3 HIFI SYSTEMS UNDER $1000 - HIFI STARTER SYSTEMS

HIFI SYSTEMS UNDER $1000 BY ANDREW ROBINSON

3 HIFI SYSTEMS UNDER $1000 - BUILDING YOUR FIRST HIFI SYSTEM

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I do AMAs almost weekly and each time, I get dozens of requests asking me to put together a HiFi starter systems for you all to just go out and GET. Well, ask and yee shall receive I guess. Here are 3 HiFi systems under $1,000 that I WOULD BUY MYSELF. 

THE FINE PRINT

Before we kick things off, obviously these three systems are not the only sub $1000 setups you can put together. These are just my picks based on first-hand experience with the products themselves, or those within the same brand or product line. Also, everything we’re going to be talking about today has to do with NEW products. Can you put together sub 1000 systems with used gear? Sure. That’s not this video. Moving on. These fantasy systems do not include the cost of cables or stands as you may already own those - rather than guess at what you want or need with respect to accessories, we’re going to link to a few options and let you decide. Alright, with that all out of the way, let’s do this! 

**Prices are based on the date of publication - November 2021.

KANTO HIFI SYSTEM (#1)

The first of my three setups is arguably one of my favorites and one I still OWN and use almost daily. Here we are, some two years later, and I still think the Kanto YU6 is a GREAT set of powered speakers you can build a solid two channel setup around. You don’t even need additional equipment. A pair of YU6s and your smartphone with a Bluetooth connection and you’re done. 

While I could easily stop there, I still have over $500 left in my budget. How would I make this system better? Well, I’d add one of three turntables starting with the U-Turn Orbit Plus. I’d pop for the Plus over the Basic because I like its acrylic platter and the upgraded Ortofon cartridge. The YU6 already has a built-in phono preamp so we don’t need to spend more for a built-in phono preamp. The Plus represents a solid value and brings the total system cost to $778. You can add a music streamer in the form of an Andover Songbird at $149 and still be under a grand, but if you’re good with using Bluetooth, the YU6 and the U-Turn Orbit Plus is really ALL YOU NEED. 

SHOP THIS SYSTEM

UPGRADE YOUR RECORD PLAYER

Now if I wanted to get a little more freak-nasty, I’d up my turntable game and get either the Fluance RT85 with its included Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge which is hands down better than the U-Turn, though it ups the system price to $948, which doesn’t leave much money for much else. I still believe this is a smart buy because the RT85 represents the line for me with respect to diminishing returns, meaning you have to spend WAY more on a turntable to audibly BEST the Fluance. It will no doubt be the last turntable many of you will ever need! 

The only other table I’d look at for this setup is the shockingly good Audio Technica LP5X which is a direct drive table similar to my personal reference table, the LP140. Now I have my LP140 equipped with an Ortofon 2M Black cartridge that when setup correctly is my version of a poorman’s Technics rig --the 2M Black takes us WELL OVER the $1,000 threshold so stick with the stock cartridge on the LP5X for now and upgrade later. BUT if you’re not into vinyl, I’d pair the YU6 with the Andover Songbird and a pair of Kanto SX22 stands and call it a day!  

2. CAMBRIDGE AUDIO HIFI SYSTEM

For my next setup we’re going all in on Cambridge Audio. I’d scoop up the awesome AXR100, which is a 100 Watt per channel Class A/B stereo receiver with built-in DACs, a great phono preamp and Bluetooth. This type of receiver is not only a great value, but enough to likely last one a good long while even if they upgrade their speakers or components down the line, so even though it's not what I’d consider cheap at $600, it’s totally worth it. As for speakers, well, I’d pair one of three options with this receiver starting with the super affordable Fluance XL8S bookshelf speakers at $179 a pair. Seriously, do not let their price fool you, these two-way bookshelf speakers are legit and sound oh so good with a WIDE range of music genres. They even have a surprising amount of bass for how compact they are --not to mention -- they’re front ported so those of you with smaller spaces will have an easier time with these over other comparably priced, rear ported speakers. 

My other speaker options would include either the Q Acoustics 3010 or 3020i bookshelf speakers. Both fit within our budget, with the 3010i coming in at $299 and the 3020i at $349. Both are excellent so get whichever you’re comfortable with and have the space for. I personally have the 3010i and am routinely impressed by them. 

Now, if you want to rock out a bit, I’d spring for the Klipsch RP-500M at $349, or if you manage to catch them on an insane sale, the 600Ms. Going this route doesn’t leave much room for a streamer like the Songbird or a Basic turntable from U-Turn. But then again, the AXR100 has Bluetooth, soooo…

3. JAMO HIFI SPEAKER SYSTEM

For my third sub $1000 system I’m going with tower speakers. I’m grabbing a pair of Jamo S809 in black at $359 a pair --that’s not a typo. I don’t care what ANYONE in the press or on YouTube says about the 809, I honestly love them. Are they perfect? Nope. Do they have a neutral frequency response? Nope. But can they sound good? Yes, without a doubt. The BIGGEST drawback to this speaker is that despite being a tower, it doesn’t have enough bass to really ground it properly and give certain genres of music the kick that may be needed. 

To fix that, let’s add a sub. I’m going with the matching Jamo S808 at $128. The 808 is a solid sub provided you don’t expect it to lift your home off its foundation, AND you adhere to proper subwoofer setup and placement. The 808 has just the right amount of oomph that it calms the S809 tower down a bit and makes its performance feel more linear and refined. 

If after adding a sub the S809 is still too lively, we can use the tone controls on the Cambridge Audio AXR85 at $400, which includes a built-in phono preamp as well as Bluetooth, so if you’re cool with using your phone or Bluetooth, the 85 plus the Jamo towers and sub equals a whole two channel setup for under $1000! 

The other amp I’d consider would be the Arylic A50, which is a 50 Watt per channel, Class D amplifier that also has a built-in music streamer, DAC, subwoofer output, analog input as well as Bluetooth, WiFi and AirPlay --all for $199.99! This amp can drive the Jamo’s rather comfortably, just maybe not at Earth-shattering levels. At $199 for the Arylic A50, we have $314 left over, which we can spend on a Fluance RT81 and still come in under budget at $936! And because the RT81 already has a built-in phono preamp, we don’t need to add anything else to the Arylic A50. So there you have it, (my) three complete two-channel systems you can pick up today for under $1000!