Best option for £400

Shildondurham

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Hello ,

I'm looking to buy a new integrated amp and cd player with a budget of £400.

I have mordaunt short 914i floorstanders.

I mostly play cds but would like if feasable, bluetooth/usb to connect to spotify-phone-ipod. Id like DAB also.

So far im looking at Yamaha RS202D AS201 AS301 AMPS

CD PLAYERS: CDS300 or CDS301

Or the Marantz duo.

Iv been advised I want a warm sound to work with my speakers so do any of the above look good?

i want the highest quality sound for my budget/speakers and the above features are bonuses not musts as playing cds is my current priority but id like some future proofing and the family stream so it would be beneficial if i could do so. Also i might add a record deck down the road.

so there you go! What doos yous think? Thanks for any advice or recommendations. Please feel free to put any combo you feel im looking for im not set on any particular brand.
 

Blacksabbath25

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Shildondurham said:
Hello ,

I'm looking to buy a new integrated amp and cd player with a budget of £400.

I have mordaunt short 914i floorstanders.

I mostly play cds but would like if feasable, bluetooth/usb to connect to spotify-phone-ipod. Id like DAB also.

So far im looking at Yamaha RS202D AS201 AS301 AMPS

CD PLAYERS: CDS300 or CDS301

Or the Marantz duo.

Iv been advised I want a warm sound to work with my speakers so do any of the above look good?

i want the highest quality sound for my budget/speakers and the above features are bonuses not musts as playing cds is my current priority but id like some future proofing and the family stream so it would be beneficial if i could do so. Also i might add a record deck down the road.

so there you go! What doos yous think? Thanks for any advice or recommendations. Please feel free to put any combo you feel im looking for im not set on any particular brand.
I would look at the marantz pm6005 or one of the Yamaha's as an amps

match the marantz with CD 5005 or CD6005 but go secondhand on eBay there are lots on there for sale secondhand . But both marantz and Yamaha are very good value for money
 

Shildondurham

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What are the differences between the RN and AS yamaha amps? As in sound quality? Does the streamer (RN) lose anything audio wise? The older marantz would need a seperate unit to allow streaming or phone connection wouldnt it?

but both brands suit my speakers though you think?

cheers
 

Blacksabbath25

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I have no personal experience with any of the Yamaha amps with built in streaming

but I do with the marantz pm6005 and cd6005 which both have built in DACs which you can plug your iPhone if you have one and stream though the iPhone using an app .

i am currently using the WXC 50 Yamaha pre which costs £299 or Yamaha do the amp version for £399 both do multi room music and do airplay , Bluetooth , a great onboard DAC too in a small box but this will take you over your budget .

i would say the marantz route will be the cheapest way for now
 

Shildondurham

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For now!!

You mean this quest goes on!!

to be honest i was all keen on the marantz but the fella in richer sounds said they too bright for my speakers?? I was also leaning to the marantz mcr-611 but i feel ill be disappointed down the line so im plumming for the seperates route.
 

Blacksabbath25

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The marantz pm6005 and cd6005 are both very good units and can give great sound for there money

richer sounds normal give great advice I've not heard your speakers with the marantz stuff so they could be right . Have you thought of going there with your speakers and having a demo to see if this is true about being to bright with a marantz setup ? As when I owned marantz pm6005 & cd6005 I had Dali 3s with my setup
 

davedotco

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The Yamaha RN 301 and CDS300 cd player do pretty much everything you are asking and are currently available under budget.

Relatively inexpensive, they are well regarded and come from a serious company, that said you need to check that they do precisely what you want and, at least, try to hear the RN 301 with your speakers.

For what it is worth, I had 'hands on' the now discontinued RN 500, the slightly more expensive predecessor of the RN 301 and found it a very acomplished unit for the price. Like all hi-fi it may or may not suit your requirements sonically, that is for you to decide.
 

muljao

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For 400 I'd look at the Yamaha rn602. I can't say I heard it, but I looked into it a lot and it does a lot at a not crazy price.

This leaves about 60 pounds to buy a DVD player that you can plug into your Yamaha with a digital cable that would work great as a CD player
 

Gray

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Shildondurham said:
For now!! 

You mean this quest goes on!!

to be honest i was all keen on the marantz but the fella in richer sounds said they too bright for my speakers?? I was also leaning to the marantz mcr-611 but i feel ill be disappointed down the line so im plumming for the seperates route.
This place is full of the bones of those who thought their early purchases would be their last.
The quest may be just beginning poor Shildondurham.
 

Shildondurham

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ok thanks for the ideas. I tell you what mind manufacturers say the industry is dying well they dont help matters. Im a total novice when it comes to this stuff but it i love listening to music and love it when sound knocks your socks off. So it's always been a desire to have a decent system, iv been saving bits n bobs up for a year now and have been researching for same amount and i still have no idea what im buying!! Each manufacturer has umpteen versions but the cheap ones have the spec you want but not the quality or the more expensive dont have a connection you want or a certain feature.

i spoke in the shop for half an hour and came out as clueless as i went in. He just pointed at amps and players and said thats good but thats better! Yeah cos its 700 quid more!

All I want is a good amp and player with some modern connect ability that suits my speakers. I know its a low budget compared to what is out there but im not eddie kramer and surely there is something out there what someone can say "your speakers- your price point look at these these or these" good night heres my cash but no its a minefield of this against that.

but hey ho ill get there!
 

muljao

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If you go new and got say an Onkyo A9010 and a chromecast audio, you'd have a great sounding system for a little over 200

Add in spotify and tune in, radio and music source covered. Add a cd player if you still think you need one after week or 2 with spotify through the set up
 

davedotco

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muljao said:
For 400 I'd look at the Yamaha rn602. I can't say I heard it, but I looked into it a lot and it does a lot at a not crazy price.

This leaves about 60 pounds to buy a DVD player that you can plug into your Yamaha with a digital cable that would work great as a CD player

Especially given the extra flexibility of the '602 over the '301.

I'm a bit of a sucker for visually and technically matched components but if that does not bother you, this is a sensible option.

Usual caveat of course, try and hear the amp with your speakers.
 

Shildondurham

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Yes i like the idea of the £400 amp and could even stretch the budget and put a entry level Cambridge audio player or something along those lines. Im hoping for some Christmas sales bargains!!
 

Shildondurham

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I was all but settled on the mcr611 but the fella in richer sounds didnt rate it at all. Said if its a decent level of quality i was looking for it doesn't have the power to deliver. For all its rating is decent on paper realistically its still a low end amp compared to even a basic seperate unit?

Which was the only reason I hadn't bought it yet, so thats whats put me back on the hunt from square 1!
 

MajorFubar

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I feel your pain. It stems from the perspective thast all in one units like the 611 are aimed at different buyers to seperates and so are often offered with different facilities. My dad owns its predecessor the '610 and I think it sounds great for what it is. But - and this could be an important But - I've only heard it partnered with his Q Acoustic speakers, to which it seems emminently suited, albeit it by happy accident seeing they were purchased over a year earlier.

There have been some other great suggestions in this thread however which may suit you in terms of both sound and facilities.
 

Shildondurham

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So could anyone say ok for the 3-400 the 611 will cost you could buy this it has these certain conections but will offer a more accomplished sound.say If i can get a solid amp and entry level cd player, so long as i can conect a phone or something be it by usb, Bluetooth, dongle or whatever ill be happy.

So come on product maestros give me some options!

£400 good detail/power/quality.

what would you buy if you were me.
 

insider9

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Shildondurham said:
So could anyone say ok for the 3-400 the 611 will cost you could buy this it has these certain conections but will offer a more accomplished sound.say  If i can get a solid amp and entry level cd player, so long as i can conect a phone or something be it by usb, Bluetooth, dongle or whatever ill be happy. 

So come on product maestros give me some options!

£400 good detail/power/quality.

what would you buy if you were me.
I would definitely audition earlier mentioned Yamaha WXA-50. You wouldn't have CD player for that in your budget unfortunately but could add one later on. It really looks good on paper.

If not I would go with an Onkyo A9010 complimented by Chromecast Audio with a cheap dac e.g. SMSL and a bluray player as transport. This option is quite comfortably within £400
 

Shildondurham

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Im now leaning toward the as201 amp and cd300. This gives me all the features i want within budget. Im a little cautious about the amp lacking sonically but will give it a listen before making a final decision. I was thinking about the above cd player with the onkyo 9010 to put a more meaty amp in the mix but i dont know how theyl combine.
 

muljao

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I can't say one is better than the other but the Onkyo is a more loved amp, most who use/bought/review it rate it very highly for the price.

I'd consider Insider9 recommendation, I use a similar set up and it works great
 

Blacksabbath25

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Shildondurham said:
Im now leaning toward the as201 amp and cd300. This gives me all the features i want within budget. Im a little cautious about the amp lacking sonically but will give it a listen before making a final decision. I was thinking about the above cd player with the onkyo 9010 to put a more meaty amp in the mix but i dont know how theyl combine.
if your looking at a Yamaha there is a Yamaha A-S 501 on eBay mint with box for £200 that's a lot of amp for £200 .

Your get better bang for bucks going secondhand you might be lucky picking up a marantz pm8005 secondhand and the using a marantz cd5005 to connect your phone or the marantz PM6005 which will be just about the same as the PM6006 which is new on the market . Or go Yamaha
 

Shildondurham

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After having a listen iv defiantly settled on the as201 cds300 option. I get both under budget brand new and tick all my boxes and if down the line i want to add or upgrade time will tell.

i tried the 301 and 500 yam amps and honestly i couldn't tell much difference so????

I tried a camb audio amp and did find a noticeable lack of depth comparable so im not totally tonal deficient!!

just out of interest what is the opinion of better ears than mine on the difference through this range of amps as even a pessimist like me believes there must be improvements sonically as well as feature wise?
 

muljao

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Shildondurham said:
After having a listen iv defiantly settled on the as201 cds300 option. I get both under budget brand new and tick all my boxes and if down the line i want to add or upgrade time will tell.

i tried the 301 and 500 yam amps and honestly i couldn't tell much difference so????

I tried a camb audio amp and did find a noticeable lack of depth comparable so im not totally tonal deficient!!

just out of interest what is the opinion of better ears than mine on the difference through this range of amps as even a pessimist like me believes there must be improvements sonically as well as feature wise?

Your own ears are the best ears for your choices. Yamaha make fine music products and I'm sure these ones are no different. Enjoy
 

drummerman

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I would probably go for a NAD BEE 316 and matching player.

I remember once walking into a local Hifi Retailer and thinking that sounds good. Transpired it was the little NAD's (predecessor of the 316). It sounded nicer than an expensive Musical Fidelity system I tried briefly, at least at normal levels. Speaker used was a NAD badged one small standmount.

Add a CCA and you are sorted.
 

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