Budget Audiophile Stereo System With Paradigm Atom Monitors

[MrJoot]

wicked tune! i dig yer setup, nice and clean. my setup is as follows:

-black macbook 2.4ghz setup with songbird and production programs

-1973 sansui au-505 solid state stereo amplifier

-apogee one sound card serves as a DAC/mic-preamp/interface/stere­o mic

-1978 sansui sp-10 bookshelf speakers

-sony ss-m50n 3-way small speakers

-and i solder and make my own cables from the best of what i can find.

this is a cheap setup and does me well for what i do with it.

cheers!

[pitoloco]

U R NOT AN AUDIPHILE. 1. MUSIC IS A CRAP 2. SUBWOFER I S FOR LOSERS 3. U CLOSED UR TURTABLE WHILE PLAYING ( THET CREATES DISTORCION U IGNORANT )

[bcdhifi]

@pitoloco You are the ignorant one, first turntable placement can be difficult and their is a sweet spot near speakers that have a low decibel level it is like a pocket. If you have a sound meter you can measure it. Steely Dan has a reputation for high quality sound recording which makes for good listening. HSU has a good reputation in the sub field.

[dalekmun2010]

Audiophiles FTW!

[OldMusicOnVinyl1]

I wouldn't necessarily call the SL-BD20 an "audiophile" turntable because as SlimeTron5000 calls it, it's a "truncated" edition of the line of P-mount turntables that Technics has been producing since 1981. Check out Maxxarcade's video. Mine is about 20 years old and it's running slow because the servo motor is on its last legs.

BUT, the Prestige Black is a great choice for an audiophile cartridge because it's sold for less buck and has more bang to it from what I read.

[JAMBONE9]

I came across a Technics SL-BD20 turntable from my bother in law.He payed 4 bucks for it at Goodwill,It enjoy playing vinyl again,it sound great.

[edge160]

It's still consider hifi - but on a budget.

[balamimammy]

Never mind the bollox - keep that vinyl spinning. ! My old Juke ( Bal-Ami model E ) is as ugly as sin - But it runs a Tannoy cartridge - Leak TL /10 amp and a Goodmans Audiom 60 full range speaker LOL. 50`s Hi fi playing 50`s records @ 50p ( UK) each . Love it .

[seemac70]

No tubes, you're not an audiophile?

What a load of valves, pal.

Go ahead and blow your cash on fancy speaker cord. It's a waste of money.

Faithful reproduction and enjoyment of music is my goal, and of course, dropping big bucks can help accomplish that in some ways.

But. A lot of audiophiles are snobbish dicks who sit around talking about equipment, not music.

[svtcontour]

@seemac70 I agree 100%. Recently I heard some french audiophile CD sampler which supposedly didnt have any dynamic range compression at all. Anyway even on a pair of modest Paradigm speakers, it sounded so real and amazing that it flat out destroyed any experience I've had with much more expensive 'gear' playing back standard music. So above all, the content being played is the most important thing then comes all the fancy toys but if the material is not good, then its game over.

[Migkiller1971]

That's 1000x times better than what I had in High school. Excellent rig for starters.

[85Silvana85]

No tubes

No silver wires

No spikes..

You're NOT AN audiophile !!

[weezecup08]

I was in high school when I took this video. I purchased the system slowly while making car, insurance, and cellular phone payments. It is a starting point for a burgeoning audiophile on a budget.

Audio = "I hear"; Philos = "loving"

One who thoroughly enjoys, has interest in, and pursues the hobby of listening to music of their choice with as little compromise as is possible for their budget is an audiophile.

[85Silvana85]

8|.. excuse me..

Then they learned it to me, wrong !

Thanx for explaining me ;)

Greetz

[wildreams]

@weezecup08 Dude, he was obviously just kidding, lol.

[bcdhifi]

@weezecup08 Is it possible he(85Sivana85) was being sarcastic? and if not he is a schmuck.

[Will762]

@85Silvana85 What kind of a stupid comment is that? "You're NOT AN audiophile"? Get a life, matey! If he says he's an audiophile, then he's an audiophile.

It is indeed about loving the music and the sounds you hear, and not necessarily about spending every dollar you own on your hi-fi.

[85Silvana85]

@Will762

Please read my comment before you trash talk to me.

Grtz

[Will762]

@85Silvana85 Oh, ok, fine, you apologised. But I hardly think that ignorance is an excuse for you to 'trash talk' others.

[jimmyjacksn]

@85Silvana85 I think the statement about tubes is ridiculous. I love my marshall tube stack for how it colors the sound of my guitar, but tube amplification of a recording would recolor the sound. Although it would sound warmer, it wouldn't really sound the way it was intended to sound. Silver wires? Give me a break. This guy is just saying that he enjoys the full sound of a somewhat elaborate sound system. Who doesn't? However...diminishing returns are yielded as the money you spend increases.

[85Silvana85]

@jimmyjacksn

I just think it's a shame he can't listen to the music, in the good way.

If you really love music, you shoud fall into it.. And do anything possible to get the best sound.. Even on a buget ;)

Don't know how to explane.

And a friend of mine had me spoiled with the sound..

So, srry and grtz ;)

[SuperRegisteredUser]

@85Silvana85 Buying silver wires just makes you an idiot, not an audiophile

[85Silvana85]

@SuperRegisteredUser Why ? Because it's expansive ? I just like to listen to the beautifull FILTERED en with no sound like this through it : GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

dust and electricity. In holland it's bad, but the electricity in america is even worse..

So by the filters and the wires and listen to real music.

THIS IS MY OPINION, AND I LIVE IN A FREE COUNTRY SO ... NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!!!

[SuperRegisteredUser]

@85Silvana85 Don't don't actually hear a difference, just imagine you hear a difference. If you do think you can hear a difference then you can win one million dollars in Randys contest if you can prove you can hear a difference in a blind test.

[themasterofmovies]

@85Silvana85 there are 2 kinds of audiophiles, those who try to get as close as the live performance as they can, and those who try to get closest to the sound they like best. Sometimes, audiophiles need to go on a BUDGET! As with me, i'm an audiophile in high school, all my equipment is consumer level, but the way i have it set up rivals the sound of many systems costing thousands of dollars. Also, as far as tubes go, it's a musical preference. i would explain, but youtube wont let me.

[RetroPCDOS]

@85Silvana85

As tubes go, it's really personal preference, as they do color the sound a bit, so you are not hearing the music the way it was recorded. Some actually prefer it that way, as to not hear all the not to hear all the flaws in the track.. I actually prefer a good quailty solid state amplifier, over a tube amplifier, as sounds more neutral and closer to the source, everyone different. I more for the music, some audiophiles are in it for mostly bragging rights and not the music

[bcdhifi]

@RetroPCDOS You are right, I grew up listening to tubes and solid-state devices and solid-state has come a long way in sound quality. The first SS amps on the market were a disaster in sound reproduction. I live with both tubes and SS amps and love them both.

[PEYIAKID]

Steely Dan on a decent system, what else in life can you ask for, keep reelin in those years!!!!

[bcdhifi]

@PEYIAKID I know what you can ask for, a copy of Aja on vinyl by Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs!

[negatyve]

Granted the Atoms are one of the best options for the budget audio if he were into new gear, but I URGE you to seek vintage. I paid $100 for a pair of Marantez hd-660 that will blow those away. And that's not even a great deal. If you can get your hand on some Large Advents or similar for a good price, as well as a decent vintage receiver, you can pair it with a budget audiophile turntable like an MMF7 or Scout and produce music worth $20,000

[Marzziooo]

The PC screen so close to the turntable, doesn't interfere on its performance when turned on?

[edeyboyz]

No it wont for this reason, its not a magnet screen. CRT's or old school moniters have magnets that can interfere with the sound reproduction of the turntable, Espectially if the turntable is an MM, if I'm correct!

[bcdhifi]

@edeyboyz Not magnets the cr tube produces a magnetic field when charged.

[Cyrix2k]

I love my atoms! I have a similar setup to you... Paradigm Atoms, Yamaha RX-V2400 receiver, Technics SL-1200mkII turntable with a Stanton 681 eee cartridge, and I just bought a set of Energy Take 5.1 speakers to use for my home theater section. According to USPS, they were delivered today and I hope they sound as good as the Atoms!

[c0rrupts3ct0r555]

nice speakers. I have paradigms as well. Phantom .v3's. Onkyo TX-SR705 powering them actually a 7.1 setup.

Good setup. I'm starting to get into the older stuff as far as components. HK mostly and im getting a Yahama C80 preamp for my tape deck and turntable.I run it through my soundcard on my pc

take a look at the " home theatre setup " vid on my profile.

[runeskyler]

So if I have an amp with the red/white speaker inputs on the back, can I use the Atoms?

[UnchainTheNight1]

those monitors probably have bare wire inputs on them. if your stereo has rca(red/white) audio cable inputs for the speakers you need to find a cable with both the rca on one and the bare wires on the other end

[runeskyler]

My receiver doesn't have the RCA inputs, it has the bare wire inputs

[edeyboyz]

Yes, because I wouls assume the white would mean the negative charge, in which the black wire would connect. I'm not sure how these speakers hook up but i do know that either way I don't see a problem in the hookup really. But then again I have wires for every occasion! :P

[flammaster]

I'll take my 70's Marantz and Acoustic Research over that crap any day!

[reptar1994]

The turntables not bad, I have that model and have never had problems, but everything else, no thanks, I hooked my turntable to a Marantz 2238B and some vintage Kenwood floor speakers, that system rocks the house and you're right, it outperforms todays electronics

[edeyboyz]

Amen! any vintage electronic made before 1985 is awesome, especially if it was produced in the years 1976-1981 or better known as "Stereo Wars".

[estvan56]

@reptar1994 If your budget allows, look into an old Rega or Sytemdek II table. A real bang for the buck.

[UnchainTheNight1]

budget? those monitors probably cost a small fortune...

[runeskyler]

The Paradigm Atom Monitors are currently going for $318 a pair, up from $250 a few months ago.

[drumitar]

how high are those paradigm stands ? are those the S30's ?

[mrhyde911]

Wood paneling.... gotta love it!

[twochaudio]

vibrations

[TheMovieEditor]

I got some Paradigm 100 V.3's somewhere in the basement boxed up. Maybe Ill get them out and see how they play against my Legcy Focus.

Paradigm makes great entry speakers, but I feel the Signature line S4 I previously owned was over priced.

[bassturd666]

I've heard HSU subs rock. Is it true?

[weezecup08]

I have been thoroughly impressed with my HSU sub. It is the tightest and most accurate sub I have heard at its price point. It compliments my monitors quite well, stays nice and subtle, but when the signal requests, it has the ability to make you feel the notes as well.

[TheMovieEditor]

Look into SVS subs as well. Specially there ultra sub line.

[weezecup08]

Agreed.

[bassturd666]

I just heard about SVS, both companies have received great reviews. Hard to choose!

[GoEBAYGo]

What it would look like if one of the Bradys (Brady Bunch) had a stereo in their room. Looks vey 70's in there YUK. Nice speakers though. Paradigms Rock!

[dwsh1]

Have you ever played 45s on your Technics SLBD20D? If so, did the tonearm at times backtrack from the leadin groove and hit the mat? Thanks.

[decourl]

Ignore that; apparently my earlier comment didn't get posted.

For budget turntables I recommend used units from the early 80s. Consumer brands were still making lots of tables into the 80s and some top models were as good or better than anything in the less-than-$400 market today. Of course they can be had for peanuts, heck even from junk shops, if one knows what those top brands were.

Hi-fi's heyday was a generation ago and there's a lot of great used stuff out there.

[decourl]

Yeah I see now the receiver says "PHONO". I hadn't seen that in the online product info though.

[baconpie2112]

I own these, and they are awesome. I have a pair with a simple Jamo sub, and a Yamaha RX-N600 receiver. This system can be heard from my dorm's common room, and I'm at the end of the left-wing hall!

I feel Paradigm is really underrated, though. There's a place that sells them along with Bowers and Wilkins and other really expensive brands. A couple of the salesmen there seemed as if they were ashamed of carrying Paradigm. Heck, one guy seemed more interested in Bose more than Paradigm......

[weasel2htm]

Paradigm just plain sounds good, no other way to describe them I have an older pair of Atoms here in my bedroom that I have just abused and they just keep coming back for more. I have a pair of phantoms in the other room, they are great. They sound great connected to my Pioneer SX-1250. I may make a video on my living room stereo sometime.

[baconpie2112]

I hope to get a pair of Paradigm Cinema ADP surround and a Cinema 110 center for Christmas. Don't underestimate those little things! However, I'd rather have a pair of Monitor ADP-190 surrounds, but those are like twice the price of the Cinema's, and I don't think I could find a way to mount them in my dorm without putting holes in the wall (which they kind of frown at;) Oh well, maybe some heavy duty mounting tape might actually be strong enough, which is what I'd mount the Cinema's ADPs with.

[nandoGdog]

That Pioneer SX-1250 is a brute! I'm surprised your little Paradigm speakers can handle it. I'd like to see a video of the 1250 I used to have a SX-950, I gave it to my nephew and he promptly blew it up by hooking up 6 4ohm automotive subwoofers to it.

[weasel2htm]

I have a video posted, look for Main Stereo Demo on my channel. The Phantoms sound good right up to their limit, when you pass their limit, they distort loudly telling you to reduce the volume. The Phantoms easily sound their best hooked up to that Pioneer though.

[KYLake]

What speaker stands are you using. I need some for my Audioengine 5 computer speakers and i am thinking of getting the Stf-1 as well. I narrowed the choices down to a minivee, martin logan dynamo, mirage omni and the hsu. It seems alot of people like the stf-1 for music. My room is about like yours and i will be sitting close to it and the sub. I want to sub the ae5's. Nice system you have.

[canderton01]

Hey weezecup, how do you like the HSU? I'm wanting to upgrade to the STF-1 but I want to know if it's worth the money. I will be using it with a 5.1 Polk Audio setup(Monitor 40's(Bi-amped) as mains, CS1 center, and Monitor 30's as surrounds) and everything will be driven by my Onkyo 606. My room is really small as well (10x12 ft) so that's why I'm wanting a smaller sub like the STF-1.

[weezecup08]

I am very pleased with the STF-1 indeed. It adds a lot of depth to my setup. The 8" woofer is more than enough for a room much larger than this, even for movies. In its price range I haven't heard a better sounding sub!

[canderton01]

Thank you for your reply. I will probably be picking one of these up sometime next spring(or until I have enough money for a sub) I have heard nothing but good things about HSU subs.

[croseiv]

Nice set-up!