OT: novice home stereo question

[eddief]

I live in a quite small house. My little living space has had music provided by a 12 year old Sony book shelf all in one box with dual cassette player, and am/fm and 3 disk CD turntable + bookshelf speakers. Not working very well these days, going to the dump.

So I'd like to include all those same functions (not cassette) (maybe not CD) and add Ipod and USB inputs. This Pyle product looks like it does all that stuff, but it alludes to being a preamp and not sure what that means. Or if I added speakers, would it do the things mentioned above?

Not looking for audiophile stuff, just decent sound in small space:

http://www.hifisoundconnection.com/P...tion-PT4601AIU

[bjf]

It appears to be what is called a receiver -- tuner, preamp, and power amp all in one package. It makes me nervous that it's misidentified as a preamp -- that is, it makes me nervous about the quality. I don't know which manufacturers include ipod inputs these days, but I'll bet a lot of them do. Look at receivers by Denon, Onkyo, Cambridge Soundworks. They consistently make products that sound good.

[Peter P.]

Google "All In One Home Stereo" and you'll be on the right track. Also try "Shelf Stereo Systems" and "Mini-Stereo Systems".

Crutchfield has a nice little primer on the subject and offers some suggestions, which they sell, of course. I looked at the prices and they seem reasonable, especially for what you're looking for.

I'm partial to systems with separate speakers for flexibility in upgrading, and since most "All In Ones" have smaller speakers, the ability to easily add a subwoofer is a plus.

I also prefer brand names, or those that also sell hi-fi separates.

Yamaha has some nice offerings.

While the Pyle brand name has been around for a long time, their reputation for quality audio is questionable.

[awdwon]

There are lots of options these days but you could basically buy a powered speaker or speakers and be done. Lots of options these days with Bluetooth and wireless sound. I've said it in another thread here but the Sonos system is incredible and would probably suit and/or exceed your needs. Sound quality is very good, it's very flexible and you can pay anywhere between $200 to $500 depending on the speaker you choose.

[weisan]

Mr. Eddie pal, our operators are on standby to take your order...

[IJWS]

http://www.amazon.com/SONOS-PLAY-Com.../dp/B00EWCUK1Q

I'm an audiophile and my first impression was to recommend a set of inexpensive separates but I heard one of these over the past week and I was pleasantly surprised. Pay the $200, plug it in, sync up your phone/computer/etc and be done! Cut straight to the music avoid internet-based confusion, multiple parts, wires, or any other nuisance. Good Luck!

[rounder]

I like Yamaha because it is basic and offers good quality.

I have been looking for a new receiver for our vacation place. I already had a Denon multi-function receiver that I bought so that I could hook up stereo speakers to the tv, but was not using. I took it to the vacation place but found that it was unnecessarily complicated for me and family guests.

I have made several trips to Best Buy recently and found that lower priced receivers (under $300) now offer Bluetooth connectivity for Apple and other cellphones without the need for USB cables or dvd players. That is the direction I am leaning, so that anyone there can play their own music.

[ultraman6970]

Stereos are we used to know them is a thing of the past. The only problem is that boombox dont have class, they look like coming from a circus and they will look weird in any house environment I know, shape, lights and colored ^%$&%...

[Buzz Killington]

Denon DM40

[echelon_john]

AudioSource AMP100 ($100) + Pioneer Andrew Jones bookshelf speakers ($129/pr) + airport express (or just plug your phone/computer direct) and Robert's your mother's brother.

[Ray]

I'll third the recommendation for Sonos unless you're a really hard-core audiophile, which doesn't sound like the case. We converted our whole setup about a year and a half ago when we did a pretty big remodel. Got rid of all of our previous stereo gear, all of our CDs, and the few remaining tapes and records we had. If you have a music library on your home computer and/or smartphone/tablet, it'll play that. If you're into streaming music, it'll play that (with the exception of the new Apple music service, but that should be available within a month or two).

You can do a single speaker in a single room, any numbers of speakers in however many rooms you want, even stereo and semi-surround sound in a room with a TV and soundbar. You can control every part of the system from your computer, smartphone, tablet, or anything else that runs apps. You can play different stuff in different rooms or combinations of rooms, or you can play the same thing through the whole house.

Again, a hard-core audiophile would no-doubt be disappointed, but most folks would be more than happy with the sound. We have pretty good sound in three of our upstairs rooms and very good sound in our main floor great room, with a soundbar at one end for the TV and a stereo pair at the other end. Which when you play them all together actually sounds REAL good. Add their sub-woofer too if you want and it would be that much better. My wife and I both have a lot of stuff we've bought in the past on itunes and it plays all of that. For the moment we subscribe to Spotify so we can listen to almost 99% of anything anytime or anyplace, but will switch to Apple music as soon as it works on Sonos...

And you can plug a traditional stereo into it if you want to and listen to CDs or tapes, but there's honestly not much point anymore...

-Ray

[19wisconsin64]

hi eddief,
i'm a long-time audiophile who is amazed at how good a sound you can get these days from cost-effective audio gear. .....the am you had bookmarked is a small, well-made, amazing-sounding thing! i have one myself for a second-system, and have it paired with some great speakers i got used at a great price.

all you will need to complete your system then would be a great pair of small speakers. year by year the audio industry has made better and better small speakers at great prices. you can look at stereophile magazine's recommended components under speakers to find some good suggestions. you can get a great sounding pair for about $200 both new or used. used...it's just like the paceline forum hear......lots of folks trading amazing "lightly" used items at amazing prices... you can find great used speakers online on ebay or audiogon forum.

if you want audio perfection you can buy that amp you noted, and download higher resolution tracks for your ipod, and consider getting a pair of Magnepan MMG speakers....or do some research on the box speakers and get a truly good sounding pair. you'll need a little more floor space, but not much. food for thought.

take your time finding the right speakers, take some time to figure out downloading higher-resolution songs for your ipod, and you are well on your way to a great sounding system that will last for many years!

[oldpotatoe]

I kinda have the same issue. I have external speakers(decent ones), and a tuner..Tuner needs to be replaced. I would like a new one that I can hook my iphone into(for music), and also I can hook my DVD player into(to play CDs) and use my speakers.

It could be bluetooth(for phone) but not necessary, and hard wired for DVD player.

Not an audiophile kinda guy. Is there such an animal?

Sorry to steal the thread.

[echelon_john]

Peter-if you don't need radio, check out the AudioSource AMP100 I mentioned above. Two inputs, so you can use phone/airport into one and a CD player in the other. Plenty of power, clean sound.

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I kinda have the same issue. I have external speakers(decent ones), and a tuner..Tuner needs to be replaced. I would like a new one that I can hook my iphone into(for music), and also I can hook my DVD player into(to play CDs) and use my speakers.

It could be bluetooth(for phone) but not necessary, and hard wired for DVD player.

Not an audiophile kinda guy. Is there such an animal?

Sorry to steal the thread.

[grawk]

My recommendation is emotiva airmotiv 3b bluetooth speakers. https://emotiva.com/products/powered...rs/airmotiv-3b