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m1980k

Junior Member
Messages
467
Yes, it's all very subjective. Just don't listen to the more expensive piece of equipment in a range unless you're prepared to pay for it...
 

Moz1000

Member
Messages
820
In my opinion you need to get the source right first. You mentioned you listen to CDs, so you need a good CD player with a respected DAC installed. When connected to your amp via the analog RCA outputs, your amp will then have the best chance of producing an amplified signal for your speakers that's to your taste.

It's all down to taste, what sort of music you listen to and budget.

Moz
 

Wack61

Member
Messages
8,764
This is as bad as AV Forums :D

Just go and listen , spend your money in a shop , your ears are the judge , if I'd listened to online points of view I'd have bought the wrong headphones , standing in the shop taking the advice of the shop staff meant the ones I was going to buy were quickly discarded

:lol2:

You're not wrong chap :)

C

The downside to that argument is the £250 I was going to spend went to £350 as soon as I put them on my head which is a risk

when I bought the Arcam system in the early 90s the salesman really wanted me to buy a creek amp,it was similar money to the arcam but only had a volume control , no tone controls at all, it sounded very good but I was someone who's best HiFi was a 1980s Technics with a graphic equaliser and mesmerising LCD display so the thought of not being able to alter the tone horrified me.

Looking back it was probably a better buy than the Arcam sound wise, In the demo room at doug brady at the time they had a tube amp set up , I asked to have a listen but they said it was sold so couldn't be used, more like if they'd let me listen to a £10,000 tube amp I'd have walked out with nothing

In the garage I have 3 Sony receivers from the 70s and a Pye system with a power amp bought from boot sales but they definitely fail the beauty test
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,541
The downside to that argument is the £250 I was going to spend went to £350 as soon as I put them on my head which is a risk

'Proper' kit will do that. I recall when Mrs Catman and I were unconvinced that our ears could hear any further improvements on our system. Ou friend turned up with a pre-pro sample of the Cyrus Stream and plugged it into our system. As it started we turned to each other with identical '**** me' expressions to the extent that we would have cancelled the holiday that year.....

C
 

EnzoMC

Member
Messages
1,998
i've had three NADs and all great and highly recommend, NADs are better when the music input quality is high otherwise other cheaper amps do just as a good job
 

richard_masa_4200

Junior Member
Messages
195
I'm very happy with my Anthem MRX 300. Got it for a good price and powering Mirage Nanosat 5.1 speakers. The Anthem room correction makes a huge ge difference to the sound once you set it up.
 

m1980k

Junior Member
Messages
467
Do you have a dealer nearby where you can listen to Marantz, NAD, Arcam etc? Otherwise ebay might be the answer - get a pre owned Marantz, if you don't like it you should be able to sell it for a similar amount and try something else.

One other thing to bear in mind as you upgrade equipment: valve amps tend to be lower power and need more sensitive speakers. You can pick up a second hand Audio Note Oto for around £1200 but it only produces 10w...
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,758
Hi-Fi the one subject that gets more nerdy and more arguments that cars.

Was only discussing replacing mine with couple of guys at Le Mans. Currently it is a matched Tag McLaren surround sound set-up, so a AV32R Processor, 100X5R Amp, with a DVD32FLR transport, B&W P5 Fronts, Ruark Centre & B&W DS6 Rears.

Tempted to ditch the surround sound, we rarely use if these days and go back to simple 2 channel Hi-Fi, so may well be looking at putting together a decent secondhand Naim system which will be pricey but a lot less than it would have been new. The good news is the Tag stuff is still well respected and also has a decent resale value.

In response to OP I would search out a decent secondhand AMP, Hi-Fi nerds are normally super protective about their kit so you can get a lot of buck for you money. One of the questions to ask is do you still have the original box? Nearly all the real nerds will have ask my wife ;)
 

Wack61

Member
Messages
8,764
Tempted to ditch the surround sound, we rarely use if these days and go back to simple 2 channel Hi-Fi, so may well be looking at putting together a decent secondhand Naim system which will be pricey but a lot less than it would have been new.

I'd never heard of Naim until I bought a TV from a guy on AV forums 12-15 years ago, it was one of the first Panasonic 1080i sets, he'd had it 6 months and was upgrading :D , lived in a flat that used to be a college 200 years ago with very thick walls

There were these 5ft tall speakers sitting next to the TV with 4 drivers and a big tweeter on the top

I bet they kick out some sound

they should do for £10,000, (stock HiFi geek answer, tell me what they cost)

what £10,000 for the stereo

no £10,000 for the speakers

When I got home, I spent 10 minutes googling all the Naim HiFi he had listed in his signature, with the speakers it was £35,000

I sold a turntable to a guy, local so I delivered it, single guy in his 50s with a stereo like i'd never seen , speakers 5ft square with 4ft wide horn speakers on top of them, valve amps connected together like a nutty professors laboratory, racks of vinyl and CD's floor to ceiling the whole length of the lounge/dining room , must have been thousands, I'm surprised that half of the house wasn't tipping over

I had to have a listen to that so he made a cup of tea and put some vinyl on, I'd never heard anything like it , the sound was so clear it was jaw dropping.

You'd have to rent if you wanted sex though, no woman I've ever met would put up with that.
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,758
Naim sound separation is like nothing else but it is focussed on 2 channel hi-fi. The top end Naim kit is extortionate especially as you often have to buy multiple pieces of kit to do a single function. Even in the basic levels you replace an amp with 3 power supplys, 2 power amps & a pre amp. Each source would also need a separate power supply when you get to the middle levels. Add in they use bespoke cable connectivity and you can see why the price builds quickly.

That said a good mid teir CD, AMP, Speaker system could be had for £2.5k pre-owned dependent on the power you are after. As this is top end kit it nearly always is in perfect condition and it is so well built that it lasts forever.

During our conversation one of the guys is considering selling his CD transport (i.e. the bit the spins the CD and reads the data), he reckons his is 5 years old unit will sell for near £5k the model he would replace it with would be an extra £10k (i.e. £15k pre-owned)
 

Rwc13

Member
Messages
1,668
Naim sound separation is like nothing else but it is focussed on 2 channel hi-fi. The top end Naim kit is extortionate especially as you often have to buy multiple pieces of kit to do a single function. Even in the basic levels you replace an amp with 3 power supplys, 2 power amps & a pre amp. Each source would also need a separate power supply when you get to the middle levels. Add in they use bespoke cable connectivity and you can see why the price builds quickly.

I used to have one of these. Cost a fortune to build up over the years, sounded brilliant, but it just became bonkers.

I now have a Naim Uniti one box unit with a power amp in my main lounge room, which sounds fantastic. I also have a Naim Muso which I use as a TV speaker and audio streamer in the kitchen/dining/lounge area. I'm a big fan of the Naim sound and their more modern and affordable systems still produce a great sound without the need for all the separate components and hi-fi shelving.
 

Mr.Cambio

Member
Messages
7,096
In my opinion you need to get the source right first. You mentioned you listen to CDs, so you need a good CD player with a respected DAC installed. When connected to your amp via the analog RCA outputs, your amp will then have the best chance of producing an amplified signal for your speakers that's to your taste.

It's all down to taste, what sort of music you listen to and budget.

Moz

correct me if i'm wrong but, the cd player is the least component that should be 'expensive', or?
 

Mr.Cambio

Member
Messages
7,096
From what i read i believe that i cannot compare the music needs of, let's say, Catman with mine. Chris, also because of his wife's job, needs the most high end machines to make the sound lively. I don't think that at this time i should go that high, because, my 90 euros compact sony hifi has done a brillian job over the past years, so starting with a set of speakers that cost approx 450 euros, the difference should be night and day.
On the other hand, i can say that i am satisfied with the sound of the MAser speakers (others go for alpine), and on my Mito, by replacing only the tweeters with a 70 euros alpines, it was a huge improvement, so i believe that my needs for now are not in the very expensive/exclusive root.
Speaking with the guys at monitor, they advised for nad and cyrus, among others.
I will take a look at what other members here advised, then i'll go to the music shop.

PS:Tube amp is not the way to go for now, i just use to remember the difference between a tube and a transistor amp, when i was playing the guitar.
 
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CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,541
correct me if i'm wrong but, the cd player is the least component that should be 'expensive', or?

'It depends' :)

In the US the prevailing view was to spend most on the speakers. Regard them as a window on the rest of the system. If they aren't as good as they can be, you lose something of what the CD *player* is putting out.

In the UK the prevailing view was that you should spend most on the source. If you can't get the best signal off the CD, then you're just amplifying and listening to a bad signal. I try and balance everything out.

I maintain that spending €700 on an amp to drive those speakers is not entirely sensible (even if it is second hand). I'd spend maybe half that and bank the rest for a future upgrade.

BUT: it's your money, your ears. Go listen :)

PS What CD do you have? If you're using the €90 Sony to drive the amp, then I'd buy a new CD player as well from your €700

But that's me :D

C