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Looking for a mini receiver for bedroom

BrianZ

BrianZ

Active Member
I'm wanting to upgrade the compact stereo in my bedroom, which is currently the Boston Acoustics Duo-i Plus mega clock radio. The only things I need it to have are an AM/FM tuner, MP3 player input (3.5mm or RCA) and basic eq control (T&B, say). And I need it to be very small to fit atop my dresser, like 10" deep or less. That's it really, nothing more nothing less, but I am not seeing anything on the web. I was thinking of pairing it with a set of Audioengine P4B speakers.

Total price for the system would be best at under $400. The Audioengine speakers are $250 so I'd love the receiver to be $150 or less. I'm not married to the idea of the Audioengines btw. It's just that I love the A2 powered set I use with my computer so I already know I like the way they voice their speakers.

Bonus points for older or discontinued model suggestions that I can get cheap on eBay.
 
They aren't hard to find as Onkyo, Denon, and Yamaha all make mini systems. It may be difficult to find one without speakers included though. What about the Parasound Zpre2 or Zcd? Though they may blow your budget.

Zcd

Zpre2
 
yeah, that's the issue: they all have speakers already. i'd love to be able to just buy one of these mini receivers separately. i'm also looking at used listings for these kinds of things. maybe if i find one cheap enough i could consider the speakers disposable.

and yes, those Parasound units are too far over budget. plus they look too big. i'm really looking for something tiny if possible, and only like 20W or something.

actually i just remembered i have a 2nd set of Audioengine A2's that i was planning to sell. they are powered so i suppose could use these and just get a small decent radio with headphone out (to feed the A2's) and mp3 input. so i guess i'd be interested in any suggestions in this realm too. but then again anything like this would likely have integral speakers. hmmm.
 
FYI the "Z" chassis for those two products are 10"x10" by 2" tall so if you could find a used Zcd, that would do exactly what you want with a pair small powered monitors. It has 3.5mm stereo input,USB input for mp3s, of course plays CDs and has a variable volume output so you don't need an outboard preamp.
 
Batman said:
FYI the "Z" chassis for those two products are 10"x10" by 2" tall so if you could find a used Zcd, that would do exactly what you want with a pair small powered monitors. It has 3.5mm stereo input,USB input for mp3s, of course plays CDs and has a variable volume output so you don't need an outboard preamp.
Click to expand...

Oh, ok. Amazon says the wrong dimensions (14x13x7). Maybe that's the shipping box. Cool.

Oh wait, just realized it doesn't have a tuner. Listening to NPR is the majority of what I need this for. Oh well. Thanks anyway.
 
Towen7 said:
Pawn shops?
Click to expand...

Yeah, not opposed to that at all. Might just do that, thanks. Would like to get a few good model numbers to eBay with too. I've had a lot of good luck with NOS stuff on eBay lately, thus my special request for older mode recommendations.
 
I was just in a salvation army kind of store the other day and they some electronics that I thought might meet your needs.
 
Well I got lazy and just bought an open box Yamaha CRX332 via Amazon for $200. I'm sure I coulda found something decent at a thrift or pawn shop but oh well. It's a bit longer than I would like but the price is right, so it's just gonna have to hang over the edge of my dresser a bit.

Also found a like-new pair of Audioengine P4's on eBay for $200. So I even ended up staying on budget, which is rare.

Thanks all for your help!
 
Congrats Brian! I'm a huge Yamaha fan, you'll be happy. And relish than new electronic smell, vs. the old cigarette smell you'd have gotten from a Pawn Shop Pollie… ;)
 
Botch said:
Congrats Brian! I'm a huge Yamaha fan, you'll be happy. And relish than new electronic smell, vs. the old cigarette smell you'd have gotten from a Pawn Shop Pollie… ;)
Click to expand...

I do love that smell, yesiree. :)

Thanks again, all.
 
UPDATE:

so i received both components (Audioengione P4 speakers and the Yamaha CRX322 bookshelf receiver), and my initial impression: i hate it. no good at all. i made the bad assumption that the P4's would sound just like the Audioengine powered speakers (like my wondrous A2's), but they're not even close. they are thin, harsh, cheap sounding to my ear.

in fact i'm not even super thrilled about the Yamaha unit because it has a really high noise floor when using the AUX input. although the other inputs are quiet and it's nice having the CD player. plus the size and functionality is just what i need, so this may still be a keeper.

but as for the speakers, well shit i guess it's back to the drawing board. anyone know of any others? clear, full & refined for $200 is my quest. i know, it sounds impossible. but the A2's do it somehow. i only wish they were available in passive. maybe i could mod them to disconnect the internal amp somehow.

ok, so i'm off to start looking into small awesome speakers. may even post a thread in the speaker area.
 
UPDATE #2:

fuggit. i have a new plan. i have been auditioning everything i have in my bedroom all morning, including a spare set of Audioengine A2's that i was gonna sell to help pay for the new speakers. i just love the A2's so much and honestly the amount of low end is fine for a bedroom (it's not a whole lot, but it really packs a good clean punch). so i'm just gonna get another set of these and simply use the two passives (and pack away the two powered units in the attic or something). i see a some used mint ones available locally for $85. why deny what i know i love just 'cuz they're inexpensive and not 'big' enough, right?

am i crazy for loving these things so much?? anyone else around here familiar with them? i'd love to compare notes & appreciation.
 
The noise floor issue is more likely from the source than the receiver. If you are using a portable media player or your PC as the source, be sure to turn all of the volume controls to max on those devices if you are connecting them to a receiver/amp.
 
aw,crap.

so i got the used set of A2's, hooked up the two passives to the Yamaha and . . . i'm sorta let down. sounds better than the P4's, but still not the wow that i get from running the A2's as a powered set. using the same source (Zune player) i did some a/b'ing comparing this passive A2 arrangement to standard powered A2's. i set them both to equal volume and even tweaked the Yamaha's eq to come as close as possible to the sound coming out of the powered A2 path (which has no eq). the powered A2's are just more 3D, realistic, punchy and alive. they really designed that internal amp to get every drop of good out of these little speakers. and who would have guessed they lose their magic when you separate the speakers from the integral amp?? grrrrrrrr.

so now i'm tempted to just return everything, eat all the shipping costs and simply run my Zune through the powered set of A2's. the Zune does have a radio afterall. it would just be a little clunky to have the Zune always plugged in for power.
 
Flint said:
The noise floor issue is more likely from the source than the receiver. If you are using a portable media player or your PC as the source, be sure to turn all of the volume controls to max on those devices if you are connecting them to a receiver/amp.
Click to expand...

After some testing it seems the Yamaha is just simply a bit noisy. They don't publish the S/N ratio so I can't put numbers to it, but there's no getting around the fact that there's a noticeable noise floor no matter what input is being used. Moreso than any of my other audio devices (HK receiver, Audioengine A2's, Zune player).

and in case anyone is reading this thread and not the other one i have going in the Speaker area, i ended up getting a set of PSB Alpha B1's to pair with this Yamaha mini receiver. i go into more detail in the other thread, but the summary is: i'm wild about them! fantastic set of budget speakers and just what i was looking for, though a bit bigger than i had in mind for the top of my dresser. seriously huge sound for a bedroom - highly recommended! only downside is that i can now easily hear the difference between playing CD's and my MP3 player, so now i'll be hauling CD's up and down the stairs. but well worth the inconvenience!
 
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