1k Seperates System

[ywouldi]

I have approx 1000 to spend on a nice hifi system.

Most music, if not all, is delivered over Spotify premium, then some on CD.

I listen to bass heavy music, hip-hop, r'n'b etc and would like something that sounds tight but analogue.

I've identified the Yamaha N-R500 as an ideal amp as it includes the streaming and digital abilities of a AV amp but in a higher quality stereo system. I did fancy an AV amp for all it's features but I'd quite like this to be a quality set-up to last for years and I think they tend to date in terms of technology more quickly.

Now I need to identify some speakers, I think a nice set of floor standers for about 600 would be good but need to audition them to see how they compare but am struggling to find somewhere that will help. I popped into Sevenoaks today but was very disappointed at their dismissive attitude at my budget and so other than Richer Sounds which is sometimes a bit of a bunfight can anyone recommend a shop that will be useful. I'm in Herts.

[BeefMaster9000]

I've also been considering a yamaha RN500 and pairing it with the either the series 2 B&W 685s or 684s.

You can get the RN500 for 400 so the 685s would leave money to spare from your budget or the 684s would nudge you over by about 200 before any negotiations.

Anyone have experience of either the RN500 or the series 2 Bowers and Wilkins?

[Crackie]

Somewhere like http://www.ortonsaudiovisual.com/index.php/store-l... would be ideal for you to audition various speakers with the Yamaha.

B&W, KEF, Monitor Audio, Mission

Great offer on Mission SX3s at the moment but auditioning is the key. No good getting a great deal if they don't play RnB & Hip Hop the way you like it.

Good luck.

Edited by Crackie on Sunday 25th May 09:53

[telecat]

http://uk.jbl.com/jbl_product_detail_uk/studio-580...

Personally I love Horn Speakers and these or there cheaper brothers could well do the trick.

[Crackie]

telecat said:

http://uk.jbl.com/jbl_product_detail_uk/studio-580...

Personally I love Horn Speakers and these or there cheaper brothers could well do the trick.

I love horn's high sensitivity too; these aren't horn loaded but they are very sensitive ( louder than the JBLs ) and can be picked up for about 550 http://www.focal.com/en/chorus-700/401-chorus-726-...

Edited by Crackie on Sunday 25th May 15:01

[GingerWizard]

have a looky loo at www.richersounds.co.uk

I would spend as much as you can on a really good amp (they last decades) and two decent speakers with cables, then add to it, you will end up with a very high end composite setup....

[0a]

One piece of advice: buy second hand. You will be able to get kit with list price of 3-5k with your budget with careful shopping, and you will not lose any money on it when you sell. I have run fantastic systems in the past, and made a slight profit on them when I sold.

Hifi wigwam is your friend here.

[legzr1]

Crackie said:

I love horn's high sensitivity too; these aren't horn loaded but they are very sensitive ( louder than the JBLs ) and can be picked up for about 550 http://www.focal.com/en/chorus-700/401-chorus-726-...

Edited by Crackie on Sunday 25th May 15:01

Focals MuST be auditioned before buying - they can sound great on the end of smooth valves or Class A but a lot of people find them very harsh - listening to compressed low bitrate mp3 from spotify could end in tears.

[legzr1]

Crackie said:

I love horn's high sensitivity too; these aren't horn loaded but they are very sensitive ( louder than the JBLs ) and can be picked up for about 550 http://www.focal.com/en/chorus-700/401-chorus-726-...

Edited by Crackie on Sunday 25th May 15:01

Focals MuST be auditioned before buying - they can sound great on the end of smooth valves or Class A but a lot of people find them very harsh - listening to compressed low bitrate mp3 from spotify could end in tears.

[Crackie]

legzr1 said:

Crackie said:

I love horn's high sensitivity too; these aren't horn loaded but they are very sensitive ( louder than the JBLs ) and can be picked up for about 550 http://www.focal.com/en/chorus-700/401-chorus-726-...

Edited by Crackie on Sunday 25th May 15:01

Focals MuST be auditioned before buying - they can sound great on the end of smooth valves or Class A but a lot of people find them very harsh - listening to compressed low bitrate mp3 from spotify could end in tears.

Why single out Focals for special treatment ? Any potential speaker should be auditioned not just the Focals ? My first post above stresses the importance of auditioning and preferably in conjunction with the correct partnering gear.

[Some Gump]

Op' you're doing it wrong.

Amps - rotel 10 series power amps (2 off, running biam or bridged depending on your pref between detail and extreme volume)
Speakers -bowers dm604s3
Pre amp - to suit taste.
Dac - if there is money left in the budget.

Then get something to stream into that.

Will murder from vast distances anything you can get new. Rotel amps also go forever because when they go it's just fuses.

[Crackie]

If S/H is on the cards then these are great value, particularly the refurbed Impulse H6s.

http://www.hifi-forsale.co.uk/moreinfo.php?prod_ti...

http://www.hifi-forsale.co.uk/moreinfo.php?prod_ti...

http://www.hifi-forsale.co.uk/moreinfo.php?prod_ti...

http://www.hifi-forsale.co.uk/moreinfo.php?prod_ti...

Edited by Crackie on Sunday 25th May 23:19

[0a]

Crackie said:

If S/H is on the cards then these are great value, particularly the refurbed Impulse H6s.

http://www.hifi-forsale.co.uk/moreinfo.php?prod_ti...

http://www.hifi-forsale.co.uk/moreinfo.php?prod_ti...

http://www.hifi-forsale.co.uk/moreinfo.php?prod_ti...

Wow! That's a great site - I have purchased from it many times and the transaction always went well. Hifi enthusiasts are a great bunch to buy from. Generally, the urgency is added to the sale only because the chap's wife won't let him have the new kit until he has sold something!

[legzr1]

Crackie said:

Why single out Focals for special treatment ? Any potential speaker should be auditioned not just the Focals ? My first post above stresses the importance of auditioning and preferably in conjunction with the correct partnering gear.

Read my post.

Focal tend to sound edgy at the best of times - fed with relatively inexpensive electronics playing mainly MP3 could be a recipe for disaster.

Don't take it personally, always best to audition before buying but it's not always possible for various reasons and I'd say speakers from the likes of Kef, mission, tannoy etc etc would be a safer recommendation partnered with the gear mentioned.

[telecat]

As an owner of Impulse Lali's I recommend its predecessor highly!!

[Crackie]

legzr1 said:

Crackie said:

Why single out Focals for special treatment ? Any potential speaker should be auditioned not just the Focals ? My first post above stresses the importance of auditioning and preferably in conjunction with the correct partnering gear.

Read my post.

Focal tend to sound edgy at the best of times - fed with relatively inexpensive electronics playing mainly MP3 could be a recipe for disaster.

Don't take it personally, always best to audition before buying but it's not always possible for various reasons and I'd say speakers from the likes of Kef, mission, tannoy etc etc would be a safer recommendation partnered with the gear mentioned.

I wasn't taking it personally , sound is very subjective and we both agree its always best to audition first if possible. I've heard Focals driven by relatively low cost class B, and even cheap class D and I've not been concerned about them sounding edgy.

This is generalising but I agree UK speakers tend to favour a safer presentation; I suggested a place, near where the OP lives, where speakers like KEF and Mission, could be heard with the proposed Yamaha amp. I added the Focal suggestion because, in my experience they tend to be fairly punchy and dynamic and that might suit the OPs taste for RnB and Hip Hop more than the sometimes 'too safe' UK type sound.

[legzr1]

Fair do's.

[ywouldi]

Thanks for the input folks. You'll be pleased to know I've already upped the budget to £2000 and decided upon the following:

- Sonos connect as the principle source, using Spotify premium.
- CD player: old Technics thing I've got in the loft. Will upgrade as and when.
- I might splash out on a Samsung Galaxy tab 7 to act as a controller as

This comes to about £400.

The Naim Nait 5SI looks good but I'm a little put off by the fact that it stays on all the time. It sounds like it will have the warm analogue quality that I'm after.
The missions on offer at Ortons seem remarkable value.

I'm interested in second hand stuff but I'll value the opportunity to audition things properly so I'll pop along to Ortons in Hitchin at the weekend to see where I get too..

Does the Sonos connect still stream from the device (iPad via Spotify) etc or does it connect directly to the streaming source?

[Crackie]

ywouldi said:

Thanks for the input folks. You'll be pleased to know I've already upped the budget to £2000 and decided upon the following:

- Sonos connect as the principle source, using Spotify premium.
- CD player: old Technics thing I've got in the loft. Will upgrade as and when.
- I might splash out on a Samsung Galaxy tab 7 to act as a controller as

This comes to about £400.

The Naim Nait 5SI looks good but I'm a little put off by the fact that it stays on all the time. It sounds like it will have the warm analogue quality that I'm after.
The missions on offer at Ortons seem remarkable value.

I'm interested in second hand stuff but I'll value the opportunity to audition things properly so I'll pop along to Ortons in Hitchin at the weekend to see where I get too..

Does the Sonos connect still stream from the device (iPad via Spotify) etc or does it connect directly to the streaming source?

£2K . Have you considered active ? This combination would be £1500 including cables http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may12/articles/krk... + Sonos + http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/dacmagic-pl...
+ http://www.petertyson.co.uk/ebuttonz/ebz_product_p...

One of these may improve on the Cambridge Dac; total cost goes up to £1800. http://www.audiolab.co.uk/M-DAC%20Series.aspx?lang...

Edited by Crackie on Wednesday 28th May 07:21

[Hoover.]

Eiether go second hand.... or end of line, which is how I got my system...


monitor audio for speakers
Roksan amp
Rega CD player

circa 1k