Upgrading some seriously old kit

[JohnnyUpgrader]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie, just joined....I wonder how many of you go back far enough to remember these ancient items which I am still using... 🙂 . It's time to upgrade following a recent move. Here's what I have and I'd love some advice on what I should be upgrading to and whether any of this is worth keeping, possibly for its antique value? (feeling like a bit of a dinosaur right now!):

Turntable (yes, I still have LPs) Rega Planar 2, with Rega arm and cartridge.

CD: Aiwa XC-300, a whathifi recommendation from the early '90's.

Receiver: Harmon Kardon 3270RDS.

Speakers: Mission 760i's on Alphason stands fed with QED 79 strand.

I've got a bigger room now, about 30 x 16 feet and the sound is a bit puny. Listen mainly to CDs, some vinyl, mainly rock, some classical. I also plug in my MP3 player occasionally.

As you can tell, I'm not the ultimate audiophile but I'm looking for a decent musical sound to fill the room, and preferably, I'd like to put the speakers closer to the wall (they are about a foot away from it now). I can budget up to about £1500 but could go upgrade in stages if it makes sense.

It's be great if you could share your wisdom with me.

Many thanks,

J

 

[CnoEvil]

Hi there again.

You are in good company, as there are many "oldies" on here. I have some kit from the early 80s and early 90s.

You have a couple of fundamental decisions to make:

- What is going to be your main source? ie.TT or Digital
- If spending money on Digital, would you consider Streaming, as CDPs are on the decline?

For a little over your budget, you could look at an all Rega system:
Apollo R + Brio R (has a phono stage) + RS 3

If you go the streaming route with a Squeeze Box, you would come in on budget....and it might allow you to go for the bigger RS 5 speakers if necessary.