Recommend me a stereo system - mine's about to die.

I've had my JVC mini component system for ages now (JVC FS-V100) that I bought on clearance as an ex floor model at the Target I worked at 12 years ago and it severed me well, but now it's on it's last leg and I need something new.

 

I need something that will do CD, cassette and Aux. Doesn't need to be huge.

 

Bring me your brands and your ideas. Separate components is an option too. I also may be primed for hi-fi geekdom, but then that probably happened the moment I registered at this formum.

 

R.I.P.

Edited August 15, 2013 by SPD²

I've got one of these:

 

 

Technics SE-HD55

 

Does the job, has CD, Tape and AUX.

Also the tape player slides out on a tray like the CD, which makes me feel like I am in the future in the 80's.

 

I also like the idea of getting into Hi-Fi geekdom but my wallet finds it intimidating.

If you want used and cheap, I'd hunt on CL or at thrift stores for 70s or 80s solid state receiver. At the very least they'll have aux, cassette, and phono, but some had phono + 3 other inputs. Technics, Pioneer, JVC, Yamaha, Sony, Sansui, Kenwood, etc. Be wary of "department store" brands like Panasonic and 80s era Fisher. No idea what the market is where you're at, but you can get a modest vintage system for $50-100 that will sound far better than new components at the same price. Just avoid late 80s and 90s black plastic crap, but even then you can get a good home theater system receiver for cheap and use it as a stereo. Could take time though but it's a lot of fun. Stuff from the early 80s and older can be surprisingly robust.

 

Last time I had one, I had one of these. Standard.

I've still got this beast in my parents' attic back home (Kenwood XD-552) -

 

 

Was an absolute beast (and as ugly as one), seen me through over a decade of music, films and games - when/if I finally move to a place with good sounds isolation I'd love to get it back

^I had a couple of stereos with that three cd thing back in the day and in my experience they always ended up with some kind of brain damage.

  On 8/15/2013 at 1:43 PM, hello spiral said:

^I had a couple of stereos with that three cd thing back in the day and in my experience they always ended up with some kind of brain damage.

Yep, by the end (before I used it just as an amp) they'd rotate for about 2 minutes before working out that 'nope there aren't any CDs inside me, so now I'll open the disc tray for you'

not really helping the thread, but im pretty chuffed with these badboy mo-fuckers i just picked up

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/tdl-rtl3-ii-reflex-transmission-line-speakers-hi-fi-award-winner/1027014116

 

 

the bass is so deep is unreal. maurizio is giving me shivers.

  On 8/15/2013 at 7:04 AM, hello spiral said:

I've got one of these:

 

 

Technics SE-HD55

 

Does the job, has CD, Tape and AUX.

Also the tape player slides out on a tray like the CD, which makes me feel like I am in the future in the 80's.

 

I also like the idea of getting into Hi-Fi geekdom but my wallet finds it intimidating.

 

Probably a stupid question, but I was looking to get a cheap hi-fi set up going again and a slightly older one of these (the HD51 I believe) is up for sale near me. Can you plug a turntable straight into the phono ports at the back or is a separate amp required? Are the stock Technics speakers decent?

And then I've been fantasizing about these for a while now:

 

http://www.tektondesign.com/lore.html

 

My biggest issue is that I found out about them while hating on Glenn Beck. He recommended them on his show cause I guess the guy who made them is a supporter and sent a pair into Glenn. Supporting that kind of shit makes me puke.......BUT the speakers just might be amazing.

  On 8/15/2013 at 5:45 PM, SPD² said:

And then I've been fantasizing about these for a while now:

 

http://www.tektondesign.com/lore.html

 

My biggest issue is that I found out about them while hating on Glenn Beck. He recommended them on his show cause I guess the guy who made them is a supporter and sent a pair into Glenn. Supporting that kind of shit makes me puke.......BUT the speakers just might be amazing.

 

Nah man, those shows literally stay afloat from an array of sponsors and ads. That's just the nature of revenue and ads with talk radio in general, regardless of their political tone.

  On 8/15/2013 at 5:40 PM, Ron Manager said:

 

  On 8/15/2013 at 7:04 AM, hello spiral said:

I've got one of these:

 

 

Technics SE-HD55

 

Does the job, has CD, Tape and AUX.

Also the tape player slides out on a tray like the CD, which makes me feel like I am in the future in the 80's.

 

I also like the idea of getting into Hi-Fi geekdom but my wallet finds it intimidating.

 

Probably a stupid question, but I was looking to get a cheap hi-fi set up going again and a slightly older one of these (the HD51 I believe) is up for sale near me. Can you plug a turntable straight into the phono ports at the back or is a separate amp required? Are the stock Technics speakers decent?

 

 

Amp is included, it's the bottom right of the pic. You just plug the turntable straight in.

Don't know what the specs are for the speakers but I find them decent yes. They pass the test of having enough warm tone and bottom end to play music at a low volume at 3am and still have all the detail you need.

Just got one of these and it's f-ing lush, all my CD's sound completely different and I've spent a lot on hifi gear over the years...

 

http://www.whathifi.com/Review/Denon-D-M37DAB/

 

2nd hand ones go for about £80 on eBay.

 

Highly recommended!!!

  On 8/15/2013 at 9:11 PM, hello spiral said:

  On 8/15/2013 at 5:40 PM, Ron Manager said:

 

  On 8/15/2013 at 7:04 AM, hello spiral said:

I've got one of these:

 

Technics SE-HD55

 

Does the job, has CD, Tape and AUX.

Also the tape player slides out on a tray like the CD, which makes me feel like I am in the future in the 80's.

 

I also like the idea of getting into Hi-Fi geekdom but my wallet finds it intimidating.

 

Probably a stupid question, but I was looking to get a cheap hi-fi set up going again and a slightly older one of these (the HD51 I believe) is up for sale near me. Can you plug a turntable straight into the phono ports at the back or is a separate amp required? Are the stock Technics speakers decent?

 

 

Amp is included, it's the bottom right of the pic. You just plug the turntable straight in.

Don't know what the specs are for the speakers but I find them decent yes. They pass the test of having enough warm tone and bottom end to play music at a low volume at 3am and still have all the detail you need.

Cheers, yeah I found a spec sheet online which said it had a preamp and everything. Might get one as a cheap system to use for now!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

Dat motherfucka's got a keeboad! Sheeeeiiiit.

  On 8/15/2013 at 10:39 PM, soundwave said:

 

Those are hella cool but he asked for a stereo system not a portable chillwave machine.

  On 8/15/2013 at 11:17 AM, MadameChaos said:

 

Last time I had one, I had one of these. Standard.

 

Slick looking. Yamaha?

personally I'd buy a half decent soundcard and some cheap active studio monitors

 

Hi-fi's are for dads

scour thrift stores for old dadware. my entire setup was about $50 usd (30 for 80s pioneer speakers, 5 for 70s technics receiver, 10 for crap cd player, 5 for 90s sony tape player, turntable for free) and it sounds pretty good.

  On 8/15/2013 at 6:32 PM, joshuatx said:

 

  On 8/15/2013 at 5:45 PM, SPD² said:

And then I've been fantasizing about these for a while now:

 

http://www.tektondesign.com/lore.html

 

My biggest issue is that I found out about them while hating on Glenn Beck. He recommended them on his show cause I guess the guy who made them is a supporter and sent a pair into Glenn. Supporting that kind of shit makes me puke.......BUT the speakers just might be amazing.

 

Nah man, those shows literally stay afloat from an array of sponsors and ads. That's just the nature of revenue and ads with talk radio in general, regardless of their political tone.

 

 

No seriously this was like something he was talking about on the show. Didn't come off like a commercial to me and he goes on w/ the story about them for like 10 mins. There's now way anybody paid for a 10 min. covert ad on this show.

 

I mean listen to it yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWaUflZt0kc

 

And I mean fuck Glenn Beck in his captain insane-o asshole, but I sort of want those speakers to be the best thing ever too.

Lol, 'dadware'

 

  On 8/15/2013 at 10:39 PM, soundwave said:

 

I fucking want one of these!

I'm 34. I'm totally into dadware now and forever.

  On 8/16/2013 at 1:56 AM, SPD² said:

 

  On 8/15/2013 at 6:32 PM, joshuatx said:

 

  On 8/15/2013 at 5:45 PM, SPD² said:

And then I've been fantasizing about these for a while now:

 

http://www.tektondesign.com/lore.html

 

My biggest issue is that I found out about them while hating on Glenn Beck. He recommended them on his show cause I guess the guy who made them is a supporter and sent a pair into Glenn. Supporting that kind of shit makes me puke.......BUT the speakers just might be amazing.

 

Nah man, those shows literally stay afloat from an array of sponsors and ads. That's just the nature of revenue and ads with talk radio in general, regardless of their political tone.

 

 

No seriously this was like something he was talking about on the show. Didn't come off like a commercial to me and he goes on w/ the story about them for like 10 mins. There's now way anybody paid for a 10 min. covert ad on this show.

 

And I mean fuck Glenn Beck in his captain insane-o asshole, but I sort of want those speakers to be the best thing ever too.

 

 

Huh, that is interesting. Yeah despite that they sound awesome (hey a pun) and the fact that it's made and lauded by asshats is ultimately irrelevant. The makers are clearly passionate about speakers and that's what matters. To quote Peter Bjorn and John: "Just because something starts differently / Doesn't mean it's worth less"

get a pair of powered monitors and a laptop or mp3 player, and dont look back.

  On 8/16/2013 at 1:34 AM, disparaissant said:

scour thrift stores for old dadware. my entire setup was about $50 usd (30 for 80s pioneer speakers, 5 for 70s technics receiver, 10 for crap cd player, 5 for 90s sony tape player, turntable for free) and it sounds pretty good.

 

Yeah that's how I scored my setup too. It depends where you live though, in Austin and likely other areas with people who crave vintage items the prices can inflate a lot.