Help me Build a Decent small system to play vinyl in my apartment for $2500

Have you considered spending approximately 1/3 of your budget on each component?

Dali Zensor 3, $595
Yamaha A-S701, $799
Rega Planar 2, $590
and use the remaining cash to upgrade the cart or phono stage

or

Yamaha A-S801 (adds a nice DAC), $899 or a used Rogue Sphinx
Rega Planar 3 with Elys 2, $950 (give or take)
​

The Yamaha -01 series is great. I really like my 701. I used to have the 301 which was also great and is a good entry level model. I only call it entry level based on price; it is $350 on Amazon. I used it with a pair of Pioneer Andrew Jones SP-BS22, which are currently $129, and it was delightful. It sounds like you probably want something a bit nicer, but a combo like that would leave you plenty of money for a great turntable and lots of records.

 

Someone's had a pioneer 1000 series posted on my local cl for a while at over a grand but it's like a 1-2hr drive away

 

It's a fair price if it's been restored and in good working order. Not a great price, you can't flip it for a profit but you should be able to get that back for it. I'd drive to get it if it were that close, its a very heavy box to ship.

 

Did you see the CL links I posted?

 

That Marantz PM5005 is only 35watts? I know you said you were in a smaller space but I would make sure that whatever speakers you get are fairly sensitive. If you push it very hard at all with 35watts (especially on a new amp) you will start to clip and risk damaging the speakers.

 

The more research I'm doing I'm thinking that I may go with a either a brio, or the Sphinx, if I go new. I'm going to go to Sam's and have a look around before I make any definitive moves. I want to have flexibility with speakers in case I want to go with floorstanders in the future. It might tighten my deck\speaker budget, and tbh I just want to be Sure that I am matching up these components as best I can, and not buying stuff that I am going to get knowing that I have to drop a ton of time researching and money into before I can even really enjoy it for what it is, a device that plays my true addiction, music.

 

Having read the reviews on the plx100 I am actually intrigued to the point of really considering this deck, with the sphinx or possibly a rega brio r, speaker choice and cart choice are really up in the air, but this deck seems really badass especially for the price point.

 

Getting guidance from the forum can be a bit overwhelming. At this point I don't think you have 30+ years of building and listening to systems like most do so you don't have the comparison point to beat. Meaning, it all sounds pretty great at the end of the day. It's a stereo, it plays records, what's not to like? The best advice that I can give you is that with an amp, weight matters. IT's mostly the power supply but a 40 watt marantz amp today weight about 20 puond and one from 1979 come in at about 60lb's.

 

I am using a Yamaha A-S801, Planar 3 with Dynavector 20x2H, and Elac B6's. The speakers are pretty dang good and insane for the money. Drop the thousand buck cart for the standard Rega and you could get the system for 900, 1145, and 279. Even better, you could upgrade to the Elac Uni-fi bookshelves for 500 bucks. There is your 2500 budget. You can play your vinyl, hook up a TV with optical, plus much more. I love my amp, it sounds great, its incredibly simple to operate (no need for a manual) and the amp section will drive a train. Here is a couple reviews for the Yammy.

Yamaha A-S801 Integrated Amplifier and YBA-11 Bluetooth Wireless Adapter »

6moons audioreviews: Yamaha AS-801 »

You will need some good stands for either pair of Elacs if you should choose that route. The stands would need to be at a height that would place the tweeters at ear level. I would recommend some decent speaker cables also if you could budget for them later. I think it matters, but I won't argue the point on here. I have a couple local dealers that give me 5 days to try all cables. I'm listening to mine now. My cart is most likely too good for my phono section, but you wont have that issue with the 200 buck Rega. I have heard both the Rega and the Rogue you are considering. The Rega will limit you on speakers, sounds good but it is power limited. I like the Rogue, but no better than the Yammy and the Rogue doesnt have the digital inputs. Now, if you start talking Rogue Cronus Magnum, well, thats a different ballgame there! Hope this helps you.

PS: I am satisfied by this system. I have just been back into audio for the last 3 or so years, lost my high end system and albums to a fire back in the 90's. Back then, I was listening to a Music Reference preamp, Music Reference RM-9, Merrill turntable with Garrott P77 cart and Vandy 2C speakers. All wired with Audioquest wire and a room full of ACS tube traps. Is my current system as good? No, but its close enough and that was one hell of a vinyl system and I think I know what sounds pretty good.

 

I just realized you're in Cleveland after you said "Sam's." I haven't been in there since I brought in my Rotel 1010 seperates for service (which I bought from there). That didn't work out so well, but it's an interesting place. I don't know of many other current options in the area (I used to do most of my shopping at the long shuttered Hoffman's).

In any case I think the Brio or Sphinx route sounds good, as I have been doing some shopping/research with a similar aim and budget. I've seen used versions of those integrateds in the $600-$1K range. I've seen a few interesting looking older Classes and others as well.

There are quite a few speaker choices under $1K or so. I've also been intrigued by some of the direct sales manufacturers like Ascend and Aperion, but I've yet to hear their speakers. Used for under $1K I've seen some of the much lauded Kef LS50s, which I'm almost hesitant to audition should they not live up to the hype. I've not heard the Dalis, though, and it sounds like you're decided on those. (I have some 1990s era PSBs I bought from Sam's as well as Paradigms.)

 

With the Pioneer I'd choose the Sphinx (or the Yamaha - can never say anything bad about the brand). With Planar - probably Brio, there's manufacturer built-in synergy in that pairing. Speakers are truly the wild card - many good choices mentioned here. I'm partial to Wharfedale, ELAC's are also nearly universally loved here. The KEF LS50 is out of budget by a long shot, or would have to be used. One thing to keep in mind - does the Yamaha have a phono stage, and how good is it? If not - that's another expense, whereas both Sphinx and Brio have good ones built in.

 

I'm actually really seriously considering the setup that you initially suggested, with the pioneer the sphinx and maybe the Denton's. I'm not sure about the cart

 

If you and the OP don't mind my asking questions on this thread, have you been to Don Better's shop (which appears to be his house)? I've seen his site which looks interesting, and I'd like to hear the Rega Brio, but I don't know if he stocks it nor how he may feel about customers looking to buy things that are at/under $1K. It seems most of his focus is much higher.

 

No I have never been

 

Is your head spinning yet? Going to bow out after this post. Before you spend 700 dollars on the Pioneer over the Rega, go listen to this stuff. The Planar 3 is not an RP3 and IMHO the Pioneer is not a competitor. Why don't you contact Don Better, he is a Rega dealer and I bet he would love to demonstrate for you. A Planar 3, Rega Brio, and a Dali Mentor 3 would be a killer little system. If you want to upgrade to floor standers later, then the Rogue or Yamaha would be the best bet for an amp. But, don't scrimp on the source, Linn was right about this, amps and speakers can't reproduce what has already been lost at the beginning of the chain. I've owned some very good turntables in the past and it all starts right there. I've also heard all 3 amps you are considering, before spending that kind of money, you need to hear this stuff also. Good luck in your search.

 

That's probably the best advise yet - go listen.

 

NO just his web sight, I was going to go there to listen to/buy his VTL phono stage but I found one used. I'm kind of afraid to go there, I could really make some bad decisions.

 

Head is totally spinning. Thanks for the advice.

 

And if you don't know, Don Better is a dealer that carries some of the best (an most expensive) new equipment that you can buy. It's the kind of place you would go to build a $100,000 system. He is mostly appointment only but has hours on Wednesday and Saturday for walk ins.

I hesitate to give this advice because it is a process that you go though to get to this point but.....

If I was going to drop $2,500 for a rig from scratch I would get a Fisher 400 or 500 (a 50 year old Vacuum tube receiver) $600 to $1,000.

Get some used speakers that are efficient like Klipsch Heresy (might be a little big for an apartment) $6oo to $800. If you're not too far from the speakers in a smaller room, most of the bookshelf speakers that have been discussed would probably work very well.

For a table I would get a thorens TD 140 or 160, $600 to $800. I would be on team Rega if you go new but at $800 you are going to get a real nice table used if your getting a fair deal. A Technics sl-1200 would be about that much as well and fairly common.

Lots of options for a Cart but an Ortofon 2m Blue is pretty great for $200.

I would personally add an external Phono stage (many would disagree and say the internal on the fisher is great). The lounge that was listed upthread from your local CL would do just the trick.

Not as easy to source all this gear but you can get it all off ebay without too much effort.

 

I had a SOTA Star Series III, a far more expensive table. A complete waste of money. I replaced it with a Pioneer PLX-1000 which has been completely reliable, unlike the SOTA. Sounds better too.

 

I picked up a Thorens td166 with a Shure v15ii cart for $400, a nad 320BEE for $225, and Dentons for $500. Needed to buy a belt, new stylus, speaker stands, and a phono pre but that little system sounded very good. Point is, you can meet your budget easily, and even get a Schiit multibit dac for digital. Or a bunch of records. The Denton's yield a nice warm sound and sufficient bass after some running in.

 

As far as the cartridge goes - you were mentioning the Bronze. Great cartridge, no doubts. However, just for argument's sake, take a closer look the AT150 mlX or sA. - If you know how to compare specs, you will find that the 150 is easily on par or even incrementally better than the 2m Black, but at the price lower than the Bronze. IMHO, it would fit the Pioneer better than Ortofon. Higher end AT cartridges are way underappreciated, and give you a huge bang for the buck, as opposed to more fashionable brands that charge double for similar performance.

Bronze I would chose with the Planar 3, if you can get it for same price as with Elyse. It's more versatile and the stylus is user-replaceable, in 10 seconds or less.

 

I ran the 320BEE for 13 years, and traded it in for roughly what I paid for it new - $300. Great amp for the money. Love NAD gear, it's affordable but good.

 

Yeah I did a little research on Sota in some other forums and have kinda gotten spooked. What kind of cart are you using with the pioneer?

 

You are right, they aren't competitors. Check the Stereophile reviews. The Pioneer runs at the exact correct speed, as opposed to the Rega that runs fast. Also, the Pioneer is built better- an aluminum alloy plinth that is heavily damped internally, as opposed to MDF. The only advantage I see with the Rega is the arm. A great arm with an average everything else doesn't make a great turntable. Especially when it can't do the most basic task of playing records at the correct speed.

The recommendations for the Sphinx are dead on. I have a Pharoah and love it. A friend bought a Sphinx from Needle Doctor, thinking if he didn't love it, he'd return it. He's keeping it. The one thing I will say is to get the best performance,
you'll want to upgrade from the factory JJ tubes. I have another friend that also owns a Pharoah, and all of us are running Mullard CV4003 tubes. The improvement is pretty significant.