First system

[gibson57]

I'm looking into setting up my first audio system and I was hoping to get some advice. I'm in college so the budget is going to be kind of low; $1000 only if necessary. I'm also setting up a system for a small bedroom though, so I don't really need anything crazy. But, so far I've come up with this: Pioneer VSX-816-K and Pair of Axiom M3ti speakers. I'll be listening to movies and music about 50/50. Should I also look into getting a sub? I don't really have much room for floor speakers but would a HT in a box be better? The receiver will just be hooked up to my computer and I'll be using that to play everything. So yeah, i'm a little lost and your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[jaxvon]

Do you want to invest in surround, or just do stereo for now? Will this just be a system that you enjoy while seated at the computer, or will the primary position be in a different place?

I'll post more stuff later when I have more time. Careful though, it doesn't take very long to get upgraditis. I have it, and it's torture on a college student budget

 

[gibson57]

For now I think the stereo route will work best, unless you think I'll get more out of a surround system. I'll be using it while at my computer but I'd rather focus on it as a music source for parties and movies, sitting about 6'-12' away. The size of the speakers doesn't really matter to me, aside from floor speakers. I have a lot more shelf space than floor space. So suggestions aren't restricted to the M3ti size. Thanks for the reply.

 

[GreenJelly]

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26985

Same price range... same types of issues... same answers

 

[Bee-Man]

Agree with Green...upgraditis in a while...

For your immediate situation...the Hsu Ventriliquist system allows you to get a 6.1 system with a great sub (and pretty cheap speakers) that not if, but when you upgrade later on, the speakers can be discarded, or sold and its US$200 only....

Make sure you get the best sub you can afford though...the VTF2 - MK2 will in a package set you back US$700....

I wont slag the Ventriliquist for HT - I run it as my movie system and in a large room....and am happy with it......but it still does ok for music....as in very ok.....more than good enough for mp3 and the like....

Just my two cents...

 

[Rob Babcock]

I love surround, but I think you're better off starting out with 2CH stereo, at least if you're on a tight budget. $1,000 will get you a pretty darned nice stereo rig, but not much if you're shopping for multichannel. The rig you mention would be fine, but if you're willing to shop uses you can do better. An example might be the rig I use at my computer: I have a pair of modded Monitor Audio Bronze B2's with custom x-overs ($200 on Agon), an NAD C-320BEE integrated amp ($200 from the Trading Post @ Audiocircle) fed by a USB DAC by Stereo-Link ($95, also from the Trading Post @ Audiocircle). Pretty amazing PC rig for $500! Of course, you have to keep your eyes open with used, and stick to reputable sellers- and a bit of luck is involved.

I'd suggest you might want to look for a pair of Monitor Audio Silver RS8's or RS6's; they're amazing speakers, often available on the 'Gon or Ebay for $500-$600. There's a lot of room for opinion, so take this with a grain of salt, but I can't imagine how a guy could do much better for the money.

One other suggestion- speakers are pretty safe to buy used. Provided they haven't been abused, the main risk is shipping damage. Electronics are another matter. I would generally prefer to buy a DVD or CD player new; there's a lot of moving parts, and the laser won't last forever. Recievers are somewhere in between. You may prefer the peace of mind of buying new with a warranty.

 

[gibson57]

Rob, that's pretty much what i'm looking for in a system. And that is a damn good deal, interested in selling? hah. Does the USB DAC make a big difference? One of my friends just hooked his receiver to his comp through the speaker output jack to a DV split cable. He's looking into laser output sounds cards to replace it though. But yeah, a 2ch stereo with some good power will work well enough. I like the RS8's but i just don't have the space. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions though. It's helped point me in the right direction. Anything else would be appreciated as well.


EDIT: will this work out? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102163 , Looking at the optical outputs , with the same Pioneer receiver, and Monitor audio B2's or comparable speakers? Suggestions for speakers? Thanks

 

[Rob Babcock]

No, my tricked out MA Bronze's aren't going anywhere. The Stereo-Link USB DAC was an incredible improvement over my soundcard, but I can't stress enough that my stock soundcard blows arse! It was dumb luck that I found it used that cheap, and I doubt you'd find another. However, there's a guy at AC selling an external USB DAC by M-Audio. He's a very solid, standout guy, too- this one's a lead-pipe cinch, and a great deal. He's asking $80, and the thing is something like $250 new. Here's a link if you're interested in dropping him an email. The one caveat is listed in the thread, that's that you have to know if your OS is compatible. Most will be.

As for the rest...well, I do have some stuff I'd part with. I have a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze 3's that are sitting unplugged (they're nice, but I also have Monitor Audio Gold Ref 20's and a pair of MA Silver 8i's, along with the Bronze B's and all the surrounds. So you could say I like their "house sounds". If I can ever find another Onix SP3 tubed integrated I'd probably sell the Nad integrated- I still can't believe I was stupid enough to sell my little tube amp! I haven't really been motivated to sell anything, but I have lots of stuff I don't use. [Side note: I keep buying stuff I don't need! I found some Infinity Micro II's a month ago, and a stray Cambridge SoundWorks Ensemble II showed up at my house today. Is there a 12-Step for Audioholism? ]

Short of that, just keep an eye out on A'gon, eBay, AudioCircle, here, and AudioKarma. I've never used Craigslist, but that may be viable, too.

 

[Rob Babcock]

One thing I should clarify- a DAC that accepts a USB signal will bypass the soundcard in your PC. That's a big bonus if your PC has a crap card like mine. Of course, another good option if you're computer literate is to simply buy a good card. I considered going that route, but opted to do the USB DAC for a couple reasons.

One, the cost was about a wash. The card I was looking at was about the same price as my used DAC. And if the price is the same, I had to consider that the laziness factor was worth something- I don't have to crack the case with the external DAC.

A second factor was tweakability. Don't tell Mtrycrafts, but I contacted Wayne at Bolder Cables about possibly modding my Stereo-Link. I've heard that it responds well to mods, especially power supply mods. It's about the size of a medium hardcover book, plenty of room inside for cap upgrades, improved analog circuitry, etc.

A third factor is that nearly all soundcards convert the data to 48 k. The native sampling rate of CDs, for instance, is 44.1. I don't know how audible this is, but I can tell you no good will come of the conversion. There will always be noise and/or resolution loss when you transcode a digital signal. From what I've read, piping the digital stream thru the USB avoids this.

Lastly, it's just cool! I love gadgets, and this is a really cool gadget!

 

[bandit]

There are some very inexpensive speakers that have been very well recieved here av123.com. I believe they are called x-ls in their x series line. I think about 220 gets you a pair, and from what I've read the workmanship and sound of these speakers are incredible at that price point. I think they also make a matching sub for about 200. Worth checking into...

Be careful though, I remember (barely) in my college days in my dorm room, playing the stereo a bit too loud, and all of the sudden my power went off...
I opened the door to see if it was just my dorm room or the entire dorm, and what I found was the resident director standing in front of the breaker box with his arms crossed. He wanted 10 bucks to turn my power back on... grrr....

Good luck and have fun.

Bandit.