Total noob wanting to start HiFi-ing!

[Prox]

Hello there!

After chatting with my friend who is big into his HiFi's, its made me want one real bad. I'm massively into my music and apprceiate sound quality. I have some nice AudioTechnica Headphones and a Bose mobile speaker for travelling, but now i'm moving into a new place, I want a substanstial system that I can either hook up to my MacBook/iPod and or my television. I want to spend the max of like 200/300 quid, just for a base system that can be loud with acceptable quality. I listen to a wide variety of music, but predominantly Metal, Electronic and Hip Hop. I would not be against a vintage set-up but I don't know if this would come with some headaches!

My friend is very thrifty and doesn't like buying things new and I was just wondering how viable it is to go onto Gumtree and buying all the components I need (speakers/amp/source) after checking their reviews and just putting them together ?

I literally know nothing about wiring amps and speakers etc. I have tried googling to find beginner guides to putting together a hifi system. For example, I look at speakers for sale and some have a specific jack-style input and some have an input in which you strip the wire and connect (hope you understand what I mean).

If someone could explain how I could put together a budget system going down to bare basics or point me towards a noob-friendly guide? Or would it be better to buy a £99 system from Richer sounds and then build from there?

Any help would be much appreciated, I know this is a sincerely amateur question on probably quite a technical forum, but it's something I'm really interested in getting involved with!

thanks!! Alex

 

[davedotco]

Given your budget and requirements, you can do this one of two ways.

Either get yourself a pair of AudioEngine A5+ remote control powered speakers (£240-ish) and an inexpensive USB dac such as the Behringer UCA202 (£25) or if you prefer, an Apple Airport Express (£59 from the refurb store) and go wireless. The A5+ has a pretty big sound for the money, this would be my preference.

Or, using the same dac or AEX as above, get the small Denon PMA520 (£130) amp from Richers and whatever is the best speaker they are currently offering under £100, there will be a few to choose from, take your pick.

Buying secondhand can stretch your budget considerably but only if you know the market and what you are buying. Far to easy to go for a bargain that turns out to be completely wrong for your requirements.

 

[Prox]

Okay, yeah, I understand both options.

However if i went with the second option, I could sometime add an extra set of speakers to the amp? or does it not work like that?

But after looking at reviews of the A5+'s I am pretty sold! But they would only be wireless with the AEX? and would this affect sound quality at all?

thanks!

 

[nopiano]

You could add some better speakers when your budget allowed. Not extra ones. It does stereo only.

...or a better amp and better speakers.

Happy to endorse the good advice above.

 

[mightyquin]

Hifi used to be quite simple - choose an amp, speakers and the source units you wanted.

Now there's all sorts of other ways to play music, wireless systems, streaming, digital amps etc.

Maybe get yourself to your nearest Richer Sounds and ask them to suggest a few solutions for you - they can also demo some products.

My advice would be to get an amp and speakers and maybe a DAC (to convert your digital sources to analogue for the amp) although I'm told that the DAC built into a Mac is already quite good so you could just start with adaptor leads and see how it sounds - again Richers should be able to demo this for you.

There are also digital amps, with DACs built in.

And yes, you could buy used. I recently bought a s/h Cyrus 1 amp and I'm amazed by the sound it produces. It's a hifi classic but you do risk getting a dud I guess so probably - to start with - stick to new, or ask your mate to put a system together for you if he's knowledgable?

 

[Prox]

Thankyou all for the replies, before purchasing anything I will go check out Richers and see what they have to offer, although those A5+'s do tick pretty much all the boxes and by the sounds of it, they have a 'big' sound!

Getting excited now

 

[davedotco]

Are a little more expensive than I thought, though you should be able to get them under £300.

I would prefer, given a choice, proper 'active' speakers over 'powered' models like the A5+s, they are better and often cheaper. For example the excellent Presonus Eris 5 can be had for less than £200, their are other options too.

The problem though is that they are, in the main, 'just' speakers, ie single input and no remote volume. They work great using simply an AEX and streaming from an iThing, all the control is in the app, but the moment you want to do more, you need some sort of pre-amp and that starts to get more expensive.

The complete, 'system speaker' is something that I think is coming, not as yet from mainstream munufacturers except perhaps Yamaha, whose new NX-N500 models do absolutely everything.

By everything, I do mean everything, they are network capable so can access music from anywhere on your network or cloud based services, have dedicated support for Spotify Connect, built in Airplay and Aptx Bluetooth all built into a pair of active speakers with 45 + 25 watts per speaker.

They are unfortuately over budget at £599 pr, but for someone starting from scratch, they do so much. Based on highly regarded Yamaha studio speakers, these are great value and redefine what is possible from an 'all in one'.

Yamaha NX-R500

 

[drummerman]

Hello there!

After chatting with my friend who is big into his HiFi's, its made me want one real bad. I'm massively into my music and apprceiate sound quality. I have some nice AudioTechnica Headphones and a Bose mobile speaker for travelling, but now i'm moving into a new place, I want a substanstial system that I can either hook up to my MacBook/iPod and or my television. I want to spend the max of like 200/300 quid, just for a base system that can be loud with acceptable quality. I listen to a wide variety of music, but predominantly Metal, Electronic and Hip Hop. I would not be against a vintage set-up but I don't know if this would come with some headaches!

My friend is very thrifty and doesn't like buying things new and I was just wondering how viable it is to go onto Gumtree and buying all the components I need (speakers/amp/source) after checking their reviews and just putting them together ?

I literally know nothing about wiring amps and speakers etc. I have tried googling to find beginner guides to putting together a hifi system. For example, I look at speakers for sale and some have a specific jack-style input and some have an input in which you strip the wire and connect (hope you understand what I mean).

If someone could explain how I could put together a budget system going down to bare basics or point me towards a noob-friendly guide? Or would it be better to buy a £99 system from Richer sounds and then build from there?

Any help would be much appreciated, I know this is a sincerely amateur question on probably quite a technical forum, but it's something I'm really interested in getting involved with!

thanks!! Alex

This is probably the least technical hifi forum you're going to find

My suggestion would be a pair of QAcoustic BT3 for that sort of money.

You may be able to cobble some mix n'match stuff together s/h but tidy it ain't going to be (probably).

 

[Prox]

awesome, so I am now beginning to understand the whole powered and passive jargon and I am now torn between the two.
I will however keep researching and watching reviews, but now I see that the market is so vast and feel a little overwhelemed. In saying that, i'm sure a trip to Richers and getting some 'hands on' experience will change that!

thanks all!