Starting out…
(The lowest price system)
You’ll want a receiver which is the brain of your stereo system. Everything hooks into the receiver:
- Speakers
- CD Player
- Turntable
Luckily, we carry the Yamaha R-N303 which is a Network Stereo Receiver. Compatible with a large variety of popular streaming services, including SiriusXM, Spotify, Pandora, TIDAL, Deezer, Napster and others — the R-N303 encourages discovery of new music from all over the world and includes Net Radio which gives you access to over 50,000 radio stations worldwide (for free). Add a pair of Definitive Technology D7 speakers and you’ll be able to listen to your favorite music immediately.
TOTAL PACKAGE:
$798.95
+ tax
We have speaker wire for as little as 80¢ per foot for 16/2 (two strands of 16 gauge audio-quality wire). If your speakers are five feet away from your receiver, that’s two times five feet, times 80¢ which equals $8 to add to the above total.
Possible additions…
If you want to play records or CDs on your new system, you’ll need a CD player and/or a Turntable. These two are our best sellers for good reason. For CDs we recommend the BD-S681 which plays both CDs and Blu-Ray DVDs. The laser for the CD portion is very high quality, so high that it will play Super Audio CDs. The Audio-Technica LP120USB turntable is a real work-horse. It’s very reliable and can play all speeds: 45s, 33s, and 78s. In addition to plugging directly into a computer so you can digitize your record collection, it can also play a record backwards.
Both for:
$628.95
+ tax
You’ll need interconnect cables to attach these to your receiver. We recommend Audioquest Evergreen interconnects which are $32 for 2 foot length or $39.95 for 5 foot length. So if you get both of these these add-on components and you get the two-foot interconnects, add $64 to the above total.
A better System…
If you care a lot about the quality of sound you get out of your music, you’ll want to consider the R-N803. The total harmonic distortion of the R-N803 is 0.019% whereas the R-N303 (mentioned above) has a total harmonic distortion of .2%. If you like to listen to more than one CD at a time, the CD-C600 is a Five Disc Changer, yet costs the same as the BD-S681 (mentioned above). Magnepan speakers produce more clarity of sound than any speaker on the market. They are so good and sound so pure that it’s like going on a thrill ride every time you listen to them.
TOTAL PACKAGE:
$1,729.90
+ tax
We recommend 14/4 speaker wire (four strands of 14 gauge audio-quality wire) for $1.50 per foot. and for interconnects between the receiver and CD player we recommend Tributaries analog cables: 1.7 foot, $40 or 3.3 foot, $44. If you get 10 foot of speaker wire and a pair of 3.3 foot Tributaries interconnects, add $59 to the above total.
An even better system…
You may be old enough to remember the “tube sound”. Back in the day, receivers and amplifiers that used tubes sounded much more natural and warmer than today’s solid-state equipment. Rogue Audio makes a brand new version of a tube amp called the Cronus Magnum III and it really makes music sound beautiful. The Yamaha CD-S700 is a high-end CD player which can also play Super Audio CDs. The Magnepan 1.7s have a full sound with plenty of bass and the same clarity of sound Magnepans are famous for. Yamaha makes a pre-amp called the WXC-50DS. With the WXC-50 you can turn your Cronus Magnum into a network receiver that streams SiriusXM, Spotify, Pandora, TIDAL, Deezer, Napster and others plus you’ll receive over 50,000 radio stations worldwide with the built-in Net Radio.
TOTAL PACKAGE:
$5,193.95
+ tax
Options:
Since the Cronus Magnum is an amplifier and not a receiver, you may consider the Yamaha WXC-50 which is a streaming pre-amplifier so that you can access Net Radio and most of the popular streaming services. Just add $349.95 + tax. If you’d like even bigger sound from your Cronus Magnum III you may choose the Magnepan 1.7 speakers over the .7s. Just add $805 + tax.
We recommend Audioquest Golden Gate interconnects to connect the CD player and the Pre-Amp to the Cronus Magnum. 3.4 foot $69.95 or 5 foot $74.00. We recommend Audioquest 14/2 speaker wire (two strands of 14 gauge audio-quality wire) $1.95 per foot or the above mentioned 14/4 (four strands of 14 gauge wire) $1.50 per foot. If you get the two pair of 3.4 foot interconnects and 15 foot of speaker wire add $169.15 to the above total.
The absolute best system…
If money is not an issue, this is the ultimate system for you. The RP9 pre-amp drives the two Apollo Dark monoblocks which power the Magnepan 30.7 speakers. The Aries Magnum phono pre-amp brings sound from your Origin Live turntable. And once more, to give your amp the ability to receive.
TOTAL PACKAGE:
$62,348.90
+ tax
We recommend Nordost interconnects between the turntable, phono pre-amp, streaming pre-amp, CD player, RP-9 pre-amp and the monoblocks. Between the RP-9 Pre-amp and the Turbo Dark monoblocks we recommend the Nordost Valhalla-2 intercnnects. A pair of two-meter interconnects (roughly six foot) costs $10,289.99. For the remaining interconnects we recommend the Tyr 2 interconnects. A pair of one-meter interconnects are $2,635.99. For the speaker wire, we recommend Nordost Odin-2 flat speaker wire. A pair of three-meter speaker cables (roughly 10 foot) costs $48,299.99. If you get the Valhalla-2 and Tyr-2 interconnects and the Odin-2 speaker wire add $66,497.95 to the above total.
Bare minimum…
If you’re a minimalist, you can purchase either the MusicCast 20 or the MusicCast 50. These are powerful wireless speakers that fill your room with dynamic, natural, crystal-clear sound and they work with Amazon Alexa. Both models come in either black or white. They’re very stylish and need no extra cables. With one (or two) of these speakers with built-in streaming and Net Radio, you could be listening to great music within three to five minutes of plugging them in. (Requires internet access.)
