budget hi fi for the music i listen to?

[admin_exported]

i will soon be buying hi fi components, but still have a few questions. i think ive decided to go with seperates instead of an all in one, due to easier upgrading later, better quality for the price and the fact im not bothered about having a radio on it.

my favourite artist at the moment is the cocteau twins, i only recently discovered them and the music takes me to other worlds! i first fell in love with rock/pop music such as (in this order), nirvana, weezer, ash, pixies, feeder, the sundays, and various others to lesser degree. do i need to make any buying considerations based on the music i listen to?

the last question i still havent decided is whether to use the pc, buying cd's and ripping lossless, then playing from sound card > seperates amp > bookshelf/floor speakers. other option is buy a seperates cd player instead of the pc.

i have a richer sounds nearby, they seem to do cambridge, tangent, nad etc. so any advice before i make a final decision would be much appreciated!

 

[Big Chris]

You need to set a budget. Also, how large is your room?

 

[Anonymous]

budget is: as cheap as possible

requirements: never had a proper hi fi before, somehow got by with pc/ pc speakers for the last few years, know i'm missing out, want a hi fi system to wow me, want to hear my music in a new light. once heard one of my songs through a mates floorstanding speakers and was amazed at the quality, it sounded a lot more spaced out, could hear each instrument clearly. question is will a budget hi fi give me that difference? i'm sure i saw one at £149 with cd+amp+speakers somewhere

 

[PJPro]

Many people would regard the PC as the best source available given appropriate software, a lossless file format and an external DAC.

So, the good news is that your PC could well be your source. Depends if the PC is located in the room you want to listen to the music. If you wanted to use your PC as a source, then additional advice can be provided as required.

As for the rest of the system....yes an amp and speakers or just active speakers would be required. Suggest you take a gander at the best buys on this site in your particular price range.

 

[the record spot]

Have a think about how you want to manage your music; will you want to play/stream all the time, in which case, running a PC or laptop all day most or every day can be expensive against the cost of running a CD player and especially if you're on a tight budget.

Worth some thought - both have their merits and you probably need to think which of the two paths is best.

 

[Anonymous]

I STRONGLY suggest swinging by a record shop (vinyl records) as they usually have old kenwood and luxman and technics turntables for pocketchange. Even a cheap turntable from the 80's will chump most any cdp under 250 quid imo, the addition of the tt will give you the chance to hear lots of old records in the pure form. Not to mention it will make your hifi look cooler and impress girls.

 

[John Duncan]

Except my wife, who thinks they're stupid.

 

[Anonymous]

JohnDuncan:Except my wife, who thinks they're stupid.Ahhh, a music-server proponent is she.

 

[John Duncan]

More of a silence-server proponent actually........