Help - £400 budget for new system

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Hi all,

First of all please excuse any naivity as I'm really just starting to understand this strange new world!!

Ok, I have a £400 budget and am looking for a new system that will primarily be run from either my laptop (wirelessly hopefully) and an ipod. The reason being is that I have limited space so want to box all my cd's away and transfer everything to the laptop.

I have looked at the Zeppelin air and the Arcam rcube in terms of docks but is this the only options available to me?? I understand a dedicated speaker and system will produce much better sound quality??!

Naturally I want the best sound quality available for my budget...

Hoping you guys maybe able to help and make some suggestions for a novice!

Many thanks

Tim
 
A

Anonymous

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Hmmm...

Have you room to put speakers on stands?

IMO decent 2nd hand amps like the NAD C320BEE, Arcam Alpha 8 or a Musical Fidelity XA1/XA2 would be a good starting point along with some Wharfedale 10.1, Dali Zensor 1, Q Acoustic 2020i or Mission MX1 speakers. If you're happy with 2nd hand speakers then the likes of the B&W 601 S2/S3's, Monitor Audio BR2's or Dali Lektor 2's would be a very good starting point also

I've just built my office system around my NMAD C320BEE and it's still a stunning amp

I'm currently running music from my iMAC i5 directly to the amp via a 3.5mm to phono cable but I'm also considering adding a DAC too; the likes of the CYP or Linday DAC's around the £50mark are a good start I feel.

Cabling shouldnt cost you too much; plenty available fairly cheaply these days (Van Damme cable, Chord and QED also)
 

Cinnabar

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I just put together my first real system. There are a lot of bargains out there. I picked up a NAD C326BEE amp from Richer Sounds for £180 ex-display, and a pair of Monitor Audio RX1's from the Sevenoaks Clearance website (excellent source this) for £299 (also ex-display). I was able to beg/steal/borrow some cabling from a friend. I started off running music from my Mac/iPhone directly into the amp, sounded surprisingly good. For £400 you should be able to pick up something pretty decent.
 
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the record spot

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jonesy1 said:
Hi all,

First of all please excuse any naivity as I'm really just starting to understand this strange new world!!

Ok, I have a £400 budget and am looking for a new system that will primarily be run from either my laptop (wirelessly hopefully) and an ipod. The reason being is that I have limited space so want to box all my cd's away and transfer everything to the laptop.

I have looked at the Zeppelin air and the Arcam rcube in terms of docks but is this the only options available to me?? I understand a dedicated speaker and system will produce much better sound quality??!

Naturally I want the best sound quality available for my budget...

Hoping you guys maybe able to help and make some suggestions for a novice!

Many thanks

Tim

Onkyo TX8050 - network stereo receiver. Potentially ideal for your needs, comes with a USB input on the fascia which will take the data stream from your iPod and convert via the Onkyo's own internal DAC (which, incidentally can also take up to four digital sources via four inputs at the back). Superfi are doing them for £299 just now, and don't be fooled by the price. This is one of the best things to happen to two channel hifi in years.

This leaves you around £100 for speakers if you want to stick to your £400 budget and there are plenty options around for that money, especially in the sales (Wharfedale 9.1s can be picked up for £99, Q Acoustics 2020i a little more at £120, but shop around for these and others). Cabling is no issue, simply get some 322-strand for £5 for 10 metres all in from the likes of Digitalis Direct off Ebay and you've a tough system to beat for under £500. If you've a spare ethernet cable or homeplugs, you can add your Onkyo to the network and enjoy Spotify (it has Spotify functionality thanks to a recent firmware upgrade), DLNA connectivity and internet radio functionality too.

EDIT: And trust me, the sound quality of the Onkyo really is excellent. Way beyond what you'd expect for the money and that's at its full RRP of £400.
 

omnibeard

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I'll second that on the Onkyo 8050.

Play.com seem to be selling it for £249.99 right now, which is silly money.

Couple that with some second hand Mission 751s (a pair just went on the bay for £50) and some bits of cable and you'll have something really awesome sounding.

There's probably a stack of really good second hand speakers for £150 or less (which would fit your budget) that the Onkyo would drive beautifully.

You might need some stands too, but you can pick those up for peanuts.

I am a bit biased right now though having put together this exact system and sitting here right now loving the noise it's making!
 
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Anonymous

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The onkyo tx8050 sounds like a really good solution and I reckon I could pick up some speaker for in budget as you guys mention.....BUT does the onkyo require a wireless adaptor or anything to allow me to play my music from laptop wirelessly???
 
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Anonymous

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IIRC it's built in whereas the Marantz CR603 like I've got needs either ethernet hardwire or an ethernet bridge (i.e. Netgear @£25/£30) etc...

If the Onk is available at £250 then get some 2nd hand Monitor Audio BR2's and Atacama Nexus 6 / Soundstyle ZII speaker stands and youre laughing...

Even the likes of the Q Acoustic 2020i's would be a good speaker choice but 2nd hand you'll get a lot more for your £££

I heard the Onk on Tuesday with some M/A BX2's, RX1's and some B&W 685's and it sounded superb; not my taste of soundstage as I found it a bit lacking at low volume at times but still damned good!

Even a 2nd hand Marantz CR603 would be a damned good choice if you wanted to go down the all-in-one system route instead of seperates etc...

Although for £400 you can pick up a very good seperates system and have change left over if you dig hard enough on eBay and the likes ;)
 
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the record spot

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jonesy1 said:
The onkyo tx8050 sounds like a really good solution and I reckon I could pick up some speaker for in budget as you guys mention.....BUT does the onkyo require a wireless adaptor or anything to allow me to play my music from laptop wirelessly???

While the Onkyo will access your laptop's music via DLNA, it needs to either be connected wirelessly through Onkyo's adapter OR using a wired connection to your router. Alternatively, homeplugs (which I use) undertake the ethernet connection but using your household's wiring network to transmit the signal from router to receiver. Works nicely too.
 
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hifilover1979 said:
I heard the Onk on Tuesday with some M/A BX2's, RX1's and some B&W 685's and it sounded superb; not my taste of soundstage as I found it a bit lacking at low volume at times but still damned good!

It depends on the room you're in. My stereo fires across the width of the lounge, not downwards and the bass is more than ample from the Tannoys. This is both for heavy rock (Motorhead, Metallica, Pixies) and movies (which are generally deeper anyway). No issues. Of course, if that's insuffient, then the 8050 takes a subwoofer as well.

As with any hifi separates, if you land the right mix (as I did for my room), the Onkyo won't be found wanting.

Party on Wayne! :)
 

satycool

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Look at the Marantz CR603 - has everything CD, Dab, Apple Airplay, Ipod Usb, Interent Radio, Streamer. All within your budget with a little left over. Also from experience has excellent sound and features that more then justify the price. I would have payed double for this system.
 
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the record spot

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Meant to say, I see that Hughes Direct are also selling the Onkyo TX-8050 on Amazon for £249.99 - this differs from their own dedicated site where it's still £399. So I think that's two outlets have it on sale for £249. Top deal.
 

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