I decided to finally suck it up and get a turntable. The last few years I've mostly been using cloud based services for music, specifically Spotify. I mostly listen to music on my PC speakers and headphones.
I've been doing a lot of research the last few days and I've learned a lot about hardware. Here is my issue. I know I could go the simple route and buy a pair of speakers and a turntable with a built in pre-amp at about $750 (Audio Technica AT-LP120 & Audioengine A5+).
That may be the right option for me, but then I starting looking into the difference between direct drive and belt drive turntables. Now I kind of want to go for a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon instead of the AT-LP120, but this would require a preamp. So I started just looking at AV receivers because at this point I was also comparing floor speakers to the bookshelf speakers and I was thinking that it would be nice to get something that I could upgrade later and a sub might be nice down the line to make up for not having the space for floor speakers (I live in a loft). While looking into AV Receivers I'm getting lost. The field is so full of products with so many different features, many of which I don't understand.
If I go with the bigger build (which I want to do) I want to get a AV receiver that has a built in preamp(I was surprised many don't), that has good network options and is able to connect to Spotify, and will integrate well with my TV. The space is such that I will never really be able to use 7.1 surround. I think at most I might end up with 2-4 bookshelf speakers and a sub or maybe a couple smaller subs. I would also want the ability to upgrade/add things later.
So with all that in mind I've been looking at AV receivers in the $350-550 range. I am not a big theater guy, I watch stuff occasionally but this is mainly for music. I don't need a ton of features for a home theater, but the internet/bluetooth/spotify/preamp options are very important to me.
If I go with the more comprehensive system option, which receiver would be a good choice given what I want to use it for. I've read some good reviews of the Onkyo TX-NR636, but it also seems a little overkill for what I want to use it for and some folks are having some issues with the HDMI output. Other recommendations for future upgrades/additions would also be appreciated.
I decided to finally suck it up and get a turntable. The last few years I've mostly been using cloud based services for music, specifically Spotify. I mostly listen to music on my PC speakers and headphones.
I've been doing a lot of research the last few days and I've learned a lot about hardware. Here is my issue. I know I could go the simple route and buy a pair of speakers and a turntable with a built in pre-amp at about $750 (Audio Technica AT-LP120 & Audioengine A5+).
That may be the right option for me, but then I starting looking into the difference between direct drive and belt drive turntables. Now I kind of want to go for a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon instead of the AT-LP120, but this would require a preamp. So I started just looking at AV receivers because at this point I was also comparing floor speakers to the bookshelf speakers and I was thinking that it would be nice to get something that I could upgrade later and a sub might be nice down the line to make up for not having the space for floor speakers (I live in a loft). While looking into AV Receivers I'm getting lost. The field is so full of products with so many different features, many of which I don't understand.
If I go with the bigger build (which I want to do) I want to get a AV receiver that has a built in preamp(I was surprised many don't), that has good network options and is able to connect to Spotify, and will integrate well with my TV. The space is such that I will never really be able to use 7.1 surround. I think at most I might end up with 2-4 bookshelf speakers and a sub or maybe a couple smaller subs. I would also want the ability to upgrade/add things later.
So with all that in mind I've been looking at AV receivers in the $350-550 range. I am not a big theater guy, I watch stuff occasionally but this is mainly for music. I don't need a ton of features for a home theater, but the internet/bluetooth/spotify/preamp options are very important to me.
If I go with the more comprehensive system option, which receiver would be a good choice given what I want to use it for. I've read some good reviews of the Onkyo TX-NR636, but it also seems a little overkill for what I want to use it for and some folks are having some issues with the HDMI output. Other recommendations for future upgrades/additions would also be appreciated.