]
I wanted to be clear since I excitedly told you of his earlier decision. I'll get a clearer picture tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure he won't take the Adelphos. He may decide to accept the IDA-8 and less expensive speakers, in which case a couple offered pairs of speakers may be considered after all.
This has been educational for me. I'd forgotten how to think like a 27-year-old who's just starting out in life.
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Speed Queen washer and dryer. Rated for 25,000 loads! Made of metal, not plastic. Forget the fancy/more expensive models. It'll be a life-time gift.
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Mike,
It’s nice to see that your son and his fiancé have more sense than both of us! :green: And my offer in my pm is still there should you wish to take it.
Best,
Anand.
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Speed Queen washer and dryer. Rated for 25,000 loads! Made of metal, not plastic. Forget the fancy/more expensive models. It'll be a life-time gift.
+1. A rational and useful gift especially for the wife, audio always comes with the enhancement and upgrade virus. Especially now when the headphones are in a dizzying rise in quality and improvement in sound and soundstage on models over $1K.
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+2 on JLM’s Speed Queen washer and dryer. :thumb: As the years go by they will appreciate it more and more. I admire how your son thinks. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. :thumb:
Cheers,
Scott
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But give him something nice - since you already have it. There will be plenty of times where nice (sounding) music can be relaxing after a long day or when the baby needs to be calmed or a romantic dinner is needed.
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I hear you have a really nice ST70 tube amp just sitting around, that would be essentially free (sunk cost), and for speakers, maybe a more personal gift, like build a pair of C-Note diy speakers from Parts Express - you've mentioned before you're interested in making a kit, this would be a great opportunity to do it. Might be a nice little extra Christmas present :)
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+3 on the Speed Queen. Love our washer. Will match the dryer when it dies.
The old school non electronic controls will last longer.
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This is fun.
Okay....here's the final (?) word on what is happening with the audio part of the housewarming gift:
He's getting the IDA-8. I just committed to buying a pair of Mike Lundy (mlundy) built Encores from Nature Boy. 'My' first mlundy built speakers and I won't even get to hear them until April, 2020. My son will add a subwoofer after they're settled in. I think he wants to see what's available in the ATL area.
I think the SpeedQueen set is a great idea - and I did mention this brand and its reliability to him a week ago. However, he's got his mind set on an LG pair from Costco. We'll see what he decides. He's an adult, and I don't want to step on his toes with too many suggestions.
Tyson,
Yeah. I thought about the ST-70, but 1) He hasn't been bitten by the audio bug, and 2) He really doesn't want an amp that needs that level of attention. He can leave the IDA-8 on 24/7. It's easy peasy. Hell, he's going to inherit all my gear when I die in <probably> 25 years, and that thought is pretty intimidating for him right now. [I've got three friends who have asked to be added to my will, so they can get my Apollos. :lol:]
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My appliance repairman recommended Speed Queen and told me to avoid LG as parts are very hard to find. Avoid sexy appliances, go with the time tested basics. Why do folks want to mix electricity with water anyway?
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I have a radical idea. For $44 get two Echo Dots and configure them as a stereo pair. The Dot does Bluetooth, and streaming from TuneIn, iHeart Radio, Pandora, and more.
Want better sound? Add a pair of powered monitors. The famous JBL's will likely be on sale for under $200/pair.
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My appliance repairman recommended Speed Queen and told me to avoid LG as parts are very hard to find. Avoid sexy appliances, go with the time tested basics. Why do folks want to mix electricity with water anyway?
I’ve got a Maytag high efficiency washer and matching dryer. It was a mid-level model about 8 years ago. Other than cleaning a drain-catch thing every year or so, it’s been problem free. I’m pretty sure most of the brands are all the same nowadays. There’s a few outliers like Speed Queen and I think LG doesn’t rebadge their stuff.
But my point, really is such... Why all these settings and controls, and complicated electronic boards? It’s not like my clothes are coming out any cleaner. And they’re not coming out of the washer to the dryer by themselves and folded when done. As far as the settings go, I use the same one every time. Except the “clean washer” cycle. Why do I need to wash a washing machine?
It uses less water, so it has that going for it, which is nice :) Other than that, I fail to see how these things are better than what I grew up using - turn the knob (which made a cool noise) and push it in to start washing.
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When appliance shopping a few years back every sales man told me the ~12 years I got out of the last appliances was "pretty good" and then mentioned typical design life is 10 years. With all the stuff around the house that can wear out or break down I strongly disagreed with that "pretty good" premise. My folks kept their simple, metal appliances for 25+ years.
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+2 on JLM’s Speed Queen washer and dryer. :thumb: As the years go by they will appreciate it more and more. I admire how your son thinks. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. :thumb:
Cheers,
Scott
+3 Forget the fancy ones they break down. BTW you raised a smart one, congrats on all fronts.
charles
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When appliance shopping a few years back every sales man told me the ~12 years I got out of the last appliances was "pretty good" and then mentioned typical design life is 10 years. With all the stuff around the house that can wear out or break down I strongly disagreed with that "pretty good" premise. My folks kept their simple, metal appliances for 25+ years.
Agree 100%.
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This is fun.
Okay....here's the final (?) word on what is happening with the audio part of the housewarming gift:
He's getting the IDA-8. I just committed to buying a pair of Mike Lundy (mlundy) built Encores from Nature Boy. 'My' first mlundy built speakers and I won't even get to hear them until April, 2020. My son will add a subwoofer after they're settled in. I think he wants to see what's available in the ATL area.
I think the SpeedQueen set is a great idea - and I did mention this brand and its reliability to him a week ago. However, he's got his mind set on an LG pair from Costco. We'll see what he decides. He's an adult, and I don't want to step on his toes with too many suggestions.
Tyson,
Yeah. I thought about the ST-70, but 1) He hasn't been bitten by the audio bug, and 2) He really doesn't want an amp that needs that level of attention. He can leave the IDA-8 on 24/7. It's easy peasy. Hell, he's going to inherit all my gear when I die in <probably> 25 years, and that thought is pretty intimidating for him right now. [I've got three friends who have asked to be added to my will, so they can get my Apollos. :lol:]
Update:
The IDA-8 is sitting in the living room. The XLS-Encore speakers (built by mlundy!) will arrive tomorrow. The Blue Jeans speaker cables ought to arrive tomorrow as well.
I just ordered a Rythmik L12 subwoofer. Shaun has no need for the Rythmik F12G that I own and enjoy. Perhaps, the L12 will give him a taste of better than mushy bass, and he'll someday be able to appreciate even better sound (or not).
As for the washer/dryer....He ordered the LG 4.5 cu ft capacity front loader washer and the 7(?) cu ft electric dryer. He's excited.
Michael