Suggested Hi-Fi system for a near-midlife crisis!
- Thread starter megatombomb
- Start date
Last weekend i turned 30. For many years i have enjoyed listening to the hi-fi system my old man built up for himself during the late 1970's but i have never had the budget or the time to indulge in one for myself. Sadly he passed away a year ago and i promised myself to follow in his footsteps and build myself a system i could love for years to come and finally properly listen to my 500 or so CD's on!. After much deliberating and reading reviews i have an idea of a system that i think would suit my wants.
There is little to read online about the Shanling CDT2000 cd player but for sheer retro cool style and from what ive read it would cost uber money to better it sonically. I am practically sold on this player on looks alone it is a shame there is nowhere near me i have found to demo one but based on what ive read about its tonal balance, it is what i want.
For the speakers i am also sold on the thought of the ATC SCM40's. Again from what ive read online they have the right transparancy to allow something like the valve outputs of the Shanling player to shine through. I have a medium (5x6M) listening room based in effectively a roof with a heavily sloped ceiling which makes it less than ideal so the fact the ATC's are sealed makes the positioning almost irrelevent to affecting the bass performance. Again i have not yet demo'd a pair and am looking to do so.
Last i have been looking to find a suitable amplification up to £1500. From what ive read the ATC's need current and power which is hard to get without spending alot on a full seperate pre and power combo. The amp has me most puzzled so it would be great to hear from anyone who uses an integrated amp under £1500 that gets good results with the ATC's. So far have looked at the Yamaha AS2000 but on paper at least it would seem the new Cambridge Audio 851A is practically a one box pre and power amp solution with power to spare so maybe this would be better. My listening varies from quiet late nite to loud early eves and sunday afternoons so good dynamics are a must.
Of course its all speculation without hearing and it'll be very difficult to hear them all together but it would be great to hear from any owners or anyone with experience of the above to get some more food for thought.
There is little to read online about the Shanling CDT2000 cd player but for sheer retro cool style and from what ive read it would cost uber money to better it sonically. I am practically sold on this player on looks alone it is a shame there is nowhere near me i have found to demo one but based on what ive read about its tonal balance, it is what i want.
For the speakers i am also sold on the thought of the ATC SCM40's. Again from what ive read online they have the right transparancy to allow something like the valve outputs of the Shanling player to shine through. I have a medium (5x6M) listening room based in effectively a roof with a heavily sloped ceiling which makes it less than ideal so the fact the ATC's are sealed makes the positioning almost irrelevent to affecting the bass performance. Again i have not yet demo'd a pair and am looking to do so.
Last i have been looking to find a suitable amplification up to £1500. From what ive read the ATC's need current and power which is hard to get without spending alot on a full seperate pre and power combo. The amp has me most puzzled so it would be great to hear from anyone who uses an integrated amp under £1500 that gets good results with the ATC's. So far have looked at the Yamaha AS2000 but on paper at least it would seem the new Cambridge Audio 851A is practically a one box pre and power amp solution with power to spare so maybe this would be better. My listening varies from quiet late nite to loud early eves and sunday afternoons so good dynamics are a must.
Of course its all speculation without hearing and it'll be very difficult to hear them all together but it would be great to hear from any owners or anyone with experience of the above to get some more food for thought.
Maybe ought to mention i currently only have a Marantz MCR603 and MA BX2 system which is not filling the room and obviously doesnt do deep bass. I have a Monitor audio RX 6 speakers on a Pioneer SClX85 AVR and the lack of bass depth again is dissapointing. Bass depth/power without a Sub is important so i have also wondered about the KEF R900 but no one seems to have written anything onlne about these yet!
I have run my scm 40s with an old audio lab 8000a with good results I would recommend you listen to a roksan caspian m 2 I think you could find an ex dem one for £1500 this is a great amp and should do your system justice good luck in your searchmegatombomb said:
Alantiggger
Well-known member
- Oct 14, 2007
- 274
- 33
- 18,920
"
a near-midlife crisis!"
At 30... c'mon; wait till you are 50... then ya say mid-life.... :bounce:
a near-midlife crisis!"
At 30... c'mon; wait till you are 50... then ya say mid-life.... :bounce:
daytona600
Well-known member
- Oct 5, 2012
- 1,080
- 785
- 20,070
visit a good dealer for a demo , many problems a buying blind
ideal get a home loan - your music , your room - your taste
ideal get a home loan - your music , your room - your taste
Hi,
Don't worry 30! it's only a number.
The Shanling CDP, is that the one at Audio Emotion? if so, I recommend you give Gary or Mark a call and discuss your requirements with them... great guys and they will allow home demoes.
Just had a look through their used/ex demo amps and I'm sure there's something amongst that lot they would come up with.
I don't want to start another debate on ATC speakers, but at least I have had apair in the past and can speak from experience. Just a word of caution, if you have made up your mind on the 40's, with the wrong components, they can be quite unforgiving... again Gary and Mark can always steer you in the right direction on this count.
I believe there is another forum member who has Icon Audio paired with their SCM40's and very pleased with the results.
Cno is the guy when it comes to KEF so hopefully he can chip in re the R900's.
Let us know how you get on.
Mac
Don't worry 30! it's only a number.
The Shanling CDP, is that the one at Audio Emotion? if so, I recommend you give Gary or Mark a call and discuss your requirements with them... great guys and they will allow home demoes.
Just had a look through their used/ex demo amps and I'm sure there's something amongst that lot they would come up with.
I don't want to start another debate on ATC speakers, but at least I have had apair in the past and can speak from experience. Just a word of caution, if you have made up your mind on the 40's, with the wrong components, they can be quite unforgiving... again Gary and Mark can always steer you in the right direction on this count.
I believe there is another forum member who has Icon Audio paired with their SCM40's and very pleased with the results.
Cno is the guy when it comes to KEF so hopefully he can chip in re the R900's.
Let us know how you get on.
Mac
Have you considered the active ATCs? They are pricey and you would perhaps need to carefully source second hand. ADM40s would perhaps also do the job.
Your rom dimensions don't seem to be too challenging as far as size goes, but certainly the little Marantz might struggle when you do want it louder.
ATC SCM50ASL or ATC SCM50ATSL would be the ones comparable in size to the SCM 40s.
Your rom dimensions don't seem to be too challenging as far as size goes, but certainly the little Marantz might struggle when you do want it louder.
ATC SCM50ASL or ATC SCM50ATSL would be the ones comparable in size to the SCM 40s.
I would have thought that the SCM20SL AT would be closest to the ADM40. Would love to hear some one day!
Just turned 30 ? Pah , you're still just a boy !
I will say this not to start any sort of argument but just to give you another possible line of thought . Three years ago I upgraded my fairly ancient system to a pair of ATC SCM 11 speakers and Audiolab 8000s and 8000p amplifiers to go with a Marantz CD52 and Origin Live Calypso turntable . This works fine but it is not ideally situated at the moment so could probably perform better . However , I see this as an intermediary system until such time as I have enough money to go " A bit better" . To this end I had a hankering to go up to the SCM40s or even , perish the thought , going active and their SCM 20ASLs . But the latter were a lot of money a rather big .
However , within the last year I have become aware of another company that produces active speakers that don't take up too much room and are not prohibitively expensive . This company is also known by three letters beginning with "A" and the speakers in question also have the number "40" in it title ( sorry to be so enigmatic but , shall we say , they are not universally loved around here ! ) . To me they look as if they could be a very good solution to my hifi needs . I haven't heard either of the 40s so I can't comment on how good they are , but when the time is right I will give them both a demo to see how they compare . Though I must admit , the ATC speakers may be the underdogs in this instance .
I will leave it to members here who have either set of speakers to give you a better idea what they sound like .
This is just my two cents worth and other people will probably give you better suggestions .
I took some time typing this so there have been a number of comments since I started that sort of complement mine .
I will say this not to start any sort of argument but just to give you another possible line of thought . Three years ago I upgraded my fairly ancient system to a pair of ATC SCM 11 speakers and Audiolab 8000s and 8000p amplifiers to go with a Marantz CD52 and Origin Live Calypso turntable . This works fine but it is not ideally situated at the moment so could probably perform better . However , I see this as an intermediary system until such time as I have enough money to go " A bit better" . To this end I had a hankering to go up to the SCM40s or even , perish the thought , going active and their SCM 20ASLs . But the latter were a lot of money a rather big .
However , within the last year I have become aware of another company that produces active speakers that don't take up too much room and are not prohibitively expensive . This company is also known by three letters beginning with "A" and the speakers in question also have the number "40" in it title ( sorry to be so enigmatic but , shall we say , they are not universally loved around here ! ) . To me they look as if they could be a very good solution to my hifi needs . I haven't heard either of the 40s so I can't comment on how good they are , but when the time is right I will give them both a demo to see how they compare . Though I must admit , the ATC speakers may be the underdogs in this instance .
I will leave it to members here who have either set of speakers to give you a better idea what they sound like .
This is just my two cents worth and other people will probably give you better suggestions .
I took some time typing this so there have been a number of comments since I started that sort of complement mine .
alchemist 1
Well-known member
- Mar 28, 2012
- 107
- 15
- 18,595
shropshire lad said:
hey Lad, I wouldn't worry about mentioning AVI around here,they obviously make very good speakers and the op would be wise to include them in all his demoing. Surprised he doesn't get enough bass from the rx6's though
Thanks all for the comments so far especially for reminding me that my 30 years age is nothing to be concerned about 
No one has yet commented on the Cambridge Audio amp even though for my budget it is on paper ideal.
I cannot stretch to the active ATC's on my budget but i would go to £3k on the speakers if they were what i wanted.
Had also considered the Monitor Audio GX300's but my experience with the RX6's and their lack of low end bass tuning has put me off a little. As good as they are through the pioneer AV amp (movies are awesome) there is no low end on music in pure direct2 channel mode when played through a Denon DBP2012ud. I love sealed box bass as it never seems to favour one frequency range. I once stuffed old socks in the port holes of my first ever hifi speakers and although the bass amount reduced the quality improved and could be easily compensated for with an equaliser.
No one has yet commented on the Cambridge Audio amp even though for my budget it is on paper ideal.
I cannot stretch to the active ATC's on my budget but i would go to £3k on the speakers if they were what i wanted.
Had also considered the Monitor Audio GX300's but my experience with the RX6's and their lack of low end bass tuning has put me off a little. As good as they are through the pioneer AV amp (movies are awesome) there is no low end on music in pure direct2 channel mode when played through a Denon DBP2012ud. I love sealed box bass as it never seems to favour one frequency range. I once stuffed old socks in the port holes of my first ever hifi speakers and although the bass amount reduced the quality improved and could be easily compensated for with an equaliser.
Hi there
My midlife crisis (49) ended up with me getting my system (and substantially lightening my bank account)....and I don't regret it for a minute.
My advice is to try and avoid any preconceived notions and make a list of good stuff to demo....especially with the money you are looking to spend.
For speakers, as well as ATC, look at Kef (R Series); Focal; PMC (Twenty Series) and Usher
For amps, possibly consider Electrocompaniet; Sugden; Icon Audio; Pathos and Musical Fidelity.
A system is all about synergy and compatibility, so try different pairings.....and try not be influenced by what other people say is good.
FWIW. I think ATC should work well with valves upstream.
Let us know how things go.
My midlife crisis (49) ended up with me getting my system (and substantially lightening my bank account)....and I don't regret it for a minute.
My advice is to try and avoid any preconceived notions and make a list of good stuff to demo....especially with the money you are looking to spend.
For speakers, as well as ATC, look at Kef (R Series); Focal; PMC (Twenty Series) and Usher
For amps, possibly consider Electrocompaniet; Sugden; Icon Audio; Pathos and Musical Fidelity.
A system is all about synergy and compatibility, so try different pairings.....and try not be influenced by what other people say is good.
FWIW. I think ATC should work well with valves upstream.
Let us know how things go.
CnoEvil said:
Yes thankyou this is wisdom i can understand now ive matured abit
I would love to go the whole mono valve power amp route for each speaker as it is exactly the sound i love. My father had two handmade for his big old wharfdale standmounts and the sound is very seductive which could be endlessly listened to.
His budget was bigger than mine though!
Any other specific recommendations for good amp to drive the ATC's for under £1500?
megatombomb said:
I take a different view from some on here about what to spend on an amp, versus that on a speaker.
You have mentioned that you would go up to £3k for the right speaker, and £1.5k on an amp. IMO. You should treat this as a combined £4.5k budget for both.
I would rather have a cheaper speaker driven really well, than an expensive one that is giving nowhere near its potential. I am not telling you to take this as gospel, but bear it in mind when testing.
I see the amp as the heart of the system and not an afterthought when the speakers have been chosen. Once your amp budget rises to £2k - 2.5k, there are some exceptional choices, and would still leave £1.5k - 2k for speakers.
You are likely to get conflicting advice on this, so you will have to test it for yourself.
Disagree. You should spend the bulk on the speakers. Amps don't make anywhere near that much difference to the sound, and, providing they're in the recommended power band, most amps cope well irrespective of price.
altruistic.lemon said:
Every argument needs a counter-argument to give balance.......which is as it should be......and why this has to be confirmed personally. There is no right and wrong, just preferable and less preferable.
The problem with declared specs, is they can be misleading, and can appear to put the amp in the right power band, without it actually having good reserves of power when impedance drops. Very often expensive speakers need expensive amps to control them properly, even if you do believe they all sound similar.
All good advice thanks guys.
Ive been thinking sod it then and having looked online this morning at amps upto £2.5k i could manage budget this i suppose. Still goto £3k on the speakers if necessary too. The CDP i assume i could maybe spend less on then? I do have a growing SACD collection and had considered a Marantz Pearl lite but i maybe not doing other components justice with one of these?
Back on the amp though i like the look/specs of the Musical Fidelity M6i. The amp manages 200W rms into 8ohms but doesnt say how it manages it?
Is it Class a/b or class D?
Ive been thinking sod it then and having looked online this morning at amps upto £2.5k i could manage budget this i suppose. Still goto £3k on the speakers if necessary too. The CDP i assume i could maybe spend less on then? I do have a growing SACD collection and had considered a Marantz Pearl lite but i maybe not doing other components justice with one of these?
Back on the amp though i like the look/specs of the Musical Fidelity M6i. The amp manages 200W rms into 8ohms but doesnt say how it manages it?
Is it Class a/b or class D?
megatombomb said:
My 4 favorite amps in that range:
1. Sugden A21 SE (It's more powerful than the specs suggest, being Class A)
2. Electrocompaniet ECI-3 (or ECI-5 ex-dem)....AB amp
3. MF M6i......AB amp
4. Pathos Classic 1 Mk.111.....Hybrid Valve/AB amp.
You will need to still listen to CDPs......I like those from Rega, Electrocompaniet and Pathos......there is also streamers.
The M6i is a very powerful amp that can double its power into 4 Ohms and again into 2 Ohms (800W). It does this with 45 amps of current and a big transformer. It is an AB amp.
Class D amps would be the likes of Bel Canto, Primare and some from Nad.
Not a fan of Musical Fidelity, though haven't heard their latest. Naim give you more dynamics, as does Myryad and a few others. £2500 on an amp for £3000 speakers is overkill - maybe £1500 - £2000 would be more than enough. That leaves a decent amount for the source.
Edit: had an Electrocompaniet for a short while. A bit bass heavy, preferred the Naim for Classical music, my main interest.
By the way, if you haven't auditioned the ATC speakers, you need to ,they're not for averyone, mate. I found them a bit tiring the only time I heard them. Harbeth are good with classical, as are Totem, Martin Logan and (of course) Magnepan.
Edit: had an Electrocompaniet for a short while. A bit bass heavy, preferred the Naim for Classical music, my main interest.
By the way, if you haven't auditioned the ATC speakers, you need to ,they're not for averyone, mate. I found them a bit tiring the only time I heard them. Harbeth are good with classical, as are Totem, Martin Logan and (of course) Magnepan.
altruistic.lemon said:
I would certainly agree that you could get an amp in that budget to do the job (nearer £2K), but that doesn't help if you prefer the more expensive one....which does happen.
I also think that leaving enough for a good source is wise.
Surely the Sugden A21 SE with its 30wpc isnt going to move the AC scm 40's very well though? The speakers poor sensitivity 86db so must be better with M6I?
Similar threads
TRENDING THREADS
-
-
-
-
Question How do I get my sound working through my DAC? Need some advice!- Started by Yoran
- Replies: 43
-
-
Use of switch and galvanic isolation between router and streamer.
- Started by Jens Mortensen
- Replies: 5
-
Latest posts
-
Use of switch and galvanic isolation between router and streamer.- Latest: Cricketbat70
-
-
-
-
-
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram