Building a hifi system around Astell & Kern ak120

[NRMORRIS]

"Sacd-Ripper" and firmware smaller or equal to 3.55

 

[James7]

5.1 system complicates things and would have been useful to know from the outset. Depending on your AV amp you can probably use pre-outs to feed active main speakers and the internal amps to power the centre and surrounds. If you go down the stereo amp/ passive speaker route the easiest way to integrate a better stereo amp is to go for an amp that can take the AV signal for left and right channels direct to the power amp section so it is the AV amp that controls volume. I don't think the Rega suggested offers this though other amps at the price do - best definitely to visit your local dealer and explain your needs, fully.

 

[NRMORRIS]

Many thanks for your advice. My apologies for not mentioning the 5.1 option. It occurred to me after I posted initially.

If I can find a high quality active speaker system that has a optical digital input, accepts up to 24/192 files and can be linked to an AV amp then I'll be in 7th heaven.

Here's hoping!

 

[James7]

Best of luck.

i do wonder though if you really need active speakers with a digital input. They will need to not only handle 24/192 but have better DACs than the 120 and the whole point of the 120 is that it has excellent DACs. Unless the actives' DAC outperforms the 120 an analogue connection may well be better. There are a number of threads focusing on active speakers, though, and you will find bette advice there than I can offer.

 

[matt49]

Best of luck.

i do wonder though if you really need active speakers with a digital input. They will need to not only handle 24/192 but have better DACs than the 120 and the whole point of the 120 is that it has excellent DACs. Unless the actives' DAC outperforms the 120 an analogue connection may well be better. There are a number of threads focusing on active speakers, though, and you will find bette advice there than I can offer.

+1

If I had an A&K120 I think I'd want to use those dual mono Wolfson DACs. I'd go for a straight hifi separates system (but then again I have no interest in 5.1 so my view is probably irrelevant ...)

 

[Al ears]

+2 There is little point in paying over a grand for a device with twin (and very good) DACs and then taking the digital output into an inferior DAC - absolutely pointless. Use analogue outputs into whatever you eventually get as amplification. :wall:

In case you are wondering I use, and have done for some years, a Colorfly C4 Pro in the same way as the AK120 is being used. It only has the one DAC but I wouldn't even bother putting digital output from that through my DAC. Analogue straight to preamp is good enough.

 

[NRMORRIS]

Cheers, point taken. What amp, speakers and analogue lead would you recommend?

 

[matt49]

Cheers, point taken. What amp, speakers and analogue lead would you recommend?

My feeling is that you'll have a source that's quite a bit better than your amp and speakers, given your budget.

Budget is £1000.

If I were you, I'd be looking for a second-hand amp on e-Bay for around £200. Discontinued models by Denon, Marantz, Arcam would fit the bill (sorry I can't give you the model numbers).

That would leave you the option of a pair of KEF LS50 speakers. Maybe your second-hand amp won't be able to drive them optimally, but you'd still have a lovely system with room to upgrade your amp in due course. It'd be a good, albeit slightly unbalanced system with room to grow.

I wouldn't spend any money on an analogue interconnect at this point.

That's just my strategy. Others may have better ideas.

Matt

 

[Al ears]

I wouldn't spend any money on an analogue interconnect at this point.

If he doesn't he's going to have a very quiet system.

 

[Al ears]

If you want seperates then I don't think you can go far wrong with Onkyo TX-8050 and a pair of Q Acoustics 2050i's, or indeed Rega Brio-R and Q Acoustics Concept 20 + stands if you want standmounters. I'd urge you to audition well though.
Oh, and some sort of analogue interconnect of course. 🙂
(For what it's worth I use a Vertere headphone jack to twin phonos cable)