First separates system - advice please

[admin_exported]

I am at last venturing into the separates market, after many years of one box systems. I have a budget of £500 - £600 and am considering a couple of options:

Cambridge Audio Azur 540A V2 + 640C V2 + Mordaunt Short 902i - Richer Sounds package at £499.95

Marantz PM4001 + CD5001 + Monitor Audio BR2's

Rotel RA-04 + Cambridge Audio 540C V2 + Wharfedale Diamond 9.1's

I am a little concerned about the Richer Sounds deal as this may be too 'bright', and wondered about a different speaker pairing with the CA amp/cd. All advice welcomed as I am new to the separates thing, but very determined not to revert to another one box solution.

Many thanks

 

[Thaiman]

Rotel RA-04 + Cambridge Audio 640v2 + Monitor Audio BR2.

 

[DNICE1]

[quote user="colinbb"]

I am at last venturing into the separates market, after many years of one box systems. I have a budget of £500 - £600 and am considering a couple of options:

Cambridge Audio Azur 540A V2 + 640C V2 + Mordaunt Short 902i - Richer Sounds package at £499.95

Marantz PM4001 + CD5001 + Monitor Audio BR2's

Rotel RA-04 + Cambridge Audio 540C V2 + Wharfedale Diamond 9.1's

I am a little concerned about the Richer Sounds deal as this may be too 'bright', and wondered about a different speaker pairing with the CA amp/cd. All advice welcomed as I am new to the separates thing, but very determined not to revert to another one box solution.

Many thanks

[/quote]

Why not have a demo of Marantz CD6002 + Marantz PM6002 + Monitor Audio BR2 at local sevenoaks sound and vison store.

They are offering a 15% discount till the 15th of November if you buy CD+AMP+SPEAKERS the whole package. This package costs about £644 after discount. I know its a litle bit over your budget but sounds really great. Just go down there and have a demo.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice. Went to Sevenoaks and Richer today, got conflicting advice about which is the most important, the amp or the cd player in terms of matching to the speakers. I kind of assumed the amp would be the most important in terms of building a system around, but I am happy to be corrected.

Sevenoaks people advised : Rotel RA-04 + Marantz CD6002 + KEF iQ1 speakers (although I am still tempted by the BR2's

Richer Sounds tried to sell the Cambridge package deal, which I expected, but of course don't do demos, so hard to part with the cash without hearing it, although they did offer to swap speakers within the same deal, which is good.

Going to book a demo with Sevenoaks next week and try a few options, but looks like my budget might be in jeopardy!!

Any advice on the amp / cd issue would be most welcome.

Thanks again

 

[DNICE1]

[quote user="colinbb"]

Sevenoaks people advised : Rotel RA-04 + Marantz CD6002 + KEF iQ1 speakers (although I am still tempted by the BR2's

Going to book a demo with Sevenoaks next week and try a few options, but looks like my budget might be in jeopardy!!

Any advice on the amp / cd issue would be most welcome.

Thanks again

[/quote]

I am surprised to hear Sevenoaks people advising Rotel with Marantz CD6002. Only last week my local Sevenoaks advised against it and said that the CD6002 would pair much better with a Marantz Amp and so was it.

The Rotel RA04 I had a chance to listen to with the CD6002 + BR2 sounded very hollow (bass wise) it wasn't deep and smooth at all (well to my ears it sounded that way). But I have heard good things about this Amp too. On the other hand the Marantz PM6002, which by the way is the newest offering from Marantz, only came out last month or so, sounded great with CD6002 + BR2.

This Amp is so new that you won't be able to find any reviews but after listening to it I can say one thing, it sounds fantastic for the price (at least with the CD6002+BR2). I read somewhere on the forum that WHF is going to review this unit in their December issue.

So the best advice : Don't judge the quality just by reading reviews and what everyone else says, go and have a demo and let you own ears be the judge.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree don't just go by reviews, listen to a few at a dealers and see what you like the sound of.