Advice for a newbie with varied muscal taste.

[admin_exported]

Just starting to ponder options for an amp and cd player to enjoy my varied collection on and would like some direction on something that will sounds great with Ella Fitzgerald as well as Therapy. Had a look at the Marantz CD6002/PM6002 from the best buys and understand this would be great for vocals but not sure about the other half of my cd collection. I will also have to use Tannoy 603 for atleast the short term due to lack of funds. Any thoughts?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Hi there, and welcome to the Forums!

The Marantz combo is a great all-round pairing for the money, with midrange a particular treat (awesome for Ella and much more).

There may be other component combinations that offer more in certain areas - NAD or Rotel for heft, for example - but our Best Buys are specifically picked to be the products that offer all-round appeal.

 

[drummerman]

They are good budget components. It all just depends where you want to go. It's easy to better them by spending a little more but then that can be said just about anything at any price. As a one make system, especially at the discounted prices available, they are very good. But then the same can be said about a cheap NAD set up, even the entry level 315/515.

Thing is, just spending a little more can reap big rewards even if it means economising in another area short term. Example, £350 or so gets you a Creek amp, much better imo. Around the same price you find Marantzes 7001, again, superior to the 6002. Then there's the Rega Brio, a lovely fluid sounding amplifier sounding more expensive than it is. You could buy any of those within your £4-500 budget an partner it with a s/h player or a little NAD for £140 or so stretching your funds a little.

Then again, you could buy a vastly superior ex/dem cyrus8vs2 for £600 or so and partner that with some ebay s/h player til you can afford to upgrade.

Or you could buy AVI's ADM9, very capable active speakers with built in pre-amp/DAC/Power amps ...

have fun mate

 

[matthewpiano]

I'd look at an Arcam CD73 (£299 now if you look around) with a NAD C320 or C325BEE (maybe 2nd hand). You could even look at the C315BEE to keep the cost down. Its what I'm running at the moment (CD73/C325BEE) and I have similarly eclectic tastes and also use Tannoy speakers. Whether I play Rush, Metallica, the wonderful Nat King Cole, a Mahler symphony or the Strawbs, this combination sounds excellent with plenty of verve and punch whilst providing very good soundstaging and timbral accuracy. The CD73 will then stand later upgrades to the amplifier and speakers as you improve your system.

 

[matthewpiano]

Alternatively the CD73 works very well with Rotel amps, which I think is going to be my next move.