Tell me about your home stereo system

[booklady]

I want to buy a new stereo system. Man, these things have changed a lot since the 70s (the last time I bought components) and I don't even know what these new ones do.

I want:
radio (am/fm)
CD player (multi would be nice)
coupla speakers -- nuttin fancy (small house)
turntable for my old lady records (did y'all here that the Buffalo Springfield drummer died? )

would also love it if it had a cassette player, but won't hold my breath

I do not have an iPod or need it to hook up to my TV, wake me up in the morning, have 500 megawattsahertzadiddleydoos, or do my dishes.

What do y'all have?

[BoatBabe]

Well, we have a good car stereo built into the forward bulkhead. It plays the radio, has a cd player, and sounds really good with some tiny little speakers port and starboard. We don't have a turntable, but I think we could plug one into it, if we had the room.

Not much help, I know. However, you might want to check into car stereos, and see how much you can plug into them. They are small, they work, and they have really good sound.

[gailkate]

Cool idea, Babe. I can't offer any advice. We have mostly old components, too, although we have relatively new speakers in the LR. Jerry went off "just to look," and came back with HUGE speakers I can barely shove to vacuum around. The sound is good, but I'm sure we could have gotten fine sound without adding 2 black Stonehenge presences in our midst. It's kind of like having company all the time, they take up so much room. Actually they're not fat, just about 4 ft. tall. They stand there looking as if you should offer them a drink or at least hang up their coats.

Rog and Thomas would know!

[sailor]

I'll tell you about stereo systems...

Bookie, firstly I'll tell you that the stereo systems of the old days are getting harder to find. They're being replaced by home entertainment systems that use 5 speaker surround sound systems. Yuck.

I still use the old 2 channel stereo system consisting of these separate components:

Integrated amplifier (2 channel) capable of hooking up a turn table.
CD player
Turntable
Tuner (radio)
2 speakers
I have a cassette player too, but I never use it

For components I like the Dennon brand and for speakers I have Tannoy (A British company) and Cerwin Vega (Made in USA). There is no need to go overboard on the speakers.

Check out some of this stuff:

www.usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/hi-fi-components.asp

The basic systems are hard to find but in my opinion, they are worth looking for and if need be paying extra for.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask me to elaborate on any of the items.

All the best,
Mike

[joew]

Wow! They still say hi-fi.

[booklady]

Mike, thanks. Yours is just the kind of set up I'm looking for. The stores are very intimidating with their home entertainment systems -- overkill, as far as I'm concerned.

[doctork]

Notice that all the intimidating stores with "Home Entertainment Systems" are either going out of business, or on the financial ropes.

I'm starting to see ads for turntables and vinyl records again, and it looks like hi-fi is back/still available. Maybe we've had enough of Home Entertainment systems, along with Media Rooms in our McMansions and Hummers parked in ou Three or Four Car Garage. Not a minute too soon.

We still have an old component system like Mike's, but actually use a boombox or the Comcast radio and music stations.

[booklady]

I used to have a Karmon Kardon receiver and A/R turntable and speakers. Way, way back in the day.

[sailor]

Feb 10, 2009 18:32:17 GMT -5 booklady said:

I used to have a Karmon Kardon receiver and A/R turntable and speakers. Way, way back in the day.

That sounds like a great set-up. Too bad you don't have it anymore.

I use a Sony TA-FB 720R integrated amplifier in my office, similar to this (see image) only it’s a champagne gold color. It’s basic but effective. I use a little bit better stuff at home.



It’s a discontinued model, but it’ll probably out live me if I take care of it.

Mike

[Thomas Scheuzger]

Hi Bookie!

Sorry it took me so long to get to this. I would try Crutchfield. Good deals and very helpful staff. If you have questions, give them a call:

www.crutchfield.com/g_10420/Receivers.html

This Onkyo might be a good place to start:

www.crutchfield.com/p_580TX8255/Onkyo-TX-8255.html

Though this one gives you a bit more power and expandability:

www.crutchfield.com/p_580TX8555/Onkyo-TX-8555.html

Note both of the above include phono inputs...

Then you can add your bells and whistles as needed.

CD Players. The Denon, Yamaha, and Sony ES series are good. Check the customer reviews:

www.crutchfield.com/g_53100/CD-Players.html

Turntables. I prefer direct drive, and I'd stay away from the USB models. That leaves Denon and Audio Technica:

www.crutchfield.com/g_10500/Turntables.html

Cassette Decks. I'd probably go with the Sony, though do you really want/need a cassette player? It's pretty much a dead technology:

www.crutchfield.com/g_54200/Cassette-Decks.html

Speakers. Crutchfield has a bunch and will probably steer you toward something they have, however, they don't carry my favorite brand. I'm very jaded and you would be hard pressed to get me to recommend anything other than NHT (Now Hear This):

nhthifi.com/current/s-classic.html

I've recommended the Classic Absolute Zeroes to many, and those people have always come back very grateful. At around $460/pr., they're not exactly cheap, but they'll never fail you and sound REALLY good. For pure nirvana, the Classic Threes are arguably the BEST bookshelf speakers out there, but that'll cost you at $900/pr.:

nhthifi.com/current/products/speakers/three.html

Good dealers for these are Listen Up and One Call - I've personally dealt with both:

tinyurl.com/5hhb6o

www.onecall.com/ProductSearch.aspx?viewall=1&N=259+1083

Truly hope that helps, and good luck! Let us know what you end up with...

[rogesgallery]

You're funny Gail. I can just imagine you on a Friday evening...

"Jerry dear, Could you mix a couple of Martinis for Amsbury and Salisbury. I love it when they get a little stoned and start singing those old Beatles tunes. "

Booky, Personally I don need no stinkin stereo— I've got a Macbook Pro! And so far I have found nothing in the area of entertainment accessories that it can not replace. That aside— I would buy local. By that I mean shop the pawn shops. In the last 20 years we have produced enough junk and toys to satisfy the needs of all of past humanity. If you do buy a turntable you should check the internet to see if you can get a new cartridge for it and buy it before it becomes unavailable.

With Itunes I have all of the worlds music on my lap and with a few keystrokes it flies through the air and sings from a pair of JBL's that would fit in a grocery sack (paper not plastic) with more than adequate yet fully adjustable fidelity.

[booklady]

First of all, Thomas, thank you for all that information and the links! Wow, this will take some time to study.

Roges, I never even thought about pawn shops. And we have plenty here, being a city with five casinos. We'll see.

[sailor]

Thinking in Stereo

Give me love, give me love
Give me sweet Hi-Fidelity
Give me a turntable
An amp and speakers
And let the music replace reality

I'll crank up the volume
And shower to the sound of Brahmas
The Beatles and the Stones
Dylan and the Moody Blues
Music tis religion the lyrics my Psalms

Give me love, give me sweet stereo
Monolithic speakers touch the sky
Casting sundial like shadows
Blasting Come Together over me
Switch to Roy Oberson and it's time to cry

Two channels blending in a head of one
Music from the vinyl spinning under stylus
The light from my receiver glows
Analog VU meters sweep and hypnotize
Nothing like a stereo to free and mollify us

Mike

[sailor]

Methinks...

Poetry killed the stereo thread!

Mike

[booklady]

Many of you were nice enough to offer some advice here, and, as I started thinking about acquiring some new technology today, I thought I should go back and tell you what I ended up with.

It's charming, wonderful, and perfect for my little bungalow. I can play records, CDs, and cassettes, and listen to NPR.




Now I'm thinking about investing in a DVD recorder, but I'm faced with the same intimidating mass of technical stuff that I don't understand.

If I get one of these: www.amazon.com/LG-RC897T-Multi-Format-Recorder-Digital/dp/B00195IURA/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=tv&qid=1262553350&sr=1-11 , can I turn in the digital tuner that I rent from the cable company and save that part of the bill every month? Plus watch DVDs and videos, and record movies that are on TV?

You know what? Just strike all that. I'm an idiot. I need to stop buying things, first of all, and second I need to stop trying to hold to stuff and accumulate things. And third, if I find myself with time on my hands, instead of watching a movie I've hoarded, there are about 6,000 other things around that need doing.

[gailkate]

That is SO cute - 1930s ambience with all the modern necessities.

We need some sound stuff, but Jerry's in his manic phase - "Life is a banquet - LIve, Live, Live!" (That's Auntie Mame in case you don't recognize her, and just think of what a practical soul she was.)

Our downstairs receiver seems kaput, or at least kaput-ish. The CD player upstairs (part of an old AIWA boombox shelf system) inexplicably stopped playing CDs. The TVs are old and fat and lacking all the digi-stuff one needs. I fear one day Jerry
will come home having blown $5K on whatever a salesman talked him into. It's a good thing I've got 5 years to save for the next reunion trip.

You are wise to restrain yourself, BL.

[Gracie]

Bookie, my parents gave me something very like that for Christmas two years ago and I LOVE it. I love how it looks old, but will also play cassettes and CDs. I would not have a clue about all the separate components, either....

[booklady]

The only thing I don't like about it is that little red (LED?) light that glows when the thing is OFF. Leave it to Americans to find ways to use electricity even when it's not working. Actually, it probably wasn't made in America. Anyway, what is it with these electronics that have a light that comes on when the thing is off?

[doctork]

Almost all electronics seem to have this feature, I suppose to make things turn on more quickly when you really want them to be on. But it is an energy drain.

Thanks for bringing this thread back up to the current month. Now that we're in a new house, I'm considering a new stereo system, so I'm reviewing the suggestions.

[joew]

I suppose you could get a switched surge protector strip and switch it off when you turn the device off. That'll save the juice when not in use.