small, cheap, apartment system

jrtrent · « **on:** 11 Sep 2011, 08:35 pm »

Last March, Budyog posted his "about face" experience, finding that, despite his great home system, he found himself being a vintage audio guy out in the garage. My about face is a bit different; I may have gone from being a long-time component stereo afficionado to a table radio fan.

Like Budyog, my components have been of pretty good quality, from makes like Linn, Well Tempered, Audio by Van Alstine, and Vandersteen, but this past summer, now living in a small apartment and needing extra living room space for a series of weekend visitors, most of the stereo system got packed away and, I thought temporarily, replaced by the $329 DP-300F turntable (chosen for price, fully automatic operation, built-in phono stage, and the fact that its front-mounted controls and low profile made it useable on a lower shelf of a compact rack) running into a $599.90 Bose Wave music system with soundlink adapter (which inhabits the top shelf to get the recommended placement height).

For less than $1000, I get highly enjoyable playback of lp's, cd's, mp3 files (on cd), am/fm radio, and, through the soundlink adapter, a wide variety of audio from my computer (streamed Netflix movies, NFL Game Rewind and Audio Pass, internet radio, downloaded music files, and more). Once you've found the best spot to place the Wave music system, there really isn't any more fiddling to deal with, just choose your source and adjust the volume, and it sounds good whether played loudly or softly and from anywhere in the room (no "sweet spot" to stay glued to).

There are limitations to what a small table radio is going to do well, but solo instruments of all kinds, most chamber works, jazz trios, bluegrass quartets, folk singers, etc., come off amazingly well. Talk radio, sports broadcasts, old-time radio shows (that I collect on MP3 cd's), and even movie soundtracks are also fully satisfying. Great source versatility, decent sound, tremendous ease of use, and takes up very little space--as long as I live in this apartment, I might never hook up a component system again.

Rclark · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 Sep 2011, 09:03 pm »

I live in a small apartment and I couldn't live with myself if I had vandersteens boxed up so I could listen to a Bose wave radio. I'd be climbing up the walls.

I'm building a full system in my apartment, moving up from about Bose level myself. Just landed on some Maggies and never looking back.

eclein · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 Sep 2011, 10:20 pm »

When I read the OP, I thought a divorce was the culprit, now I think you have been brain washed by whatever BOSE uses to make people think they are dialed in and hearing good tunes, I know of no known cure my friend and feel for ya, here's to hoping the effects wear off and soon!!!

In all seriousness to each his own and if that set up does for ya who am I to say otherwise but I would tend to speculate that if you set that packed away gear back up you may find that after a few songs or a couple days of A and B'ing with your current set up you'll find that your ears just adjusted to the new sound because it was all that was in the room that could be listened too. Or...I could be wrong!

jrtrent · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Sep 2011, 02:21 am »

No, no divorce (always been single). I grew tired of driving 70 miles to and from work every day, so sold my house and moved into an apartment a couple years ago.

It's not like the table radio sounds anywhere near as good as my other system; it's just that I'm very surprised at how involving and satisfying it can be for such a small size and price. I recently visited a friend with a good system, taking along some albums I thought he'd like to hear. I played them again when I got home and thought, "What happened? This sucks!" But before the end of the first side, my toes were tapping and I was just really enjoying the music again.

I've been in a mood to simplify many areas of life, including possession of a lot of "things." The simple Denon/Bose Wave system lets me enjoy music, and a lot of other audio entertainment, without a lot of fuss, cost, or intrusion into the living space. That doesn't seem like a bad thing right now. And it's under the maximum system price for the cheap and cheerful forum!

Rclark · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Sep 2011, 03:09 am »

InfernoSTi · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 Sep 2011, 03:16 am »

I recently read a thread about how many musicians don't have audiophile stereo equipment. In fact, they often have quite average equipment yet can enjoy music, find nuances that others don't hear, and become fully engaged. The theory was postulated that they "fill in the blanks" and are really listening to things others don't: timing, progression, emotion (well, we all should listen for that). I'm not a musician but I took the thread to heart: engage in the music and the enjoyment will follow! Cheers to you for simplifying....

John

charmerci · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 Sep 2011, 10:07 pm »

Quote from: Rclark on 11 Sep 2011, 09:03 pm

I live in a small apartment and I couldn't live with myself if I had vandersteens boxed up so I could listen to a Bose wave radio. I'd be climbing up the walls.

+1

neekomax · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Sep 2011, 10:15 pm »

Quote from: InfernoSTi on 12 Sep 2011, 03:16 am

I recently read a thread about how many musicians don't have audiophile stereo equipment. In fact, they often have quite average equipment yet can enjoy music, find nuances that others don't hear, and become fully engaged. The theory was postulated that they "fill in the blanks" and are really listening to things others don't: timing, progression, emotion (well, we all should listen for that). I'm not a musician but I took the thread to heart: engage in the music and the enjoyment will follow! Cheers to you for simplifying....

John

Musicians have to buy gear for making music, and therefore don't have thousands to spend on home audio. That was true in muy case, at least.

JLM · « **Reply #8 on:** 13 Sep 2011, 01:48 am »

For $530 USD you could do a Squeeze Box Duet and Audioengine A5's.

Of course you'd have to give up those big bulky vinyl recordings.

jrtrent · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 Sep 2011, 03:18 am »

Rclark and InfernoSTi, getting a "thumbs up" and a "cheers to you" after mentioning the B word is pretty unusual, and I greatly appreciate it.

Doublej · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Sep 2011, 03:59 pm »

I did the same thing for a second system. I use a Teac Reference receiver/cd player unit. It came with small speakers which sound pretty sweet but not much bass. I added a wireless music player to the setup so I have internet radio and access to the music on my computer.

All in less than $500.

I've been on the hunt for a $100 speaker upgrade. I don't want to stray from the cheap side of things on this system.

I.Greyhound Fan · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Sep 2011, 05:29 pm »

Small Budget system-
Dayton DTA-100A amp and either an MCM DAC (exact clone of the Beresford TC-7510 DAC) or the Maverick Audio DAC/Pre. And a pair of these Monitor Audio M1's or M2's which are rebadged BR1's and BR2's.

$100 for the amp, $120 for the MCM or $220 for the Maverick DAC/Pre. $248 for the Monitor Audio M1's. $328 for the M2's

I just bought a referbished DTA-100A for $50 and it sounds great paired with my Monitor Audio S1's and my son's PSB B6's. Tight deep bass and lots of air, smooth vocals and good detail. It sounded even better when we hooked it up to my son's Maverick. The Maverick gave it that nice tube midrange and added more air and depth to the music.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-383

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/50-7774&green=13236361506&utm_campaign=MyBuys&utm_medium=Recommendation&utm_source=hcat&utm_term=50-7774

http://www.mav-audio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MRM2

django11 · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 Sep 2011, 07:47 pm »

Quote from: InfernoSTi on 12 Sep 2011, 03:16 am

I recently read a thread about how many musicians don't have audiophile stereo equipment. In fact, they often have quite average equipment yet can enjoy music, find nuances that others don't hear, and become fully engaged. The theory was postulated that they "fill in the blanks" and are really listening to things others don't: timing, progression, emotion (well, we all should listen for that). I'm not a musician but I took the thread to heart: engage in the music and the enjoyment will follow! Cheers to you for simplifying....

John

I know a couple of musicians and they both have pathetic sound at their place. One of them who plays concert piano says " It will never sound like the symphony anyway so what is the point of going to a lot of trouble and spending major money?". I guess we need good systems because we lack imagination...

Strangely I still get as much enjoyment out of my stock GM mini van system as I do out of my GR Research speakers and Virtue amp...

JLM · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Sep 2011, 08:41 pm »

Musicians rarely have the coin for a serious system, plus as mentioned they only need a "reminder" of what the music should sound like.

Chess masters can play an entire game from memory, the rest of us need the chess set.

Rclark · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Sep 2011, 09:00 pm »

I have another buddy who's in a band, on the verge of potential stardom already, and he doesn't have crap. But they all listen to tons of music just the same.

True, many musicians don't make a lot of money, but I think the fact that they get to hear live music all the time, it also kind of diminishes the need to have a nice stereo.

mikecole · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 Sep 2011, 09:09 pm »

When you listen to music on less than capable equipment, you end up listening to the music, not the equipment.

charmerci · « **Reply #16 on:** 18 Sep 2011, 09:39 pm »

Quote from: mikecole on 18 Sep 2011, 09:09 pm

When you listen to music on less than capable equipment, you end up listening to the music, not the equipment.

Is that why my speakers sound like wood and my CD's sound like plastic? My electronics sound like metal or plastic, depending on where I tap them!

jrtrent · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Sep 2011, 10:17 am »

Quote from: mikecole on 18 Sep 2011, 09:09 pm

When you listen to music on less than capable equipment, you end up listening to the music, not the equipment.

Great observation, and very nicely put!

firedog · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Sep 2011, 11:16 am »

I sometimes listen to a Squeezebox Boom (boombox) and find it quite enjoyable. I think the trick is that the designers realize its limitations in frequency response, and voice it to sound pleasing. It hides its shortcomings, whereas my audiophile system makes any shortcomings in a recording etc very noticeable.

I think much the same is true for other compact units. They don't give realism or satisfaction like a big rig, but can be quite nice to listen to.

ltr317 · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Sep 2011, 06:14 pm »

Quote from: Rclark on 18 Sep 2011, 09:00 pm

I have another buddy who's in a band, on the verge of potential stardom already, and he doesn't have crap. But they all listen to tons of music just the same.

True, many musicians don't make a lot of money, but I think the fact that they get to hear live music all the time, it also kind of diminishes the need to have a nice stereo.

I really like the way my system is sounding, but I still attend 20-30 concerts a year because no stereo can substitute live music.