Downgrading budgetwise

lovstromp

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Hi, all. Haven't visited these forums for a few years! My subject may be a bit paradoxical considering the nature of our wonderful hobby. Has any of you gotten a system that is cheaper than what you used to have? I used to have a system that I loved, consisting of Marantz PM8003/CD6003 and Dynaudio DM2/6's. When I moved abroad two years ago I got rid of the amp and speakers and went head-fi.

To my ears it felt like an upgrade in soundquality. These days I'm running cd's or Tidal through the CD6003 and in to a Matrix M-Stage 2 USB and Sennheiser HD-600's. Whenever I've felt like listening to music whilst doig something else I've connected to an iPhone dock from JBL. And that solution has always left me wanting more.

I haven't had the opportunity of hearing a fully budget hi-fi. Are they actually that good that they'd make you go "yeah, this is hi-fi."? And I'm thinking amps and speakers that are whf awards contenders. I've since moved back to Greenland and electronics shops here only sell all-in-one stereos and sorround systems, so listening to actual hi-fi is a luxury I no longer have.
 

ID.

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lovstromp said:
consisting of Marantz PM8003/CD6003 and Dynaudio DM2/6's.

If you had the PM8003, you can probably improve on it for less :p

I found the amp somewhat lacking when I was looking to set up a system a number of years ago, and found better performance from a number of cheaper products.

Not surprised the head fi setup sounds like an improvement - you get much better bang for your buck with a headphone system.

I've downgraded budgetwise from an Esoteric all in one and PMC DB1i speakers to the systems in my signature. Although my previous setup did some things better, overall the sound of my current setup is more satisfying to me and better balanced. Purchased new I guess that my main system now costs a bit over half of what my previous setup did.
 

insider9

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I'm not surprised either. Decent pair of headphones will always outperform similarly priced speakers.

I'd say that usually you need to spend at least 4-5 times as much (at least at budget end) on speakers to get the same sound quality.

So with your headphones you'd need a circa £800-£1000 speakers to match them.
 
insider9 said:
I'm not surprised either. Decent pair of headphones will always outperform similarly priced speakers.

I'd say that usually you need to spend at least 4-5 times as much (at least at budget end) on speakers to get the same sound quality.

So with your headphones you'd need a circa £800-£1000 speakers to match them.

I think that is an over simplification and you are actually trying to compare 'chalk' and 'cheese'. Each presents your music in a completely different way for a completely different environment.
 

insider9

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Al ears said:
I think that is an over simplification and you are actually trying to compare 'chalk' and 'cheese'. Each presents your music in a completely different way for a completely different environment.

No argument there. Many people who go the other way from decent headphones to speakers find it difficult to match the level of performance when considering similar budget. But yes definitely 'chalk' and 'cheese' comparison.
 

lovstromp

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Thanks for the replies, all.

ID. said:
lovstromp said:
consisting of Marantz PM8003/CD6003 and Dynaudio DM2/6's.
If you had the PM8003, you can probably improve on it for less :p

I've seen this notion here and there, but for what I mostly listened to (acoustic music and classic rock) at the time, it was brilliant. It was only when playing fast music that I'd sense some disjointment.

I'm not looking for a setup to match my head-fi system, in general. "Just" a system that sounds better than JBL dock and whatever the shops here are selling in all-in-one's. Living rooms here are generally on the small side, so I'll be looking at the smaller bookshelves. My first speakers were DALI Lektor 3's in a first floor living room. What a mistake that was!

For the amp I'd want a Rec/Tape out ideally, to hook up my head-amp. The cheaper options on-line I've got are Marantz, Yamaha, Pioneer, Onkyo, NAD and maybe Rega if I can strectch it a bit.

My options for speakers are DALI, B&W, Monitor Audio, Q Acoustics, Wharfdale, Mission, Triangle and Dynaudio.
 

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