Swank Force One wrote: Or if you're handy, you can DIY for VERY cheap if you have speakers that will do fine on low wattage. (though not all watts are created equal) Powerful tube amps get obscenely expensive.
DIY is me! Are there any kits or how-to's available?
1988RedT2 wrote:Swank Force One wrote: Or if you're handy, you can DIY for VERY cheap if you have speakers that will do fine on low wattage. (though not all watts are created equal) Powerful tube amps get obscenely expensive.DIY is me! Are there any kits or how-to's available?
Check out Parts Express and their forum.
They have kits, many projects with detailed instructions, etc.
Great site.
Swank Force One wrote:aussiesmg wrote: Guys in the mode of this thread, what speakers for a mancave that is 30 x 30 with 9' ceilings, I am going to use it more often for movies than music, I am not a audiophile, but want clean and crisp sound. Not even sure if that makes sense, but any advice welcomeBIG ONES.Budget?
I also want advice for a receiver/amp/dvd player set up for the same room.
Budget is roughly $1500 for the whole set up but I am very GRM when it comes to spending $
What do you call "Big Ones"
I'm a big fan of Parts Express, but I cannot find a tube amp kit on their website.
I think I have gone berserk on this stuff, you damned enablers.
Waiting for a bunch of stuff to arrive.
I am going to have a sound stage at this rate.
I am looking for a good powerful 2 channel amp and pre amp still. Leaning towards Adcom, GFA-555 and the GFP-565, any feedback?
E36 M3, i forgot to email you amp things, sorry Steve.
For your speakers, i'd consider a GFA-555 the MINIMUM. Honestly you should be looking at a 585, 5800 or 5802 type of thing from the Adcom front. (Or the monoblocks, forget the model.... 565s maybe?)
That Hafler you sent me is a decent bet as well. They're good strong amps, but have a history of not being the most reliable things out there.
Now that you got a killer deal on those SDAs, what sort of budget are we looking at for amp/preamp?
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Vintage Polk. You can get a GREAT set of vintage Polks for $300.
This!
I love Polk, their new stuff is pretty good too.
My "computer" speakers (where I spend most of my time listening to music) consists of a Vintage Kenwood KA-6100 amp with Polk Monitor 40s and Polk PSW10 subwoofer.
It sounds fantastic and can literally move the pictures on the wall if the mood for loud strikes, and I only have about $300 in to it.
Ben, I had come tho the GFA-555 conclusion myself, so I wasn't far off, not bad for a newb. I will search for the others first though.
I should pic up those other components in Columbus tomorrow.
I am thinking GFP565 for the preamp, what do you think about that?
The Hafler is gone anyway.
The GFP is a nice piece. Not their top of the line, but should do you well to start with. Honestly, if you've got a guy that has that and the GFA555 together, i'd just grab it.
I was thinking along those lines, sweet
1988RedT2 wrote: I'm a big fan of Parts Express, but I cannot find a tube amp kit on their website.
I'd suggest one of the OddWatt designs. (I think I mentioned it before in this thread.) http://diyaudioprojects.com/Tubes/EL84-Push-Pull-Tube-Amp/ The designer is on the forum at diyaudioprojects.com and he shares the schematics for the DIY'er. You could buy the kit from OddWatt or follow the schematic from DIY website. The transformers can be purchased from www.Edcorusa.com under the Project Packages. Those will be the most expensive part (looks like $110 +s&h) then the tubes and capacitors.
I just ordered parts for a bunch of tube amp projects. The edcor transformers have a 5-6 week lead time and it's killing me! 
I'm using bits and pieces of known designs for my projects. When I make another amp, I post a build thread.
I probably have under $100 in the little amp in my avatar, though. (HVAC controls power transformers, radio shack parts, garage sale tubes/output transformers...) It's only about 3/4 of a watt at the moment. It's a work in progress...
5.1 speakers on a relative budget?
Got a mishmash of stuff I'm using for a 3.1 for now, but we rearranged the living room so I can eventually setup for 5.1 (have two surrounds no, but not worth messing with).
We also purchased a Roku 3 this past weekend which necessitated buying a new receiver for an HDMI input. Ended up with a Denon AVR-E400, not the best, not the worst. Sound quality is great, it was local and on sale.
It felt good to just purchase a quality product without agonizing for weeks over small details.
Maybe $1000 or so for speakers? We learned the two 40' Oaks in the front yard have to come down, so there goes $2000 that was going to be fun money.
The current Polk monitor series are going to be the easy button.
If you want a little more "slam" and a LOT more treble (i don't), then Klipsch stuff sure is.... loud.
Swank Force One wrote: The current Polk monitor series are going to be the easy button. If you want a little more "slam" and a LOT more treble (i don't), then Klipsch stuff sure is.... loud.
So the Klipsch stuff is more harsh up top and will get louder, but does it lose out on detail to the Polk's?
I've always like both brands and they are both similarly priced in a decent 5.1 setup being in the $1200-1400 range.
z31maniac wrote: So the Klipsch stuff is more harsh up top and will get louder, but does it lose out on detail to the Polk's? I've always like both brands and they are both similarly priced in a decent 5.1 setup being in the $1200-1400 range.
When I A-B'ed Polk TSIs and Klipsch Synergys, I found that the only Klipsh one I liked was the F-30 because in the lower ones, the horn would overpower the mid-woofers and sound really harsh. I wound up with the Polk TSI300s.
z31maniac wrote:Swank Force One wrote: The current Polk monitor series are going to be the easy button. If you want a little more "slam" and a LOT more treble (i don't), then Klipsch stuff sure is.... loud.So the Klipsch stuff is more harsh up top and will get louder, but does it lose out on detail to the Polk's? I've always like both brands and they are both similarly priced in a decent 5.1 setup being in the $1200-1400 range.
When i say "louder," i mean more that they're "more efficient" and they'll get loud as berkeley on say just... receiver power. (Not that the Polks won't.)
But yes... the Klipsch stuff gets really harsh up top to my ears. I honestly can't stand any Klipsch speakers i can actually afford. (They do make GREAT speakers that i love, but i'd rather make a downpayment on a house.)
Entry level Klipsch detail sounds awesome at first listen, but that's just my ears not realizing that it's a by-product of overboosted horn tweets.
Two other brands that might be in your price range would be Martin Logan or Monitor Audio on the new market with some shopping. You're looking at entry level from either company, but you're doing the same with Polk and Klipsch anyways.
The downside to ML or Monitor is that finding places that carry them to demo is rough.
If you want to go used, i'd suggest Polk's RT/RTi series, or really any Paradigms or Mirage tower-based setups. (Mirage also makes really funky tiny micro-sat systems and they sound decent, but you have to turn in your man card.)
Mirage floorstanding speakers sound outrageously good. I haven't heard any of the nano-sat home theaters, but if the quality of their floorstanders is any indication then I would have no issues buying them either.
I'd look into this one, though I suspect it's a bit above your price range. Mine sounded good on receiver power, but even better with a nice amp hooked up!
http://www.miragespeakers.com/search/?sku=OMD-15-5-1
sobe_death wrote: Mirage floorstanding speakers sound outrageously good. I haven't heard any of the nano-sat home theaters, but if the quality of their floorstanders is any indication then I would have no issues buying them either. I'd look into this one, though I suspect it's a bit above your price range. Mine sounded good on receiver power, but even better with a nice amp hooked up! http://www.miragespeakers.com/search/?sku=OMD-15-5-1
That whole kit is going to be outrageously expensive.
The OMD-15s are a grand. EACH. 
That subwoofer is very good, though. I've had a bunch of Mirage subs. Two S8s (Awesome little dual sub setup), an S10, and an S10 Prestige. (The E36 M3.)
He'd have to go used for either Mirage or Paradigm, i suspect.
Swank Force One wrote: Two other brands that might be in your price range would be Martin Logan or Monitor Audio on the new market with some shopping. You're looking at entry level from either company, but you're doing the same with Polk and Klipsch anyways. The downside to ML or Monitor is that finding places that carry them to demo is rough. If you want to go used, i'd suggest Polk's RT/RTi series, or really any Paradigms or Mirage tower-based setups. (Mirage also makes really funky tiny micro-sat systems and they sound decent, but you have to turn in your man card.)
That's what I was about to come back and ask, but those both seem to be the next price level up.
I'd really like floor standing speakers for the R/L front mains and "bookshelf" speakers for the surrounds.
The Martin Logan Motion 10 is on sale right now for $200 shipped each.
http://www.amazon.com/MartinLogan-Motion-10-Floorstanding-Speaker/dp/B0035FZ142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378405197&sr=8-1&keywords=martin+logan+motion+10
I'm checking prices on the rest of their range right now for ya.
I have a feeling even a full setup in the $1200-1500 range is going to be DRASTICALLY better than the Dayton R/L mains I have now (little bookshelf 6.5" with a 1" tweeter, $150 for the pair new?) some old infinity 8" sub with 100w and an infinity center channel with like 2 3.5" and tweeter?
I'm thinking even the Polk TSx stuff is going to BLOW that away hooked up to the Denon receiver (I know it's a receiver but rated at 185W per channel in 7.1).
The Motion 2 bookshelf is $200 each, the Motion 4 bookshelf is $250 each.
2: http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MLMO2
4: http://www.amazon.com/MartinLogan-Motion-Bookshelf-Speaker-Piano/dp/B0035FZ124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378405377&sr=8-1&keywords=martin+logan+motion+4
Motion 6 center channel: http://www.amazon.com/MartinLogan-Motion-Center-Channel-Speaker/dp/B0035FZ12O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378405456&sr=8-1&keywords=martin+logan+motion+6
Motion 8 center channel: http://www.amazon.com/MartinLogan-Motion-Center-Channel-Speaker/dp/B0035FZ13I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378405501&sr=8-1&keywords=martin+logan+motion+8
Two Motion 10s, two Motion 2s, and a Motion 6 is $1100 to your door.
You'd just need a sub.
Even if you go fancy and get the 4 rears and 8 center, you're at $1275 to your door.
If you go with polks, be SURE to check their ebay direct store. CRAZY price reductions there. 
I heard the motion 10s before. Nice pair of speakers.
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