Audio guys - who is up for being peppered with a million questions?

[ChipHilton]

Yeah- unless you want to go bigger, spend more, etc. I may have wrongly assumed you were thinking smaller & cheaper when you mentioned powered speakers, so I didn't mean to pigeon hole you. (We can make it more ambitious for a couple hundy more.)

For example, there's only one set of RCA jacks on the back of the Lepai, so if you want to bang something else onto it, it gets the boot.

I should have added that the Lepai does have an MP3 input on the back and my daughter plugs her TV into it via her TV's headphone out. Just set a basic volume on the amp and adjust volume via the TV's remote. Not cutting edge, but it works fine.

Again, I don't want to oversell this thing. It puts out about 7-10 watts per channel into 8 ohms. You could certainly try it and say "I'm a rockin' SOB and I need more!". But again, you're in for $26 and could surely find a use for it if or when you want to upgrade. And my daughter's has been on pretty much 24-7 for four years, as has mine at the Chez Hilton desk top.

 

[HawkFanatik]

Yeah- unless you want to go bigger, spend more, etc. I may have wrongly assumed you were thinking smaller & cheaper when you mentioned powered speakers, so I didn't mean to pigeon hole you. (We can make it more ambitious for a couple hundy more.)

For example, there's only one set of RCA jacks on the back of the Lepai, so if you want to bang something else onto it, it gets the boot.

No, you assumed correctly.

I should have added that the Lepai does have an MP3 input on the back and my daughter plugs her TV into it via her TV's headphone out. Just set a basic volume on the amp and adjust volume via the TV's remote. Not cutting edge, but it works fine.

Again, I don't want to oversell this thing. It puts out about 7-10 watts per channel into 8 ohms. You could certainly try it and say "I'm a rockin' SOB and I need more!". But again, you're in for $26 and could surely find a use for it if or when you want to upgrade. And my daughter's has been on pretty much 24-7 for four years, as has mine at the Chez Hilton desk top.

Since I'm such a monumental novice at this sort of stuff, I'll probably go with the Lepai for the time being. I can always upgrade later if I desire more bang for my buck.

Thanks again for all the good advice Chip. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[ChipHilton]

I'll let you know how it goes.

Will hold to you to it!

 

[sultanofsuede]

so i ended up pulling the trigger on the RTi8's. pretty excited to get these going.

i actually was starting to lean towards the energy's (after is saw a couple late posts from chip and H), but alas, when i went to make the purchase, that sale was over.

figured the RTi8's will do me just fine, and i can spend the difference on a sub. i might have a secondary need for these in a year or two anyway, so i think they'll be great until i decide i need to go bigger (if that even happens).

now - back to the turn table. i'll try to be patient, waiting for the right deal on one - and enjoy this new sounds for a while unitl that day.

 

[h-hawk]

Congratulations! Polk Audio is a good brand. My little brother still has some Polk speakers that he bought over 20 years ago. (On the other hand I have probably been through 20 different speakers in that time. No really...

 

[ChipHilton]

We expect progress reports!!!

 

[ChipHilton]

so i ended up pulling the trigger on the RTi8's. pretty excited to get these going.

i actually was starting to lean towards the energy's (after is saw a couple late posts from chip and H), but alas, when i went to make the purchase, that sale was over.

figured the RTi8's will do me just fine, and i can spend the difference on a sub. i might have a secondary need for these in a year or two anyway, so i think they'll be great until i decide i need to go bigger (if that even happens).

now - back to the turn table. i'll try to be patient, waiting for the right deal on one - and enjoy this new sounds for a while unitl that day.

I think it was a good common sense choice. The Marantz is probably happy, as it doesn't have to drive quite as much speaker. Your room may also be happy to not have to deal with extra bass, especially if you can't come out from the wall too much.

Do you have any goals/hopes for a TT price and any brands in mind? I've been casually nosing around for an older one to maybe play around with as a second for a few poorer condition records, but they do seem to get bid up awfully much at ebay. If the price is right, it's usually in need of something that will take money or more knowledge/handiness than I have. CL just hasn't had much at all.

Don't know if you got cables or not, but I was going to suggest getting some that are pre-terminated with banana style plugs. They have some nice reasonably priced choices at Amazon. Bananas are really handy.

http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-U...id=1430204217&sr=8-10&keywords=speaker+cables

 

[h-hawk]

I was going to suggest checking Audiogon but even the cheaper turntables on there are several hundred dollars!

 

[sultanofsuede]

quick progress report (not all good news) - i was getting my receiver set up just to listen to some CDs and see how the sound was in some old infinity shelf speakers. turns out i'm getting a constant buzz when i hit 'power' on the receiver. tried different connections with the speakers (with banana plugs, without, switching speakers to different sides) all to no avail.

did some quick searches last night to see what it could be, and i'm wondering if it could be some kind of electrical issue in the house (new house to us, moved in over the winter). i'm going to try to take the receiver and speakers to a different room tonight to see if it might just be that outlet (or that part of the living room).

i bought the reciever used on craigslist, so just hoping it isn't an issue with that (would hate to start that search again - especially with some new polks sitting around doing nothing)

 

[ChipHilton]

Ugh- prayer chain at 7:00?

 

[h-hawk]

Could be just a problem with the ground. If so it is fairly common and cheap to fix, You can try putting a cheater plug on it to see if that solves the problem. Good luck! PS - Watch out for dimmer switched on the same circuit.

 

[sultanofsuede]

i've had some suspicions about the wiring in this house. it passed all of the inspection stuff, but we've just had a few too many lights blow than i think is normal. been meaning to get an electrician out here, but just procrastinated - now its moved pretty high to my list.

as for the 'cheater' - the receiver is actually a 2-prong cable, and i have that running into a surge protector that has a 3-prong plug into the wall.

but yes - prayers will be appreciated (even though i'm more of a 'thoughts' guy)

 

[h-hawk]

I would still try the cheater on the power strip just to see if it makes any difference. I am not an electrician but we live in a house that has the grounded style outlets - except many of them are not actually grounded to anything. Never mind if you have a power strip that tells you it is safely grounded.

 

[Foxclone]

That was such a theft job on the RC70s!

One of my old teachers always tells me I'm inheriting his 2270. Hope he wrote that down somewhere.

Those RC 70's were a Black Friday special. I did a search on Stuccu.com for the best prices. Energy doesn't get a lot of exposure but some damn good sound for the money!

 

[SailorJerryHawk]

That sucks.Buying used electronics is such a crap shoot.I'm not knocking your choice,but my buying electronic habits means brand new.My high dollar Denon crapped out last fall after only three years.I bought a very mid price Yamaha that is good enough for now.
Once again,I love these kind of threads.I learn something new that doesn't have anything to do with the usual poltical tards.

 

[ChipHilton]

That sucks.Buying used electronics is such a crap shoot.I'm not knocking your choice,but my buying electronic habits means brand new.My high dollar Denon crapped out last fall after only three years.I bought a very mid price Yamaha that is good enough for now.
Once again,I love these kind of threads.I learn something new that doesn't have anything to do with the usual poltical tards.

I will observe a moment of silence for the Denon. AVRs are amazing machines, but there us so much that can go wrong.
My living room amp will be 20 in August, the basement amp will be 16 this summer, the Marantz receiver in one bedroom is 38-41 and the Pioneer in another bedroom is 39-41. Hope they don't all go at once.

 

[h-hawk]

I've told this story before about Denon apparently really going downhill. Think it has been two years now that I bought a refurbished Denon 2113 that was a current model. One channel did not work! I have never received any equipment that did not work out of the box. So I returned it for another refurb. In the meantime I saw a more expensive Pioneer Elite model that was a dealer demo and bought that. I sold the 2nd refurb (remember, these are 3 different Denons allegedly repaired at a facility on the East Coast) and the guy who bought it sent it back because it didn't work. He was right! I thought this possibly couldn't happen again and I don't need the Denon so I sold the 3rd one - that guy sent it back because it too did not work. Denon to their credit actually refunded my money after those 3 duds.
The flip side is that we have a 90s model Denon I bought on Ebay for my son. It has never had a problem.

 

[SailorJerryHawk]

I've told this story before about Denon apparently really going downhill. Think it has been two years now that I bought a refurbished Denon 2113 that was a current model. One channel did not work! I have never received any equipment that did not work out of the box. So I returned it for another refurb. In the meantime I saw a more expensive Pioneer Elite model that was a dealer demo and bought that. I sold the 2nd refurb (remember, these are 3 different Denons allegedly repaired at a facility on the East Coast) and the guy who bought it sent it back because it didn't work. He was right! I thought this possibly couldn't happen again and I don't need the Denon so I sold the 3rd one - that guy sent it back because it too did not work. Denon to their credit actually refunded my money after those 3 duds.
The flip side is that we have a 90s model Denon I bought on Ebay for my son. It has never had a problem.

I've got an old 2 channel Denon that serves garage duty.It's paired with a pair of Klipsch KG 3.5's and wired also to two cheapo outdoor speakers on my patio.Never had a problem with it.Not sure what I'll replace the Yamaha with when it dies.

 

[h-hawk]

I have a less expensive but well reviewed Yamaha HTR4065 (refurb from Amazon in our Dining Room which doubles as my projection room. As you know the Yamaha receivers have a good reputation. I slightly prefer the high current Harmon Kardons (one my son now uses) and Marantz (I have an used lower tier one in my bedroom). Also when the time comes you may want to check out the reviews on the Pioneer Elites now out using Class D amplification. This is what we have in our main room for when I am not using my stereo set up. They are very good.

 

[bagdropper]

I keep my Sony ES receivers from around 1999-2001 for that very reason. 2 work flawlessly still (one I have to find a shop for...one channel cuts out), and the build quality, you just cannot find any more. One for the bedroom, one for the cabin (with an 80's era Yamaha class A/B amp), the one I will eventually repair. I'll never get rid of those as long as they continue to work.

My main rig is a NAD D3020 amp and a pair of Klipsch Heresy's from 1981 that were stored for 30 years by the previous owners. After a year of re-breaking in, I'm beginning to see why they were as popular as they were back then. Paired it with a Def Tech sub and feed it my TV and 24/96 PC output with FLAC files along with my video collection. At some point, a better turntable will enter the picture.

 

[h-hawk]

30 years - wow! That is cool. I have never tried horns or electrostatics though I did try a nice set of Magnepans 15 years ago or so.
Did they look similar to these?

 

[sultanofsuede]

Could be just a problem with the ground. If so it is fairly common and cheap to fix, You can try putting a cheater plug on it to see if that solves the problem. Good luck! PS - Watch out for dimmer switched on the same circuit.

picked up one of these today, so we'll see how it goes tonight.
this is less fun than shopping for speakers.....

 

[h-hawk]

It will really suck if you got ripped off. Hope it is just a ground loop. I have a lot of stuff connected and at one point was using two cheaters - now I am down to just one of these. I have it on my preamp as that does not draw much current anyway. If it does turn out to be a ground loop this may solve it while keeping the equipment grounded.

 

[bagdropper]

30 years - wow! That is cool. I have never tried horns or electrostatics though I did try a nice set of Magnepans 15 years ago or so.
Did they look similar to these?

Basically those are exactly it except mine's finish is lighter in color, much more "blonde".

I've been working so much and given the D3020's low power output...I don't think they truly started to sound like what they should for about a year - I bought them in early spring of last year. I figure they must now be broke in.

$350. $1800 speakers new.

I'm hearing treble output I've never heard in my life. Every speaker pair I've ever bought, I always had to crank treble - and then it would distort.

I don't even have a pre-amp. I'm running flat stereo out of everything. Zero tone changes to the signal. It's almost like I'm listening to my music collection as if I never heard it before.

Craigslist purchase, a guy who bought them after graduating from Iowa. He got married a couple years later and put them in storage and never took them out again. His wife was haggling him to sell them. He posted the ad at 9am on a Saturday, and I searched the CR electronics board 15 minutes later, contacted him, brought an amp to test the horns and woofers, and they all worked so I bought them. The finish isn't perfect, had a water ring on one and a lower corner was missing a half inch of laminate...but they otherwise looked brand new. Even had the dealer warranty cards from the new purchase...something like July 24, 1981. He even had the fulfillment brochures etc that came with them.

I bought them because I knew I'd never get a better deal on that good of speakers. 100% impulse decision. I wanted to eventually migrate away from a surround sound rig cause of the room it took up (and for some reason it just didn't sound good in the room I had, despite the reasonably excellent equipment...Sony 5ES monster receiever driving Def Tech bi-polar towers/surrounds etc).

The rig sounded harsh unless I used it in 2.1 mode.

I had read glowing reviews of the D3020 by then, and thought...you know, those Heresy's I bet would mate with that amp pretty well. I already had the computer rig...all I needed was a good USB chord, a 96/24 FLAC player on the PC, the NAD and the speakers and I'm all set. It all came together in about 2 weeks.

And as a bonus, I have my living room back. The D3020 is the size of an average sized textbook.

Hell, the Heresy's replaced some Snell EIII's I re-coned that I bought off CL for $100 a month earlier - which also sound amazing, but a different type of amazing I'll say. I had never re-coned speakers before. The finish was perfect and the drivers still worked, so I took a $120 chance (good foams cost $20 delivered, Springfield Speaker). Much bassier sound, but I took them to Waukee to visit a friend of mine that has E5's and we couldn't really tell the difference between his and my EIII's.

$120...in my bedroom now.

 

[ChipHilton]

I keep my Sony ES receivers from around 1999-2001 for that very reason. 2 work flawlessly still (one I have to find a shop for...one channel cuts out), and the build quality, you just cannot find any more. One for the bedroom, one for the cabin (with an 80's era Yamaha class A/B amp), the one I will eventually repair. I'll never get rid of those as long as they continue to work.

My main rig is a NAD D3020 amp and a pair of Klipsch Heresy's from 1981 that were stored for 30 years by the previous owners. After a year of re-breaking in, I'm beginning to see why they were as popular as they were back then. Paired it with a Def Tech sub and feed it my TV and 24/96 PC output with FLAC files along with my video collection. At some point, a better turntable will enter the picture.

dropper- still awaiting some commentary on the 3020.... (Oops, I missed the last post, though you could still elaborate more.)

 

[h-hawk]

I think I've mentioned before that I also have the Snell EIIIs. I had the exact same experience - bought them used and fairly cheap because the cabinets which are a gloss black were in poor condition. They also needed to be refoamed by me which though doesn't look the best, worked. I had originally bought these and a pair of nice Snell bookshelf speakers thinking my daughters would like them. They did but since both were living in apts at the time opted to avoid the floor standing, and very bassful Snells for the book shelf version and a pair of my old NHT Super 0s that they both still have.
That is such an awesome deal with the Klipsch speakers. My version of that is the Dahlquist DQ10s that a friend in Denver basically gave me due to having purchased Vandersteens and not wanting to go through the hassle of selling his old speakers. I still blame him for my transformation into an audiophile Mine looked similar to these. I sold them locally back here in Iowa and the guy who bought them sent me a picture of how he restored them. He did a great job.

 

[sultanofsuede]

flick - we've now turned into a thread about electrical plugs.
actually, i tried the cheater plug last night - no dice. so, next step is to see how it works in a room that 'seems' to have more stable electrical outlets. i put a call into an electrician to have them check out our system, so maybe one of those options will be my solve.

 

[bagdropper]

My review of the D3020...keep in mind, this is from a person who quite frankly is what I can best term of as "I know what I think sounds good, but I don't get to listen to a whole lot of other people's high end systems" viewpoint.

Considering that I use zero tone control in what I feed it, and considering I have a room setup that I believe is not conducive to good audio quality before you even add equipment...it's the best sounding stereo setup I've ever owned. I've hooked up the Snells and the Heresy's and both sound fantastic, with the Heresy's having more clarity at the high end and the Snells needing less sub. I get a LOT more volume out of the Heresy's - I presume because of their efficiency by comparison.

It's a book-sized amp that puts out 30wpc digitally. I feed it my DTV/ATSC via optical in stereo PCM - and my PC via a Moon Audio Silver Dragon USB cable playing ripped to FLAC CD's, some mp3's, and numerous HD Tracks 24/96 files.

It drives the aforementioned Heresy's, along with a Def Tech Pro Sub 60 set to 50Hz to fill out the low end. I get a great blend by setting it there...any higher and I fall into the same issues I had with a DD receiver...the lows I could never fine tune clearly. But with this amp/speaker combo, pulling it down to 50 - I finally have a "usable blend" that sounds to me...perfect. Not too much, not too little, clear thump I'll call it.

What I find amazing is...the more volume I add to it, the better it sounds. The rig does not distort unless the source material is mp3 at low bit rates or a bad CD in general. TV, say something like (for instance) Iron Man yesterday, or Palladia music shows - just plain sounds stunning. In stereo.

I don't miss Dolby Digital 5.1 at all. I get all the "presence" I need. I don't matrix the output at all...straight stereo. The D3020 cannot handle anything but that anyway. But...I hear stuff on my favorite music and video I never heard before. Not sure if it's the speakers or the amp or both...but there it is.

For potential buyers, I would say - you better have highly efficient speakers. The Snells gobble up the peak volume pretty easily (still sounds great, just different). The Heresy's...it gets very, very loud and I cannot go full blast in the room (roughly 18x16) I have the rig in.

I just wish I had a true 12x24 sound room like my best friend has to really give these a go...but if you can set up the requirements to properly use this amp, I believe it's a winner. Efficient speakers, hi-rez files/player, pimpin' USB (it did make a remarkable difference, first time I truly heard a difference in any audio cable...I just heard "more")...you'll most likely be satisfied. It's expensive, but the small form factor and simple elegance combined with the best sound I've ever owned...I am 100% satisfied with the purchase.

My best way to quantify it is...my buddy has a Yamaha high end receiver with the same 80's Yamaha class A/B amp I have at my cabin, driving Snell E5's that is the best sounding in-home system I've ever heard. His audio room is literally perfect for great sound - he purposely built it for exactly that. He was in town recently and he said he hears stuff on music HE chose that he doesn't hear on his system - and that's in a good way.


And they make more powerful versions of my amp...wowzers.

 

[SoDakHawk]

The info in this thread is great, even if it is way over my head. I'm just looking to put together a good system at a reasonable pricce. I'll use it for movies/TV but probably mostly for music. I posted earlier about the Fluance speakers that, from everything I have read, get great reviews as a great speaker system that doesn't break the bank. I will have it in a finished basement, 8 foot ceilings, so I don't think it will take too much to fill up the space with sound.

Fluance speakers:

http://fluance.com/product/AVHTB_Surround_Sound_Home_Theater_5_Speaker_System.eng-97.html

I was looking at pairing these with this receiver from Yamaha:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B981F2O...lid=3JZJVQ92QJDCN&coliid=I3TI3CF0JEDFL8&psc=1

Or this one from Marantz

http://www.amazon.com/Marantz-NR140...d=1430402113&sr=1-1&keywords=Marantz's+NR1403

Ok guys, feel free to break down this system. Will this fit the bill for a decent quality system at a reasonable price (around $500-$600 total). Are there other receivers or speakers out there that will make a better combination? I am a novice at this as this is my first venture into putting together something on my own that doesn't come out of a box. Fell free to give suggestions and mix/match combinations.

 

[h-hawk]

Looks like you need at least 20 watts per channel for the Fluance speakers. The Yamaha has more power at 80 wpc (two channels driven) than the Marantz at 50 wpc but they are the same for all practical purposes. You should be safe going with whichever model has the features you need most. I own both brands and enjoy both brands. Personally I do slightly prefer the high current sound of a Marantz but you may not. I cannot speak about the speakers which I have never heard but you have chosen two quality receivers to choose from.

 

[ChipHilton]

My review of the D3020...keep in mind, this is from a person who quite frankly is what I can best term of as "I know what I think sounds good, but I don't get to listen to a whole lot of other people's high end systems" viewpoint.

Considering that I use zero tone control in what I feed it, and considering I have a room setup that I believe is not conducive to good audio quality before you even add equipment...it's the best sounding stereo setup I've ever owned. I've hooked up the Snells and the Heresy's and both sound fantastic, with the Heresy's having more clarity at the high end and the Snells needing less sub. I get a LOT more volume out of the Heresy's - I presume because of their efficiency by comparison.

It's a book-sized amp that puts out 30wpc digitally. I feed it my DTV/ATSC via optical in stereo PCM - and my PC via a Moon Audio Silver Dragon USB cable playing ripped to FLAC CD's, some mp3's, and numerous HD Tracks 24/96 files.

It drives the aforementioned Heresy's, along with a Def Tech Pro Sub 60 set to 50Hz to fill out the low end. I get a great blend by setting it there...any higher and I fall into the same issues I had with a DD receiver...the lows I could never fine tune clearly. But with this amp/speaker combo, pulling it down to 50 - I finally have a "usable blend" that sounds to me...perfect. Not too much, not too little, clear thump I'll call it.

What I find amazing is...the more volume I add to it, the better it sounds. The rig does not distort unless the source material is mp3 at low bit rates or a bad CD in general. TV, say something like (for instance) Iron Man yesterday, or Palladia music shows - just plain sounds stunning. In stereo.

I don't miss Dolby Digital 5.1 at all. I get all the "presence" I need. I don't matrix the output at all...straight stereo. The D3020 cannot handle anything but that anyway. But...I hear stuff on my favorite music and video I never heard before. Not sure if it's the speakers or the amp or both...but there it is.

For potential buyers, I would say - you better have highly efficient speakers. The Snells gobble up the peak volume pretty easily (still sounds great, just different). The Heresy's...it gets very, very loud and I cannot go full blast in the room (roughly 18x16) I have the rig in.

I just wish I had a true 12x24 sound room like my best friend has to really give these a go...but if you can set up the requirements to properly use this amp, I believe it's a winner. Efficient speakers, hi-rez files/player, pimpin' USB (it did make a remarkable difference, first time I truly heard a difference in any audio cable...I just heard "more")...you'll most likely be satisfied. It's expensive, but the small form factor and simple elegance combined with the best sound I've ever owned...I am 100% satisfied with the purchase.

My best way to quantify it is...my buddy has a Yamaha high end receiver with the same 80's Yamaha class A/B amp I have at my cabin, driving Snell E5's that is the best sounding in-home system I've ever heard. His audio room is literally perfect for great sound - he purposely built it for exactly that. He was in town recently and he said he hears stuff on music HE chose that he doesn't hear on his system - and that's in a good way.


And they make more powerful versions of my amp...wowzers.

Graci. I know the first review that came out was using some $1300 Dali speakers with 87 dB sensitivity and were considered a fine match.

$500 (have been a couple of specials at times and a seller at audiogon sells factory refurbs for $389) could be called a "lot", but compared to phones or tablets... well, I guess relative is a relative word. This'll be around a lot longer than the latest tablet or phone or laptop. (Most college age guys probably paid $300-500 for their Japanese receivers in the 70s, when the minimum wage was $2.)

 

[ChipHilton]

The info in this thread is great, even if it is way over my head. I'm just looking to put together a good system at a reasonable pricce. I'll use it for movies/TV but probably mostly for music. I posted earlier about the Fluance speakers that, from everything I have read, get great reviews as a great speaker system that doesn't break the bank. I will have it in a finished basement, 8 foot ceilings, so I don't think it will take too much to fill up the space with sound.

Fluance speakers:

http://fluance.com/product/AVHTB_Surround_Sound_Home_Theater_5_Speaker_System.eng-97.html

I was looking at pairing these with this receiver from Yamaha:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B981F2O...lid=3JZJVQ92QJDCN&coliid=I3TI3CF0JEDFL8&psc=1

Or this one from Marantz

http://www.amazon.com/Marantz-NR1403-5-1-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B0081N916M/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1430402113&sr=1-1&keywords=Marantz's+NR1403

Ok guys, feel free to break down this system. Will this fit the bill for a decent quality system at a reasonable price (around $500-$600 total). Are there other receivers or speakers out there that will make a better combination? I am a novice at this as this is my first venture into putting together something on my own that doesn't come out of a box. Fell free to give suggestions and mix/match combinations.

If the words "factory refurbs" don't scare you, check out this place:

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak.../receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html

You could either get the same for less or more for the same. (Moving up to a 575, for example.)

Hard to go too far wrong with the Fluances at the prices. They seem well made and people like them. If you wanted to upgrade and you sold the Fluances at half price, you're basically out a rental fee.

These would be better, but by how much is the question.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-PK...=1430412817&sr=1-17&keywords=pioneer+speakers

You'll want a sub at some point, but you could take some time to get to know the new rig before that step.

 

[bagdropper]

Sure thing Chip. I love it, with this caveat.

I bought it because of it's size. My living room had 13 pieces of equipment in it at one point. Chords everywhere. It dominated the room.

So, set up a HTPC networked whole home - which cut the media players down by 4 pieces. But I still had 5.1, a monster sized receiver etc. And still didn't care for the overall sound blend I'll call it. I liked my sound best out of that rig in stereo.

So, what's the smallest good amp I could find, best old school speakers I could find, best way to play digital music I could find type thing.

I have the NAD, a HTPC, a DTV receiver, a Panamax power conditioner/surge protector, and a TV now. Two speakers and sub. I have my living room back. And it sounds better than anything I've had before.

And again...it's in a terrible room type for good sound. 3 large windows (I use thick blackout curtains to cover them), several pictures...and its in the exact middle of the home and speakers aren't in anything resembling corners.

I'd love to hear it in my buddy's purpose-built man cave. Just about any room would be better imho...

 

[HawkFanatik]

Chip, I pulled the trigger on the audio-technica at-lp120-usb direct-drive professional turntable, the lepai amp and the Fluance speakers. Yeah, I know, I went the basic ( cheap ) mode, but it should be a good starter setup until I become more knowledgable about what is out there and how I can gradually upgrade in the future.

 

[bagdropper]

Those Lepai amps are intriguing...never heard of them before this thread.

 

[SoDakHawk]

Thanks H-hawk. I've also been researching this Onkyo receiver:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JXGUETO...TF8&colid=3JZJVQ92QJDCN&coliid=I2VNEWYWS0WW2Q

Looking at the power output the Yamaha packs the most power at 80 wpc, the Onkyo at 65 wpc, and the Marantz at 50 wpc. As you stated, it appears each of these receivers will put out enough power to drive these speakers. The reviews on the Fluance have stated they are power hungry so you want a receiver that will put out some power. Here's the question, is there such a thing as too much power? Could the Yamaha receiver pack too much of a punch and put out a distorted sound or blow the speakers? The Fluance specs say 20-120 watts for the main, so I am thinking the more power i can drive to these things the better they will perform. In that case it would be best to go with the Yamaha receiver. The drawback is I like the Onkyo for its built in Bluetooth capabilities. With the Yamaha that comes as an add-on (which costs more $$$).

 

[longliveCS40]

One thing to keep in mind is that different manufacturers overrate or underrate the power output of their receivers. My guess is that the Marantz you mentioned, rated at 50wpc puts out as much as the Onkyo and maybe even the Yamaha and is probably a bit cleaner. Marantz is a top notch brand.

Yamaha and Onkyo both make nice units as well. I personally run an Onkyo TX-NR626. I really like it. I was a bit worried when I got it as Onkyo's had a history for awhile of having HDMI issues but I've not encountered that at all in the year I've had mine. The bluetooth is really nice to have. I used it all the time on mine connecting my phone and playing Amazon Music or music I've downloaded to my phone.

As for overpowering speakers, generally that is not an issue unless you are feeding them a crazy amount of power. Speakers more often blow because someone turns the volume up very high on an amplifier that doesn't have enough power to push the speakers. When you get to a certain point, the signal begins to clip and it destroys speakers.

 

[ChipHilton]

Chip, I pulled the trigger on the audio-technica at-lp120-usb direct-drive professional turntable, the lepai amp and the Fluance speakers. Yeah, I know, I went the basic ( cheap ) mode, but it should be a good starter setup until I become more knowledgable about what is out there and how I can gradually upgrade in the future.

Most importantly, it should be fun. (Don't let me down, little Lepai) I think a key may be whether the A-T phono amp puts enough volts into the lepai, so that you don't have to overturn the volume dial on the Lepai. You should sense it if the speakers are being strained, so you can back off a bit before clipping.

 

[SoDakHawk]

Am I reading this spec correctly?

90 W/Ch (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.7% THD, 2 Channels Driven, FTC); 65 W/Ch (8 Ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.7% THD, 2 ChannelsDriven, FTC)

90wpc when using 6 ohm speakers and 65wpc using 8 ohm speakers. So if I am looking at pairing this receiver with the Fluance speakers, which are 8 ohm speakers, I would use the 65 wpc figure.

 

[h-hawk]

Am I reading this spec correctly?

90 W/Ch (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.7% THD, 2 Channels Driven, FTC); 65 W/Ch (8 Ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.7% THD, 2 ChannelsDriven, FTC)

90wpc when using 6 ohm speakers and 65wpc using 8 ohm speakers. So if I am looking at pairing this receiver with the Fluance speakers, which are 8 ohm speakers, I would use the 65 wpc figure.

Yes. And when you compare to other receivers look for the watts, distortion,and ohms at 2 channels driven as well. Some manufacturers are tricky and do things like add up all the channels or show the watts per channel at very loud distortion levels. We want to compare apples to apples.
Want to add that difference between 50 and 80 watts per channel is probably insignificant. You have to double watts per channel to get a significant increase in power.