My First Hi-Fi System

[assault]

Hello everybody!

This is my first post here, but I follow this site from a long time and it always made me do good bargains (like the budget in-hear Soundmagic).

Now I want to buy my first hi-fi system for a small apartment in Italy. The plan is to buy something entry level but with good sound quality, maybe not so powerful (my neighbors approve the choice!!) but with the ability to play all kind of music (from the classical one to the indie rock, but also a bit of hip hop). I like the idea to buy today a budget system and than update it in the future, maybe when I'll move to a bigger house, so I'd prefer to focus on a better amp instead of top level speaker: an high quality amplifier bought today will serve me well also in the future, when I'll upgrade the speaker.

So, any advice? My budget is around £500 (I think that integrated amp + two speakers + cables is the good configuration for a budget system, right?) and my source is mainly the PC (I know, I know, I should buy a DAC). I saw the Cambridge Audio Azur 340a SE, but in Italy is hard to find...

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[BigH]

How about Marantz 610 or the Denon equiv?

 

[Peter Kudelstaart]

The Marantz PM6005 has an internal dac so that your computer based music sounds well. Match this amp with budget speakers like Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 and you have a cracking system that will still sound good in a larger room. Of course there are similar amps from Onkyo, Yamaha and NAD with internal dacs which are not necessarily better or worse. Speakers make more of a difference and here you also have a nummer of choices from brands like Focal, Boston Acoustics, Monitor Audio and many many more. I would advise you to look for a hifi shop and ask for an audition of budget components before buying.

 

[drummerman]

Since you live in Italy you may be able to pick up a nice s/h Audio Analogue amplifier and a pair of Opera bookshelf speakers at a reasonable price?

Other than that I'd probably get Micromega's MyAmp (inludes DAC and aptX Bluetooth) and source either a s/h or new pair of Usher S520 a few weeks down the line after you've saved a few more pennies.

 

[assault]

How about Marantz 610 or the Denon equiv?

Mmm, interesting... I didn't considered an all-in-one. But my dubt is: the 610 runs out my budget and let me without speakers, and if I should increase my budget then probably the PM6005 + speakers (and maybe plus the Marantz CD player) will be a better option... am I wrong?

The Marantz PM6005 has an internal dac so that your computer based music sounds well. Match this amp with budget speakers like Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 and you have a cracking system that will still sound good in a larger room. Of course there are similar amps from Onkyo, Yamaha and NAD with internal dacs which are not necessarily better or worse. Speakers make more of a difference and here you also have a nummer of choices from brands like Focal, Boston Acoustics, Monitor Audio and many many more. I would advise you to look for a hifi shop and ask for an audition of budget components before buying.

Very good alternatives. I was afraid of Marantz because on the net I read that for a budget system will be better brand, but the PM6005 seems to be a very good integrated amp (+ DAC, so I do not have to purchase it separately). This site recommends to use it with the Dali Zensor 3: any alternative, maybe a little bit economic? And a noob's question: how I can connect the PC/Smartphone with the PM6005? This site talks about an adapter to connect the optical cable to a laptop’s 3.5mm headphone port: is this the only solution? Is it a good solution in terms of audio quality?

Since you live in Italy you may be able to pick up a nice s/h Audio Analogue amplifier and a pair of Opera bookshelf speakers at a reasonable price?

Other than that I'd probably get Micromega's MyAmp (inludes DAC and aptX Bluetooth) and source either a s/h or new pair of Usher S520 a few weeks down the line after you've saved a few more pennies.

Thanks for your reply. Audio Analogue and Opera speakers seem high quality equipment, but too expensive for my wallet. The MyAmp includes DAC, that's right, but seems to have a low value for money (in its review the cons are as many as the pros).

 

[Peter Kudelstaart]

The Marantz PM6005 has an internal dac so that your computer based music sounds well. Match this amp with budget speakers like Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 and you have a cracking system that will still sound good in a larger room. Of course there are similar amps from Onkyo, Yamaha and NAD with internal dacs which are not necessarily better or worse. Speakers make more of a difference and here you also have a nummer of choices from brands like Focal, Boston Acoustics, Monitor Audio and many many more. I would advise you to look for a hifi shop and ask for an audition of budget components before buying.

Very good alternatives. I was afraid of Marantz because on the net I read that for a budget system will be better brand, but the PM6005 seems to be a very good integrated amp (+ DAC, so I do not have to purchase it separately). This site recommends to use it with the Dali Zensor 3: any alternative, maybe a little bit economic? And a noob's question: how I can connect the PC/Smartphone with the PM6005? This site talks about an adapter to connect the optical cable to a laptop’s 3.5mm headphone port: is this the only solution? Is it a good solution in terms of audio quality?

As you can see in my signature I am quite fond of Marantz gear. I don"t know where you read that there are better budget systems. Of course everybody is entitled to have an opinion and there are no absolute wrong or rights when it comes to hifi. It is my opinion that wit a PM6005 you have an amp that is well built, sounds great and looks great. Don't be put off by its relatively low power: 2 x 45 Watts is more than enough.

The combination with the Dali Zensor 3 is often suggested. The Dali is also well regarded. There are so many cheaper options. The question is which types you have acces to so that you can listen before buying. I would suggest that you look around for what is available, check the internet for opinions and ask here what we think of your suggestion. However in the end it's your ears that will have to make the decision.

I don't use a cable from my phone to the amp. I use an aptx bluetooth receiver which is not an audiophile solution as it will give you only near cd quality sound. I can hear the difference between playing a cd to streming through the aptx receiver, but the difference is not night and day but really marginal. The Nad 3020 amplifier has aptx and a dac built in. The Nad is probably the budget amplifier with the most connections.

You can connect your PC through an optical cable. I don't think that you will need an adaptor. Your hifi supplier will know what you need. By using the dac in the amp you will bypass the soundcard in your computer which will inprove sound quality a lot. With my PM7003 I use a USB dac from Pro-ject so it is USB to 3,5 mm

 

[drummerman]

Thanks for your reply. Audio Analogue and Opera speakers seem high quality equipment, but too expensive for my wallet. The MyAmp includes DAC, that's right, but seems to have a low value for money (in its review the cons are as many as the pros).

Only in this magazines review.

HifiChoice highly praised it and gave it full marks.

Focal used the Myamp to drive their Scala Utopia V2 at the Munich Hifi show and HifiChoice tried it with Sonus Faber Olympica II plus a £9000 DCS debussy DAC.

I'm sure Marantz is good too.

 

[assault]

Finally I heard Marantz sound and... wow, it's exactly what I'm looking for. Very smooth and equilibrate.
But now I nave a big doubt. My intention is to use my laptop as source. In the store they didn't recommend me the PM6005 because doesn't have the USB-B input, they prefer (obviously) the PM7005. Now, both amp have the same internal DAC, so it's only a problem of connection. My laptop has the headphone jack with S/PDIF, is it a bad idea connect the laptop to the 6005 with a toslink adapter? In the store they said to me that in this way the internal DAC don't substitute the laptop sound card and there is a huge loss of quality... Is it true? A solution with the USB-B and the 7005 is much better for listening liquid music?

 

[rainsoothe]

hi. I think it will work, it has to be a mini toslink to toslink cable (as in the 3.5 jack has to be optical as well) and it will bypass your laptop's dac. I'm 99% sure your dealer is wrong or just trying to get you into buying the 7005. Then again, maybe the USB implementation is better and the 7005 has some tweaks that will make it worth buying over the 6005.

 

[unsleepable]

What your dealer told you is mostly true. With TOSLINK, it will still be the DAC in the amplifier doing the conversion, but enslaved to the computer. While asynchronous USB is not absolutely required to get the best performance for digital audio, these Marantz don't seem to provide any other audio re-clocking mechanism. And re-clocking the audio coming from a computer is usually a good thing.

Now, it's a matter of making numbers. The PM6005 seems to sell for £279, and the PM7005 for £549. That's a £270 difference. For half that money you could buy a USB-to-SPDIF converter like the Gustard U12 that we were discussing in another thread, which would give you at least the same and potentially better performance than the USB port in the PM7005. If the only thing that would sway you to the PM7005 is the USB port, I would consider this alternative route.

 

[davedotco]

Or just buy an ODac for £99, high performance asyncronous digital converter, forget the dac in the PM6005.

 

[unsleepable]

Or just buy an ODac for £99, high performance asyncronous digital converter, forget the dac in the PM6005.

The ODAC is not asynchronous.

 

[davedotco]

Or just buy an ODac for £99, high performance asyncronous digital converter, forget the dac in the PM6005.

The ODAC is not asynchronous.

Quite correct, I am both blond and getting on in years, it happens sometimes.........*wacko*

The designer goes to some lengths to explain why he has gone down the route he has, I know this so I have no idea what I was thinking.

 

[assault]

I've found a great price for the Marantz PM6004, so now I'm searching an USB asynchronous DAC for this amp.

Any advice for a DAC that sounds good with Marantz? I need both USB input and coaxial/toslink... and also a good price in Italy everything cost so much! Maybe I can buy it from elsewhere if there are good offers from online store.

 

[SteveR750]

I've found a great price for the Marantz PM6004, so now I'm searching an USB asynchronous DAC for this amp.

Any advice for a DAC that sounds good with Marantz? I need both USB input and coaxial/toslink... and also a good price in Italy everything cost so much! Maybe I can buy it from elsewhere if there are good offers from online store.

Take a look at Cambridge Audio, excellent value for money, works well with just about everything. The dacmagic is a great used bargain too, and if you need headphones, the dacmagic plus does a great job at the price.

 

[rainsoothe]

try micromega mydac

 

[assault]

Can you tell me something about the Schiit DACs? The price of Schiit Modi 2 Uber is very interesting... but has it a good sound quality?

 

[rainsoothe]

Can you tell me something about the Schiit DACs? The price of Schiit Modi 2 Uber is very interesting... but has it a good sound quality?

haven't heard one, but Schiit products seem to be pretty well regarded budget components. Even some magazines use their phono stage when testing entry level turntables, to make a realistic assesment of the results a budget buyer would get, and it seems pretty satisfactory.

 

[geordie777]

I use an Apple airport Express it has a decent Dac and you can stream to the PM 6004 works great and only about £80 dunno what that is in Euro tho.

 

[davedotco]

How about this?

Nice amplifier, asyncronous USB, SPDIF digital inputs, analogue inputs etc.

All in one package.....*unknw*

 

[Lemon]

Hi Colleagues,

I am trying to finalize purchase of my first serious HiFi system. Serious for me at least... ;-)

I am considering two options and even, if heard both I have got a difficulty to decide. You additional comments would be helpfull for me. I am considering:

1. KEF R700 with Hegel H80

2. B&W CM9 S2 with Peachtree 220 + NovaPre (similar price level after some discounts)

B&W seems to be a bit wormer for me and bass seems to be deeper. At the same time I have not much against R700... Hegel presents great sound and is AB class where Peachtree is way stronger (220W) but class D which potentially generates more sound distortion.

Your opinion will be really appreciated as I would like to finalize it ASAP.

Best

L.

 

[SteveR750]

0cm;line-height:24.5pt">Hi Colleagues,

I am trying to finalize purchase of my first serious HiFi system. Serious for me at least... ;-)

I am considering two options and even, if heard both I have got a difficulty to decide. You additional comments would be helpfull for me. I am considering:

1. KEF R700 with Hegel H80

2. B&W CM9 S2 with Peachtree 220 + NovaPre (similar price level after some discounts)

B&W seems to be a bit wormer for me and bass seems to be deeper. At the same time I have not much against R700... Hegel presents great sound and is AB class where Peachtree is way stronger (220W) but class D which potentially generates more sound distortion.

Your opinion will be really appreciated as I would like to finalize it ASAP.

Best

L.

I would imagine that the Hegel / KEF combination would be something special, on the basis that ATC / KEF are not a million miles apart, the 700s will be a warmer less detailed speaker than the 40s that I've got. I'm afraid I've not heard the peachtree, but my experience of the NAD class D amps (assuming same topology) wasn't great. I'm also not a fan of mid and upper priced B&W speakers which always sound too bright when pushed hard, and somewhat lacking in detail.

If you can extend your budget, the Hegel H160 is well worth the extra. It has a genuine 150Wpc, I was driving the low sensitivity ATCs pretty hard yesterday in a big room, and copes with ease. No hardening of the sound which is usually a sign of clipping distortion, and this is at volumes at which you cannot easily hold a conversation sat next to someone.

 

[Lemon]

Thanks a lot SteveR750. I fully agree with you that H160 would worth to go for. Hovewer I think I need to stick to the current budget. It was already increased during the process... The brightness of B&W is fact. This is something what I could feel in my ears after some listening time.

With the other words I understand that you would rather go for R700+H80.

Thanks again.

 

[assault]

Ok, new idea.

A good only asynchronous USB that work well with Marantz? This way I can save some money now... I will upgrade the DAC in the future with one which have also some optical input.

 

[SteveR750]

Thanks a lot SteveR750. I fully agree with you that H160 would worth to go for. Hovewer I think I need to stick to the current budget. It was already increased during the process... The brightness of B&W is fact. This is something what I could feel in my ears after some listening time.

With the other words I understand that you would rather go for R700+H80.

Thanks again.

If I had to choose without listening, that's the choice I'd make, but your ears are not mine! I suspect (I don't know for sure) that the Hegel + KEF is the more accurate combination of the two.