During the mid-eighties I was the Editor of (and primary contributor to) a publication called Audio/Video Buyer's Guide. This story appeared in 1986.

Four Great Systems: The Editor's private, personal advice on exactly what to buy for $600, $1200, $2000, and more.

You're at a fancy party — a very fancy party (never mind what you're doing there in the first place) — and the hostess, Buffy Bigbucks approaches, intent upon doing some serious introducing.

"Ockie," intones Buffy, using her best Newport drawl, "I'd like you to meet Dr. Ellsworth Uppercrust. Ellsworth, this is Ockie Glub."

Gathering all of the social grace you can muster, you balance your plate of hors d'oeuvres atop your drink, wipe your hand on your trousers, and offer it to the Doctor, saying "Pleased ta meetcha Doc. By the way, I've got this boil that's been acting up and if it wouldn't be to much trouble wouldja mind having a look at it?"

Unfortunately, Dr. Uppercrust's answer is lost to history, for upon hearing your question, Buffy Bigbucks fainted dead away (her last conscious thought being "I'm ruined") and the good Doctor found himself, much to his relief, with more important things to do than deal with your loathsome boil.

Sound farfetched? It is, a little, but the point is valid: anyone with expertise in a given area is likely to be called upon at inconvenient times to demonstrate that expertise. I, for example, am considered knowledgeable in the field of hi-fi, and friends, relatives, and strangers exhibit no reluctance in approaching me at any hour seeking advice. Nine out of ten times the advice being sought is directly related to an impending purchase.

"What should I buy?" is usually the first question I'm asked, and "How much money do you have?" is usually my response. Once that important variable has been nailed down, issues like "do you want video capabilities?" and "what's more important to you: having FM and records and tape and CD, or doing without one or two of them and getting better sound?" can be considered.

Over the years, I must have recommended hundreds of systems and (modesty aside) those friends and relatives who followed my personal advice are, on the whole, a highly satisfied bunch, at least hi-fi-wise. Up till now, though, the rest of you have been pretty much on your own insofar as specific recommendations are concerned. That's not necessarily an awful situation, of course, because there's plenty of basic information available, much of it in this Guide, to see to it that you make a good choice. But, lazy bones that you are, you'd much rather have me say "buy this." You'd rather I treat you like family, instead of the perfect stranger you are.

All right. You win. I'll pretend, for the moment, that you are a member of that small circle who can count on me for the straight dope. But just this once, so pay attention.

The Ground Rules
Sometimes good advice hurts, or at least following it does. If your expectation (based, perhaps, upon department store advertising flyers) is that $600 will buy receiver, turntable, cassette deck, CD player, and speakers, forget it. You might be able to find such a package, but it certainly won't be hi-fi, and it probably won't last till next Easter. If that's how you want to spend your money, you're on your own, and I'd say the same to Uncle Carl. I'm treating you like family, remember? So I don't want any dissatisfied distant cousins calling me to complain that the system I recommended broke after a month, or worse, that it sounds bad. The advice that follows reflects my prejudices, among which is the belief that if you buy good you have good.

About These Prices
It's rumored that somebody once paid "list" price for a hi-fi system, but you certainly shouldn't. As to just how much of a discount you can expect, that's up to you. It depends upon what you're buying, and where. I'm going to be conservative, and take roughly fifteen percent off the list price of the recommended equipment.

$600: A Basic — and Unusual — System
My first car cost lots less than $600, and it was a pretty good car. But that was 18 years ago, and now I pay almost that much for a tune up. Your $600, in 1986, can buy a pretty fair pair of speakers, along with a modest receiver to drive them and either a basic record player or a cassette deck. That's not the way I'd go if it were my $600.

Here's what I'd do: I'd allot $300 for a Sony D-7 portable CD player, $229 for a pair of self-powered Bose RoomMate loudspeakers, $50 for Koss' PortaPro headphones, and about $125 for whatever really good Walkman-style FM/cassette portable was on sale locally. That adds up to $704, and taking a 15% discount should be buyable for $598.40. I chose the Sony over the Technics SL-XP7 only because it can run on standard alkaline batteries in addition to the rechargeable ones, which is handy if you're using the unit somewhere that doesn't have an outlet. The Bose RoomMates (which are available in black or white) take their signal from the headphone jack of any portable. They must be plugged into the wall, though, which is why the system also includes the Koss headphones so you can also use both portables as portables. The PortaPros are certain to be better than whatever comes with the FM/Tape unit you buy, and having two sets of headphones means that both portables can be used at once.

What you wind up with is a system that might not sound quite as good as the best possible conventional $600 system, but which is loads more flexible. You can use it with the speakers anywhere there's an AC outlet within extension cord range. Further, the entire system fits into a single satchel, so it can easily go on vacation with you, or off to college, or wherever. Further, the CD player has a standard pair of audio output jacks, allowing it to be used in a traditional system as well. Purists might prefer to spend $600 in a more orthodox manner, but what do they know.

$1,200: A Good — and Very Upgradable — System
With a (list price) budget of around $1400 to play with it's possible to get a fine audio system and to provide plenty of room for expansion to include video in the future. This means, however, allotting $500 for the receiver. In the past, I might have recommended spending a bit less for the receiver in a system of this price, allocating proportionately more for the speakers. However, the overall quality of moderately priced speakers is much higher than it used to be, making the sacrifice more conceptual than actual. Therefore, the centerpiece of the thousand dollar system is going to be Onkyo's TX-RV47. Its conventional (i.e., hi-fi) credentials include 55 watts per channel of power, and a tuner section whose performance betrays strong links to Onkyo's fabulous T-9090 tuner. But these days good receivers are pretty thick on the ground; what sets the TX-RV47 apart from the competition?

Plenty: first, it's supplied with a comprehensive wireless remote control unit. (Don't scoff. Unless you've used a remote control system and then had to do without it for a while you don't know what a blessing it is, if only for the ability to mute commercials when listening to the tuner. These days it doesn't add much to the price of the system, either.) And second, the "V" in its nomenclature stands for — what else — video, and the TX-RV47 is particularly well equipped in that area. Its switching facilities include inputs for three video sources, and an "alternate audio" switch allows an audio source to be used with a video signal. An innovative and highly effective four-channel matrix system is built into the unit, requiring only the addition of a second pair of speakers to yield very convincing surround sound with video. This circuit also can be used to add hall ambience to conventional audio sources. Those sources might also benefit from the use of the stereo image expander. Onkyo also provides for mono sources (which is to say, most TV soundtracks) with a stereo synthesizer circuit.

All of these capable and entertaining circuits will be more than adequate to drive a pair of $340 ADS L470 loudspeakers. ADS pioneered the trend towards higher efficiency in acoustic suspension speakers. The development of very stiff, yet very light cone materials was one of the things that made this possible, and a side benefit is higher accuracy as well. The L470 is very compact (16-1/2 x 10-1/4 x 9-3/4 inches) and requires a scant 15 watts per channel for decent volume levels. Aside from sounding very good, the L470 is one of the best built speakers in its price range.

With $560 left to spend on our system it's time to consider signal sources. After all, there's more to life than FM radio! Because this is a forward-looking system, I'm going to recommend a CD player as the primary source. Technics' $350 SL-P100 represents an excellent value, because in addition to the usual programming functions, which let you play the songs on a disc in any order you choose, it has a couple of other useful features. One of these is an "auto-space" button which inserts a few seconds of silence between songs. Aside from any aesthetic considerations, this means that any tapes you make will be able to activate your car deck's music search function.

The remaining money goes for Onkyo's TA-2027 cassette deck. It sounds better than you'd expect a $210 deck to sound, and operates with a smoothness that was unavailable for less than twice the price not long ago. The total list price of this system is an even $1,400, which means that a 15% discount brings the actual cost to $1,190. Take the extra ten bucks and start saving for a $100 record player.

$2,000: A Good Audio/Video System or A Very Good Audio System
With a list price of $2,400 to work with, the possibilities open up considerably. One approach to spending this kind of dough simply takes the $1,200 system, and adds the equipment needed to fulfill its audio/video promise. This consists of a second pair of speakers and VCR (along with, of course, your existing television set). This strategy yields a highly respectable and, perhaps as important, beautifully integrated audio/video system. The rear speakers can be very compact, but should be capable of putting out a reasonable amount of sound. A pair of Boston Acoustics A40s, at $150, will do the job very nicely.

This leaves $682.50 for a VCR, which should be plenty if you're a good shopper. As far as that goes, I'm going to keep my promise to tell you the same thing I tell my real-life friends: the VCR marketplace is so volatile it's impossible for me to recommend a specific model. VCRs go on sale all the time, and the best thing to do is check the newspaper advertisements when you're ready to buy. If you stick with a major brand it's hard to imagine that you'll be disappointed. The decision between VHS and Beta has to be made based upon your intended use. If you plan to operate pretty much on your own — without doing much renting or tape swapping — Beta offers a slightly better picture. The tradeoff is one of isolation. Most video rental stores confine themselves to VHS, and in all likelihood so do most of the people you're going to want to trade tapes with. In either instance, you'll want hi-fi sound and, if possible, an MTS/SAP tuner. It's likely that all of the networks will be broadcasting at least some stereo by Fall, and while it's possible to upgrade any system with an outboard stereo decoder, it's more elegant to have it built in from the beginning.

On the other hand, you might not give a hoot about video, and would sooner spend two grand on the best possible sound. No problem. Celestion recently introduced the SL6S, which replaces the highly regarded SL6. The new model is more efficient, and even more accurate than its predecessor. You need to be able to suppress the "bigger is better" reflex, though, because each SL6S measures a scant 15 x 8 x 10 inches — not a lot of hardware for $900 a pair. Here's what to reply when your friends say "boy, my speakers are lots bigger than that, and I only paid a hundred bucks for them." You simply say "I decided that my speakers should cater to my ears, not to my ego." Seriously: you'd be hard-pressed to find a more satisfactory speaker for the money, regardless of size.

To drive the Celestions I recommend the $478 NAD 7140 receiver. The 7140 isn't quite a "no-frills" receiver, but neither is it loaded with extra features. NAD's design philosophy demands that virtually everything circuit and control be devote to improving the overall sound of the system, and the 7140 reflects that philosophy very clearly. Rest assured, though, that the $2,000 system doesn't completely eschew frills. Such niceties are a virtual necessity on a Compact Disc player, and the $430 Magnavox CDB 650 has one which is, at the moment, unique. Every CD has its catalogue number digitally encoded along with the track and index information. The CDB 650's microprocessor is able to recognize that catalogue number and associate with it whatever programming sequence you choose. Then, each time you play that disc you have three options: you may listen to it all the way through, program a new — and temporary — sequence of tracks, or simply play the sequence you previously placed into the memory. It's a great way to automatically avoid the songs you dislike, and hear your favorites as many times as you wish.

I'm going go back to the no-frills column for a tape deck, and recommend the new Harman/Kardon TD302, at $430. While it's possible stay within the budget and still get a full complement of bells and whistles, that approach will sacrifice sound quality. Harman/Kardon has included a few worthwhile features, but that's the icing on a very well crafted cake. The TD302's circuitry includes Dolby HX Pro, which extends high frequency headroom (the cassette format's biggest inherent weakness) and helps the deck to achieve a +/- 3dB frequency response of 20-20,000 Hz.

We've only got $162 left for record playing facilities, but that's still enough for Denon's $160 DP-7F, the company's first P-mount turntable. While that leaves only $2 for a phono cartridge, I'm betting that a smart shopper like you can get the salesperson to include Audio-Technica's $60 AT201EP or even (if you're real sharp) the $100 AT216P.

Is There a Best System?
The $2,000 sound system is one whose performance is at a very high-level. In fact, I could live with it myself, and be very happy. Except in a single area — bass response — it has reached the point of diminishing returns, beyond which it would take a considerable investment to yield even a modest sonic improvement. That being the case, the next system is my fantasy. It's what I would buy if I had all the money in the world. Mind you, it's not simply a list of the most expensive components in every product category. There are, for instance, speakers that cost over $30,000; my favorites are only $5300. And having mentioned speakers, let's start with them.

 To my ears, the best speaker system available for any amount of money is the Nestorovic System 12A. It consists of a pair of Type 8 subwoofers, and a pair of Type 4A satellites. Eact subwoofer has a pair of 12-inch drivers in a patented configuration which calls for one woofer to be active at all times, and the other to be either active or passive depending upon frequency and drive level. The result is bass response that is both well-defined and flat down to 16Hz. The two satellites take over above 100Hz. Each one contains an eight-inch woofer, a four-inch cone/dome midrange, and a planar tweeter. Taken together, the System 12A creates a sound stage of exceptional depth, breadth, and clarity, and — needless to say — doesn't give up anything in frequency or transient response in order to do so. The Nestorovic System 12A can be driven by a single stereo amplifier, but biamplification using an active crossover network affords a surprisingly audible improvement. In order to biamplify the system I'm going to specify the Nestorovic Crossover ($660), along with four Nestorovic Alpha One tube-type 150 watt monaural power amplifiers ($2,200 each). The Alpha One is the best sounding amplifier I've ever heard, is a perfect match for the Nestorovic speakers, and looks great.

Preamplifiers are a tough call. The most significant sonic aspect of a preamplifier's performance is how well its phono section works, but this is my dream system and I hardly listen to phonograph records at all any more. Therefore, I'm going to opt for a preamp whose phono section is only excellent (rather than outstanding), but whose flexibility is matchless. The Soundcraftsmen DX4200 ($699) has two tape monitor and two external processor loops, along with a ten-band equalizer. Now, I don't use an equalizer a whole lot, and virtually never for listening to conventional audio sources. But video soundtracks often need some touching up, and I also like to pre-equalize tapes I make for the car. Since the DX4200's equalizer is as good as most outboard units, and the preamp itself is fine too, why not go for the convenience of a single box?

The choice of an FM tuner is simple, for there's one whose performance sets it far apart from the crowd. Let me explain something: I get terrible FM reception in my house. In fact, it's so terrible that even with a good roof antenna most of the stations I'd like to hear are virtually unlistenable. Over the past five years I've tried more than two dozen of the best tuners available, hoping to find one that would allow me to listen to distortion-free FM. Finally I found one. Onkyo's astonishing T-9090, probably the first real "super tuner" since the Draco Micro CPU 100 of more than a decade ago. The T-9090 has a bunch of interesting features, including a computer that analyzes the signal and sets various tuner parameters for the best possible sound, but I wouldn't care if I had to tune it with a monkeywrench. At $600 it tunes the pants off of tuners costing two and three times its price. For the first time in six years I'm able to listen to A Prairie Home Companion without leaving my house.

Another bargain in the dream system is the CD player, which is Denon's DCD-1500. You can spend more than $630 for a CD player, but you'll not find one with better sound. Now that we're in the third generation of players, considerations of sound quality become more important. The industry has learned a great deal about what makes players sound different from one another, and a few companies have doped out some of the things that can be done to make one that sounds better. The technical reasons for the Denon's superiority are beyond the scope of this piece, but they're real. The DCD-1500 is also one of the easier units to program, and has a very useful feature on the remote controller: a volume control.

I'm going to look to Denon for a conventional record player as well. Their $600 DP-59L is as solid as a billet of stainless steel, yet as precise in its operation as a fine Swiss watch. Its servo-controlled tonearm damps resonance to the extent that cartridge compliance ceases to be an issue, and its combination of high mass and good suspension serve to minimize the effects of acoustic feedback and physical shock. As far as cartridges are concerned, one of my dreams calls for a combination of good sound and reliability. That means no hand-crafted $2,000 models that may or may not work next Tuesday. Instead, I'm opting for the Audio-Technica AT-160ML which, at $275, sounds great and — as important — won't surprise me.

Swiss precision is called for in a cassette deck as well, and the best one I've come across is, in fact, from Switzerland. The Revox B215 ($1,400) offers spectacularly good performance along with a host of computer-assisted conveniences. These include automatic optimization of the tape-to-deck interface, the best real-time tape counter on the market, and an automatic level setting system that actually works. Naturally, Dolby HX Pro headroom extension is included, along the Dolby B and C noise reduction.

At $18,963, this system isn't cheap, but neither is it as costly as it could have been. No component is the costliest in its  class, but each of them is, to my mind, ideally suited to its purpose. Further, none of them is likely to be fussy in its operation, or to require an inordinate amount of service. And my dream system must not only sound great, it must be reliable and fairly straightforward in its operation. This system is, at the moment, audio-only. But the preamp has plenty of room for expansion into video, and the addition of, say, a Fosgate 3601 surround sound decoder, a good integrated amplifier, and a pair of rear speakers would be no problem at all. Add a good video source, like a VHS HQ or SuperBeta VCR and/or a Laserdisc player, and feed its output to a Kloss Novabeam 100 projector, and you just might have the ultimate in home entertainment. But that's another dream.