# Need help on building a home hifi audio systems?



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

hi all!i'm a new bie!

my father have around 750$ and he wants to buy a hi-fi audio system include (hifi speakers + amplifier). coz I don't have enough knowledge to help him to have good choice. so can you help him?

my father build this system mostly to hear kind of songs have rumba, bollero, ballad rythme. so which speaker + amplifier best produce these kinds of rythme. would you please show me some brand of speakers and amplifier?

thank you a lot, sorry for my english coz i'm not a native english.


----------



## jkrueger (Jan 19, 2009)

Hey man

Are you going to watch movies on this set up? or is it just for music? Do you have the ability to build speakers? tools etc...


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

my father intends to listen to music only, and i want to buy them from a shop coz i dont have ability to build speakers, can you show me some brands (for example JBL, Bose, Jamo,.....)


----------



## callas01 (Oct 24, 2010)

where are you located? buying used speakers coulkd net you better results on your budget. Denon and Sony and yamaha make some decent 2-channel stereo receivers that dont cost too much


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

i live in vietnam, and can these Denon, Sony or Yamaha best produce rumba, bollero, ballad rythme. and can you give specific Model or Series


----------



## callas01 (Oct 24, 2010)

rittone_phan said:


> i live in vietnam, and can these Denon, Sony or Yamaha best produce rumba, bollero, ballad rythme. and can you give specific Model or Series


the best thing IMO would be to use an Integrated Amp, something like a Virtue Audio M451 (link) but unfortunately that would be almost your whole budget. However the pacing, dynamics, clarity and depth that will be outstanding. I believe these are made in China, so they may be something you can get over there.

Here is an example of what I was talking about.
http://www.bing.com/shopping/sony-s...6C59E?q=2-channel+stereo+receiver&FORM=ENCA10

http://usa.denon.com/us/Product/Pag...roductId=8e00bd6c-d3e2-466f-b5a0-c7ebe94e0bd9

On your budget, these would be a decent stereo receiver you could use.

As far as speakers, you could look at B&W 685 bookshelfs, PSB IMAGE B6 bookshelfs, Energy CB-20 bookshelfs, or see if you can find used Monitor Audio speakers, Totem speakers, Focal speakers, Dynaudio, or let me know what is available to you so that I or others could help you with some ideas. Unfortunately its hard to know what you have available to you in Vietnam.


----------



## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi, here's what I recommend:

1 Pair of Infinity Primus 363s
1 Harman/Kardon 3490 receiver
some monoprice cable

And if you ever wanna tweak it, there's some modifications to make the primus sound better... we'll be glad to walk you through them.

Since you are in asia, I'd look around for some Usher speakers.


----------



## callas01 (Oct 24, 2010)

GranteedEV said:


> Hi, here's what I recommend:
> 
> 1 Pair of Infinity Primus 363s
> 1 Harman/Kardon 3490 receiver
> ...


Usher speaker would defintely be a good speaker, and should be able to be found over there.... 

Infinity... ugh... better off with paradigm Titans or Mini Monitors... JMO. Neither the Monitors or Infinitys do anything for me personally when it comes to music. Both can be a little too forward.


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

thanks callas01 and GranteedEV for your valuable comments.and i have these 2 links

this for amplifier in my area:
hxxp://audiohoanghai.com/?a=CATE&hdn_category=4

this for speakers:
hxxp://audiohoanghai.com/?a=CATE&hdn_category=13

besides these i find more, but this show out some brands of ampli & speakers that i can buy in vietnam.

and callas01, can you tell me what Integrated Amp differs from normal amplifier.


----------



## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

ON that list, I've in the past considered buying both the Tannoy Mercury F4s and Marantz SR4023. That pair will do very well for music IMO.



> Infinity... ugh... better off with paradigm Titans or Mini Monitors... JMO. Neither the Monitors or Infinitys do anything for me personally when it comes to music. Both can be a little too forward.


The thing about the infinities is that they have excellent drivers. A few mods here and there and you've got speakers that compete with many a $2000 speaker...the speaker itself is less than 400!

Because of those drivers, you'll find the P363s sound great anywhere you sit in a room, in untreated rooms as well.


----------



## callas01 (Oct 24, 2010)

rittone_phan said:


> thanks callas01 and GranteedEV for your valuable comments.and i have these 2 links
> 
> this for amplifier in my area:
> hxxp://audiohoanghai.com/?a=CATE&hdn_category=4
> ...


A receiver would be a type of integrated amp, except they typically have some sort of surround sound decoding and/or tuner, however they add more features and typically have a lower build qualities then an Integrated amp. Integrated amps tend to sound better with music.

The Marantz you posted looks like a nice stereo receiver, they usually make quality equipment that sounds very musical.

Never hear Tannoy, but they are supposed to be a fairly well respected speaker.


----------



## callas01 (Oct 24, 2010)

GranteedEV said:


> ON that list, I've in the past considered buying both the Tannoy Mercury F4s and Marantz SR4023. That pair will do very well for music IMO.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


you are probably right on the Infinitys. I am not saying they are bad speakers, they just don't do it for me.

You can probably tell what kind of speakers I like, I have owned Energy C-series and Dynaudio.


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

thanks GranteedEV.

i've aksed the owner of the shop above,unluckily Tannoy Mercury F4s and Marantz SR4023 out of stock. i've found another shop,they have Tannoy Mercury F4s but Marantz SR4023 not available, can i exchange it with Denon DRA-500AE.

thanks in advance!


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

thanks GranteedEV , i've asked the owner of the shop above, and unluckily both Tannoy Mercury F4s and Marantz SR4023 out of stock. then i search for another shop, they have Tannoy Mercury F4s, but Marantz SR4023 unavailable. can i exchange it with Denon DRA-500AE?

thanks in advance!


----------



## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

rittone_phan said:


> thanks GranteedEV , i've asked the owner of the shop above, and unluckily both Tannoy Mercury F4s and Marantz SR4023 out of stock. then i search for another shop, they have Tannoy Mercury F4s, but Marantz SR4023 unavailable. can i exchange it with Denon DRA-500AE?
> 
> thanks in advance!


Definitely. Denon makes great electronics.


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

i got something need to be explained by you.that is.. my father's friend 've just bought a second-hand (old) hi-fi system: Marantz SH-A20 amplifier + JBL L166 speakers costs about $1400. this pair according to my father do well for the music he likes (as i mention above). his friend said that "coz we like listening to music of 80s - 90s old time, so we should buy old amplifier+speakers which were produced at that time as well. that two things fit (means old song + old devices) help in producing good sound"

i wonder that his comment is right or wrong?
in my opinion, new technology is always better and better so how can these old devices can produce better sound than new one attached advanced technology!


----------



## callas01 (Oct 24, 2010)

rittone_phan said:


> i got something need to be explained by you.that is.. my father's friend 've just bought a second-hand (old) hi-fi system: Marantz SH-A20 amplifier + JBL L166 speakers costs about $1400. this pair according to my father do well for the music he likes (as i mention above). his friend said that "coz we like listening to music of 80s - 90s old time, so we should buy old amplifier+speakers which were produced at that time as well. that two things fit (means old song + old devices) help in producing good sound"
> 
> i wonder that his comment is right or wrong?
> in my opinion, new technology is always better and better so how can these old devices can produce better sound than new one attached advanced technology!


Um, not really. There is some vintage gear that is still great, and it was ahead of its time. I listen to a lot of 60 and 70 vinyl and it sounds better on my new gear then an aquaintence of mine who uses some old gear. 

I think it comes down to the gear and the preference of sound for the person listening to the music. There is some nice vintage stuff out there, but yes there is something to say about technology making advances. Driver technology and materials have become better and more open to new materials. Materials used in speaker building have changed for the better. 

But if you like the Vintage sound and stuff there is nothing wrong with that. Enjoy and Rock on.


----------



## JoeESP9 (Jun 29, 2009)

rittone_phan said:


> i got something need to be explained by you.that is.. my father's friend 've just bought a second-hand (old) hi-fi system: Marantz SH-A20 amplifier + JBL L166 speakers costs about $1400. this pair according to my father do well for the music he likes (as i mention above). his friend said that "coz we like listening to music of 80s - 90s old time, so we should buy old amplifier+speakers which were produced at that time as well. that two things fit (means old song + old devices) help in producing good sound"
> 
> i wonder that his comment is right or wrong?
> in my opinion, new technology is always better and better so how can these old devices can produce better sound than new one attached advanced technology!


So, according to your father new gear won't sound good playing 80's music and 80's gear won't sound right playing today's music. That's absolute nonsense! When a piece of gear was manufactured has nothing to do with how good it works or sounds. Gear including speakers is good or bad. It's not related to age or lack of.

I would prefer some 80's Audio Research or Krell gear over most of their current production. As for speakers, two pair of Quad ESL 63's would make me happier than most of what's currently available regardless of cost.


----------



## WmAx (Jan 26, 2008)

GranteedEV said:


> ON that list, I've in the past considered buying both the Tannoy Mercury F4s and Marantz SR4023. That pair will do very well for music IMO.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Unfortunately, Infnity does not even put functional acoustical damping in this Primus line, so they have some serious issues until you at least fix this issue. The drivers are great, though, but seriously held back by the cabinet and crossover.

With radical mods, you could even push this speaker to compete with ANY price level, though I will add, this would require some very radical modifications.


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

thank all of you :T, now i can understand more. i have told my father what you wrote here. 
these days, he's looking for some old gear. that is Sansui amplifier and Pioneer speakers. coz these two brands are very familiar and lots of model available. Can you advise me a pair (Sansui amplifier + Pioneer speakers) that do well for hi-fi music?

thanks again:bigsmile:


----------



## mjcmt (Aug 30, 2010)

rittone_phan said:


> thank all of you :T, now i can understand more. i have told my father what you wrote here.
> these days, he's looking for some old gear. that is Sansui amplifier and Pioneer speakers. coz these two brands are very familiar and lots of model available. Can you advise me a pair (Sansui amplifier + Pioneer speakers) that do well for hi-fi music?
> 
> thanks again:bigsmile:


If vintage Sansui is available look at the AU717 amp (85wpc) and TU717 tuner from 1978. I owned this pair but recently sold it to consolidate my funds. It was one of the best in its day and still plays music better than much of today's products, with a build quality that only the better audiophile gear of today can match. The TU717 is still considered one of the best FM/AM tuners regardless of price and the AU717 amp is a DC coupled, dual mono design with low negative feedback with a clear, detailed, robust, and musical sound. Other Sansui models w/ similar sound quality is the 517 and 719. They also made some superb speakers, w/ the SP100 being a true audiophile speaker. If you could get these products you would be amazed at how good hi-fi music and FM/AM radio sounds, plus it has a killer phono stage too. For your reference, AudioKarma is a great website for vintage hi-fi products.

Here is a link to Sansui's hard to find in the USA, SP100 audiophile speaker:
http://translate.google.com/transla...=s&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=S0v&sa=G

Here are photos of the amp and tuner I owned and recently sold.


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

sorry for days not be here, my father searched for Sansui AU717 amp but not available. i said to my father that if we buy old devices, we would face problems when it goes wrong (no place to repair, or components to replace). after all, my father selected Denon DRA-700AE amplifier. Then, with this amplifier, which brand of speaker is best fit, B&W or Bose or JBL ?

thanks a lot again:heartbeat:


----------



## mjcmt (Aug 30, 2010)

Denon has alway been known to have good synergy w/ Klipsch, and B&W and JBL would be a good match too. French speakers like JM Labs and Triangle should sound very fine too by nature of their clear sound. Bose and any mellow speakers with out good articulation and extension at the frequency extremes may sound flat using Denon amplification, because Denon is a warmish and smooth sounding piece, so it likes a good detailed speaker to achieve good synergy in my personal experience.

Incidentally vintage amps like the Sansui are easy to repair by a technician, because they use good basic circuit designs using discrete electronic parts w/o microprocessors and chips like modern electronics.


----------



## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

Hello Rittone.

If your looking for used equipment I recommend you and your father take his favorite song and go listen to as many sets of equipment you can and simply buy the one that sounds the best to both of you. Nice father son outing.


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

hey all,i'm back,best wishes to you all.merry christmas! and thank you mjcmt; thank you Andre!
Finally, my daddy has bought the old Sansui Intergrated Amplifier AU-7900 (about 230$). he hasn't decided what speakers to buy yet!:dizzy:
i uploaded here some photos of the amp
btw, can you teach me some issues, truly i have no idea these switch means (so many switch):dontknow:

here in details: 
the switch control - Loudness :low boost, out, high & low boost
Mode: reserve,normal,mono
Tone selector: + Bass: 600hz,300hz,150hz
+Treble: 2khz,4khz,8khz
Tone&filter: filter only, defeat, tone&filter
Filters: +Low:60hz,out,20hz
+High:7khz,out,12khz

and the Tripple Tone control - Bass, Midrange, Treble.i only know the when we rise the Bass, we have more bass or when we rise the treble ,then we have more treble,but infact i want to understand it why we got that(some knowledge)

long writing:bigsmile:, hope you here help me,thanks again!!


----------



## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

Ah the super dupper tone controls of the early years...memories... Anyways. back them I recall that manufactures decided that more buttons and switchs = more sales. A purist would defeat every last one of them (put all those toggles to the middle position, base/mid/treb to 0). This way you "should" be getting the sound that is actually recorded. Problem is some poeple don't like that sound, back then if you had the money one would buy a few 1/3 octive equilizers and tweak for...long time. Since that would too expensive to put into an integrated amp they added boosts, cuts, filters for specific regions in the eq band that seemed to make the most difference. In the end what you do with them is up to your dads ear. Start off with everythign defeated, play a song, flick a switch while listening, did it make it sound better? Yes, leave it on, no turn it off. Even the from song to song you may desided a boost or filter will help or hinder.


----------



## taoggniklat (Mar 30, 2010)

I love the knob and toggle look!


----------



## rittone_phan (Nov 21, 2010)

Thanks Andre for brief but meaningful instruction!
About speakers, my dad chose Pionner S-180A http://audio-database.com/PIONEER-EXCLUSIVE/speaker/s-180a-e.html

This pair (Sansui 7900 + Pioneer S-180A) best fit his ear.

Finally, i wanna thank you all buddies here for helping me. Thread closed!


----------

