Ok, well, Lets start with a budget of say..3 or 4000 (which I will be getting piecemeal of course).... The playback room is pretty small, my office at home. I can get measurem,ents up later today. Sorry for my lack of knowledge.I am gettin better.
Ray
A $3k used system is yesterdays brand new $7k stereo, and if you shop around...research and ask a lot of questions in the right places you could put together a remarkable rig on this budget.
Anything I recomend below I do on the merrits of what I have heard first hand, and how I think they measured up to similar products plus how they jive with what *I like* in my music reproduction.
Listening to "taper music" mostly, best to set your sights on a refference system that will be neutral, detailed and honest. You want to hear what these $5k recording rigs are picking up!!
for a small room, you'll want some monitors.
IMO, get yourself a nice integrated amp and a pair of nice monitors and a sub (or a pair of them is better). With the right monitor in a small room, a sub may be optional. You can buy much better stuff used for $3k than you can new for $4k. food for thought.
buy used cables. I'll 2nd the Boulder Cable co products. I run some tricked out M-80s, and I think they are only $120 stock.
I'd go w/the same cable company all around for synergy's sake. speaker, ICs, digi..etc.
For a source, there are tons of nice universal decks out there to choose from. I'd make sure I had something that played SACD.
on the cheap end...you could put together a total sony system consisting of SACD/CD deck and digital amp and be under $1000. And it would sound really, really good. Maybe even as good as something you'd spend $3k on new.
definately get familiar with
www.audiogon.comGREAT place for used gear, knowledgable people and tons of retailers advertise there too.
Easy search functions, so you can get going w/o knowing exactly what you are looking for.
If it were my money, and we are talking about a small room...
Id go back to a
Manley Stingray 50wpc integrated tube amp (I can get you a deal on a new one that will be as cheap as a used one, or cheaper). I recomend this because I owned one for a while, and it was just sooo cool, and sounded so warm and punchy. Just as pleasent to look at as well as listen to.
a pair of
Von Schweikert VR1 monitors, or VR2 towers if you have room (they are an AMAZINGLY powerful speaker)
and for a source, i'd pick up a used high end Sony SACD player that also was killer on redbook. There are tons of them.
No sub needed w/either of these....exept maybe the VR1.
Probably $4k in total including cables.
Rock on!
I wish I were you right now w/$4k to rebuild my system.