Adam Snow Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 I'm new to audiophile quality sound equipment. I mainly listen to rock, grunge and instrumental music. My budget is 12k. I'm open to New or Used items. room size is 4.75m long X 3.2m wide. There are no soft furnishings in the room ( we have plantation shutters on the windows). I hope someone can point me in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irek Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Hi, 12K is a very nice amount of money. Room acoustic / treatment is second the most important thing in hifi world. So it goes: speakers (size, brand, $4000-7000), integrated stereo amplifier (brand/power, $3000-5000), source (turntable, CD player, DAC, streamer, wifi, airplay, $2000). Tidal/ spotify ? RCA cables + speaker cables, $100-200. I would say in your situation it might be worth to go to HIFI show in Melbourne, even one day would give you a pretty good idea what to buy/expect. There are of course few shops in Sydney, buying speakers is very personal. Make sure your wife likes the design . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogersquared Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 (edited) The CX3B or CX4F include amplification and are just amazing. Often best sound at the hifi shows in my opinion. Hulgich Audio would be my next option for speakers. I think they won best sound last year. Both manufacturers would be able to help with source and amp recommendations. Edited November 13, 2018 by rogersquared 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steam Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 @Malibu_LS7 will this just be for music or also for home theatre? Best thing you can do is start with speakers and figure out what you like and then work from there. Go around and listen to as many as you can and don’t buy the first thing you hear. Taking your time is worth the wait and effort. For your music I would suggest PMC may be worth a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy8 Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 to the forum... I agree with the suggestion above to listen to as many systems as you can from specialist hifi retailers i.e. NOT JB Hifi and Harvey Norman. I assume it is only for 2 channel music, not for movies and home theatre. Your budget is decent and should be able to get a good system. Some things to consider while auditioning systems: Bring along some favourite music Ensure that the relative loudness of the music between systems is about the same; people usually prefer louder music Listen at low volume : can you hear the details, bass, mid range, high end Listen at high volume: is it distorting Decide what is the source: CDs, digital, streaming, records Decide whether you want convenience where one component can do a number of things or mix and match, tinker Last but not least, let your ears be the judge. Yes, you are new to audiophile quality equipment but do not under estimate your own ability to determine whether a system sounds good. If a lower cost system sounds as good as something more expensive, save money. Don't assume that the sales person knows more about your music than you do (& of course sales person will push for more expensive system, more commision!). Enjoy the journey and please post and we will help... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Snow Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 On gumtree I have found a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 803 D2 speakers. They used to retail for $22,000. The seller is asking $7900. Seems like a great deal. They are close to me so I can inspect them and demo them. I just want two speakers, no home theatre. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Snow Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 I have come across an American brand of amplifier Emotiva. The price seems right. Klapp has emotiva mono block amps and emotiva 2 channel amps at great prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy8 Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 4 minutes ago, Malibu_LS7 said: On gumtree I have found a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 803 D2 speakers. They used to retail for $22,000. The seller is asking $7900. Seems like a great deal. They are close to me so I can inspect them and demo them. Check for damage, especially speaker cones, find out how old they are and see whether they have been abused. And bring along your favourite music to test and see whether you can have an extended listening session. 2 minutes ago, Malibu_LS7 said: I have come across an American brand of amplifier Emotiva. The price seems right. Klapp has emotiva mono block amps and emotiva 2 channel amps at great prices. Emotivas are good, Klapp has keen pricing. Given you are new, you should listen before jumping. As someone mentioned earlier, are you able to come to Hifi show this weekend in Melbourne? And Klapp is not far away. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakey72 Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 I personally wouldn't be looking at Emotiva. Designed in USA, Made in USA, China and a number of other countries. Warranty can be a problem plus there are is better equipment around. And just because the B & W's were $22k RRP doesn't mean they are good and you will like them. You have a big opportunity here to either waste a lot of money. Don't rush anything. Think about what you want in your system, turntable, CD player, network streamer, external dac, integrated amp, pre/power amp and speakers. Speakers of first of course. You may not need to spend $12k to get something you like. You may be able to have some left over for room treatment (or chocolate) if circumstances are right. Try to get to the Hifi show if you can. Consider second hand of course. Make sure you can audition though. So direction number: 1. Plan what you want in your system 2. Look and listen to LOTS of speakers. New at Hifi stores and second hand. 3. Ask opinions here first before you take the plunge. We don't want you to buy a lemon or two or get ripped off. Blake. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steam Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 (edited) 5 hours ago, Malibu_LS7 said: On gumtree I have found a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 803 D2 speakers. They used to retail for $22,000. The seller is asking $7900. Seems like a great deal. They are close to me so I can inspect them and demo them. I just want two speakers, no home theatre. Could be a great deal...or maybe not. Some rave about 802’s but personally I am not a fan. Nothing wrong just not my cup of tea. Once you listen to 4 or 5 different speakers you discover they can all be very different. More different than any other component IMO. Hence to start with speakers. Also try not to be influenced positively by the price tag when new. There are many speakers that are way overpriced. I can recall hearing $200k speakers that I thought we’re ordinary. Also if they are cheap it’s probably for good reason. Edited October 7, 2018 by Steam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al.M Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 (edited) The B&W 803 would be a good deal. Although you have $12k keep your options open as a good used system could be put together for less depending how old gear you are willing to accept. Depending on your taste you could put together something like a used Yamaha NS1000 speaker for $1500-2000, Yamaha AS2100 integrated amp currently $1800 in Gumtree, $1k good CD player and $500-1000 media player like a Cambridge Audio or others plus bits and pieces for another $500, total $5-6k or less. Even a $3k used spend would sound quite nice. If you are new to hifi then most mid to upper low hifi system will really impress you. A $12k used system might get you a $20-30k new system, even better. I have a similar size room so would arrange the speakers across the wider wall, head against rear wall to get about a 2.5m separation between speakers and enough space to walls and create the stereo triangle. Google what that means as it will influence the system you should get because if you don’t have space to put the B&W it’s not much good and smaller speakers may be needed. My room can accomodate speakers up to about medium size floorstander like the B&W. Edited October 7, 2018 by Al.M 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audio_file Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 (edited) My two cents would be to get a balanced system, in my experience an expensive speaker is held back when used with outclassed electronics. Looking at components/speakers in the same price band is a good start, but as others have said, sometimes products are over priced, so it's not always the case. If I were you I'd make a list of speakers, amplifiers, and sources around the same price (with some variance), and eliminate the ones that won't work together due to constraints. (such as too large for your room, too little power to drive the speaker, looks ugly, etc. After this see if you can listen to these combinations, even better if you can do this for all your options at the same store, and the best if you can do this at home. You could also go and buy bargains like that 803 and components that come up on special or second hand, and you do get really good bargains sometimes, but in my experience you usually either end up with a non ideal match, or wait for a long time to get everything. There is of course the chance that you get lucky and get something special for little money. Edited October 8, 2018 by audio_file 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audio_file Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 (edited) On 07/10/2018 at 10:32 AM, Steam said: Best thing you can do is start with speakers and figure out what you like and then work from there. Go around and listen to as many as you can and don’t buy the first thing you hear. Taking your time is worth the wait and effort. I agree, this is good advice. The regret after an impulsive buy, only to realise flaws you didn't notice immediately, is a big let down. Speakers is a better place to start than electronics mainly because they are more room dependent. Edited October 8, 2018 by audio_file 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Snow Posted October 8, 2018 Author Share Posted October 8, 2018 On 6/10/2018 at 7:49 PM, rogersquared said: If I was starting fresh I would be looking at SGR speakers. The CX3B or CX4F include amplification and are just amazing. Often best sound at the hifi shows in my opinion. Hulgich Audio would be my next option for speakers. I think they won best sound last year. Both manufacturers would be able to help with source and amp recommendations. I had a look at SGR's website. Damn they are some nice speakers. Its a bonus that they are made in Australia. I have noticed that some lucky ppl here have picked up CX4F's for $4700. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POV Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 If you are mainly into rock and grunge then I strongly suggest check out Richter Dragon V speakers. They are an absolute bargain in my view even at full retail for rock/grunge and compete with imported products at a much higher price. Might just be surprise you with how nice a system you can build for that style of music for under 10k. I have a friend that is massively into grunge, and he uses a pair of those Richters with the Yamaha R-N803D and seriously surprises audiophiles with it's punch and dynamics for a $4k combo. SGR speakers are lovely, but I personally don't think active speakers are for beginners unless have access to lot's of support. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audio_file Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 9 minutes ago, POV said: compete with imported products at a much higher price. This is something to keep in mind. A lot of people don't take into account that a foreign product has import and shipping costs added to the price tag, which means that if that same product was made in Australia (and had the same labor costs, etc.), it would cost less. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wen Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 @Malibu_LS7 have a read of the ad in the classifieds for , Platinum audio solo, read the extra info part, this may give you an idea about buying bargains, i'm sure they are brilliant speakers "in the right setting" with the "right equipment" cheers, enjoy your journey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eggcup The Daft Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 Before you start... stand in your proposed listening position in your room and clap your hands. If you can hear a distinct echo, you need to start by learning about how to treat your room before putting an expensive stereo system in it. Things like soft furnishings, carpets and curtains are often a good thing in living rooms where you are adding a stereo setup. Proper treatments are even better but not practical in many living rooms. The other thing to consider is where your music is coming from. If you have a large collection of lower bitrate MP3s, allocate money to replacing them with better (320K MP3 is a good starting point, lossless is safer and may be audibly better). High quality or lossless streaming is a quick way to a good collection if you're not doing that already. You may or may not be able to spot the difference or may hear it from one file to the next. When visiting dealers for demonstrations, ask to use your own files if you're not certain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Elliott Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 On 06/10/2018 at 6:00 PM, Malibu_LS7 said: I'm new to audiophile quality sound equipment. I mainly listen to rock, grunge and instrumental music. My budget is 12k. I'm open to New or Used items. room size is 4.75m long X 3.2m wide. There are no soft furnishings in the room ( we have plantation shutters on the windows). I hope someone can point me in the right direction. Hi Malibu, Do you attend "live" music gigs? If you do I don't feel B&W Speakers will cut it for you. They are a "soulless, emotionless" Speaker. Also at least from my experience of Emotiva XPA-2, although heavy in actual physical weight, it is a little lightweight in musical presentation. Was ok value when you could bring them in under 1k, now nearly double. You can do much better. I set up a pair of the Richter Dragons mentioned for a mate and while quite good, The SA Ranger Masters below are a big step up and a "Big Rock" Speaker in a slimline body, and can be used close to a rear wall. For reasonable dollars a Vincent SA-94 is a "Big Rock" Amp. Up the ante and SP-998 Mono Blocks sound sublime with the Ranger Masters. Don't cheap out on Amp as these Speakers will reveal limitations. A good Tube Pre and also quality Cables need to be budgeted for. As mentioned rug, drapes, bookcases with CD's or Books behind Speakers will help immensely. https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/topic/250855-system-audio-ranger-master-speakers/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Snow Posted November 25, 2018 Author Share Posted November 25, 2018 Just a little update as to where I am on my AudioPhile journey...……..I decided to forget buying speakers and all the other equipment that goes with it and I purchased some Audeze LCD-2 fazor headphones and an amplifier JDS Labs Element Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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