Used gear = Budget HT with a BANG

BlueMDPicker
BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
edited April 2005 in Electronics
I set a loose budget of $1500 for an HT setup in the downstairs family room, and used gear made it all possible. The results of patiently watching for the right gear at the right price -- here in the flea market, eBay, local papers, and Audiogon -- produced a great sounding (and looking, I think) rig.

The lineup consists of:

HK AVR500 - $200, flea market
JVC XV-D701BK - $50, flea market
Klipsch RF-3s. front/mains - $300, local buy
Klipsch RC3II, center - $200, Audiogon
Klipsch R5650c, ceiling mount rear/surrounds - $275, eBay
SVS 20-39 PCi - $600, new (broke the budget slightly, but worth it!)

The SDA SRSs in the dedicated 2-channel rig are driven by:

Eastern Electric MiniMax Tube CDP
Eastern Electric MiniMax Tube Preamp
DCM 75+75 Tube Amp

Power for everything runs through a PS Audio UPC-200.
Post edited by BlueMDPicker on
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Comments

  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited April 2005
    The ceiling mount Klipsch rear/surrounds were a pleasant surprise in SQ. They're mounted approx. 4 feet behind, and 4 feet wider than the mains, center to center -- and well out of reach by rugrats. Thanks to F1nut for playing tripod during the system sound calibration.
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  • hotwheelman
    hotwheelman Posts: 1,300
    edited April 2005
    Originally posted by BlueMDPicker
    Thanks to F1nut for playing tripod during the system sound calibration.

    I always knew you had a calling jesse.:D
    "Its worked so far but we're not out yet."
    "Hey big man let me hold a dollar"
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited April 2005
    Tripod is a pretty enviable nickname, don't you think? :p
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,769
    edited April 2005
    Originally posted by BlueMDPicker
    Tripod is a pretty enviable nickname, don't you think? :p

    Yes, yes it is! :D

    BTW, the new TV stand/gear rack looks great.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited April 2005
    Nice setup!:)
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited April 2005
    Originally posted by cfrizz
    Nice setup!:)
    Thank you, maam!

    F1 - Thanks as well. The old "stand" was a stop gap measure (and butt ugly.) Do you know anyone in the business looking for a 75 year old oak library table?
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited April 2005
    Nice.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • janmike
    janmike Posts: 6,146
    edited April 2005
    That is a wealth of Front Speakers. Looks Great!
    Michael ;)
    In the beginning, all knowledge was new!
    NORTH of 60°
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,769
    edited April 2005
    Originally posted by BlueMDPicker
    Do you know anyone in the business looking for a 75 year old oak library table?

    I'm sure I do.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited April 2005
    How can a "loose budget" be broken? Just went into the contingency a tad....

    Looks like a great family time room.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited April 2005
    Originally posted by dorokusai
    Nice.

    Thanks Mark. I ended up moving the DCM to the floor atop the granite slab you gave me. There was an ever so slight bit of magnetic field interference between the massive iron in the amp, and the tubes in the preamp, with everything situated on the rack. Dead quiet now.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited April 2005
    Now THAT'S a room I could be pantless in.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited April 2005
    Originally posted by BlueMDPicker
    Thanks Mark. I ended up moving the DCM to the floor atop the granite slab you gave me. There was an ever so slight bit of magnetic field interference between the massive iron in the amp, and the tubes in the preamp, with everything situated on the rack. Dead quiet now.

    Really? Fantastic, I'm glad that it is still useful for you :)
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2005
    All I can say is.....WOW!! Great set-up you made there, and a great price for it, too! I'm really impressed that you got the Klipsch RF-3s for $300; that's great! Wish I could find some RF-7s for about that.....:D
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2005
    I just looked up the RF-3 and discovered they're the older version of my RF-35s.....I'm not quite so impressed, now......:p



    But still, awesome HT.
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited April 2005
    LOL! The guy I bought the RF-3s from had RF-3IIs and RF-35s as well. I told him I couldn't consider the latter two due to the Monster internal wiring. I didn't want anyone from the forum burning a cross in my front yard! :p
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited April 2005
    We would have burned an "M" in your yard, not a cross.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited April 2005
    OH GREAT! Something else for the planes out of BWI to get a visual fix on. :eek:
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2005
    Originally posted by BlueMDPicker
    I told him I couldn't consider the latter two due to the Monster internal wiring. I didn't want anyone from the forum burning a cross in my front yard! :p

    Shhhhhhh!

    Uhh...did I say I have the RF-35s?! Hehe........*turns red and runs away*



    You still liking that HT rig of yours? Have you listened to music in stereo on your RF-3s yet? Care to share any comments about them?.....that aren't too negative.....lol
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited April 2005
    I've been listening to a LOT of 2-channel with the Klipsch RF-3s since I got the Polk XM tuner. I also have the tuner running analog through the EE/Manley tube rig, but it's so much easier to just click the HK AVR and tuner on and listen when I only have a short amount of time (versus waiting for tube warm-up.)

    In an earlier thread, I commented that if the RF-3s were the only speakers I could have I wouldn't feel deprived in any way. They have a very detailed quality thats hard to beat. I've found they require considerable toe-in to remove the "glare" (for lack of a better term) from the metallic coned drivers and horn loaded tweeters in combo. I have them toed-in and floor spiked since the picture was posted here. The rear loaded ports provide tight, realistic bass. I've tried them 2CH in the new setup with the SVS sub active -- and much prefer them without the sub for most music.

    Matched with the other Reference series speakers in the HT setup, they provide a very seamless and engaging surround experience. Good stuff. If I could find some RF-7s at a great price, I'd get those too.
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2005
    Originally posted by BlueMDPicker
    In an earlier thread, I commented that if the RF-3s were the only speakers I could have I wouldn't feel deprived in any way.

    Wow! Coming from you, that says something! I can now rest easy, knowing that I didn't make a horrible mistake when I got my RF-35s lol.

    Glad you like the set-up!
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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