£2.200 to spend on upgrade but where to start

[admin_exported]

:? Hi there I just want to say I'm new here an really enjoyed searching through the topics

I need some clueless help.

I currently have a denon n7 cd net radio system running through a set of mk1 bx2. With Cambridge audio cables an sub

But after many hours of work work work I like to treat myself at Xmas.

Im selling my system an have been looking at a Cyrus streamline with the 6xp amp n transport cd with a set of bx6s. I have not heard these in action yet as I have booked demos this Friday. Also been recommended the new rotel separates too. I want a network player as I listen to a lot of net radio.

I listen to a lot of old to new reggae. Soul an a mixture of all.

Where do I start an what would u experts recommend

Thanks jay

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you. I want to get a amps cd player an streamer an speakers in one hit. Also heard a rotel set up is good with monitor audio an Cyrus is good with b&w

I feel I have a challenge on my hands lol

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Sorry, mate, but CNO you have it the wrong way round. Speakers first, look at spending half of your budget on them. Then choose an amp that matches your speakers. Streamers, wouldn't know, got an AE myself. I believe there's not a heap of difference between them.

 

[drummerman]

I'd get a SB Touch/Logitech and carry on from there

regards

 

[Anonymous]

Any you would recommend mate

 

[drummerman]

That really very much depends ...

regards

 

[CnoEvil]

Sorry, mate, but CNO you have it the wrong way round. Speakers first, look at spending half of your budget on them. Then choose an amp that matches your speakers. Streamers, wouldn't know, got an AE myself. I believe there's not a heap of difference between them.

Possibly, possibly not.

The chances are he will go with a built-in amp, and they do sound quite different....so it's not unreasonable to find the one you like and get speakers that work with it. It can work the other way round though.

 

[matthewpiano]

The Cyrus stuff is brilliant but I think you might find it a bit on the lean side with your musical tastes and you might also find it is a passport into constantly adding extra boxes for ever more. Really you need to do some auditioning to find out what suits your tastes. A good dealer who can demonstrate a well set-up Cyrus system AND something quite different sounding would be the best place to start. You can then take it from there.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys. I'm from bedfordshire. Making the trip to hifix an audio affair Friday n have a bit of Saturday too

 

[plastic penguin]

Matthew has a good point about Cyrus being lean for your tastes, however, if you partner it with Dynaudio (any range DM 2/6, 2/7 Excite) they'll give you solid bass. Or alternatively, audition, audition, audition...

Nad, Creek, Arcam, Marantz, Roksan Kandy all spring to mind.

 

[Anonymous]

How about new rotel set up

 

[Gusboll]

If you want to go the Cyrus route (and obviously as below, I would recommend it); seriously give some thought to some decent PMC speakers. Despite your budget, if it were me I would go for a better amp i.e. an 8 series; ex-demo/second-hand an option?

 

[richardw42]

Re. the speakers. As reggae is named, might stand mounts plus sub be a bit better the floorstanders ?

Most floorstand speakers in the price bracket would go as low as a sub ?

 

[Anonymous]

Well. I could go for a bigger amp but. Which monitors would u say. Will I notice a huge difference from my bx2 n denon n7 mini unit lol

 

[CnoEvil]

Hi Jay, and welcome to the forum.

IMO Your should listen to the streaming solutions from Linn, Naim and Cyrus, all of which sound different.

You have to decide if you like a built-in amp or go with a separate one from a different brand. The brand of streamer/amp you like, will then determine the speakers to shortlist.

The best thing you can do is to start going to listen to your various options and see where your preference takes you. Amps from Creek, Musical Fidelity, Leema, Sugden and Electrocompaniet are worth checking out; as well as speakers from Kef, PMC, Proac, Spendor, Sonus Faber and Harbeth.

The secret is trying as many different brands as possible, before making up your mind.

 

[Craig M.]

I'm not going to give an opinion on what kit you should buy, as that is pointless - I have no idea how you like music to sound or what your listening environment is like. What I will give my opinion on is that you should concentrate on finding speakers that give the sound you want in your room (which is going to mean a home dem) along with an amp with enough power to control them, and to spend the lions share of your budget on the amp/speaker combination. For the source, I think I'd be perfectly happy with a NAS and something like a Squeezebox touch - if you rip all your cd's to the NAS you won't need a cdp.

 

[daytona600]

£ 200 netbook , £1000 mytek 192 dac , £ 1000 active genelec speakers

heard this at a mates over the weekend , superb system

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers guys. Of to Sevenoaks Friday an been advised. Audiolab 8200 n amp n rx6 too

 

[Anonymous]

That's an interesting place to start. It doesn't read like the advice you were given on here.

I got the hifi bug back seriously 18 months ago and went the cd route first and then added a SBT. The convenience of streaming(spotify) through the SBT led me to storing my CDs on a hard drive (accepting the point about cheaper ways to do this than an Olive but I love mine). This is much better for me than one cd at a time as was the case with my Cpd.

The advice I liked most that you were given was about streaming via SBT and NAS and spending the bulk of your money on speakers and amp, home demoed to get the sound you want at home. I suspect if you go the audiolab route, as fine a player as that might be, you 'll end up thinking about streaming... Then the Cpd you're about to buy will become superfluous.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi there all. Just an update. I went to demo the audiolab 82 with amp with the rs6s. Completely fantastic sound an very helpful advice from staff as per. This was linked with sonos not sure if I was keen on sonos tho. Would rather have a matching unit. The power n peformance was out this world. Driving the sounds of the mighty diamonds in the studio one studios. So I finally had a listen to Cyrus 8 dac n transport. N was just as impressed. So I decided to up my budget to a transport n StreamX + 8-DAC + MA RX6 Speakers & Chord Company Cables. What do you think now

 

[CnoEvil]

Hi there all. Just an update. I went to demo the audiolab 82 with amp with the rs6s. Completely fantastic sound an very helpful advice from staff as per. This was linked with sonos not sure if I was keen on sonos tho. Would rather have a matching unit. The power n peformance was out this world. Driving the sounds of the mighty diamonds in the studio one studios. So I finally had a listen to Cyrus 8 dac n transport. N was just as impressed. So I decided to up my budget to a transport n StreamX + 8-DAC + MA RX6 Speakers & Chord Company Cables. What do you think now

My advice is still to listen to a lot more brands, as it's all too easy to go for the first thing that sounds decent.

If you still like what you first heard - great, buy it in confidence. If you hear something better for the money, it's stopped you from making a mistake....which is win/win.

It's like everything else...the more effort you put in, the more chance you have of getting it right. This may sound obvious, but it's amazing how many people go with what other people say is good, and stop looking.

 

[Anonymous]

I have had a very good few weeks of demos on a few systems.

And in the morning going to make my decision between this

Cyrus Stream X/2 HiRes Music StreamerCyrus CD-T Cd TransportCyrus 8-DAC Digital AmolifierMonitor Audio RX6 Wood SpeakersInc. Chord company Digital & Speaker cables.or audiolab 8200 cd n amp cambridge audio top end streamer which would save me around 1500quidnngo for gloss rs6. N nice stand

 

[plastic penguin]

IMHO, Cyrus dosen't work that well with Monitor Audios. Having dem both RX6 and GX100 with Cyrus 8XP + matching CDP I found it to be very exciting listen on a short dem, but whether I could hack it on a long-term basis is another story.

Likewise, Audiolab I've found doesn't blend well with MAs hard domed tweeter... over crisp and clinical.

Audiolab, Cyrus will benefit from a less fatigue-proned tweeters. Anything with a soft tweeter...

If you go MAs, look at Nad, Arcam, Creek, Roksan.

This is my view of years of dems with RS6s.

 

[Anonymous]

Have ventured into a full top spec cyrus system an black lacquer rx6s thank you guys

 

[Anonymous]

Have ventured into a full top spec cyrus system an black lacquer rx6s thank you guys

[/quote

So given what Plastic Penguin said how does it all sound? I wonder if you'll get fed up with the MAs first.

Did you buy all the Cyrus kit you refer to on your earlier response?