An Old School HiFi With New School Tech? Good Questions

Q: I want to start building up a home stereo system, more HiFi than just a bose ipod dock. I don't know where to start, or even what I need. I would like to be able to play vinyl and my ipod in stereo. What equipment do I need? Turntable, receiver, tuner, speakers?

Any tips on how to get started, and recommendations of affordable gear (I am hoping not to spend more than about $350 all together) would be greatly appreciated.

Sent in by Maura.

Photo courtesy of Oaktreeent.com

Editor - Remember those old All-in-One systems? Remember using the term "Stereo System" at all? Alright, so we don't all live on iPods alone... you might still have some old records and just want a bit of flexibility. What used to be commonplace back in the eighties is now a hobby reserved for those with lots of time, patience and knowledge. Today you will be lucky if you can find any items that match each other in design so it is best to start out with low expectations!

First let us say that if you really want to do this, you might want to spend a few more dollars to get some slightly better equipment. Imagine trying to buy a turntable, iPod dock, amplifier/receiver and speakers, all for less than $350! Ok, it is possible as we will show below or long as you are willing to take your time in the bargain bins and/or Craigslist.

If you must do it for under $3fiddy, here is how to pull it together via straight retail:

$229 Numark TTi USB Turntable with iPod Dock This is an entry level deck that is packed with features:

RECORD YOUR FAVORITE VINYL RECORDS TO YOUR COMPUTER OR iPod Legendary Numark turntable performance, USB connectivity and the convenience of your iPod are fused together for the first time in the Numark TTi. This USB turntable with built-in universal dock for iPod easily transfers your old vinyl collection to your iPod. Included software archives your records to CD or MP3. TTi's integrated line-level output allows quick, easy connection to any mixer for instant playback from your iPod or vinyl records and ±10% pitch control is included to enable adjustment of playback speed. TTi includes EZ Vinyl Converter 2 (PC) and EZ Audio Converter (MAC); the simplest way to record and convert vinyl directly to iTunes. EZ Vinyl Converter 2 features Gracenote® MusicID technology, which analyzes your vinyl and automatically retrieves album, artist and song information for you. EZ Audio Converter lets you easily enter track information. On Mac or PC, you can now digitally archive your collection in just a few mouse clicks. TTi is ideal for first-time DJs or anyone who wants to archive their vinyl to MP3.

$45 Dayton DTA-1 T-Amplifier from PartsExpress.com. We reviewed it here.

Power output: 2 x 15 watts RMS (into 4 ohms @ 10% THD), 2 x 10 watts RMS (into 4 ohms @ 0.1% THD) • Efficiency: Greater than 88% • Dynamic range: 102 dB • Dimensions: 2" H x 6-1/8" W x 3-3/4" D.

$60 MTX Monitor 5i 5-1/4" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair- also from Parts Express. These speakers are quite good for the price and apparently sound amazing if you are capable of doing a little swap on the tweeters' capacitors.

MTX's power-packed Monitor 5i will surprise you with a sound that is larger than what would be expected from a speaker this size. A ported enclosure design squeezes out every last drop of bass from the 5-1/4" polypropylene woofer. Incredible imaging results from the use of a 1/2" balanced dome tweeter. At home in a surround sound setup or as a dorm room speaker, the diminutive size allows for unlimited placement options. Best of all, it fits your budget. Sold in pairs. Specifications: *Power handling: 100W RMS *Impedance: 8 ohms *Frequency response: 48-20,000 Hz *Sensitivity: 88 dB 2.83V/1m*Dimensions: 10 1/2" H x 6 1/2" W x 8 1/2" D.

So that is $334 without tax and shippin'. This system will look as good as the futuristic turntable so depending on how much you like that, it could be amazing for you. The other parts; amp and speakers, are small enough to disappear in your decor.

Some products we have looked at that qualify as low priced, yet high end:

Audio Engine A2 Desktop Speakers About $200 and you don't need an amp.

Pro-Ject Debut 111 Around $379 (went up!?!) Great sound, amazing looks.

Stanton T.55 USB Turntable $200- maybe not high end, but will do the trick.

NuForce Icon with S-1 Speakers $224 for the Amp and the speakers are no longer available. This amp will keep you rockin' all. night. long.

And if you just want to find some great deals on turntables- Needle Doctor Budget Turntables.

You did say "start building up a home stereo" so we will assume that you are able employ a little patience in the process. Hopefully this was enlightening and if anyone has any advice for Maura, please feel free to leave it below!

Got a good question you'd like answered? Send your queries and please include a photo or two illustrating your question, and we'll see if the Unplggd team or our readers can help answer your question.

Comments (2)

The T amp is just AMAZING, i have many amplifiers (New sonys, old onkyos, scott, aiwa) and this little box ( because it's really small and light ) is just great !!

I plugged one of them to my allisons acoustic 5 and it's just perfect

Check out the reviews of famous UK magasines they all say it's worth many amplifiers that costs much more

The systems in a box are ok, but I would suggest getting a component based system. Then slowly over time you can get some pretty nice items piece by piece. Save up for a while and then you can get a component (or upgrade an existing component). Its perhaps not the answer you want to hear (kinda like eating your vegetables, they might taste worse than pizza, but in the long term they are better for you).

Class 'T' amplifiers: they are cheap and on the lower volume settings produce very little distortion (very crisp sound). And they are tiny, I have one thats smaller than my hand. You can get good quality metal enclosed ones from china (hk) on ebay; I'm not lying I have one and the quality is great. On ebay search for TA2020.

Bigger amps: A new (non class t) amp would eat up most of your budget. I would suggest some sort of used amp. This could mean used, a trade in at a decent store, a store demo, dealer demo or used at a trade show. Sometimes you can be lucky on ebay. If you live in a city with a higher end stereo store, they might have trade in stuff for sale. Finally, occasionally audiogon.com has some cheaper items (look in the integrated section); I trust audiogon a fair bit more than ebay, and sometimes you can negotiate a bit on the price. (there is a nice LA Audio M3 tube amp on there right now for 395).

TurnTable: not all amps take turntable inputs directly. you may need to get a phono pre amp in such a case (so be aware). anyways, if you go for a dj style turntable (like a technics 1200) they are worth it since they are built like a tank and can last forever; they're sound quality isn't always the best (you can get one used on ebay). More serious hifi turntables can get better sound but aren't as much fun as a dj turntable. Audiogon you can search and get a used higher end one for a hundred.

Speakers: You can find plenty of speakers on ebay; I am looking at a pair of older KEF speakers for $30.

Speaker Wire: you can get alright speaker wire at home depot for like $10-15.