How would YOU spend your money on a stereo system?

[admin_exported]

I´m pretty sure this subject has been debated to death and back again, but since I´m a fairly new user I dare ask again....

I´m thinking in terms of how much % you would spend on the different items in a system.

Like I have right now a £250 CD player, a £550 Amp playing on a pair of £1000 speakers.

Cables are like maybe £30.

 

[Anonymous]

IMHO, at a system your level, you should atleast try out interconnects at the chord crimson level, and speaker cables at the chord carnival silverscreen level. If it doesn't make much of a difference, congrats, you've saved some money.

Depending on your components, the rations might be ok. (but probably not).

I've heard 1/3rd each component, and also amp = speaker and also speaker should be 2/3rds the price of the amp.

Really depends on whether components are 'hitting above their weight'. (which almost all components claim to do).

 

[Jason36]

I think you will find everbodys opinion tend to differ

My main electronics are now fairly evenly priced I think.......Approximately £1,500 each for the pre / power / CD combo (new). I then have a Rega Planar 3 Turntable which I am hoping will more than hold its own against the Caspian M1 CD player and a pair of £350.00 pair of Castle Richmond Speakers. Although these will be upgraded to either the ATC SCM11's or ProAc Studion 115's within the next six months when I move.

Personally I think it is easier for an expensive pair of speakers to pick up the faults of less expensive electronics than it is for expensive gear to show the faults of your less expensive speakers.

However that is just my opinion....having previously heard my Castle speakers on the end of a Moon amp and CD setup worth £3,000.

 

[Anonymous]

I just buy what sounds good in my system. Means I change bits quite a lot these days, and its mostly secondhand higher end stuff than I could afford new.

Interconnects I use QED ones as they have always been reliable and I can't hear a difference between them anyway (maybe I am deaf - or I just believe the science more than marketing, who knows)

 

[Anonymous]

As above. At the moment I have speakers three times the price of my amp, whereas before I had the other way round.

Can't comment on cables. I have some expensive ones on the system at the moment, but I'm kidding myself if I say they're better than the ones the store gave me when I bought the speakers.

 

[chebby]

"How would YOU spend your money on a stereo system?"
Right now? With your notional £1830 ?

I would get a Panasonic 32" LED Freeview HD television (£699), a Panasonic DMR-BW780 BD/DVD/HDD/Freeview HD recorder (£530), a Teac CR-H500DNT all-in-one mini system including CD/amp/FM/DAB/internet radio/direct digital iPod USB connection (£399) and a pair of Monitor Audio BX1s in light oak (£180).

Why?

Because, compared to my present system, it would have 13 less cables, 4 less mains plugs, two less remote control handsets, one less pair of speaker stands, three - rather than seven - 'boxes' (in the shape of the Teac, the TV and the BD recorder) and, with the telly on the wall and speakers on bookshelves, occupy less than a sixth of the current system's 'footprint' and bulk. Thus freeing up at least 3 square metres of floor area!

A recent thread explored why hifi sounds great in the dark. It's because you don't have to look at how ugly it all is!

Phew.

Well you did ask.

 

[Anonymous]

So when are you going to take the plunge and buy that setup, Chebby ?

I agree with your basic points, though, which is why I thought the B&O beosound 8 was a good solution for me and still may be at some point in the future.

Mind you, an SL-7, a Nait5i with V-DAc hidden behind and some beautiful Minima Vintages isn't so ugly.

 

[Anonymous]

He,he Yes I did ask, and actually this setup was pretty tempting 😉

 

[chebby]

Grottyash:So when are you going to take the plunge and buy that setup, Chebby

?
I agree with your basic points, though, which is why I thought the B&O beosound 8 was a good solution for me and still may be at some point in the future.

Soon. April I think.

 

[Anonymous]

IMHO, at a system your level, you should atleast try out interconnects at the chord crimson level, and speaker cables at the chord carnival silverscreen level. If it doesn't make much of a difference, congrats, you've saved some money.

Depending on your components, the rations might be ok. (but probably not).

I've heard 1/3rd each component, and also amp = speaker and also speaker should be 2/3rds the price of the amp.

Really depends on whether components are 'hitting above their weight'. (which almost all components claim to do)

Ok, I dont know how to do a quote, but in your opinion getting better cables would be a better choice than getting a better CD player?

I see that it wont match up totally, but selling the one I have and getting another second hand would probarlby even out the price a little.

 

[Anonymous]

Not really.

But you won't see the system perform to it's fullest potential if the links between the components are weak.

Once lesson that I learned around here is try to make the best out of the system you already have. 🙂

Where to spend money is a hard question to answer.

 

[Anonymous]

Well it makes sense, I mean good cables will follow the system anyways, so upgrading cables before getting a new CD player wont hurt...

 

[Anonymous]

It would make sense, if it were true, but the jury is still out. Not proven is the verdict at the moment.

 

[Anonymous]

I guess thats also true, thats why I so far havent invested any big money in cables (ofcourse one should concider investing in a cable factory).

Iïm sceptical, but I also feel I cant leave this rock un-turned.

 

[steve_1979]

tommelitn: Iïm thinking in terms of how much % you would spend on the different items in a system.

I bet that there's no hard rules to what % you spend where. For example you may find a specific £500 speaker with a specific £1000 amp may sound good to your ears. On the other hand you may prefir a specific £1000 speaker with a £500 amp sounds more to your tastes. I think the best way is to find a combination within your budget which sounds the best to your ears.

I have read several times that you should spend around 10-15% of you overall budget on cables though.

Just for the record my £800 setup is split £300 speakers, £300 receiver, £100 speaker stands and £100 on cables and interconnects.

 

[matthewpiano]

£1830?? Not sure I would spend it all on hi-fi.

Good CD spinner - Marantz CD6003 @ £245.
Good amp like the Marantz PM6003 @ £245.
Good midrange speakers - KEF Q300 @ £449
Some decent cables - £100ish
Decent speaker stands - £80

Total = £1119, with £600 left for music or other things.

 

[Anonymous]

Used CD player, sold old amp and speakers, so its been building over time, I couldnt afford even the speakers without taking the time. 🙂

 

[MUSICRAFT]

tommelitn:
Iïm pretty sure this subject has been debated to death and back again, but since Iïm a fairly new user I dare ask again....

Iïm thinking in terms of how much % you would spend on the different items in a system.

Like I have right now a £250 CD player, a £550 Amp playing on a pair of £1000 speakers.

Cables are like maybe £30.

Hi tommelitn

Price and time do not always reflect quality or compatability.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Rick

No I know, this was more like a question to see how others tought about this, Like Iïve read that some people think the primarly object to be invested into should be the source (rubbish in, rubbish out), and some amps and speakers.

Like Iïve stated in my other thread Iïm pretty happy right now, but it still leaves me wondering if a £500 CD player would make much of a difference.....

So this thread is foremost all about curiosity 🙂

 

[Thaiman]

How would I spend your money on a stereo system?

without wife knowing

 

[Anonymous]

Grottyash:It would make sense, if it were true, but the jury is still out. Not proven is the verdict at the moment.

Says the man who owns a Naim. Did you try the Nac-a5 cables?

(I gotta try me some sonus fabers too. Maybe next year.)

 

[Anonymous]

I would and have buy the source, pre-amp and amp all from the same manufacturer and all from the same line of components with the budget that i was willing to spend at the time. The Bijou was a range made by Sugden to complement each other and if they recommend it as a complete system then i am not going to argue with Sugden, i think they know what they are doing. The interconnect were the ones the salon used at the time on most of their mid to hi end gear to show how good the systems could sound and once again after listening i wasn,t going to argue with that. The speakers were purchased from a different salon only after a thorough comparison against 5 other models. I don,t believe in the one third rule as i have listened to a vast amount of mid and very very hi-end hi fi that would blow that rule right out of the window.

 

[Anonymous]

If I would want all these components (CDP?) I would spend it the way the OP suggested. IMO speakers are by far the components with the steepest and steadiest increase in quality with price in this price range. Not that every speaker will fit your room though, matching speakers and room acoustics is the most important factor for me.