Been out of the fold for too long, please point me in the right direction

[admin_exported]

Hi, As the title reads, i haven't been keeping up with the last 10 yrs of hifi progress and therefore have no idea where i should begin with when upgrading my trusted setup. I currently have a Primare A20 amp, Marantz CD-63 ki signature cd player & Monitor Audio 8i floor standing speakers. The setup has served me well for many years but feel its time for a change. I'm looking for an improvement in the lower end of the sound spectrum as the current setup is a little light in that department. However i have always thought the setup made up for this with the strong mid-range and high end clarity. I guess what I'm asking for is a wider dynamic range with tight in tune bass. My first thought is to initially replace the Marantz cd player as this is the oldest part of the system and possibly the weak link. Then move onto the speakers at a latter date when funds allow. I have the monitor audio S8, S10 or RS8 in my mind from the researching i have done but a'm open to all suggestions. I listen to a wide mixture of music from blues,soul, hip-hop, dance to alternative indie. I'm not a listener of rock or Jazz and have no immediate plans for AV. I would be looking at using the second hand market and have approx £400 to spend. Can anyone point me into the right direction? I'm not necessarily asking for exact models but possibly what manufacturers suit my music likes and the Primare A20. If I'm going about this the wrong way then please correct me! Thanks in advance

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Action Jackson, I think your system looks great on paper as it is, but if it's a change you want then in my opinion your amp and cd player look perfectly great for the job. I personally would look at the second hand speaker market. People will have suggestions, but 400-500 pounds will get you the speakers you require with the sort of qualities you now wish for. Would you look at stand mounts? as some of the models available these days can produce deep tuneful bass whilst keeping the expressive midrange and clear tops.

 

[Anonymous]

May be a good place to start looking would be the Dynaudio 2/6 or 2/7, maybe the Monitor Audio RX2 stand mounts

 

[CnoEvil]

Hi AJ

I'm kind of with Limey on this one. As you have some decent kit there, for the budget you mention, you are more likely to get a change in sound, rather than an improvement.

If the only problem is the bass, your budget would get you a competant sealed sub, from the likes of BK, which if properly integrated, could well sort your problem.

Your other possible solution, is to use a speaker that is designed to be placed into the corner to boost the bass (eg. Audio Note AZ-1 which is available for £500 as discontinued). This can give unfeasibly low frequencies.

Cno

 

[MajorFubar]

Got to agree with the others, I don't think your KIS CD player is the culprit.

I've got the same model with different amp and speakers and I wouldn't say it was lean.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't expect the consensus would be to change the speakers first but it starts to make sense. I would be looking at floor standing. My room is approx 7m x 7m so i would be worried that most stand mounts would be lost in the room. I also like the visual aspect of floor standing speakers.... The 63 KI Signature has proven reliable but with 12 odd yrs of use I'm worried the moving parts are going to give me problems. How reliable has this player proven? It was a fantastic unit in its day but I'm sure the budge-mid range contenders have moved the performance bar on in the last 15 yrs?

 

[MajorFubar]

Yeah you'd think so wouldn't you.

The only recent CDP I've compared my KIS to is the NAD 515BEE which my dad owns. Perhaps the NAD is too inexpensive for it to be a fair comparison, but like you I figured CDP technology must have at least plateaued over the last ten years to such an extend that pretty much anything was at least as good as my KIS.

The reality?

Well with my amp and speakers, my KIS stomps all over it and then some.

 

[Anonymous]

Well with my amp and speakers, my KIS stomps all over it and then some.

Agreed, they're still great players. My dad still uses one, makes me wonder sometimes why I forked out 20 times as much for my CD5XS as he did for his CD63MKII K.I. Sig.

I'd definetly say change your speakers too, perhaps a set of Monitor Audio Gold Reference 20's if you can find a set. Those usually go for about the £450 mark and would be a good match for the rest of your kit.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't expect the consensus would be to change the speakers first but it starts to make sense. I would be looking at floor standing. My room is approx 7m x 7m so i would be worried that most stand mounts would be lost in the room. I also like the visual aspect of floor standing speakers.... The 63 KI Signature has proven reliable but with 12 odd yrs of use I'm worried the moving parts are going to give me problems. How reliable has this player proven? It was a fantastic unit in its day but I'm sure the budge-mid range contenders have moved the performance bar on in the last 15 yrs?

As far as age goes, the CD player as you say has proved reliable. A practical thing to do would be to get in thoroughly serviced. Speak to someone like Steve at Steves HIFI, A great bloke and knows his stuff. If all is well then you should get many more years of use from your Marantz. In my my opinion the performance bar has changed rather than moved on in the last fifteen years. I am sure this is open to lively debate but what you have is a very capable and quality product. I have seen the Monitor Audio RX 6 for as low as £599 for ex demo/ second hand. Again open to opinion, but it is visually one of the most beautiful Floor-standers on the market. To me it excels in the bass department and would be perfect for your room size if Floorstanders are what you prefer. Good luck o

 

[lindsayt]

If you bought a pair of decent large sealed box speakers you'd get better bass - due to the 12" (or larger) bass cones plus the lack of port noise. You should also get better dynamics due to properly designed large speakers being more efficient than small ones. Do a weekly eBay search sorted by highest price first, limited to your budget and then Google any that look interesting.