The **** away from Hardly Normal for a start.

JB Hi Fi sell stereo amps that have phono input for about $500 in various good quality brands.

theres plenty of choice out there
how loud did you want to go? looking at professional systems
have you got speakers?

heres some home amps

http://www.avaustralia.com.au/categories/Amplifiers-%26-Receivers/Stereo/?sort=featured&gclid=CNP2h6O5zLoCFYchpQodFmIAbA

www.pioneer.com.au/au/products/42/98/405/A-50-K/page.html


Would like to know what you get as a matter of interest

Mackerel said..
What do I need to get without spending a fortune?

Get the $14000 system. You can afford it.

I just read a bit about a Class D amplifier, which is the Pioneer A50K
they are susceptible to distortion at load, so may be a problem if your going for loudness?

I reckon you have to listen to the system first if you paying a lot of coin for it.

smicko said..

The **** away from Hardly Normal for a start.

So true.

All good comments so far, I'd add this:

You can't beat size & weight. Sheer number of drivers makes a difference too.

I expect some argument but I find that true.

If the wife wants something cheap and nasty (relatively) that cranks at parties, big time, and you can throw away after 10 years, maybe one of these:
www.jbhifi.com.au/collections/headphones-speakers-audio/home-theatre-speakers
Sony have been doing that package for probably 10 years now, there's a reason it sells.
It's the V8 commodore of these systems. Lot of bang for buck, but it does mark you as a bogan to some degree.

I have a set of these that I bought in 2000. Bit banged up from all the house moves but still going strong.
www.aaronhifi.com.au/product.php?prod_id=21
Good aussie company, made near Ballina.

The thing about aaron speakers is they never sound loud. It's odd. Until the blood trickles out your ears.

I am a bit of a hi-fi nut, expensive disorder.

Whats being wrecked speakers, amp, or both? and what's your input source like CD/IPOD etc.. ? And are they only blowing do you think because they are inside and you turn it up even louder to get it at a good level outside ?

Do you just want to replay the music loud or do you want to recreate the the song as if you were there balanced and detailed etc like the feeling you get at a live gig.

Give us a ball park budget and determine what your after from the system then I can throw out some recommend makes & models based on the abuse potential as with car's there's no replacement for displacement, if your wanting to do a big area. :D

For me I have a theatre room with sound treatment that also doubles as my Hi-Fi room this is where I chill out when I just want to relax and enjoy the music in its purest form! The components I picked have bypass modes so when I listen to music it sends the raw music directly to a dac that then feeds into the power amps, makes a world of difference. A lot of the all-in-one amps do their own things to the music and change the characteristics for the worse, when you hear a simple 2 channel system with out any of the feature rich clutter it sounds insane, or maybe I am just insane.

I am a big fan of Monitor Audio speakers....had a set now for over 10 years and they still sound like they did when first purchased. These guys have a good range of them in Sydney to give you an idea of prices. You will want to leave the room well before max volume is reached As an added bonus they look great as well!

http://www.hifitrader.com.au/category38_1.htm

Load them up with a decent amp - as others have said do not cut corners on an amp. Denon, Cambridge Audio and NAD all make mighty fine amps. It really just comes down to your budget. For 2k you can set yourself up with a decent amp and floor standing Monitor Audios...for 4k you will have yourself in seventh heaven. If you want you can add a nice sub woofer but the Monitors have a nice base range. Find yourself a good audio shop and book in for a listening session. Take your favourite music down and there and play it repeatedly though various different setups. You will be amazed at the difference. Enjoy !!

Fibreoptic in from computer control the tv`s thru hdmi matrix switch. (gone are the days of cd`s).etc in run it into a variable volume 6 speaker zone selector
Channel a is pro-logic running servicing home theatre. Channel b run into the 6 zone
(eBay American import) whole house is a jukebox! Including outdoor speakers.

More speakers located wisely= less volume. Speaker cable at bunnings 100 bucks for a 100 metres.
Cheaper than linking house audio with hdmi running into multiple amps and audio sources.having them switched on all the time =Power$




Get a standard amp and purchase a zone selector . Plug your laptop into the amp .If the house is rocking dont bother knocking!

Speaker cable and a zone selector is cheaper way to go for your application.



http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-amp-6-Speaker-Pair-Selector-Switch-Switcher-Volume-Control-6-Zone-900W-/221231021906?pt=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item3382657f52


Thats a cracker of an amp " quote^ if it has fibre optic in and a few av`s its a great buy. Dosent have 5.1 channel but thats a load of wank anyways.
people at the shop will try and ell you garbage that you dont need !
Try these for party boxes! www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AA0479&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=1023#4 Matched to these www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=CS2514&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=1020#4