New Hifi Wanted £2.5K
Discussion
Hi there long time lurker here!
I'm in the market for a new hifi system for my recently decorated front room over looking Morecambe Bay.
I'm replacing a valve amplifier, cheap speakers and a telephone which I play Spotify through.
Have separate system for my Tv.
My room is 6.5m by 3.5m and is very rectangular.
I've been thinking about a network streamer, amplifier and speakers (a radio would be nice but not essential).
Richer Sounds Cambridge Audio looks ok.
I don't need too many features, but I would like the unit to be pleasing on the eye!
Could you recommend me anything?
Thank you
Ian
I'm in the market for a new hifi system for my recently decorated front room over looking Morecambe Bay.
I'm replacing a valve amplifier, cheap speakers and a telephone which I play Spotify through.
Have separate system for my Tv.
My room is 6.5m by 3.5m and is very rectangular.
I've been thinking about a network streamer, amplifier and speakers (a radio would be nice but not essential).
Richer Sounds Cambridge Audio looks ok.
I don't need too many features, but I would like the unit to be pleasing on the eye!
Could you recommend me anything?
Thank you
Ian
What style of speakers will suit the room?
Classic looking or modern?
Would you buy used?
I just sold a Meridian MC200 (streamer) and DSP5200 speakers for £2500.
New price £9000.
These are the 5200s...
The speakers are pre amps, dacs and power amps so you can hook up a streamer direct, or if you get the Meridian MC200 you can control the lot with your phone/tablet.
Search Meridian Sooloos to get an idea what it does.
Or maybe the room suits a more classic speaker like the Harbeths?
Look at the Bluesound units too, they are like Sonos but nicer sound imho, a bit more grown up and more hifi. I have always found the Sonos gear very flat sounding.
The Powernode 2 and a pair of speakers is all you need for a very neat system.
Classic looking or modern?
Would you buy used?
I just sold a Meridian MC200 (streamer) and DSP5200 speakers for £2500.
New price £9000.
These are the 5200s...
The speakers are pre amps, dacs and power amps so you can hook up a streamer direct, or if you get the Meridian MC200 you can control the lot with your phone/tablet.
Search Meridian Sooloos to get an idea what it does.
Or maybe the room suits a more classic speaker like the Harbeths?
Look at the Bluesound units too, they are like Sonos but nicer sound imho, a bit more grown up and more hifi. I have always found the Sonos gear very flat sounding.
The Powernode 2 and a pair of speakers is all you need for a very neat system.
Big thank you!
Prefer the more traditional look, however happy to be persuaded!
Took a look at Bluesound, is it not more aimed at multi room? happy to use part of the living room to have music just wash over me (great view, favourite chair, nice tunes....). I will control the music through a tablet but really don't need too many features.
Would prefer to buy new, not experienced enough to dip into 2nd hand market.
Thanks again
Ian
Prefer the more traditional look, however happy to be persuaded!
Took a look at Bluesound, is it not more aimed at multi room? happy to use part of the living room to have music just wash over me (great view, favourite chair, nice tunes....). I will control the music through a tablet but really don't need too many features.
Would prefer to buy new, not experienced enough to dip into 2nd hand market.
Thanks again
Ian
Cambridge Audio CXN V2 (streamer/DAC/internet radio/preamp with support for dlna streaming,airplay,Spotify and Tidal) feeding some active speakers from the likes of Adam.
Neat,small, one box plus speakers and available new at your budget.
https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/gbr/en/products/cx/...
https://www.musicmatter.co.uk/adam-a8x-adam-sub-10...
Neat,small, one box plus speakers and available new at your budget.
https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/gbr/en/products/cx/...
https://www.musicmatter.co.uk/adam-a8x-adam-sub-10...
rugbyleague said:
Big thank you!
Prefer the more traditional look, however happy to be persuaded!
Took a look at Bluesound, is it not more aimed at multi room? happy to use part of the living room to have music just wash over me (great view, favourite chair, nice tunes....). I will control the music through a tablet but really don't need too many features.
Would prefer to buy new, not experienced enough to dip into 2nd hand market.
Thanks again
Ian
It is multiform, if you want it to be, but it is a streamer, with a decent UI, great sound and you can choose it with a decent amp built in too. Prefer the more traditional look, however happy to be persuaded!
Took a look at Bluesound, is it not more aimed at multi room? happy to use part of the living room to have music just wash over me (great view, favourite chair, nice tunes....). I will control the music through a tablet but really don't need too many features.
Would prefer to buy new, not experienced enough to dip into 2nd hand market.
Thanks again
Ian
You control it with your tablet.
Where is your music?
Tidal?
Spotify?
Soundcloud?
NAS?
iTunes on a computer somewhere?
Edited by gizlaroc on Thursday 12th April 21:26
Edited by gizlaroc on Thursday 12th April 21:28
KEF LS50 wireless.
http://uk.kef.com/ls50-wireless
Roon with tidal using an iPad as controller.
https://roonlabs.com
Job jobbed.
http://uk.kef.com/ls50-wireless
Roon with tidal using an iPad as controller.
https://roonlabs.com
Job jobbed.
gizlaroc said:
It is multiform, if you want it to be, but it is a streamer, with a decent UI, great sound and you can choose it with a decent amp built in too.
You control it with your tablet.
Where is your music?
Tidal?
Spotify?
Soundcloud?
NAS?
iTunes on a computer somewhere?
J
My music is Spotify but I guess can be moved....You control it with your tablet.
Where is your music?
Tidal?
Spotify?
Soundcloud?
NAS?
iTunes on a computer somewhere?
Edited by gizlaroc on Thursday 12th April 21:26
J
Edited by gizlaroc on Thursday 12th April 21:28
Like the look of all of them but sooooooo many choices
This is really interesting thank you.
I didn't expect the range of responses that I've had and I am really enjoying the debate and accessing the links.
Its clear that I am less knowledgeable on the subject than I thought I was and actually I've named a price point rather than an actual requirement?
Question is there a price point in Hi fi where the improvement gains become marginal verses amount of money spent i.e. is £2000 system twice as good as £1000 system 4* as good as £500 system?
I suppose I want the best value for money but I don't want to spend too much money for a minimum benefit.
Sorry for bouncing the thread off track but I really do appreciate your views.
Really like the Naim Atom, Kef KC50s (wireless are the cheaper KCS the same speaker without amp etc?) Cambridge Audio Linn the list goes on in fact all the links you have posted have been very enjoyable!
I didn't expect the range of responses that I've had and I am really enjoying the debate and accessing the links.
Its clear that I am less knowledgeable on the subject than I thought I was and actually I've named a price point rather than an actual requirement?
Question is there a price point in Hi fi where the improvement gains become marginal verses amount of money spent i.e. is £2000 system twice as good as £1000 system 4* as good as £500 system?
I suppose I want the best value for money but I don't want to spend too much money for a minimum benefit.
Sorry for bouncing the thread off track but I really do appreciate your views.
Really like the Naim Atom, Kef KC50s (wireless are the cheaper KCS the same speaker without amp etc?) Cambridge Audio Linn the list goes on in fact all the links you have posted have been very enjoyable!
As legzr said, start with the best source material. That means FLAC either ripped from your own CD's or streamed from Tidal (the high res option).
By playing Spotify's MP3's, what you're proposing is buying a 4K UHD OLED and watching regular HD blu-rays and DVD's on it.
To a person used to low bit rate MP3's heard through in ears, a £1000 system will blow them away.
Your £2500 will get you a very agreeable set up as per all the suggestions above.
After that increases become subjective and very much a case of diminishing returns.
When all is said and done, trust your ears. There is a lot of emperors new clothes worn in hi-fi.
The reason I suggested Roon is that it organises your music in such a visually beautiful way. The fact that it integrates with Tidal perfectly is the icing on the cake. Free trials are available for both.
Once that side is sorted you'll need a DAC, amplification and speakers. The KEF's combine all three in a handsome, well built and great sounding package. There are lots of reviews but if you're considering spending £2k, find a dealer, take some music with you that you know and love and listen.
They also hold their money rather well.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kef-LS50-Wireless-Speak...
Review here of the passive version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6s1S1cPPE
By playing Spotify's MP3's, what you're proposing is buying a 4K UHD OLED and watching regular HD blu-rays and DVD's on it.
To a person used to low bit rate MP3's heard through in ears, a £1000 system will blow them away.
Your £2500 will get you a very agreeable set up as per all the suggestions above.
After that increases become subjective and very much a case of diminishing returns.
When all is said and done, trust your ears. There is a lot of emperors new clothes worn in hi-fi.
The reason I suggested Roon is that it organises your music in such a visually beautiful way. The fact that it integrates with Tidal perfectly is the icing on the cake. Free trials are available for both.
Once that side is sorted you'll need a DAC, amplification and speakers. The KEF's combine all three in a handsome, well built and great sounding package. There are lots of reviews but if you're considering spending £2k, find a dealer, take some music with you that you know and love and listen.
They also hold their money rather well.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kef-LS50-Wireless-Speak...
Review here of the passive version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6s1S1cPPE
Edited by B17NNS on Friday 13th April 13:27
For not a huge toom have you considered keeping the same kind of set up that you have with a phone as the source? A Bower & Wilkins Zeppelin plus a streamable phone would fill that room with sound for around £600, not take up too much space, and be a good looking (in my eyes) component of the room.
I have a few of these in Kitchens, Gyms etc and they perform very well.
It depends what you want, if you want better than background music this option should be perfectly fine, if you want a true audio experience to sit in a centrally located chair sipping on a whisky ehilst listening to your favourite album you may want better. Think you can get them on a money back trial so may at least be worth a trial.
I have a few of these in Kitchens, Gyms etc and they perform very well.
It depends what you want, if you want better than background music this option should be perfectly fine, if you want a true audio experience to sit in a centrally located chair sipping on a whisky ehilst listening to your favourite album you may want better. Think you can get them on a money back trial so may at least be worth a trial.
rugbyleague said:
This is really interesting thank you.
I didn't expect the range of responses that I've had and I am really enjoying the debate and accessing the links.
Its clear that I am less knowledgeable on the subject than I thought I was and actually I've named a price point rather than an actual requirement?
Question is there a price point in Hi fi where the improvement gains become marginal verses amount of money spent i.e. is £2000 system twice as good as £1000 system 4* as good as £500 system?
I suppose I want the best value for money but I don't want to spend too much money for a minimum benefit.
Sorry for bouncing the thread off track but I really do appreciate your views.
Really like the Naim Atom, Kef KC50s (wireless are the cheaper KCS the same speaker without amp etc?) Cambridge Audio Linn the list goes on in fact all the links you have posted have been very enjoyable!
Best speakers for me under £2500 are the Quad S2 ribbon speakers, or the bigger S4 if you want a floor stander. I didn't expect the range of responses that I've had and I am really enjoying the debate and accessing the links.
Its clear that I am less knowledgeable on the subject than I thought I was and actually I've named a price point rather than an actual requirement?
Question is there a price point in Hi fi where the improvement gains become marginal verses amount of money spent i.e. is £2000 system twice as good as £1000 system 4* as good as £500 system?
I suppose I want the best value for money but I don't want to spend too much money for a minimum benefit.
Sorry for bouncing the thread off track but I really do appreciate your views.
Really like the Naim Atom, Kef KC50s (wireless are the cheaper KCS the same speaker without amp etc?) Cambridge Audio Linn the list goes on in fact all the links you have posted have been very enjoyable!
I would put a small sub with both by the way.
The S2 can be had for around £550, S4 around a grand.
Best speakers under £10000 are the Meridians.
What music do you listen to though?
Also, do you want an amp with basic streaming facility like bluetooh and airplay, or do you want a proper streaming system like Sonos/Bluesound/Sooloos/Roon?
From your description it seems the latter, all music on a hard drive somewhere or on Spotify (although I would switch to Tidal as quality different league) and not really worried about vinyl and CDs??
B17NNS said:
The reason I suggested Roon is that it organises your music in such a visually beautiful way. The fact that it integrates with Tidal perfectly is the icing on the cake. Free trials are available for both.
Once that side is sorted you'll need a DAC, amplification and speakers. The KEF's combine all three in a handsome, well built and great sounding package. There are lots of reviews but if you're considering spending £2k, find a dealer, take some music with you that you know and love and listen.
Agree again, Roon is spot on. So nice to use. Once that side is sorted you'll need a DAC, amplification and speakers. The KEF's combine all three in a handsome, well built and great sounding package. There are lots of reviews but if you're considering spending £2k, find a dealer, take some music with you that you know and love and listen.
Sorry for my earlier reply, I started and then went out and loads of replies in the mean time.
I have been using Roon with a Rasperry Pi and Meridian Explorer Dac into a highly modified Quad 405-2 Power amp (dual mono psu, upgraded op amps, caps etc. etc.) driving some Quad 988 Electrostatics, Scansonic MB2.5s and currently Quad S2s with a small Rel sub.
This cost me £400 for the amp, £100 for the Dac (recently reduced from £149 and hifi bargain of the century imho) and £100 for the Pi with the iFi Power Supply.
It replaced a Bel Canto Dac and power amps and Meridian MS600 Roon digital front end, total cost of around £5-6k, and sounds better.
The Raspberry Pi option is a good one to consider.
Also, it is lovely as it is completely hidden, you only see the speakers.
This gives me Tidal, all radio stations, my music library etc. through Roon and Airplay as well, all controlled from my phone, tablet or macbook, including volume.
Roon is well worth considering.
If not, just consider a decent amp like Hegel if you afford it, and a Sonos Connect (pre 2011 is better as bit perfect) but the Sonos sources do sound a bit flat, but great UI and it has everything on there from Spotify and Tidal through to Soundcloud and Mixcloud, then Calm FM and other obscure services.
Also talk of Sonos getting Airplay 2 soon as well, which is the one thing it was missing imho.
Thank you I have been AWOL for a couple of days......
So have read all your replies and am forming a little bit of a plan!
I like lots of different types of music which I will stream (no requirement for CDs, vinyl etc). Tidal sounds the better option.
I want to be able to sit in exactly the right place and listen to the music for what it is but also I want to be able to have it on and playing in the background aswell. I expect to be controlling the music through a tablet (am going to explore Roon).
Unsure if I want to connect it to my Television just yet.
I also want the music I stream to be available to be put on my phone so I can listen in the car. Maybe other rooms in the house but not initially.
I'm no expert but would like to hit the sweet spot for great sound/experience vs spend!
Richer Sounds Preston this week I think. (Anywhere else you recommend in the North?)
Thanks again
Ian
So have read all your replies and am forming a little bit of a plan!
I like lots of different types of music which I will stream (no requirement for CDs, vinyl etc). Tidal sounds the better option.
I want to be able to sit in exactly the right place and listen to the music for what it is but also I want to be able to have it on and playing in the background aswell. I expect to be controlling the music through a tablet (am going to explore Roon).
Unsure if I want to connect it to my Television just yet.
I also want the music I stream to be available to be put on my phone so I can listen in the car. Maybe other rooms in the house but not initially.
I'm no expert but would like to hit the sweet spot for great sound/experience vs spend!
Richer Sounds Preston this week I think. (Anywhere else you recommend in the North?)
Thanks again
Ian
With your budget I would look at a specialist rather than RS.
Someone who has Roon up and running.
I run Roon with a Raspberry Pi (running dietpi) and some with digital boards on them so digital out into the dac/pre amp or with Meridian Explorer 2 usb DAC plugged directly into a power amp.
The Pi and Explorer 2 combo is stunning, considering it can be had for £200 with a decent iFi PSU (PSU makes a fair difference to overall sound) is even more amazing. It has seen of a few dacs at 10x the price.
The nice thing with a Raspberry Pi is it also allows Airplay, so you use Roon for 90% of listening but if you want to stream from your tablet you can too.
You need to think about the set up, a power amp is probably better for what you want. If you want to control via your tablet you want to do it all, including volume. So ideally you want a dac that can be controlled by your tablet rather than adjusting the volume digitally and thus losing resolution.
Why spend money an integrated amp you have no real need for?
You can get a lot more power amp for your money.
Roon is around £350 but once you have it you have it for life and it allows very good end points for silly cheap money.
Raspberry Pi with hi end analogue out board on it can be had for £100.
A Sonos Connect is now £350 each time and sounds pants in comparison. I have compared loads of hi end streaming systems and none have bettered the Roon/Pi combo sound wise. Plus it is is a growing system, they are constantly improving it, you have EQ, MQA decoding and loads of other options being constantly added.
I run mine from an old 2012 Mac Mini, just sits there in the office and runs the Roon Server, it works fine for it. They say the latest i5 model with 16gb of ram etc. but that is more because many users have a library of 20,000 albums stored which does need more power and ram when flicking through them, but for streaming and a smallish iTunes library (couple of thousand albums) an older Mac/Pc or a cheapish NAS (see roon forum for what works) works perfectly.
I would find a decent hifi indy and go listen to some speakers first, find out which ones you like the sound of. Definitely try and hear the Quads with ribbon tweeters, and the S series are imho better than the Z series for 1/3 of the price. I bought some Z3s after being so blown away with the S2s and small Rel sub, sold the Z3s on.
They were good, but no better than the S2s and £2500 instead of £599.
The little S2s have seen of some pretty serious speakers, Harbeth P3ESR, Harbeth 30.1, Scansonic MB2.5, Focal 1028be and others, and the only one that I still think is as good were the Meridian 5200s.
I sold the 5200s to buy the Z3s, as the S2s impressed me so much, that if I am honest was a bit of a mistake. My room is quite big a 7m x 7m, the Meridians filled it with ease and are very smooth sounding, they always sound full as well no matter what volume you play them at, that is what DSP brings to the table. The Z3s were more open sounding, and never shrill like you can get with B&W and Focal etc., but tweeter wasn't completely seamless integrating with the mid range like on the 5200s and the smaller S2s.
But get to a decent hifi store and demo the kit properly.
RS are good for starter set ups, but in reality, not going to offer you what a small indy can offer.
Audio T in Preston do decent brands, Quad, Martin Logan (nice speakers!), Rel, Rega, Spendor, Union Research, Linn, Auralic etc.
In fact, ask if you can hear the Auralic Aeries into a power amp and then demo loads of speakers, the Altair sounded very similar to the Pi/Explorer 2 combo, still preferred the latter though. But will show you the sort of level I am talking about with that Pi/Explorer2 combo. when demoing.
Someone who has Roon up and running.
I run Roon with a Raspberry Pi (running dietpi) and some with digital boards on them so digital out into the dac/pre amp or with Meridian Explorer 2 usb DAC plugged directly into a power amp.
The Pi and Explorer 2 combo is stunning, considering it can be had for £200 with a decent iFi PSU (PSU makes a fair difference to overall sound) is even more amazing. It has seen of a few dacs at 10x the price.
The nice thing with a Raspberry Pi is it also allows Airplay, so you use Roon for 90% of listening but if you want to stream from your tablet you can too.
You need to think about the set up, a power amp is probably better for what you want. If you want to control via your tablet you want to do it all, including volume. So ideally you want a dac that can be controlled by your tablet rather than adjusting the volume digitally and thus losing resolution.
Why spend money an integrated amp you have no real need for?
You can get a lot more power amp for your money.
Roon is around £350 but once you have it you have it for life and it allows very good end points for silly cheap money.
Raspberry Pi with hi end analogue out board on it can be had for £100.
A Sonos Connect is now £350 each time and sounds pants in comparison. I have compared loads of hi end streaming systems and none have bettered the Roon/Pi combo sound wise. Plus it is is a growing system, they are constantly improving it, you have EQ, MQA decoding and loads of other options being constantly added.
I run mine from an old 2012 Mac Mini, just sits there in the office and runs the Roon Server, it works fine for it. They say the latest i5 model with 16gb of ram etc. but that is more because many users have a library of 20,000 albums stored which does need more power and ram when flicking through them, but for streaming and a smallish iTunes library (couple of thousand albums) an older Mac/Pc or a cheapish NAS (see roon forum for what works) works perfectly.
I would find a decent hifi indy and go listen to some speakers first, find out which ones you like the sound of. Definitely try and hear the Quads with ribbon tweeters, and the S series are imho better than the Z series for 1/3 of the price. I bought some Z3s after being so blown away with the S2s and small Rel sub, sold the Z3s on.
They were good, but no better than the S2s and £2500 instead of £599.
The little S2s have seen of some pretty serious speakers, Harbeth P3ESR, Harbeth 30.1, Scansonic MB2.5, Focal 1028be and others, and the only one that I still think is as good were the Meridian 5200s.
I sold the 5200s to buy the Z3s, as the S2s impressed me so much, that if I am honest was a bit of a mistake. My room is quite big a 7m x 7m, the Meridians filled it with ease and are very smooth sounding, they always sound full as well no matter what volume you play them at, that is what DSP brings to the table. The Z3s were more open sounding, and never shrill like you can get with B&W and Focal etc., but tweeter wasn't completely seamless integrating with the mid range like on the 5200s and the smaller S2s.
But get to a decent hifi store and demo the kit properly.
RS are good for starter set ups, but in reality, not going to offer you what a small indy can offer.
Audio T in Preston do decent brands, Quad, Martin Logan (nice speakers!), Rel, Rega, Spendor, Union Research, Linn, Auralic etc.
In fact, ask if you can hear the Auralic Aeries into a power amp and then demo loads of speakers, the Altair sounded very similar to the Pi/Explorer 2 combo, still preferred the latter though. But will show you the sort of level I am talking about with that Pi/Explorer2 combo. when demoing.
Edited by gizlaroc on Sunday 15th April 13:42
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