New Hi Fi system after 25 years...

[admin_exported]

Hi, I'm finally going to replace my trusy old Hi Fi system after 25 years! The amp is a Cyrus 2 with a PSX, a Rotel RCD-865 CD player and a pair of Spendor SP2/2s on Target stands filled with sand. The Speaker cable is a pair of 2 into 1, (i.e bi-wired at the speaker ends but not into the amp); a "high quality solid core speaker cable" by Cyrus and Supra +.

My budget is around £1300, and although I haven't heard the following system as a test run, I'm just going to take the plunge and buy them. The reviews of all of them sound excellent, and it's got to be better than my old setup. But how much better?

My new system I'll be buying in the new year will be: Marantz PM6003, Marantz CD6003 and a pair of Mordaunt Short Mezzo 6. A pair of cables for bi-wiring: QED Revelation.

So a few questions please, if anyone could answer (although I've a pretty good idea of what the answer is going to be be to the second one!):

Q1: Are the Marantz components a good match with the Mordaunt Short Mezzo 6 speakers, in your opinion?

Q2: With comparison to my old system, will this new system "blow my socks off" or will I just say "well, that's better, but not overtly so".

Q3: could anyone give me a rough guide as to what I should sell the Cyrus2+PSX; the Rotel CD player; and the Spendor SP2/2 for (separate prices please)?

Thanks in advance!

PS Hope you had a great Christmas!

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'm not at all sure that system will offer you much of a gain over what you have now, and in particular if the Cyrus amp and Spendor speakers are in good working order and offer what you need - in terms of amp inputs and so on - I'd keep them.

I'd probably be thinking in terms of spending more on a CD player, such as the Rega Apollo or even the Naim CD5i, to make the most of the amp and speakers.

Make no mistake that the Marantz/M-S system is very good indeed, but then so is the set-up you have now, despite its age.

Oh, and I'd really take a listen before you buy, however good the reviews may be.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Andrew, thank you for your comment, much appreciated.

Taking your advice on board, I've changed my "angle of attack".

I "lurve" Cyrus stuff and have done since the 80's when I bought the Cyrus 2 and subsequently the PSX. With my budget, I didn't think I could stretch that far to upgrade the Cyrus components, until I did a bit of a search and found a company who can sell me a 6VS2 and a CD6-SE, both new, for £1000. Just under £200 for 3m x 2 twin QED Revelation cables and that still leaves me with £100.

I could get together £550 to add to that over the coming months ahead, when I could then be in a position to buy the Mordaunt Short Mezzo 6 loudspeakers. Would these be better sounding than my Spendors do you think? Especially with the upgraded amp + CD player?

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'd still upgrade just the player - the 6SE is a good choice, and keep the amp and speakers. See how you get on - I think you'll be dleighted - and get used to the upgrade before you contemplate the next move.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with Andrew, however appears that you are determined to change your system, and based on your budget, I would look at good 2nd hand items.

I feel you would need to spend a lot more than £1300 to better your existing system if you were buying new, and replacing all items

I would definately keep the speakers and speaker stands for the time being. As for the amp, Based on your budget, I would look at good used items ... a quick peep on ebay with buy it nows brings up the following:

Croft Epoch Elite & Apparition Elite Amps ... Buy it now of £999 (£3000 worth of equipment) ... ebay item 190359666504... recently serviced

Meridian 506 CD Player .... Buy it now of £350 ... ebay item 320465198534 ... seller states item is in mint condition

.... or as Andrew stated, a brand new Rega CDP

I do not have a clue how any or these would work together as have never heard them, but this is merely an example of what can be bought with your budget when looking at 2nd hand .... you would however have to do loads of research

As for cables/interconnects, use what you have for the time being ... My experience has shown me that they do make a difference, but only minor differences.

 

[chebby]

You could telephone Cyrus and Spendor in the new year and inquire whether they would be prepared/able to service the amp and the speakers.

At the very least it might be wise for both amp and speakers to have certain capacitors replaced after 25 years. The speakers may benefit from an internal rewire and even the tweeters are still replaceable (I think) with original Scanspeak D2008 units from their 'Classic' range. (Please check this with Spendor first.)

 

[Anonymous]

Hi dim_span and chebby, thanks for the advice; i've decided I'm going to replace the system with new though for two main reasons: one, pleasing aesthetics of modern designs (i.e quartz silver replacing grubby grey + chipped paint), as well as a beautiful light oak replacing murky rosewood - at least I think it's rosewood - and the black dominating speaker stands, of my Spendors. And two, I'm sure to be able to convince my wife that the system can go back into the living room, from the "studio" (spare room)!

Thanks also to you Andrew for replying; I like the idea of "learning" - one's own personal system ear training - how the system's been improved, one bit of kit at a time. It's great to hear I'll be well pleased with the Cyrus 6CDSE! However, I took the plunge today and bought the amp replacement, a new Cyrus 6VS2 (I couldn't resist £300 off!). although it's not part of their current line-up, I'm pretty certain that it'll still be better than my Cyrus 2 (even with the PSX). 25 years of development must have made siginificant improvements, surely!

I also bought a 3m pair of Airloc terminated QED Revelation cables today, so these will replace my cabling for a month or so before I introduce the 6VS2. After a couple of months, I'll but the Cyrus 6CDSE; then two or three months after that, replace the speakers.

I'm definitely going to go with floorstanders, juggling the pros and cons of the following: PMC GB1i, Mordaunt-Short Mezzo 6, Spendor S5e and Tannoy Revolution Signature DC6T. The Tannoys are in front at the moment, I think they are beautifully designed. I've no idea what any of them sound like though, but the chances of finding a dealer with all of the speakers, and patience, to let me audition them is pretty slim I think. So I'll continue to trawl the net, comparing reviews and features/specs; and take the plunge finally without pre-listening to them with Cyrus gear.

Thanks again all for your help!

 

[John Duncan]

gyroscope:without pre-listening to them with Cyrus gear

Noooooooooooooooo! Of all the amps in all the world that need auditioning with speakers, Cyrus are it...

 

[Zubkabera]

Andrew Everard:

I'm not at all sure that system will offer you much of a gain over what you have now, and in particular if the Cyrus amp and Spendor speakers are in good working order and offer what you need - in terms of amp inputs and so on - I'd keep them.

I'd probably be thinking in terms of spending more on a CD player, such as the Rega Apollo or even the Naim CD5i, to make the most of the amp and speakers.

Make no mistake that the Marantz/M-S system is very good indeed, but then so is the set-up you have now, despite its age.

Oh, and I'd really take a listen before you buy, however good the reviews may be.

Wow !! I am really surprised so Andrew according to you 25 year old technology is still better then Marantz combo? this is really interesting does that mean if I buy a vintage amp & speakers which is lets say 5 years old & got 5stars and at that time cost 5 times of newer 5 stars amp available today it will still be better? if this is the case I will start my hunt on Ebay tonight

 

[Anonymous]

JohnDuncan:gyroscope:without pre-listening to them with Cyrus gearNoooooooooooooooo! Of all the amps in all the world that need auditioning with speakers, Cyrus are it...

Thanks John, you are so right! (And Andrew underlined this fact as well). I spent hours auditioning my system those years ago, and remember the vast differences with the speakers I was auditioning after deciding on the Cyrus 2 (finally buying the obvious winner at the time, the Spendor 2/2s).

I've definitely fallen in love with the Tannoy Signature DC6Ts (Light Oak flavour); I'll try to find a HiFi shop in the new year, where I can audition them with my Cyrus 6VS2.
Zubkabera:

Wow !! I am really surprised so Andrew according to you 25 year old technology is still better then Marantz combo? this is really interesting does that mean if I buy a vintage amp & speakers which is lets say 5 years old & got 5stars and at that time cost 5 times of newer 5 stars amp available today it will still be better? if this is the case I will start my hunt on Ebay tonight

I'll be honest, I was suprised as well! The Marantz stuff is nicely designed and has great reviews.