Stereo set up advice needed.

PSUS2H

Hey guys, time to smash the old combo unit. I am in the market for a turntable, receiver, and speakers (maybe a sub too), but have no idea where to start looking. I want to hear and feel my vinyl and not have a cheap system, however I am not looking to spend a grand on it either. Let me know your humble opinions please.
Thanks!

63schoefflin

I second this...I'm in the same boat as you!

PSUS2H

Eric we're on our own for now brother!

dcfaithful

I have an old school Toshiba turntable that I got from my old man. I think he bought it back in the 70's? It's still in great condition and the stylus is good too. Don't know a model for you, and in fact I cannot really recommend a good turntable. I'm not that much of an afficiando.

However, last Christmas Ms. dcfaithful got me a brand new Yamaha receiver (can get the model for you later if you'd like). I run that through two three-way Pioneer speakers and I've got everything I need in my set-up.

Would be willing to take pictures if that would help.

You don't need to spend a lot of $ to get a set-up that will give you what you need.

dcfaithful

Also, the receiver also functions as a home entertainment system too. I am completely underachieving in terms of it's capabilities and I simply have my turntable ran through a pre-amp into the receiver, and I also have an AUX cable plugged in that I can just connect to my iPod if I want to listen to that through the same system.

PS. You'll probably need to get a pre-amp for your turntable. Found mine on Amazon for under $25, and it does a great job and gives the turntable's signal to the receiver a huge boost (it was exactly what was missing).

barger395

I'm currently renting a house while the real house is being rebuilt. I got the Yamaha RX-V363, primarily because it had iPod connectivity. I use this receiver to power my patio speakers and the speakers around the pool. I just checked on amazon.com and found the new one, the RX-V373 for $250.00. I recommend Yamaha completely.

I run my sound though a sound bar, the Yamaha YSP 3050 with accompanying sub and I really like the sound. Certainly not as good as 4 satellites and a sub, but no wires to hide either.

And dcfaithful is absolutely correct in suggesting a pre-amp for your turntable. My mom just got a new turntable lat year to play Christmas records on, and after being severely disappointed in the sound, which she could barely hear at full volume, she was ecstatic when she got the pre-amp I sent her. Got hers from amazon for under $25.

Hope this helps somewhat!

Cheers and good luck!
Barger

themessenger

I bought a new Project Debut 3 off ebay for around $300, it retails around $400. Older vintage turntable like dcfaithful mentioned would be good too and you could get one for cheaper around $100 or so I'm sure.

I also bought an old vintage 70's Onkyo amp that has a dedicated phono input. You can search around and find places that will refurbish old amps and make them like new. I think mine was off ebay as well and was less than $100 with shipping, and it sounds phenomenal. I have some older tower JBL speakers that I use with them, and honestly when I hooked that amp up to it, it was like they were brand new speakers. I've never heard that clear of sound or bass from them with any of the newer midranger Sony or Pioneer amps I had. I'll try to look around for you where I bought this amp and shoot you a PM.

F5AgainstOne

These speakers are AMAZING for the money ($100-ish for a pair) they're up there with speakers 5x as much money. (read the reviews)
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-DV62si-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00006JPDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344289996&sr=8-1&keywords=bic+speakers

You can't beat this turntable for the price either $229.00 (Read Reviews)
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120-USB-Direct-Drive-Professional-Turntable/dp/B002S1CJ2Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1344290192&sr=1-2&keywords=audio+technica+turntable

So that's around $350 for those key items.
Picking a receiver will be up to your individual needs/wants

Architect and Builder

For a vintage setup I can recommend a modestly priced yet powerful SX-750 receiver. A comparable integrated would be a Pioneer SA-7500. Both can be found for about the same price. Some basic maintenance required like cleaning the switches and pots. If you have a friend who knows electronics you can really tighten up the bass and clarity by a recap/biasing of at least the power supply / amp boards.

Turntable? Try a Pioneer PL-12D, PL-15D or PL-518. All can be had for bargain prices.

Need speakers? Klipsch KG line is still affordable or if you want to keep it all Pioneer go with HPM-40's or 60's. Advent's sound great too.

Arguable the most important piece in the system is your cartridge/stylus. Give a Shure m97xe a try. I doubt you will be disappointed. $70

I can see you having a nice vintage system for $350-$500