Posted on 02/16/2008 6:40:55 PM PST by GB
Can any of my Freeper brethren help me out here?
So, I'm looking for (a.) recommendations for an integrated bookshelf mini- or micro-stereo that I can buy off the shelf or (b.) recommendations for a set of components (receiver or amp, decks, speakers, etc.) that I can put together and build a system.
I'll say up front that I don't have a mint right now to put into this (tuition went up at my kids' Christian private school so we've got the "shorts"), probably a couple hundred, $250 at absolute most (I realize up front I won't get audiophile sound for that and that's not a big deal to my rapidly aging ears, plus I know if I go the component route I'll probably have to search out used stuff).
I don't need a jillion watts (this is for the bedroom) or capability to load 20 CDs. Bottom line, I need something with reasonably decent sound (which I know is subjective, but it doesn't have to be audiophile quality) ... I need something to play CDs, CD-Rs and MP3 CDs (have a lot of old-time radio files on MP3 that I play on my stereo in the bedroom) ... I need something with at least one cassette deck (I still have TONS of music on cassette, I know how to convert it to CD but it's just so time-intensive, and I don't have the disposable income to buy CDs of everything I've got on cassette) ... I need something with equalizer and tone controls to adjust the sound (the AIWA did have this, one of the reasons I bought it, so many things today have non-adjustable pre-settings). Anything else, like an input for an MP3 player (I have three portable digital audio players and I love them, but being that I'm a music junkie with a few thousand CDs, it's unlikely I will be able to convert all my CDs to a compressed format, Ogg being my format of choice, any time before retirement age) would be hunky-dory, but I need the bottom line things.
Thanks in advance for any help here.
One word as far as speakers go: Bose. In fact, a Bose music system may work well for you.
Just buy the most awesome pair of headphones you can find. Done.
Get a late 70s Marantz receiver (minimum 50 watts), an old Thorens TD 124 turntable, and a couple of Dynaco A25 speakers.
I don’t need a soundtrack baby.
Bose..... unbelievable
I looked at the Bose, if I was only thinking about the music it would be super, it even has an input for a cassette deck (I sound like a Luddite still playing cassettes, but as I said I have tons of ‘em that I still play, some of it stuff that hasn’t been released on CD yet). However, the only problem is according to the users guide which I downloaded, it won’t play 32 bps MP3s and that is what much of my old-time radio stuff (and I have a massive collection of that, too) is encoded at. I could get a separate player for that or put it on one of my portable players, but the thing is my kids like to listen to that stuff along with me so I need a unit that will play them. (I’d rather them listen to stuff from 60 years ago than some of what passes for entertainment these days ... my eldest loves to listen to Fred Allen, plus we all love the Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show, that show is still wet-your-pants hilarious six decades later).
I had a Sansui 9090db great unit
Very nice.
My ‘79 Technics SA-500 receiver is still going as strong as ever. They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to.
I don’t need a soundtrack baby.
LoL
What do you think of the Pioneer PL-630 from the late 70s? I’ve been thinking about getting one of these for my first “real” turntable. My current one is a mid-80s JVC that’s pretty good but more consumer quality than audiophile.
The Mods deleted your post- and I’ve said way worse than that to people!
we were just having a little fun...
:)
That’s a top-notch table. Get one if you can.
The Big Daddy: Marantz 2600 receiver. 300w/ch., 60 lbs.
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