Upgrading an older system

[admin_exported]

Hi

For the last few years I have been listening to my music via a PC media centre but have now decided to bring my ageing hifi system down from it's semi retirement in the box room and back into the living room. My system was largely put together in my student days of the mid 80's through to early 90's and currently consists of:-

A&R Cambridge A60 amplifier, original Arcam Alpha CD Player, Thorens TD321 turntable with a Linn Basik LV X arm all driving a pair of TDL floor standers.

Whilst the system still sounds good I would like to upgrade to a more modern set up. My current budget is £750 and I am in two minds as to how to spend this:-

Option A: Upgrade both the amplifier and CD player with a good quality budget pairing such as Marantz PM6002 and CD6002 on the basis that the modern technology will offer an improvement over my existing system

Option B: Spend the whole budget on a mid range amp such as the Roksan Kandy L.III which should bring out the best in my current front end sources and then upgrade the CD player to a suitably matched offering when funds permit.

An additional question is whether I would be able to use my i pod as an additional source with either of these amps. The din plug connections on the A60 preclude this but I am a tad out of touch now so not sure what type of connections would be required to achieve this e.g connection from headphone socket of i-pod to phone jacks on amp?

Any suggestions would be appreciated

Regards

Harry

 

[Anonymous]

harry katinnen:
Hi

For the last few years I have been listening to my music via a PC media centre but have now decided to bring my ageing hifi system down from it's semi retirement in the box room and back into the living room. My system was largely put together in my student days of the mid 80's through to early 90's and currently consists of:-

A&R Cambridge A60 amplifier, original Arcam Alpha CD Player, Thorens TD321 turntable with a Linn Basik LV X arm all driving a pair of TDL floor standers.

Whilst the system still sounds good I would like to upgrade to a more modern set up. My current budget is £750 and I am in two minds as to how to spend this:-

Option A: Upgrade both the amplifier and CD player with a good quality budget pairing such as Marantz PM6002 and CD6002 on the basis that the modern technology will offer an improvement over my existing system

Option B: Spend the whole budget on a mid range amp such as the Roksan Kandy L.III which should bring out the best in my current front end sources and then upgrade the CD player to a suitably matched offering when funds permit.

An additional question is whether I would be able to use my i pod as an additional source with either of these amps. The din plug connections on the A60 preclude this but I am a tad out of touch now so not sure what type of connections would be required to achieve this e.g connection from headphone socket of i-pod to phone jacks on amp?

Any suggestions would be appreciated

Regards

Harry

Hi Harry

First of all i think option A wouldnt give you the step forward you will probably be looking for from that of your old arcam rig,

recently-ish a friend was in the same kind of position you are with his old Pioneer A400 and phillips cdp, think he paid £300 or so for the A400 in 1991, he thought that he would be able to buy a £150 Cambridge audio amp here in 2008 and it would anialate the pioneer, The logic behind this opinion was due to the sheer age difference, evolving technology etc etc, think he thought it was like a games consoles...in 1991 it was about £200 quid for a Sega megadrive......in 2008 its about £150 for a bloomin xbox 360 (total chalk and cheese) lol.......so basically in that situation you get more for less as the years go by.,
but in hifi it seems totally different, the £150 cambridge audio wasnt a patch on the old a400, you would of thought the new amp was actually the old amp, in actual fact he had taken a massive step backwards, as more testing of amps went on he found that he couldnt match the sound quality of the pioneer for going on £500??? wtf??

bottom line is your old set up will more than likely be loads better than the marantz combo, even if it isnt i bet you dont get 20years of difference back through the marantz gear.......perhaps if buying cars, fridges, computers etc etc etc etc but not in hifi ,

Soooo on that note option b seems your best bet imo , at least you will take gradual massive steps forward in your hifi experience rather than a step to the side hehe