Newbie! / SPKR Recommendation & CDP direct to power amp?

[admin_exported]

Hi

Back in the heady days of DD 5.1 I worked in the AV industry and was lucky enough to build a Home cinema based around a technics su-c1010 control partnered with 3x se-a1010 power amps with a DVD-A unit for a source. Times moved on and with the arrival of small feet this was all put into storage and replaced with a simpler and smaller one box solution - it did the job! Home cinema just doesn't do it for me anymore and I'm slowly getting back into 2 channel music instead. Link below to amps

http://www.avland.co.uk/technics/sea1010/

I need some advice really having been out of the game for nearly a decade. I've currently got the pre and 2 power amps set up as a bi-amp system - using one amp each for the left and right channels. This is being fed by a technics ps770d cdp as it sounds much better with CD than the dvd-a unit, driving a pair of mordaunt short book shelf speakers (823's iirc) that I've resurrected out of the attic. Now i'm certain that theres much room for improvement here, what can you peeps recommend either new or used as a source and some speakers? Budget needs to be commensurate with the rest of the system - say £500 for speakers and £300 for a cdp. With the move to digital storage the time seems ripe to pick up a V good used cdp. I'm aware speakers are a very personal choice.... however I have no idea nowadays what might at least complement the amps.

Secondly this set up leaves me a spare power amp. I've read bits about connecting a cdp direct to a power amp, using the cdp's onboard digital 'attenuation' (my ps770D can do this) or with a simple in-line rotary attenuator. Has anyone done this? How did it sound? The power amps have separate inputs on the rear, with one set having level controls.... I'm presuming that this could be used to control the volume if I used the line outs direct of the cdp thus avoiding the rubbish digital attenuation or a separate physical one.

Any help / thoughts are much appreciated - inc selling up and starting again!

thanks

 

[Dougal1331]

Hi

I would be inclined to keep the pre-power setup as it is. The attenuation of your CD player will most likely be +/-12dB, not really enough range for quiet listening- full output from the CD player will probably give full output from the amp, and twelve deebee down will still be pretty loud.

I sold one of these power amps a couple of years ago on ebay- they seem to fetch pretty good prices, if you're wondering what to do with the spare...

The Technics amps are good enough to justify better source and speakers;

try the Marantz CD6003, bang on 300 quid, or save some dough and go for the £200 CD5003. Either should bring a useful upgrade from the somewhat laid-back sounding '770.

New speakers will bring you the most instant, noticable upgrade:

for standmounters, I reckon B&W 685s could work pretty well, or perhaps the Focal 706V.

floorstanders, try Acoustic Energy Neo V2 Three. Often overlooked, but should compliment the big sound of the amps nicely.

Any of these should come in under budget- I'd say decent interconnects and speaker cable, if you haven't already done so.

 

[Big Chris]

I paid just over £300 for my CDP a few years back on Gumtree.

If you can find one, I'd jump on it. An awesome player that originally retailed at £900.

CDPs with their own volume controls are few and far between. There was a Quad model a couple of years back, but that's the only one that springs to mind.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks, i remember good things about marantz players but didnt really expect much of a difference from there mass market models from my technics. I'll try and arrange an audition in the coming week or so. Theres also a 6000ose ki on the bay at the moment - any thoughts on how it may fit or value?

Speaker wise the b&w seem a good bet - I've heard one of the floor standers from the 68 range and was pretty impressed. I have a pair of MA BX2's on route from a friend so they should give me a better view point than my MS.

I hadn't really thought of ebaying the spare amp alone as i dont think ive seen a matching pre-amp go through in donkeys years....