Building a new system with $1,500; what do y'all think?

[jsh]

With $1,500 to spend, this is what I came up with for my first hifi system:

 

TT: Rega RP1

Amp: Music Hall a15.2

Speakers: Axiom M22 v3

DAC: Micromega MyDAC (connected to an AppleTV)

 

OK; so that's a bit over budget, but I think it'll be fine.

Also, I plan on adding a powered subwoofer in the future, but the M22's should be fine in the meantime.

 

Any thoughts?  Anything you think I should be using instead of one of these components?

 

Thanks!

 

-jsh

 

 

[amnstypls]

With $1,500 to spend, this is what I came up with for my first hifi system:

 

TT: Rega RP1

Amp: Music Hall a15.2

Speakers: Axiom M22 v3

DAC: Micromega MyDAC (connected to an AppleTV)

 

OK; so that's a bit over budget, but I think it'll be fine.

Also, I plan on adding a powered subwoofer in the future, but the M22's should be fine in the meantime.

 

Any thoughts?  Anything you think I should be using instead of one of these components?

 

Thanks!

 

-jsh

I'm in pretty much the exact same boat. I just pulled the trigger on the TT. I had it down to the RP1 or a Pro-ject Debut Carbon. I opted for the Pro-ject.

[ajxd]

Why the Music Hall and Axiom?

[ajxd]

Yeh give us a breakdown why you want the components you listed. Because I'd go a completely different route.

[b_demarco]

I've heard you're better off going right to the rega rp3 in terms of the quality is on the rp1.

I like vintage, so if I had your kind of money, I'd buy a higher end marantz and take it to someone who rebuilds amps to replace all the caps and give it an overhaul.

Also don't Dac players start at a grand? The card alone is 800 dollars

[ajxd]

You can get good DACs for $500. If you can find an old stock Dac Magic, is recommend that. XLR outs are a major plus for me.

[jsh]

Well, like I said, this is my first system.  These decisions are based on reading a ton of reviews but on no actual experience.  The consensus in every review I read was that the Music Hall, the Axioms, and the DAC were far better than their price tag.  I'm definitely curious to see what other route you would have taken and why, ajxd.

 

 

b_demarco: What do you mean by "Dac player" and "card"?  I'm assuming you mean a digital audio card in a computer by the latter, which doesn't have to be too expensive.  Nonetheless, I will be using an AppleTV, which includes a digital audio output.  So, the digital to analog converter will be inbetween the AppleTV and the amp.  Perhaps you are talking about something else when you say "Dac player"?

[slinch]

I'm not too familiar with the US market, so I cannot give you much input on what components would fall into the best price/performance category, all I can say is that if I were to spend $50,000 I'd probably buy new, and if the budget was $100 I'd most likely buy new. For everything in between I wouldn't think twice about buying strictly second hand.

[ajxd]

Slinch makes a valid point that a lot of people overlook. I made a living off repairing old turntables/receivers. They can work perfectly for your whole life, and then one day, they just stop. Caps go bad, corrosion gets worse. It's a risky move going vintage.

Same with used. You never know how the previous owner took care of it.

[hipsterasfolk]

Buy an audio technica and lots of vinyl

[timbrh2001]

Buy an audio technica and lots of vinyl

 

Thats the true dilemma isnt it? Especially with a limited budget. How much is allocated to equipment and how much to music? I lean towards the music personally, but the setup needs to sound good enough to notice the sound upgrade vinyl brings, otherwise the music is just a waste of money. 

[b_demarco]

I just wrote a long post and was kicked off by my phone.

Cirrus logic da is what I'm talking about. I thought they went for 800.

Convince me that new is better. I know what to look for when it comes to vintage, so enlighten me about the new integs.

[ajxd]

New is better. 30 years of technological advancements. I used to run a Marantz 2330B, amazing amp. From its period, one of the top ones produced. Then I got a Rotel 1062... and it DESTROYED it. Picked it on every blind test I did.

[jsh]

I understand the music vs. equipment debate, but I've already made that decision.  I will continue to acquire music slowly as I have for years.  Right now, I have $1500 for equipment.

 

Also, having a lot of experience with electronics, I'm fairly convinced to buy new.

 

So, my question is, really, would you have chosen different new components than the ones I have?  If so, why?

 

Thanks for all of the discussion and opinions.

[bearchuck]

New is better. 30 years of technological advancements. I used to run a Marantz 2330B, amazing amp. From its period, one of the top ones produced. Then I got a Rotel 1062... and it DESTROYED it. Picked it on every blind test I did.

 

What you mean to say is that in your opinion, new is better.      And you've given us one very specific example where your ears told you that new is better.  It doesn't mean that my ears would necessarily agree ... or that if you compared two other pieces of equipment in a blind test, you wouldn't gravitate toward the vintage piece of equipment.

 

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you; I'm just saying there are plenty of factors to consider when the new vs vintage question is posed. And while technology is great, the basic guts of what makes up many of these components hasn't changed all that much, and sometimes there's just no beating the sound of a simple circuit.

 

It really boils down to knowing what you want and knowing what to look for ... and most importantly, listening for yourself.  If you lived anywhere near Charlotte, NC, I'd let you give my rig a whirl!

[b_demarco]

By the way, this forum should be the last place for us to give you gear advice. After seeing some of the threads started on here, you're better going to the audio forums for real audio heads. Not to discredit axjd, but he is one of a handful of dudes that have a clue when it comes to audio gear, out of the thousands of characters on here.

If it helps, start with this thread, then have a personal listen at some stores. http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?ramps&1133883107&openfrom&1&4#1

Nobody can decide what you really like.

[ajxd]

Chuck- Actually I do go to Charlotte regularly. My BFF lives there, and if you ever want to hear a $40,000 system, let me know BUT Back on point. I used to have a full vintage Marantz setup. 2330B, 6200 turntable, and Imperial 5G speakers. When I upgraded my components, I did full blind tests. And every time... modern won. Tests between turntables (on both amps) tests between amps (on both tables), and tests between speakers (with both amp and turntable combinations). As a scientist, I cover all my bases and controls. As a scientist, money isn't flowing in. I have to carefully plan and research (heyoo) my purchasing decisions. I've auditioned a LOT of equipment in my time. Women too.

 

Demarco- Read that same post in 2008 when I bought my Rotel 1062. I heard the new Rotel entry level integrateds today. I love em. Especially with the new design change? Look so much like Classé equipment now. Love em.

[kannibal]

You know what's great about used speakers? The market is super soft and one can usually find perfect or near perfect speakers for half off or more. Testing? look at them, listen to them. That's it. no dirty innards or transformers to go bad. Just inspect the cones (and the rest of the speaker) and listen for defects. Most people with quality equipment treat it nicely, especially if they plan to upgrade. Sometimes these items have been passed down as people upgrade many times. And while the item has been treated nicely and still in great shape, the price is super cheap because one individual got it at a great price when he was starting out and he wants to pass it along to a new guy with a great deal. I'm not saying that this is super common or the norm, but there are plenty of good guys/girls out there willing to help out the new person get into something they love.

 

I have to run, but I'll chime in with more a bit later.

[bearchuck]

Chuck- Actually I do go to Charlotte regularly. My BFF lives there, and if you ever want to hear a $40,000 system, let me know BUT Back on point. I used to have a full vintage Marantz setup. 2330B, 6200 turntable, and Imperial 5G speakers. When I upgraded my components, I did full blind tests. And every time... modern won. Tests between turntables (on both amps) tests between amps (on both tables), and tests between speakers (with both amp and turntable combinations). As a scientist, I cover all my bases and controls. As a scientist, money isn't flowing in. I have to carefully plan and research (heyoo) my purchasing decisions. I've auditioned a LOT of equipment in my time. Women too.

 

Demarco- Read that same post in 2008 when I bought my Rotel 1062. I heard the new Rotel entry level integrateds today. I love em. Especially with the new design change? Look so much like Classé equipment now. Love em.

 

Hell yeah!  Seriously, I would love to hear your friend's system! I mean, how many opportunities in a lifetime does one have to experience something like that?

 

Like I said, I'm really not arguing with you; I think there's some amazing gear in the "new" category. I just wanted to bring some levity to the vintage side of the conversation.

 

I guess my point is that $1500 can buy you a really, really sweet vintage set up if you know what you're looking for.  And really, that's the big drawback of going vintage: it takes a lot of research, patience ... and experience helps as well.  Reliability is always a concern too, but there's lots of people in the hobby that have treated their equipment very well and have serviced their gear to the point that you don't have to worry about it breaking down.  That's the stuff you need to look for - not the Goodwill bargain bin shit.

 

The coolest thing about audio gear (in my opinion) is that sound is subjective, so my brain's aural pleasure centers may interpret something in a totally different way than yours.  I mentioned something to this effect in a thread about Klipsch speakers.  I hate horns, but there's tons of who are in love with the Klipsch sound.  Regardless, I think that if you're looking for a deep and wide soundstage, clarity, detail, sparkling highs, bass response, transient response, no distortion, speed and stability, a black background or any of the many, many adjectives audiophiles use to describe their systems, you can certainly find it in vintage gear.  New gear too!

[jsh]

As interesting as the vintage vs. new discussion is, no one has addressed my original question.

Maybe this isn't the right forum; ha ha.

[ajxd]

Chuck- agreed on the ear notion. I've heard $10,000 speakers and wasn't impressed, yet heard $480 speakers yesterday and was blown away.

[slinch]

My previous comment probably wasn't that clear; I'm really not a fan of buying new equipment. I mentioned two budgets, where I'd consider buying strictly new, and that's either extremely cheap (because $100 speakers will be really bad regardless if they're new or used), or extremely expensive (because at that stage sonic differences become so small, that other factors like looks, unpacking, advice and correct positioning of the system by the dealer, being the first owner etc. become the deciding ones).

 

Other than that, I will ALWAYS look on the second hand market first. The price/performance ratio is unbeatable. My current set-up for music (phono, integrated, speakers, stands, cables - minus the turntable, because I bought that one new, unfortunately) cost around $1.5k, but I waited to get the best deals possible. The retail price on those together is $5.4k. Everything was completely mint and still works perfectly, without a slightest issue. 

[bearchuck]

As interesting as the vintage vs. new discussion is, no one has addressed my original question.

Maybe this isn't the right forum; ha ha.

 

The problem is that there are about a million ways to answer it, and all of them would have varying levels of correctness depending on what you're looking for.  There's no single path to "audio nirvana," so it's tough for someone like axjd, slinch or I to give you advice ... other than what has worked for us in the past.

 

You need to tell us what you're looking for.  Is it the biggest bang for your buck?  Is it convenience?  Is it the ability to upgrade in the future? Are you going to listen to records every day or is this something that you'll use once or twice a week?  Do you want something that you won't have to worry about replacing for another ten years? Do you like to tinker and tweak?

 

What about sound? Do you prefer balance / neutrality? Are you into detail?  Do you like a sweet midrange?  Or maybe you want a strong bass attack.  What sort of features do you want in a turntable?  Are you cool with something that's totally manual?

 

 

These are just a fraction of the variables that go into buying a new / vintage system.  It sounds like you've done a good deal of research, which is great, but why don't you give us your top five priorities?  I know that's probably a little tough since this is your first system, but when you've been reading up on equipment, what qualities have appealed to you?  Why did you choose the gear listed above other than they're "far better than their price tag?"

[jsh]

Very interesting, slinch.  Where were you able to find such deals?

[kannibal]

Your first question was thoughts? And people are giving them in general. But I'm sure you'd like some more specific critiques of the things you have listed. I have never heard any of the listed equipment except for the RP1. I like the RP1, but I hate the om5e. And I have to wonder why they offer that white belt as an upgrade. Just include the belt if it makes a good difference. It's a belt. How much more could it possibly cost Rega?

If you want bookshelf speakers, check newegg. Deftech Promonitor 350 are on sale for 179. Then put more money into a better table.

I have the V-DAC dac and I like it a lot. The MKII is the new one, but I would check out deals on the original.

I have never heard the Music Hall, and I don't really have a suggestion for an integrated in this price range.

But doesn't the Apple TV have both digital and analog audio out? I know that it might not be a great quality DAC, but it's certainly usable while you build a system. This, again would allow you to spend more money on your turntable or another piece of your choice.

Even though there is something to be said about evening out the chain, because of the physical nature and potential for wear on the medium, I think it's important to get the best turntable to minimize wear of your precious records.