Yo, I don't need no audiophile shizzle!
OK, here it is, really: old, cheap, and DIY. I was away from audio for many years so my system is still in a time warp. But I got plans...big plans! Hey, quit laughing! It sounds good!
Thorens TD160 turntable for my old vinyl (original owner)
Ancient Dynaco PAT-4 preamp (original owner)
Dynaco FM-5 tuner (ditto above)
Arcam Alpha 8 CD player (bought used)
old Pioneer CD changer for background music
Adcom GFA 545 II power amp (eBay)
DIY Linkwitz-designed dipole speakers (the fish make the midrange more "liquid", don't you know!
)
Small passive dipole EQ circuit between pre and power amp (DIY)
Monster speaker switch for Radio Shack in-wall speakers in living room.
The sub you see holding up a plant is from my old stopgap Cambridge Ensemble 3's. Its not there anymore. And I added grilles for the tweets (cooling fan finger guards from the DigiKey catalog). Oh, and the plant died.
Plans are to get a good pre/pro and go to at least 5 channel, and to add a dipole bottom end to the current speakers for a lower-cost version of the
Linkwitz "Orion", with fully active crossovers (DIY or maybe digital ones from a pro sound company) and tri-amped. Not sure a separate sub would be needed. Center speaker will be another one of the current speakers, possibly bi-amped with active crossovers. Rear speakers TBD; Linkwitz's site shows these funky DIY ones that are simply a 5-1/2" Vifa midbass driver atop a length of 4" PVC pipe, firing toward the ceiling! Purely for ambience, he says. Amps for all may be DIY based on one of the Rod Elliot plans. Strictly a music system. HT is not a priority.
A gallery with more than you probably want to know about my speaker project is on my Website.
EDIT 7/21: Ordered two circuit boards for the
Rod Elliot 3A amps amps. There are two channels per board. Amps can be built to deliver 60 - 100 watts per channel. Plan now to add another 8" woofer/mid to speakers to make a bi-amped stereo pair (Linkwitz PMTM1 design, based on his Phoenix) - might be all I need for my mains in my small den - been thinking the Orion design might be overkill in this situation...
EDIT 7/27/04: After reading the wisdom of Gene and other Audioholics, I've concluded that the prepro section of a good receiver would do the trick at far less cost, and I'd have adequate amps for the surrounds and maybe even center (for now) built-in. So I've begun looking at used and factory-refurbed late models in the midprice range from the usual suspects: Denon, Sony, Yamaha, Harman/Kardon, etc. I want multi, I want it bad, and I want it soon! Oh, and my Elliot PCBs arrived!
Of course a "universal" DVD/CD/SACD player is a must. Maybe a Pioneer 563 as a stopgap or just get a Denon 2900 and be done with it...
Stay tuned for further adventures as Rip finally enters the modern audio era...on the cheap! Glad some people find it "entertaining"
EDIT 7/27/05: It's no longer a museum piece. Sold the Dynaco stuff just after the holidays & got a Harman Kardon DPR 1001. Also sold the Arcam CDP and replaced it with (heresy!) a humble used Pioneer DV563-A. Finally, I just got a Rotel RQ-970BX phono preamp so I can use my old Thorens again for my old vinyl. All this selling and buying was on eBay.
