Stereo Set Recommendations for the UK?

[K-Xie]

Hi! I am a new audiophile planning on buying a high-quality stereo set for my house in London, with a budget of 10k pounds. I'd really appreciate any recommendations on which brands to choose from. Thanks!

 

[RTHerringbone]

If the request is genuine, then you'll need to think about things beyond which brands to choose from.

As a starter: what will your source be? Do you already have music on physical media (CDs, vinyl), will you stream, will you listen to multiple formats?

 

[K-Xie]

Thanks for your reply! I'm streaming at the moment using ROM, and will be setting up the speakers in a 30 sq. m. basement. I'd also like to know how the different brands in the UK work and what their specialties are. Thanks again!

 

[abacus]

You need to go to a dealer and explain what you are looking for as they will be able to suggest options, just asking a forum with no frame of reference for them to go on will provide only multitudes of opinions, thus confusing you more.
There is no best set of equipment for Hi-Fi, only what suits your personal preferences.

Bill

 

[RoA]

It does cross my mind sometimes whether these posts are genuine or Admin created 🙂.

Call me cynical.

 

[Al ears]

It does cross my mind sometimes whether these posts are genuine or Admin created 🙂.

Call me cynical.

Ok, you're cynical.....

 

[RTHerringbone]

Ok, you're cynical.....

Well......new to Hi-Fi but happy to drop £10k is quite a first toe to dip in the water, especially when not seeming to know what kit is required. Obviously everyone is in different financial positions but one has to question the budget setting process.

One thing is for sure: rocking up to a dealer and divulging any budget can see that budget very quickly met 😆

 

[Revolutions]

As Bill said, best thing to do is get yourself to a dealer. We’re lucky in London to have quite a few different shops. Which part of town are you in?

Richer Sounds have a few branches, as do Sevenoaks audio. They stock quite a few brands & offer good deals on complete setups. Might be a good place to start.

 

[davidf]

You need to find a dealer that knows what they're talking about, not just some national boxshifter trying to hit a quota to get an annual kickback. You need to speak to someone that understands room acoustics, as this will/should be a large factor in your choice of loudspeakers. And I don't mean a dealer that instantly points to digital room correction. If the loudspeakers aren't performing well in the room, you can spend £50k, and you still won't be able to improve things.

Hi-Fi is a very personal thing - you're spending the money, you've got to live with it, you've got to look at it every day, and you've got to enjoy it.

 

[Gray]

One thing is for sure: rocking up to a dealer and divulging any budget can see that budget very quickly met 😆

He's a dodgy salesperson's dream.

 

[Revolutions]

You need to find a dealer that knows what they're talking about, not just some national boxshifter trying to hit a quota to get an annual kickback. You need to speak to someone that understands room acoustics, as this will/should be a large factor in your choice of loudspeakers. And I don't mean a dealer that instantly points to digital room correction. If the loudspeakers aren't performing well in the room, you can spend £50k, and you still won't be able to improve things.

Hi-Fi is a very personal thing - you're spending the money, you've got to live with it, you've got to look at it every day, and you've got to enjoy it.

How does one achieve all these things? I've been messing around with hifi for over 20 years on & off, and I don't know how to select a dealer that hits all of your requirement.

When I'm going to dealer, I do exactly that because they have specialist knowledge I do not. Apart from one issue with an amp/speaker match (one that a well-respected dealer suggested to me), I've had nothing but joy & satisfaction with sound quality when shopping at national chains or independent dealers.

 

[davidf]

How does one achieve all these things? I've been messing around with hifi for over 20 years on & off, and I don't know how to select a dealer that hits all of your requirement.

When I'm going to dealer, I do exactly that because they have specialist knowledge I do not. Apart from one issue with an amp/speaker match (one that a well-respected dealer suggested to me), I've had nothing but joy & satisfaction with sound quality when shopping at national chains or independent dealers.

Tricky, that's for sure.

Do they point out the negatives as well as the positives when you ask about a product? Do they tell you what your outcome will be before you've listened to anything? Do they provide information, and leave you to make your own choice? Do they demonstrate all brands fairly? Do they keep coming back to a product you've dismissed or aren't keen on?

Some chains have vested interests, as do some dealers nowadays now that some also distribute brands themselves. Large chains are chasing big targets, as are the salesmen. That aside, they'll generally take a safe route, which will usually end up with everyone happy, and closer to that weekly, monthly target.

 

[Fandango Andy]

Hi! I am a new audiophile planning on buying a high-quality stereo set for my house in London, with a budget of 10k pounds. I'd really appreciate any recommendations on which brands to choose from. Thanks!

There are countless options. Rather than talking brands it is probably best to start with what you need. The obvious is a pair of speakers and an amp to drive them. What source(s) do you intend to use? CD, record player, streaming? Once you know what you need, you can then decide how much to dedicate to each item.

Before you start buying equipment, you should take a look at room. What is the reverb like? You may need some treatment to get the best out of it.

 

[RJW232]

Since you live in London you're lucky that there are still physical hifi stores around. Visit one or more of those shops and discuss your wishes. A good hifi shop will lend you the equipment to try it out in your space.

My favourite hifi shop is Audio Gold. They have a good selection of new and vintage hifi.

 

[record_spot]

I'll just reply on here as I see you've also got the same question on the Hoffman forum.

My thoughts? Decide what you want to do with the bunch of boxes - which playing format(s) you're after which will determine what source gear you need to buy (turntable, CD player, universal player, streamer, DAC), what amps you want (integrated, or pre/power), what kind of speakers you want (passive or active, if the latter and it doesn't have an onboard preamp, then you can forget the integrated amp and settle on a preamp or switching box with volume control instead as active have their own onboard amplification)....and so on.

As for brands, the UK seems to be keen to focus on the main well known brands, but depending on how you want to spend your money, there's other companies out there that you maybe don't see so much, but are well worth keeping on your radar. Once you've worked out what you need.

After that, have a look around at what's available. You'll soon find out who makes what.

 

[SenseiKofi]

t

Hi! I am a new audiophile planning on buying a high-quality stereo set for my house in London, with a budget of 10k pounds. I'd really appreciate any recommendations on which brands to choose from. Thanks!

think less brands and more value and less bullsh.. mongering products

 

[K-Xie]

Thank you all for your suggestions! I'd like to begin with choosing streaming servers-I stream from ROM using JRiver and HQ Audio. Which models would you recommend for optimal clarity?

 

[record_spot]

Maybe you could do some legwork here and find out the models available in your budget range for this item?

 

[Gray]

Before you start buying equipment, you should take a look at room. What is the reverb like? You may need some treatment to get the best out of it.

Never mind the brands, the above is the very best advice you'll ever get.

Some have been into hi-fi for years and spent a fortune - completely oblivious as to how compromised their sound has always been.

 

[record_spot]

Not everyone has the means, or the desire to deal with "room" (the room surely?).

Others in rented accommodation may not be able to and yet others might not want to turn their living space into something more suitable in a recording studio.

And yes, I know what's available for sound treatment out there.

 

[davidf]

Not everyone has the means, or the desire to deal with "room" (the room surely?).

Others in rented accommodation may not be able to and yet others might not want to turn their living space into something more suitable in a recording studio.

And yes, I know what's available for sound treatment out there.

Choosing the right speakers helps greatly.

 

[Gray]

Not everyone has the means, or the desire to deal with "room" (the room surely?).

That's true - and not everyone's room is as reverberant as the worst can be.

To be clear, 'room treatment' doesn't (necessarily) mean ugly stuff, unsuited to domestic environments.
But simple measures to avoid acres of hard bare floors and walls help to avoid effectively wasting money on equipment.

I make the analogy of someone that needs reading glasses - attempting to read without them.
They can probably still read without them...with effort.
Likewise, people in reverberant rooms will still hear their music - but the focusing of sound has to be heard to be believed.
Takes away the sub conscious effort of listening, making it more of a pleasure.

(While listening, I sometimes carry a Bluetooth speaker between a reverberant room and my 'treated' listening room.
Honestly, whether just speech or music, the change in sound makes me sigh with relief).

 

[matthewpianist]

Visit an independent dealer, and start by explaining your needs, including sources, room size and musical tastes. Don’t divulge budget, and if asked, tell them £5k instead of 10. See what they come up with, see how well that fulfils your requirements and then explore the improvements that might be possible by spending a bit more.

Back when I worked at Sony Centre, we were paid more commission for selling a Vivanco Prowire HDMI than a standard one, and selling an Off-The-Wall stand netted us £35 commission. Promotions made certain models more valuable sales to our pay packets than others, and when you’re on a basic salary of 10k, that matters. I wouldn’t be surprised if similar incentives didn’t still exist, but I’m not levelling specific accusations, it’s just something to be aware of when dealing with some companies. In some cases, do your homework and look at common ownership and who distributes certain brands. That doesn’t mean those brands should be discarded, but it does change how you should perceive advice.

 

[davidf]

Back when I worked at Sony Centre, we were paid more commission for selling a Vivanco Prowire HDMI than a standard one, and selling an Off-The-Wall stand netted us £35 commission. Promotions made certain models more valuable sales to our pay packets than others, and when you’re on a basic salary of 10k, that matters. I wouldn’t be surprised if similar incentives didn’t still exist, but I’m not levelling specific accusations, it’s just something to be aware of when dealing with some companies. In some cases, do your homework and look at common ownership and who distributes certain brands. That doesn’t mean those brands should be discarded, but it does change how you should perceive advice.

Wow, I've never come across £35 for selling a HDMI cable! No wonder most Sony Centres went bust! Things were obviously a little different in branded stores.

 

[davidf]

Visit an independent dealer, and start by explaining your needs, including sources, room size and musical tastes. Don’t divulge budget, and if asked, tell them £5k instead of 10. See what they come up with, see how well that fulfils your requirements and then explore the improvements that might be possible by spending a bit more.

Good advice. Someone may well be happy with the system at the stated £5k level and won't need to spend more. If they want to spend some more, just ask which component upgrade would elevate the system further, or what system would be a level up. The customer gets what they want under budget, and the salesman's happy as he thinks he's upsold. Win win.