Laptop, Rega DAC, Monitor Audio BX2 + amp - thoughts/advice?

[The Fat el Hombre]

My old cd player is knackered and I think my whole hi-fi is due an upgrade. I'm thinking of getting a laptop, dac, new and and new speakers.

I was thinking of picking up a rega dac off ebay for about 400 (as it has good reviews), the monitor audio bx2 speakers for about 230 (also ahs good reviews) and then going into a hi-fi shop and finiding an amp that works the best with them, possibly the nad C526 BEE amp or Marantz PM 6004 or whatever else works best. Is there anything in particular I should know about this? My tv is a sony bravia which I think has only an optical output which I plan on hooking up with the rega dac. I hear that a lot of laptops only have optical outputs as opposed to coaxial - will this make much difference?

I've read that you need a top system (probably more than I'm willing to spend) to get the best out of the rega dac. I was looking at the arcam rdac but read that the sound on it can be a little warm, which is what I wanted to avoid. I was just interested in some feedback and/or advice on this and to know if there is anything I should be aware of.

 

[Overdose]

I've read that you need a top system (probably more than I'm willing to spend) to get the best out of the rega dac. I was looking at the arcam rdac but read that the sound on it can be a little warm, which is what I wanted to avoid. I was just interested in some feedback and/or advice on this and to know if there is anything I should be aware of.

Yes, you need to be aware of THESE and If you are patient or look HERE, you might find some at a better price.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Those speakers are out of my price range

 

[Overdose]

I figured that if you were going looking on ebay then you'd be happy buying used. They usually go for between around £550 to £750.

If you were looking at £400 for the DAC, £230 for the speakers and then a bit more for an amp, they should be within budget.

Just to make you aware though, they contain DAC and amplifiers inside and are a complete system, so the only thing you would need is a source and you have hinted on a laptop for this.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

The speakers you mention aren't my pick, but a lot of people like them, so the best thing to do is to head down to Richer sounds and give them a listen.

Same goes for amps - I'm a big fan of NAD and reckon there the ones to beat in the sub £1000 category. As to DACs, well, there's probably not a heap of difference you can hear until you move into the expensive end. The one exception for me, and I'm biased because I got one, is the Micromega MyDAC which at £260 is a major bargain. At the other end of the scale is the FiiO D3, which for about £35 is hard to beat.

You need to check about laptops. Some have optical combined with the headphone out, like the Apple Macs, as do some Sonys and others. If they don't, you'll need to use USB or an USB S/PDIF converter, which you can get cheaply at Maplins; The MyDAC has optcal, coax and USB so you're covered there, but the FiiO is optical only.

What's wrong with your CD player? It might be possible to resurrect it if you're handy with a screwdriver.