Any Audiophiles in here? I could use some advice

Parts Express has some surprisingly good sounding budget equipment, and their $50 speakers actually got a good review in Stereophile. Here’s what I’d buy:

https://www.parts-express.com/Audio...Automatic-Belt-Drive-Turntable-Black-240-5529

https://www.parts-express.com/Yamah...-with-Bluetooth-100-Watts-per-Channel-312-220

https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...y-Tower-Speaker-Pair-with-AMT-Tweeter-300-654

It’s not an audiophile system, but for $400 you’ll have satisfying sound, Bluetooth input to stream your computer or smartphone, and enough left over to buy a CD player if you like. If you want to go even cheaper, get these speakers (the latest version of the ones Stereophile raved about) and save another $100. You’ll lose some low end, but the sound will be no less satisfying:

https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...okshelf-Speaker-Pair-with-AMT-Tweeter-300-651

 

Upgrading as you can afford it is a good strategy. Bin my student days in the early 80s I started with some very cheap components and slowly upgraded to an NAD amp and tuner, a Dual 504 with Grado cartridge, and a pair of Polk 10s as I could afford to. I’m still using the NADs and the Polks.

It cost me around $1,000 back then (about $2,400 in 2021 dollars) spread out over two years- figure $100/month. Over the years that works out to $68.50 a year, or, if you like, $5.71/month.

 

Some of us know what we're talking about, so pack it in with the broad-brushing Being snotty is never a good look.

I am into hifi, and have been for over 40 years. My current kit- amp, speakers, CD player and turntable cost five figures, and I consider it the lowest end of mid-range.

What I, and some others posted, was good advice and well intentioned. Dunno why we bother.

 

Craigslist. I got a Phillips home theater surround sound receiver with all the speakers and subwoofer for $65 about 7-8 years ago. I still have and use the receiver and woofer and have no plans of upgrading. I got really lucky and found two Fisher 3-way tower speakers back then from Savers thrift shop before that location closed, what a shame. The speakers were either $30 each, or $30 total, and it doesn't matter which. If you don't have time to wait for that luck, go craigslist again. No one wants big speakers anymore, which is fine with me.

Buy a new turntable from Audio Technica for $100. They all probably come with preamps like the one I used to use, the cool thing there is you could just get a Bose portable speaker with an aux input and hook the turntable directly to that. I did that setup for my folks some years back, it worked great!

 

This is largely untrue, based on the existence of digital read heads on mastering lathes that were ONLY used to essentially preview if the recording would fit on the sides of an album and allow the masterer to adjust accordingly. It was never actually in the signal going to the cutting head that made the stamper.

To the OP:

1. Check out Craigslist and other online local markets.

2. Join a forum like AudioKarma and post any questions about potential buys there for advice. With good guidance you can easily get a good, or possibly great, setup with the help of folks there.

 

Here's what I'd do. Check Crutchfields for the Kanto SYD. It's a single unit with speakers and bluetooth. On sale for $199. Doesn't sound perfect, but it is surprisingly strong sounding. It also has an input for a turntable. They have a few turntables for sale for $150 but they are out of stock.

 

Wasn't my intention to be snotty at all, in fact was going to point that out in my post but didn't seem necessary to me. And there's no need to be personal!!

I was suggesting op will benefit from learning more about what he's getting into and what will suit his needs/expectations/ and not least his room before buying anything. A hifi forum is a better place to start than a guitar forum!

 

Reviews by CNET, wirecutter and wired can be useful.

Crutchfield has good customer service and will give advice.

Visit a used stereo store. Also, some used record stores sell used stereo equipment.

Yamaha str dh 190 is good modern receiver and is about $150 for the turntable-receiver-speaker set-up. There are also Bluetooth turntables that can play into Bluetooth speakers w/out a receiver or amp.

 

But we don't know what kind of "office" it is, do we?

I don't know why any sane businessperson would want a turntable in an office where actual work is done.

 

Here's my current setup:
Not "audiophile" grade by any stretch of the imagination, but it sounds great to me.
At a minimum you'll need some sort of receiver/amplifier and of course a turntable.
Some speakers to hear it all come out of too.
Someone mentioned the debates between belt drive and direct drive for the turntable.
My preference is direct drive. I have a Technics SL-D2. Not super fancy, but solid as a rock! Upgrade the cartridge, and you've got a great system.

View attachment 813712

 

I dont get the “direct drive is the best audio arguments”—at $350 its “get the best TT you can find”, and realistically at those prices it’s gonna be a belt drive. They sound good to great, so save a bit with the belt and put money into the cartridge.

 

Apologies for being snotty.

You know how some people get all superior and tell enquiring noobs that a Squier isn't a proper Fender and spending 300 quid on one is a waste of money when they can pay over a grand for a gen-u-wine MiA Fender?

We're talking orders of magnitude here. There are hi-fi forums were everybody will tell you that unless you spend the price of a luxury car on a turntable you're wasting your money.

Not all hi-fi forums, granted, but how's a noob to know which ones?

 

Indeed, assumption is the mother of all **** ups.

I read it as "home office/study/den/playroom"

 

The table itself doesn't have as much to do with sound quality as:

1. Speakers
2. Amp
3. Cartridge
4. Stylus(needle)

Now, a cheap, poorly built turntable will sound like what it is regardless of all other factors. Terms like "entry level" and "portable" should be red flags in considering what to buy.

With patience and some good info, $350 can yield a good starter system with the ability to upgrade down the line.

My two tables, a Pioneer PL-A45D and an Onkyo Integra CP-1057F both came into my possession over the last several years for less than $75($15 Pioneer, $50 Onkyo) with darn good cartridges. New styli for each were a further $40 or so.

 

Many tears ago DD turntables were anathema to the true hi-fi fan. You wanted as much isolation as possible between the motor and the platter, so it was a belt. Always.

Time and technology marches on, and CAD/CAM and brushless motors and better materials have closed the gap.

The people who say that DD has always been better than belt drive weren't around in the 60s and 70s when all the cheap DD tat was about.

 

Local Craigslist is your friend in this endeavor.
Easy to find lots of classic gear.

 

Belts stretch over time, and they degrade with humidity. Direct drive is always going to be a positive engagement between motor and capstan.

 

We're talking about records right? Albums? What's with calling it vinyl? Why not call it PVC, that's what it is right?

 

Why not call it polyvinyl chloride that's what it is right?