New system recommendations and advice

[Guest]

Hi all,

Please bear with me, I'm new to the world of hifi systems.

I want to build myself a system for as little cost as I can get away with to begin with, with a view to upgrade componant as more spending money becomes available. But I don't really know where to start - please be gentle! I've seen all sorts of articles on the internet but can't really find what I'm looking for.

It's for a small flat's open plan living room/kitchen of no more than 8 metres x 5 metres with a ceiling height of no more than 3 metres. There isn't a huge amount of space available so I need to think as compact as possible.

Please, if anyone can recommend the most suitable type of amplifier? I'm told that an intergrated amp would fit the bill best but I suppose this is where most of my concerntration should be.

Any advice on speakers would be appreciated, too.

I need a CD player. Can I get away with a fairly cheap and cheerful CD player? Again, any recommendations.

A DAB tuner would be a must.

I would also need a turntable too.

I don't really know where to start so I don't really know how much I'd need to spend. Like I said, I'd like to keep things to a minimum price and understand that I'll need to sacrifice quality.

I apologise for being so vague but any help to get me started would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

 

[nima]

I want to build myself a system for as little cost as I can get away with to begin with, with a view to upgrade componant as more spending money becomes available.

My advice is not to buy with a view to upgrade. Buy once and in a way that you can than forget about whole hi-fi universe. Rather buy an amp, CDP and speakers now and add a tuner and TT as funds allow. Others will be around with suggestions.

 

[DocG]

Hi Will, and welcome!

Quite a challenge you have there!

Before we can give tangible suggestions, we do need to have some idea of a budget. Can "as little as possible" be £50, £100, or £500?

Do you want brandnew stuff, or are you OK with ex-demo and second hand?

Another way of getting better VFM is keeping the box count low. I mean an all-in-one + speakers; or a source + active (or powered) speakers [which means the amplification is in the speakers]. But you see the drawback: more difficult to upgrade.

Another thought: your room is not that tiny at all. Take that into account!

To get you started: do you have a computer or laptop? That could be a good source to start with. Rip your music to the hard-disk (iTunes, WMP, ...) and bookmark some internet radio stations. You can use free music streamers like Spotify or Deezer too. Not to forget YouTube. Add a pair of active speakers and off you go!

Add other sources as funds allow...

:cheers:

 

[Al ears]

Good advice from DocG on box count but I notice he has tactfully avoided you need for a turntable.

My advice to you, rather than get bogged down in a number of mismatched seperates, is to go and look at an Arcam Solo Mini, Arcam Solo Neo or possibly Marantz M-CR610 along with some suitably efficient speakers. Everything you want is there, including the ability to connect up a turntable if you get a cheap phono preamp to go with it.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all of the advice so far. Again, all will be taken into consideration - I'm trying to learn best I can!

As a newbie, I like the thought of keeping things as straightforward as possible.

I'm more than happy to go for second hand or demo equipment. Can anyone recommend the best places to look? Am I best going into store or do you think I can get away with looking online?

Is ebay recommended? I can't help but think I'd better steer away from that as I'm not au fait with it at all.

 

[Al ears]

As a 'newbie' as you put it I would always recommend you find a dealer in your area and pick their brains. Make sure you set yourself a budget first as they'll always try to sell you something expensive.

The likes of eBay and Gumtree can be good sources but you really have to know what you are looking for here.

As I said before you could end up with a load of mismatched boxes.

All in ones are the way to go.

 

[NJB]

Welcome to the world of hifi. As you have immediately found out, there are plenty of choices and no clear winners. Personally, I have found some good ex demo bargains, and occasionally you will find discontinued models that are going for a song. I bought a very nice cheap second system from Richersounds a few years ago, and they are a friendly place to look if you want to see everything in one place.

I agree that reducing the box count is a good start, but it really depends on how you plan to upgrade. I did try that route many years ago, and then found that the upgrade path was almost to start again. If you are tempted, then check whether you can separate out the functions I.e. Look at the inputs and outputs to see if you can add a separate CD player, or run a cd output to a separate amplifier etc. The turntable might prove to be an issue as many modern systems do not include a phono input stage that copes with the much lower level signals from the turntable. Sure, you can get a preamplifier but try to keep perspective as money spent to correct issues with a 'cheap' solution might have been better invested in something that does the job right from the start.

There are some great threads on here, such as what are the best cheap amplifiers of all time. There is some very good kit around for very little money, and age is not necessarily a big issue. Quality kit from the 80s will still sound great, and will be more turntable friendly. Remember to try and hear the hifi components together as matching is important to make sure that you enjoy the final effect. Personally, I think that the amplifier and speaker combination has to be right, and then the source has a chance to shine.

My final comment is to enjoy looking around for your hifi. Visit local shops, browse the forums and let it all soak in. Hifi shops love to sell their best and most expensive system, but the good ones will also understand your requirements and give you plenty of advice. They might have second hand sections and know what is coming in.

Good luck

 

[willh]

The research continues. Thanks everyone for the input.