Question Stereo system for 1500eur?

RawDumpling

Member
Dec 29, 2021
4
0
20
Visit site
Hello, I'm looking to buy a stereo system for around 1500 eur. I was thinking to split it like ~500 for the amp and ~1000 for the floorstanding speakers (don't want bookshelf).

For the amp I think I'm pretty much sold on the the Cambridge Audio AXR100 - BT, DAC, great reviews and it even looks good. 🙂

For the speakers... no idea. These kind of stood out to me while looking for reviews etc. but what do I know...
  • Klipsch RP-5000F (Klipsch R-820F are similar in price - is there a (big) difference between them?)
  • KEF Q550
  • DALI OBERON 5
  • Monitor Audio Monitor 300 (or bronze 200? Which one's better?)
  • Q Acoustics 3050i - although somehow I really don't like how they look
  • Monitor Audio Silver 200 - there's a deal on them 999eur - I assume Silver would be better than the Bronze series, but what about Silver 200 vs Bronze 500?
I currently have 150eur speakers so obviously either of them would be a huge upgrade :) The room is not huge, about 34sqm
 
Hello, I'm looking to buy a stereo system for around 1500 eur. I was thinking to split it like ~500 for the amp and ~1000 for the floorstanding speakers (don't want bookshelf).

For the amp I think I'm pretty much sold on the the Cambridge Audio AXR100 - BT, DAC, great reviews and it even looks good. 🙂

For the speakers... no idea. These kind of stood out to me while looking for reviews etc. but what do I know...
  • Klipsch RP-5000F (Klipsch R-820F are similar in price - is there a (big) difference between them?)
  • KEF Q550
  • DALI OBERON 5
  • Monitor Audio Monitor 300 (or bronze 200? Which one's better?)
  • Q Acoustics 3050i - although somehow I really don't like how they look
  • Monitor Audio Silver 200 - there's a deal on them 999eur - I assume Silver would be better than the Bronze series, but what about Silver 200 vs Bronze 500?
I currently have 150eur speakers so obviously either of them would be a huge upgrade :) The room is not huge, about 34sqm
Welcome to the forum.
What will you be using as a source?
Speakers are very personal things so it really pays to audition.
Out of your list I have only heard there, personally I would take the Dali, but that's just me.
The MA Silver series is the next step up the ladder from the Bronze but, to some, not necessarily better, again an audition is required.
You may find the 500s are a little too big for your room.
 

gasolin

Well-known member
Not Oberon because of the highs, the same goes for the ma bronze,silver

3050i is a little flat sounding, get the 3030i + what ever stands you need, more punchy

Be careful about the highs from the klipsch and they might not be a as powefull as rated 2x5.25" woofer 125 watt rams and 96 db, 35hz no way, also most klipsch speakers are lower than rated in sensitivity

What i would suggest is to get active Mackie MR824 from thomann.de + a preramp

The mackies are a very good deal, at it's current price high value for money
 
Last edited:
Not Oberon because of the highs, the same goes for the ma bronze,silver

3050i is a little flat sounding, get the 3030i + what ever stands you need, more punchy

Be careful about the highs from the klipsch and they might not be a as powefull as rated 2x5.25" woofer 125 watt rams and 96 db, 35hz no way, also most klipsch spekaer are lower than rated in sensitivity

What i would suggest is to get active Mackie MR824 from thomann.de + a preramp

The mackies are a very good deal and at it's current price high value for money
you obviously missed the bit that states he doesn't want standmounts.
I would also throw Acoustics Energy AE109 into the mix.
 
Last edited:

robdmarsh

Well-known member
For the amp I think I'm pretty much sold on the the Cambridge Audio AXR100 - BT, DAC, great reviews and it even looks good.
Are you really set on this amplifier? Don't be too hasty. I think the Denon pma 800ne would give that a serious run for its money and even beat it for sound quality. It is a very honest, punchy and open sounding amplifier, beautifully built and with useful features like a button to switch off digital circuitry when only using analogue. No bluetooth I think is a plus. You can add superb quality bluetooth in a small separate package with the ifi Zen blue. Ok.... yes, that's what I have but the sound is better than whenever I've heard that Cambridge amp when auditioning speakers in a hifi store. I think it would even match the SQ of the CXA 61. A lot less money too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Al ears

gasolin

Well-known member
Are you really set on this amplifier? Don't be too hasty. I think the Denon pma 800ne would give that a serious run for its money and even beat it for sound quality. It is a very honest, punchy and open sounding amplifier, beautifully built and with useful features like a button to switch off digital circuitry when only using analogue. No bluetooth I think is a plus. You can add superb quality bluetooth in a small separate package with the ifi Zen blue. Ok.... yes, that's what I have but the sound is better than whenever I've heard that Cambridge amp when auditioning speakers in a hifi store. I think it would even match the SQ of the CXA 61. A lot less money too.

Fot the same money he could get a used CXA80 or if lucky a new CXA61
 

RawDumpling

Member
Dec 29, 2021
4
0
20
Visit site
Damn, this is proving to be more difficult than I thought :oops:

The sources will be TV & Bluetooth for now (We'll see that future brings). And I definitely will buy a vinyl player some time in the future.

As for the amp & bluetooth - I dunno, I kind of really like it :D And having integrated BT is a huge plus - maybe I'll buy a dedicated device for that if at some point I'll feel like the integrated one is not good enough.
Are the CXA61/80 that much better? They way more expensive too. I really don't want to deal with used electronics.

Buying online (especially UK, thank you brexit) won't be a good deal, I assume shipping of floorstanders would be very expensive...
 

gasolin

Well-known member

manicm

Well-known member
Listening fatigue with monitor audio silver https://www.avforums.com/threads/listening-fatigue.2381705/

Rotel A11 Tribute, CD11 Tribute, Monitor Silver 200s and a Project Xpression Carbon turntable and Goldring E3 Cartridge

I can't comment accurately, but if I were to point a finger at the components it would be, (knives emerge at this point), the Rotel A11.

Manufacturer paper specs tend to be flattering but read this - MA officially state a minimum 60w for this speaker.

The A11 probably just doesn't have the grunt to drive the Silver 200 properly.
 

robdmarsh

Well-known member
Why do you need an inbuilt tuner with the amp? It's more circuitry maybe compromising other component quality in the amp to keep the cost down and you can get radio via bluetooth with apps like tune in radio.

My advice, just try to hear a pma 800ne. Denon have been in the Audio business for 110 years, they know what they're doing!
 

gasolin

Well-known member
The CXA61/80 are better

Just not shure how much, the CXA61/80 is a tier above the Cambridge Audio AXR100, they just don't have a phonostage in case you need one

The one you mentioned is like rega io the cxa 61/80 is more like rega brio r or rega elex-r
 
Last edited:

gasolin

Well-known member
Why do you need an inbuilt tuner with the amp? It's more circuitry maybe compromising other component quality in the amp to keep the cost down and you can get radio via bluetooth with apps like tune in radio.

My advice, just try to hear a pma 800ne. Denon have been in the Audio business for 110 years, they know what they're doing!

Theres also a dac,bt and a fan on the Cambridge Audio AXR100D (deal breaker with the fan unless you want to turn it off) cxa80 only has a built in dac + a balanced in, i think it's (xlr) , cxa 61 has a dac and bt
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts