Building a 2 channel stereo.
Hello! I’m Tom, founder of Vinyl for The People. The other day, while listening to some lovely lady vocalists I was hit with an idea. “Why don’t you share your experiences, follies, and expertise? Why don’t you start a blog…so people don’t have to learn the hard way, and potentially be turned away from the beauty that is listening to music on vinyl?” I couldn’t (and shouldn’t) argue with myself so here it is.
I’m going to open up about something that has changed my life, the story of my first dedicated 2 channel stereo! Some believe that good sound can only be had at great expense. Then there is the D.I.Y. type…I’m somewhere in between. When I built my first 2 channel system, I knew I wanted McIntosh gear. I was ready to bite a costly bullet and not look back. I spent a lot of time comparing gear, countless trips to the two local hifi shops that carried Mac gear and right before I was ready to pull the trigger I stopped.
I sat in my living room, and turned on the tried and true frankenstereo that had grown over 8 years from 2 to 7.2 channels and contained a hodgepodge of brands. Klipsch F2 floor standing speakers, One Rel sub, Bose 5.1 acoustamass surround speakers, all of the wires redone with monster cables and terminated the way Bose does things. A Sony SACD/DVD player, Neumark USB TT, Apple Airport and lastly, my trusty Sony receiver.
The Frankenstereo was the pinnacle of not so careful gear selection, along with what could fit my budget spanning the years. I knew I wanted a 2 channel system and I also knew I didn’t want it to come from a big box store. Now…I’m not completely opposed to mega retailers, they have their place.
This system was to be conceived based on the knowledge of people who actually love music and gear. Sure they get a commission off of me, but that too doesn’t matter. I’d rather work with someone passionate that relies on selling me a dream component than someone that works for [Big Box Store] in a polo shirt that just finished watching [Insert Electronics company name]’s training video on the latest all in one system in a box that will suit and exceed “all of my musical dreams” (real quote).
I guess not everyone dreams in three dimensions…I must have gone to my local Hi-Fi dealers 20 times before finally settling on any gear. They knew what was up as soon as I pulled up, Stereophile or some printed online review in hand. With questions…lots of questions, lol. This story is to be continued, and this is where I’m going to end my introductory post. I look forward to our commentary and sharing. We are going to build quite the relationship.
Until next time, keep spinning!
–Tom
