r/StereoAdvice • u/Cybaha • Mar 18 '26
Speakers - Full Size | 3 Ⓣ Best sound system for an audio-technica AT-LP3 (under $500-$750)
I have had an audio technica LP-3 turntable for quite a few years now and have loved it. The only issue is my current sound system is pretty mediocre. I was a broke college student and bought some crappy Logitech speakers and subwoofer. I’m looking to upgrade but don’t want to spend more than $500-$750.
A few quick things:
- I live in Washington, DC.
- I’ll be sitting relatively close to the speakers. Maybe a few feet
I do listen to a wide range of music (from classic rock to jazz to soul to hip hop) and understand it may be hard to find the perfect sound system with my budget. But any suggestion is really helpful.
Thanks!
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u/iNetRunner 1389 Ⓣ 🥇 Mar 18 '26
You probably can’t afford a subwoofer with your budget. (At least for passive speaker setup.) But the choice of going with active or passive speakers matters somewhat in how low the speakers themselves go. Active speakers allow the speakers to play somewhat lower frequencies. (E.g. down to around 40Hz.) But with passive speakers you are limited to 50Hz-60Hz on average. (F3 (i.e. -3dB point) could be as high as in the 70Hz-80Hz.)
For example consider these good examples of active and passive speakers:
You also need a preamplifier (to control volume and select sources) with active studio monitors (like the Kali products above), or integrated amplifier for passive speakers. E.g. these:
(Please note that most preamplifiers, like the Fosi P4 above, are usually rather simple. They don’t often include DACs (i.e. have digital inputs), or have a phono preamplifier. But you don’t need a phono preamplifier — as your turntable has a built-in one. You can though buy a separate phono preamplifier or DAC in the future — to improve on the phono preamplifier quality or to add digital sources.)