Upgrades for £300 - 400

[colint]

Hi

I'm a relative newbie to the world of hi-fi, so would like some advice / comment on upgrading my system. Currently have

Roksan Kandy KA-1 MK III amp

Arcam CD73

Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers

Set up on Atacama rack and speaker stands. Monster XP speaker cable

I'm really happy with the sound, primarily because its so much better than anything I've had before. However I'd like to treat myself to a few upgrades.

I'm guessing that the speakers are the potential weakpoint, they were bought on available budget as much as anything, I also use headphones a lot (Sennheiser HD25). Would I notice much of difference upgrading the speakers with my available budget ? Room is approx 4m x 5m. Or would I be better getting a decent mains cable, better cables etc and waiting until I have more to spend ?

any general advice welcome

Thanks

 

[Clare Newsome]

Hi there,

I'd say the speakers - great though they are for the money - are a definite weak point in your system. The Arcam and Roksan combo are capable of more.

You've got lots of great options: You should certainly hear the new B&W 685 (£380 - tested in our current issue), as they are corkers. You could also consider stretching your budget (or haggle for a deal) to afford the excellent Epos M12.2 (£450).

Alternatively, you could ditch your stands and try some floorstanders: Monitor Audio's BR5 (£400), KEF's iQ5SE (reviewed in our current issue; also £400), Acoustic Energy's Aegis Neo Three (£370), but the standmounts on decent stands will probably outperform them.

Time for some serious auditioning, methinks! Good luck, and happy listening.