My First Setup, what do people recommend?

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Hi there,

Im heading tooricher sounds on monday to get myself kitted out with my first system.

im completely knew to the hifi scene but have been researching for a while now. my understanding is that i will need a DAC to go with the amp and speakers. i will mostly be playing my music through my computer/laptop and it will be used for gatherings as well as personal listening. So what would people recommend for a budget of max £800, Although i will be looking to improve in the future.

Thanks,

Byron

 

[davedotco]

A lot will depend on what you term "gatherings".

The power requirements to have your hi-fi heard over a room full of people 'having a good time' is massively different from that needed for"personal listening".

You will get plenty of recommendations for 'convential' systems, Nad, Marantz amps, Monitor Audio speakers and the like.

I am going to offer an alternate style of system, one more suited to "gatherings" of the slightly noisier variety.

I am going to suggest a a Marantz NR1504 AV reciever currently available around £250. This is a flexible, versatile unit that caters for pretty much all your now and future needs. Depending on your computer you might need a usb to spdif converter but these are cheap enough, £25 or so.

The limiting factor in this design are relatively low powered and modest quality output stages, but this is absolutely fine as we are not going to use them.

Instead we take the output from the pre-amp outputs and use it to drive a pair of Yamaha HS8 active monitors. These are powerful units with 75 + 45 watts of direct coupled amplifier power and big, 8 inch bass units. Sound quality is excellent and the will deliver pretty high levels with control and precision. They cost just £440 pr, leaving funds for cables, speaker stands and, should you need it, a usb dac/converter.

Just the job for those slightly noisier gatherings.....*yahoo*

 

[Overdose]

+1, or a variation on the theme.

For example, the Yamaha HTR-3066, is currently available for £180. The saving over the Marantz would get you an Airport express or Roku, for wireless streaming functionality, but still, it's only £70 for the AEX and £40 for the Roku at any rate.

 

[Peter Kudelstaart]

How about an amp with an internal dac and a nice pair of speakers? I think that you are looking for a stereo set up. That doesn't rule out a surround receiver. An advantage of a surround receiver is its flexibility. Soms receivers that are within your budget have internet radio and Spotify. A stereo amplifier with internal dac is relatively expensive but will sound better and is simple to operate. If you want just stereo you may consider the Marantz PM6005 or the Onkyo TX-8050. I have had the Onkyo for a while and have a Marantz PM6004 now. Both sound excellent. If you want a surround receiver there are a number of excellent amps in the Marantz range. Yamaha's are well regarded in stereo mode too. For speakers you may consider Wharfedale Diamonds or 121's. Dali Zensors go well with Marantz too or Mordaunt Short Aviano's. I don't have experience with Yamaha. The best advice I can give you is to go out and audition before you buy. Good hunting!

 

[lpv]

+ 1 for active speakers

personaly I wouldn't buy big Marantz... instead I would buy small, elegant and powerfull iFI iDac Micro for £270 ( usb dac, pre amp, headphones amp)... big step up from Marantz

 

[Overdose]

A stereo amplifier with internal dac is relatively expensive but will sound better and is simple to operate.

That is not a given, in fact, it's quite unlikely.

A budget passive setup of any description is also highly unlikely to offer the scale that the HS8s will give, nor the clarity in fact, particularly at elevated volume levels.

 

[Vladimir]

Marantz PM6005 + Monitor Audio Bronze BX5 = £599.95

Marantz PM6005 + Q Acoustics 2050i = £699.95

Give these two a try.

 

[Overdose]

personaly I wouldn't buy big Marantz... instead I would buy small, elegant and powerfull iFI iDac Micro for £270 ( usb dac, pre amp, headphones amp)... big step up from Marantz

Can you expand upon that. What is it that makes the Marantz inferior exactly?

The product you mentioned looks massively overpriced in comparison and can only accomodate one source.

It also doesn't have a remote funtion.

 

[Overdose]

Marantz PM6005 + Monitor Audio Bronze BX5 = £599.95

Marantz PM6005 + Q Acoustics 2050i = £699.95

Give these two a try.

I don't think that they'll do loud.

 

[davedotco]

The Nr1504 is smallish as these things go. I suggested it because of the huge range of facilities it provides as a stereo dac/preamp.

It has full remote control, network capability, Airplay, Audyssey EQ, built in streaming from Spotifi among other features. Balance that against the bare bones nature of dac/preamps from the likes of Beresford, Audio Engine and the iFi you mention and make a choice.

I for one would need to be pretty sure of the superiority of the dac/preamp before I went down that route. I have been surprised by the capability of some modern recievers (as dac/preamps) in recent times.

 

[lpv]

personaly I wouldn't buy big Marantz... instead I would buy small, elegant and powerfull iFI iDac Micro for £270 ( usb dac, pre amp, headphones amp)... big step up from Marantz

Can you expand upon that. What is it that makes the Marantz inferior exactly?

The product you mentioned looks massively overpriced in comparison and can only accomodate one source.

It also doesn't have a remote funtion.

nothing's wrong with Marantz ... iFI iDAC sounds much better, as a Dac, as a headphones amp, as a package... it's a desktop hifi so remote is not essential, it's small, portable, usb powered.. if ones need it for laptop/ pc then this is much better than big Marantz... sound & space wise

 

[Vladimir]

Unless Byron defines "gatherings", this thread will go into diatribes.

 

[Overdose]

iFI iDAC sounds much better, as a Dac, as a headphones amp, as a package... it's a desktop hifi so remote is not essential, it's small, portable, usb powered.. if ones need it for laptop/ pc then this is much better than big Marantz... sound & space wise

Other than your opinion, do you have any data to back this up?

What if the OP doesn't want to be physically tethered to the DAC input?

@DDC, forgot about the Airplay in the marantz. That's a big bonus.

 

[tino]

If you're not a fan of lots of boxes how about something like a Dali Kubik Free, or the forthcoming Naim Muso. Not sure how "hifi" these will be for you, but as an all-one/two proposition capable of fillling a room, these might be just the ticket. These will not only work with your computer but with your phone, tablet, etc.

 

[Overdose]

Unless Byron defines "gatherings", this thread will go into diatribes.

True, but I'm guessing gatherings probably means a bit louder than polite table chit chat and the clinking of glasses.

 

[Overdose]

If you're not a fan of lots of boxes how about something like a Dali Kubik Free, or the forthcoming Naim Muso. Not sure how "hifi" these will be for you, but as an all-one/two proposition capable of fillling a room, these might be just the ticket. These will not only work with your computer but with your phone, tablet, etc.

I can't see the Muso filling a moderately noisy outhouse.

 

[Peter Kudelstaart]

A stereo amplifier with internal dac is relatively expensive but will sound better and is simple to operate.

That is not a given, in fact, it's quite unlikely.

A budget passive setup of any description is also highly unlikely to offer the scale that the HS8s will give, nor the clarity in fact, particularly at elevated volume levels.

I meant that a dedicated stereo amp (like the Marantz PM6005) will sound better than a budget surround receiver in stereo mode. Also what is a HS8?

 

[Overdose]

A stereo amplifier with internal dac is relatively expensive but will sound better and is simple to operate.

That is not a given, in fact, it's quite unlikely.

A budget passive setup of any description is also highly unlikely to offer the scale that the HS8s will give, nor the clarity in fact, particularly at elevated volume levels.

I meant that a dedicated stereo amp (like the Marantz PM6005) will sound better than a budget surround receiver in stereo mode. Also what is a HS8?

Unfortunately this is a common assumption and often incorrect.

The Yamaha HS8s are active speakers and so would only be fed the preout signal from the preamp section in the AVR, not the high level signal from the power amps.

 

[hybridauth_facebook_1257083074]

thanks, this is just the kind of advise im looking for. I am an apple guy so i have both a macbook and a mac.

 

[hybridauth_facebook_1257083074]

So, to begin im defining a "gathering" as a party. mainly focused within one room full of a lot of people. Although i want nothing on any form of PA speakers. Quality is very important but if it coud give some form of umf then that would be great. I was swaying towards the Marantz pm6005 and the Q Acoustics 2050i's prior to this forum. Do you not think these would be appropriate ?. With the different usages in mind should i be looking into a deeper system ? (more units ).

 

[davedotco]

thanks, this is just the kind of advise im looking for. I am an apple guy so i have both a macbook and a mac.

Ok, in that case the marantz does not even need to be wired to your usb output, you can do it all on Airplay. So long as the Marantz is connected to the network it can go anywhere.

BTW. More detais on usage and what you mean by "gatherings" would be useful.

 

[davedotco]

So, to begin im defining a "gathering" as a party. mainly focused within one room full of a lot of people. Although i want nothing on any form of PA speakers. Quality is very important but if it coud give some form of umf then that would be great. I was swaying towards the Marantz pm6005 and the Q Acoustics 2050i's prior to this forum. Do you not think these would be appropriate ?. With the different usages in mind should i be looking into a deeper system ? (more units ).

Due to the high sensitivity of the 2050i, this system will certainly go quite loud but the speakers need a lot of space if they are to work well. If they are not given the space they will boom horribly and the sound will fall apart.

The Yamaha HS8 are active studio monitors and are more accurate and better controlled than any hi-fi speaker in this sort of application. Use decent stands and they will do what you want without a problem.

The HS8 is the largest and most powerful speaker in this range.

 

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[Vladimir]

I threw a lot of house parties. IMO best way to go is a 2.1 system with very loud satelites (ferro-fluid cooled tweeters) and 12" or 15" active sub. You mount the satelites (monitors) in room corners near the ceiling, away from drunkards. If you buy floorstanders or standmount monitors, everyone will knock them down, place drinks over, push in drivers.

I wouldn't use anything less even for a bathroom karaoke.

 

[davedotco]

I threw a lot of house parties. IMO best way to go is a 2.1 system with very loud satelites (ferro-fluid cooled tweeters) and 12" or 15" active sub. You mount the satelites (monitors) in room corners near the ceiling, away from drunkards. If you buy floorstanders or standmount monitors, everyone will knock them down, place drinks over, push in drivers.

I wouldn't use anything less even for a bathroom karaoke.

Rather depends on the scale of the nonsense you get up to at house parties.

If we were really serious the speakers would be so loud that no one would go within 10 feet of them.

For more refined get togethers, we used these.

A pair naturally, that is a 15 inch bass driver by the way. Ours were actively bi-amped, a DC300A per speaker