£3000 budget

[bluedroog]

I completely agree with the notion of ‘rubbish in, rubbish out’, I’ve heard MP3 players hooked up to good systems and the recent is a completely flat and woolly sound, almost recessed, appallingly bad. However CDP are such a mature format these days that you can get a perfectly competent machine for very little money, while I don’t subscribe to the idea they all sound the same OP is working to a limited budget and as such I’d not go spending more than a few hundred on one.

 

[VOE]

I completely agree with the notion of ‘rubbish in, rubbish out’, I’ve heard MP3 players hooked up to good systems and the recent is a completely flat and woolly sound, almost recessed, appallingly bad. However CDP are such a mature format these days that you can get a perfectly competent machine for very little money, while I don’t subscribe to the idea they all sound the same OP is working to a limited budget and as such I’d not go spending more than a few hundred on one.

If a few hundred pounds gets you a "competent" or "perfectly good" CDP today, then I wonder what was going on the other week when a friend of mine (who sells gear professionally) and I were testing various players at different price points to demonstrate to a few sceptics the difference a good source actually makes? The question is: in whose mind/ears is any piece of gear "competent"? A professional musician is probably going to disagree with a youngster who only hears / needs MP3 files to listen to music. Their expectations will be miles apart. The more discerning we become the greater our expectations will become and the less likely we will be to succomb to the simply "competent" components. Does competent mean it can spin a disc and retrieve digital data and convert it into analogue? I'm not trying to be a smart ***** here, just proposing a serious question that affects all listeners and choosers of hi-fi gear.

I've had many makes/models of CDP's from budget £50-100 models through to some costing more than a new car. Even today, price often reflects the build quality. component choices and ultimately the sound. I dare anyone to audtion a mega-bucks CDP (that is recognised as being the best in its class!) and then come back and say that any £200 player is competent.

To the OP I'd just say that if the budget is limited please be very careful. If you buy a cheap source and expensive speakers it will not sound anywhere near as good as it should.

Speakers have also improved in the past 3 years alone. Turning the argument on its head we could just as easily and glibly state that you don't need to spend anymore than £300 on speakers as a great pair for this price are also competent and will do the job.

 

[BigH]

I completely agree with the notion of ‘rubbish in, rubbish out’, I’ve heard MP3 players hooked up to good systems and the recent is a completely flat and woolly sound, almost recessed, appallingly bad. However CDP are such a mature format these days that you can get a perfectly competent machine for very little money, while I don’t subscribe to the idea they all sound the same OP is working to a limited budget and as such I’d not go spending more than a few hundred on one.

If a few hundred pounds gets you a "competent" or "perfectly good" CDP today, then I wonder what was going on the other week when a friend of mine (who sells gear professionally) and I were testing various players at different price points to demonstrate to a few sceptics the difference a good source actually makes? The question is: in whose mind/ears is any piece of gear "competent"? A professional musician is probably going to disagree with a youngster who only hears / needs MP3 files to listen to music. Their expectations will be miles apart. The more discerning we become the greater our expectations will become and the less likely we will be to succomb to the simply "competent" components. Does competent mean it can spin a disc and retrieve digital data and convert it into analogue? I'm not trying to be a smart ***** here, just proposing a serious question that affects all listeners and choosers of hi-fi gear.

I've had many makes/models of CDP's from budget £50-100 models through to some costing more than a new car. Even today, price often reflects the build quality. component choices and ultimately the sound. I dare anyone to audtion a mega-bucks CDP (that is recognised as being the best in its class!) and then come back and say that any £200 player is competent.

To the OP I'd just say that if the budget is limited please be very careful. If you buy a cheap source and expensive speakers it will not sound anywhere near as good as it should.

Speakers have also improved in the past 3 years alone. Turning the argument on its head we could just as easily and glibly state that you don't need to spend anymore than £300 on speakers as a great pair for this price are also competent and will do the job.

What about the reviews by a certain USA hifi mag and many hifi users that found a $200 Sony PS1 was as good or better than many cdps costing upto $6,000.

 

[Esra]

....

What I've got in mind at present is the Roksan Kandy K2 pre and power amp (I can got both for £1220) and the CD player in that range. Looking to pair with the Tannoy DC6T SE or B&W 683 S2's.

I listen to a wide variety of music, anything from Nick Drake right through to Chemical Brothers so need smoething that can provide a good listening experience all round.

Should work really nice what you got in mind :rockout: You should have a big room and maybe need a seperate DAC.Kandy 2 is just an integrated amp,so there is no pre or power amp,it´s all integrated.

With your budget there are a lot of alternatives,so go and listen.

 

[bluedroog]

I wouldn’t get too hung up on one’s interpretation of ‘competent’, in this case I don’t think any of us are in the youngsters with MP3s camp and really it is only in the context of his limited budget. The rules of diminishing returns set in much nearer the budget end with CDPs and I’d also suggest the curve is much steeper, as such I’d look to spend the vast majority on speakers and an amp capable of driving them, better still a pair of actives.

 

[Covenanter]

I was in the "not much difference in CD players" camp until I bought my current kit. It is materially better than my old CD6004 and whilst it is much more expensive it is worth every penny. (I'm also in the scientific camp and no I didn't do a double blind test but the differences were so big I could not ignore them.)

You could get close to my system for £3000 by changing the R700s for R500s (which are also fine speakers) and by looking for discounts. I know that is a well-balanced system having heard it.

Chris

 

[tomlinscote]

If you are set on Roksan and why not they make good kit, then look at the Sevenoaks website they have a seemingly great offer on the amp and CD combo which would leave a fair bit left for speakers and maybe a DAC too. I have used a roksan Kandy power amp with monitor audio rs6 speakers to good effect. And some sevenoaks stores have good staff willing to talk and demo kit, Essex and Southampton are two I have used in the past. I have no link to sevenoaks by the way, though I wish there were stores like them and audio t where I live as I have no chace to do more kit anymore :-(