System on a very tight budget.

[admin_exported]

Hey guys

Looking for a system on a tight budget for my room.

I need the Amp and the speakers (Bookshelf). This is to replace a old Philips all in one system which went bang.

I listen to all sorts of music including chart music.

My budget is around 400-450 i already have all the cables.

Been looking at the Monitor Audio speakers and a cambridge audio amp but thought i would ask here,

Thanks in advance,

 

[Anonymous]

Impressively minimalist!

 

[Anonymous]

Should be able to see it now. no idea why that happened.

 

[stevebrock]

What is your source

 

[matthewpiano]

The cheapest Cambridge Audio amp worth buying is the 351A which is £299. You could pair that with a pair of Dali Zensor 1s for a great set-up with the added flexibility of the digital USB input on the amp.

If you fancy trying a different amp, the NAD C316BEE is a little belter or, even better, the C326BEE. For alternative speakers the Q Acoustics 2020i are well worth a punt.

The over-riding message from me is that there are some fantastic £150-£170-ish speakers about but good amps start at around £240 (Nad 316 or Yamaha A-S500), so I think on your budget you should spend more on the amp than on the speakers.

 

[Balderdash]

I think you could have a very enjoyable sound for that budget. Others have better general knowledge of products so I'll leave it to them.

 

[drummerman]

Wouldn't bother. Get a Marantz 603 or the Denon equivelant, add some boxes, be done with all the hifi stuff and enjoy.

regards

 

[SteveR750]

Ebay?

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys

Have a lot of searching to do.

Are there any other good amps within my price range other than the Nad which i will look at.

leaning towards 2020i speakers, quite excited about the system now.

 

[matthewpiano]

Other amps to consider: Yamaha A-S500 (widely available for £240); Denon PMA520AE (£179 - forgot about this one); Pioneer A30 (£220 at Superfi).

 

[bluedroog]

You’ve got plenty of options.

The Cambridge Audio mentioned is a terrific amp for the money, probably where my money would go.

Check out the Denon mini systems around your budget available at Superfi, plenty of functionality and they do sound good.

Another option if you really don’t need many features would be to buy a digital amp, they are not very powerful so need to be paired with efficient speakers but done well they can sound sublime for the money, which is dirt cheap. I got a Mini-T from Amptastic on ebay brand new for £60 and it is great.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey guys

After doing a lot of looking around based on your recomendations and visiting a local hifi store, i seem to have decided on the Denon PMA520A. My only issue is that i cant seem to find many reviews online. (Not sure thats a problem) Im going to audition it tomorow.

Now im going to need to choose some speakers ive had my eye on the 2020i's, will audition those with the 2020I's are there any other speakers i should have a look at?

Cheers guys.

 

[the record spot]

You could also add in, if you haven't fully decided, Onkyo's rather excellent TX-8050. Just give it a try with whichever speakers you have in mind. It works a treat with Tannoy speakers and there are many, many positive reviews from users online. Personally, I can't rate it highly enough, the additional functionality it brings is worth the asking price alone. Originally £400, you should be able to pick it up on a deal somewhere now as it's around 18 months since it was released.