Budget audiophile gear recommendations

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Bradystraps
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by Bradystraps » Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:08 am

Just picked up a pair of JBL Studio 530’s and they sound awesome! Paired to my vintage Luxman R-1070. Sweet combo. 😊👍🏼
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unsub073
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by unsub073 » Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:07 am

I finally bit the bug. I ended up getting the Marantz NR1200 for my receiver and a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 50 for my bookshelf speakers. I am completely happy with this set up. For those still playing around with the idea, Crutchfield has a pretty cool app that let's you somewhat test drive the speakers. It seemed to work well enough for me to figure out what I wanted. The one negative about it, is that not all the speakers they have have the ability to virtually test drive them.

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jeckyll
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by jeckyll » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:25 am

The silvers are a sweet spot. I auditioned them extensively a while ago.

Congrats and enjoy!
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BlueSky
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by BlueSky » Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:26 pm

unsub073 wrote:
Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:07 am
I finally bit the bug. I ended up getting the Marantz NR1200 for my receiver and a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 50 for my bookshelf speakers. I am completely happy with this set up. For those still playing around with the idea, Crutchfield has a pretty cool app that let's you somewhat test drive the speakers. It seemed to work well enough for me to figure out what I wanted. The one negative about it, is that not all the speakers they have have the ability to virtually test drive them.
Very nice. I've never heard the MAs, but the Silvers are well reviewed. Been using Marantz/Denon for decades. Enjoy.

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bedlam
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by bedlam » Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:36 am

For headphone listening I would say the best audio bang-for-buck amps/DACs come from Schiit. They really are the shit!

https://www.schiit.com/

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jeckyll
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by jeckyll » Tue Dec 17, 2019 6:42 am

bedlam wrote:For headphone listening I would say the best audio bang-for-buck amps/DACs come from Schiit. They really are the shit!

https://www.schiit.com/
I've been meaning to try one of their amps. But I have too much gear already that I don't use enough.

For moving around, the dragonfly series is hard to beat. Drive stuff like planar and are very small and handy to take anywhere...
We all have the same enemy. The enemy is the tyranny of the dull mind. - - Tom Robbins

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Joeprez
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by Joeprez » Tue Dec 17, 2019 7:19 am

I've always wanted to try some products from Schiit, they seem to be well made, for a good price.

Dragonfly does a great headphones DAC, recommended, specially if you listen to music from your laptop (I use mine at work mostly). I believe there are new models that can be used with a smartphone.

I currently use this product to drive my Hifiman HE400s planar headphones:

Oppo HA-2 Portable Headphone Amplifier & DAC

https://www.amazon.com/Oppo-HA-2-Portab ... B00UW0BP48

Some pics, because why not:

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Omega / Tudor / Rolex / Sinn / Doxa / Seiko

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jeckyll
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by jeckyll » Tue Dec 17, 2019 7:41 am

Joe : I've also got he400's

But heavy but a great entry into planars
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Joeprez
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by Joeprez » Tue Dec 17, 2019 10:40 am

Pretty sure I bought them on your recommendation :thumbsup:

Not sure if it is because they are heavy or just big, but I can't use them for more than two hours, which I hate because the sound, specially the openness of the music (soundstage?), is just incredible. If I need to wear headphones for a longer period of time, my Bose Soundsport in ear or my Bose QC over the ear headphones (wired, very old model) are more comfortable. I'm open to other planar headphones suggestions that may be more comfortable than the Hifiman HE400s.
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jeckyll
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by jeckyll » Tue Dec 17, 2019 10:53 am

Joeprez wrote:Pretty sure I bought them on your recommendation Image

Not sure if it is because they are heavy or just big, but I can't use them for more than two hours, which I hate because the sound, specially the openness of the music (soundstage?), is just incredible. If I need to wear headphones for a longer period of time, my Bose Soundsport in ear or my Bose QC over the ear headphones (wired, very old model) are more comfortable. I'm open to other planar headphones suggestions that may be more comfortable than the Hifiman HE400s.
I forgot we talked about it a while back!

I've been buying more in ears as I find full sized cans difficult while wearing glasses. My latest are from brainwavs and are quad driver in a 3D printed housing, I forget the exact model, but I really enjoy them!


Edit: brainwavz B400. On sale right now Image
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Bradystraps
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by Bradystraps » Thu Dec 19, 2019 8:50 am

Good stuff, gents. I recently just purchased a mint set of ADS L520's that I am picking up on Saturday. Looking forward to giving them a whirl.
Also picking up an Adcom GFA-545 II power amp and Hafler DH-101 Pre next week. gotta move some gear OUTBOUND now or I will get the new watch wrath from the better half.
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BlueSky
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by BlueSky » Thu Dec 19, 2019 9:20 am

Bradystraps wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 8:50 am
Good stuff, gents. I recently just purchased a mint set of ADS L520's that I am picking up on Saturday. Looking forward to giving them a whirl.
Also picking up an Adcom GFA-545 II power amp and Hafler DH-101 Pre next week. gotta move some gear OUTBOUND now or I will get the new watch wrath from the better half.
Dang...How many set ups are you setting up... :grin:

For you guys with bookshelves, I would entertain the idea of getting a good sub.

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unsub073
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by unsub073 » Thu Dec 19, 2019 11:10 am

BlueSky wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 9:20 am
Bradystraps wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 8:50 am
Good stuff, gents. I recently just purchased a mint set of ADS L520's that I am picking up on Saturday. Looking forward to giving them a whirl.
Also picking up an Adcom GFA-545 II power amp and Hafler DH-101 Pre next week. gotta move some gear OUTBOUND now or I will get the new watch wrath from the better half.
Dang...How many set ups are you setting up... :grin:

For you guys with bookshelves, I would entertain the idea of getting a good sub.
That may be next on my list after I live with mine for a couple months. I want to see how I use them for a while before I add another piece to it.

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BlueSky
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by BlueSky » Thu Dec 19, 2019 1:19 pm

unsub073 wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 11:10 am
BlueSky wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 9:20 am
Bradystraps wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 8:50 am
Good stuff, gents. I recently just purchased a mint set of ADS L520's that I am picking up on Saturday. Looking forward to giving them a whirl.
Also picking up an Adcom GFA-545 II power amp and Hafler DH-101 Pre next week. gotta move some gear OUTBOUND now or I will get the new watch wrath from the better half.
Dang...How many set ups are you setting up... :grin:

For you guys with bookshelves, I would entertain the idea of getting a good sub.
That may be next on my list after I live with mine for a couple months. I want to see how I use them for a while before I add another piece to it.
Good deal. Some folks are happy sans a sub, but, either way, you're off to a good start. You'll have a few Crutchfield points, but I'll still recommend looking at SVS and PSA (Power Sound Audio) first. There's two of us here, that I know of, that keep up with that stuff... so shout back. I've been fooling around with audio since the seventies.

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Bradystraps
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by Bradystraps » Thu Dec 19, 2019 7:06 pm

Ahhhh and now a Apt Holman Preamp has hit my radar. Feck! This is just like watches. :lol:
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bedlam
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by bedlam » Thu Dec 19, 2019 10:33 pm

Bradystraps wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 7:06 pm
Ahhhh and now a Apt Holman Preamp has hit my radar. Feck! This is just like watches. :lol:
No, its much worse :shock:

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dukerules
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by dukerules » Fri Dec 20, 2019 3:52 am

I have a sub-less budget system (Onkyo A-9110 amp, Schiit Modi3 DAC, and Elac Debut B6.2 speakers). Do you guys feel that a sub makes that much of a difference for general audio?

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59yukon01
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by 59yukon01 » Fri Dec 20, 2019 5:11 am

dukerules wrote:I have a sub-less budget system (Onkyo A-9110 amp, Schiit Modi3 DAC, and Elac Debut B6.2 speakers). Do you guys feel that a sub makes that much of a difference for general audio?
I personally think so. My Definitive Technology towers have built in 10" subs, which is awesome on my home theater, but music sounds better as well.

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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by jeckyll » Fri Dec 20, 2019 10:02 am

59yukon01 wrote:
dukerules wrote:I have a sub-less budget system (Onkyo A-9110 amp, Schiit Modi3 DAC, and Elac Debut B6.2 speakers). Do you guys feel that a sub makes that much of a difference for general audio?
I personally think so. My Definitive Technology towers have built in 10" subs, which is awesome on my home theater, but music sounds better as well.
Yes it makes a big difference, both for mus8c and also for movies.
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unsub073
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by unsub073 » Fri Dec 20, 2019 10:55 am

BlueSky wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 1:19 pm
unsub073 wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 11:10 am
BlueSky wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 9:20 am
Bradystraps wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 8:50 am
Good stuff, gents. I recently just purchased a mint set of ADS L520's that I am picking up on Saturday. Looking forward to giving them a whirl.
Also picking up an Adcom GFA-545 II power amp and Hafler DH-101 Pre next week. gotta move some gear OUTBOUND now or I will get the new watch wrath from the better half.
Dang...How many set ups are you setting up... :grin:

For you guys with bookshelves, I would entertain the idea of getting a good sub.
That may be next on my list after I live with mine for a couple months. I want to see how I use them for a while before I add another piece to it.
Good deal. Some folks are happy sans a sub, but, either way, you're off to a good start. You'll have a few Crutchfield points, but I'll still recommend looking at SVS and PSA (Power Sound Audio) first. There's two of us here, that I know of, that keep up with that stuff... so shout back. I've been fooling around with audio since the seventies.
Will do, but I do want to pick your brain on something else. Are those Iso pucks worth it? I don't have room for traditional stands, so the speakers on resting on my entertainment center. Would those things be worth it or am I better off w/the cheaper rubber ones?

http://www.isoacoustics.com/products/iso-puck-mini/

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dukerules
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by dukerules » Fri Dec 20, 2019 11:35 am

Dang. Guess I’ll be looking at subs after the holidays.

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Bradystraps
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by Bradystraps » Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:56 pm

I’ve never listened to a sub for 2 channel music. If the speaker has good bass response, no need IMO.
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BlueSky
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by BlueSky » Fri Dec 20, 2019 2:14 pm

unsub073 wrote:
Fri Dec 20, 2019 10:55 am
BlueSky wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 1:19 pm
unsub073 wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 11:10 am
BlueSky wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 9:20 am
Bradystraps wrote:
Thu Dec 19, 2019 8:50 am
Good stuff, gents. I recently just purchased a mint set of ADS L520's that I am picking up on Saturday. Looking forward to giving them a whirl.
Also picking up an Adcom GFA-545 II power amp and Hafler DH-101 Pre next week. gotta move some gear OUTBOUND now or I will get the new watch wrath from the better half.
Dang...How many set ups are you setting up... :grin:

For you guys with bookshelves, I would entertain the idea of getting a good sub.
That may be next on my list after I live with mine for a couple months. I want to see how I use them for a while before I add another piece to it.
Good deal. Some folks are happy sans a sub, but, either way, you're off to a good start. You'll have a few Crutchfield points, but I'll still recommend looking at SVS and PSA (Power Sound Audio) first. There's two of us here, that I know of, that keep up with that stuff... so shout back. I've been fooling around with audio since the seventies.
Will do, but I do want to pick your brain on something else. Are those Iso pucks worth it? I don't have room for traditional stands, so the speakers on resting on my entertainment center. Would those things be worth it or am I better off w/the cheaper rubber ones?

http://www.isoacoustics.com/products/iso-puck-mini/
You most definitely want to decouple/isolate the speakers from your entertainment center. Personally, I think those are way overkill.

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jeckyll
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by jeckyll » Fri Dec 20, 2019 2:20 pm

Bradystraps wrote:I’ve never listened to a sub for 2 channel music. If the speaker has good bass response, no need IMO.
Bookshelves = get a sub imo.

Same with systems usedbfor watching music.

For music only, maybe overkill with full sized capable towers, but I still think most would benefit from one.

YMMV if course.
We all have the same enemy. The enemy is the tyranny of the dull mind. - - Tom Robbins

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BlueSky
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Re: Budget audiophile gear recommendations

Post by BlueSky » Fri Dec 20, 2019 2:54 pm

Bradystraps wrote:
Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:56 pm
I’ve never listened to a sub for 2 channel music. If the speaker has good bass response, no need IMO.
Small speakers (and a lot of big ones, too) simply can't reproduce sound below a certain frequency, period. It's just science, namely physics. You're just not going to hear all the data, if you will, from any source you throw at it. In other words, you need a sub to reproduce all that data that a bookshelf, for example, can't.

Chris (unsub073) and I have very capable bookshelves (use mine as surrounds) and I would not use either without a sub. Two channel, especially.
Last edited by BlueSky on Fri Dec 20, 2019 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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