Good turntable/amplifier/speaker setup for a beginner w/ bluetooth?

[JoshTheAce]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to delve into the vinyl market and pickup my first turntable, I'm currently debating between the Audio Technica AT-LP120, Pro-ject Debut Carbon and Rega RP1. My main query here is amplifiers, as I have very little knowledge of what is necessary. I'd like a phono preamp built in (if thats best?) and it would be great to have bluetooth connectivity so I can use my phone to play digital files without having to cross my bedroom to the system and physically connect it. Thus a remote would also be ideal! Hoping not to pay through the teeth and willing to find any work arounds that could save money but still maintain good quality sound and functionality. Oh and from my research the Dali Zensor 1's seem like ideal budget bookshelf speakers, so I'm kind of set on those but I know the Q Acoustic 2020is are great too!

Thanks for reading, I'd really appreciate any advice from you experts!

Josh

 

[MaxD]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to delve into the vinyl market and pickup my first turntable, I'm currently debating between the Audio Technica AT-LP120, Pro-ject Debut Carbon and Rega RP1. My main query here is amplifiers, as I have very little knowledge of what is necessary. I'd like a phono preamp built in (if thats best?) and it would be great to have bluetooth connectivity so I can use my phone to play digital files without having to cross my bedroom to the system and physically connect it. Thus a remote would also be ideal! Hoping not to pay through the teeth and willing to find any work arounds that could save money but still maintain good quality sound and functionality. Oh and from my research the Dali Zensor 1's seem like ideal budget bookshelf speakers, so I'm kind of set on those but I know the Q Acoustic 2020is are great too!

Thanks for reading, I'd really appreciate any advice from you experts!

Josh

You could replicate my setup. I'm very proud of it, after some trouble with Q Acoustics 2020i, if you search on the generic hi-fi forum you will find the thread.

Debut Carbon is a very, very usefull and stable deck: I'm a lot satisfy about it, even with default cartridge. It sound definitely good: you have to setup the mechanical part based on pickup and counterweight well, then it will play every record, even scratched records just in case, very well.

You could buy, as an amp, NAD D 3020. It has a very good built in DAC, a lot of imputs (analog, toslink, coaxial, usb, subwoofer) and it sould great with my actual speakers: Monitor Audio Bronze BX2. After an horrorific experience with Q Acoustics 2020i, I'm very happy with this MA: they are solid, they can play pretty much everything at every volume with a great sound quality.

NAD D 3020 has integrated the best bluwtooth around: AptX so you can fire any phone against it and the quality of sound is very good with integrated DAC serving it to your speakers, even if you do not use ApTX protocol. Sadly Apple phones and iPads still doesn't have ApTX: Latest Samsung Galaxy and latest Sony got it, then NAD D 3020 will sound ok, even if not like with ApTX, even with iPhone and iPad.

If you choose the NAD as an amp you need a phono box to connect the turntable: you could buy the Pro-ject Phono box II or the NAD PP2, they both sound great, better than many integrated phono ports on amp with it onboard and it could be always usefull.

About Q Acoustics: I can speak just for the 2020i I had, they've been a nightmare becouse I had two pairs and both failed with loud sessions at high volumes and it wasn't a clipping or amp fail. Amp proved to be perfect and also NAD D 3020 do have a patent ANTI CLIPPING method (well explained on the amp documentation on them site) that prevent distortion and clipping.

I asked for help on Q Acoustics site, then them site is pretty basic; I had no support at all, they never ever reply to my e-mail, then I know they complained about my harsh comments on this forum about them.

I will advise anyone to avoid Q Acoustics as a company after my brolen experience, then I can just talk about 2020i, they proved very bad to me, I can't say about other of them speakers, and I also can talk about the company related with the relation with the client: they NEVER EVER REPLIED TO MY INQUIRES, unless NAD and Monitor Audio, with them constanti support, even pre sales support.

So avoid 2020i.

 

[JoshTheAce]

Thanks for the heads up Max! Customer service is important to me so I'll avoid Q Acoustics. I've actually been doing some more research on speakers, and I have to admit I've fallen in love with the aesthetic design of the B&W 686 series 2's, they're a little more expensive but the reviews are very positive and there is a supplier near me so I will go and test them to make sure they sound good! But I'm guilty of wanting something that looks good.

The NAD D 3020 does look great, but I was hoping of spending half the price if possible! Especially if I need a preamp as well! Has anyone connected an older/more simple amplifier with a bluetooth adapter with favourable results?

Ultimately I'm willing to build my system slowly if the more expensive options are far and away the best ones, both in terms of longevity and quality.

 

[MaxD]

Thanks for the heads up Max! Customer service is important to me so I'll avoid Q Acoustics. I've actually been doing some more research on speakers, and I have to admit I've fallen in love with the aesthetic design of the B&W 686 series 2's, they're a little more expensive but the reviews are very positive and there is a supplier near me so I will go and test them to make sure they sound good! But I'm guilty of wanting something that looks good.

The NAD D 3020 does look great, but I was hoping of spending half the price if possible! Especially if I need a preamp as well! Has anyone connected an older/more simple amplifier with a bluetooth adapter with favourable results?

Ultimately I'm willing to build my system slowly if the more expensive options are far and away the best ones, both in terms of longevity and quality.

You don't need a preamp with NAD D 3020, you just need a phono preamp and the Pro-ject phono box is as cheap as $ 60.

Yes, if you look on Whathifi reviews you can find bluetooth addons you can connect to a nomrla amplifier, then the cost of this feature is even superior compared to buy an all around solution like the NAD D 3020 + phono box and often those external solution are not so well integrated, becouse if you want a bluetooth solution la the Arcam box with a DAC it prove to be a lot more expensive than integrated bluetooth.

IMHO, you can stay cheap if you do NOT want bluetooth.

 

[JoshTheAce]

Firstly phono preamp is what I meant! Secondly a decent bluetooth reciever is around £60, couple that with something like a denon pma-520ae (which i've heard is a decent entry level amplifier) and the price would be half that of the NAD D 3020.

I appreciate the advice, just saying there are cheaper options....I want to find out if anyone has tried them!