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/Pyle-Home-Audio-PT4601AIU-180-Watts-Pre-Amplifier-AM-FM-Tuner-USB-SD-MP3-Player-iPod-Dock-Station-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 (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-3F2fZtvhQDn/learn/learningcenter/home/systems_music.html) 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 (http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/hifi-systems/) 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...

http://henryharveybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/aaaaa-costco.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JG9rtuGgUDg/hqdefault.jpg

[IJWS]

http://www.amazon.com/SONOS-PLAY-Compact-Speaker-Streaming/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. 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-monitors/speakers/airmotiv-3b

[velomonkey]

The AudioSource AMP100 is basically a really good minimal tuner/amp. You have speakers it works great for not very much money.

If you look on Craigslist there are tons of really nice tuners. Like a ton. You can go that route also - I have and it's been flawless.

If you want to play music off your phone you don't need a new tuner with USB. You can buy a RCA to 3.5mm audio stereo like this one for $5 (http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-MU1MFRCA-Stereo-Audio-Female/dp/B00066HPUQ%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q %26tag%3Dduckduckgo-osx-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165 953%26creativeASIN%3DB00066HPUQ). Simply plug it into the stereo and play off your phone, iPod whatever.

Now if you want to keep your phone on you and play music then get an airport express with the same cables - and you can control the music from your phone away from the stereo.

Sonos is as close to perfect as your gonna get with a wireless system. I have two sonos speakers and love them, but use them for background noise - a stereo system with a tuner and speakers is still better, but that gap is coming down quickly. With the sonos mesh network you can leave music playing all day and it's really, really nice. We have music going in 2 rooms 16 hours a day - mostly Dave Brubeck on pandora.

[oldpotatoe]

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.

Grazie.

Sorry to be an idiot..but I can plug it into my Airport into it and then stream from phone wirelessly?

[velomonkey]

Grazie.

Sorry to be an idiot..but I can plug it into my Airport into it and then stream from phone wirelessly?


unfortunately, no. You need an airport express (http://www.amazon.com/Apple-AirPort-Express-Station-MC414LL/dp/B008ALA2RC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448890409&sr=1-1&keywords=airport+express) which has the stereo jack - the regular airport does not.

[oldpotatoe]

unfortunately, no. You need an airport express (http://www.amazon.com/Apple-AirPort-Express-Station-MC414LL/dp/B008ALA2RC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448890409&sr=1-1&keywords=airport+express) which has the stereo jack - the regular airport does not.

10-4..so where does the phone go into? a 1 into 2 jack into 'input in on back?

And how does the Amp know if the phone or DVD is being used? I see no selector on the front of the box..

Sorry..yes I know bike stuff but this stuff is kinda beyond me. I grew up with Teacs and Pioneer 1010s.

[echelon_john]

Airport connects via headphone to dual RCA jacks. That amp has a default (input two) which you would hook the airport express up to. If you then hook up a CD to input one, it will prioritize that WHEN you play a CD automatically. It's pretty slick.

The other nice thing about it is that it has auto power-off/standby, so you can leave the airport plugged in, and the amp will only consume power when you send music through it.

[echelon_john]

Good detailed review & explanation here:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/audiosource/amp-100.htm

[eddief]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005YXXS4I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Speakers somewhat legendary in the low cost arena:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NOA58RS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

[oldpotatoe]

Airport connects via headphone to dual RCA jacks. That amp has a default (input two) which you would hook the airport express up to. If you then hook up a CD to input one, it will prioritize that WHEN you play a CD automatically. It's pretty slick.

The other nice thing about it is that it has auto power-off/standby, so you can leave the airport plugged in, and the amp will only consume power when you send music through it.

Last heist question..I have an Airport Extreme..looking at the back, it doesn't seen I can hook it to this Amp..true?

Thanks

[echelon_john]

True. You need the Express for the setup I've described.

Last heist question..I have an Airport Extreme..looking at the back, it doesn't seen I can hook it to this Amp..true?

Thanks

[oldpotatoe]

True. You need the Express for the setup I've described.

Thanks again...

[jghall]

2nd the Pioneer bookshelf speakers. They hit well above their weight class. If patient, can be found sub $100.

If you can go without a cd player, I'd look at Audioengine. Alone with the Emotiva stuff.

[Ken Robb]

The AudioSource AMP100 is basically a really good minimal tuner/amp. You have speakers it works great for not very much money.

If you look on Craigslist there are tons of really nice tuners. Like a ton. You can go that route also - I have and it's been flawless.

If you want to play music off your phone you don't need a new tuner with USB. You can buy a RCA to 3.5mm audio stereo like this one for $5 (http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-MU1MFRCA-Stereo-Audio-Female/dp/B00066HPUQ%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q %26tag%3Dduckduckgo-osx-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165 953%26creativeASIN%3DB00066HPUQ). Simply plug it into the stereo and play off your phone, iPod whatever.

.


I think when you use the word "tuner" you are really referring to a receiver. A tuner is just a radio receiver that needs to be connected to an amplifier to drive speakers. A receiver is a combination tuner/amplifier that can receive radio signals and amplify them to drive speakers and/or headphones. It can also take in audio from many other sources like phono, CD player, tape deck, i-Pod, cable box, etc. and amplify them to drive speakers.

[likebikes]

for a cheap bookshelf stereo system, i'd do this:

amp:

http://www.amazon.com/Lepai-LP-2020A-Tripath-Class-T-Amplifier/dp/B0049P6OTI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448902185&sr=1-1&keywords=lepai

for speakers, the above mentioned/linked dayton audio ones or a used set off of craigs/ebay. something like the realistic minimus-5 would be great.

then something like the chromecast audio to stream music from the internet to the amp & speakers.
https://www.google.com/chromecast/speakers/

total around $100.

don't forget speaker wire also.

[jmoore]

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.


This pertains to my interests. I have some bookshelves in my shop that I need to put to use. A CD player and MP3 player are all I need to run into it. So this is perfect.

[likebikes]

This pertains to my interests. I have some bookshelves in my shop that I need to put to use. A CD player and MP3 player are all I need to run into it. So this is perfect.

just buy a lepai or similar off amazon or the like.

[jh_on_the_cape]

I was in a similar situation and was overwhelmed by choice.
I bought a UE Megaboom bluetooth speaker and it works fine. No cables. Not even for power.
It's the wiring of speakers and power that give me pause. I don't want to snake wires and I don't want wires all over the place.

You can run two UE megabooms in stereo with an app. I wish they offered a subwoofer that needs to be plugged in to power and has bluetooth. Then I would be all set. I will get a second megaboom if I find a deal.

Nice to learn about those Lepai things. I might get that and a chromecast thing if I find some speakers on CL or something.

[jh_on_the_cape]

Is there something like the Lepai that has a subwoofer out?

for a cheap bookshelf stereo system, i'd do this:

amp:

http://www.amazon.com/Lepai-LP-2020A-Tripath-Class-T-Amplifier/dp/B0049P6OTI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448902185&sr=1-1&keywords=lepai

for speakers, the above mentioned/linked dayton audio ones or a used set off of craigs/ebay. something like the realistic minimus-5 would be great.

then something like the chromecast audio to stream music from the internet to the amp & speakers.
https://www.google.com/chromecast/speakers/

total around $100.

don't forget speaker wire also.

[IJWS]

I have to go back on my earlier statement and third the Andrew Jones Pioneers (http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448931319&sr=8-1&keywords=andrew+jones)
I think, for what most people want, the integrated solutions that are so cheap and so available are astounding. BUT, for an additional 10 minutes of setup, and another $100 in equipment, you could have sound that would really sound like...sound. Hyperbole aside, The aforementioned speakers, this guy (http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-Remote-Control-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B00P20A0DA/ref=sr_1_48?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448932651&sr=1-48&keywords=smsl), an airport express and cables and you would be in a such a better place. If you're not into the effort. Say so, people have good advice to give on this forum. If you want the cheapest possible thing, also say that :)

best of luck!

[likebikes]

Is there something like the Lepai that has a subwoofer out?
a subwoofer isn't really necessary with decent speakers. crappy speakers usually come with a sub becuase it compensates for the shortcomings of the speakers...
just imo. also why highend setups usually don't have subs...

[jtakeda]

Late to the party but econo jam in Oakland has these nifty little tube amp things with a headphone connection possibly usb as well.

Personally I wouldn't buy it because i run analog but I've heard they sound decent and are pretty cheap.

I feel like you lose a lot of the audiophile properties of tube by making this digital but it probably sounds better than an all in one unit. Never used or heard it, just throwing it out there because it's local and you can give it a listen at the store.

[echelon_john]

the subwoofer that goes with the andrew jones BS speakers makes a HUGE difference. they sound great without it, but adding it was an enormous enhancement. it may well compensate for their shortcomings, but i'll take it for ~$250 all in! ; )


a subwoofer isn't really necessary with decent speakers. crappy speakers usually come with a sub becuase it compensates for the shortcomings of the speakers...
just imo. also why highend setups usually don't have subs...

[jmoore]

just buy a lepai or similar off amazon or the like.

That Lepai is super slick. Ordered.

Now I just gotta find an inexpensive CD player and I'll be done.

[Ken Robb]

That Lepai is super slick. Ordered.

Now I just gotta find an inexpensive CD player and I'll be done.

I think any DVD player will also play CDs.

[giordana93]

have some higher end stuff in the house but gotta say that when we bought a few "zones" of the sonos stuff, it changed the way we listen to music. mostly for the better. the user interface is great, can get pandora, rhapsody, amazon music, internet radio stations, and as noted you can dump your entire cd collection to a hard drive or nas drive and never get off your arse again to change music. does require an internet connection though and the compressed formats give up musical quality (but pretty sure you can still stream your own lossless). a great way to do a whole house and still be able to move it with you when you change addresses (unike a wired system which would actually be more expensive). the portable boom boxes weren't out when we got ours, they look pretty awesome too

http://www.sonos.com/system

not the cheapest buy-in, but well engineered and constructed stuff, mine has held up close to a decade already and the ease of use has been great for technophones

[eddief]

sounds great to me. Small room and nothing to compare it to...two good things. Not like having 4 bikes in the garage.

Yamaha micro receiver:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005YXXS4I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Dayton Audio speakers:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NOA58RS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

[jh_on_the_cape]

Hi. Reviving an old thread.
I want to replace an old bookshelf system with something similar but with a subwoofer and bluetooth. Speakers are on either end of our mantlepiece.
I had my eye on the Bose Acoustimass 3 or 5 and then would need a small amplifier.
I like Bose stuff but it tends to be overpriced.
Do any of you audiophiles have a recommendation for a 2 small speaker plus powered subwoofer and a small amp that would sound nice in a living room?
Thanks!

[benb]

I have a really nice Yamaha receiver.. sitting in my basement right now. 7 x 90w amps or something, hookups for iDevices, Bluetooth, tons of HDMI inputs, blah, blah blah.

A lot of it is overkill now when we all want to just listen/watch on iPads. The pyle linked looks like it is also overkill for bookshelf speakers.

We reorganized our living room around socializing with people instead of watching TV, so the stereo equipment is sitting in the basement. I am hoping to plug it in with just the 2 main speakers (I have big floor standing speakers) in our finished basement as that is kind of my man cave type area. (Got my trainer down there, weight bench/squat rack, an area set up to play guitar, etc.. The beginning of the end for the home theater stuff for us was our son getting to toddler age really.

Anyway the Yamaha stuff works real well with all the new iDevice type stuff and/or android. You plug it into the network and there are apps that let you control everything without the remote control. Quite nice. Mine connects to various internet services by itself but that is of somewhat dubious value. I only really used it with Pandora, and it always seemed like Pandora was trying to break 3rd party clients. Plugging something like an Xbox or Home Theater PC is much more reliable at which point who cares about the fancier features in the receiver.

I have all my music on a NAS too.. so again the iPad or whatever can take the music anywhere in the house, it does make the Sonos type setups or Bluetooth speakers (I have a couple of those) work in ways big fancy stereos can't. And then there is the world of nice headphones...

[pjm]

Check out this stuff
http://audioengineusa.com/

[denapista]

If anyone is looking for a really nice receiver, I have one brand new in the box.

My buddy is a barber and one of his clients runs a home theatre store here in LA. He cuts us deals on stuff and last year I bought a Sony STR-DN1030 from him, to setup with Harmon Kardon wall mounted speakers. I already have a nice setup, but I wanted the bluetooth and wifi option to run itunes through the Sony system. With this receiver, you can control the music via itunes with your phone or app on your ipad. Pretty slick. Just add some speakers and a sub.

It's still sitting in the box and could use a good home.

https://www.cnet.com/products/sony-str-dn1030/review/

[soulspinner]

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

What Ray said. I like my simple Sonos set up.

[jh_on_the_cape]

What Ray said. I like my simple Sonos set up.

I stream everything from my phone with Spotify. Only listen to music in one room so I don't see the point in Sonos.

[AngryScientist]

i know some will turn their nose up at it, but for my small office, i have a bose soundtouch and i think it's pretty excellent. generally i stream music from spotify through bluetooth. sounds very good for a single speaker small unit.

https://assets.bose.com/content/dam/Bose_DAM/Web/consumer_electronics/global/products/speakers/soundtouch_10_wireless_music_system/product_silo_images/st_10_black_EC_01.psd/jcr:content/renditions/cq5dam.web.600.600.png

[jh_on_the_cape]

so now you have me thinking I should get 2 great speakers rather than 2 good ones and a sub?

what about a
Dayton Audio DTA-120 Class T Digital Mini Amplifier 60 WPC
with a chromecast dongle
hooked up to
Polk Audio TSx220B speakers

[Peter P.]

With the sub/sat setup you can get good bass with satellite speakers that will be small enough to locate in many places, and a sub you can tuck out of the way, in a corner.

Buy the larger floor standing models if you have the space for them. It saves you one "box" (the subwoofer) and in most cases, except for powered speakers, you won't have to have it plugged in all the time.

I can't recommend a specific brand, but there is a feature I think is important.
If the power amp or receiver you use does not have some sort of internal cross over to spare the satellites from trying to reproduce the low frequencies, the make sure the subwoofer has the inputs/outputs to connect to your satellites. Essentially, the subwoofer would take the speaker level output of your amp/receiver and extract the subwoofer signal, and let the rest of the signal go to the satellites. It saves a lot of wasted amp power that would otherwise be sent to the satellites to try and reproduce low frequencies they weren't designed for.

For instance, the Boston Acoustics CS Sub10 II Subwoofer (http://www.bostonacoustics.com/US/Product/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?CatId=HomeAudio%28BostonAcousti cs_US%29&SubCatId=Subwoofers%28BostonAcoustics_US%29&Pid=CSSub10II%28BostonAcoustics%29) has such an arrangement.

[giordana93]

don't discount self-powered speakers (i.e. built in amps); they have come a looong way. a decent set will blow Bose out of the water for cheaper. usually easy to find on sale too.
not sure if I missed it, but you need to know if you will need party volume out of these or not. if only low volume, a good t-amp or similar will suffice, but they get strained pretty fast if asked to go loud. opt instead for a basic receiver with the connectivity you need. don't forget craigslist

[jh_on_the_cape]

don't discount self-powered speakers (i.e. built in amps); they have come a looong way. a decent set will blow Bose out of the water for cheaper. usually easy to find on sale too.
not sure if I missed it, but you need to know if you will need party volume out of these or not. if only low volume, a good t-amp or similar will suffice, but they get strained pretty fast if asked to go loud. opt instead for a basic receiver with the connectivity you need. don't forget craigslist

thanks... i am looking for party volume!

what's a good powered 2.1 system? they all seem to be computer speakers.

[Peter P.]

what's a good powered 2.1 system? they all seem to be computer speakers.

Pair a Boston Acoustics CS10 II Subwoofer (http://www.bostonacoustics.com/US/Product/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?CatId=HomeAudio%28BostonAcousti cs_US%29&SubCatId=Subwoofers%28BostonAcoustics_US%29&Pid=CSSub10II%28BostonAcoustics%29) with any of their bookshelf speakers (http://www.bostonacoustics.com/US/Product/Pages/subcategorylanding.aspx?CatId=HomeAudio%28BostonAc oustics_US%29&SubCatId=Bookshelf%28BostonAcoustics_US%29)
and you're out the door for about $450.

Polk Audio has a PSW10 Subwoofer (http://www.polkaudio.com/psw10/d/1007C3057) on sale. Pair it with their T15 bookshelf speaker (http://www.polkaudio.com/t15/d/1257C3666) and you've got a sub/sat system for $210! Both items received great reviews on the Polk web site. Polk also offers free shipping on all orders from their web site, which makes shopping that much easier.

[jh_on_the_cape]

Thanks! So I can just put a chromecast dongle in there and be done?