[takashi78]

Hi all,

Hope you guys can help me out here. This is my first time getting a home hifi system and came across this brand.
My budget is below 10k for everything, CDP,AMP,PreAmp (if possible) and speakers with wires n interconnect.

I am looking for a system that can play a mix of all musics but musics i don not listen to are techno and rock.

Any ideas on which setup i should go for?
What are some nice bookshelf speakers that go well with this brand of amp?
Also any place which i can audition them before buying?
I live in KL.

Cheers!
Peter

[takashi78]

Wow so many views and no suggestions?

[supergroverd]

I ordered a whole system from Nicholas. Hopefully it will arrive in th comming weeks (I have been waiting quiet a while  ) I will let you know how my findings as soon as I have listned to it.
By the way are you going analog or digital?

[JLM]

Welcome,

What's "KL"?

If this is your first foray into hi-end audio, you should first learn to appreciate music (a step that nearly all of us skip unfortunately).  Listen to live music (unamplified is the best as it the purest "gold standard" and you won't be listening through someone else's equipment).  Nearby colleges often have free performances and offer classes in music appreciation.  Next learn the audio lingo and attributes.  Auditioning equipment, hanging out on the web, attending any local audiophile gatherings, and visiting audio shows are all great ways to do this.  Then decide what aspects of music and audio are important or not to you as an individual.

Until we get this kind of info from you, its a crap shoot.  You'd probably just get suggestions of what each of us would like to spend your money on or what our audio epiphanies have been.  And as mentioned above, are you looking to use vinyl, CDs, or computer as your primary source?  Here's another decision, are you interested in tube, solid state, or the newer digital amplification?

For instance, the room is the most often overlooked "component".  Probably 90% of audiophiles should stick with headphones based on the crummy rooms (and lack of sound treatments) they have compared to the thousands they've invested in equipment.  Another example, most audiophiles will advise to focus on either the speakers or source when looking at the overall system as having the biggest impacts on performance.  Neither are wrong, but neither are completely right either.

Take care, and keep the questions coming.

[denjo]

What's "KL"?

JLM

KL means Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

I agree with you that room treatment should not be overlooked. Proper room treatment can make a mediocre system sound great and, without, even the "best system" sounds like crap! Don't ignore AC power as well!

Best Regards
Dennis

[takashi78]

As in my first post, i will use a tube amp and cd-player as source.
Music i normally listen to are pop,jazz,R&B.
No vinyl for me.

[Say]

So much to choose from. Where to start? I assume your budget is $10 grand US. With that in mind you have many options.

All Promitheus money saving system:

A) Digital front end - Any dvd or cd player you have with a digital out then get a promi filterless dac.

B) Preamplification - TVC. Get the dual mono or C-Core unit. Since they are rather inexpensive you mise well go top of the line.

C) Amplification - dependant on the speaker a low powered promi amp will suffice.

D) All wires from the same company.

E) Speakers - Anything with at least 6 ohms and 90db sensitivity or 8 ohms loads and 88 db. Demo a few to get a feel for the type and sound you are looking for.

F) Promi Power block and cables.

For a little over $3000 (minus the cost of speakers and tax) you'll have a spanking system.

If you go with a nice little speaker like the Silverline Audio Prelude then you should be having a good time and saving dough in the process.

[bpape]

The other 'room' consideration has to do with size.  A system that may be appropriate for a larger space may not work well in a smaller one.  Speakers that require a lot of space behind them may not work well in smaller spaces.  Can you give us an idea of the size and construction of the room?

Bryan

[Say]

Certainly the room is important. However, all one needs is enough space to place the electronics, spread out the speakers and have an adequate seating arrangement. Even in huge rooms one could still have a nearfield experience. That being said the rooms reflections and boundaries will still effect the sound. I would look into carpeting, or not, and sound panels for enhancements. Speaking of which, I would also spend a good chunk of change on tweaks. A decent stand will cost a pretty penny. Then I'd follow it up with promi ebony cones, and various other vibration control devices (rollerblocks and the ilk, extra shelving, cd demags and sprays plus any other stuff to make this hobbie fun.

[takashi78]

Sorry should have stated the currency.
My budget is RM10k below which is about usd3300.
I wanna include everything including speakers for this price range if possible.
Based on the size of my room i think max i would go for is bookshelf speakers.

[whubbard]

That changes a lot...

Will you be importing from the US, or can you buy the gear in KL?

[awkwardbydesign]

Bpape mentioned acoustics, but maybe was too shy to advise looking at Ethan Winer's acoustics site at Music Players Forums?  Or perhaps it would all get too confusing?  I have hit the limits in my smallish lounge, so without room treatment, I will just be nibbling at the edges.   Unfortunately, until I finish building the kitchen, I'm not allowed to rebuild the lounge!
If your room sounds bright, don't go for a bright system, and vice versa.

[Say]

Sorry should have stated the currency.
My budget is RM10k below which is about usd3300.
I wanna include everything including speakers for this price range if possible.
Based on the size of my room i think max i would go for is bookshelf speakers.

In that case you have some more scrutinizing to do. If you go with Promitheus then you would need to move a step down in performance with a less expensive TVC. Still very good stuff btw. If not, and you just want to move onto other brands, then I would go to a local dealership and see what the selection is.

You say bookshelf speakers but even those would sound better with stands than sitting on a shelf somewhere. Stands raise the height, hence take up space. However, there are some very nice bookself speakers that are worth listening to and are within your budget.

Overall you want coherance and gratification. That comes with less overtly distortive artifacts and getting most of your pieces in musical harmony with eachother (matching impedences, power output, sonic flavor, etc...). Good luck and happy auditioning.

[Say]

Bpape mentioned acoustics, but maybe was too shy to advise looking at Ethan Winer's acoustics site at Music Players Forums?  Or perhaps it would all get too confusing?  I have hit the limits in my smallish lounge, so without room treatment, I will just be nibbling at the edges.   Unfortunately, until I finish building the kitchen, I'm not allowed to rebuild the lounge!
If your room sounds bright, don't go for a bright system, and vice versa.

Good advice Mr. Awkwardbydesign!  Rooms carry innumerable variables to sound right. On the bright side (no pun intended) there are numerous tricks you can do to tailor the sound of your room and equipment.

[JLM]

$3,300 USD for an entire system is territory I'm familiar with.

Clean power could be a huge concern anywhere, especially in the developing world.  The purist route would be to go 100% battery power.  Of course the Promitheus TVC doesn't need power.  Also look here at AC for Red Wine Audio for battery powered source/amp options.  Another source for battery powered DAC/amp is the "Mother of Tone" guys.

If you're committed to a CDP, I'd pick up an Oppo for around $200.  They hit way beyond their price and can be used down the road as a transport.  But I'd recommend looking hard into Logitech Squeeze Box or Duet for $300/400.  Its the future, no moving parts, high sound quality.  They can be modded by Bolder and have power supply upgrades (Bolder or Channel Island Audio here at AC) to provide extremely high quality.

Building your own room treatments makes lots of sense from a shipping/cost perspective.  Sheets of high density fiberglass is the key ingredient to quality absorptive panels.  Shouldn't cost more than $200 USD to make up a few panels to treat corners and front/side wall first reflection points.

I'd keep the interconnects/speaker cable around $300 total.  Either try Promitheus, Signal Cable, Blue Jean Cable, or Element Cable.  But keep it all from the same vendor.

That would leave roughly $2000 USD (very do-able) after shipping/import fees/etc. for speakers, pre-amp, and amp.  Picking speakers is very personal, and I would only look for a pre-amp and power amp after you have picked the speakers.  From above, note that many standmounted speakers sound "small" (they don't fill large rooms).  Can you build/assemble speakers/amps (from kits) yourself?  How big is your room?  Building speakers yourself saves shipping cost and lets you have larger speakers for the same budget.  Check out AKSA here at AC.