Where to begin?

[GolfGirl]

Hi to all, new member here. About a year ago I bought an Audio Technica turntable, model is AT LP120 XBT-USB. I've recently moved house, and am intending to set the turntable up in the lounge with some nice speakers and also to add in something that I can play my CDs on. My main aim is to build a system with decent sound so I'm probably not looking for bargain basement components, but at the same time I don't want to be spending thousands! I've been looking around for a while now, but to be honest I'm not sure where to start and am scared of making an expensive mistake. Could anyone advise please?

PS I have loads of vinyl going back to the 1970s and also loads of CDs.

 

[SteveH72]

Welcome to the forum. Yes, the world of hifi can seem vast and confusing at first, but a few simple questions can help some recommendations.

You have a turntable, so you’ll need amplifier, some speakers and - it seems - a cd player. These can come as individual separate boxes or all-in-one units. Separates will give arguably better sound and the opportunity to swap and upgrade later, but you’ll have a stack of boxes.

First question is how big is the room in which this will be used? This will help recommend some speakers and matching equipment.

In the meantime, have a look at somewhere like Richer Sounds to see what’s available at different price points. They do some good deals on bundles:

Hi-Fi - Hi-Fi Separates - Hi-Fi System Deals - Page 1 - Richer Sounds

www.richersounds.com

Then you’ll need to consider how much you wish to spend? If you’re prepared to consider used equipment, you’ll get better value and more for your money, but some like the security of buying new.

Hopefully, this will help make a start.

 

[Integralista]

Hi, wellcome to the forum. Pls. let us know how big is your lounge, if you have a space for floorstanding speakers. Which music do you like? This will help us with better advice for you. Do you have some price limit for new equipment? Kind regards.

 

[GolfGirl]

Hi to all, new member here. About a year ago I bought an Audio Technica turntable, model is AT LP120 XBT-USB. I've recently moved house, and am intending to set the turntable up in the lounge with some nice speakers and also to add in something that I can play my CDs on. My main aim is to build a system with decent sound so I'm probably not looking for bargain basement components, but at the same time I don't want to be spending thousands! I've been looking around for a while now, but to be honest I'm not sure where to start and am scared of making an expensive mistake. Could anyone advise please?

PS I have loads of vinyl going back to the 1970s and also loads of CDs.

Welcome to the forum. Yes, the world of hifi can seem vast and confusing at first, but a few simple questions can help some recommendations.

You have a turntable, so you’ll need amplifier, some speakers and - it seems - a cd player. These can come as individual separate boxes or all-in-one units. Separates will give arguably better sound and the opportunity to swap and upgrade later, but you’ll have a stack of boxes.

First question is how big is the room in which this will be used? This will help recommend some speakers and matching equipment.

In the meantime, have a look at somewhere like Richer Sounds to see what’s available at different price points. They do some good deals on bundles:

Hi-Fi - Hi-Fi Separates - Hi-Fi System Deals - Page 1 - Richer Sounds

www.richersounds.com

Then you’ll need to consider how much you wish to spend? If you’re prepared to consider used equipment, you’ll get better value and more for your money, but some like the security of buying new.

Hopefully, this will help make a start.

The lounge is 15ft 9in x 15ft 9in. Not keen on buying second hand, would rather have new. Probably would not want to spend any more than say £1500 - £2000?

 

[GolfGirl]

Hi, wellcome to the forum. Pls. let us know how big is your lounge, if you have a space for floorstanding speakers. Which music do you like? This will help us with better advice for you. Do you have some price limit for new equipment? Kind regards.

Lounge is 15ft 9in x 15ft 9in. Yes floorstanding speakers would be an option. I play rock and pop, prog, that kind of thing. Would not want to spend more than £1500 to £2000, if that is realistic to get something that sounds good?

 

[Shrek]

Hi to all, new member here. About a year ago I bought an Audio Technica turntable, model is AT LP120 XBT-USB. I've recently moved house, and am intending to set the turntable up in the lounge with some nice speakers and also to add in something that I can play my CDs on. My main aim is to build a system with decent sound so I'm probably not looking for bargain basement components, but at the same time I don't want to be spending thousands! I've been looking around for a while now, but to be honest I'm not sure where to start and am scared of making an expensive mistake. Could anyone advise please?

PS I have loads of vinyl going back to the 1970s and also loads of CDs.

why have began with just a turntable if your not sure where to start ?

 

[SteveH72]

A room that size definitely lends itself to floor standers. Where it gets tricky is that speakers are a very personal decision and the way they will interact with your room and its surroundings will shape the sound you hear.
The best thing you can do is try and get to your local dealer and try to listen to a few different setups. Don’t give them your budget to begin with as they’ll just try and squeeze more from you. Ask to listen to a variety of systems at different price points.

 

[Fandango Andy]

There is no substitute for going to listen to a system, or even better borrowing equipment to listen at home. For your budget, I would consider the following:

• Marantz PM6007 £369 (you will need to spend £600+ to get better
• Marantz CD6007 £349 (CD players are making a comeback, but never went away for Marantz, they have been amongst the best budget players since the 80's)
• Q Acoustics 3050i £449 (as with the amp, you will need to spend a lot more to get better, and they look good too)
• If you want to add a streamer Wii Mini £89 or WiiM Pro £149

At just over/under £1,300 depending on the streamer option, or £1,167 without a streamer, you are well within budget. The Q Acoustic are heavily discounted at the moment, so probably not much more to be done with that price, but in general if you buy speakers and amp together there is usually some discount to be had.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

are we assuming you need;
1. An Amplifier with Phono input for your AT TT.
2. A CD Player
3. Speaker + possible stands ?

As mentioned above, if you are in the UK, the Richer Sounds is an ideal place to start. Cambridge Audio equipment is fantastic value for money and they have an online community where their employees support the community. Richer Sounds are the primary UK dealer for Cambridge products.

 

[Al ears]

why have began with just a turntable if your not sure where to start ?

"I have loads of vinyl" might, perhaps, be a clue.....

 

[GolfGirl]

why have began with just a turntable if your not sure where to start ?

I bought the turntable so I could start listening to my old vinyl again. I used to use it with my Bose Soundlink Bluetooth speaker. Circumstances have now changed, I've moved to a new house and I fancy setting it up with better sound, and also getting a decent CD player so that I can listen to my CDs again. You could say that the turntable was a 'forethought' or that building a system round it is an afterthought!

 

[nopiano]

A square room isn’t ideal for sound, but as long as you have room to experiment with speaker placement you should find a compromise.

Smaller floorstanding speakers take up the same space as a stand mount on a stand. Do you want to include ‘streaming’ as well as playing your collection of LPs and CDs?

As a ‘starting point’ to spend your entire budget - they’d include cables I’m sure - something like this covers a lot of bases, is versatile, and will be able to see and hear if you’re in the UK.

Roksan Attessa Integrated Amplifier & CD Transport with Monitor Audio Bronze 300 7G (Black)

Shop for Roksan Attessa Integrated Stereo Amplifier & CD Transport with Monitor Audio Bronze 300 7G Speaker Pair (Black) with Richer Sounds for expert advice and Lowest Prices Guaranteed.

www.richersounds.com

But do look for an independent local dealer if you can. 🙂

 

[SteveH72]

Peter Tyson also has some very good bundle deals to explore.

Hi-Fi Bundle Deals | Peter Tyson

The latest hi-fi bundle deals from Peter Tyson. Get everything you need for exceptional sound quality in one convenient package. Free weekend delivery.

petertyson.co.uk

You do really need to get to a dealer and have a listen to some options. Buying new hifi blind is a costly gamble.
Whereabouts in the country are you? Somebody might be able to recommend a dealer.

 

[GolfGirl]

Peter Tyson also has some very good bundle deals to explore.

Hi-Fi Bundle Deals | Peter Tyson

The latest hi-fi bundle deals from Peter Tyson. Get everything you need for exceptional sound quality in one convenient package. Free weekend delivery.

petertyson.co.uk

You do really need to get to a dealer and have a listen to some options. Buying new hifi blind is a costly gamble.
Whereabouts in the country are you? Somebody might be able to recommend a dealer.

Peter Tyson also has some very good bundle deals to explore.

Hi-Fi Bundle Deals | Peter Tyson

The latest hi-fi bundle deals from Peter Tyson. Get everything you need for exceptional sound quality in one convenient package. Free weekend delivery.

petertyson.co.uk

You do really need to get to a dealer and have a listen to some options. Buying new hifi blind is a costly gamble.
Whereabouts in the country are you? Somebody might be able to recommend a dealer.

I'm in South East Scotland. Would probably need to get someone to take me up to Edinburgh to find a dealer, which is a bit of a trauchle. I was hoping to avoid that really.