Newbie in need of help with 1st System

[keoq86]

Hi, I'm new to What Hi Fi and the world of hi fi's in general. I have always dabbled with music and have a passion for listening to all genres of music. In the past I have had CD players, Mini systems, iPod docks and a year or so ago I was bought a Sonos.

But this year I turned 30 and after visiting a friends house and listening to his system (Cambridge Audio, not sure what model) I decided I wanted to venture into getting my own system and getting the funds together to get something. So I was wondering as a start what would be a decent system to begin with. I have a budget of about £400, not a lot I know (but I recently got married and have little expendable cash).

I have a few dozen lps, close to a thousand CDs if not more and enjoy listening to the radio (DAB stations in particular) and of course have a iPhone stocked with albums and playlists.

Many help you can give would be brilliant.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dazza987]

do you have any issues buying secondhand?

 

[james_LR90]

NVA do a £300 starter system consisting of the P20 pre amp and A20 power amp. It also includes a set of interconnects and speaker cables. You would then need to add speakers and if I was you I would be looking at a pair of JPW or whatever else takes your fancy. This is worth serious consideration and if it was my money it is the way I would be heading!

 

[Leeps]

Personally I'd be looking at maximising your budget by spending on components wisely. One benefit of separates is that you can gradually add components over time. Looking at your post, you have lots of CD's and if you can use your phone with your hifi, you can instantly access your albums and playlists plus internet radio.

You don't have so many vinyl albums. So I would spend your budget initially on CD, amp and speakers and add a turntable when funds allow.

One way to maximise your budget is buying a bluray player for your disc spinning. I had a Panasonic Bluray player in the past that was very hard to distinguish from my (much more expensive) Cambridge CD player. I'd be looking at the Panasonic DMPBDT380. If you're in the UK, check out last year model's deals that might come in a bit cheaper. I've seen the DMPBDT370 available for £50!! That will not only spin your CD's but most Blurays add some kind of streaming now too. Make sure the Bluray player you pick has stereo RCA outputs.

You might want to check out the Dragonfly Black DAC. I understand these new DACs are able to accept iPhones, so you have access to all your iTunes stuff plus internet radio and all the other music apps available online. I personally would forget DAB. In many cases the quality is no better than internet radio and there's little choice. The BBC Radio iplayer app is fantastic and offers a great deal more flexibility than DAB. But with the DAC you can also check out the likes of Soundcloud, Spotify/Tidal/Deezer, BBC Music, NPR Music, Radio Paradise...the list goes on. If you really must add a DAB, do so later when your budget allows.

So hopefully your Bluray and DAC has set you back about £130, so now you have £270 to get the best amp/speaker combo you can afford.

For amp and speakers, no doubt many on this forum will chip in with recommendations, but here, particularly when you're new to hifi, there's really no substitute for visiting a dealer or 3 and just listening to as many amp/speaker combos as you can. Be patient because it will be worth it. Get a playlist together on your phone of the music you like most and are most familiar with. It's with the most familiar music that you'll be able to identify nuanced differences.

A couple of things to check in your demos;

"PRAT" or Pace, Rhythm and Timing. This has much to do with how quickly the system can identify the start and stop of a note. You'll know if a system's good at this if your feet are tapping. If your brain is saying 'meh', then timing's not good.

Warm/forward bias. Warmer systems can sound relaxing: you can listen to it for hours, but if it's too warm, you might get bored and walk away long before you've been sat there comfortably for hours. Conversely a forward system may sound dynamic and exciting in the shop, but if you turn up the volume it might sound grating, and you might feel tired listening to it for more than 10 minutes. So a longer demo is a good idea.

I'll let others chip in now, but hopefully this will help you get your thoughts started.

 

[bigfish786]

Would a second hand Arcam Solo Music do the job?

it is a CD player, amp, and dab all-in-one.

This could get you going, then if you like what you hear, save up, and replace when possible. Or, keep, add a phono stage and turntable once you can afford it.

 

[smbmetal]

So from reading your requirements (and trying to stay in your budget), how about the below:

Amp - Cambridge Audio Topaz AM1 no phono input - £100

CD Player - Yamaha CDN301 - Has internet radio (will that suffice for your radio needs?) - will stream etc from your phone - £195

Speakers - Q Acoustics 2020i - £99.95 - 5* What Hi-FI Review (My Dad has these and they're lovely little speakers IMO).

Total System Cost: £395

If you 100% require DAB and can find another £100 the Pioneer SX20DAB amp has DAB built in and a Phono Input. Tried my best to stay in budget.

If you want an all in one solution - try the Marantz MCR 611 Melody Maker - has CD, streaming and DAB - £334 - you would just need to add the speakers.

 

[rainsoothe]

Hi. Imo you can't do it all at once. I suggest sorting the digital bit first, and leave getting a turntable for later. That being said, with this kind of budget you will get MUCH better value if you go the active route - as in geting a pair of active studio monitors and a preamp.

I would look at Yamaha HS7 or JBL LSR 305 (or LSR 308 if you can place them away from walls and on stands - which you should try to do whatever route you go for). You can find these on Thomann.

You will also need a pre-amp with DAC and analogue inputs (for adding a turntable later, or pluging your phone in). Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1 Plus fits the bill (preferably with the OP amp and tube upgrades). If anyone can think of a cheaper alternative with the same functionality, feel free to suggest. It also looks really nice. It has 1 analogue input on the back for a tt (Audio Technica LP5 would be the lowest I would go, it also has a decent built-in phono pre-amp). You can use the DAC on the pre-amp to play CDs from either a budget blu-ray player with digital out (opt or coax, the Maverick Audio offers both + USB) or a laptop. It also has a front ported analogue input for pluging phones in.

I strongly suggest looking into this kind of setup, it will sound WAY better then any hi-fi alternative you're gonna get for this kind of money.

 

[Snooker]

I would buy an all in one called the Denon Ceol N9 (I have a Denon Ceol N8), has everything you need wi-fi, bluetooth, streaming, cd, internet radio, dac, amp, headphones socket, usb port etc, and it sounds excellent

You can get it now new for £449 with Dali Zensor 1 speakers just over your budget (Unit without speakers was £399 new a year or two ago)

http://www.weybridge-audio.co.uk/denon-ceol-n9-with-q-acoustics-3020-speakers.html?gclid=COGk68XFkc4CFUlmGwodl2kAog

 

[Leeps]

Would a second hand Arcam Solo Music do the job?

it is a CD player, amp, and dab all-in-one.

This could get you going, then if you like what you hear, save up, and replace when possible. Or, keep, add a phono stage and turntable once you can afford it.

In theory, not a bad shout BigFish, but I heard one recently and thought it sounded awful. Couldn't control bass for toffee, in fact there was very little about the sound that I liked (with Kef R, which to be fair, I don't like these either). At the very least I'd recommend hearing one of these first (some people must like them after all) before pulling the trigger, which could make a used purchase awkward.

 

[keoq86]

Thanks for your input folks, it's really appreciated. I'm glad it didn't just jump in and go to Richer Sounds and just buy the first package I saw. I'll do a bit more digging around online and in this forum and update when I finally get something.

cheers again.

 

[record_spot]

Actives all the way. Tannoy Reveal, Yamaha HS5, or similar if you have a regular sized lounge (i.e. not massive) and your source. Also something like a Chromecast Audio that will give you connectivity for your phone, Tune In radio and great sound quality.

The Tannoy Reveal 502s area about £250 a pair, the Chromecast Audio about £15-20 in most places these days and you can get a source for peanuts. Cables won't be expensive but maybe allow £30-50 all in. The speakers will have XLR or jack inputs so you'll need an adapter. Sound quality will be pretty damn good.

http://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/tannoy-reveal-502-402