Used Stereo Recommendations before the dawn of HDMI(This will be my 1st Stereo)

[pulsemod441]

Hi, I am looking for some help in regards to picking out used stereo equipment.

I am 21 years old living in Minneapolis as a college student. I have been listening to music on my computer with logitech 5.1 speakers. This has worked out pretty good, but I think it would be fun to move on to something better.
I want to start putting together a nice stereo system. This would be the first home stereo I have ever put together, so I do not know that much. As for now, I will use this entirely for music. I plan on picking most of this stuff up used off ebay or craigslist. I don't really care about all the new features, so I dont need the greatest and latest, but I would like to pick up good quality equipment for the right price. I am not in a huge hurry, so I am ready to shop patiently.

My plan is

A.) Find a receiver. Find 2 floor standing speakers. Find a subwoofer
or
B.) Find a receiver. Find 2 books shelf speakers, find a subwoofer.

I lean towards the first plan. Also, my max budget is 600 dollars to start my stereo. Suggestions?

For the receiver..
After reading many different forum threads I have come up with a list of receivers that would be great to keep an eye out for. I have been looking at receivers that were right before the age of HDMI because it seems these receivers will not cost as much. I dont care that much about the HDMI feature. Let me know if I am wrong in going this route.

Here is my list of receivers that I am looking at and my estimated values of what they are worth. Are my values accurate? Too high? too low? What other receivers have you guys used that you really liked that I should also consider?

Pioneer VSX-27tx ~ $100
Yamaha RXv659 & 658 ~ $100
Denon AVR3805 ~ $150
Marantz 7000 or 8000 ~ $200
Onkyo TX-SR800 ~ $200
Yamaha HTR 5890 ~ $250


I don't know that much, so this list could just be plain wrong. Any suggestions?

Will this be worth it compared to my 5.1 Logitech system. (I have a creative sound blaster x-fi soundcard too...)

Thank you for any help.

John

 

[sholling]

Speakers: 2x Behringer B2030P studio monitors $150/pr from Amazon. The B2030Ps are a lot of bang for the buck and work well in small and medium sized rooms.

Receiver: Refurbished Onkyo TX-SR508 $200+S&H. It comes with a 1 year warranty.

That leaves you about $220 or so for a sub. There are a couple of popular recommendations but I'll leave that to those that have used the Dayton or the Bic or perhaps something else. I'd shoot for a 12" with at least 150w RMS.

 

[sholling]

One caveat on my recommendation - it's a recommendation based on best quality sound for the dollar and growth potential. It's not geared toward rocking a dorm. If you need something to play LOUD for parties then it's not for you. For that you'll want something that get's LOUD and a stronger receiver to drive it. Perhaps used Klipsch or CV.

 

[pulsemod441]

One caveat on my recommendation - it's a recommendation based on best quality sound for the dollar and growth potential. It's not geared toward rocking a dorm. If you need something to play LOUD for parties then it's not for you. For that you'll want something that get's LOUD and a stronger receiver to drive it. Perhaps used Klipsch or CV.

For the most part, I play my music quiet to medium. I want to have some hearing left when I am done. Thanks for the suggestions I will look into them later today.

 

[markw]

Just a point for clarificaton. You want a multi-channel (5.1, 6.1, 7.1 or so) home theatre receiver that, for now, you will only be using with two speakers and a subwoofer.

When you say stereo, you imply a two channel, and two channels only, unit.

All the units you list are multi-channel home theatre units. You do know that two channel units are still available on the used market as well as new, don't you?

 

[sholling]

The advantage to starting with a 5.1 system is bass management and room to grow. I do wish HK and Onkyo would start including bass management in their stereo only receivers.

 

[markw]

I'll give you the room to grow into a full-blown multi-channel system but with many subs offering stereo line-level and speaker-level I/O and adjustable crossovers, I don't really buy the absolute need for bass management in a receiver, particularly when his needs are purely music.

And good, used stereos are pretty common.

 

[KEW]

I'll give you the room to grow into a full-blown multi-channel system but with many subs offering stereo line-level and speaker-level I/O and adjustable crossovers, I don't really buy the absolute need for bass management in a receiver, particularly when his needs are purely music.

And good, used stereos are pretty common.

I think it depends on the speakers.
The advantage of bass management in the receiver is you can prevent smaller speakers from having to attempt to produce the lower frequencies.

I agree if the speakers are full range, a typical subwoofer's bass management does all you need.
I haven't seen subs with a high pass filter for the main speakers.

 

[pulsemod441]

Just a point for clarificaton. You want a multi-channel (5.1, 6.1, 7.1 or so) home theatre receiver that, for now, you will only be using with two speakers and a subwoofer.

When you say stereo, you imply a two channel, and two channels only, unit.

All the units you list are multi-channel home theatre units. You do know that two channel units are still available on the used market as well as new, don't you?

I had thought about this a little bit and even looked at the Sherwood RX-4105. I was thinking about a 5.1 or 7.1 system so that I could buy some more speakers later on down the road.

When a 5.1 or 7.1 system plays music, does it come out of all the speakers or just the front two?

 

[sholling]

I think it depends on the speakers.
The advantage of bass management in the receiver is you can prevent smaller speakers from having to attempt to produce the lower frequencies.

I agree if the speakers are full range, a typical subwoofer's bass management does all you need.
I haven't seen subs with a high pass filter for the main speakers.

Exactly! And add to that the learning curve of playing with adjustments to get everything balanced. There are simply too many variables and complications that are easily solved by using a modern AVR.

 

[Alex2507]

I do wish HK ... would start including bass management in their stereo only receivers.

This H/K 3390 seems to have sub outs so I would imagine that means BM.

 

[sholling]

This H/K 3390 seems to have sub outs so I would imagine that means BM.

From the Audioholics review:

It also provisions for dual subwoofer output connections but with no bass management provisions, which is typical of two-channel receivers.

 

[markw]

Learning curve?

Exactly! And add to that the learning curve of playing with adjustments to get everything balanced. There are simply too many variables and complications that are easily solved by using a modern AVR.

It isn't that difficult to discern a good crossover frequency for one's mains. All it takes is a little kerfutzing with the little knob on the back of the sub. Remember, not all speakers are created to fit the 80/100/120 scenario that HT receivers assume.

Y'all make is sound like nobody could handle stick shift transmissions after automatics came out.

Setting up my Velodyne sub to integrate with my maggies wasn't exactly rocket science and if I could do it, I'm pretty sure any other average Joe could, too..

 

[Alex2507]

From the Audioholics review:

​

Then it's a full range pre-out? That is useless and deceptive. I renounce H/K.

 

[sholling]

Setting up my Velodyne sub to integrate with my maggies wasn't exactly rocket science and if I could do it, I'm pretty sure any other average Joe could, too..

To you... after all if you weren't a rocket scientist you wouldn't own maggies.

Realistically going without bass management means that he's going to have a choice of running the speakers full range (not good with bookshelves), or running the speaker wires to the sub and then from the sub to the speakers and letting the sub deal with the crossover - and then breaking out the handy rat shack SPL meter that he probably doesn't own and run tones and sweeps that he probably doesn't have so that he can balance the sub and speakers. Okay fine - unless the sub is at the back of the room. Then it becomes an explosion in a spaghetti factory of wires.

Can it be done? Yes. Is it worth it for 10-15w or the bragging rights of saying you own a pure stereo receiver? Not to me. Wake me when they start including bass management in stereo receivers.

 

[TLS Guy]

Then it's a full range pre-out? That is useless and deceptive. I renounce H/K.

Its not useless, Alex. The output is buffered. If the output was not there, you would be able to use the sub on the left or right channel only and not both unless you provided your own buffering.

Any how, I think a lot of speakers are set to small that should not be. In most two channel systems they will sound best running the left and right full range and bring the sub in gently at x2 F3. I'm in good company, that is what B & W and many other European speaker manufacturers recommend. In the US we tend to slavishly follow the edicts of THX and Lucas Films.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi, I am looking for some help in regards to picking out used stereo equipment.

I am 21 years old living in Minneapolis as a college student. I have been listening to music on my computer with logitech 5.1 speakers. This has worked out pretty good, but I think it would be fun to move on to something better.
I want to start putting together a nice stereo system. This would be the first home stereo I have ever put together, so I do not know that much. As for now, I will use this entirely for music. I plan on picking most of this stuff up used off ebay or craigslist. I don't really care about all the new features, so I dont need the greatest and latest, but I would like to pick up good quality equipment for the right price. I am not in a huge hurry, so I am ready to shop patiently.

My plan is

A.) Find a receiver. Find 2 floor standing speakers. Find a subwoofer
or
B.) Find a receiver. Find 2 books shelf speakers, find a subwoofer.

I lean towards the first plan. Also, my max budget is 600 dollars to start my stereo. Suggestions?

For the receiver..
After reading many different forum threads I have come up with a list of receivers that would be great to keep an eye out for. I have been looking at receivers that were right before the age of HDMI because it seems these receivers will not cost as much. I dont care that much about the HDMI feature. Let me know if I am wrong in going this route.

Here is my list of receivers that I am looking at and my estimated values of what they are worth. Are my values accurate? Too high? too low? What other receivers have you guys used that you really liked that I should also consider?

Pioneer VSX-27tx ~ $100
Yamaha RXv659 & 658 ~ $100
Denon AVR3805 ~ $150
Marantz 7000 or 8000 ~ $200
Onkyo TX-SR800 ~ $200
Yamaha HTR 5890 ~ $250


I don't know that much, so this list could just be plain wrong. Any suggestions?

Will this be worth it compared to my 5.1 Logitech system. (I have a creative sound blaster x-fi soundcard too...)

Thank you for any help.

John

Hi, from Minnesota.

Where are you planning to use this system? Dorm room, apartment, or are you still living at home?

 

[pulsemod441]

I am living with 4 other guys in a house off campus. I will be putting this system in my bedroom. It is a pretty big bedroom about 16 feet by 20 feet. But I dont think this should matter too much because I will probably be moving in 9 months to something different. I just don't know.

John

 

[TLS Guy]

I am living with 4 other guys in a house off campus. I will be putting this system in my bedroom. It is a pretty big bedroom about 16 feet by 20 feet. But I dont think this should matter too much because I will probably be moving in 9 months to something different. I just don't know.

John

In that case I would look at some type of micro system for the receiver, like Seth=L touts and get some good bookshelf speakers.

 

[pulsemod441]

In that case I would look at some type of micro system for the receiver, like Seth=L touts and get some good bookshelf speakers.

Thanks for the suggestion. What is a micro system? Examples?

TLS GUu,
Also, I checked out your pictures of your home theater in your signature. And yes, that is unreal. A true audiophile. lol