Newbie checking in with what is hopefully a basic question.........

[Bladesmith]

Hello,

I have been looking around for a short while and see lots of posts about things I do not know about & many more about home theater stuff.

I guess I'm sort of old-skool, in that what I crave is that BIG SOUND again....mostly just to play music on.

For many years I had a Yamaha M-70 Amp paired with a nice preamp from the same NS-era.
That thing rocked the house.
I had some NSA-99 speakers and I loved the sound. Simple, old but great.

Fast forward to the modern era, I own no more vinyl, only a few CD's now and much of my music is in digital format.
I like the idea of getting back to basics and enjoy CD's and my digital files & perhaps a turntable someday again if I feel really motivated.

BUT>>> Mostly I just crave a big sound again.

I have been looking at a speaker system by NHT that is simple 2-towers and a sub.
But I am not sure what to pair it with.
Much of what I see that looks amazing...is amazingly expensive! I'd love to get something going for around $2000+or -
...which is still a ton of $ to me!

Any input would be great.
It seems that if you go with the modern technology like a Marantz CR-510 or 610, or something similar,
this might be one way to go and is what I am thinking right now...but I read lots of conflicting stuff about the above units. Perhaps there are better ones......and> This style of player is totally new to me, but I am fairly tech-savvy.

So any ideas along those lines are welcome, and also am open to hear about pre-amp/amp combos, things that would have a sub-out and enough power to drive the above speakers, and have decent sound quality.
It does not have to be off the charts since I have been surviving on computer speakers and a sub for years now....so almost anything will be better than that!

Thanks a million for your input!

-DON

 

[shadyJ]

If you want a big sound, forget about the electronics. Big sound is achieved through speakers. You will want something that projects a big enveloping soundstage and nice dynamic range. NHT might be able to do soundstage, but not so much dynamics, especially with their subwoofer. I would be looking at two bookshelf speakers with good off-axis response for a nice wide soundstage, and a couple of subs, for punchy and linear bass.

For speakers, I might look at some KEF Q300s, or some Ascend CMT-340s or Sierra 1s or Wharefedale Jade 1s. You might just skip the amplifier and get some active speakers, there are some great active speakers out there. Check out Emotiva Stealth 6s or some Adam F7s or some Mackie HR624 mk2s. For subs, I would get a pair of Hsu VTF2s, or Rythmik LV12rs, or Reaction BPS 212s. If a pair is hard on your budget, get one now and consider adding another later. The nice thing about the Mackie monitors is they have a 80 Hz rolloff switch so that makes rudimentary bass management pretty easy. They are also THX pm3 certified monitors, and are the least expensive monitors that hold that certification, which means a very high value for your dollar, especially since you do not need an amp to go with them.

 

[Bladesmith]

Thanks so much ShadyJ for your kind response. I truly appreciate your recommendations. I'll keep looking around to see what fits. But you helped out a ton as there is so much out there that I do not know about after being out of it for so long!

Have a great weekend!

-DON

 

[agarwalro]

What is your preference, towers or bookshelf speakers? (Note: I assume you will be using a subwoofer in either case.)

Here are a few more options,

EMP Tek E55Ti Tower Speakers

Verus Forte Tower Speaker - Verus Family - Speakers By Family - Aperion Audio

 

[zieglj01]

Any input would be great.
-DON

From reading your OP post >>>

A nice set of bookshelf speakers with a good subwoofer will work

Also you do not need to spend $500 to $700 for a CD player.

NHT, Aperion, Wharfedale and Monitor Audio Silver are some nice speaker options

Rythmik subs would also be a nice option for you.

You will soon forget them old Yamaha speakers.

 

[Bladesmith]

Considering I have the majority of my music in digital format, what would be the best way to go for powering whatever speaker set-up I decide to choose?

I'd love to think I could get amp-pre-amp set-up but just do not want to piece something together right now.
Plus that way (though it is the best in the long run) is a bit pricey for me considering what I would prefer

Thanks.

-DON

 

[shadyJ]

I would only buy a separate amp if your speakers and your listening tastes truly benefited from it. However, they probably will not. If you want to keep the option open, get an AVR with pre-outs.

 

[zieglj01]

Considering I have the majority of my music in digital format, what would be the best way to go for powering whatever speaker set-up I decide to choose?

I'd love to think I could get amp-pre-amp set-up but just do not want to piece something together right now.
Plus that way (though it is the best in the long run) is a bit pricey for me considering what I would prefer

Stop looking to spend extra money - that does not guarantee better sound.

A nice AVR with a nice CD player - with good bookshelf speakers and a sub >>
Can give you a good sounding system.

 

[Bladesmith]

Stop looking to spend extra money - that does not guarantee better sound.

A nice AVR with a nice CD player - with good bookshelf speakers and a sub >>
Can give you a good sounding system.

YES, I think you hit the nail on the head for what I am really thinking about.
Thanks

-DON

 

[Ponzio]

The "BIG Sound" that your looking for, is it strictly 2 channel or multi-use (2 channel & home theater)? Is the current Yamaha amp/pre-amp still operational?
Yamaha M-70 on thevintageknob.org
If so, why spend money on an AVR or network receiver? 200WPC (8ohm) seems to be pretty powerful and should be more than enough juice to drive whatever speaker you purchase for a 2.0 or 2.1 speaker setup.

What are the dimensions of the room? Most bookshelves, even with a subwoofer, will be severely taxed trying to fill up a 20'x20'
room or larger and you should seriously consider a floor-stander/tower speaker.

There is currently a speaker thread you might want to read/follow about speakers for less than $1500, which would leave you with $500 for a sub, cd player ... whatever.
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/loudspeakers/91220-need-bookshelf-speakers-recs-around-$1500-pair.html

Is all about maximizing your budget with your sound preferences. I personally am running my PC sound output to a Yamaha 140WPC AVR of high bit MP3/FLAC files to a pair of KEF LS50's with a EMP Tek 1010i subwoofer in a 14'x14' room, which cost me slightly less than $2000, and I'm getting what you call the "BIG SOUND".

There are a lot of variables that come into play. Buy a good set of speakers first and move on from there. Good luck and have fun.

 

[Alex2507]

Considering I have the majority of my music in digital format, what would be the best way to go for powering whatever speaker set-up I decide to choose?

The format of the music is not a consideration for powering up speakers. The speakers however are as is how loud you like to listen, the size of the room and how far away you sit from the speakers. Pick the speakers first. The impedance and sensitivity should be factored in to what you use to drive them. A rec'r with pre-outs is cheaper than a pre-pro because of economy of scale, if you actually need an amp.

You could always use an old DVD player for CD playback. They're always popping up as people upgrade to Blu-ray. I'm using an old Blu-ray player that quit playing Blu-rays in a garage system I put together. $2,000 sounds like a lot of money to me too. The bulk of that needs to go to speakers and sub. My vote goes to getting a used rec'r and CD player.

Your user name caught my attention. I worked with a blade smith. Cool hobby.

 

[Bryceo]

Why say a couple of subs one is more then ample.