First Time Hi-Fi

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Hi,
Just about to purchase my first Hi-Fi at 16, just wondered if anyone could let me know what they think and any tips?
thanks

Denon PMA700 Silver (Stereo Amplifier)
Marantz CD6002 Silver (CD player)
Mordaunt Short 906i Black (Floorstanders)
 

JoelSim

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Hi mate, welcome.

I would forget the Denon. The Marantz is a good start, but if I were you I would go to a dealer and listen. You will be surprised how different certain bits can sound and if you're not sure what sound you're looking for then the only way to find out is to listen for yourself. Be honest with the dealer and tell them how old you are - if they don't treat you like a king then find another dealer - you are their ideal customer, young with years of upgrade potential.

I would suggest you ask the dealer what he recommends, whilst bearing in mind the reviews of the WHF team. Hifi is about matching components as much as anything else and obtaining a sound that suits your ears.

At your prices you should be looking at NAD, Marantz, Cambridge, Arcam.

The other choice is to take a punt second hand, as you should be able to sell any kit on at approx the same value should it not work out - you'll get a better system for your money but of course no warranty or guarantees.

Good luck fella
 
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Anonymous

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Well, with the usual qualifications of listen before you buy etc, I would ditch the Denon and look at an NAD, Rotel or Marantz. The speakers and CDP are good so it's just down to how well they work as a combo and fit your tastes.

Whether done now or when the budget permits, make sure you get some respectable speaker wire (single wire will be fine, forget biwire) and a decent interconnect such as a Chord Crimson.

Good luck and let us know how you get on! Highly addictive stuff.
 
T

the record spot

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JoelSim:Hi mate, welcome.

The other choice is to take a punt second hand, as you should be able to sell any kit on at approx the same value should it not work out - you'll get a better system for your money but of course no warranty or guarantees.

That's not entirely true, many BADA dealers will offer a warranty on used equipment; Billy Vee (for example) in London offer a one year warranty. Others might offer three or six months. Shop with confidence, etc.
 
T

the record spot

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What music do you listen to, what is your budget, how big is your room?
 

JoelSim

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the record spot:JoelSim:Hi mate, welcome.

The other choice is to take a punt second hand, as you should be able to sell any kit on at approx the same value should it not work out - you'll get a better system for your money but of course no warranty or guarantees.

That's not entirely true, many BADA dealers will offer a warranty on used equipment; Billy Vee (for example) in London offer a one year warranty. Others might offer three or six months. Shop with confidence, etc.

You're right but you pay a hefty premium over fleabay
 

fr0g

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Nothing wrong with that as a start. Nothing wrong with the Denon too.

But its certainly worth auditioning rather than choosing blind.
 
T

the record spot

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JoelSim:

You're right but you pay a hefty premium over fleabay

True, on the other hand, it depends what you're buying - I picked up a Systemdek last year which was a disaster of a purchase; the seller hadn't used the turntable in ages, the description didn't match what arrived - nightmare. Got my money back after several weeks. Just took the plunge again with a late 70s tuner on Ebay this week, but time will tell.

Ebay is good alright, but shopping around pays dividends; I'd advocate that anytime and if you get the warranty, so much the better.
 

Thaiman

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fr0g: But its certainly worth auditioning rather than choosing blind.

Buy blind is more exciting mate....lucky dip
emotion-2.gif


(please don't try this at home!)
 

fr0g

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Thaiman:
fr0g: But its certainly worth auditioning rather than choosing blind.

Buy blind is more exciting mate....lucky dip
emotion-2.gif


(please don't try this at home!)

...Its all very well if you have the resources mate!
Not all of us can afford this as an ongoing hobby... ;)

Btw I finally got my Harmony DA9 yesterday... Lovely piece of kit for the money. I feel content...

(ish) . Also received my NVA LS3 cables... need to really give them a try...first impression ... not much in it between that and my Van Damme. But thats another thread...

But to the OP... try everything (including Denon...some nice stuff at the price (in fact I would be tempted with the CD player over the Marantz too)
 

Thaiman

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The NVA is quite popular for some reason! they look pretty weedy to me! Let me know if you can hear any different with both eyes shut!
 

matthewpiano

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frOg makes a very valid point. Ebay can turn hi-fi purchasing into a continual hobby and you do need to be careful taking risks on things with the notion that it can always be sold on. Too much of this and you find that you can just as easily lose money as break even. The best thing I did was walking away from constant ebay switching and walking into a hi-fi shop with my set budget and a strong idea of what I wanted my hi-fi to do. I'm more content than I've been for ages and I'm not worrying about re-sale in the slightest.
 

fr0g

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JoelSim:Ignore fr0g, if you see something good on eBay, then Grrrbit.

...Once you have got into it, great...The best thing however for a 16 yr old on a tightish budget is to go to Richersounds, Superfi, or Sevenoakes (for example), get an audition, and buy a whole system, with a nice chunky warranty.

I would have crapped my pants at 16 if I had received a dud through Ebay.
 
A

Anonymous

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Thanks for the advice everyone,

I listen to anything really Hip-Hop, Alternative, R&B, Dance, Rock, Grime, my room size is 9ft x 12ft, just got rid of my desk so i have plenty of room for floorstander and my budget is around £650.00.
 
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Anonymous

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Hi there,

There are many products out there that would suit your music taste. I would be looking at the DENON PMA700AE especially and the NAD C352BEE also. Basically, you'll want plenty of power, irrespective of what some people say...50watts@80hms output minimum for speakers under 89db sensitivity. Both these products come in around the £230 mark, which gives around £230 to spend on speakers, of which I recommend the MORDAUNT SHORT AVANT 914i for £229.99 in Superfi and for a CD player, the NAD C515BEE is great for £159.95 in Superfi which leaves £20 for the QED QUNEX PERFORMANCE 1 and for £18 you'll get 4 metres of QED QUDOS SILVER ANNIVERSARY SPEAKER CABLE which brings the total to...oh dear...you'll have to add £8 to your budget! : )

There's also the ebay route though...I did it last year before I bought my current equipment, and I was 14 years old then! Look out for the JVC A-X5 or A-X7 or A-X9 on ebay as an amplifier or the Pioneer A-400 amplifier and for speakers, the B&W 603s are great; as are the Monitor Audio BR5s! CD player wise, look out for great deals on the Arcam CD73! A gem of a player!

Have fun!
 
A

Anonymous

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you can also think about getting a bookshelf speaker aswell.

e.g. you can look into the b&w 685's with the marantz cd6002 and the marantz pm6002. the speakers may proove to be a little high in your budget if you are looking for the standmounts aswell.

so the monitor audio bronze br2's with the same cdplayer and amp may be a better choice including the stands.

total cost for b&w's ect, £750-£850

total cost for monitor audios ect, £630-£700

but again it depends on what music you like also. Plus look into the sale packages shops offer aswell. sevenoaks at the moment are doing the exact setup i said with the monitor audios in, for £620. audition those setups and see what you think.

good luck,

naim is holmes.
 
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Anonymous

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look at the Cambridge audio azur 340a as well...ive not listened to it my self but 'what hi-fi?' themselves recommend it, so go for this amp with matched speakers and cdplayer and see what you think.

plus look in local pawn shops as well, like the cash generator. it might sound shabby but i found a pair of old, roksan rok-ones in there the other day for £130!( their easier to haggle), and they worked perfectly. I don't know about you and these other guys on what hi-fi but i think their a good pair of speakers, especially for that price, but still...be careful whatever you do in these places because they can some times be considered as 'cons'. so make sure whatever you buy at these places WORK.

again whatever you do good luck,

naim is holmes.
 
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Anonymous

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That Denon amp will leave you in tears - not tears of joy but regret! Get the matching Marantz amp instead or a Rotel RA-04 (IMO).
 

crusaderlord

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I agree at this price point NAD and Rotel are extremely good. The NAD 325BEE is my amp recommendation with an Arcam CD73 player which is being sold off at low prices now due to a change of range by Arcam. I am less confident on the speakers but the Monitor Audio BR2 seem to win a lot of head to head reviews with the magazine.
 

fr0g

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Also, look on Ebay for the Gotham interconnects. £10 and highly recommended (certainly better than a £20-£30 'big name' ... tight budget, save money where you can.
 
A

Anonymous

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I don't know why people constantly push out the japanese brands !
I would personally pick the Denon over a Cambridge Audio amp any day.
 

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