On Wednesday, November 5, 2014 3:05:57 PM UTC-5, Low Hertz wrote:
I figure this is the best place to get advice.
Perhaps - I can certainly help with the "highly opinionated part...=20
=20
My Nachamichi 700 once took a lightening hit. =20
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I only want to drive 2 speakers, 2 EPI with Heil Air Motion Transformers.
I've never heard regular speakers that reproduce highs at all.
They have great realistic basses. As a string bass players I love clean
bass, and hate the thumpers so common today. These have an incredibly he=
avy speaker cab, with a 12" woofer facing down and a passive 12" woofer. I=
t has a real sexy bass.
=20
The only "sound stage" that really impressed me were Koss electrostatic h=
eadphones, if that means anything to you.
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Mostly, I want to plug my TV audio speakers into it, regular RCA that obv=
iously have power as they are volume sensitive, and listen to National Publ=
ic Radio. I have my computer connected to my TV with a USB to HDMI connec=
tion, so all my computer streaming goes through my TV and stereo.
I love sound scores. I also use Pandora and MP3s, but know they are limi=
ted.
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I had a Philips 212 Turntable that I believe was stolen by my movers.
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I don't know s*** about new equipment. I know I used to look for stuff w=
ith a lot of copper and weight. I know there are new technologies. I want=
something built like a tank. I would surly consider a tube unit if it wer=
e reliable. As a musician, I loved my old Fender Bassman which I stupidly =
sold when I moved to California
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I figure this is the best place to get so knowledgeable highly opinionate=
d advice, both of a really clean unit that will meet my needs. I don't nee=
d to drive the whole collection of speakers, 2 great ones does it for me. =
Also, where can it be purchased for the best price and good service.
=20
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After much snippage, I will render a couple of suggestions and opinions bas=
ed on the following take-away from your post:
a) You may want to re-learn vinyl in the future.
b) Your speakers do an excellent job of upper-mid-range and treble, somethi=
ng you believe many other speakers lack (for the most part, I agree).
c) Unless you want to go to the trouble of purchasing a separate phono-pre-=
amp, you should lean towards vintage equipment. This will get you away from=
amp-on-a-chip designs and more into equipment designed to be serviced more=
readily. Flip side is that it is designed to be serviced, suggesting that =
servicing is inevitable.=20
d) You don't want to spend a fortune.=20
The first thing I will suggest is that you hunt down a pair of Magnepan spe=
akers somewhere that are well-installed and driven with sufficient power to=
show their 'stuff'. I am not suggesting that you purchase them without ext=
ensive audition, but if you are enamored of the ESS design, the Maggies wil=
l change your life! If you find a pair with the ribbon tweeters, even more =
so. I keep a pair of MG-IIIs, mid-vintage for the line that are just stunni=
ng in a room that is 17 x 28 x 10. But I do have a brute-force power-amp to=
drive them.
Now, as to a receiver: Something that can switch speaker outputs, receives =
reasonably well and has a phone-stage on-board. You are not heavily prejudi=
ced against pacific-rim equipment as I am, so that greatly broadens the fie=
ld. You want bullet-proof, so no AR stuff as sweet as it sounds.
Harman Kardon - any number of their twin-powered receivers of the 80s would=
suit:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-HARM...REO-RECEIVER-=
MODEL-730-MADE-IN-JAPAN-/251698494193?pt=3DVintage_Electronics_R2&hash=3Dit =
em3a9a663af1 =20
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-HARM...eiver-60wpc-S=
erviced-in-Great-Condition-/331362606686?pt=3DVintage_Electronics_R2&hash=
=3Ditem4d26c01e5e
Are two of many on eBay.=20
Denon, Yamaha, Sony, even another Nak might do:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nakamichi-TA...Amplifier-Nel=
son-Pass-STASIS-Circuitry-/221279801973?pt=3DVintage_Electronics_R2&hash=3D=
item33854dd275 it does suggest you make an offer!
Were it up to me, I would go separates, and start with a decent pre-amp or =
tuner/pre-amp. This would allow you to get the control you want, the phono =
stage and not be 'stuck' with the amp section. I am exceedingly lucky that =
I have two (2) Revox A720 tuner/preamps that I purchased separately, but to=
gether cost less than your budget. And, over time, allow you to experiment =
with tube and/or solid-state options for amplification. Being brutally hone=
st, I will state that other than at the margins, of my eight (8) amplifier =
options, I would be hard-pressed to tell the difference under normal volume=
into my AR 3a speakers. At high volume into the Maggies, only the massive =
Citation can cut it.=20
Historically, I found many of the enhanced-tweeter design speakers (includi=
ng ESS) were artificially bright to my ears, and throttling back the treble=
had its own issues. A truly flat speaker does often sound dull when contra=
sted to an artificially bright speaker. The Maggies solve all that very nic=
ely. They do not dive way down into the bass pit, but they do produce an in=
credibly smooth spectrum all the way up to inaudibly high frequencies. And =
as the sound is produced over a large area, that peaky point-source (for la=
ck of a better term) whistle is missing.=20
Aside: My wife liked the sound out of them so much that she permitted the i=
nstallation of speakers that are 6' high, 24" wide and 1" deep, and are som=
ewhat sensitive to placement. Go figure.=20
I could go on. But as Walt suggested, do not get stressed over what is, eff=
ectively, a very simple requirement - if that is all you want. But, now tha=
t you have an opportunity to do some experimentation, check out Maggies if =
you have the opportunity. And look for an audio dealer in your area that ta=
kes trades and has a stock of vintage equipment (perhaps) that you could au=
dition *!AT HOME!* before you purchase. There are several in this area that=
do that commonly, there are probably one or two in your area as well.=20
Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA