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Help needed: which doohickeys do I need for my home audio system

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    Help needed: which doohickeys do I need for my home audio system

    We need to come up with a wedding registry, so we thought we might as well get a decent record player in, instead of the cheapo all-in-one that we have right now. My eye fell on the Pro-ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB (DC) (but in white, because I am shallow like that and I like bright things). Obviously, I am also going to need some good speakers, and I am considering getting my grubby little hands on a pair of JBL Studio 230s. They are passive speakers.

    My question to the OTF collective is: what machinery do I need inbetween these things, so that they can communicate with one another? I know nothing. I have read about pre-amps (say, this one) and amplifiers (say, this one), but the internet is sending me down a confusing rabbit hole (what the hell is an "integrated amplifier"?) if I try to find out if I need both. Can anyone please enlighten me?

    Am I overseeing things? Are these choices bad? Is this a gateway drug that will lead me down a destructive path of spending all my money on audiophile nonsense? Your experiences are most welcome.

    #2
    Originally posted by Bruno
    An integrated amp covers both the preamp and amp jobs in one unit. Hardcore audiophiles insist on separates.
    That's an argument that would have held water some 40-50+ years ago, but isn't very relevant nowadays.

    Wouter, those links to the amplifiers don't work. Presumably you have a local audio shop that you can walk into and listen to various systems?

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      #3
      Originally posted by Bruno
      An integrated amp covers both the preamp and amp jobs in one unit. Hardcore audiophiles insist on separates.
      Hardcore audiophiles also insist on spending hundreds of pounds on magic cables that make exactly no difference to the sound quality. The world is a strange place. Go figure.

      An integrated amp will be absolutely fine. Here's a list of What Hi FI recommendations.

      The only question I'd ask is, are you going to use it only for playing records? Or will you have a CD player too if so, you'll need a digital\optical input ideally.

      More importantly, do you want to get surround sound from your TV too?
      If so you need a different kind of amp and speaker set up altogether.

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        #4
        So while we're on the subject of separates …

        My Technics CD player is still working, despite being over 25 years old. But it will give up at some point in the future.

        Are there companies still making standalone CD players? Or should I just use my Blu-Ray player?

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          #5
          Technics still makes standalone CD players (as do others)

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Bruno
            40-50 years ago? No. I used to peruse audio forums in the early 2000s. Everyone talked about separates. Yes, integrated amps are fine for most people, didn't mean to suggest otherwise. He asked what an integrated amp was.
            Sorry Bruno, I didn't make myself very clear, what you wrote was perfectly fine.. 40-50+ years ago, audiophiles could have argued the need for separate pre-amplifiers and (slave) amplifiers on the grounds of audio quality. Nowadays, or even 15 years ago, they can't.
            Last edited by Muukalainen; 03-07-2019, 12:13. Reason: Put the verb in the correct tense.

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              #7
              Thanks all for the input! Much appreciated.

              Originally posted by hobbes View Post
              The only question I'd ask is, are you going to use it only for playing records? Or will you have a CD player too if so, you'll need a digital\optical input ideally.

              More importantly, do you want to get surround sound from your TV too?
              If so you need a different kind of amp and speaker set up altogether.
              We don't have a tv, nor do we have any plans to acquire one in the near future. For the moment, the soundsystem is for records only, but I may add a CD player later. I'll have a look at the digital input options.

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                #8
                [QUOTE=Bruno;n2170613]
                Well, I know of reputable engineers who would at least claim to disagree with you. There are an awful lot of variables. Some speakers are designed for monoblocks, for example.[/QUOTE]

                I suspect we're at cross-purposes here, I cannot understand what the relevance of your last sentence might be to what I have written.
                Last edited by Muukalainen; 03-07-2019, 16:55.

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                  #9
                  No, I'm not saying that separating the pre-amp and amp has long been obsolete and irrelevant. It is, however, in the long process of becoming less and less relevant as designs improve.

                  At which point I notice the wording of my second post where the last two words are a too strong cut off. The wording of my first post is better,

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