How much difference is there, in truth?

[BigH]

All-in-one solutions will have a future but for me the soundquality is very important..........not only the convenience (as if a separates system takes up so much space........if you want your music to sound good that will be not a problem at all).

But products like the Marantz MCR603 or a Denon Ceol are just not good enough. For the same money you can buy a nice separates system that will sound much better.

The new Pioneer X-P01 is a step in the right direction though...............small, but still separates.

Just my opinion.

THe Marantz MCR603 is about £300 so what separates system can you get for that price?

 

[Cypher]

For example ;

Pioneer A-10 (amp)

Pioneer PD-10 (cd player)

This will cost you around 330. May not have all the features of the MCR603 but sounds much better.

 

[chebby]

But products like the Marantz MCR603 or a Denon Ceol are just not good enough. For the same money you can buy a nice separates system that will sound much better.

The new Pioneer X-P01 is a step in the right direction though...............small, but still separates.

Just my opinion.

The Marantz is currently £329 at Richer sounds. Now go find a CD player + DAC + amplifier + FM/DAB/internet tuner seperates system (with an AirPort Express or ATV for AirPlay) at anything like the same price that sounds anything like as good (let alone "much better").

No cheating with used goods or i'll cut the budget down to the cost of a used M-CR603.

[EDIT] Sorry. Richer Sounds price is £314.95 for the M-CR603 and not £329. Now you have £15 less to work with.

 

[cheeseboy]

May not have all the features of the MCR603 but sounds much better.

does it though? Are you speaking from experience?

 

[chebby]

May not have all the features of the MCR603 but sounds much better.

does it though? Are you speaking from experience?

We must assume he has. He stated it as fact.

 

[chebby]

For example ;

Pioneer A-10 (amp)

Pioneer PD-10 (cd player)

This will cost you around 330. May not have all the features of the MCR603 but sounds much better.

Cheating. All the same features and sources please.

I use them all and FM is one of my favourite sources so don't miss out the tuner. (AirPlay is my top favourite feature so you have to include provision for it please.)

 

[Cypher]

May not have all the features of the MCR603 but sounds much better.

does it though? Are you speaking from experience?

Yes.

 

[chebby]

How are you getting on with the revised seperates system for £314.95 ? (The one that includes a DAB/FM tuner and AirPlay that you conveniently left out.)

 

[cheeseboy]

May not have all the features of the MCR603 but sounds much better.

does it though? Are you speaking from experience?

Yes.

cool. Wasn't baiting or anything. Just it's very common for some people to say x is better than y, when actually they haven't done any comparative tests and listened to x in a proper listening room and y on shelf in curry's or something

I'd be interested to hear how you compared them...

 

[Cypher]

How are you getting on with the revised seperates system for £314.95 ? (The one that includes a DAB/FM tuner and AirPlay that you conveniently left out.)

Ok, not for the exact same money but you get my point. Why not spent a little bit more and get much better sound ?

 

[chebby]

How are you getting on with the revised seperates system for £314.95 ? (The one that includes a DAB/FM tuner and AirPlay that you conveniently left out.)

Ok, not for the exact same money but you get my point. Why not spent a little bit more and get much better sound ?

So you really didn't read what I said about how happy I have been for the last two years since I sold my Naim seperates system?

 

[Cypher]

May not have all the features of the MCR603 but sounds much better.

does it though? Are you speaking from experience?

Yes.

cool. Wasn't baiting or anything. Just it's very common for some people to say x is better than y, when actually they haven't done any comparative tests and listened to x in a proper listening room and y on shelf in curry's or something

I'd be interested to hear how you compared them...

From memory. If i'm totally honest (please forgive me) the MCR603 sounded quite bad IMO. No soundstage, not much detail and the bass was weak. When I bought my A-30 amp I also auditioned other pioneer amps/player and they were all very good.

I have nothing against Marantz though........the PM6004 sounds absolutely fantastic...........but I think the MCR603 gets a bit too much credit. For convenience it scores 100 points but not for soundquality.

 

[Cypher]

How are you getting on with the revised seperates system for £314.95 ? (The one that includes a DAB/FM tuner and AirPlay that you conveniently left out.)

Ok, not for the exact same money but you get my point. Why not spent a little bit more and get much better sound ?

So you really didn't read what I said about how happy I have been for the last two years since I sold my Naim seperates system?

No.............but if you think the MCR603 is great than that's awesome. Enjoy it..................

 

[chebby]

How are you getting on with the revised seperates system for £314.95 ? (The one that includes a DAB/FM tuner and AirPlay that you conveniently left out.)

Ok, not for the exact same money but you get my point. Why not spent a little bit more and get much better sound ?

So you really didn't read what I said about how happy I have been for the last two years since I sold my Naim seperates system?

No.............but if you think the MCR603 is great than that's awesome. Enjoy it..................

You forgot to pat me on the head

 

[cheeseboy]

From memory. If i'm totally honest (please forgive me) the MCR603 sounded quite bad IMO. No soundstage, not much detail and the bass was weak. When I bought my A-30 amp I also auditioned other pioneer amps/player and they were all very good.

I have nothing against Marantz though........the PM6004 sounds absolutely fantastic...........but I think the MCR603 gets a bit too much credit. For convenience it scores 100 points but not for soundquality.

no worries, thanks for replying

 

[steve_1979]

I actually like the look of a rack full of hifi boxes. Especially if they're all from the same manufacturer and are asthetically matched. 8)

In my experience as far as the sound quality and value for money are concerned 'all in one' systems are just as good as seperates at the same price. That said unless you go for an AV receiver there aren't many 'all in one' systems that have high powered amplifiers in them though. I think that there's a gap in the market of an 'all in one' system that has at over 100wpc.

Aherm...

http://www.uk.onkyo.com/en/products/tx-8050-43158.html?tab=Details

Yes good point and look what a great and successful product it is too.

Now imagine something similar to the Onkyo TX-8050 but with around 150-200 watts per channel and a built in CD/DVD/BR disk player. I reckon that one of the big companies such as Onkyo or Yamaha could produce something like this for under a grand. All they'd need to do is style it to look like a piece of proper HiFi equipment rather than an AV receiver and they'd be onto a winner.

 

[SpursGator]

How are you getting on with the revised seperates system for £314.95 ? (The one that includes a DAB/FM tuner and AirPlay that you conveniently left out.)

Ok, not for the exact same money but you get my point. Why not spent a little bit more and get much better sound ?

So you really didn't read what I said about how happy I have been for the last two years since I sold my Naim seperates system?

Chebby, the sarcastic response isn't really fair. Your rhetorical question is unfair and ridiculous - a challenge to find a better deal for less than £314.95, and then when someone proposes something that would clearly sound better, you disqualify it because it does not have the same list of features.

If you insist, here: It will be hard to find something that is exactly the same or better than the Pioneer at that price. Which is saying what, exactly? Seems obvious to me. And if I propose something I think would be better, you'll say, nawp, doesn't include DAB, or whatever).

If you are looking for a box that offers the longest possible list of 'features' for the lowest price and still sounds almost acceptable, then you have found a winner.

A fairer question would be to state which features you really need, which are nice-to-have, and a budget - along with the Pioneer find - and say, for similar money, do you think there is a better solution? I happen to think there is. I thought that Cypher made a great point even though it may not be exactly right for you. And there is a lot of compromise between an all-in-one Pioneer and a stack of Naim separates!

 

[chebby]

Chebby, the sarcastic response isn't really fair. Your rhetorical question is unfair and ridiculous - a challenge to find a better deal for less than £314.95, and then when someone proposes something that would clearly sound better, you disqualify it because it does not have the same list of features.

What is it with 'features' ?

I use the AirPlay 'feature' every single day. I use the FM tuner 'feature' almost every day. My wife still likes to use the CD player (and I do too sometimes).

They are not 'features' to me. They are sources. Sources that all get used. (Radio - in all it's forms - is a major source to me and not just a 'feature'.)

If someone is trying to tell me that just an amp and CD player can adaquately replace things I find essential (and very enjoyable) and use frequently, then my response is not sarcastic, rhetorical, ridiculous or unfair.

A comparison should be a fair one.

In the example of the Pioneer seperates given, I would have to add a matching FM/DAB tuner and provision for AirPlay (ATV or AEX) and an optical DAC to plug into the TV for hi-fi sounds from Blu-rays and the Humax and the TV itself.) They are all essential to me and the M-CR603 has the lot in one very good sounding, compact package with minimal cabling.

 

[Cypher]

But don't you miss the naim system ? It has to be so much better than the M-CR603 system you have now (talking about playing cd's now).

Isn't it a problem for you hearing your cd's in a much worse quality than you are used too ?

It would be a problem for me............i can tell you that

 

[chebby]

But don't you miss the naim system ?

God no!

I so 'enjoyed' the CD5i that it sat in it's packaging for the last six months before I sold the system. As I have said before, it actually depressed me.

 

[steve_1979]

My old onkyo cr515 sounded better than some budget Cambridge audio separates and my avi neutrons and sub sound better than any other combo at the same price I have listened to.

I'm not sure if the AVI Neutron system counts as an 'all in one' because you need to add a source? I agree about the sound quality though and haven't heard any separates systems for the same price that sound as good.

 

[BigH]

I don't think there is much difference between cd players, speakers make the biggest difference.

 

[Overdose]

The only thing that compromises a mini system in any way, is its power amplification section and that only shows if you need to drive difficult speakers or listen at loud volumes.

I have an old Kenwood mini system in the kitchen and it sounds perfectly good, although it could do with a few more 'features'.

In fact something like the CR603 with pre outs instead of fixed 'aux out' might be a superb front end for a pair of active speakers.

Far too many people turn their nose up at what would otherwise be a perfect music solution for them, simply because 'it's not separates'.

 

[cheeseboy]

But don't you miss the naim system ? It has to be so much better than the M-CR603 system you have now (talking about playing cd's now).

Isn't it a problem for you hearing your cd's in a much worse quality than you are used too ?

It would be a problem for me............i can tell you that

it's a double edged sword though isn't it. The pitfall with being in to hi fi equipment is that so regularly people end up listening to the hardware and not the music, so from an enjoyment perspective, one could argue you're actually getting less enjoyment from the music by trying to get the best sound, as you're concentrating too much on the output of the sound.

Whereas, 16 year old listening to their iphone through the built in speaker may be actually getting 10x more enjoment from the music becuase they are listening to the music and not concentrating on the sound quality.

(when I say you btw, I don't mean you personally, just my bad english )

 

[Cypher]

The only thing that compromises a mini system in any way, is its power amplification section and that only shows if you need to drive difficult speakers or listen at loud volumes.

I have an old Kenwood mini system in the kitchen and it sounds perfectly good, although it could do with a few more 'features'.

In fact something like the CR603 with pre outs instead of fixed 'aux out' might be a superb front end for a pair of active speakers.

Far too many people turn their nose up at what would otherwise be a perfect music solution for them, simply because 'it's not separates'.

But you have adm9t active speakers. To me, they are a in way different league than the mcr603/denon ceol systems.