New Hi-Fi

[admin_exported]

I'm moving house soon and will have a dedicated 4x3 room (except for kids games consoles and computer).

Speakers will have to go against chimney *** and listening sofa very close (2m max).

I am spending around £2000 on speakers (small standmounts), turntable and amp , no Cd wanted.

I've got an Atacama Equinox stand and some fairly new Qed silver ann. bi-wire ,although I needn't use it.

Suggestions please and I really do want small speakers.

Baz

 

[nads]

for the turntable i have to say that i really like the Project Pro-Ject 2 Xperience SuperPack 2
http://www.project-audio.com/main.php?prod=xperiencesp&cat=turntables&lang=en

Amp and speakers are a bit more sound dependent, what style of music do you want to be listening to?

 

[Anonymous]

Floyd, Roger waters, Si and Gar. Old Genesis , all my later stuff is on the computer.

 

[nads]

nice Nice, well having similar records i will again, but this time, Highly recomend the above deck, and i must say i do like the NAD sound with maybe some B&W 705's? and a Project phono stage and the rest on some fair cables. i admit to being a bit biased and the sound may not be to everyones taste. i would also have a listen to some of the Montor audio range.

 

[matthewpiano]

For the turntable I heartily recommend the Michell Tecnodec with an RB250 arm. Add the Tecno-Weight arm modification, a Michell Clamp, the Michell VTA adjuster and a decent cartridge and you'll have a beautifully engineered and fantastic sounding vinyl front end that will last forever. Quality of construction is in an altogether different league to the Pro-ject decks IMO and I think there is little else to rival it at the price. I would look at the minimum of a Graham Slee Gram Amp 1 for the phono stage but, if budget can stretch, plump for the Trichord Dino. This set-up would leave you loads of room for future upgrades including adding the Michell HR PSU to the TecnoDec, going for some of the RB250 mods available, moving up to a Michell TecnoArm (itself based on the RB250), adding the external PSU to the Dino.
Beyond that also look at the Clearaudio range and the upper end of the latest Thorens range which includes a rather nice TD160HD with an arm board drilled for Rega arms.

 

[nads]

1K of a 2K buget on a turntable?

 

[John Duncan]

I agree, too much on the 'table for small incremental benefit.

I can heartily recommend a Project RPM5.2 which is really *sorted* (and cool looking) and leaves a lot of money for good cartridge, amp and speakers. Might look a bit unbalanced, but I think you'd get an awful lot of enjoyment from:

RPM5.2 (380 at superfi), Creek 5350SE Classic (729 ditto), Cambridge Audio 640p Phono Stage (60 Richer Sounds), AVI Neutron IVs or B&W CM1s (both about 500 and very small).

That leaves you 430 quid to get a much better cartridge or Dino phono stage or the SE power supply for the Project or to double your speaker budget (which is the way I'd go, though I don't know any small speakers when you spend that much, maybe somebody else does). Or go to the pictures and buy a Nachos Combo and upgrade the above gradually.

Oh, and to buy this

[EDIT] - Sorry, I nearly forgot the most important thing in a vinyl-playing system

 

[Anonymous]

Personally, I would always get the Michell. Nothing wrong with the Project range at all but the Michell is simply in a different league IMO and will last you thru any number of upgrades if you are inclined to improve the sound of your system over time.

I'd be tempted to add something like the Arcam A70 for approx £500 with the B&W CM1's or the Focal 806v (both approx £500).

If you don't want to go for the Michell deck, my next choice would be the Rega P3-24 with Elys2 for £500 with a Naim Nait 5i and Naim n-sats (very small). This system costs £2000 too. Very different prestentation that the Michell / Arcam set up but every bit as good. It depends on your tastes.

I'd only buy the Project if I was building a £1k system.

 

[matthewpiano]

My philosophy is that you get what you pay for with turntables, much more than with CD players, and that the quality of engineering has a direct and significant influence on the level of reproduction available. Not everyone agrees with this and you might well decide to go down the Pro-ject route. If a cheaper deck is what you fancy I would also consider looking at the Funk Firm Funk with an RB250 and at least the Graham Slee phono stage - its much better than the 640p IMO. In that case, I'd be looking at 2nd hand Quad amplification and I'd also be adding the Quad 12L2 speakers to JohnDuncan's excellent suggestions. I wouldn't be using £1,000 speakers with a £380.00 turntable.

Hey, its the fact that we all think differently that makes this hobby so much fun!!!

Seriously, there are lots of people on here with very good advice and I would urge you to listen to all of it in drawing up some audition shortlists and then to experiment and make your own mind up. There are really no rules or rights and wrongs and hi-fi is a very personal thing. Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

 

[John Duncan]

I agree 100% with Matthew. We're both right (or wrong). And his best advice is to experiment - play with £400 turntables through £1k speakers, and see if it sounds better to you than the other way round (to Matthew it doesn't, to me it does, QED). And don't underestimate the engineering or upgradeability in a Pro-Ject (at least from the RPM5 upwards)!

And don't forget this

 

[matthewpiano]

[quote user="JohnDuncan"]
I agree 100% with Matthew. We're both right (or wrong). And his best advice is to experiment - play with £400 turntables through £1k speakers, and see if it sounds better to you than the other way round (to Matthew it doesn't, to me it does, QED). And don't underestimate the engineering or upgradeability in a Pro-Ject (at least from the RPM5 upwards)!

And don't forget this
[/quote]

Funny, I've just ordered one of those from Analogue Seduction on Ebay. Seems like a good buy.

 

[John Duncan]

It's genius. Essential kit. I find a few rotations in *both* directions is optimum. Don't be afraid to do it again if you haven't got silent vinyl first time, but no more than twice has pretty much always covered it for me. Don't bother buying new fluid after it runs out though, make your own - lots of recipes on the net, but I use 4 parts distilled water, 1 part isopropyl alcohol, teaspoon of photographic rinse agent.

jd

 

[John Duncan]

And can I add the PMC DB1+ to the speaker list?

 

[John Duncan]

Actually, there you go - 250 quid on a Sumiko Blue Point Special and an extra 180 quid on the PMCs, there's your 430 quid! You'll just have to forget the Nachos Combo.......

 

[Anonymous]

PMC DB1+ are excellent ! If you can afford them I would take them over B&W's any day.

I also like the Goldring 1042 cartridge for around £160.......meaning you are back on for the nacho's !

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="andy444"]
I also like the Goldring 1042 cartridge for around £160.......meaning you are back on for the nacho's !

[/quote]

Genius.

Sorted. Next!

 

[Anonymous]

I'd def give the Dynaudio Audience 52 (£650 and small) and Focus 110 (£800 and tiny) speakers a go...

 

[Anonymous]

Great suggestions every one thanks. Can't wait to get started , what about some cable a bit more discreet than the QED Silver bi-wire for my "small speakers"

 

[nads]

Do not forget when looking at the Turntables that there are many add ons... i had a little surprise when i went to see how much the cartridge would cost to replace on mine. £300. yes there is a replacement discount from Ortofon But still.... Oh i picked my turntable up as an ex demo for £650.Just listened to a Simple minds Live album (Live in the city of light) a bit disappointing really. Now i have Visage Fade to Grey (the singles collection) WOW never heard it sound so good. Now on the Stranglers really really need to get some of these discs cleaned. But Wow i have never heard them sound so good. i have some new vinyl on the way and i can not wait to hear fresh 12" on a good set up. Hope it will arrive tomorrow but i don't think it will as it was only dispatched on the 22nd.

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="nads"]Now on the Stranglers really really need to get some of these discs cleaned.[/quote]
I refer you to my previous evangelistic messages about the Knosti Disco Antistat. Put them in Nagaoka antistatic sleeves after you've cleaned them (15 quid for 50), and keep a carbon fibre brush handy for destatic-ing (?) before play. Bob's your uncle.