Building a first budget system : Can I do better than MS Mezzo 1 speakers for £220

Jame5

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The Mezzo 1s are on sale in Richer Sounds for £220. I don't see a review of the 1s on here, but the Mezzo range seems to be generally well received and a step up from the Avianos. The Aviano 1s are on sale for £200 so it seems to me that the Mezzo 2s are the better option. Should I consider anything else though (a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.1s at £200, for example)? The room is about 200 square feet and I listen to a range of music, but mostly guitar-driven rock and indie.

I haven't decided what to match them with yet. They're probably going to spend a month or two connected to an absolute disgrace of a Sony mini system that I bought on Tottenham Court Road as a student. The World Cup and an entire new system in one month might be enough to end a perfectly good relationship.

I'm not interested in buying second hand, by the way, but if I'm making a mistake going so budget to start off with then please tell me. I'm quite relishing starting off with a decent budget system and gradually building something more emotional.

I'd be very grateful for any views. Particularly from anyone who's auditioned these speakers alongside others.
 
A

Anonymous

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I have the Mezzo 2s which are very fast paced, transparent speakers. They can, however, grate a little with bright systems (I found them a bit much with Cambridge gear) so be careful with the other bits. If you like lively sound though, they are a good choice.
 

Jame5

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Thanks Cidershed. That should spur me on to replace the Sony mini system then. Would it be true to say that budget amps will tend to be a bit bright (i.e. I'll have to be quite careful)?
 
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Anonymous

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Not really. NAD tend to be fuller, whereas Cambridge Audio tend to be bright. There's also Denon, which tend to be less dynamic, Marantz and Pioneer to consider.

I'd agree about the mezzos having heard them with a Nait.
 
A

Anonymous

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Not to mention Rotel, which might go better with the Mezzos, based on what I've heard of their previous models, anyway.
 
T

the record spot

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The current Rotel range is apparently rather forward sounding, so careful partnering with the Mezzos might be the order of the day. Depends what the source is of course.
 

Jame5

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"Forward sounding"? A bit of searching seems to suggest that this means the sound stage is all in front of the speakers. I assume then that more treble means forward sounding (because it is processed by your brain quicker and so, combined with the real timing of the music, make the sound stage sound nearer to the listener). Is that right?

So a NAD would be a good option because it's a little weightier. I'm wondering how the Mezzo 1s would perform matched with a bassier sound. They're obviously a bit smaller than the Mezzo 2s, which I understand are relatively well balanced for their size / price.
 

d_a_n1979

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They are good little speakers but for a similar price you can get the Dali Lektor 2's or the Monitor Audio BR2's.

I know you said you didnt want to consier but for 2nd hand you could consider the Monitor Audio RS1's or again the M/A BR2's.

The NAD C326BEE amp would be better for your tastes in music IMO; the C/A amps are fine but they can sound a little cold and clinical at times and from my experience they dont do guitar, rock and vocal music justice do to the soundstage

It'd be handy to know what your overall budget is and also whether youve already got a CD player?
 

dave_k

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Why the reluctance to go s/h? If you're not buying a system all in one go anyway then you can take your time and put something really nice together. Then there is the advantage that, if you don't like an item, you can usually sell it on at minimal, if any, financial loss, so you can chop and change things without worrying about losing money.

Yes, there are risks, but you won't be spending megabucks on any one item. And if you buy new, there is always a risk that what you end up with won't just be quite what you were hoping to achieve anyway, and then you might end up chopping and changing anyway.

I know if I had bought the first set-up i listened to I'd have changed it by now...

Just my thoughts, for what they're worth...
 

Jame5

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All good stuff and thanks. I know I could bag a bargain in the second hand market, but I attach quite a high value to getting a decent service and having a comeback if there's something wrong with the product.

I'm definitely going to be auditioning NAD amps. I like what I'm hearing about them. I just went to Richer Sounds to audition the Mezzo 1s against the Dali Lektor 2s. This is what I experienced:

1. Reluctance to let me listen to the speakers because they were so busy (only me in the shop at the time!).

2. Being told that the web price for the Lektor 2s was the same as the in-shop price (either a mistake or a lie - it's £30 cheaper - judge for yourselves).

3. Setting the more expensive of the two pairs up on a better system and only telling me when I expressly asked if the set up was the same.

4. The Mezzo 1s sounded appalling in comparison to the Lektor 2s. Just totally lacking vocal definition. I asked for them to be changed over to the better set up for a true comparison - again, met with reluctance.

5. The Mezzo 1s still sounded so much worse than the Lektor 2s on the better set up. At that point I realised that they must be broken.

6. Yes, when asked directly the salesman admitted that they were indeed broken (the tweeter on the left side wasn't working at all).

So, a completely wasted trip to Richer Sounds and an hour of my life I won't get back. The Dali Lektor 2s sounded perfectly decent but I have no reference other than a broken pair of speakers. Obviously, I'm fuming about it. Was I unlucky, or is this pretty standard customer service from Richer Sounds.
 

d_a_n1979

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Sorry to hear your experienced James!

I once went in to RS and was treated the same so would never go back again; they're too much of a mickey mouse orgainsation for my liking (well they are here in Preston)

IMO the Dali Lektor 2's are a much better speaker than the Mezzo's!

As I said before; SightandSoundUK have the NAD C326BEE, Marantz CD6003 and Dali Lektor 2's as a system and that's be hell of a first system to go for
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Is there anywhere else near to you where you can demo at all?
 

Jame5

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Yes, I've found what seems to be a good place now. I'll listen to a few of the speakers recommended above and make a decision. Thanks again for all the advice.
 

Sizzers

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Jame5:
All good stuff and thanks. I know I could bag a bargain in the second hand market, but I attach quite a high value to getting a decent service and having a comeback if there's something wrong with the product.

I'm definitely going to be auditioning NAD amps. I like what I'm hearing about them. I just went to Richer Sounds to audition the Mezzo 1s against the Dali Lektor 2s. This is what I experienced:

1. Reluctance to let me listen to the speakers because they were so busy (only me in the shop at the time!).

2. Being told that the web price for the Lektor 2s was the same as the in-shop price (either a mistake or a lie - it's £30 cheaper - judge for yourselves).

3. Setting the more expensive of the two pairs up on a better system and only telling me when I expressly asked if the set up was the same.

4. The Mezzo 1s sounded appalling in comparison to the Lektor 2s. Just totally lacking vocal definition. I asked for them to be changed over to the better set up for a true comparison - again, met with reluctance.

5. The Mezzo 1s still sounded so much worse than the Lektor 2s on the better set up. At that point I realised that they must be broken.

6. Yes, when asked directly the salesman admitted that they were indeed broken (the tweeter on the left side wasn't working at all).

So, a completely wasted trip to Richer Sounds and an hour of my life I won't get back. The Dali Lektor 2s sounded perfectly decent but I have no reference other than a broken pair of speakers. Obviously, I'm fuming about it. Was I unlucky, or is this pretty standard customer service from Richer Sounds.

The Dali's are wonderful speakers and makes me wonder what they were playing them through for them to sound just "perfectly decent".

Was actually going to buy a pair of these next weekend, but going to demo some AVI Neutron 5's first.
 

Jame5

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I don't mean to say there was anything wrong with the the Dali's, but my ear isn't well enough trained to be able to hear how good they are without a reference. The Lektor 2s are definitely in with a shout, although I wonder whether they're a bit lacking in weight. Perhaps, I'd be better off with a pair of larger (and cheaper) Wharfedale Diamond 10.2s.

The system, in case you're still interested, was Cambridge Audio 650s.
 

Sizzers

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The Dali's don't do bass, and nor do I!

I just love the transparency, detail, imaging and timing of these speakers. They're probably not suitable for a larger room - and certainly not if you really like your base - but they just seem to do everything beautifully to my ears.

I wasn't denegrading your reference points and apologies if any offence caused.
 

d_a_n1979

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I dont agree with that Sizzzers; the Dali Lektor 2's do DO bass but it's not as prominent or in your face like the B&W 685's are
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The bass the Dali's kick out is very good indeed but its well times and taut whereas the B&W 685s (for example) thrive on being driven hard and have very deep bass for their size!

The C/A 650 amp is a good one but as I've said before it is a bit clinical at times and if you were to demo the C/A amp against the likes of the NAD C326BEE, Rotel RA04SE or the Audiolab 8000S you'd soon see/hear this
emotion-1.gif
 

Richer Sounds

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Hi,

I was sorry to read of your poor experience on your recent visit to one of our stores.

The primary focus of all our sales assistants should always be in helping each customer choose the right equipment for their individual needs / requirements, and indeed one of the best ways of doing so is via an in-store demo. I am therefore disappointed to hear that the assistant you dealt with on this occasion wasn't as helpful as he should have been!

So that I may take this matter up with the store concerned I'd most interested to hear from you which of our stores you visited.

In the meantime, if you are still in the market for some speakers then please do let me know and I will do my best to help and either arrange a further in-store demo or a home trial. My direct e-mail address is john.p.clayton@richersounds.com and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Many thanks,

John Clayton
Operations Director
Richer Sounds
 

Jame5

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Thanks to you all for your help and thanks to John Clayton for his concern about the service I received at Richer Sounds. I later spoke to a friend who had received very good service from one of your stores, so perhaps I was just unlucky.

In case anyone's interested, I went for a pair of Wharfedale 10.1s in the end, having blown most of my budget elsewhere. They sound fantastic to my ears, but then I have just upgraded from a £150 mini system!
 

steven123

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Congrats on the Wharfedales. How do you think they compare to the dali lektors? I have the warfs to and in my opinion they are fantastic too, they sound so realistic, but there not often advised here on the forum compared to the dali's.
 

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