Beginner Set Up for Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

[Shane Krause]

I'm looking at getting myself a decent sound system at the moment. I listen to mainly hard rock and heavy metal. Anything from AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard through to Testament, Opeth and Enslaved via Pantera, Judas Priest and Mastodon.

I'm thinking about getting a Yamaha AS500 with Dali Zensor 1's. From your website, these seem to be great value, quality products but I was wondering how well they work together and whether they would be suited to the music I listen to? If not, anything else you could recommend? I'm looking for something I can start to build on, but will sound great out the box.

Main input would be a PC or iPod, but it would be great if I could link up my DVD player and Sky Box at the same time as well.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Shane,

Dali Zensor's will be a great choice, defo. A little more budgetwise would get you some Monitor Audio BX2's which really are fantastic for their price!

Re: Amp - I would personally opt for a Marantz PM6004 or NAD C326, edging toward the NAD for the Metal and Hard rock.

What is your budget? Does your PC have a digital out? Could you also push for an Arcam rDAC to feed from your PC to your Amp. PC outputs are pretty shiddy, that is if you have integrated sound. Do that and it will really give you awesomeness.

See what some of the others reckon though!

Cheers,

AJ

 

[NHL]

Get a pair of JBL horn speakers, rock n roll!

 

[Shane Krause]

Thanks AJ,

Very useful.

All in budget if around the £400 to start, but I want to be able to improve when I get the pennies together. My wife will not be impressed if I blow more than that right now. So something that can handle better equipment in the future, but is pretty good straight out the box. I hope that makes sense.

I like the AS500 for the wireless iPod dock connector thing (which also negates the need for a DAC, or at least immediately). Is it any good or rock and metal though?

Speaker set - just looking for a good set of speakers that work well with the amp, and again is good for rock and metal.

PC is pretty standard out the box Dell. If I went with the AS500, I would use the iPod connector until I could afford a decent DAC in a few months.

I recently bought a pair of Denon AH-D1100 headphones. I tried a lot(!) before going with these, including the more expensive Denon's, Beats, Bose and all the other usual suspects. What sold me on the AH-D1100's is their clarity and how I can follow individual instruments (even different guitar parts), but it's still got a very meaty bass sound which doesn't get muddy. I'm basically looking for the same thing, but in a stereo setup. I don't play music at particularly loud volume, but I still want that meaty bass sound without losing clarity.

Very specific on a very small budget I know. Realise there will always have to be compromise, but I always feel it's better to know what you want and what you're compromising on than just jumping in and regretting it later.

 

[Shane Krause]

And 1 last thing - is any of this worth it if you're playing mp3's through an iPod?

My gut says yes after what I've seen with my Denon's, but a lot of people seem to say that no system is ever really going to improve the sound quality of mp3's.

 

[opium]

hi

i would suggest for Rock/Metal music you should shortlist equipment which are reviewed as 'well timed, having good rhythmic drive, not bright or lean', for me these are the basics.

As for budget amps most preferred would be Exposure or Nad amps, havent heard AS500 though.

For speakers Dali zensor 1, MA BR2/BX1/BX2, B&W 685, Dynaudio Dm2/6, 2/7, to be more on the safer side you can avoid the ones with metal tweeter among these.

For PC to be the source DAC or streamer is must

If you like the overall sound of your setup, even mp3s and internet radio will sound good through it, haven got any experience with ipod though