Setup Upgrade? Seeking Advice

Hello everyone,

Used to be a member on here but haven't posted in a couple years. Anyways, I have a custom Technics 1210 MKII turntable (bought it off of a guy on AudioKarma who did some mods to it), Shure M97XE cartridge, Marantz 2216 and Insignia NS-B2111 bookshelf speakers. Work keeps me busy but I want to start enjoying my records again. Looking for some advice on whether or not any of my components need upgrading or if it is fine as is. Thinking the cart and speakers might be the weak links. Favorite artists include Green Day, John Mellencamp, Alice in Chains, Live, early Weezer, Hootie & the Blowfish, Alanis Morissette, Nirvana, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, 80s pop and love songs, acoustic stuff, etc. Not sure where to go from here with my system. Budget? $500 or less for speakers. Thinking the same for a cart.

Thanks.

 

I'd leave the turntable alone, except possibly a stylus replacement if it's been a while (a year or more depending on usage) or not ever replaced. A big upgrade here would be the SAS replacement ($150.)

The Marantz 2200 series receivers are classics, but the 2216 was on the very low end. Given the age- circa 1973- if you like it, I'd take it to a competent tech and have the controls and switches cleaned, power supply caps replaced and tuner aligned. With a refurbishment, it should last for many more years. You can also get LED bulbs fitted to replace old bulbs- a nice one time upgrade.

The speakers (Best Buy house brand) are holding you back. Given that your receiver is only 16 watts per channel, you need efficient speakers. You should be able to find a nice pair of used Klipsch Heresys in the $500 range. Not everyone's cup of tea to be sure, but a sizeable upgrade that will mate well with the Marantz.

 

Speakers first- Paradigm. Then an AT440MLa on the 1200 later.

 

Let me preface my remarks by saying that I'm not particularly good at audio, but people have been nice enough to advise me, and I'll try to pass their advice on in competent fashion. Although I have a pair of the Insignia NS-SP213s (the successor to the B2111) and enjoy them, I agree that upgrading your speakers represents a good move for the money; I think you can gain a lot of ground while saving a fair amount of money. This doesn't operate as a rejection of the advice offered by the previous poster; the need for efficiency may render my remarks pointless.

One affordable option that is wonderfully gentle on your speaker budget is available from Pioneer, their SP-BS22-LR bookshelf speaker, that runs about $130 for the pair. If you've got room for floor-standing speakers, their SP-FS52 can be found for about $130 each; both models can be found on sale from various sources for less. Both models are well-reviewed and may get you within range of your goals at a fraction of your budget. I personally have a pair of the FS52 and I like them, but I'll readily admit to not having the ability to finely assess these things.

Obviously, the opinions of others will vary and I may have spent too little of your money, but I wanted to present the option that leaves more funds for other projects, such as refurbishing the receiver.

 

$500? Pioneer towers and a kit subwoofer
www.parts-express.com/cat/subwoofer-system-kits/287

…but your Marantz does not appear to have the pre-out/main-in necessary for proper subwoofer connection (high pass crossover) and it's too old to have bass management built in.

So maybe spend the whole $500 on the most efficient towers possible. Those tend to be Altec Lansing, DIY/kit, or possibly Klipsch.

 

What do you feel is lacking in the current setup?

 

The very affordable Andrew Jones designed Pioneer speakers are a speaker you should go and have a listen to. I also like the suggestion of the Klipsch Heresy. I ran a pair on some low-wattage Pioneer receivers and also the higher wattage IA's .

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I plan on going to the local BB and taking a look at the Pioneer speakers. I would have room for the floor standing version but I'm not sure if they would be too much for an apartment.

 

Update: I was recently gifted a pair of Paradigm 5SE speakers from my dad (original with the wood grain covering). Are these any good? I couldn't say no to a free pair of speakers. I am intrigued by the Wharfedale Diamonds as well. Also, I don't know a competent tech so I'm considering just upgrading the receiver to this Marantz PM6005. Not sure if it would be an upgrade to the 2216 but a lot of people seem to really like it based on the reviews. Final upgrade under consideration would be the Jico SAS stylus. Sorry for the lack of an update until now but I've been busy with work and taking my time on figuring out which direction I might want to go. Any thoughts guys? Thanks.

 

I have my vintage Pioneer receiver hooked up to a JBL sub via hi-level conections (speaker cable) but JBL sub doesn't sport those anymore, so you should search for a sub with that option . Energy subs are made by Klipsch and have it :


Congrats on your Paradigms; nice freebie ! But forget about rocking out at 89 db/w/m sensitivity with your Marantz. Klipsch speakers will allow your Marantz's 16wpc do justice to your rock records. The Heresys are an excellent albeit expensive option if you can afford them but if not even the cheaper Synergy line will provide accurate sound without distortion. And no, floorstanders of today are not too much for an apartment unless it's a very tiny one and you might not feel the need for a sub since many approach full-range response these days (with a good recording, that is)

The PM6005 you're pondering might not have the detailed, sparkling sound of your vintage one. Been there recently. Give it a listen at a demo room before buying it.

And replace you stylus for a SAS version unless you know for sure how many hours are on it and the suspension is still OK.

 

Yes, that does add more bass. But I really don't like this kind of connection at all. Maybe it's just the speaker engineer part of my brain being picky, but I think it misses the boat. It misses the other huge benefits of a subwoofer:
- Increases amp headroom due to removing low frequency voltage swing
- Sharply decreased woofer excursion

You're absolutely right that 16 watts at 89 dB is not a match made in heaven, except maybe for chamber music or solo voice, or background levels.

 

The spec on the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR is 85dB/2.83V/m so that doesn't really qualify as a highly efficient speaker does it? The Klipsch Heresy would be fit the bill at 99dB @ 1watt/1meter.