Pioneer N30 or Cambridge Audio Minx Xi?

[Chetty]

I want to move my CD collection to a NAS and stream from there, but need some guidance on choosing the way to do this.

My current hifi is approx. 10y old: NAD C542 with Rotel RA-01 amp into Tanoy R3 floorstanders.

For simplicity and budget, I'll probably go for a WD MyCloud NAS which leaves approx. £500.

For that budget, and rrom reading reviews I think I'm down to 2 options:

1) Add a Pioneer N30 to the existing system, or

2) Ditch the RA-01 and invest in a Cambridge Minx Xi

If the Minx Xi is comparable to the RA-01, then having one less box could sway the decision.

Any advice to help me choose between these options??? Any alternative recommendations?

Many thanks

 

[jimmy1]

go for the pioneer, cambridge audio unreliable imo

 

[John Duncan]

Whereas I've found CA perfectly reliable, and have had several boxes through my hands.

I liked the RA-0# series a lot, and would imagine that the Xi would be comparable, but I think the more important question is whether it does what you need it to do. The Pioneer has Airplay but no Wifi, the Xi has Bluetooth and handles Apple Lossless. The Pioneer has a better display, but I don't know how good its app is. As an alternative, you might also consider a Sonos Connect and a DAC, if hi-res is not important to you and you can use all the services it offers such as Spotify/Qobuz/Google Play/Amazon.

 

[John Duncan]

As an aside:

Tannoy R3 floorstanders.

Nice.

 

[matthewpiano]

I'd be inclined to stick with that RA-01 amp. Still one of the best budget amps of recent years, and it will work very well with the Pioneer.

As an aside, I've had a huge amount of CA gear over the years and, apart from a 351C that went back due to an unreliable drawer mechanism and a 2nd hand 540A V2.0 that had burnt out a channel, I've had no issues. I don't think their reliability is any worse than most other makers. Even my Roksan K2 CD player had to go back to Roksan for a new display module.

 

[Petherick]

Get the Pioneer, sounds great. Listening to flac of Bookends by S&G at the moment (ripped from CD), which is better than any CD player I've owned.

The app, at least on Android, works well but lacks a bit of 'shininess'.

 

[John Duncan]

Get the Pioneer, sounds great. Listening to flac of Bookends by S&G at the moment (ripped from CD), which is better than any CD player I've owned.

The app, at least on Android, works well but lacks a bit of 'shininess'.

As does that of the Cambridge. Naim and Sonos lead the way in that respect, IME.

 

[the record spot]

I want to move my CD collection to a NAS and stream from there, but need some guidance on choosing the way to do this.

My current hifi is approx. 10y old: NAD C542 with Rotel RA-01 amp into Tanoy R3 floorstanders.

For simplicity and budget, I'll probably go for a WD MyCloud NAS which leaves approx. £500.

For that budget, and rrom reading reviews I think I'm down to 2 options:

1) Add a Pioneer N30 to the existing system, or

2) Ditch the RA-01 and invest in a Cambridge Minx Xi

If the Minx Xi is comparable to the RA-01, then having one less box could sway the decision.

Any advice to help me choose between these options??? Any alternative recommendations?

Many thanks

Alternative recommendation:-

Get a networked amp that'll do the lot. Best move I made was going for the Onkyo TX-NR818. Does all you need, more and with aplomb. You'll get one for a very good price as it'll be NOS with the 828 now on its way out too. As an amp, it excels, as a network player it offers a great range of functionality and connectivity is a given. Form and function in one.