Need some advice on buying a stereo system

[Spogit]

Hi guys,

I want to buy my dad a stereo system. He's a big jazz fan. Are some speakers better for jazz?

He has a big collection of CDs so he will listen to those most of the time, but direct in / some way to sync / play downloads and radio would also be nice for the receiver.

He has a dvd player, but I'm guessing it doesn't produce good sound, it's a pretty old Sony SLV-D350P. My budget's ~$500.

Sorry for coming in here without having done any research, but I would appreciate any of your advice on where to pursue such research or any of your suggestions.

Thank you.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yeah, get a Denon AVR-990 for $605:

Amazon.com: Denon AVR990 7.1-Channel Multi-Zone Home Theater Receiver with Networking Capability and 1080p HDMI Connectivity: Electronics

Get a pair of Philharmonic 2 speakers for $2K (shipping varies, but around $175):

philharmonicaudio.com

 

[Spogit]

Thanks for the advice, but I forgot to mention my budget's ~$500.

 

[ski2xblack]

Tight budget!

How about a pair of those bamboo cabinet Audioengine monitors? They have a pair of inputs to accomodate more than one source component, remote control, sound quite decent, sidestep the need for a receiver, and are within budget. He can use his current DVD player as one source, and still have the ability to add another (receiver, squeezebox, etc) down the road.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thanks for the advice, but I forgot to mention my budget's ~$500.

Doh!

$500 for both AVR & speakers?

I would get a pair of Infinity P362 for $400 delivered.

infinity primus at Crutchfield.com

And Yamaha 371 for $180 delivered:

Amazon.com: Yamaha RX-V371BL 5.1-Channel AV Receiver: Electronics

Can't beat it for that price.

I mean if you spent $500 locally, the tax will bring the price close to that.

 

[zieglj01]

I would still buy this receiver and play it in Stereo mode
Denon 1612
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR1612/DENON-AVR-1612-5.1-Channel-A/V-Home-Theater-Receiver/1.html

The Infinity speakers will be nice.
To stay around budget - the P252
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_108P252BG/Infinity-Primus-P252-Black-grille.html

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

To OP - You need to realize than $500 is not going to go very far and you'd need to have quite a lot of compromises, that said:

+1 on Audioengine5+ - these have a very good reviews they fit the budget nicely

I'd like to offer few alternatives:
1) Pure Stereo avr: Sherwood RX-4105 Stereo Receiver 252-125
It has plenty of power to drive most speakers including towers
2) This one is a bit more $, but it offers much more features including digital inputs, surround sound decoding and automatic room configuration

Speakers wise: I haven't heard ether but both highly recommended:
KEF Iq30 Two Way 6½" Bookshelf Speakers In Black, Pair | Accessories4less
CBM-170 SE High Performance Bookshelf Loudspeaker

 

[zieglj01]

^^^
If choosing Sherwood, I would go with the Newcastle 772

 

[sholling]

Doh!

$500 for both AVR & speakers?

I would get a pair of Infinity P362 for $400 delivered.

infinity primus at Crutchfield.com

And Yamaha 371 for $180 delivered:

Amazon.com: Yamaha RX-V371BL 5.1-Channel AV Receiver: Electronics

Can't beat it for that price.

I mean if you spent $500 locally, the tax will bring the price close to that.

This is a great idea. You aren't going to be able to pack much more bang into $580 and it's well worth going $80 over budget.