Hello, and some advice please

[admin_exported]

Hi

I'm new to the forum I'd like to ask some advice please. I have an old separates system (currently on ebay, sniff) as the wife says its too ugly and bulky. It consists of a Marantz pm-30 amp, mission 760 speakers, sherwood 3020r cd.

I want to have a simpler, digital (no CDs) system that still sounds good (the system above blows away my Bose sound dock).

Can anyone suggest a good approach? I was thinking maybe a bose wave II, linked to airport express.

Or maybe a sonos system?

Or can airport express, marantz amp and mission speakers be connected up, and then music played through my laptop / itunes? I can't work out if this would work or how it works?

Cheers for any support or advice

 

[matthewpiano]

One simple set-up would be a Cambridge Audio 351A amp (which has a USB input) connected to your Missions.

Alternatively, consider the Marantz M-CR603 - a great product which contains everything you need in one compact box and combines it with superb sound quality. Just add speakers - either your existing Missions or something like a pair of Q Acoustics 2010i, which would be small, could be bought in a finish to suit your decor and sound excellent.

 

[the record spot]

I'd add the Onkyo TX-8050 receiver. Digital inputs, Internet radio, Spotify, DLNA, FLAC and a mix of coax and optical to choose from. 130wpc at 6ohms, but measures higher according to the recent Hi Fi World review. Great sound and should be a good mix with your Missions, but if you splash out on some new speakers in time, they partner Tannoys beautifully.

Mods - Please remove the Google logo from your signature.

 

[plastic penguin]

Yup, heard the Marantz 603 and it's very impressive. It'll tick most of your (and the wifes) boxes: Small and discreet; accepts AirPlay; tuner (DAB, FM, AM); sounds the biz; flexible with speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

That sounds really good - the Marantz mcr603 and some Q speakers (or the missions live on)!

So my old amp is dead I take it (in terms of it being able to play from wireless etc) ? I've plugged my ipod into it before and it sounds awful and the volume on the amp is at max to get any volume.

 

[matthewpiano]

You could buy the wireless version of the Arcam rDAC to use with your current amp but I wouldn't bother. You'll get better results from the Marantz MCR603 IMO and it will look tidier.

 

[the record spot]

No, the Marantz will accommodate other digital sources but you'll need to buy a DAC that you can then connect up to one of the line-level inputs on your Marantz amp. The PM30 was one of the amps at the entry level end of the Marantz range from memory and you could do better with something slightly newer now.

A careful shop round Ebay will also net you some decent amps - one or two with an onboard DAC as per the Onkyo and the Marantz - - in the secondhand market (my Sony below was about £120 but performance is fantastic).

 

[Anonymous]

Looks like the Marantz for me. One thing I can't work out is how the airplay works.

Would it only stream from my laptop via a cable? If so that's a big turn off. I have read that it's not a wireless unit for streaming - or is that just the internet radio, not mp3's / iTunes

Apologies for ignorance, I'm not a techy sort

 

[jaxwired]

If you want a simple system that has great sound, get Dynaudio XEO 3. They are powered speakers with a built in DAC and wireless receiver. No amp, preamp or DAC required. If you have wifi in your house, you could stream music to the XEO 3s from an AirPort Express or Apple TV ($99). It doesn't get simpler than this.

If you don't want to stream your music, then you just need a CD player or DVD player and you're all set. Just the player and the XEO 3 speakers. Done.