Will’s Picks - 1
When I first started getting into high end audio a few years ago, I naturally assumed that the relationship between cost and quality would be fairly linear: more expensive equipment should, overall, sound better. While there is undeniably some level of truth to that, I’ve learned in my time here at Glenn Poor’s that it’s far from a golden rule. With so many different components working in sync, taking the time to find combinations of equipment that complement each other and blend together well can have more influence on how an audio system actually sounds than the overall cost does. As prices on the top end of the industry continue to go up, I’ve always thought one of the most valuable things about a place like ours is the ability to experiment and put together setups that sound incredible and provide great value — and to help our many customers over the years do the same for themselves. In that spirit, I’m starting a new series on our website highlighting some of our favorite combinations of the excellent speakers, amplifiers, and players we carry at the store. These systems will be somewhat geared towards new listeners (every combo listed can be played on its own without requiring you to own any other equipment), but I hope that everyone can take some inspiration from these setups that combine to sound better than the sum of their parts.
-Will
Basic CD System - $1550
Dynaudio Emit 10 - $800 NAD C 316BEE - $400 NAD C 538 - $350
I’ll start things off with a simple system that would be a great option for anyone who’s just entering the world of high-end audio. First, the speakers: when it comes to pure sound quality Dynaudio is a tough brand to beat. True to their name, their products have always provided incredibly dynamic sound featuring some of the best drivers in the business and, despite being the most inexpensive speaker in their lineup, the Emit 10 certainly carries on that legacy. These won’t quite fill up a huge space the way bigger speakers would, but in a smaller room they really shine and provide a truly suprising amount of range and bass for $800 bookshelf speakers. These also have a nice, understated appearance and have finish options in white, black, and walnut available to help them blend into any room.
At the heart of this system is NAD’s C 316BEE amplifier. With a price point of only $400 you’ll expect some sacrifices to have to be made here, but when listening to the C 316 it’s really hard to figure out what they are. This amp is able to easily drive most of our speakers while providing the great sound quality that NAD is known for, and it has all the main features you’d want, including 5 inputs, a headphone jack, and tone controls. This isn’t a product that tries to do anything too crazy, but it’s one that honestly does not do anything wrong. The power of the amplifier really gets the most of of the Emit 10s, and even playing at low volume the bass is tight and has real impact, with vocals sounding very detailed - especially in the higher ranges. I’ve paired the C 316 and the Dynaudios with NAD’s C 538 CD player, another fantastic budget offering from the brand that doesn’t come with too many extra features but executes the basics just about perfectly. At $350 for the player, this puts the total price for this system at only $1550, and with Dynaudio currently running a sale on the Emit speakers, that comes down even further to $1350!
This bundle is an excellent entry point for those who are just starting their hi-fi collection or for someone who’s looking to add a secondary system to an office space or something similar: it’s compact, incredibly easy to set up, and gives clear sound with reliable components from some great brands. This is also a very flexible base to build out from, especially with the newer “V2” models of the C 316 amplifier now including an excellent phono stage for record players. Depending on how you listen to your music, the $600 Rega P1 turntable or the $500 BlueSound Node streamer could be options instead of (or in addition to) the CD player to give you more freedom while keeping the overall price low. I’ll leave you with what I’ve found to be the real golden rule in this business: trust your ears. There’s an endless amount of writing out there about this equipment (which I’m now adding to), but the best way to find the truth is always to come in and listen for yourself.
Thanks for reading, I’ll be back with more soon.
