Newbie looking for 1st amp

[Anonymous]

hi there, I have a suggestion for your setup:-

Get a new or used Rotel RA04 amp (it comes with phono stage).

Get a new Marantz cd player (older model are on sale, such as cd5003 or cd6002)

Get Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers (or get previous model: Wharfedale Diamond 9.1)

The above mentioned are budget entry level hifi that does not compromise in performance.

Btw, don't spend too much $ on cables and interconnects...there will not be much of a difference in sound for entry level setup

Good luck

 

[Anonymous]

plastic penguin:What puzzles me is everyone seems to be recommending Nad when the OP specifically mention the amp should be capable with a TT. A Nad does not have built-in phono stages...

OP, you can add a phono preamp fairly cheaply to the amps which don't have them. Prices start at £20 or so.

PP the NAD just happens to be an excellent choice - what have you got against them?

 

[Anonymous]

jockey.wilson:Tarquinh:
I'd probably spend more on the speakers than the amp - the NAD C320BEE if you can get one second hand at a good price would be the ticket, coupled with Q acoustics speakers.

I disagree completely. The speakers are only as good as source and amplification. A cheaper pair of speakers will sound much better on a quality amp as opposed to vice versa...

Concentrate on the amp and then think about your speakers. This will then give you room for expansion later also.

Not true at all. Speakers are the window to the rest of the system. Without them there is silence. Speakers define the amp you should buy, not the other way round. With a new system you should always start with speakers and work back.

I'm surprised people in this enlightened era still believe all that source-first fiction.

 

[Anonymous]

Oooo good debate going on here guys. Yes, I was hoping to get an amp with a built in phono stage just to keep things simpler. Hence with new amps in my budget it seems to be the following:

Onkyo 9155 & 9355. Denon PMA510AE. Cambridge Audio Topaz AM5 and AM10.

What do you fellas think of the AM10. I know it's new and the couple of reviews of seen have been mixed. But it packs a lot of features. Or is it worth upping the budget to get the SR10 within that range?

Speakers....I know I haven't addressed this properly. To be honest I hope to get something that will do a good and basic job at the moment then upgrade in a couple of years. So speakers are likely to be what's on special offer at Richer Sounds to be really honest.

 

[d_a_n1979]

The afore mentioned 2nd hand amps mentioned with an added phono stage such as the NAD PP2 or the likes of the Project external phono amps are hell of a lot better than the amps you've mentioned above

The Rotel RA04 amp would be a superb buy!

 

[plastic penguin]

Tarquinh:

plastic penguin:What puzzles me is everyone seems to be recommending Nad when the OP specifically mention the amp should be capable with a TT. A Nad does not have built-in phono stages...

OP, you can add a phono preamp fairly cheaply to the amps which don't have them. Prices start at £20 or so.

PP the NAD just happens to be an excellent choice - what have you got against them?

Very true, the Nad is a good amp. The OP has stated a limited budget, hence why I mentioned the Arcam. The money he can save on external phono stage can go towards better speakers - even if only costs £40-50 for a phono box, it'll will go some way to buying more competent speakers - especially s/hand. Seems logical to me....

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, good point.

 

[Anonymous]

So it sounds like most people favour 2nd hand gear over buying new with a budget like mine. I've got an X Electrical shop round the corner from me and I pop in from time to time but just don't know enough about it all to take the plunge. But I've just checked their website and they've got a couple of Rotel amps. Is it a safe rule of thumb that you can't go wrong with Rotel?

They've currently got a RA930AX, RA-971 Mk2 and a RB-200.

 

[the record spot]

andypalf:
So it sounds like most people favour 2nd hand gear over buying new with a budget like mine. I've got an X Electrical shop round the corner from me and I pop in from time to time but just don't know enough about it all to take the plunge. But I've just checked their website and they've got a couple of Rotel amps. Is it a safe rule of thumb that you can't go wrong with Rotel?

They've currently got a RA930AX, RA-971 Mk2 and a RB-200.

Not at all Andy, but you've got one of those budgets that can be either but going down the used route might yield a greater return if you shop carefully. £350 for an amp and CD is good used kit territory. Have you had a look at Steve's Hifi? He's got some great used kit; there's a Sansui AU-D5 on there just now, £150, a Rotel RA-940BX for £99 and a Quad 33/303 pre/power for £225 (and is the best of the bunch on there and probably most of the rest mentioned on here, downside is it's vintage gear which you might not want this early on in the hifi career!).

He's got a Rotel RCD-965BX for £150 which will blow away anything new at the price, and a bunch of others too. Check out his site here: http://www.steveshifi.co.uk/.

See also Greenhome Electronics who do the same kind of thing. The kit's cheaper, not quite as good, but just like Steve's place, it's all well serviced and the guy's decent. I noticed a Sony Sony TA-FB740R for a penny off £60 which is pretty good given it was a well plugged model a decade or so back. Good nick too, 50w per channel, phono stage too. The CD section has a Marantz CD72 which went for about £250-300 back in its day, but he has for £34.99 and back with Sony, there's a universal player; the DVP-NS930 v Qs Series with DVD/CD/SACD and it's also £34.99

Don't be too quick to knock the price; build quality will be good, and you can purchase a separate DAC (e.g. Musical Fidelity V-DAC - £150) which will transform the sound for the better and use the player as the transport (and being a Sony, it'll be fine).

So you're not stuck, you have options and I'd be Googling like mad and wising up beyond a few recommendations for old NAD or Arcam kit and the like - there's a ton of good used gear out there and you're at risk of passing up on a good deal.

 

[plastic penguin]

andypalf:

So it sounds like most people favour 2nd hand gear over buying new with a budget like mine. I've got an X Electrical shop round the corner from me and I pop in from time to time but just don't know enough about it all to take the plunge. But I've just checked their website and they've got a couple of Rotel amps. Is it a safe rule of thumb that you can't go wrong with Rotel?

They've currently got a RA930AX, RA-971 Mk2 and a RB-200.

Some Rotels are excellent. Others, so I'm told, are not so hot, so not heard the models you've mentioned. As Mr. Spot says there are loads of different, and competent, brands out there. But Rotel, like a lot of makes, only really perform well with certain speakers.

What speakers do you have or planning to buy?