£200 on my first hi-fi

[greggyt94]

So I have decided to invest in a decent little hi-fi set-up, nothing spectacular, and as I say in the title, wouldn't want to be spending more than about £200. Does anyone have any general advice on what I should be looking at or even specific items I should go for?

I was considering a pair of Q Acoustics 2010 speakers as they are only £69.95 on Superfi, not sure if I should be looking at spending less on second hand speakers given my budget though.

All advice is much appreciated!

 

[drummerman]

You may even find a pair of QAcoustics second hand. They change models regularly so folks change.

Perhaps add a Denon Micro and you have a nice little system imo.

 

[Petherick]

Hi and welcome
Always good to see someone eager to get into hi-fi. What will your main source be? Phone, mp3 player, TV, radio tuner...?

 

[Petherick]

CD?

 

[greggyt94]

Thanks for replies, I think for now I will use laptop/phone but in the longer term I would like to get a record player.

 

[Petherick]

I agree with drummerman, though longer term something like this might be more durable -http://m.richersounds.com/#!/product/PION-A10-BLK

 

[greggyt94]

So essentially something like this wouldn't be a bad purchase?

http://www.richersounds.com/package/system-savers/mini-hi-fi-system-deals/pah011617

I've been looking more at used amps and speakers which would probably cost less overall, possibly a pioneer A400 or an old rotel or denon and then whatever speakers I can lay my hands on for under £50. Could I just run an aux from my computer into the back of an old amp and play like that with the right cables? And is this whole strategy a bit more of a risk than just buying the above deal? Couldn't I get an overall better quality system by buying older second-hand stuff?

Lots of questions! Sorry! Thanks again for the help.

 

[matthewpiano]

That Denon + Tannoy deal isn't a bad one, though personally I thought the previous model Tannoy Mercury F1 Customs were better than the V1s.

In the end, though, I think you'd do better used with your budget. The Pioneer A400 is a great amp and for around £40-£50 you could pick up a pair of Mission 760iSE speakers which were a popular partner for the Pioneer, and with good reason. Then look out for a USB DAC in one of the studio music retailers and you'll end up with far more performance than you might expect for your budget.

 

[davedotco]

Hi Greggy and welcome to the forum.

The first decision you have to make is how you are going to make the most of your budget. Buying used equipment is obviously one way to get more for your money but it helps a lot if you know what you need and have some experience in the whole buying secondhand procedure. It depends what is actually available too, difficult to advise as there are so many options.

Buying new, you also need to work out what your priorities are, if you want separates that you can build on, the the 2010i from Superfy and a Denon PMA520 from Richers can be had for about £200 and there are other options even at that budget.

If on the other hand you simply want the best possible sound right now and within budget then the answer is the cheap but very decent Behringer UCA202 usb dac and a pair of active monitors from a dealer such as Studiospares in north london or Thomann in germany.

Almost entirely bling free, the performance is on a completely different level from the separates system above, there are plenty of options within budget but if you can stretch your budget even a tiny bit, the aforementioned dac and a pair of Presonus Eris 5 monitors can be had for about £220 from Thomann.

 

[greggyt94]

Thanks again for the replies

I think I'm going to wait and see what crops up second hand around the internet over the next week or so before making a decision, as obviously I can buy new stuff anytime. You've all been very helpful, so cheers! I'll be sure to let you know what I ended up with.

 

[Al ears]

Second hand marked can be a bit of a minefield for the uninitiated.

It's a pity you could not stretch another £99 and then go for the Tannoy DC4T + Tibo amp system from Audio Affair as that really is a great starter package and you'd have the benefit of a warranty with it.

 

[rainsoothe]

Hi Greggy and welcome to the forum.

The first decision you have to make is how you are going to make the most of your budget. Buying used equipment is obviously one way to get more for your money but it helps a lot if you know what you need and have some experience in the whole buying secondhand procedure. It depends what is actually available too, difficult to advise as there are so many options.

Buying new, you also need to work out what your priorities are, if you want separates that you can build on, the the 2010i from Superfy and a Denon PMA520 from Richers can be had for about £200 and there are other options even at that budget.

If on the other hand you simply want the best possible sound right now and within budget then the answer is the cheap but very decent Behringer UCA202 usb dac and a pair of active monitors from a dealer such as Studiospares in north london or Thomann in germany.

Almost entirely bling free, the performance is on a completely different level from the separates system above, there are plenty of options within budget but if you can stretch your budget even a tiny bit, the aforementioned dac and a pair of Presonus Eris 5 monitors can be had for about £220 from Thomann. 

+1 for everything he said, especially the Behringer UCA 202 with Presonus Eris 5 part - for your budget and needs, you won't do better then actives.

 

[greggyt94]

Yeah it does make a lot of sense but won't I have a spot of bother when I want to add a turntable to my set up? Which will probably be quite soon.

 

[rainsoothe]

Yeah it does make a lot of sense but won't I have a spot of bother when I want to add a turntable to my set up? Which will probably be quite soon. 

In that case, yes, it's a no-go. Looking at Denon PMA 520 + Q Acoustics 2010i is not a bad idea, as I think the denon has a built-in phonostage. Other speakers to consider would be Dali Zensor 1, Boston Acoustics A25, Q Acoustics 3010 or used B&W DM602 s3 - I know some are more expensive, but maybe you're lucky enough to find a good deal. Oh, and don't forget about the Behringer UCA 202, which you can still use as a DAC into your amp. Also, used Rotel, Nad 3020 or Pioneer A400 are good options - if they have phonostage.

 

[davedotco]

It is always best to try and think ahead, it saves money in the long term.

The conventional Denon/Q Acoustics system mentioned above is more or less in budget, even including the Behringer dac to connect to your laptop. It is entirely the conventional and simple way to move towards where you want to be.

The only real issue is the value for money, even allowing for some reduced price bargains, you can do much better if you take a more unconventional approach but it requires a somewhat different mindset.

Vinyl playback is expensive, good vinyl playback is very expensive indeed, you need to be pretty commited to get into that. I appreciate that if you are going down that route, you have to start somewhere, but the cheaper Project and Rega players are just that, starter models.

Of course it all depends on your expectations, if you are buying vinyl to get that 'vinyl warmth' that is currently so fashionable then fair enough but if you are really serious about getting great sound from vinyl then you are into some serious money. If I was matching something to decent speakers such as the Presonus I would be looking at something like a Clearaudio Concept player with a Croft Micro basic as phono/preamp at a little over £1k for the set.

Bit hair shirt, no remote etc but the performance will almost cetainly be beyond anything you have ever heard.

 

[strms]

I think that this is a good option. http://www.richersounds.com/package/system-savers/hi-fi-system-deals/pah011486

It includes a bluetooth adapter so that you can play music form a bluetooth compatible device, phone etc. at 149.95 you have enough for a phono pre amp like this one http://www.richersounds.com/product/turntable-accessories/project/phono-box-mm/proj-phono-box-mm