Help me spend £1000 on a new system!

[admin_exported]

Hello all,

My faithfull old Sony system has finally given up the ghost after serving me well for the past 10 years or so which means I can go on a spending spree and get a new one...

I was looking to save a little space which means the Arcam Solo is especially attractive. Sevenoaks deal of £1100 with the Monitor Audio RS1's looks to be a good buy, but I'm also considering the Audio Analogue Enigma with a half decent set of speakers (any suggestions?). Not having heard the Enigma myself I would be interested to hear from anyone that has.

Further, I'm semi-tempted by Teac's new reference 300 Mk3 or the Denon 102 system. Is the Solo or the Enigma worth the extra money? Would welcome any thoughts and opinions.

Oh - almost forgot. I'm looking for tuner, amp, cd player (not too fussed about playing mp3 cd's) and one or two inputs for other bits and bobs. Mostly listen to indie type music but to be honest I've got everything in my collection from Jeff Buckley and Mazzy Star to Slayer and Slipknot...

 

[Razz]

Hi there,

I think you are on the right track. Given your requirements and budget the Audio Analogue Enigma is - sonically speaking - the definitive choice. It has everything you want plus a sound quality that has been praised by all serious hi-fi magazines (including this one, which has given it a Best for Sound badge) - which by the way have explicitly stated that this unit has a better sound than the Arcam Solo... One of the best choice speakers for the Enigma system are the Quads 12L2 (or 11L2). I even saw it reviewed in the company of these speakers and the reviewers were very impressed by the combination. Since this system has a smooth warm valve sound, you don't want them paired with too "polite" speakers - and the revealing character of the Quads fits that of the Enigma perfectly.

This combination may exceed your budget but you could find deals both for the Enigma and for the Quads... I'm pretty sure you can get them together for about 1000 quid. The last time I checked UKD (the UK distributor for Audio Analogue) had an ex dem Enigma at about 650 quid. Similarly I have often come across reduced Quads 12L2. I think it's even OK to get the older Quad 12l (not 12L2) which you may find cheaper (since they are an older range) and which are also very good (I don't even know how much improvement if any the "L2" badge has brought...).

Shop around for a while and let us know what you've found 🙂 Good luck!

Razz

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Reading your post with interest as I am also looking for a £1,000 ish system and have listened to the Arcam Solo, but want to know how the sound compares to a similar cost seperates system like the Cambridge 540 or 640 Amp & CD and 640T tuner with KefQ1s which is what Richer Sounds recommends.

This is for a kitchen/living room with lots of hard surfaces and not much in the way of curtains of rugs - so not acoustically ideal at all, but I have space for the seperates and wondered if they added up to better value overall?

 

[Andy Clough]

Good question! Tough call this. Reckon the Cambridge 640 amp/CD electronics would probably just edge the Arcam in terms of sound quality, but it depends on which speakers you heard the Solo with. Arcam's own Alto speakers let the system down a bit (we rate the Solo on its own 5 stars, but used with the Altos 4 stars), but use the likes of the Epos M5 speakers (£349) instead and it sounds great.

The KEF iQ1s got 4 stars in Feb 06: "Solid, dependable all-rounder, but can't quite match the top performers," we said.

We've also criticised the Cambridge 640A 2.0 amp for sounding a bit bright in the treble, and a room like yours with lots of hard surfaces could exacerbate the problem. The tuner also got 4 stars, lacking some control and composure.

Personally I'd go for the slightly warmer sound of the Arcam Solo/Epos combo, but that might bust your budget a bit. Alternatively you could try the Solo with the cheaper Monitor Audio Bronze BR2s (£200).

 

[Razz]

I still think the Audio Analogue Enigma would be a great option. This unit paired with the Quad 11L2 speakers at around 370 pounds would offer a good system and pretty much within your budget... I at least thought this combination sounded great. Auditioning this system in store would not be easy I guess (since these products are distributed by different stores - or am i wrong?) ... What do our great friends at WHF think of this setup? 🙂

Razz

 

[Andy Clough]

Agree with you Razz, the the Audio Analogue Enigma is a cracking system, and we gave it a Best Buy badge in the Ultimate Guide to Hi-Fi. It's well worth auditioning, although I'd try it with the Epos M5 speakers at £349 or Monitor Audio Silver RS1s at £350.

Audio Analogue is distributed here by UKD, so best to get in touch with them (01753 652669) for stockists.