Help Me Choose Some Separates

[blueg33]

I am way out of touch with hifi so guys, please spec me a system

Blue Junior wouild like some hifi separates for his birthday. He plays vinyl and cd's. I need to choose turntable, amp, cd player and bookshelf speakers.

The catch is a budget of around £500-600 but happy to buy second hand stuff.

For the turntable I am considering - Project Genie, Project Debut, Rega Planar 2, Project S, Thorens TD 158 (I have a Dual 505-3)

Amp - No idea (I have NAD)

CD - No idea I have Yamaha

He is into a range of music but mostly listens to Hardcore Post Punk (shouty vocals but subtle and clever guitar and loud drums and bass), ambient like Massive Attack, classic stuff like Joy Division, rock like Manic Street Preachers.

Ideally he will also want to be able to plug in his MP3 player to play through the system.

I think the items I should consider buying new are the speakers and possibly the turntable (although my 26 year old Dual works as if new)

[OldSkoolRS]

Personally I'd look at secondhand speakers since if they are cosmetically good and working when bought then they are unlikely to go wrong unless abused. You'll get much more for your money too, plus if you don't like them you can probably sell them on for little loss. The amp and CD might be better bought new, but plenty of budget choices at places like Richer Sounds (though I doubt you'll get a NAD that cheaply these days):

http://www.richersounds.com/products/hi-fi-separat...

http://www.richersounds.com/products/hi-fi-separat...

Secondhand speakers on AV forums classifieds (read the rules if you decide to join up and make an offer since it differs from other websites, mainly all offers to be made on the thread not via PM):

http://www.avforums.com/forums/speaker-subwoofer-c...

[V8LM]

I'll probably get shot down in flames for this, but I always thought it was best to spend the same on each component. £600 equals circa £150 turntable, £150 amp, £150 speakers and £150 CD player. S/H is probably the way to go.




Shoot.

[blueg33]

Thanks folks

I think I would agree with the balanced costs except that turntable is more important to him than cd player.

I will look at the avforums.

[Denis O]

HiFi geek wisdom is spend more on the source than the downstream equipment i.e. crap in, crap out, whatever amp and speakers you have.

If vinyl is where he's at then take a look at eBay for a Manticore, Systemdek type front end with a decent cartridge. Not sure where an LP12 is priced these days but I doubt it's within your budget.

Good luck.

[P700DEE]

Garbage in garbage out is still valid if a little more qualified than in the 80s.
Turntables are not cheap and quality here counts. CD players, plenty of cheap players around on the bay and similar. Avoid the "best buys" that still command a premium and get one that is quality but failed to excel in the Hi-Fi mag. Amps , get an old one with a decent phono stage, they last well and there have been minimal improvements. Other than the phono stage you can again economise. Speakers.... Spend more here and also try and listen first. Speakers make the biggest difference to the sound and on a budget big speakers can make very good bargains as everyone wants small nowadays. I re bought a pair of my first speakers Mission 700s for 99p they need work but could be 100% for another £12.50. Bargains to be had.
If you are on a modern RCD based consumer unit and are not concerned regarding compliance with out of date rules with electrics take all the fuses out, it will greatly help the performance of all your Hi-Fi. For those concerned this should of course only be done by an electrician who can run a dedicated spur for your hi-fi and give full Part P approval if correctly labelled and installed in order to comply with current legislation.

[DavidY]

P700DEE said:

Garbage in garbage out is still valid if a little more qualified than in the 80s.
Turntables are not cheap and quality here counts. CD players, plenty of cheap players around on the bay and similar. Avoid the "best buys" that still command a premium and get one that is quality but failed to excel in the Hi-Fi mag. Amps , get an old one with a decent phono stage, they last well and there have been minimal improvements. Other than the phono stage you can again economise. Speakers.... Spend more here and also try and listen first. Speakers make the biggest difference to the sound and on a budget big speakers can make very good bargains as everyone wants small nowadays. I re bought a pair of my first speakers Mission 700s for 99p they need work but could be 100% for another £12.50. Bargains to be had.
If you are on a modern RCD based consumer unit and are not concerned regarding compliance with out of date rules with electrics take all the fuses out, it will greatly help the performance of all your Hi-Fi. For those concerned this should of course only be done by an electrician who can run a dedicated spur for your hi-fi and give full Part P approval if correctly labelled and installed in order to comply with current legislation.

Poor advice, plug fuses are there to protect the cable, and internal fuses within components are there to protect the equipment. - Removal of fuses is not something to be undertaken lightly (insurance invalidation in an event of fire etc,) and anyway, removing the plug fuse still leaves the internal fuse with its ever so thin dangly wire, so whats the point (placebo effect here....)

Back to the OP

I would look at something like a Rotel Amp (often have decent phono stages), something like the Morduant Short MS10i speakers (bookshelf, but can do decent bass for their size), a Rega Planar 2 T/T (or perhaps a Revolver) and perhaps a matching Rotel CD player. All very doable with budget.

[Crackie]

If sources were limited to CD / MP3 then I would advise putting as much as possible of the budget into the speakers however the need for vinyl changes things. I think the best performance for the budget would come from something like.
http://www.richersounds.com/product/mini-hi-fi/den...
or
http://www.templeaudio.net/bantamusb.html
+
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRO-JECT-GENIE-Turntable...
+
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-PP400-Microphono...
+
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHARFEDALE-DIAMOND-10-4-...
or
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tannoy-Mercury-V4-Floor-...
or
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Focal-Chorus-705V-Booksh...

With CD/MP3, the speakers, the listening room and the speakers position within that room contribute far more ( 90% )to the final systems sound than the source or amp do. That ratio changes with vinyl though; cheap vinyl players ( under £150 ) are usually rubbish and their mechanical limitations ( plinth, platter bearing, arm ) are easy to hear. All imho of course.

Edited by Crackie on Thursday 5th September 08:36

[blueg33]

Right

I have listedned to stuff, done research etc and have acquired

New - Project Debut iii se turntable (all the s/h turntables were a bit risky condition wise)
Ex Demo - Mission MX1 speakers run in but in as new condition
manu Refurb - Marantz PM6004 amp
manu refurb - Marantz CD50004

Just about £600 spent

Speakers will be biwired