Suggest receiver

[Aparna]

Hi,

I have a pair of Cerwin-vega bookshelf speakers ve-5m that I would like to connect to my home computer. Could you suggest a suitable receiver for this. I have little idea about the audio equipment. Please suggest the required cables I need to buy to connect these.
I don't want to spend more than $200 on the receiver.

Would Onkyo TX 8255 be suitable option?

Thanks.

 

[mannyman]

Do you ever plan on adding any other speakers to your set up? And if so 5.1 or yada yada?

 

[Aparna]

No plan to add other speakers to this setup. I might build another home theater setup later.

 

[counterpoint]

That Onkyo is fine. Any stereo receiver like this one will do fine, but you're better off looking for a good deal on the used market (ebay, audiogon, craigslist, fs forum, etc). The SHERWOOD RD-7405HDR has HD-Radio if you care about that at all.

 

[huskerpat]

Why not just get a cheap T amp? I use one with Infinity Primus speakers and it sounds great.

 

[mannyman]

That onkyo would be great if you all ready owned it. But for purchasing there are many cheaper better options. I would also suggest a cheap DAC like the Fiio D3. That is unless you have a sound card.

As for cables you will need speaker wire, And if you get the DAC run rca's to the inputs on the the receiver and a optical or digital coax from your motherboard. If you have a sound card you need a 3.5mm to rca cord.

 

[dandragonrage]

Find a very cheap or free stereo receiver, $0 to $50 range. I've been offered many older 70s-90s stereo receivers for free. Family members offer me 5.1 receivers for free occasionally. In fact the NAD T-761 I use in my bedroom was given to me by a family member for free. You may or may not find something of that "grade" for free, but hey, an older Pioneer, Yamaha, Onkyo, H/K, or even Technics should be fine. Plenty of other brands that were reasonably good 'back in the day.' If it's something on the older side, I'd recommend to make sure to avoid tube-based equipment. I f--king hate tubes.

If you do not need to switch sources (say hooking up a game console also or whatever) then a T-amp will probably work well for you. It'll get reasonably loud, especially if your speakers are efficient. Way more than enough for a desk setup in most cases. (Edit to point out, this is an alternate to the receiver - don't get both)

Do not buy a sound card OR a DAC until you have tried your onboard sound out. If you can't hear a problem (such as buzzes, hissing, unusual distortion, etc.) then you won't benefit from a sound card or DAC in an audible way, and even if you CAN hear it, it would not be an effective use of money. If you DO have problems with your onboard sound, which some motherboards/PSUs absolutely do, then absolutely invest in a sound card or external DAC.

This is the cable you usually use to hook up a PC to a receiver or home audio amplifier, but if you get a sound card or DAC or use something other than a receiver, you MIGHT need a different sort of cable. If you use onboard sound (or most sound cards) with the T-amp then you will instead need this cable (the T-amp says it comes with a 6 INCH cable, so you will probably want to buy this one instead).

For speaker wire, just get some cheap 16 gauge either locally or from Monoprice or Parts Express.. or wherever really. I'd recommend Monoprice if only purchasing cables, or Parts Express if you're ordering the T-amp there anyway. 18 gauge wire is sometimes very cheap at Parts Express - as long as you're running say less than 10-15 feet or so and not running over 100W, 18 gauge is fine. If you're using them at a desk in front of you, regardless of what your amplifier is rated for power, you are unlikely to really ever use more than 10 watts. Most of the time you'll be listening at somewhere around a single, lonesome watt.

 

[BRAB]

I would highly suggest you to check Craigslist for a quality used stereo receiver to get the most value for your money. If that's not an option here are 2 good stereo amps for around $200..

Onkyo TX-8255 - Includes a remote and lots of functions for the price.

Emotiva Mini-x a-100 - Does not include a remote and lacks settings and functions. However with that said, it is a very capable amplifier for the price. If you do not have the estate for a full size receiver this absolutely would be a great option. I've also always hear nothing but great things from Emotiva amps.

You cannot go wrong with either option but I would highly recommend you to check Craigslist first for a quality stereo receiver or amplifier. Also, be sure to check to know what you are receiving. Test the receiver/amplifer and do your research to know what to look for in regards to shady sellers and their electronics.

As for the cables, I would suggest purchase 16-gauge or thicker speaker wire (lower number = higher thickness) with banana or spade plugs. Cut the speaker wire to your desired length and connect the ends of the speaker wire to the banana/spade plugs and you are good to go.

Here's a guide I recommend to check out in case you need a walk-through. Granted, the plugs used in this guide are not traditional banana plugs but you will definitely get the gist from this guide.

 

[Aparna]

Thank you for your suggestions. I am thinking about Emotiva Mini-x a-100 Stereo Flex Amplifier, as I do have small real estate for this set.

 

[Aparna]

After doing little more reading, I think the T-Amp suggested by dandragonrage is good enough for my use.

I have one more question about the speaker cable/wire.
I want to go for ready made speaker cable to connect this T-amp with the Cerwin-vega bookshelf speakers.

Would the below cable be good for that (barring the length of the cable to my need..)? I can't see the other end of the cable in the picture, to figure out whether that will be good to connect to this amp.

Dayton Audio SCC-6 Center Channel Speaker Cable w/Bananas 6 ft.

Thanks for your suggestion, hope to get these connected this weekend..