?

weirdo · « **Reply #20 on:** 15 Jan 2007, 05:39 pm »

500 is tough but 1,200 is realistic. Maggies entry level floorstander is 500.00 pr. new. Add a 12" sub from Parts Express at 150, a Cambridge Audio integrated and a respectable but cheap CD player
(Marantz 5001 at 299.00) and you are around 1,200. for a killer first system. All can probably be had for around 750 used. If 500 is the must stop barrier, buy everything used except the CD player. Its hard to justify used CD players over good cheap ones. for amplifiers, I 've noticed a lot of good entry level used pre-amp/amp same brand stuff misplaced in E-bay under amplifiers/preamplifiers and in the am/fm tuner section. regardless, spend the bulk of the 500.00 on speakers. 2cents in.

shep · « **Reply #21 on:** 15 Jan 2007, 06:11 pm »

On the 5th "NODIAX" was offering a JVC ex-a1 for 200$. This is supposed to be a very sweet sounding mini set-up, a great place to start. Definately NOT low-fi. I had a Denon mini like this, which was marvelous and the JVC speakers should be better yet. Add a little sub and it's a really nice system. (assuming he hasn't sold it by now)

bprice2 · « **Reply #22 on:** 15 Jan 2007, 06:55 pm »

Assuming you could get the right price on a winning bid, these two items would get you most of the way there.

Totem bookshelf speakers:
http://cgi.ebay.com/TOTEM-ACOUSTIC-MITE-BLACK-PAIR-BOOKSHELF-SPEAKERS_W0QQitemZ250071274463QQihZ015QQcategoryZ14991QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

NAD receiver:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NAD-Stereo-Receiver-7225PE_W0QQitemZ190071125033QQihZ009QQcategoryZ3280QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I have an old Sony 5 disc changer cdp laying around that my wife would love to get rid of. Name your price.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #23 on:** 15 Jan 2007, 07:25 pm »

I own that little JVC EX-A1, and have spoken volumes about how excellent it is - factor in the $200 I paid off eBay, and it is just foolish good.

Mind you, not that grunty, at only 30wpc @ 4ohms.

I never used the stock speakers, but am impressed how it worked with several other speakers I own.

Love the sub out, wish there was information around at what frequency it cuts the mains though, when you activate it.

Nice little all in one, less speakers!

Should mate extemely well with used Omega speakers...

avahifi · « **Reply #24 on:** 15 Jan 2007, 08:45 pm »

Actually a reasonable starting place is the simple Trivoli Model One FM-AM table radio. Although its basic performance is mono, it does have Stereo audio output capability through its fixed level output jack (stereo mini-plug size).

This will provide better than boombox performance all by itself for starters. Find a decent used stereo integrated amplifier (NAD or Rotel comes to mind), any old CD/DVD combo player at $79 from K-Mart or such, and the biggest baddest speakers you can afford and you will be on your way to good audio performance.

Frank Van Alstine

Zheeeem · « **Reply #25 on:** 15 Jan 2007, 10:07 pm »

If you're patient you ought to be able to get a used pair of speakers and an integrated amp for $400-500 (like a pair of B$W DM601s and a small NAD). Spend what's left on an inexpensive CD player.

avahifi · « **Reply #26 on:** 17 Dec 2007, 10:08 pm »

Follow up on the Trivoli Model One AM-FM radio. I lent my personal FM tuner to one of my techs for a couple of weeks so he could upgrade and copy its "one off" AVA hybrid tube audio circuits and that left me without a tuner.

So I dropped my Trivoli Model One into the main system. I connected it from a stereo mini-plug from its Rec. outputs to the tuner inputs in my system. I was disappointed to find that the rec output was Mono rather than Stereo as I had expected.

A quick call to Trovoli resolved the issue. What I should have been using was the Headphone output which is stereo (even though the radio overall is a simple little nice mono unit). I am running it with its volume control all the way up and the Trivoli headphone output into the system preamp tuner inputs. The resulting sound is quite nice stereo sound, certainly a lot better than most stock FM tuners I have tried here over the years. Very listenable.

Merry Christmas

Frank Van Alstine

Wayner · « **Reply #27 on:** 17 Dec 2007, 10:41 pm »

Frank,

Were would you rate the sound compared to a Dynaco FM-3 or FM-5?

Wayner

J Fallows · « **Reply #28 on:** 18 Dec 2007, 12:33 am »

If you have 500 bucks to spend, I'd be searching the thrift stores in your area.
I took a 500 dollar system to an audio show where I met Frank. Most of it came from the thrift stores. All of my source material, records and cd's, have come from thrift stores too.
He and his assistant liked it quite a bit.
I know it sounds sort of crazy, but it's a great way to get started.

Hello Frank, I'm havin' a ball.

John

WGH · « **Reply #29 on:** 18 Dec 2007, 01:21 am »

500 bucks can get your friend a killer system that will last him for years, with a little careful shopping.

The first place to look is craigslist.org, lots of good stuff real cheap, and you don't need to waste gas or time going to thrift stores.

Go with the classics, used Harmon/Kardon, NAD, JBL, Klipsh (terrific with low powered receivers) and you can't go wrong.

Want to go esoteric and get better sound than a receiver? Get him a used Adcom GTP400 and GFA535 ($300 total cost) off ebay.

Here is the latest system I put together for a friend:
NAD 7155, free, from my closet (she is a good friend)
CD/DVD player, $15, from a yard sale, forgot it's name, it works, that's all that matters.
JBL 2-way speakers, $25, craigslist.org
Total cost $40.

Spend the remaining $460 on music.

Wayne

plaf26 · « **Reply #30 on:** 18 Dec 2007, 01:26 am »

Re: Frank's Tivoli Model One. I had a Model One from which I could get no stereo from either the "Rec Out" nor the headphone jack. Now I have one on which I get stereo from both. Are they all different?

Panelman · « **Reply #31 on:** 18 Dec 2007, 02:13 am »

I second Frank's recommendation for the Tivoli. Get it with their subwoofer and the sound is quite good for what it is.

davidb928 · « **Reply #32 on:** 18 Dec 2007, 02:47 am »

I second WGH's recommendation on Adcom: I've got the Adcom GFA 535 65-watt amp (bought original, but used going on e-bay for $100) and Adcom GTP 500 II Preamp/Tuner ($189 e-bay); the 500 II is a slightly later-gen version of the 400. Great sound for the money, great foundation for a budget system. Add a used Rotel 855 CD Player, nearly a giant killer in its day ($100 e-bay) and you're all set.

Well, I guess you'll need speakers...two (gold-plated) tin cans and a string??

bundee1 · « **Reply #33 on:** 18 Dec 2007, 02:53 am »

He can add the closeout Athena AS B1 speakers from Audioadvisor to your adcom system for $100 and he is done.

TONEPUB · « **Reply #34 on:** 18 Dec 2007, 04:41 am »

Find a really cute girl with money, and whore yourself out....

If that doesn't work, I'll sell you a very nice HK 630 reciever
and Pioneer all in one disc player for 100 bucks!

That should get you started!

martyo · « **Reply #35 on:** 18 Dec 2007, 04:29 pm »

Quote

Find a really cute girl with money, and whore yourself out....

I may have to start reading audio rags again with advice like this.

weirdo · « **Reply #36 on:** 19 Dec 2007, 01:51 am »

In my opinion, I see two options ( adult options anyway, I'm sure you can get a transformer looking boombox with all kinds of unnecessary structural geometry for 500 but....

first, the Tivoli with extra speaker, player and sub. Might be able to put it together for 500. It will be acceptable and attractive and sound decent but it will probably leave you wanting. The Tivoli look more like really nice bedroom systems. The single driver is capable but I can't imagine serious listening with it.

The option I have read here that I would perfer is the used Adcom 636, a pair of Athena bookshelves and a cheap cd player. I believe there is a 150.00 Toshiba DVD player that aparently rocks as a CD player. If a tuner is necessary, get a cheap scott or jvc digital PLL from E-bay for around 40-50.00. FM is kind of a dinasaur so cheap tuners are still cheap. certainly a less attractive set-up but just might sound great. Take your 500 and rock the house dude.

Brett Buck · « **Reply #37 on:** 19 Dec 2007, 06:23 am »

Quote from: plaf26 on 18 Dec 2007, 01:26 am

Re: Frank's Tivoli Model One. I had a Model One from which I could get no stereo from either the "Rec Out" nor the headphone jack. Now I have one on which I get stereo from both. Are they all different?

No, but there are two different models. A Model One doesn't have stereo output. A Model Two does.

Brett

JLM · « **Reply #38 on:** 19 Dec 2007, 10:23 am »

I like the Tivoli for what it is. But adding CDP, 2nd speaker, and sub pushes the concept too hard IMO.

Plus it is a dead-ended solution, no good upgrade path except for the separate CDP.

plaf26 · « **Reply #39 on:** 19 Dec 2007, 03:50 pm »

Quote

No, but there are two different models. A Model One doesn't have stereo output. A Model Two does.

Sorry, Brett, but my Tivoli Model One has stereo at both "REC OUT" and the headphone jack. My old one didn't have it at all, though Tivoli told me it should have. Frank says he has stereo only at the headphone jack of his Model One, and that Tivoli told him it's supposed to be that way. One thing I'm not confused about is that the Tivoli Model One sounds great played through AVA equipment. It has a better signal to noise ratio on the one classical station we have in town than my FM-5 does.