Recommend a good stereo/sound system?

[Shamus]

Hey all,
My mum and I are thinking of buying a stereo or sound system for my dad for christmas.
Budget: around AU$500 ... about US$400

This 'stereo' doesn't strictly need to have any features....maybe just a set of speakers. We have an existing amp, though old, would appreciate new speakers.

Thanks for all the help

 

[surripere]

Hey all,
My mum and I are thinking of buying a stereo or sound system for my dad for christmas.
Budget: around AU$500 ... about US$400

This 'stereo' doesn't strictly need to have any features....maybe just a set of speakers. We have an existing amp, though old, would appreciate new speakers.

Thanks for all the help

I can recommend the Audioengine A5 without any reservation if your dad will be using an ipod (via line-out on the dock or line-out cable) or computer as a source. They have an integrated amp (which is great quality) and are basically audiophile-grade studio monitors tweaked to function along the lines of the hi-fi from apple (with the exception that the A5s actually can qualify as hi-fi). I can almost guarantee you that for around US $400 you will not get better sound quality.

Of course, being powered, they might not be what you're currently looking for.

But I can say that I received them for a gift and have been quite happy. These things are built with a ton of care, and the guys who build them are pretty serious audiophiles.

 

[bluesjam]

Check out the link below. It is a polk and the price is within your range. I have tried it at a store, sound quality is damn good and the frequencies don't distort much even at very high volume. I tried playing blues, rock n roll and jazz and sound reproduction was very accurate.

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Pe...2?ie=UTF8&s=audio-video&qid=1198284679&sr=1-2

Also you can check out the one that I bought it and it too is a polk. It might be beyond your budget but there is no harm in trying.

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Bo...6?ie=UTF8&s=audio-video&qid=1198285726&sr=1-6

 

[midorix]

Lucky Dad.....

however, you're going to get multitude of answers to your question since there are no really right answer and the taste of stereo/sound system varies by person, source, the surrounding environment. You may want to narrow your search by:

1. Stereo for music or does your Dad would like surround sound for movies/tvs?
2. Where will would be placed (how much room will it have=satellite/sub setup or in wall/ceiling or stand alone speakers)
3. Does your budget include cabling, wires and connectors?


For $400 with speakers, you'll be looking at those boxed sets. I had good luck with Onkyo's and I believe one of the Consumer Reports/AVS forum rated pretty high on the Onkyo set. Like this: http://reviews.cnet.com/home-theate...800-silver/4505-6740_7-32421749.html?tag=also That's one way to go.

My recommendation is when budget is limited to pick a component that can be used and start building gradually. You said you had amp (assuming you can connect to t his amp somehow). Do you have speakers that may be used? Then you may want to get him a decent Receiver for now and connect your old speakers to it. Again, I'm impartial to Onkyo but I've also heard goo things about Denon.

Good luck.

 

[Brandonnn]

I've been looking at these...for speakers around that range. Most have gotten award reviews or good write ups..

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/energy_rc10.htm

http://stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/104epos/

http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/507psb/

Hope it helps