Beginner audiophile setup, help?

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tboneDX

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I'm about to go off to college, and I am wondering what to do about setting sound up for my pc and console games.

Mostly I am looking for a good quality pair of bookshelf speakers to get me started on a high end setup, and a receiver to accompany them. I would use these for games, music listening, and movie watching. Pretty much i want to be pointed in the right direction as to what brands are out there, and what product lines will meet my needs.

Oh, and if the receiver has digital and analog input for all of my consoles that is a huge bonus :D.

Thanks for your time!
 
take a look at monitor audio. there bookshelve sound good but for me i wish i could have used them with my sub.

the onix bookshelves i hear are pretty good aswell. they range from 220 a pair to 1500.

if you want something simle to power them emotiva has a 2ch amp under 200 but im sure many guys here can recomend other amps and/or receivers.
 
one thing that I need an opinion on is whether to get a receiver/amplifier that will do 7.1 channel sound.

At the moment i wont have a surround system like that,buy i may in the future. Actually i might not. Are there some good 2/2.1 channel amps out there that take optical input? or would i be better off using the analog input from both my consoles and pc?
 
The Audio Engine 5 is the best sounding speaker fpr PC I've ever heard. Very much an audiophile speaker, well built unlike the typical cheesy Logitech, Creative Labs, Altec, Bose, or Klipsch. These have a very nice built-in amp so you probably wouldn't need a receiver or separate amp.

http://audioengineusa.com/store/pro...id=76&osCsid=56963e7f7c7c8ea58cfd5ecd392b96c8

You could mate the AE 5's with a REL Quake sub and have high-end PC full-range sound that won't take up much space. http://www.rel.net/index2.htm
 
Insignia bookshelves from Best Buy or Polk bookshelves (often on sale through Frys/Outpost.com) are a good way to go if you don't have the budget for higher-ticket speakers right now. They'll still be loads better than "computer" speakers or "home theater" kits (excluding the few labeled as such that actually have full-size speakers). From there you can do upgrades as money allows like adding a solid subwoofer and additional channels.

Thanks to a series of HDMI revisions, you can probably find a pretty nice 7.1 receiver without paying too much if you don't mind either getting no HDMI or an older revision (it's largely just another cabling option, so this is only a minor sacrifice for what can be a pretty nice price cut).
 
I say get the insignias from best buy as well and just take the rest of the money you where going to spend and mod the crap out of them. As they are they are fantastic speakers but there are so many mods for them they become competitive to real high end speakers and nowhere near the cost.

I still love mine and i have done nothing but insulate them better with the putty and foam as shown here
 
As a sound nut, I never toss around the word "audiophile" unless you really mean high-end audio.

If you truly mean audiophile you would'nt buy a pair of speakers, you buy a matched set of 5.1 or more. For example- a 5.1 set of Paradigms or similar, depending on how many thousands you want to spend.

Point being, true surround sound needs matched speakers to sound best. If you mix and match speakers, sound doesn't transmit as naturally/smoothly as it should as it passes through the sound image.

Now- you certainly COULD buy just a pair of great stereo speakers for general use but also listening to music, as music on even high-end surrounds isn't the best experience.

Then, when you want to expand, buy a separate set of 5.1's... you'll be able to keep the steroe pair as an "A" input and the surrounds on "B" and switch back and forth.

As far as receivers- again, how much do you want to spend? I've got a Marantz on my Paradigms... but all told I've got a few grand in audio gear.

On my PC? I can't believe it but I bought Bost's pseudo surrond. two speaker plus a sub. I couldn't run wires, the wireless pc surrounds sound pretty bad and well... the Bost just isn't that bad after all. Though they're no Paradigms. ;)
 
Well if you want to talk "high-end", I wouldn't call Paradigm's high-end. Mid-fi is more where they stand.

Smaller, "mini-monitor" type, truly high-end speakers that could be used for a PC would be something like ProAc Response SC1's, Quad 11L's, etc. Then you'd need a suitably "high-end" smallish amp to drive them, of which there are many.
 
Panasonic XR-57 Receiver is a great entry-level digital receiver. It can expand to 7.1 but it does 5.1 very well. I would get that, a pair of speakers that you could buy in singles so you could eventually buy 5 of them and a decent sub. This, along with an X-FI or Prelude, would give you EXCELLENT sound for the least amount of $$$.
 
aztec61 said:
Well if you want to talk "high-end", I wouldn't call Paradigm's high-end. Mid-fi is more where they stand.
Click to expand...

Speaking in terms of average consumers, I'd call them higher end but totally agree that pure audiophiles wouldn't go there. Paradigm's, Klipsch, KEF, etc all have good consumer/pro-sumer options for "beginner audiophile" but then that's why I don't like that word outside of certain circles.

But then I think deHavilland tube amps and a pair of Pegasus references might be overkill for a PS3:p
 
A pair of Insignias + an Onkyo refurb would be a nice, inexpensive way to start a college setup..
 
I'd love to recommend some options, but without a budget there is no sense in recommending anything.

Now I know you talked about a console as a source, but will you be hooking up a dedicated DVD player, CD player, PC w/DAC?

Ultimately if most of your sources are digital, I'd opt for a receiver and a pair of bookshelves (which by the way can be VERY high end, as the size has little to do with the quality of reproduction, other than the inability to reach lower frequencies).

Monitor audio was suggested, and must say I did enjoy the Bronzes as a entry-level design. Can't speak for the "distributed online only" brands; I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole (I like to hear stuff before I buy it)... but that's just personal preference and not up for debate right now.
 
thanks for all of the replies so far, let me fill you in on my situation a little more.

I will have no other devices connected than my pc, ps3, xbox 360, and wii.
My pc has a soundblaster x-fi xtreme gamer that i installed today..

I am actually considering just going through college with a nice pair of headphones. Currently I am using some Sennheiser HD500's, but i might want to upgrade. Would a receiver with some digital and analog inputs still be the best rout if I am only using headphones?

Let me know what my options are here, I want good sound from all of my sources with the least amount of hassle from cables and the like.

Thanks again.
 
Buy.com has the Panasonic SA-XR55S for $177 shipped when combined with the Google checkout discount. Ecost has manufacturer refurbished JVC recievers starting at $69 + S/H . The refurbished 5.1 Onkyo's are real popular, you can get them direct from onkyo or from an authorized reseller on ebay for around $99.

If you decide to go with speakers (in addition to headphones) i've always heard that the Polk bookshelfs and floorstanders over at Frys.com make great filler/entry-level speakers. Probably perfect for a dorm environment, and when you move out of the dorms you can always sell them and upgrade to something better.

Some current Polk deals:
R50: http://shop2.outpost.com/product/4005092 (lot of R50 fans)
R300: http://shop2.outpost.com/product/4965501
 
If we are actually talking audiophile, go with something accurate like SVSs speaker line:

http://www.svsound.com/products-spks-sbs01.cfm

Which they actually post their frequency response curves:
chart.jpg



Biggest thing I'll say with speakers is don't be cheap, buy something that you'll actually expand on and not just replace.
 
tboneDX said:
I will have no other devices connected than my [long list of devices].
Click to expand...

Got a giggle off that.

A receiver has the benefit of letting you easily switch between input devices, and should also make switching between speakers and headphones simple. Since you know what you want to connect, you can keep that in mind for confirming a specific model has enough of the right kinds of inputs.
 
haha yea ^^

I have been asking around about upgrades to my current sound situation, and am thinking about picking up a pair of sennheiser hd580's to replace my 500's, as they seem to be getting some nice reviews doing the things that I want in a pair of headphones.

I guess all I need now is to find a receiver that has at least 3 digital optical inputs, one analog input, headphone output, and some sort of surround capability (for expandability)

Headphones are soo much simpler too! :D
 
Tekara said:
If we are actually talking audiophile, go with something accurate like SVSs speaker line:
Click to expand...

Tekara -

The sound of a loudspeaker is so subjective - especially once it's in your room connected to your components - that showing frequency response curves is almost pointless. Many mfg's have "flat" or nearly flat FR curves, but the variables that determine the final sound at the listener are nearly infinite. FR curves can help somewhat...maybe...but you can't tell if you'll really like a loudspeaker until you've actually heard it.

In fact, a truly "flat" FR curve is often not desireable to many listeners. It is often why so many studio monitors are not popular in the home environment.
 
tboneDX said:
I guess all I need now is to find a receiver that has at least 3 digital optical inputs, one analog input, headphone output, and some sort of surround capability (for expandability)
Click to expand...

Take a look at the kind of receiver that comes with the Onkyo HTS790 home theater kit. You can get the whole set for about 1/2 price refurb (which I just did, and they sound great in my small room). You might be able to pick up just the receiver somewhere cheap, and it comes with 3 optical inputs, headphones, all the hook ups for your gaming systems, and surround abilities.
 
personally I would go with a stereo amp/ receiver. buying a 5.1/7.1 receiver now will probably net you an outdated receiver once you're ready to set up a home theater. My 5.1 setup is a few years old now and doesn't have any HDMI capability... so I'll have to upgrade in the not to distant future.

You can get better sound out of a stereo system anyway. Look for an integrated amp. dollar for dollar you'll get better SQ for your money. NAD and Cabridge make some nice entry level integrateds. You can go the route I did and get a vintage integrated. My Marantz 1030 cost me abour $100 shipped and sounds great.
 
If you're considering going with headphones, you can get a DAC and headphone amplifier that would function as a pre-amp later. You can go from your PC via SPDIF, optical or USB and get good sound quality with an external DAC. Headroom (headphone.com) is where I got mine, but there are a surprising number of choices depending on your budget.

Edit: Headfi.org might be a better forum to read about this.
 
There are some good sub $100 digital amps out there, not the t-amp though, I consider it too weak. I use a Teac AL-700p which I got for $80 used. Excellent amp for the money.
 
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