Out with the old and in with the New??

chrisrock

New member
Jul 12, 2009
17
0
0
Visit site
Hi folks I am looking for some advice on how best to upgrade my current music system, which is an old Denon micro system with some Wharefedale Diamon 9.1 speakers. I have some Qed Anniversary Speaker cables and Atacama speaker stands. My living room is approx 5 x 4 meters.

I have £1000-£1300 to spend with the aim of getting a noticable improvement in sound quality. I am planning to keep my speakers, leads and stands and upgrade them next year. I listen to a lot of music on CD but I am planning to rip them to my pc and maybe an external storage in a lossless format (all fairly new to me so not done this yet). I also listen to some music via Napster and Spotify but the sound quality isnt as good as my CD's.

So I would really appreciate any suggestions as what to purchase to get the best quality music. Should I get a top quality integrated amp with external dac, or would something like a Naim UnitiQute 2 give me a quality set up. I have also looked at integreated amp and CD combos so I still have the opportunity to plays CD's if I want to. TBH i am all a bit confused what will best suit my needs as there are too many choices and I dont have enough knowledge.

P.S

I know my speaker will be a weak point but I cant afford to upgrade the main system and speakers all at once, and would like some Tannoy Revolution DC6.

Any advice will be much appreciated

Chris
 

chrisrock

New member
Jul 12, 2009
17
0
0
Visit site
I have seen an refurb Arcam Solo neo from richer sounds for £799, which would allow me to upgrade speakers now also. Dose anyone have any experience of this? And would I see a massive upgrade from my current budget set up?

i would really like your thoughts.

many thanks

Chris
 

matthewpiano

Well-known member
Hi Chris.

The Solo Neo is a capable unit but be careful about jumping into something just because it seems like a bargain. Why not go for an audition to hear the Arcam with the Tannoys to make sure it is going to give you the sort of sound you want. It would be a great shame to spend all that money and to then feel as though you have purchased the wrong thing.
 

richardw42

New member
May 2, 2010
299
0
0
Visit site
It may be the ideal time to move to active speakers.

I'd listen to the AVI ADM9RS. At £1250, you'll be doing well to get a pair of speakers anywhere near them. They have a pre amp & dac. Two optical and an analogue input.

They also do a smaller speaker DM5, which are amazing. They are £699 but you'll need a dac / pre.

Also interesting are the new Quad 9AS, strange looks and I'm not sure if anyone's heard them. They have a thread of their own here. Also check out the Active Speakers thread for some more ideas, including a visit to pro audio shops.
 

matthewpiano

Well-known member
Ernie said:
Thanks for the reply Matthew. Have you heard the Arcam in action yourself?

Briefly, and I am very familiar with other Arcam kit having owned their A65+. A70 and A18 amps as well as their CD73T and CD17 CD players. Its a very good sound in many ways - natural and with great detail and soundstaging - but they do tend to be a little too 'safe' sounding for some people.
 

chrisrock

New member
Jul 12, 2009
17
0
0
Visit site
Thanks for the reply.

I havent really heard Active speakers in action before. Forgive my ignorance, but are these a better option for sound quality than the options i have mentioned?
 
T

the record spot

Guest
chrisrock said:
Thanks for the reply.

I havent really heard Active speakers in action before. Forgive my ignorance, but are these a better option for sound quality than the options i have mentioned?

That really depends on your preference for what you think sounds "better". It's another way of doing speaker design. Neither more right nor wrong than any other. I've heard a good few actives and they can be excellent, but not all are and they are subject to the same voicing issues by their manufacturers as any other speaker.
 

Ernie

New member
Jan 6, 2014
6
0
0
Visit site
Thanks Matt and Richard. I will start looking into some actives. I just need to find some where in the North East where I can audition some.
 

jjbomber

Well-known member
The first thing to do is decide what is best for you. The empathy count on this forum is almost non-existant, so look at what is best for you. While a lot of people on here like streaming, there are also a few who love vinyl. In your case, you say you prefer the quality of CDs over the other formats, so I think that should be your starting point.

I would set a budget as roughly £600 each for a CD, amp and speakers. Find out exactly where you want to end up and work backwards. Find a suitable system, then buy the CD and amp for now, with the speakers coming next year. Audition as many as you want at a suitable dealers. As you are a genuine customer and not a 'tyre-kicker', you will be made most welcome. Explain exactly what you want and they will see you as a returning customer. Finally, take some CDs in that you are familiar with to audition. Whichever system makes you tap your feet is the winner.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts