Recommendation for $7,000 System

[Ron Resnick]

A friend of mine inherited 2,000 CDs. He also has a turntable, and he wants to be able to play records.

He and his wife enjoy opera, but they also enjoy a wide variety of other music, including chamber music.

He is looking to purchase a stereo for not more than a total of $7,000. The stereo should not take up an entire room, but it does not have to be inconspicuous either.

Please make full system suggestions.

Thank you!

 

[bonzo75]

LS3 5a - ask @zerostargeneral how to set them up best at that price. He and Gian would both recommend that. I don't know them well so I would go vintage tannoy gold with Luxman 509 integrated. Best for vocals they sound like apogee vocals so opera will be great.

 

[CKKeung]

May we know how big is the room?

 

[Ron Resnick]

I should’ve specified that he is hoping for floor-standers of some kind.

 

[Ron Resnick]

May we know how big is the room?

The mixed-use room is about 15 feet wide by 20 feet long.

 

[jespera]

LS3 5a - ask @zerostargeneral how to set them up best at that price. He and Gian would both recommend that. I don't know them well so I would go vintage tannoy gold with Luxman 509 integrated. Best for vocals they sound like apogee vocals so opera will be great.

Id second that. The 3lz is a cracking speaker.
Reputation for being a bit bass light.
But if you place then like this (they seem to be designed for sitting on a mixer board) you get bass that kicks.

Some of the vintage luxman integrated from the 70s have a great reputation with tannoys. And can be had for very reasonable money.

Cd player with tda1541 chip.

For new stuff: a pair of zu’s and a valve amp from cayin.

Jesper

 

[bazelio]

Option 1:

PAP Trio 15TB $4500 (huge bang for buck, just come 3' off the wall)

First Watt F7 Clone (like a baby XA25) $900

Schiit Saga+ tube preamp $400

Ray Samuels F117 Nighthawk phono $700

Oppo BDP-103 $450

Cables from Redco using Mogami mic cable (the non-quad stuff) $150ish

Blue Jeans speaker cables $?

Save up for a separate DAC later. Then buy a Soekris dac1541 R2R. $1200

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REMOVED option 2 as I didn't notice the play records requirement at first glance.

 

[Folsom]

Please don't torture people that like classical and opera with a wimpy inefficient bookshelf... That's my opinion.

Do this:

Pi Audio 6 Pi Speakers: ($3500~ shipped I think)
These will have thrilling dynamics and good non-horn sounding vocals. They'll be alive, and squash little speakers. The only condition is they must be corners. But that's the good news, floor standing AND out of the way. They easily reach into the 30hz.
I would do this config:
Wood: Their choice
Finish: Their choice
Compression driver: B&C DE250
Woofer: B&C 12PLB100 (unless the Pi guy says it lowers efficiency, I would keep it 100db+)
Inductors: 15 gauge
Capacitors: Standard
Resistors: Mills
(A review from someone who made their own at the bottom of the post)

Speaker wire Belden 9497: ($100? Maybe way less) There's no reason to terminate this wire, it's simple, easy, and they can order extra to trim to fit. It's out of the way. It sounds great, too.

Interconnects Belden 8402: ($60 x 2)Sound great, very inexpensive.



Options on Preamps/Amp/DAC:

This is where things are a little more complicated, I'll give a couple ideas.

Mapleshade modified Scott integrated tube amp: ($1800 shipped) The general actually pointed this out as a candidate for how someone could get into good sound without spending silly amounts of money. It has a built in phono & volume. Then get a BorderPatrol DAC SPDIF only SEi ($1350). This leaves $200 left over to get any disc player with PCM output. For example this Sony would be fine, the quality of the player won't matter, and if they want one that screws up the sound the budget doesn't allow for that.

Alternative to the Scott would be a Decware Zen Triode (integrated: $1800) configured with stepped attenuator, two pair input. BorderPatrol DAC SPDIF S ($995) and iFi Phono 2 ($549). And any disc player such as that Sony. The total is a couple more dollars than $7000.

If they would prefer non-tube I can come up with some ideas but I think they'll be slightly less enthralled. I wouldn't change the speakers if there's no issue with corner speakers.

 

[bonzo75]

was the above wimpy inefficient bookshelf comment made on General's recommendation of LS3 5a? I guess he doesn't understand chamber and opera. We will listen to your Bloch on your recommendations

 

[Bruce B]

I love the system I have in my livingroom...

Parasound Integrated (built-in phono and DAC)

Magnepan 1.7i

 

[ddk]

A friend of mine inherited 2,000 CDs. He also has a turntable, and he wants to be able to play records.

He and his wife enjoy opera, but they also enjoy a wide variety of other music, including chamber music.

He is looking to purchase a stereo for not more than a total of $7,000. The stereo should not take up an entire room, but it does not have to be inconspicuous either.

Please make full system suggestions.

Thank you!

If they were my friends I'd steer towards a lifestyle brand like Denon and get them a plug & play solution. For speakers both JBL & Polk very good ones that still sound good with suboptimal placing. Let them enjoy their music without the punishment of high end.

david

 

[Folsom]

was the above wimpy inefficient bookshelf comment made on General's recommendation of LS3 5a? I guess he doesn't understand chamber and opera. We will listen to your Bloch on your recommendations

I don't care if he recommends them, I don't like the sound on speakers with such limited headroom with the genres. If you want to make opera intimate by all means do that, just not what I would do. I have no idea what your last sentence means.

 

[bonzo75]

I don't care if he recommends them, I don't like the sound on speakers with such limited headroom with the genres. If you want to make opera intimate by all means do that, just not what I would do. I have no idea what your last sentence means.

How do you know what it sounds to call it wimpy?

 

[Folsom]

If they were my friends I'd steer towards a lifestyle brand like Denon and get them a plug & play solution. For speakers both JBL & Polk very good ones that still sound good with suboptimal placing. Let them enjoy their music without the punishment of high end.

david

I thought about this, too. But if you're willing to spend $7000 I just don't see it as a venture into highly limited reproduction.

 

[Folsom]

How do you know what it sounds to call it wimpy?

You think we need to have a discussion about one of the most known speakers on planet earth? They're nice speakers but they can't ramp up, they just don't. They are recommended to only 50w max typically, and start around 81-83db sensitivity, and have crossovers. I think opera and classical is just simply better when you can really swing volume. If someone is into jazz, rock, easy listening, I would never contest the recommendation.

 

[bonzo75]

You think we need to have a discussion about one of the most known speakers on planet earth? They're nice speakers but they can't ramp up, they just don't. They are recommended to only 50w max typically, and start around 81-83db sensitivity, and have crossovers. I think opera and classical is just simply better when you can really swing volume. If someone is into jazz, rock, easy listening, I would never contest the recommendation.

Yes, but I would respect the opinion of someone who has the best classical music collection and knowledge I know off and listens to 120 db speakers and recommends these

 

[bazelio]

You think we need to have a discussion about one of the most known speakers on planet earth? They're nice speakers but they can't ramp up, they just don't. They are recommended to only 50w max typically, and start around 81-83db sensitivity, and have crossovers. I think opera and classical is just simply better when you can really swing volume. If someone is into jazz, rock, easy listening, I would never contest the recommendation.

I don't like them for jazz either. It's funny there are recommendations for 5" woofers and 15" woofers in the same $7000 system thread. 20*15*8 ft^3 is too much volume for low efficiency bookshelves IMO.

The PAPs are so much speaker for the $.

 

[Folsom]

I don't like them for jazz either. It's funny there are recommendations for 5" woofers and 15" woofers in the same $7000 system thread. 20*15*8 ft^3 is too much volume for low efficiency bookshelves IMO.

The PAPs are so much speaker for the $.

To each their own on speakers I guess (for the LS3/5A)

PAP is neat but to me seems too intrusive for "not taking over the whole room". That's why I went towards corner speakers.

 

[bazelio]

Depends on the room. I've seen some unobtrusive executions. I'm not suggesting these rooms are optimized for sound, just that it can be done.

http://www.pureaudioproject.com/wp-...-Open-Baffle-Speakers-by-PureAudioProject.jpg

http://www.pureaudioproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_1741.jpg

 

[Folsom]

Yes, but I would respect the opinion of someone who has the best classical music collection and knowledge I know off and listens to 120 db speakers and recommends these

NFG. I can have my own preferences anytime I please. You seem to think I don't weight opinions or something? I do. BUT I ALSO DO NOT LIKE LOW SENSITIVITY LOW OUTPUT BOOKSHELVES FOR CLASSICAL AND OPERA.