How to Expand Your Dirt Cheap Stereo
When it comes to having a nice stereo in your home. Cost doesn't have to hold you back. I started the journey on this blog when I put together a $40 component stereo system. While I've spent a little more on it now, I've remained true to the idea of keeping my component costs low.
When I put together a $40 component stereo from thrift shop components, it marked the beginning of a journey rather than an end. I started out with a basic Technics amplifier and tuner for $20 from a local Goodwill. I added a pair of inexpensive 50-watt Sharp mini-stereo speakers, and a cable to connect my Nook Color tablet to the receiver. I got very respectable sound for under $40. However, I immediately started to envision improvements.
If you've put together a similar dirt cheap stereo system, what kinds of additions, improvements, or expansions would make sense for you? Here are some of the additions I made and some suggestions for expanding your dirt cheap stereo.
Tape Deck. Thrift shops are literally awash in unloved tape decks. If you have a collection of music on cassette tapes, want to buy music cheap at thrift stores, or want to buy cutting edge music from cassette-only indie labels, a cassette deck might make sense for you. They often sell for $7 to $15 at thrift stores. I found a Technics Stereo Double Cassette Deck (Model RS-T16) at Goodwill for $15. Well preserved cassette decks may also be found on ebay.com or amazon.com. A few manufacturers still make new models. Cassettes are making a comeback. This old media offers analog music on the cheap.
CD player. A CD player offers an excellent way to bring very high quality music recordings to your stereo. Music on CD is not compressed like it is in the popular MP3 format. One of the first things I bought for my $40 stereo was a Sony 5-disc CD changer. It was $25 at Goodwill. It proved to be a mistake. You can't rely on a 20-year old piece of mechanical equipment. It played, but skipped from time to time and made horrible, clunky, noises when changing discs. On a shoestring budget, I should have spent $10 at a thrift store on a single disc player rather than a $25 changer. Instead, I bought a brand new Insignia brand 5-disc CD changer at Best Buy on sale for $80. I simply wanted to keep our discs in good condition.
Switch Box. In a world full of digital devices, your vintage stereo may not have enough inputs. If you get tired of swapping cables around, you can get a switch box that lets you select the input sent to your receiver. There are many models in the market ranging from $15 to $30. The TCC TC-716 Stereo Source Selector is affordable on Amazon.com.
Speakers. Finally, no accessory has more impact on the sound of your system than your speakers. You'll want to find stereo speakers that match the resistance rating of your receiver (8 ohms to 8 ohms). You also need to find speakers that are appropriate for your space. I'm currently experimenting with a set of Sharp speakers, a part of $11 Sony SS-D201 bookshelf speakers, and some Bose Acoustimass speakers that I've long had in storage. However, since I live in an apartment, I'm reluctant to attach Bose sub-woofer. That gives a slight advantage to the other 3-way bookshelf speakers. For your stereo, you can either experiment with thrift store finds or buy some decent new speakers for $50 to $100.
Music. While it is fun to play with stereo gear configurations, at some point, it is time to lock in the savings from buying dirt cheap gear and invest in some music. We've been delighted to find lots of great music on CD at Walmart and Best Buy for only $5 per disc. Thrift stores charge only a couple of dollars per disc. At these low prices, we don't have to hassle with online music stores, the cloud, slow internet download speeds, or any other high tech hassles. Now, we can simply load up some discs, dial in a radio station, or attach a streaming device, and enjoy some music.
If there are a few rules to follow in creating your own audio experience, they are build your own stereo system, don't worry about audio perfection, stop fussing with it, and crank it up!
Sources:
Amazon.com
BestBuy.com
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