System upgrade

[S83 Trike]

Looking for advice on upgrading my system I have £1000 to spend.

Currently I have cambridge cxc cd transport cambridge cxa60 amp and tannoy revolution 6XT speakers.

I think possible upgrading the amp to either a pre/power or a much better controlled integrated amp, but it would need a built in dac.

Any ideas?

 

[nopiano]

It rather depends on what improvement you are seeking. Are you adding any px value of your current amp to the budget, as I rather doubt you'd get a significant improvement for a grand.

Are you happy with the speakers?

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

I’d upgrade the speakers and ask what particular model they are. Pound per pound, a speaker upgrade and selling your speakers would bring the best improvements on sound quality.

 

[CnoEvil]

Some possible suggestions:

- Rega Elex R

- Creek Evo 50

- Arcam A29

- Croft Integrated

- Musical Fidelity M3si (ex dem)

EDIT. Sorry, forgot about the DAC....though IIRC the Creek has a Plug in DAC module available and the M3si has a USB type ‘B’ connector with Asynchronous data stream at up to 24-bit/96kHz

NB, Which XT speakers do you own?

What aspect of the sound are you trying to improve....and in what way?

 

[gasolin]

Maby the Q Acoustics 3050 there are 1 db more sensitive than your tannoy's or mabye this amp, not to power full, your tannoys are pretty sensitive and if it sounds good, wouldn't be surprised if it sounds better than the Marantz PM8005

https://andreweverard.com/2015/12/21/review-marantz-hd-amp1-is-a-classic-in-the-making/

 

[Al ears]

Maby the Q Acoustics 3050 there are 1 db more sensitive than your tannoy's or mabye this amp, not to power full, your tannoys are pretty sensitive and if it sounds good, wouldn't be surprised if it sounds better than the Marantz PM8005

https://andreweverard.com/2015/12/21/review-marantz-hd-amp1-is-a-classic-in-the-making/

+1 on the amp choice. Contains a very good DAC and headphone amplifier stage, pretty much a bargain at £650

 

[S83 Trike]

Not too sure the Marantz HD1 amp would be a significant upgrade over my Cambridge CXA 60 amp.

Got around a £1000 to spend and might go second hand if it would work.

 

[Al ears]

Not too sure the Marantz HD1 amp would be a significant upgrade over my Cambridge CXA 60 amp.

Got around a £1000 to spend and might go second hand if it would work.

Knowing Marantz you might be pleasantly surprised.

You will obviously get a lot more for your money second-hand if you know what you are looking at, if not better option may be open-box or ex-demo.

 

[Al ears]

Not too sure the Marantz HD1 amp would be a significant upgrade over my Cambridge CXA 60 amp.

Got around a £1000 to spend and might go second hand if it would work.

Knowing Marantz you might be pleasantly surprised.

You will obviously get a lot more for your money second-hand if you know what you are looking at, if not better option may be open-box or ex-demo.

 

[davedotco]

When you have a reasonably balanced system like yours, the problem is that it tends to be expensive to upgrade. If you like what you already have and just want 'more of the same' then changing the amp or perhaps the speakers to something similar but better will do that.

The problem is that it will most likely cost more than £1000 to make a really significant difference, naturally buying used will give better value but you lose the ability to compare and contrast before you buy. The Hegel H80 would be an obvious choice and should be available around £1000 used and I am sure there are other options too.

The alternative is to radically change your system into something rather different, for example, replace your Tannoys with the biggest and best pair of actives that you can afford, run them off the CXA60 and upgrade both your speakers and amplifier at the same time. Alternatively a better power amp to use with your CXA60, followed in due course by some better speakers, in either case you can then change the CXA60 for a CXN and add streaming to your setup.

It all depends on what you want, conventional wisdom would suggest changing speakers to get the biggest difference or changing the amp to give you more options down the line. Up to you.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

No not really as you can buy significant upgrades in performance for not much cash above a grand and selling existing speakers and using that to add to the pot. There are still lots of speakers that are demoable in dealers which you can buy elsewhere and online for a fraction of the price. You just have to be smart and put the effort in. Unfortunately most people just go down richer Sounds and buy whatever at the rr price. That’s not a deal.

For instance one guy was selling a kudos x2 eBay as a new single speaker for around £300. I reckon it would have been conceivable to buy a single speaker from a kudos dealer at half price say around £1000 with dealer discount. New they are £2200 a pair. So basically you are getting a speaker in a whole different price bracket for £1300 which is the budget of the op and the price of his speakers sold probably, and if not a small extra amount. Now this may or may not be a speaker that he likes, but you can actually go to dealers and demo them, but my point is there are much better ways to buy.

Its also possible to buy new speakers of an old model that’s still in production but are discounted by over a thousand pounds, often like the case of Pmcs because a new range comes in. They are still very decent speakers and a serious upgrade. I could also find numerous award winning speakers that are new and seriously discounted online. There are also other ways, like choosing between a good standmounter over a floorstander you can save yourself wads of cash and get discernible big sound improvements, not necessarily in all areas but if you’ve got tannoy xt’s floorstanders and you could buy a new standmounter pair for a grand that was 2 grand Rrp, you’d get significant improvements in quality over the tannoy floorstanders depending on which xt - xt6 or 8? Defo on the xt6f. Eg nintronics were selling tannoy revolution end of line standmounter that were £2500 for £1250 a pair. A very good new upgrade for the cash!

 

[gasolin]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/A7X-Monitoring-speakers-Analog-monitoring/dp/B003SYYU9C/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1507890612&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=ADAM+AUDIO+A7X

Or mabye a pair of Dynaudios lyd 5 https://www.amazon.co.uk/LYD-7-Generation-Studio-Monitor-Dynaudio/dp/B01DZR8O4I/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1507890994&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=dynaudio+lyd+5

 

[S83 Trike]

It rather depends on what improvement you are seeking. Are you adding any px value of your current amp to the budget, as I rather doubt you'd get a significant improvement for a grand.

Are you happy with the speakers?

I am happy with the 'sound' of my system although the amp is half the value of the speakers, it all works, it is a balanced system.

I was wondering whether i could get more detail, maybe more controlled bass etc via a upgrade, maybe a btter amp? But how much would it cost to get a significant better sound than i currently have?

 

[CnoEvil]

I am happy with the 'sound' of my system although the amp is half the value of the speakers, it all works, it is a balanced system.

I was wondering whether i could get more detail, maybe more controlled bass etc via a upgrade, maybe a btter amp? But how much would it cost to get a significant better sound than i currently have?

I'm not NP....but, all things being equal, I usually work on the grounds of doubling what you spend to get a worthwile difference. In this case, there aren't many amps that fit the bill ie. includes DAC....so I think that if you raised your budget, you could include amps from Peachtree (Nova 150), Bel Canto (C5i), Musical Fidelity (M5si) and Hegel H80 as mentioned.

 

[paulkebab]

as I'm selling a complete system but might split, apologies in advance if I've broken any house rules.

 

[Muddywaterstones]

Haven't heard the CXA60 but have heard the CXA80. I didn't find it forward but their reputation lies that way.

Again, for Tannoy I've heard the 8XT Floorstander. I may not have the ref absolutely correct. It too is on the lively side. The bass was overpowering despite being in quite a large room.

The source was a Cambridge 851N. All I was hearing was Spotify I think but may have been a different service.

Overall this was quite a zingy, lively sound. How do you find the tone in general? You might be able to get away with changing the amp or the speakers in the same relative level whilst getting a better overall tone.

 

[nopiano]

It rather depends on what improvement you are seeking. Are you adding any px value of your current amp to the budget, as I rather doubt you'd get a significant improvement for a grand.

Are you happy with the speakers?

I am happy with the 'sound' of my system although the amp is half the value of the speakers, it all works, it is a balanced system.

I was wondering whether i could get more detail, maybe more controlled bass etc via a upgrade, maybe a btter amp? But how much would it cost to get a significant better sound than i currently have?

I think the challenge may be that your Cambridge arguably performs beyond its price point already. Therefore, agreeing with Cno's rule of thumb about doubling the cost, you really need to be looking in the £1500 plus range.

What you are seeking cries out for a listen at home with your speakers. But you budget steers more towards used gear just a couple of years old. Getting a stand alone DAC would give far more options. But you need to beg, borrow, or something else to try a better amp at home. How about a open box one of those heavyweight Cambridges? Azur 851A is it?

If you want a different brand, I'd not hesitate to try any of those mentioned above.

 

[S83 Trike]

So, maybe I should be heading down the Hegel H80 route? What their other models H100 /H200? [if I go 2nd hand]

Are they all worthy amps?

 

[gasolin]

The new hegel H90 should be good or rost

 

[lindsayt]

I’d upgrade the speakers and ask what particular model they are. Pound per pound, a speaker upgrade and selling your speakers would bring the best improvements on sound quality.

I agree totally.

I'd also add, for the sound quality upgrade per pound spent:

1 Go DIY if you can

2 Buy used

4 Buy speakers / drivers that are broken - if you're able to repair them for nominal cost. Repairing speakers is about the same difficulty as repairing bicycles.

5 Go large to huge on the bass drivers - if you can

6 Go for high efficiency and impedance. If the speakers are giving your amp an easy time it will sound like it. If they're giving your amp a hard time it will sound like it.

7 If you haven't already, pay some attention to your room acoustics, speaker and listening positioning.

8 If you still have room issues try DSP room correction.

9 Ugly unfashionable used speakers tend to sell for a lower price for their sound quality relative to pretty fashionable ones. There are exceptions.

10 Treat any purchase that you make as survival of the fittest. It's quite possible to buy a supposed "upgrade" that sounds overall worse than what you already have. Or to sound better but not worth the money. Winner stays on. That might be what you already have, or it might be what you try next.

11 Speakers are a highly personal choice.

 

[S83 Trike]

I am already using a £500 amp driving a pair of £1000 speakers, not too sure selling the speakers and replaing with some costing £1500 -£2000 and still using the Cambridge CXA 60 amp would be a good idea?

The Cambridge is a good amp but not that good! Would I really get the full benefits of a £2000 speaker using a £500 amp?

 

[MUSICRAFT]

The new hegel H90 should be good or rost

Hi gasolin

The H90 is a clear step up from the H80 in in terms of control and overall performance as well as including steaming and a headphone socket *smile*

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Muddywaterstones]

The new hegel H90 should be good or rost

Hi gasolin

The H90 is a clear step up from the H80 in in terms of control and overall performance as well as including steaming and a headphone socket *smile*

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

To what end is the steamer useful?

 

[S83 Trike]

Dont do streaming, just play cd's and run my tv/sky through the amp.

Hegel has got some very good reviews and has a dac built in.

 

[gasolin]

http://www.psaudio.com/products/sprout/#tab-features