I need a new stereo receiver...

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Shortly after moving to Singapore, I fried my stereo receiver (I left it on overnight, and heat from the receiver melted the varnish on the shelf above it; the melted varnish then dripped into the component and fried the circuitry. D'oh). Since then, I've been listening to cds through my tv via my dvd player, but this is a big hassle and inferior sound, so I tend not to bother. But I'm tired of not listening much to my largish (500 cd) music collection.

The thing is, I don't have the funds (or the necessary clearances from Mrs. Firefly) to buy a whole new, state-of-the-art system. So I really just need a receiver I can hook up to my 17-year-old cd player and 12+ year old Bose bookshelf speaker (the receiver, which was a mere ten years old, was actually the jewel in the crown of this less-than-stellar system). I cite the ages to let you see how long its been since I've shopped for stereo components; I have no idea how, if at all, the technology has changed since about midway through the Clinton years.

Obviously, I don't want to spend a lot of money, but at the same time I want the best sound I'm likely to get, given the age of the other components. So, questions:

1) Realistically, how cheaply can I pick something up from an on-line vender that isn't utter crap? For example, I've seen a couple well-reviewed receivers for under $100; back in the day, it would have been impossible to get anything good for that price. Have comonent prices fallen, or is a $90 receiver still likely to be no good?

2) What are the key specs I should be reviewing when buying a receiver? For exaple, can someone tell me how I should feel about channels and watts?

Thanks in advance.

[Dis]

holy ****, that thing must have put out a lot of heat. I can't help you much, but I'll bump the thread for you.

I could use a reciever too. Actually I need a whole system with CD players and such. But I never listen to music at home, unless it is on my computer. That works for me.

[Nostromo]

100 bucks?

I heard good things about the Behringer A500. Its a powerful amp and you could have it for under 300 bucks. But you'll need a preamp. Besides, its overkill for your system. Other thing: its a "pro" product, so there's no concern for aesthetics. And its probably on the cheap side: it has a 1 year warranty, whereas Brystons, who are built like tanks and much more expensive, have a 20 year warranty.

I'm thinking of getting a Cambridge Audio Azur integrated amp. A good bang for the buck, IMO.

[Nostromo]

Hope this will be more useful. I read good reviews of the Sonic Impact amp. Its 159$ only. And if that's too expensive for you, they also have 40$ amp.

http://www.si5.com/products.php?pID=4004

Here's a link for the Stereophile review:

http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1006sonic/index.html

[Kuciwalker]

You could get a new CD player and cheap computer speakers for $50.

[Nostromo]

Actually I need a whole system with CD players and such.

CD players ar sooo 20th century. Buy a squeezebox instead. It streams the music that's on your computer on your system. And, if you're tired of your CD's, you can even stream internet radio. Best product I bought in years. The small startup that was making the Squeezebox was recently acquired by Logitech. So expect price drops anytime soon.

[Nostromo]

Or, alternatively, you could buy computer speakers and plug your DVD player on it.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by nostromo
Or, alternatively, you could buy computer speakers and plug your DVD player on it.

I hadn't thought of that (you can tell I'm a music buff, not an audiophile). That would certainly solve the problem of having to play them through the tv, though I'd still rather work with my 5-disc cd player than my single-disc dvd player. But maybe my cd player could take speakers -- I think in has a headphone jack. Worth investigating when I get home.

And thanks for the amp suggestions, too!

@Dis - re heat: yeah, I had it plugged into a current converter (we're on 220 here) rather than a step-down transformer, and I think the converter failed. But if that's true, it probably woyld have been fried, varnish or no.

[Nostromo]

That would certainly solve the problem of having to play them through the tv, though I'd still rather work with my 5-disc cd player than my single-disc dvd player. But maybe my cd player could take speakers -- I think in has a headphone jack. Worth investigating when I get home.

I'm sure you could get an adapter for that.