Starting from Scratch

You're starting from scratch

Honestly? You're in the best position of anyone on this site. No old gear to work around, no mismatched pieces to accommodate — just a clean start and a first listen you'll remember. Below are three complete systems we'd stand behind, each one matched so every piece earns its place.

THE GOOD NEWS FIRST

A real system today is just two boxes

A generation ago, a proper stereo meant a rack: amplifier, preamplifier, CD player, tuner, and a nest of cables. Today the whole electronic side lives in one elegant box called a streaming amplifier. Add a pair of real speakers and a run of speaker cable, and you're done.

Box 1 · The Streaming Amplifier

One component that does three jobs: it pulls music from your Wi‑Fi (Spotify, TIDAL, Qobuz, internet radio), converts it to analog with a quality built‑in DAC, and amplifies it with real power. You control everything from your phone — or the display on the front.

Box 2 · The Speakers (Well, Two)

A true left and right pair, placed a few feet apart, is what a one‑box speaker can never give you: a stereo image, with the singer in the middle of the room and the band spread out around them. This is the part of the system you’ll hear the most — it’s where the money should go.

Speaker cables are the one thing people forget to put in the cart — a streaming amplifier and speakers won't make a sound without them. Plan on a good pair sized to your room, and you're truly done in one order. Shop speaker cables →

Our picks — all sold at Audio Advisor

Three complete systems we'd stand behind

Full disclosure: around here, we love separates — a dedicated preamp, a power amp, each box doing one job beautifully. That's what most of us run at home, and it's where this hobby can take you someday. But for the best bang for the buck on day one, nothing beats a well-matched streaming amplifier and speakers — and we can highly recommend each of the systems below as a great starting point.

These aren't random pairings. Each amplifier and speaker set was matched for how they actually sound together — and each system leaves you nothing to apologize for, at any level.

The Starter — Genuinely Great

EverSolo Play streaming amplifier with Dynaudio Emit 10 bookshelf speakers

EverSolo Play + Dynaudio Emit 10

• EverSolo Play Streaming Amplifier
+ Dynaudio Emit 10 Bookshelf Speakers — Walnut

A first system with zero compromises that matter. The EverSolo Play packs a streamer, DAC, and amplifier behind a big color touchscreen — it’s genuinely fun to use. The Emit 10s are real Danish Dynaudio speakers: compact walnut cabinets with the smooth, honest sound the brand is famous for. People live happily with this system for years.

Shop the EverSolo Play Shop the Emit 10

The Step‑Up — Hear the Difference

NAD C 700 V2 BluOS streaming amplifier with Dynaudio Evoke 10 bookshelf speakers

NAD C 700 V2 + Dynaudio Evoke 10

• NAD C 700 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier
+ Dynaudio Evoke 10 Bookshelf Speakers — Walnut

This is the pairing where new listeners go quiet mid‑song. NAD has built honest, musical amplifiers for fifty years, and the C 700 V2 runs BluOS — the same superb streaming platform as Bluesound, so it can grow into a whole‑house system. The Evoke 10s are a real step up in refinement: more detail, more body, more of the recording. Our sweet spot.

Shop the NAD C 700 V2 Shop the Evoke 10

Analog + Digital — The Full Experience

EverSolo Play CD Edition with Bowers & Wilkins 707 S3 speakers and Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 turntable

EverSolo Play CD Edition + B&W 707 S3 + Pro‑Ject Debut EVO 2

• EverSolo Play CD Edition Streaming Amplifier
+ Bowers & Wilkins 707 S3 Bookshelf Speakers — Mocha
+ Pro‑Ject Debut EVO 2 Turntable — Satin Walnut, with Pick it EVO cartridge

Every way you’ll ever want to play music, in one beautiful system. Streaming and your CD collection through the Play CD Edition; records on Pro‑Ject’s Debut EVO 2, one of the most‑loved turntables ever made, with the Pick it EVO cartridge fitted. And the 707 S3s carry Bowers & Wilkins’ carbon‑dome tweeter — technology from speakers many times the price. This is the one that starts a lifelong hobby.

Shop the Play CD Edition Shop the 707 S3 Shop the Debut EVO 2

Scene shown with the Pangea Vulcan Turntable Stand in Espresso finish.

Ordering the analog + digital system? Mention it when you call and we'll make sure the turntable connection is set up right for your amplifier — including whether you need a small phono preamp — so everything plays the day the boxes arrive.

LET'S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP

Two things people get wrong about first systems

✖ MYTH

A "real" hi-fi system means a rack full of separate components.

✔ WHAT'S TRUE

A quality streaming amplifierisseparates — streamer, DAC, and amp — engineered into one box. You give up clutter, not sound. We love true separates ourselves (it's what most of us run at home), and they're waiting for you down the road if the hobby bites. This is the smart way in.

✖ MYTH

Bookshelf speakers are the compromise you settle for.

✔ WHAT'S TRUE

In small and medium rooms, a fine bookshelf pair often images better than big floorstanders — and every pair here can be joined by a subwoofer later if you want deeper bass. Quality first, size second.

One free upgrade before you press play

Wherever the system lands, pull the speakers at least 2 ft (24″) off the wall behind them and aim them gently toward your seat. It costs nothing and it's often the difference between "nice" and "wow." There's more in our guide to speaker placement basics.

Where to go next

I am listening on a bluetooth or smart speaker

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Coming from a soundbar or home theater

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Upgrade an old stereo

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