A new chapter.....

[Gazzip]

I think that I have reached the end of my twenty year Hifi journey. Since my very first Hifi components, a Rotel RA810a, KEF C75's and a bargain second hand Pioneer PD73 CDP, I have tweaked, bought and swapped my way through countless components and I am finally now in a happy place. Completely content. I don't think I can improve on what I have got.

So..... My new goal is to build a second system that sounds as close to my current reference as I can get, but for a fraction of the cost. I am starting with DAC and pre-amp. My budget is under £100 per component, the lower the price the better, and all components have to be new. Any thoughts on possible components?

 

[MajorFubar]

and all components have to be new.

Why's that then

 

[strms]

DAC and amp,albeit 25w or just the DAC. https://www.hifiberry.com/

Just 59 euro for the DAC and AMP.

 

[davedotco]

So, dac, pre-amp, power amp and speakers, at £100 each sugests a budget of £400.

Depending on what you plan to use as a source, I would suggest an Audio Engine Dac 1 into Yamaha HS5 as a starting point.

You could use an AEX and a basic dac into the same speakers and you could compare HS5s with models by PreSonus, Adam F series and others.

 

[Gazzip]

and all components have to be new.

Why's that then

Just because I am trying to build the cheapest, high quality system from new. If I buy new I can pass on my findings to others.

 

[matt49]

and all components have to be new.

Why's that then

Just because I am trying to build the cheapest, high quality system from new. If I buy new I can pass on my findings to others.

It's refreshing to see someone think about the general good. Respect!

But wouldn't a journey towards a cheap second-hand system also be interesting for the forum? Just a thought ...

 

[drummerman]

If it has to be new I'd personally get the Micromega Myamp.

DAC's, Headphone amplifier, Bluetooth etc.

It was used at the Munich High End to power Focal Utopias.

They also do a package deal with speakers. Ebay. Including Wireworld Luna terminated set of 3m speaker cable for under £400.

Used ... Sony STR-DB930. Has been compared to the Conrad Johnson sound. DAC's, Headphone amplifier, Phono stage. Great build, fantastic sound.

 

[Gazzip]

and all components have to be new.

Why's that then

Just because I am trying to build the cheapest, high quality system from new. If I buy new I can pass on my findings to others.

It's refreshing to see someone think about the general good. Respect!

But wouldn't a journey towards a cheap second-hand system also be interesting for the forum? Just a thought ...

Agreed but only if that second hand kit is readily available.

 

[Gazzip]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331502297568

I thought this was an interesting place to start seeing as it was mentioned on a different thread earlier this week. Ordered it yesterday evening and will report back upon receipt. It may be truly awful but it doesn't get any less expensive than this so a good benchmark.....

 

[drummerman]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331502297568

I thought this was an interesting place to start seeing as it was mentioned on a different thread earlier this week. Ordered it yesterday evening and will report back upon receipt. It may be truly awful but it doesn't get any less expensive than this so a good benchmark.....

Not the most versatile of DAC's. Whats that going to achieve? 🙂

 

[Um]

Tannoy Mercury VI @ £69:95 .....

 

[Um]

https://emotiva.com/products/amplifiers/mini-x-100

approx £147

 

[Um]

https://emotiva.com/products/dacs/xda-2-gen2

V flexible DAC with remote @ approx £200

 

[Gazzip]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331502297568

I thought this was an interesting place to start seeing as it was mentioned on a different thread earlier this week. Ordered it yesterday evening and will report back upon receipt. It may be truly awful but it doesn't get any less expensive than this so a good benchmark.....

Not the most versatile of DAC's. Whats that going to achieve? 🙂

Just interested to see how it sounds compared to a £12.5K Audio Research DAC. Aren't you?

 

[SteveR750]

How about this? You can take it anywhere too 🙂

Work laptop (free)

Spotify web player (£10pcm to get the high bitrate files)

Cambridge Audio dacmagic XS (£80)

Klipsch x11 (£150)

 

[drummerman]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331502297568

I thought this was an interesting place to start seeing as it was mentioned on a different thread earlier this week. Ordered it yesterday evening and will report back upon receipt. It may be truly awful but it doesn't get any less expensive than this so a good benchmark.....

Not the most versatile of DAC's. Whats that going to achieve? 🙂

Just interested to see how it sounds compared to a £12.5K Audio Research DAC. Aren't you?

Not really. I can't afford one and wouldn't buy the other for the afromentioned reason but I do see your point.

(and why do I have to fill in the word verification all the time on this awful new forum format ... ?)

 

[DocG]

(and why do I have to fill in the word verification all the time on this awful new forum format ... ?)

Why? Not a clue...

But JD can fix that for you!

 

[unsleepable]

If you go for a line-level DAC, maybe something like this as preamp?

http://www.ebay.de/itm/F6-PGA2311-Remote-Preamplifier-Toroid-transformer-Support-3-way-Input-CL130-/121488851776?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_77&hash=item1c494cc340

 

[drummerman]

(and why do I have to fill in the word verification all the time on this awful new forum format ... ?)

Why? Not a clue...

But JD can fix that for you!

Ah ok, cheers.

Haven't seen him around for a while ...

Mods - fixed for you.

 

[Gazzip]

So, dac, pre-amp, power amp and speakers, at £100 each sugests a budget of £400.

Depending on what you plan to use as a source, I would suggest an Audio Engine Dac 1 into Yamaha HS5 as a starting point.

You could use an AEX and a basic dac into the same speakers and you could compare HS5s with models by PreSonus, Adam F series and others.

Hi Dave, Very, very interested in the AudioEngine D1 as it seems to tick two boxes (preamplifier and well specified DAC) making each component well under my £100/component ceiling. I am doing this in stages (preamplifier and DAC first) and am guessing that I can just plug the D1 straight in to my big Bryston mono amps' single ended RCA inputs in the same way that I would connect it to the HS5's? My source is (for now) going to be the Moon Mind 180 via optical but it would seem that the D1 needs powering by USB. Presumably I can just use a USB wallwart for this? I was thinking my apple phone charger with a USB cable in lieu of the apple lightning connector. That would work right?

 

[davedotco]

So, dac, pre-amp, power amp and speakers, at £100 each sugests a budget of £400.

Depending on what you plan to use as a source, I would suggest an Audio Engine Dac 1 into Yamaha HS5 as a starting point.

You could use an AEX and a basic dac into the same speakers and you could compare HS5s with models by PreSonus, Adam F series and others.

Hi Dave, Very, very interested in the AudioEngine D1 as it seems to tick two boxes (preamplifier and well specified DAC) making each component well under my £100/component ceiling. I am doing this in stages (preamplifier and DAC first) and am guessing that I can just plug the D1 straight in to my big Bryston mono amps' single ended RCA inputs in the same way that I would connect it to the HS5's? My source is (for now) going to be the Moon Mind 180 via optical but it would seem that the D1 needs powering by USB. Presumably I can just use a USB wallwart for this? I was thinking my apple phone charger with a USB cable in lieu of the apple lightning connector. That would work right?

And it's a fairly decent headphone amp too/

The only thing missing is remote control. Of course you may be able to control this from your source, depending.

 

[Gazzip]

Audio Engine Dac 1.

Overpriced by about 4 times what it's worth. Not very good as a headphone amp for difficult to drive cans.

Alternative suggestions at a quarter the price for a combined pre-amp and 24Bit DAC that can be used to control my Bryston/PMC back end?

 

[Vladimir]

Audio Engine Dac 1.

Overpriced by about 4 times what it's worth. Not very good as a headphone amp for difficult to drive cans.

 

[Vladimir]

Audio Engine Dac 1.

Overpriced by about 4 times what it's worth. Not very good as a headphone amp for difficult to drive cans.

Alternative suggestions at a quarter the price for a combined pre-amp and 24Bit DAC that can be used to control my Bryston/PMC back end?

If the source is a PC, no external DAC is needed. Just use the onboard soundcard. 0$. This is for the new budget system with active monitors Dave suggested.

 

[RoyD]

This is an interesting exercise.

Speakers worth considering might be Acoustic Energy compacts? I think they are currently about £99.99 and were originally £150 'ish? They were even at about £50 recently at Richer Sounds

I run a pair off an AVI integrated (S2000? bought inadvertantly off ebay) and fed by AIFF albums on iTunes and itm sounds pretty impressive in a study. I have run them off a main system too and they weren't disgraced for their size.

Just checked and they are discontinued so finding a pair might be challenge.