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| quote: | Originally posted by Hoss
Thanks for you help so far guys...but I still have some questions, for acustik especially.
I have been looking around on www.audioreview.com and some stores to check out prices. I think the best thing for me, being that it will be set up in a small dorm room, would be to go with 2 bookshelf speakers and a sub. I would like to use this to run music from my computer (mainly), cd player, radio, and TV. What else would go best with this setup??
Should I buy a 2 channel receiver and use that to control it? Or like acustik was saying...an integrated amplifer. I'm unfamiliar with how that works, and they seem to be quite expensive. If I buy a receiver, should I also run an amp to give the speakers more power? I'm open to any suggestions at this point.
My budget is around $1000 maybe a little more if it's worth it.
Thanks!  |
'sup,
good choice. the bookshelf/sub combo will definitely bring your trance music to a whole new level. 
given all the info, you shoud go with a decent receiver for two reasons. first, in order to use the sub, you need something with a "subwoofer preout." these are only found on receivers and not integrated amps. second, with bookshelf speakers, you will not need as much amplification. this is because bass requires ALOT of power, but since your sub, with it's own amp, will be taking care of the bass, the workload on the bookshelves is lighter (mid/hi frequencies, which require less power). take into account the setup will be in a small dorm room, a decent receiver will have more than enough power.
what is a decent receiver? well, off the top of my head, alot of the ones available at the mass market shops, like pioneer, most sony's, and technics are considered cheap/low-end and often twist their power specs the most. some brands that make decent mid/hi-end receivers are denon, marantz, and yamaha. the amps in these receivers are far better than those in the cheapies.
fyi, here is my understanding of amps (don't shoot me if i'm wrong): an amp is, well, an amp. an integrated amp is just an amplifier with a volume control built in. a receiver is an integrated amp with a radio tuner built in. you'll have to double check the prices, but in the end i think you're best to go with a surround receiver from one of the mid/hi-end brands above.
to start, take a look at paradigm mini-monitors ($350), hsu vtf-2 powered sub ($450), marantz sr-4200 ($350).
you'll have to get stands (or improvise) for the bookshelf speakers. contrary to the name, they should NOT be placed on a bookshelf or close to walls. 2-3 feet away is the ideal minimum, but not always possible or neccessary, depending on the room and your ears. other than that you might as well add a dvd player to your setup. they're pretty affordable now and most offer MP3 playback. not to mention they play dvds...
all that said, you'll have to get out there and see what's best for your needs and your budget. take what i have said only as a guide to start your search.
tranceaddict, while a great site, probably isn't the best place to be asking your question. if you haven't already done so, you should ask for some advice in audiophile/home theater forums:
http://www.avsforum.com/
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/
http://www.audioasylum.com/
http://www.hometheaterspot.com/
and the discussion area at audioreview.com.
or try newsgroups:
rec.audio.opinion
rec.audio.high-end
alt.home-theater.misc
there are some really helpful people that'll give you alot more info and suggest other brands and models that i'm not familiar with.
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both floorstanding and bookshelf
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