Pondering my next move - where to spend £1k

[cannibal_ox77]

I've got around £1k to upgrade my hifi, but not sure if this is best put to use on speakers or a power amp(s).

Current setup is using the pearl lite as a power amp and the CDQ as pre. Looking for advice on either new speakers or power amps up to £1k to make a significant upgrade? Or best left alone until the budget can stretch further??

 

[CnoEvil]

Given Chris's (Covenanter) experience with Marantz / Kef, I would try Kef R300s.

 

[cannibal_ox77]

Thanks Cno. I really would like the LS50's but speakers without grills are out of the question in my living room with the kids. Will have to wait until I have my den sorted!

I haven't heard the R300's, but certainly like the look of them. I'll search out Chris's thoughts on the setup and add them to my list.

The one thing I want to improve on most is low level listening. My current setup sounds great at volumes I can't get away with at night times. Not sure if I'd achieve this with more powerful amp driving the RS6 or an easier to drive pair of speakers.

R300 is 8ohm nominal, the RS6 is 6ohm - presumably the Kefs would be easier to drive?

 

[Frank Harvey]

R300 is 8ohm nominal, the RS6 is 6ohm - presumably the Kefs would be easier to drive?

Both are 8ohms nominal, 3.2ohms minimum. The R300's are 3dB more efficient, so will produce twice the output of the LS50 for any given volume.

 

[cannibal_ox77]

Hi David,

I was comparing my MA RS6 (6ohm, 91db) to the R300 (8ohm, 88db), not the ls50. Do you think the Kef's would be a significant upgrade over the MA's?

I was in the shop earlier this week with my faulty bluray player - i might arrange a demo for when i go back in to pick it up. Have you got the Tannoy Precision 6.1 in store too?

 

[CnoEvil]

The one thing I want to improve on most is low level listening. My current setup sounds great at volumes I can't get away with at night times. Not sure if I'd achieve this with more powerful amp driving the RS6 or an easier to drive pair of speakers.

R300 is 8ohm nominal, the RS6 is 6ohm - presumably the Kefs would be easier to drive?

Your RS6s are more sensitive @ 91dB (vs 88dB for the R300). As David says, the R300 while 8 Ohm, do drop to 3.2, but have a minimum amp requirement of 25W, which suggests they are a reasonably benign load on the amp.

FWIW. The R300s pack quite a punch, so you will need to see if your amp can control their bass....though they do come with two part bungs. Heavy, filled stands are a must.

Edit. I've just seen your last post to David - IMO. The R300s are better. The Tannoy's are excellent, but again, I prefer the Kefs, which just suit my ear.

 

[davedotco]

The existing system is a complex one, a lot of components some virtually duplicating each other, with no real guarantee that they are giving of their best.

I am sure that you have listened to each piece and chosen them because they improve things in one respect or another, but generally I prefer a more 'holistic' approach.

I would be inclined to replace the Dac, Audiolab and the Marantz with an all in one integrated amplifier, naturally you would need to audition to see what suits you best but I am thinking Bel Canto C5i, Leema Elements and if funds allow (you might raise some money selling your existing kit), the Electrocompaniet PI 2D.

 

[cannibal_ox77]

Cno, Dave

thanks for the replies. My long term plan is to use the pearl lite & na7004 as a second system with some new speakers (thinking Dali 1/3, but if budget allows maybe the LS50s) and replace the pearl lite with a dedicated power amp or mono blocs in the main system.

I never actually intended to get the CDQ, but got it for a good price ex-display that was cheaper than just the 8200CD new. I didn't even intend to use its pre-amp but the HT bypass provided a solution to having to get up and switch power amp on/off on the pearl lite when switching between music & av. Also i don't really have any use for the av receiver any more other than a hdmi switcher for bluray & ps3, as tv audio is delivered via digital input to the CDQ.

 

[Esra]

What is the problem with the current system?It is all good devices you have. :?

 

[hifikrazy]

Given that you're currently on floorstanders, I would think it's a bit strange to switch to standmount speakers. I went the other way, and I can safely say that I wouldn't be going back to standmount speakers unless it's a Focal Diablo Utopia or TAD CR1.

If you're still keen on the Kef R series, I would suggest the R700. I auditioned the R300, R500 and R700 and LS50 and found the R700 clearly the best of the lot and in my opinion, the one most able to deliver the best balance at low level listening. That's another thing against standmount speakers - From my experience they usually sound good only when the volume is turned way up.

 

[bigfish786]

The best grand i spent went on my speakers. new with 5 yr guarantee.

focal chorus 826v. brilliant speakers for the money.

 

[cannibal_ox77]

Nothing really wrong with it, I think the audiolab, marantz and MA combo works well. Speakers aside (if I find others a significant enough upgrade), i have no intention to get rid of the kit. As said above, i'm decoupling the amp & network player for a 2nd system and think it makes sense to add power amp(s) in the pearl lites place. I've got some insurance money to come through so now's a good time to invest in the hifi.

 

[cannibal_ox77]

HiFiKrazy - ideally it would be small floorstanders but I'm open to any speaker up to £1k if it brings an improvement. My living room is about 7.5m x 3.5m with the speakers down one half of the room firing across the 3.5m so smaller speakers should do the job anyway. Floorstanders more ideal with the kids running around in there

 

[hifikrazy]

I see, your budget is dictating the R300 over the R500. Given the space, I guess the R500 would be fine instead of the R700 and if I were you, I would stretch your budget a little to go for the R500 over the R300, considering you still need to budget in some good stands for the R300.

You could also consider the Monitor Audio Silver 6.

 

[nirvy111]

What about the Q acoustics Concept 40's floorstanders? Should be a good step up from the Monitor audio rs6's. I have six concept 20's in my theatre room and they rock.

 

[ISAC69]

HiFiKrazy - ideally it would be small floorstanders but I'm open to any speaker up to £1k if it brings an improvement. My living room is about 7.5m x 3.5m with the speakers down one half of the room firing across the 3.5m so smaller speakers should do the job anyway. Floorstanders more ideal with the kids running around in there

IMO if you really want a serious upgrade to your speakers you should consider standmounts around 2K area such as the PMC 23 , Proac Studio 140MK Proac Resopne D18 act.

I don't see any speakers in 1K level that will give you a serious improvement to your MA speakerrs . instead of you wait till you can afford it .

 

[sublime]

IMO if you really want a serious upgrade to your speakers you should consider standmounts around 2K area such as the PMC 23 , Proac Studio 140MK Proac Resopne D18 act.

I don't see any speakers in 1K level that will give you a serious improvement to your MA speakerrs . instead of you wait till you can afford it .

I agree with Isac69 - the next step up in speakers, from the level you are at, will cost a lot more than a grand - will also add Acoustic Energy AE1 Mk III to that list.

 

[matt49]

My vote would also be for saving up for a bigger speaker upgrade.

Matt

 

[CnoEvil]

HiFiKrazy - ideally it would be small floorstanders but I'm open to any speaker up to £1k if it brings an improvement. My living room is about 7.5m x 3.5m with the speakers down one half of the room firing across the 3.5m so smaller speakers should do the job anyway. Floorstanders more ideal with the kids running around in there

IMO if you really want a serious upgrade to your speakers you should consider standmounts around 2K area such as the PMC 23 , Proac Studio 140MK Proac Resopne D18 act.

I don't see any speakers in 1K level that will give you a serious improvement to your MA speakerrs . instead of you wait till you can afford it .

It's a reasonable point, though I'm not sure that I agree in this case.

IIRC The RS6 cost about £600 and are now about 9 years old, having had several reincarnations, each of which have given an improvement.

The R300s are a new, state of the art design, cost £1k and (imo) can hold their own with more expensive speakers.

Now, the above points (along with personal taste / system synergy), don't guarantee anything.....but a good case can be made as to why there would be a worthwhile improvement.

 

[nirvy111]

I reckon the new Monitor audio silver 6's or Q acoustics concept 40's as examples would provide a pretty big improvement over the Monitor audio rs6's. Of course you have to audition for yourself and make your own mind up but I think you might be surprised.

 

[hifikrazy]

In a 7 floostander group test in the latest issue of WHF, the B&W 683 S2 came up top.

 

[Vladimir]

In a 7 floostander group test in the latest issue of WHF, the B&W 683 S2 came up top.

683's with the FST driver are the best speakers for sound/pound IMO. Unmatched. I was considering buying them but they are too big for my current listening arangement.

 

[hifikrazy]

Yea they are rather big. B&W do make some rather desirable stuff. I still remember my 805s with a great deal of fondness and lots of regret for letting them go.

 

[Vladimir]

Yea they are rather big. B&W do make some rather desirable stuff. I still remember my 805s with a great deal of fondness and lots of regret for letting them go.

Spendor D7's in your signature. You deserve no pitty. oke:

 

[steve4232]

Generally speaking speaker upgrades should be a last resort until you've maximised each of the source components. The RS6's are pretty good. Improving the input with the money should make a bigger difference than changing the speakers. If you had poor quality speakers I'd tend to agree that changing them would be beneficial. I'm not so sure it would be in your case though. Get the very best sources you can afford first, then upgrade the amps with the speakers very much last. Source components are the most important part of the chain with speakers the least important.

Linn originally started off using this philosophy and had to teach a retrogressive world of stuffy Hi-Fi bores what it was doing wrong ie. promoting speakers as the be and end all of everything.