Slightly out of my depth, new system recommendations?

[willisjame]

Hi everyone this is my first post here and I feel I am slightly out of my depth in terms of all the new amps and hifi setups but here goes. I am in the market for a high quality stereo system as a gift to myself after finishing my architecture degree. I am hoping this system will last me for many years so have decided to go with the classic amp and speakers setup instead of any of the new all in one systems.

First off my music sources currently are a mixture of Laptop, IPod and CDs. I also have a quite nice little collection of Vinyl (old pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin etc) but I will not be looking to base a system around this. I assume that I will get a CD input that matches the amp I choose so that I can stack them nicely ontop of each other.

Now onto the main part the amplifier. Being in New Zealand my choices are slightly more limited than overseas in terms of sourcing a local supplier but I have narrowed it down to a few options that are within my approximate price range, based on visiting a few local shops and getting advice along with online research.

NAD C326BEE

NAD D 3020

Rotel RA-10

Rotel RA-11

Yamaha A-S500?

Something else?

There are other brands I can get hold of online (Marantz, Denon, Pioneer etc.)

Not too keen on buying from overseas.

At this stage I am slightly leaning toward one of the Rotel amps based on reviews from various sources although the Yamaha amps do look very attractive. Now my main question would be would I be better going with the RA-10 a more traditional amp and buy an external DAC (potentially a quite cheap one) or go with the RA-11 with DAC built in. Or is there another amp I should consider over these options? I have heard good things about the NAD D 3020 but it just looks so strange that I don’t think I could have it at the centre of my music system :/

Also I know very little about speakers so some options for those that would integrate nicely with the amp would be great. Don’t have a huge budget for these either but something that would nicely match the amp choice both budget wise and acoustically.

Thank you for your help, I’m super exited to set up my first system. 🙂

 

[chebby]

I assume that I will get a CD input that matches the amp I choose so that I can stack them nicely ontop of each other.

Not ideal unless you mean 'stacked' on their own shelves. Side by side is better.

If you really have to stack them, then ensure the CD player goes on the bottom so the amp's ventilation is not blocked.

 

[chebby]

Now my main question would be would I be better going with the RA-10 a more traditional amp and buy an external DAC (potentially a quite cheap one) or go with the RA-11 with DAC built in. Or is there another amp I should consider over these options?

The Marantz PM6005 amplifier also has a built in DAC. (Optical and co-ax inputs but no USB). So - if the optical and co-ax digital inputs are enough - then you have saved money on a seperate box.

 

[stevebrock]

I expect the DAC in the new Marantz PM6005 to be pretty good for the money, personlly that would be my choice!

 

[Andy Clough]

The Marantz could be a good shout (although we haven't tested it yet), as for speakers the Q Acoustics Concept 20 would be our choice:

http://www.whathifi.com/review/q-acoustics-concept-20

And Chebby's right, you really shouldn't stack the components one on top of the other, much better to separate them on a rack or shelves.

 

[Teo]

Even if some accept it personally I advise you not to use any compressed digital source . CD has enough problems but ,OK , with a really good dedicated player , it's good .Or , if you prefere , transport (really good one) + DAC .

Using other digital compressed formats (mp3)will drive you in searching gear vices where they aren't

I prefere analog good source along with the cd line ( great attention to the cartridge -preferably MC and the stage)

 

[fr0g]

Even if some accept it personally I advise you not to use any compressed digital source . CD has enough problems but ,OK , with a really good dedicated player , it's good .Or , if you prefere , transport (really good one) + DAC .

Using other digital compressed formats (mp3)will drive you in searching gear vices where they aren't

I prefere analog good source along with the cd line ( great attention to the cartridge -preferably MC and the stage)

Possibly the most factually incorrect and nonsense post of the year.

CD can be "perfect". At least as perfect as human hearing will allow. Analogue sources are very distorted in comparison. And a high bit rate compressed source will be transparent.

Leave the voodoo at home...please.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Rather unfair that, frog, and also incorrect. I know you guys think 320 kbps (I think) are great, but there are many who can pick the difference between them and CD quality.

 

[Teo]

To Mr.frog :

Not my opinion , but if you like to listen compressed , you are free to do it ,be happy.

 

[Teo]

Willisjame , my advice is to go to a few serious showrooms with listening room and demo some systems well set , from less expensive to more ...exotic and hear the differences . Search help from your local kiwi specialists in retailing hifi , I know you have people who know about there. Listen and hear the differences and then you'll buy knowing about. And it's important to buy what you like . It's subjective , maybe my kind of sound is not what you like . But it's important to listen to many systems to compare.You can buy something today and regret later when you listen to other system .

Why not building a system around a Plinius amp ? SH ,to be more affordable.

What's your budget ?

 

[BigH]

Even if some accept it personally I advise you not to use any compressed digital source . CD has enough problems but ,OK , with a really good dedicated player , it's good .Or , if you prefere , transport (really good one) + DAC .

Using other digital compressed formats (mp3)will drive you in searching gear vices where they aren't

I prefere analog good source along with the cd line ( great attention to the cartridge -preferably MC and the stage)

Thats a load of rubbish, its the recording and mastering that have far more effect than the format.

 

[BigH]

Willisjame , my advice is to go to a few serious showrooms with listening room and demo some systems well set , from less expensive to more ...exotic and hear the differences . Search help from your local kiwi specialists in retailing hifi , I know you have people who know about there. Listen and hear the differences and then you'll buy knowing about. And it's important to buy what you like . It's subjective , maybe my kind of sound is not what you like . But it's important to listen to many systems to compare.You can buy something today and regret later when you listen to other system .

Why not building a system around a Plinius amp ? SH ,to be more affordable.

What's your budget ?

Probably hard to find in New Zealand and I would avoid Naim in New Zealand.

Have you read the opening post? He said "Don’t have a huge budget"

 

[Teo]

Even if some accept it personally I advise you not to use any compressed digital source . CD has enough problems but ,OK , with a really good dedicated player , it's good .Or , if you prefere , transport (really good one) + DAC .

Using other digital compressed formats (mp3)will drive you in searching gear vices where they aren't

I prefere analog good source along with the cd line ( great attention to the cartridge -preferably MC and the stage)

Thats a load of rubbish, its the recording and mastering that have far more effect than the format.

I would prefere a more gracious way of expressing your disagreement if that doesn't hurt too much ....

On the other hand , I agree that recording and mastering have great effect , and some of the new ones are not exactly as I like .We can meet on this idea.Point.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Thats a load of rubbish, its the recording and mastering that have far more effect than the format.

Incoreect. If the mp3 is ripped from the CD, how does the mastering change? Downloading compressed mp3s will not give you the same quaity as the CD, and that has zero to do with the recording or mastering.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Probably hard to find in New Zealand and I would avoid Naim in New Zealand.

Have you read the opening post? He said "Don’t have a huge budget"

What happens to Naim in NZ? Do they suddenly explode because of the different hemisphere?

Also, I take it your remark about Plinius was tongue in cheek. If they can't be found in NZ, then they won't be found anywhere 🙂 .

 

[willisjame]

Willisjame , my advice is to go to a few serious showrooms with listening room and demo some systems well set , from less expensive to more ...exotic and hear the differences . Search help from your local kiwi specialists in retailing hifi , I know you have people who know about there. Listen and hear the differences and then you'll buy knowing about. And it's important to buy what you like . It's subjective , maybe my kind of sound is not what you like . But it's important to listen to many systems to compare.You can buy something today and regret later when you listen to other system .

Why not building a system around a Plinius amp ? SH ,to be more affordable.

What's your budget ?

I have gone to all the legit showrooms i can in my city (Wellington), i think their are only 2-3 that do any sort high-end systems. I was recommended the one of the rotel amps at one store and the NAD C326BEE in the other for amps within my approx price range. Plinius look SOOOOOOO nice but well out of my price range. My price range is somewhere around 1000NZD about 800USD but everything is slightly inflated by the time it gets here. Deff don’t want to rush in and regret it, hence posting here and hoping to get some advice from those who don’t just want to sell me the item with the biggest profit margin haha.

 

[willisjame]

Willisjame , my advice is to go to a few serious showrooms with listening room and demo some systems well set , from less expensive to more ...exotic and hear the differences . Search help from your local kiwi specialists in retailing hifi , I know you have people who know about there. Listen and hear the differences and then you'll buy knowing about. And it's important to buy what you like . It's subjective , maybe my kind of sound is not what you like . But it's important to listen to many systems to compare.You can buy something today and regret later when you listen to other system .

Why not building a system around a Plinius amp ? SH ,to be more affordable.

What's your budget ?

I have gone to all the legit showrooms i can in my city (Wellington), i think their are only 2-3 that do any sort high-end systems. I was recommended the one of the rotel amps at one store and the NAD C326BEE in the other for amps within my approx price range. Plinius look SOOOOOOO nice but well out of my price range. My price range is somewhere around 1000NZD about 800USD but everything is slightly inflated by the time it gets here. Deff don’t want to rush in and regret it, hence posting here and hoping to get some advice from those who don’t just want to sell me the item with the biggest profit margin haha.

 

[BigH]

Probably hard to find in New Zealand and I would avoid Naim in New Zealand.

Have you read the opening post? He said "Don’t have a huge budget"

Also, I take it your remark about Plinius was tongue in cheek. If they can't be found in NZ, then they won't be found anywhere 🙂 .

Well he is looking for budget gear judging by his comment and other gear he is looking at, Plinius is NZ producer but its not budget. The ones Ive seen cost around £5,000 - £7,000. ALso when he ahs already said he does not want vinyl suggesting he buys an expensive TT or CD is hardly appropiate, implying you need to buy 24 bit or higher is not helpful either in a budget system, yes there are differences between formats but they are minor IMO.

 

[BigH]

Willisjame , my advice is to go to a few serious showrooms with listening room and demo some systems well set , from less expensive to more ...exotic and hear the differences . Search help from your local kiwi specialists in retailing hifi , I know you have people who know about there. Listen and hear the differences and then you'll buy knowing about. And it's important to buy what you like . It's subjective , maybe my kind of sound is not what you like . But it's important to listen to many systems to compare.You can buy something today and regret later when you listen to other system .

Why not building a system around a Plinius amp ? SH ,to be more affordable.

What's your budget ?

I have gone to all the legit showrooms i can in my city (Wellington), i think their are only 2-3 that do any sort high-end systems. I was recommended the one of the rotel amps at one store and the NAD C326BEE in the other for amps within my approx price range. Plinius look SOOOOOOO nice but well out of my price range. My price range is somewhere around 1000NZD about 800USD but everything is slightly inflated by the time it gets here. Deff don’t want to rush in and regret it, hence posting here and hoping to get some advice from those who don’t just want to sell me the item with the biggest profit margin haha.

Well I would look at Denon and Marantz which similar, for speakers what brands can you get out there? Dali, Q, Wharfedale?

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Well he is looking for budget gear judging by his comment and other gear he is looking at, Plinius is NZ producer but its not budget. The ones Ive seen cost around £5,000 - £7,000. ALso when he ahs already said he does not want vinyl suggesting he buys an expensive TT or CD is hardly appropiate, implying you need to buy 24 bit or higher is not helpful either in a budget system, yes there are differences between formats but they are minor IMO.

No one has said anything about 24bit or higher, only about compressed mp3.

Back on topic, personally I prefer NAD over Marantz for amps. They tend to be fuller sounding, whereas Marantz can be a tad bright, to my ears anyway. Marantz CD players are hard to beat, however, they don't know how to build bad ones!

 

[willisjame]

Willisjame , my advice is to go to a few serious showrooms with listening room and demo some systems well set , from less expensive to more ...exotic and hear the differences . Search help from your local kiwi specialists in retailing hifi , I know you have people who know about there. Listen and hear the differences and then you'll buy knowing about. And it's important to buy what you like . It's subjective , maybe my kind of sound is not what you like . But it's important to listen to many systems to compare.You can buy something today and regret later when you listen to other system .

Why not building a system around a Plinius amp ? SH ,to be more affordable.

What's your budget ?

I have gone to all the legit showrooms i can in my city (Wellington), i think their are only 2-3 that do any sort high-end systems. I was recommended the one of the rotel amps at one store and the NAD C326BEE in the other for amps within my approx price range. Plinius look SOOOOOOO nice but well out of my price range. My price range is somewhere around 1000NZD about 800USD but everything is slightly inflated by the time it gets here. Deff don’t want to rush in and regret it, hence posting here and hoping to get some advice from those who don’t just want to sell me the item with the biggest profit margin haha.

Well I would look at Denon and Marantz which similar, for speakers what brands can you get out there? Dali, Q, Wharfedale?

Dennon and Marantz are supplied in New Zealand by a chain electronics store that is useless at getting stock in and keeping it. I can also not find a Marantz PM6005 anywhere in NZ but I can get a PM6004 for around the same price as the Rotel Ra-11. Would this be a better option?

I will also go and have another look at the chain stores and see what models of Dennon and Marantz they can stock in the next while.

It looks like there is quite a variety of speakers available though a few different shops. I can get the Q Acoustics Concept 20 speakers for around 899NZD which I would say is my approximate price range at this point. There is also a chance I can get a great condition pair of Quad 11L2 Bookshelf Speakers from my father as he uses them very little.

 

[davedotco]

In a market like New Zealand an awful lot depends on what product is available at what prices. UK branded products will usually be far too expensive, particularly at the budget end of the market.

To be honest, pretty much any of the amplifiers you mention will be fine for a first system, just buy the one that is the best value. I think your biggest issue will be the loudspeakers, shifting big boxes around the world is expensive and many of the decent budget models we take for granted in the UK will be unavailable or overpriced.

Are there any local producers that offer value for money product? I remember Richter, an Australian brand, starting out in the late 80s making simple loudspeakers at very sensible prices, anything like that in your part of the world?

 

[BigH]

Well he is looking for budget gear judging by his comment and other gear he is looking at, Plinius is NZ producer but its not budget. The ones Ive seen cost around £5,000 - £7,000. ALso when he ahs already said he does not want vinyl suggesting he buys an expensive TT or CD is hardly appropiate, implying you need to buy 24 bit or higher is not helpful either in a budget system, yes there are differences between formats but they are minor IMO.

No one has said anything about 24bit or higher, only about compressed mp3.

Back on topic, personally I prefer NAD over Marantz for amps. They tend to be fuller sounding, whereas Marantz can be a tad bright, to my ears anyway. Marantz CD players are hard to beat, however, they don't know how to build bad ones!

Maybe I misunderstood this:Teo wrote:

"Even if some accept it personally I advise you not to use any compressed digital source . CD has enough problems but ,OK , with a really good dedicated player , it's good .Or , if you prefere , transport (really good one) + DAC .

Using other digital compressed formats (mp3)will drive you in searching gear vices where they aren't

I prefere analog good source along with the cd line ( great attention to the cartridge -preferably MC and the stage)"

I thought he was implying that cd was not good enough.

 

[BigH]

Strawberry Sound in Wellington has Denon amps I believe, maybe worth a demo? I agree NAD and Rotel are worth considering, depends on what prices you can get them for.