rec for a new system please! Pioneer SP-BS22 vs Polk RTiA1I etc

[Richx86]

Hi everyone,

I am noob and I'd like to setup a audio system in my bedroom. My budget is around 350. huge classical music fan especially like symphonies & violin. I have a Audio-Technica AT-PL60 turntable, which has a built-in phono preamp but can be switched off. use the system to listen music and watch movies.
I am thinking about getting a pair of bookshelf speakers and a power amp. Preamp and sub are optional. My room is about 13X10.
I looked at Pioneer SP-BS22-LR, Polk RTiA1I, Pioneer SP-FS52, mint Infinity P363 at 100$, any comparison? As for avr, I looked at Yamaha RS201, RXV371 etc, but I figured I need to get a speaker first and then decide avr. really appreciate all kinds of suggestion!

 

[zieglj01]

13 x 10 is not a big room - now what do you consider a small room?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

on your budget and love for classical music you don't have much choices, but starting with speakers first is a smart decision. Majority of folks start backwards with electronics first
Pioneers> Polk, but These http://philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html are modified Pioneer which are now so much better. Designer and creator - Dennis Murphy is classical music performer himself and he knows well, how music should sound like.
Unfortunately it's unrealistic to expect same sound as you'd expect in great concert hall, you need to invest much more than $350 to get close, but AA speakers are step to right direction

 

[Richx86]

13 x 10 is not a big room - now what do you consider a small room?

sorry. bad English

 

[Richx86]

on your budget and love for classical music you don't have much choices, but starting with speakers first is a smart decision. Majority of folks start backwards with electronics first
Pioneers> Polk, but These are modified Pioneer which are now so much better. Designer and creator - Dennis Murphy is classical music performer himself and he knows well, how music should sound like.
Unfortunately it's unrealistic to expect same sound as you'd expect in great concert hall, you need to invest much more than $350 to get close, but AA speakers are step to right direction

Thanks you! Any rec for receiver to go with the AA speakers? Need subwoofer or not with AA?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Depending on budget

 

[Richx86]

Depending on budget

I am thinking no more than 200. I don't know if it's realistic but I can try to get used ones on Craigslist. Any lines to recommend?

 

[afterlife2]

Dayton 1000 sub: http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1000-10-100-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-628

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

CL is good way to go for stereo system, you could real nice AVR (mid to hi-end) for low-end money.
The features which you'd be missing (like HDMI or 3D) are not relevant to you anyhow)
Shoot for older models from yamaha, denon or marantz (skip any Onkyo)

 

[Richx86]

CL is good way to go for stereo system, you could real nice AVR (mid to hi-end) for low-end money.
The features which you'd be missing (like HDMI or 3D) are not relevant to you anyhow)
Shoot for older models from yamaha, denon or marantz (skip any Onkyo)

Thank you so much! I have done some research and found several seemingly good receivers on CL. Yamaha RX-V 1700,2400 Denon AVR 3805 4806. what price would be a good deal? 200 for 4806, 150 for other ones? Also, I am considering a great deal infinity p363 towers for 100 & ps410 sub for 80. Will above receivers be able to drive rated 4 ohm? Or simply I should get AA bookshelf for 100 bucks more? Another newbie question do I need Dac if I use my laptop as source? Thanks in advance!

 

[afterlife2]

AAL's are better. Dayton 1000 sub is new and only $30 more. Dunno what those receivers go for.

 

[Seth=L]

Of the receivers you listed the AVR-4806 is the largest and has the most powerful amplifier section. Make sure the HDMI features of that AVR work because it's been known to have failures in the HDMI section, otherwise that's a good price. Next on that list I'd choose the Yamaha RX-V1700.

 

[KEW]

Definitely go with the SUB-1000! It is $119 shipped and you can drop that to $109 using coupon code "CJTENQ1".

Based on my experience with the SUB-1200 (which seems to have the same basic design and is well recommended among the reviews on Parts Express), it is very musical and amazing for its price.

Most subs that sell for $300 or less are port tuned with such sloppiness that the notes in the range of the port tuning drown out any detail that exists in the bass/mid-bass. Kind of like the car stereos that are all about getting loud powerful bass without any concern for tonal balance.

http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1000-10-100-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-628

 

[Richx86]

Thank you very much guys! Why not infinity ps410 sub? It's a good deal. The auto setup mic not available for the Yamaha 1700, what should I do?

 

[Seth=L]

It should be easy to find a ypao mic on fleabay. The Infinity subwoofers have an annoying auto on/off feature that you cannot defeat and has a tendency to turn off during quiet passages and it makes an annoying bonk sound when it turns back on that is quite disruptive.
They also used class d amplifiers that are prone to failure and an unpleasant ozone odor when they cook themselves. I'd still with the Dayton. It uses a tried and true class a/b amp design.

 

[Richx86]

Thank you for ur opinions Afterlife, KEW and Seth=L !

Still not sure whether I should buy new AA bookshelf or one year like new Infinity P363 floor for 100.
Any reasons one is better than the other?

 

[afterlife2]

I had the Infinity 163 bookshelf and on most music they sounded muffled. I sold them. There were a couple of member who agreed. I think JG and Z.

 

[zieglj01]

I had the Infinity 163 bookshelf and on most music they sounded muffled. I sold them. There were a couple of member who agreed. I think JG and Z.

Not a big fan of the Primus for music - they annoyed me.

 

[zieglj01]

Still not sure whether I should buy new AA bookshelf or one year like new Infinity P363 floor for 100.
Any reasons one is better than the other?

No one can tell you what to buy - if money is real tight, you can
always try the P363 towers at the 100 each sale price. And, if you
do not like them, then send them back.

 

[KEW]

I had the P363. It is not a bad speaker and you could do far, far worse at that price. However, I did not like the cabinet resonance which causes bass bloom as you drove it louder.
I bought and compared the Pioneer Floorstander with the P363 and the Pioneer is clearly a better speakers (amazing performer for the price). The bass from the Pioneer may seem lean at first after listening to the P363 for a while, but after a while you realize the bass is there and you can pick out details you could not with the P363. I sold the P363 and later, I picked up the Pioneer bookshelf. Obviously, the floorstanders have more bass, but with a sub, I think the bookshelves are slightly better in overall sound quality as compared to the floorstanders.

I have a couple of Murphy's speakers and they are exceptional. His AA mods will improve good sound to exceptional plus give you a better quality tweeter and crossover.