November 30, 2001
I have a Stromberg Carlson ASR 220c tube amp
that was my father's. I was thinking of matching it with the Axiom Audio Millennia M3Ti
loudspeakers you've recommended and my Kenwood KD291r turntable. The thing is, the ASR
220c only has 12Wpc. How do you think that low level of power from a tube amp will go with
the M3Ti? Thanks a lot. And by the way, this is a great site.
Max Fierst
There are several considerations when
partnering a low-powered amp with speakers, even ones of average efficiency like the
Axioms. First, what type of music do you listen to? If you primarily listen to small-scale
material like jazz, not hard-driving rock or orchestral pieces, you will require less
dynamic headroom and steady-state power. The level you listen at is also important. In my
experience, people vary widely in their preferred listening levels. If you listen at
louder levels, you might run into limitations due to the low power available. Lastly, what
size is the listening room? A large room will require more power, whereas a smaller one is
more easily filled with music from a lower-powered system. Answering these questions will
give you some indication on how things may turn out, and whether the partnering of the
Axioms and the Stromberg Carlson amp has a chance of being a successful combination.
November 29, 2001
I would like to purchase a set of bookshelf
speakers for less than $500 and would like to know which speakers have the best sound --
excluding price. I've tried the 301 from Bose and I am not happy with their sound. Thanks.
Bruce T. Lucas
It seems right now the under-$500 speaker
to beat is the Axiom M22Ti SE. The price is right, it plays all types of music well and is
a bookshelf design, which you specify. One point of note: although it is a bookshelf
speaker, it does have surprising bass and excellent dynamics, something you just can't say
about all speakers designed to be placed on a shelf.
November 26, 2001
I'm looking for speakers and a receiver to
listen to music with in my bedroom (11' x 14'). I have a budget of $1500, cables included.
My favorite types of music are jazz, pop, and acoustic. Could you recommend anything?
Tom
At $900 retail, the Outlaw Audio 1050 and
Axiom M22Ti SE combo comes to mind. Paired together, a system based on these two products
should suit your needs wonderfully. We have several cable reviews coming soon, but based
on preliminary information and pricing, the new Analysis Plus cabling might round out the
package for you. You may even have some money left over!
November 24, 2001
I am looking for an affordable ($500-$600),
good-sounding hybrid preamp to match with a Parasound 1000A amp. Since I am a proud coach
potato, I'd rather have it with remote control. Other features I would like it to have are
tone/tone-defeat controls, balance control, headphone jack, phono input and one or two
tape loops. I have been searching for a while now, but I have not found one because either
they do not have remote control or some of the other features I am looking for, or their
prices are too high for my budget. Another option would be a good solid-state preamp
(maybe Rotel 1070), but I still would like to have some tubes in my system. Is this an
area where I have to make compromises given my limited budget? Is such a preamp just a
dream? What are my options?
Jose L. de los Santos
I would strongly suggest looking at the
B&K PT-3. This remote-controlled preamp/tuner is a solid-state design, but has many of
the other features you're looking for and then some. For example, you can store presets
for the tone controls. This would allow you to defeat them for some inputs and have them
automatically enabled for other sources. You also get a programmable display for multiple
labeling of sources and an excellent tuner section with 40 presets. One feature you did
not mention, but which you may find attractive, is an active, variable crossover and
high-level and subwoofer outputs.
This unit eschews any home-theater-type
functions, but it has just about all you would ever need for stereo listening. Best of
all, it's squarely within your budget. GoodSound! is working on getting a unit in
for review.
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