want a new hifi

[admin_exported]

i've finally had enough of using my pc to play music with windows media player, through annoyingly bass heavy logitech 2.1 speakers. i miss buying a new cd album from the shop and getting home to play it. i also feel i've been missing out on sound quality. i read somewhere that when you invest in a decent system/speakers you hear things you never heard before from a song you heard a hundred times.

so i can probably afford around 200 quid and it must have a cd player and dab radio if poss. is this enough to buy a system that i'm going to get quality sound from? i'm a believer in quality over quantity and feel its worth paying extra for better sound.

id appreciate any input before i go out and buy a system. i have an average size bedroom so i was thinking a micro system would be best instead of seperates but i'm willing to listen to your advice!

 

[fr0g]

golfgti16vgrey:i've finally had enough of using my pc to play music with windows media player, through annoyingly bass heavy logitech 2.1 speakers. i miss buying a new cd album from the shop and getting home to play it. i also feel i've been missing out on sound quality. i read somewhere that when you invest in a decent system/speakers you hear things you never heard before from a song you heard a hundred times.

so i can probably afford around 200 quid and it must have a cd player and dab radio if poss. is this enough to buy a system that i'm going to get quality sound from? i'm a believer in quality over quantity and feel its worth paying extra for better sound.

id appreciate any input before i go out and buy a system. i have an average size bedroom so i was thinking a micro system would be best instead of seperates but i'm willing to listen to your advice!

With such a small budget, you will be dissapointed. Can you strecch it a little?
Or maybe as you are already using the PC, you can get better active speakers for that price (Audioengine A5 are well reviewed)
And of course you can pick up internet radio instead.

Or look into a cheap amp, and speakers...
Something like a Cambridge A5 amp, and Eltax monitor 3 speakers from Richer sounds. (check the website...
This will sound 1000 times better than your logitechs...

Also when your budget is larger, you can start looking into external DACs, streamers, better components...

I have abandoned my CD player now, for a Squeezebox + external DAC streaming music from my PC. The sound quality is just as good as a far more expensive CD player...and I still 'go out and look for new music' - its just that I now rip it to the PC in lossless FLAC to play it

 

[Anonymous]

I'm afraid £200.00 will get you nowhere. Considering your budget, my advice would be to go for an 'all-in-one' solution, the Onkyo 515UK, although even this is in the region of £300.00, but producing a sound that would be a revelation compared to what you have now.

Roksan Kandy LIII, Rega Apollo, EPOS M22, Chord Chameleon Silver Plus, Chord Rumour, Russ Andrews Powerkord, Tacima CS929 Mains Conditioner

 

[Anonymous]

I really would like to try a standalone system independent of the pc. There are times when I just want to relax and listen to an album without having my pc on. I had a look in comet and they have various cheap hifis by sony/panasonic from £60-200 and then theres another aisle with hifis by denon, yamaha ,onkyo for £200-400. I'm guessing i'd notice a big difference in sound quality between these?

 

[the record spot]

Have a look at some of the Tangent product range which is well reviewed. I think they are a Danish company and Richer Sounds stock some of their players and amps, etc. Not sure what they can do for £200, but you should be able to pick up a CD player and amp for £140. You can get some basic bookshelf speakers (I think RS also do some Gales and Eltax for a small-ish sum) and you could pick up an older model Pure DAB stereo radio to then connect up to the amp via a suitable cable.

Failing that, I think RS also do a £199 system, but no radio included alas. Can't recall brands offhand, but check their site out.

Don;t write off the secondhand market; you could probably pick up some very good deals there (I heard of a Marantz CD67SE for £50 a while back, so shop around - you might get a warranty and a good deal if you give them an idea of what you're after).

For used, check out the BADA Marketplace amongst others.

 

[fr0g]

the record spot:Have a look at some of the Tangent product range which is well reviewed. I think they are a Danish company and Richer Sounds stock some of their players and amps, etc. Not sure what they can do for £200, but you should be able to pick up a CD player and amp for £140. You can get some basic bookshelf speakers (I think RS also do some Gales and Eltax for a small-ish sum) and you could pick up an older model Pure DAB stereo radio to then connect up to the amp via a suitable cable.

Failing that, I think RS also do a £199 system, but no radio included alas. Can't recall brands offhand, but check their site out.

Don;t write off the secondhand market; you could probably pick up some very good deals there (I heard of a Marantz CD67SE for £50 a while back, so shop around - you might get a warranty and a good deal if you give them an idea of what you're after).

For used, check out the BADA Marketplace amongst others.

Richer sounds are offering CD / Amp AND speakers for £150 in all tangent...
I might be tempted to swap to the Eltax ones I mentioned earlier tho.