HiFi Recommendations

PBrowne

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Looking for recommendations for a "mid to high end" system. Turntable, amps, speakers and tuner. I have in mind a Rega Planar 6. Possibly Wharfedale speakers to get the ball rolling. Budget lets say up to AU$10,000.

This is for an apartment which I am planning on buying in 3 months or so. So I can't give you an exact room size, say 7 x 4 or thereabouts.
 
Welcome to the forum.
Spending that sort of money, or any sort come to that, you need to get to a dealer to actually see and audition a range of kit. Purchase everything from one dealer and you could see significant savings on cost.
It's difficult to comment on a complete kit as we don't know what is available in your area and I am not sure how hifi is priced down there....
 

PBrowne

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Welcome to the forum.
Spending that sort of money, or any sort come to that, you need to get to a dealer to actually see and audition a range of kit.
It's difficult to comment on a complete kit as we don't know what is available in your area and I am not sure how hifi is priced down there....

Thanks. But I'm just after some options at this stage so I am better informed when I go in to a shop. Also given I'm in Perth Western Australia, dealers may not necessarily carry a full range in stock.

I will probably go with a Rega Planar 6 - about AU$2400 with Neo PSU, so what would be good choices of other components, including cartridge.

I can always order interstate, e.g. from Melbourne or get a dealer to get things in. Melbourne HiFi is a good dealer...

 
Thanks. But I'm just after some options at this stage so I am better informed when I go in to a shop. Also given I'm in Perth Western Australia, dealers may not necessarily carry a full range in stock.

I will probably go with a Rega Planar 6 - about AU$2400 with Neo PSU, so what would be good choices of other components, including cartridge.

I can always order interstate, e.g. from Melbourne or get a dealer to get things in. Melbourne HiFi is a good dealer...

Rega decks usually come prefitted with a cartridge.
If you definitely need a tuner what type?
Possibly get a receiver rather than a separate tuner?
Speakers? Depends on what you can actually get to listen to as these are crucial and must perform well in your room. If they don't it doesn't really matter how much you spend on this rest of your kit.
 
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Thanks. But I'm just after some options at this stage so I am better informed when I go in to a shop. Also given I'm in Perth Western Australia, dealers may not necessarily carry a full range in stock.

I will probably go with a Rega Planar 6 - about AU$2400 with Neo PSU, so what would be good choices of other components, including cartridge.

I can always order interstate, e.g. from Melbourne or get a dealer to get things in. Melbourne HiFi is a good dealer...

Be careful with this one as they normally fit it with the Ania MC cartridge that you don't want.
Make sure they fit the Exact MM instead.
Question:- Do you actually own a vinyl collection?
NB:- The Project X2 B turntable is better than the Planar 6 if you get it with it's partnering Phono Box S3 B as a package.
 

PBrowne

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Be careful with this one as they normally fit it with the Ania MC cartridge that you don't want.
Make sure they fit the Exact MM instead.
Question:- Do you actually own a vinyl collection?
NB:- The Project X2 B turntable is better than the Planar 6 if you get it with it's partnering Phono Box S3 B as a package.

Yes I have inherited a reasonable collection. But I'm no spring chicken myself. I've been around my fathers hifi import business in the 80's to give me some knowledge of things back then.

Looking at the the Project X2 B with Phono Box S3 B...good reviews, and the turntable has more dampening with its added weight...
 
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Streamer and active eve audio sc208 or sc2070 stands with isoacoustics feet or just the feet depending on where you are using it

YAMAHA WX-C50 streame and mabye Phono Box S3 B

If you like bass the eve audio ts112

Passive speakers these

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf1lFXT9K04
I thought he wanted a tuner not a streamer, or am I missing something?
That and roughly £3000 on those suggested speakers and a necessary subwoofer isn't going to leave him much for the rest of the system.
 
With concrete floors and brick walls? Or is this isolation for internal room vibrations?
To isolate the speakers from your floor. In concrete buildings, frequencies that get to the floor will carry round the whole building. If you’ve ever been in a big office block, or apartment block, someone could be drilling into a wall many floors above you, but it’ll sound like they’re next door or right above you.
Concrete carries vibrarion just as suspended wooden floors do.
 
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PBrowne

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No, he hasn't replied to my question regarding tuner.
Well my father used to import Fons turntables, Monitor Audio speakers and Cybernet stereo receivers, like these that I have.

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/vintageaudio/comments/13s8acm/fons_cq_30_turntable_and_cybernet_cr110_stereo/

So something like the CR-110 stereo receiver amp , in todays tech.


Though are there stereo receivers that aren't amps? So hook up to a dedicated amp for the whole system?

Otherwise something like or better than the Yamaha R-S202BL?
 
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Well my father used to import Fons turntables, Monitor Audio speakers and Cybernet stereo receivers, like these that I have.

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/vintageaudio/comments/13s8acm/fons_cq_30_turntable_and_cybernet_cr110_stereo/

So something like the CR-110 stereo receiver amp , in todays tech.


Though are there stereo receivers that aren't amps? So hook up to a dedicated amp for the whole system?

Otherwise something like or better than the Yamaha R-S202BL?
I quite liked those Fons turntables although never owned one.
You could buy an Amplifier and a separate Tuner (for AM / FM radio and probably DAB as well) but it's more expensive than buying a Receiver which is an amp and tuner in one box, however I do understand why some people prefer a whole load of separate boxes that do one thin only.
So no, there aren't, by definition, any receivers that aren't amplifiers.
 

Oxfordian

Well-known member
NB:- The Project X2 B turntable is better than the Planar 6 if you get it with it's partnering Phono Box S3 B as a package.
A quick hijack, apologies.

@Al ears - Just picking up on this feedback to the OP as in my 'If I was spending the kids inheritance' thread you recommended the Project Classic Evo over the P6, in this case the X2B over the P6, is there much difference between the PCE and the PX2B or is it dependent on the Amp and Speakers within the system?

I have an interest in upgrading my P3 at some point and both of these TT's would work rather nicely budget wise, would the two be very similar sound wise, which would be the better long term investment?

Thanks
 
Looking at that Melbourne dealer offerings, I was personally rather drawn to this.

I know it is 4,000 Aus dollars more that your budget, but for a flat I’d choose the cheaper and smaller KEF R3, and that might fall within your ceiling. The streamer will give you thousands of radio stations, assuming you have a good internet service. In a flat you might not get a decent FM aerial anyway - you certainly don’t in the UK any more.
 
Looking at that Melbourne dealer offerings, I was personally rather drawn to this.

I know it is 4,000 Aus dollars more that your budget, but for a flat I’d choose the cheaper and smaller KEF R3, and that might fall within your ceiling. The streamer will give you thousands of radio stations, assuming you have a good internet service. In a flat you might not get a decent FM aerial anyway - you certainly don’t in the UK any more.
Looks very tidy little system.
 
A quick hijack, apologies.

@Al ears - Just picking up on this feedback to the OP as in my 'If I was spending the kids inheritance' thread you recommended the Project Classic Evo over the P6, in this case the X2B over the P6, is there much difference between the PCE and the PX2B or is it dependent on the Amp and Speakers within the system?

I have an interest in upgrading my P3 at some point and both of these TT's would work rather nicely budget wise, would the two be very similar sound wise, which would be the better long term investment?

Thanks
The X2B is one of the few balanced turntables on the market and needs to be connected to it's partnering S3B phono preamp. When it is it will be better than the Classic Evo if used with moving coil cartridges.
This is why I have suggested it to the OP
 

Oxfordian

Well-known member
The X2B is one of the few balanced turntables on the market and needs to be connected to it's partnering S3B phono preamp. When it is it will be better than the Classic Evo if used with moving coil cartridges.
This is why I have suggested it to the OP
Thanks for the clarification, very helpful and greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately this begs another question (maybe more), are balanced TT to Phono Amps connections just for MC cartridges or can they be used on MM as well? The blurb on Pro-Ject website states lots of benefits for these balanced connections and suggests the PA's to link with the TT, but if your main amplifier doesn't have a balanced connection does that matter?

Apologies for so many questions just trying to get an understanding of what's what so that I don't end up spending more than I need to when the time comes to take that upgrade step.

I have a demo on Friday of Project's X9 with Superpack (whatever that is) attached to a Primare R35 phono stage, all very nice and all very very expensive. The store knows that I am not buying and they know that what they are demo'ing is way above my budget but they have promised good coffee and chocolate biscuits and that I should come and have a listen anyway, so with free biscuits on offer who am I to argue.

Thanks for the reply.
 
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Thanks for the clarification, very helpful and greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately this begs another question (maybe more), are balanced TT to Phono Amps connections just for MC cartridges or can they be used on MM as well? The blurb on Pro-Ject website states lots of benefits for these balanced connections and suggests the PA's to link with the TT, but if your main amplifier doesn't have a balanced connection does that matter?

Apologies for so many questions just trying to get an understanding of what's what so that I don't end up spending more than I need to when the time comes to take that upgrade step.

I have a demo on Friday of Project's X9 with Superpack (whatever that is) attached to a Primare R35 phono stage, all very nice and all very very expensive. The store knows that I am not buying and they know that what they are demo'ing is way above my budget but they have promised good coffee and chocolate biscuits and that I should come and have a listen anyway, so with free biscuits on offer who am I to argue.

Thanks for the reply.
The Xtension 9 looks gorgeous. If I had the dosh I would certainly shortlist it.
 
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npxavar

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Looking for recommendations for a "mid to high end" system. Turntable, amps, speakers and tuner. I have in mind a Rega Planar 6. Possibly Wharfedale speakers to get the ball rolling. Budget lets say up to AU$10,000.

This is for an apartment which I am planning on buying in 3 months or so. So I can't give you an exact room size, say 7 x 4 or thereabouts.
In my humble opinion you don't need to spend that much on the turntable. At this budget, almost half the budget should be going to the speakers, towards something like a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2. You can use Project's The Classic + Ortofon 2M Blue bundle as the turntable.
 

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