Building a high powered home stereo… Audiophiles help.. - Page 2

rusnak · 11-01-2021, 04:09 AM

Why would an indoor venue need so much subwoofer? I have an outdoor setup that uses QSC K8s. Four of them are more than enough to cover an area of 200' x 200'. I run 100% XLR input and output with an Allen & Heath mixer. Reverb turned up fairly high. Sounds superb.

My indoor/ outdoor venue uses QSC passive speakers and a pair of fairly high dollar amps. These are setups that I use when playing music for others. When I play music just for my own enjoyment, I'm quite happy with a pair of Focal Utopia headphones and either the SPL Phonitor headphone amp, or a portable hip DAC headphone amp with Focal Elegia headphones when on the go. Quite stunning sound even from an iPod or Android phone. I don't know why anyone would purposely use obsolete gear.

93097004xx · 11-01-2021, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rusnak

Why would an indoor venue need so much subwoofer? I have an outdoor setup that uses QSC K8s. Four of them are more than enough to cover an area of 200' x 200'. I run 100% XLR input and output with an Allen & Heath mixer. Reverb turned up fairly high. Sounds superb.

My indoor/ outdoor venue uses QSC passive speakers and a pair of fairly high dollar amps. These are setups that I use when playing music for others. When I play music just for my own enjoyment, I'm quite happy with a pair of Focal Utopia headphones and either the SPL Phonitor headphone amp, or a portable hip DAC headphone amp with Focal Elegia headphones when on the go. Quite stunning sound even from an iPod or Android phone. I don't know why anyone would purposely use obsolete gear.

As a kid in the early 80s my old man had these CS-901s cut back flush into the cathedral ceiling of our great room which was 30x25.

When dad sold that house the new owner insisted the high fi system stay to the annoyance of his uptight wife. I remember that lol. Jean skirt and all lol.

As kids I remember the effortless sound the 15s made. Later on as teens and then as young as adults me, buddies a had few different setups nothing came close to those pioneer 15s.

If I remember right these speakers weighed 50 LBS or better?

Again I’m going back 40 years now. I never forgot the mega sound these effortlessly produced even from very low volume.

What speakers today are 15 or produce that kind of sound? Im guessing you could spend 5k in a hurry?

Again I’m open to all options but I’ve owed probably 3 of these hi fi systems over the past 20 years none ever came remotely close to dads hi fi from the 70s lol.

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KFC911 · 11-01-2021, 05:55 AM

There are some REAL, serious experts already on this thread already ... I am not one

. I remember being in awe of big azz receivers, and how loud Bose 901s could play back in college (late 70s)... but I got over that

....

I fell in love with vintage Polk SDA speakers in the late 80s.... own three pairs still, but they need gobs of power, not for volume per se, but "just because"....

I'm also a HUGE fan of Bob Carver's amps.... Rusty is yer man

.

A pair of Polk SDAs (170 lbs each) and a pair of Carver amps (bridged mono) rated at 1000 watts each will simply rock your world...

I'm a cheap ba$tid too....

Go big or go home

...

At one time I had 6 Polks and 5 amps driving them....

House of Sound.... why?

Because I could

....

Have fun and follow your heart and ears....

Mine are shot

Sooner or later · 11-01-2021, 06:05 AM

I stayed on the cheaper end.

Two kit bridged Hafler DH220 amps and DH110 preamp that were built during a extended drug and beer build fest. And two pair of stacked Large Advent loudspeakers.

93097004xx · 11-01-2021, 06:13 AM

Anyone have thoughts one the Technics SA-GX710?

I understand this is a very nice high power receiver from the early 90s? I understand the SA-GX receivers were very nice receivers for their day and even today. I believe the SA-GX 710 is 125 RMS.

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Gogar · 11-01-2021, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rusnak

I don't know why anyone would purposely use obsolete gear.

Ahh So you don't have an air-cooled 911 then.

Superman · 11-01-2021, 07:39 AM

I do have an air-cooled 911. That said, I wish I could say they don't make cars as good as they used to but I can't say that. Today's cars are light years ahead of yesterday's cars.

Those old Marantz and Pioneer receivers from yesteryear are iconic. They look cool. But unrestored ones will need their capacitors replaced, and modern receivers will still probably outperform them.

Several years ago I returned to playing music in bands. I also accumulated gear, preferring vintage stuff. I have a speaker cabinet in my living room that has eight 10" speakers and the amplifier on top of that weighs nearly 100 lbs. Total weight for those two items is about 250 lbs. Next to it is a modern cabinet with two 12" speakers and an amplifier the size of a hard bound dictionary. Total weight....about 50 lbs. The performance (power, loudness, tone....) of these two rigs are about the same, except that the modern rig has features the big rig lacks.

I understand wanting vintage stuff, but just don't expect it to outperform modern gear.

Superman · 11-01-2021, 07:48 AM

It looks like there may be an SX-1980 on Reverb for $7K. If I were to build a hifi from powerful 1970s gear, I'd probably build that system around a Phase Linear 700B.

aschen · 11-01-2021, 07:54 AM

Wait what are you after specfically?

Vintage cool rockin system? Maximum accuracy and volume regardless of era? Is there a budget?

The old school mega recievers from pioneer and a few others were indeed powerhouses, but to say they are unmatched for clean power is not true. Tons of great modern amplifiers in the 500-2000 wpc range. Bryston, parasound, ATI, etc

The key to dynamic range is mostly sensitivity/efficiency as other have said. Be mindfull of your hearing however.

If you want reference quality and huge dynamics, you can go all in with JBL M2 monitors, amplification and dsp included, just add source.

1200wpc, 120+ db spl, high accuracy on and off axis, no vintage speaker will come close on objective performance.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M2System--jbl-m2-reference-monitor-system

Lots of smaller and cheaper options from JBL as well, but I think they are leading klipsch these days for big horny speakers.

Another good option for speakers if you want to be sure everyone in your area code can rock out and still have great accuracy is JTR
https://www.jtrspeakers.com/home-audio

Otherwise if you want loud and big vintage you can get a set of 60-80s Klipshorns and a period correct big receiver like many others do, a solid recipe for loud.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Sadly, it seems that by the time one can afford these high end systems, they're deaf enough that it really does not matter. Especially if they have been listening to a powerful system their entire life.
That is the case with me. The best sound for me now is through my blue tooth hearing aids (from my Iphone). It is like putting the sound directly into my brain. Hearing anything through the air (hearing aids or not) simply does not compare (no matter how high end the system).

Scott Douglas · Scott Douglas's Garage

Here you go...and it's even local to me...good thing I'm not in the market...

https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/132673395

When my kids were growing up I rarely if ever played my stereo so they never really heard my speakers. Once I had retired and set up my HT, I refoamed my speakers so they'd work better. I was going to get them re-coned but a local shop convinced me the paper cones were what makes them sound so good. Since mine were fine all they needed were the edge surrounds. First time my son heard them turned up, this after having repeatedly telling me I needed to get a sub, he was blown away and flat out stated I didn't need a sub after all. He'd been auditioning speakers for his new house and stated 'They don't make speakers like this now days'.
Now, I sit here typing, listening to my tinnitus ringing in my ears and thinking of those days of unmuffled go kart engines racing up and down the alley.

mjohnson · mjohnson's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by fintstone

... It is like putting the sound directly into my brain.

I had some 4xx-whatever Shure earbuds that on some songs make my neck and back twitch. That brain-injection was too intense for me. When they broke I went for something "dumber". Now I can sleep on a plane in peace.

I think there's something to the "super real is too real" and the associated love for vinyl...

Rtrorkt · 11-01-2021, 09:10 AM

Did design work for a stereo store in the day. Took this instead of my small fee. Yamaha C-6/M-4 with a tangent tracking Yamaha turntable running DCM Time Windows. Just added the Bluesound Streamer.

I do have a hankerin' for McIntosh. So one of these days a tube pre-amp, say C2600 with a good clean amp. Would like to go B&W for my speakers.

creaturecat · 11-01-2021, 09:29 AM

grab a nice Mcintosh amp/pre amp.
an appreciating asset, sorta like an air cooled ..........

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

Quick question, is it worth all that effort to get good old stuff for streaming music?

Ayles · 11-01-2021, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flipper35

Quick question, is it worth all that effort to get good old stuff for streaming music?

If you like the sound and look then its worth it. There is also no substitute for some good looking equipment from the 70s.

aschen · 11-01-2021, 10:18 AM

I am alleric to subscription services, put pay for tidal streaming which is CD quality. Other high resolution streaming options as well.

93097004xx · 11-01-2021, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flipper35

Quick question, is it worth all that effort to get good old stuff for streaming music?

I’m willing to look in to that however it doesn’t seem like anything in today’s market or even the last 20 years can compete with the BIG POWERFUL sound of these 15 pioneers.

I remember the mids being amazing and the bass was OK kinda weak for a 15…

However I have read you need 125 W RMS to wake those big subs up.

I’m leaning toward the CA-99A with possibly a early 90s technics SG-SX 710 or possibly a SG-SX 910.

I believe this can be built for $5000 or less. Im open to other options! I’d like to thank everyone for their input here. I have spent $1000s in the past and been REALLY let down in particular with newer component speakers…

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flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

I have similar speakers hooked to an older Yamaha Home Theater system. 105w and it will shake pictures off the wall so it has enough power for me.

We once lent the speakers out as monitors and they had much better sound as monitors than the house speakers.

I have since supplemented the bottom end with a sub set with a pretty low crossover.

I am not an audiophile though and just like big power for movies and when playing along on the guitar so clarity is not as high a priority for me.

SpyderMike · 10:53 AM

I have a friend with Pioneer SX-1080 and two JBL-110 that he will be selling. He is the original owner. I had the woofers rebuilt for him and played with the system. It sounds real nice.

I would buy it, but I already have Phase Linear (early Carver) stack feeding Vandersteen 2Cs in my garage. I am streaming using a Raspberry Pi server running Logitech Media Server through a DAC. 57,000 songs strong and it has been working for many years.

In this main house I went older school with a Dynakit ST35 tube amp I built pushing some KLH 6s I found. Sweet sound. This also streams using LMS and a Squeezebox Touch.