[tmd]

This forum is about getting kickass sound for reasonable cost. So am I. However, the amount of time it takes for someone to get through the huge number of posts even in this forum to figure out what equipment might meet their needs is often prohibitive. Asking the question helps but there will be repetition and if only specific people chime in, one might not get the biggest picture possible.
I was thinking that a list could maybe be created to detail the various offerings under the typical headings, turntable, CD player,preamp, active XO, amp, integrated, speakers, subs, interconnects, power cables, AC filtering, speaker cables etc.... and populated with the gear that is out there today which meets specific criteria. I think the most important being value for money. While I see many problems with it, is it worth a try at least?
There are also generally agreed good combinations and bad combinations which might be included in the list. People could put forward their systems that synergise well and detail the cost of each piece and the evolution of the system.
What do you guys think?
Neil.

[Marbles]

I was thinking that a list could maybe be created to detail the various offerings under the typical headings, turntable, CD player,preamp, active XO, amp, integrated, speakers, subs, interconnects, power cables, AC filtering, speaker cables etc.... and populated with the gear that is out there today which meets specific criteria. I think the most important being value for money. While I see many problems with it, is it worth a try at least?
What do you guys think?
Neil.

Great idea.

Why don't you take a stab at putting the list together.

[earlmarc]

I was thinking that a list could maybe be created to detail the various offerings under the typical headings, turntable, CD player,preamp, active XO, amp, integrated, speakers, subs, interconnects, power cables, AC filtering, speaker cables etc.... and populated with the gear that is out there today which meets specific criteria. I think the most important being value for money. While I see many problems with it, is it worth a try at least?
What do you guys think?
Neil.

Great idea.

Why don't you take a stab at putting the list together.

[Carlman]

Just thinking about how to divide up the categories gives me a headache... owch!  

I think you would have to have a LOT of free time and a very thick skin to complete such a task.  I don't know of anyone that would accept this challenge.  However, I don't know of anyone that wouldn't want to see what you came up with.  

Good luck!

[ABEX]

At A-Gon under Amps I think there was a similar post.Not for all system parts though.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1018196723&read&3&4&

No matter what list you find you have to take into account personal taste which one person's dream can be another's Nightmare.

Your speaker's should be the first and foremost important factor in picking your system parts .Then look for reviews for what people have used to drive them,followed by the Source EQ..

If you get a Sub try to get an un-ported that goes as low as you can afford.Non-Servo also.ALthough there are alot that swear by Paradigm's and the like which are good.

My personal evolution has been for the best affordable gear that you can find.I started with Sony reciever's,then Harmon Kardon seperates ,Adcom then B&K.

Today the names have changed.FT Audio,Monarchy-used,Bolder Cable for ART DIO upgrade and Cable,Sony\Pioneer CDP .Crossover's you will be getting into another league and it's best you get with your speaker designer as to what might work there.The cost is heavy .

Remeber the best to myself might not be your cup of tea.Especialy speaker's.

You might try to take a pair of Axiom M22's and redo the crossover's with quality parts which someone else did with great results.
Remember to take into account the size your room is when picking speaker's.

You can make IC's and speaker cable yourself .Make Powercords yourself also.

http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/3684.html

[tmd]

I don't think I am up to the challenge of doing it all on my lonesome but I will think about it for a few days and see what I can come up with to start the ball rolling. I too believe that almost everyone will want to look at the list and also that very many will want to tear it apart as it is down to personal taste to a large extent.
It should be fun trying to do it though.

[audioengr]

Here are some things to start the list with:

Awesome CD players:
Sony DVP-S9000ES

Superb transports:
Sony DVP-S7700

Good amp-speaker synergies:
Coda 10.5 driving KEF 104/2

Superb DAC's:
Proceed AVP
Mark Levinson 360S

Superb Preamps with low output impedance:
Mark Levinson 380S

[ABEX]

TMD
Remember not to go over kill on the size of speker's unless you have a giant room.

You can do great things with Minimonitors or small footprint floorstander's.

When you go to listen to speaker's bring your own music.Listen to alot of speaker's.Go listen to a set of Magnepan's first because they are really transparent then try to find a speaker that is the size you want that has the qualities of maggies ,but are the size you need and are not difficult loads to drive.Once you find them you'll know.Therre's something about knowing they are the speaker's  when you hear them.

For me it was NEAR's when I heard them.When I heard them I knew.They don't sell them anymore,but AXiom's are close to them nut not in the Bass.

Jean Marie Reynauds  are the type of sound I like from the descriptions of other's I have read.De Capo's are another brand that are highly regarded from what I have read ,but expensive.JM Labs and Revel's I would like to hear.

Happy Hunting!

[tmd]

Well for me, there are some pieces of gear that are a given.
Norh; CD-1, LeAmps
VMPS 626 Neos
Decware; Zen Select and RL-2 speakers.
Lots of modded gear, including MENSA DI/O and my own SCD-775ES Sony player.
I think gear should be submitted to the list based on even one persons impressions but until it has been verified by at least five others, it won't be taken as a serious entry.
Mods would probably have to be a separate deal as there are so many permutations and combinations.

[nathanm]

What would have to be done is to make a database where entries were made for what each person thinks is a good combo, and then sort that data to see if there's any common patterns.  It would have to be a huge amount of data for it to be useful though.  But really, it sounds like a monumental task for something that is nearly impossible to measure or categorize.  There's so many variables it's crazy.

I know on the EnjoyTheMusic site they have that chart which assigns vales to a list of audiophile sound description terms.  If that list was searchable it might make sense.  I am not sure if they have such a feature or not.  So for example let's say you want to get great bass extention, you could search for all amps and subs that scored a 90 or better on the "sub bass" entry.  Something like that.  You can sorta do this with their search engine though by looking for the string "sub-bass 90" but then you get links to numerous things that require further investigation.  I guess there's no easy answers!

That's precisely why I have sold all my equipment and now listen solely to an antique Victrola!

[audioengr]

Another addition to the list:

The Perpetual Technologies 3A DAC with Dan Wright's Signature II mods.  Really outstanding.  I was thinking about getting a ML 360S, but not now.  It blows away the older Levinson DACs.

Dan swapped me a couple pairs of Holophonic-PC's interconnects for it.