Speaker/CD Upgrade

[admin_exported]

My current music system is made up of a Cambridge Audio 640A (V2), 640T, 340C and Wharfedale 9.1 speakers. It also doubles up as the front left and right channel of a surround system built around a Cambridge Audio 540R (V2), Denon 1930 DVD Player, PS3, Wharfdale 150SW and 9.CC, and pair of old Gale Gold Monitors as the rear right and left channel.

I've got around 900 Pounds (tops) to spend on a couple of upgrades. Ideally, I want a new CD player and a new pair of speakers, so I can move the 9.1s to the rear left and right of my surround set up.

I'm going for either a 740C or 640C (V2) cd player (and am happy to take advice on either), and am looking for a pair of standmount speakers that will (a) do justice to a 640C/740C and 640A pairing and (b) fit in with the existing wharfedale speakers in my set up.

Music performance is more important that film, and I listen to all sorts of music (Sufjan Stevens sits next to Vince Guaraldi, Gotan Project, Gangstarr, the Beta Band and Lee Perry in my CD collection).

I'd be grateful of any help/advice recieved!

 

[John Duncan]

Stick with the 640c (fabulous), or indeed the Marantz 6002 which is better value at the moment, unless you want to stay the same aesthetically, and spend the remaining 650 on speakers.

This puts you in AVI Neutron, Proac Tablette reference 8(not signature) PMC DB1+ etc territory. I moved from Diamond 9.1s to the PMC to great effect - same sort of presentation but more revealing in the treble and extended in the bass and great imaging. I'm guessing that they would work well with the Wharfedale Centre but you should definitely audition any proposed speakers with the 9.cc as this is the key relationship in the move - the rears can cope with not being so closely voice-matched.

Others here can suggest floorstanders if you wanted to go down that route, but they're not an area I know much about. You probably should stay away from Monitor Audio with that amp though.