Is it worthwhile changing my Tower System

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Hi

I am an old age pensioner who enjoys listening to a wide variety of music although I must admit not much of the modern stuff!

I am not a Hi Fi fanatic but I do enjoy a good quality sound. I would now like to listen to some DAB radio and possibly download and play some MP3, WMA files. I think even knowing that is not bad for an oldie.

My present system is a Aiwa Tower System, handed down to me by my son a few years ago. It has a record player, tape deck, CD player, tuner and amplifier. The only technical detail that i have is that it is a CX77, the amplifier is 40W + 40W continuous power and the speakers is 60W by 6 OHM.

I know spending a considerable amount of money would without doubt buy me a much better sound system but I cannot afford to spend more than £300 max. I have been looking and the Denon DM37 LS DAB seems to be highly recommended. But and this is a big but will it significantly improve on the sound I get from my present system and of course warrant the sacrifice of the record player and the tape deck.

I would like your help is there alternative ways to approach my problem, can I still use parts of my present system. Would it be better to buy separates?

I hope I have not bored you I will get back to my armchair and clay pipe, many thanks
 
Uyou can have a second system. But i doubt you'll get much more improvement in sound.
 
Hoggyland, assuming you already have a computer if you want to download music, with £300 you are limited to getting an MP3 player and speaker dock, but there is a good range for that budget. Otherwise factor in a computer and you will be over budget. However, if you are happy with the sound of the Aiwa your choice of Denon seems good, but see if you can get a demonstration using music you know well, so try before you buy. Try different speakers as well. If you fancy the separates route you will be really limited, but look at Richer Sounds; http://www.richersounds.com/splashpage.php.
 
Many thanks for your replies, sorry I have not answered earlier.

Ear At least you were reply was very direct and to the point. I would be interested to know how you arrived at your conclusion. Did you not feel the Denon system would give me a significant increase in sound quality? Would you say my present system, sound wise has a reasonable specification. You see I have no idea what I could expect from modern systems. I just felt things must have improved over recent years. Thanks again.

IDC Many thanks for your reply; yes I do have a computer in fact quite a new one with a very good specification. I think this is why I have all of a sudden become interested in downloading music. Of course my present system will not give me the ability to play that type of music. I possibly feel at this time I will be sacrificing the record player and tape player if I stayed within my £300 budget. I would like to feel that if I do buy another system say the Denon I will not only be gaining DAB radio, and something I can play downloaded music on, but also and most importantly a better sound. I think your advice is good and that I need to get off my bum and try out some of the new products that are available. Many Thanks
 
Superfi are selling the Denon for £176.00 online (as of 09/03/09) which leaves you with just enough to get speakers and MP3 player. The MP3, and I would recommend ipod, will connect to the Denon via the 3.5 mm jack, not the best connection sound wise, but if you keep the bit rate of any download as high as you can and preferrably lossless, it will do fine. Keep the Aiwa for tapes and records.
 
Hoggyland,

Is your PC in the same room as your stereo? You might be able to save money on an MP3 player by using your PC to play MP3. You can probably find a cable to do this from a pound shop, or £10 to £20 for a 'proper' one.

Do you use a freeview box or Sky for TV? If you don't perhaps look into that instead of a DAB, particularly as the analogue TV signal will be switched off within a few years. Freeview boxes can be had for £30 or so upwards. There's a lot of radio stations on there which most people overlook, including BBC Radio. just use the audio out sockets on the back to an input on your new system.

Does your current Aiwa have a pair of sockets on the back labelled as Tape Out. If it does and you have the space for 2 systems in your room you can use this to feed your new system with tape and vinyl sound from your old system.

It might be that you only need a new amplifier and speakers, together with a few cables. If that's the case you can make quite a leap in sound quality compared to your current Aiwa.
 
Hi idc

Many thanks for your reply and you have given me a lot to think about. Do I really need to get a MP3 player or can I download it onto a USB device or even onto a CD. Sorry I told you I was a bit out of my depth
 
Yep, if you aren't planning on using the MP3s out of the house it wouldn't be sensible to get an iPod.

The Denon is a very good system and should bring obvious improvements though the only person who can decide if the upgrade is worth it or not is you and your ears. Is there any chance of you getting to a hifi dealer to have a listen?

The Denon (as mentioned £176 but you'll need speakers on top of that) has a USB input on the front for a USB stick, it will also recognise MP3s burnt onto CDs. Another alternative would be to plug your computer directly into it.
 
Hi up the music

Many thanks for your help and wide variety of suggestions.

My PC and Stereo are not in the same room. I have a Freeview Box and the analogue signal is being switched off this August. The box however is situated quite a distance from the Aiwa unit. I have a pair of sockets in the back of the Aiwa labelled VCR/AUX would this be the same as 'Tape Out'.

I must admit I have not yet had the time to study your feedback but it would appear with the help I am receiving I should come up with something advantageous to what I have at the present
 
Hoggyland, if you have not already, check out this other post before you consider using a usb on the Denon; http://whathifi.com/forums/t/176253.aspx

Since the PC and stereo are not in the same room, an MP3 player through the 3.5 jack is probably the simplest way of dealing with dowloads. With the exception of tape in and phono for connection to a record player all other sockets are the same.
 
The VCR/Aux sockets on the Aiwa are used to connect other components to the Aiwa to play back through it's own speakers. They're not much use for your purposes.

It isn't ideal, but you can still use the headphone socket out of the Aiwa into one of the inputs on the new system. If you keep the Aiwa volume moderate in level and you can still use tape and vinyl played through the new system.
 
Hi many thanks for your replies. I am unsure if I should reply to you individually or as a group. Well here goes

OCTOPO, IDC and Up The music I do not envisage listening to music out of doors or in a situation where I would need an MP3 player. Bearing this in mind as you said (Octopo) I should not need to buy an MP3 player. Thanks for explaining what the VCR and AUX sockets are used for. It was interesting to hear what you said (up the music) with regard to connecting both systems via the Aiwa loudspeaker connection. I am assuming I would need a special set of leads to do that.. After reading the comments about the DM37's capability to read from the USB connection I was concerned, although concluded my use of the connection would be limited to a USB Stick, which appears to be satisfactory.

Looking at my present Aiwa stack system only the record player and the CD player are separate units. The amplifier, Tuner Unit and Twin Tape Deck are all one unit. I am now considering the possibility of keeping the Aiwa system but also purchasing the Denon DM37. I would not want to retain or use two sets of speakers. With this in mind I would like to ask two questions.

Would the Denon Speakers provided with the DM37 be a significant improvement on my present Aiwa speakers (see my original post)

If I kept both systems what would be the preferred method of being able to use both systems separately via one set of speakers For example using the Aiwa system for listening to the Record Player or the Tape Deck. The Denon for listening to the DAB radio, CD and music downloaded music from the Internet.

I am sorry if you feel that you have answered these points before.

Thanks for your patience
 
Hi, with regards to your first question about the speakers provided with the Denon; the improvement will be impacted by what speakers you use. You do not need to get Denon speakers, there are options, click on this link;

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/search.doSearch.cfm?search=dm37&gclid=CKWTq8j5m5kCFQiF3god1zFbCQ

I suspect that any of the speakers listed with the Denon will be better than the Aiwa, purely because Aiwa are not known particularly for their speakers, they are known for cheaper mini systems.

With regards to the second question, I would keep the two systems separate and not try and run them through one set of speakers. You want them to do different jobs, so they will not really compete. If you present Aiwa has separate power cables for the CD and turntable then it can be used with an amp and speakers. But I suspect that it only looks like the CD and turntable are separate and in fact they need the rest of the system to provide power and the DAC. The turntable will not work with the Denon as the Denon does not have a phono stage to provide the necessary amplification. I would keep the Aiwa for albums and cassettes and get the Denon for DAB, CDs and downloads as you state.

The main problem is that you want to play so many different formats. With a £300 budget you can start down the separates route which would get you one system that could handle all the formats you want, but that is a whole new topic and all you do is get a very basic amp, speakers and one source which would probably not sound better than the Aiwa.

Hope this helps!
 
The speaker list that suite the DM37 seems pretty endless. Tannoy, Monitor Audio, Mordaunt Short etc. etc. All reputable speakers but lets not forget that the DM37 achieved its 5 star rating with the Denon speakers supplied.

It is possible to connect a record deck into it. My deck is wired into a mini-jack which goes into the 'Portable In' socket on the front of the unit. Works just fine.
 
8009514:

It is possible to connect a record deck into it. My deck is wired into a mini-jack which goes into the 'Portable In' socket on the front of the unit. Works just fine.

Do you have to turn up the volume on the Denon when using the turntable compared to CD etc to make up for the lack of a phono stage? Is your turntable a separate with its own power supply? If the answer is yes to either this would not mean that wiring it to the Denon's mini-jack would work for Hoggyland's Aiwa system.
 
hoggyland:
Hi

I am an old age pensioner who enjoys listening to a wide variety of music although I must admit not much of the modern stuff!

I am not a Hi Fi fanatic but I do enjoy a good quality sound. I would now like to listen to some DAB radio and possibly download and play some MP3, WMA files. I think even knowing that is not bad for an oldie.

My present system is a Aiwa Tower System, handed down to me by my son a few years ago. It has a record player, tape deck, CD player, tuner and amplifier. The only technical detail that i have is that it is a CX77, the amplifier is 40W + 40W continuous power and the speakers is 60W by 6 OHM.

I know spending a considerable amount of money would without doubt buy me a much better sound system but I cannot afford to spend more than £300 max. I have been looking and the Denon DM37 LS DAB seems to be highly recommended. But and this is a big but will it significantly improve on the sound I get from my present system and of course warrant the sacrifice of the record player and the tape deck.

I would like your help is there alternative ways to approach my problem, can I still use parts of my present system. Would it be better to buy separates?

I hope I have not bored you I will get back to my armchair and clay pipe, many thanks

If there's nothing wrong with the Aiwa just changing the speakers will be very worthwhile. Check out the WHF best buys.
 
Do you have to turn up the volume on the Denon when using the turntable compared to CD etc to make up for the lack of a phono stage? Is your turntable a separate with its own power supply? If the answer is yes to either this would not mean that wiring it to the Denon's mini-jack would work for Hoggyland's Aiwa system.

[*]See your point idc. I was assuming that this gentlemans deck (being a separate) would have its own power supply, which may not be the case.

In actual fact my nasty cheapo deck has a switch on the bottom to turn on an amplification stage within the deck itself. That amplification stage needs to be on in order for it to work correctly through the DM37.

I should add at this point that I'm not a vinyl user myself, but her indoors likes to put on the odd Motown album now and again (but not while I'm around). Our main vinyl player is a 1960's Dansette which I drag out with all the old singles when we have a family barbecue or something. Everyone, especially kids, seem to be fascinated by the old technology and seeing records drop down a spindle.
 
Many thanks to you all

I would also like to expand on the statement i made with regard to the Record Player having its own power cable. This is correct it does have its own power supply, however I have just noticed that besides this there are a further pair of leads with red and white plugs on the ends that plugs into the amplfier and also a wide band type cable ( a ribbon I think it is called) that does the same.

Your advice as been comprehensive and very helpful. My conclusions are, firstly it would be a significant advantage to me if I purchased a Denon system. Secondly it would be an option to hang onto the complete Aiwa system so I could retain the record Deck and Tape Deck facilities.

The only problem is the need to retain two sets of speakers one for the Denon System and the other pair for the Aiwa System. I am basing this on the comments made by IDC . Although I could possibly get away without two much problem having the Aiwa and Denon systems i do not think I could persuade the wife that two sets of speakers is trendy and attractive.

What i really need is some form of splitter or switching device that could be activated when using either set-up. Sorry about that maybe it goes to prove I appreciate all your help

Thanks again
 
Just a thought. Does your Aiwa have an auxiliary input, and is your computer on a wireless broadband network? Will there be a budget for further upgrades later on?

My thinking is that you could invest in a Squeezebox Classic (about £180) and an external Hard Drive, allowing you to rip CDs into Apple Lossless format and download music to play straight through your hi-fi. The Squeezebox is excellent and very very easy to use once you get used to it. Later on you could buy an amp such as the NAD C315BEE and a pair of small speakers like the Q Acoustics 1020i, and you'd have a cracking set-up. You could add a CD player easily and the Squeezebox would give you access to all sorts of inernet radio provision as well.

I don't want to confuse matters but I just think the Squeezebox is such a good all-round product.
 
It looks like your turntable could be used independently of the Aiwa with your new system. Those two round plugs you mention, do they also have a thin wire either with bare metal or a U shaped spade at the end? If so, that's what you'd use to connect the turntable signal to the new system. I suspect the ribbon cable you mention is to feed remote control signals to the turntable to raise/lower the arm and change speeds etc. You can get a seperate little box (an RIAA EQ unit) from £20 upwards which will convert the turntable signal into a line level signal used by the Denon and other manufacturers systems where no provision has been made for the connection of a turntable.

If your Aiwa CD player has a seperate power lead and a pair of the same cables you appear to describe on your turntable, you can also use that with the new system.

Are you prepared to consider second hand? As was mentioned in the last post you are trying to integrate many formats on a limited budget. You will stand a better chance second hand.

For what it's worth here's what I think you should do.

The Denon looks like a safe bet to base the system on for £180.

Add an RIAA unit for £20-£30 to use your existing turntable.

For MP3 add an SD card or burn to CDs.

Tape decks can be bought on EBay for peanuts too ((say £20-£30).

You should still have £60 or £70 or so of your budget in tact.

Supplement this by selling the Aiwa, or put it in a spare room.

If you don't go crazy on speaker cable or interconnects for the RIAA box and tape deck, depending on how much you play vinyl you should have enough to :-

Either
replace that Aiwa turntable with a second hand bargain from EBay. I'm guessing that old Sansui SR222 and Rotel RP830 decks will be good value. If you can find a good Dual CS505 cheap, go for it.

Or
Get a second hand better pair of budget speakers than come as standard with trhe Denon.
 
How about -

Denon DM37. Good safe bet and gives that USB functionality, DAB etc

Keep the Aiwa speakers for the time being. Maybe change at a later date.

Goodmans mini-turntable. Not exactly audiophile kit I know, but has an amplifier stage built in, thus no need for RIAA unit. (Ebay about £15 - £20.

2nd hand tape deck unit from ebay.

The Aiwa tower then becomes totally redundant.(Store in attic). Wife happy, something less to dust and get in her way, Happy days all round.
 
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