What would you do?

[admin_exported]

So....having left the sounds and lights of London for Singapore I decided the next best thing to London clubs would be to buy myself a decent music system. Here is what I have assembled in the past 6 months, on the basis of zero prior hifi experience:

- Marantz PM6003 amp

- Cambridge Audio DacMagic

- Monitor Audio BX2's

- Running 256hz MP3s from iTunes via Airport Express to the DAC

If you had GBP5k to spend what would you do to upgrade this? Mainly listen to bass-heavy electronic music, but in a small apartment so need to keep the neighbours (roughly) on side!

Thx for any advice

 

[matthewpiano]

What I would do might not be the same as what you should do!

Personally I'd be getting a great vinyl front end in there with amp and speakers to match but looking at your current set-up I guess vinyl isn't in the equation.

So, I'd look to replacing the whole lot with that budget and given computer based files are your source I'd be looking at the Naim all-in-one streamers with a pair of PMC speakers (even the DB1i put out impressive bass). I'd certainly upgrade to using lossless files as a minimum though.

 

[Anonymous]

Mistyped the budget big time - thinking more like $0.5k-$1k rather than $5k...though happy to spend up to $2k though if anyone spots any material faults with my current setup!

Cheers

 

[Anonymous]

And where $ should mean GBP...damn this Singaporean keyboard!

 

[matthewpiano]

The amp is great but the BX2s are capable of more. See if you can audition a Naim Nait 5i, which will really grip the MAs. I've heard the BX2s with the Rega Brio-R and that is also a great match - the Rega gets far more out of the BX2s than the Marantz amp, and it is quite a bit cheaper than the Naim.

My comment about file quality still stands!

 

[CnoEvil]

If I was in your situation, I would either replace the DacMagic and Marantz, with a Peachtree Nova; or alternatively, replace your amp, with the Musical Fidelity M3i, and keep the DacMagic.

 

[lindsayt]

I would move out of the apartment and into a detached house with some space between myself and the neighbours.

Failing that I'd get some headphones.

 

[chebby]

I would move out of the apartment and into a detached house with some space between myself and the neighbours.

Not helpful.

 

[lindsayt]

Not helpful?

Maybe I need to explain the point I was trying to make?

If I was living in a small Singaporean apartment I wouldn't spend anything upgrading this system - apart from buying a decent set of headphones. If I used speakers I would need to play music at mouse tip-toeing volume levels to avoid annoying the neighbours. In this case I would find it torture to have a really good hi-fi system as it would be like owning a Ferrari that you were only allowed to drive at a maximum speed of 30mph. Willievans existing system will be OK for playing music at low volume levels or via headphones. His amp and DAC are fine.

Also, we don't know how much he is paying for his apartment and what deals he could find on a dilapidated detached property in Singapore. We also don't know his financial situation. It's possible that he could find a detached house to live in that would be affordable to him.

Using speakers: I would rather listen to a budget system such as Willievans in a detached house with space between me and the neighbours than a world class system in a small apartment.