New set up

[admin_exported]

Hello all,

I am a bit new in the Hi-Fi world and I would like to start to build a decent system. I gathered some information on the internet and in Hi-Fi mags, and I decided to go the wireless way. I was thinking of getting the Squeezbox Duet as a source, the Rotel RA-04 or the Marantz PM 6002 as amplifier and the B&W 685 as speaker. I have already ripped a decent amount of CDs into FLAC using EAC for ripping and MP3tagger for tagging.
However, I am still hesitating to buy a CD player as a backup, maybe the Marantz CD6002, just in case things go awry with the Squeezbox. Would you people, who have a bit more experience, recommend me to go completely wireless?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

Could anyone suggest me other alternatives in the same price range?

Thanks a lot!

 

[professorhat]

Well, since no one else has posted, I can give you some alternatives I can lift from WHF Buyers Guide:

CD Players (circa £250)

Cambridge Audio Azur 640C v2
Denon DCD-700AE
NAD C542

Amplifiers (circa £250)

NAD C325BEE
Cambridge Audio Azur 640A v2
Rega Brio 3

Standmount Speakers (circa £380)

Monitor Audio Silver RS1
Quad 11L2
Rega R1
Revolver RW16

Please note, I haven't heard any of the above (except the 685s which I own and think are wonderful!) - I just lifted them from WHF. However, they are all 4 or 5 star rated in WHF.

Hopefully some of the other guys with experience in these can comment on how they all work together. I think the Marantz / Marantz / B&W combination you're suggesting looks pretty good though.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much for your input. Now, I will try to listen to those systems but I guess I will not be easy to test all the possible combinations. What would be better knowing that I am essentially listening to Nick Cave and David Bowie? I do listen tosome other stuff but these are the singers I mostly listen.

 

[fr0g]

Personally I would leave off buying the CD player, and see how it goes with the squeezebox. I have one and it works beautifully. I have my music on a NAS drive and have had hardly a hiccup. It plays FLAC files flawlessly wirelessly, although I have since plugged it into my network.

 

[Anonymous]

In the end I bought a pair of ADM9s and at the moment I am playing flac files from my laptop through an outboard USB soundcard: it sounds fantastic. Next, I am going to buy a Duet, as soon as I can save some money after the ADM9s. Thank you for your contributions anyway.

 

[Anonymous]

I for one will be interested to know how things pan out with the Duet. I had thought about linking the AVI ADM9s with an AppleTV to stream music from my Mac but the idea had been 'on hold' as I had not heard of anybody with a similar set up. Maybe I should pose the question?

 

[Anonymous]

I think the duet coupled with the ADM9s will sound very good. I got the ADM9s connected to a Toshiba laptop via an offboard USB soundcard and a standard toslink cable and they are sounding great: my guess is that it might even be better with the duet instead.