£2.5k on hifi system, what would you buy?
Discussion
My current system is made up of second-hand budget pieces that I spent around £400 total on, many years ago, and I've decided I'm going to aim for a big upgrade and replace the whole lot.
For reference, I currently have a Rotel 931 amp, Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 bookshelf speakers and a Pro-Ject turntable (unknown model), and some unknown budget usb-powered Spotify Connect device.
In the new system, I want to have the option of playing vinyl, or streaming Spotify lossless.
I am totally out of touch with hifi, so here's my current plan with my reasoning, for you to critique.
- Roksan Attessa Streaming amp, £999
It covers amp and streaming device in one box, I like the aesthetic, and it is now discounted from £1600 when new.
- Roksan Attessa Turntable, £399
It matches the amp and is down from £950 when new
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 speakers, £650
From the research I've done, these seem to be recommended as a good pairing for the Roksan amp.
- Cables, ~£100
Whatever the man in the shop says is good.
So the total system is £2150. and I'm telling myself that with the amp and turntable being significantly discounted due to their age, that I'm getting a bit of a bargain.
Can you do better for the money?
I know that the advice is going to be 'go and listen to it' and I'm planning to speak to Richer Sounds about exactly that after Christmas. But I'm also aware that it might sound different in my own home, and there are also many many other combinations of hifi components that I could potentially try together, and I simply do not have much knowledge about current systems.
For reference, I currently have a Rotel 931 amp, Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 bookshelf speakers and a Pro-Ject turntable (unknown model), and some unknown budget usb-powered Spotify Connect device.
In the new system, I want to have the option of playing vinyl, or streaming Spotify lossless.
I am totally out of touch with hifi, so here's my current plan with my reasoning, for you to critique.
- Roksan Attessa Streaming amp, £999
It covers amp and streaming device in one box, I like the aesthetic, and it is now discounted from £1600 when new.
- Roksan Attessa Turntable, £399
It matches the amp and is down from £950 when new
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 speakers, £650
From the research I've done, these seem to be recommended as a good pairing for the Roksan amp.
- Cables, ~£100
Whatever the man in the shop says is good.
So the total system is £2150. and I'm telling myself that with the amp and turntable being significantly discounted due to their age, that I'm getting a bit of a bargain.
Can you do better for the money?
I know that the advice is going to be 'go and listen to it' and I'm planning to speak to Richer Sounds about exactly that after Christmas. But I'm also aware that it might sound different in my own home, and there are also many many other combinations of hifi components that I could potentially try together, and I simply do not have much knowledge about current systems.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php...
"I really like the look and feel of the Attessa amplifier. It is slick and modern. Sadly the likes stop there. Out of box experience with the app was very poor. The user interface dates back to 1980s. And measured performance shows an amplifier with major weaknesses in noise and distortion. It also runs hot despite not being very powerful.
Company needs to ditch the amplifier and put in a performant class D amplifier in there. No lifestyle product should run this hot and at this price point, they can easily afford a proper class D amplifier. While there, get a proper DAC in there or license one for $99.
I just can't see a reason to recommend the Roksan Attessa streaming amplifier. It is clear all the innovation went into the looks of the unit, and not performance or ease of use."
"I really like the look and feel of the Attessa amplifier. It is slick and modern. Sadly the likes stop there. Out of box experience with the app was very poor. The user interface dates back to 1980s. And measured performance shows an amplifier with major weaknesses in noise and distortion. It also runs hot despite not being very powerful.
Company needs to ditch the amplifier and put in a performant class D amplifier in there. No lifestyle product should run this hot and at this price point, they can easily afford a proper class D amplifier. While there, get a proper DAC in there or license one for $99.
I just can't see a reason to recommend the Roksan Attessa streaming amplifier. It is clear all the innovation went into the looks of the unit, and not performance or ease of use."
Wiim Amp Ultra £499
https://www.richersounds.com/wiim-amp-ultra-space-...
Keep the turntable you have but get a dedicated phono pre-amp, such as:
Fosi Audio BOX X5 Phono Preamp £109
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fosi-Audio-BOX-X5-Preampl...
or
Pro-Ject Phono Box MM/MC £99
https://www.richersounds.com/pro-ject-phono-box-mm...
That leaves you £1900 for speakers....
You can get floorstanders or smaller speakers and run an active sub from the Wiim.
https://www.richersounds.com/wiim-amp-ultra-space-...
Keep the turntable you have but get a dedicated phono pre-amp, such as:
Fosi Audio BOX X5 Phono Preamp £109
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fosi-Audio-BOX-X5-Preampl...
or
Pro-Ject Phono Box MM/MC £99
https://www.richersounds.com/pro-ject-phono-box-mm...
That leaves you £1900 for speakers....
You can get floorstanders or smaller speakers and run an active sub from the Wiim.
If you get the Wiim first, you can literally take it to speaker auditions, rather than only shops that have the same kit as you already (like Richer sounds).
So depending upon room size, you could ask to audition ~£1500 worth floorstanders v bookshelfs v bookshelfs + sub. Take your Wiim and phone with you.
So depending upon room size, you could ask to audition ~£1500 worth floorstanders v bookshelfs v bookshelfs + sub. Take your Wiim and phone with you.
Some interesting food for thought, thank you.
I'd not heard of Wiim before, but have spent a little time looking and they're obviously a disruptor in the market and a popular choice. My initial thought though, is that it looks too much like a tech product and doesn't have the emotional pull that I'm after. I'd liken it to buying a BYD car - you know it's an excellent product and is measurably better than the competition at the same price, but it doesn't have the emotional pull of say, a restomod 205 gti.
It's a similar answer to the person above who asked why I want to play vinyl. It's about the overall experience. I want the tactile interaction with the record and the equipment, I want to fiddle with high-quality switches, slow down and purposefully put on a record of my favourite music. It is not 100% about blind-tested audio quality.
Having given it some thought over the last few days, I know I want a tradional looking hifi amp from a traditional hifi brand and I don't want another screen to look at or touch. I know that is irrational, but it's a purely luxury purchase and emotional decision making will certainly factor.
Current thinking is that a Wiim (one without a screen) could be a good option as a streaming source, tucked away, and I could get a separate amp - The Arcam suggested above looks like a great option. I might then live with it for a while before deciding to upgrade the speakers and turntable, which are both the least weak links in my current system.
I'd not heard of Wiim before, but have spent a little time looking and they're obviously a disruptor in the market and a popular choice. My initial thought though, is that it looks too much like a tech product and doesn't have the emotional pull that I'm after. I'd liken it to buying a BYD car - you know it's an excellent product and is measurably better than the competition at the same price, but it doesn't have the emotional pull of say, a restomod 205 gti.
It's a similar answer to the person above who asked why I want to play vinyl. It's about the overall experience. I want the tactile interaction with the record and the equipment, I want to fiddle with high-quality switches, slow down and purposefully put on a record of my favourite music. It is not 100% about blind-tested audio quality.
Having given it some thought over the last few days, I know I want a tradional looking hifi amp from a traditional hifi brand and I don't want another screen to look at or touch. I know that is irrational, but it's a purely luxury purchase and emotional decision making will certainly factor.
Current thinking is that a Wiim (one without a screen) could be a good option as a streaming source, tucked away, and I could get a separate amp - The Arcam suggested above looks like a great option. I might then live with it for a while before deciding to upgrade the speakers and turntable, which are both the least weak links in my current system.
billbring said:
Some interesting food for thought, thank you.
I'd not heard of Wiim before, but have spent a little time looking and they're obviously a disruptor in the market and a popular choice. My initial thought though, is that it looks too much like a tech product and doesn't have the emotional pull that I'm after. I'd liken it to buying a BYD car - you know it's an excellent product and is measurably better than the competition at the same price, but it doesn't have the emotional pull of say, a restomod 205 gti.
It's a similar answer to the person above who asked why I want to play vinyl. It's about the overall experience. I want the tactile interaction with the record and the equipment, I want to fiddle with high-quality switches, slow down and purposefully put on a record of my favourite music. It is not 100% about blind-tested audio quality.
Having given it some thought over the last few days, I know I want a tradional looking hifi amp from a traditional hifi brand and I don't want another screen to look at or touch. I know that is irrational, but it's a purely luxury purchase and emotional decision making will certainly factor.
Current thinking is that a Wiim (one without a screen) could be a good option as a streaming source, tucked away, and I could get a separate amp - The Arcam suggested above looks like a great option. I might then live with it for a while before deciding to upgrade the speakers and turntable, which are both the least weak links in my current system.
Only you can determine the emotional pull of a product - it's like asking people who you should date. If you want advise on what products actually deliver high fidelity and offer value for money, the that's a lot easier.I'd not heard of Wiim before, but have spent a little time looking and they're obviously a disruptor in the market and a popular choice. My initial thought though, is that it looks too much like a tech product and doesn't have the emotional pull that I'm after. I'd liken it to buying a BYD car - you know it's an excellent product and is measurably better than the competition at the same price, but it doesn't have the emotional pull of say, a restomod 205 gti.
It's a similar answer to the person above who asked why I want to play vinyl. It's about the overall experience. I want the tactile interaction with the record and the equipment, I want to fiddle with high-quality switches, slow down and purposefully put on a record of my favourite music. It is not 100% about blind-tested audio quality.
Having given it some thought over the last few days, I know I want a tradional looking hifi amp from a traditional hifi brand and I don't want another screen to look at or touch. I know that is irrational, but it's a purely luxury purchase and emotional decision making will certainly factor.
Current thinking is that a Wiim (one without a screen) could be a good option as a streaming source, tucked away, and I could get a separate amp - The Arcam suggested above looks like a great option. I might then live with it for a while before deciding to upgrade the speakers and turntable, which are both the least weak links in my current system.
I maintain though that there probably isn't anything wrong with your turntable that couldn't be improved with a dedicated pre-amp and maybe a cartridge change. It's the most obviously visual component and the one that you interact the most with - but only you can decide whether you want to change it and for what.
There are lots of clean, powerful amps available now for not a lot of money; whether you want an integrated amp or a pre/power amp combo. Ultimately they are just boxes with no moving parts and the only interaction you have is adjusting the volume.
So that leaves the speakers - which actually produce the sound and have the most obvious visual impact. This is where I would allocate the bulk of my budget.
It's the age old question of whether you want to use your hi-fi to listen to music or music to listen to your hi-fi.....?
The A25 is classic Arcam. All the power you will need, within reason.
I use the digital in and use the onboard DAC. And a Bluesound Node N130. Honesty at this level go with whatever software you prefer. Wiim software is excellent. I would live with it. In this price bracket digital Is digital.
The app thing doesn’t also really matter as you can just use Spotify Connect.
I did previously have a Wiim Ultra. Was excellent i just didn’t like the aesthetic, or silly small screen. So it went back to Amazon.
I use the digital in and use the onboard DAC. And a Bluesound Node N130. Honesty at this level go with whatever software you prefer. Wiim software is excellent. I would live with it. In this price bracket digital Is digital.
The app thing doesn’t also really matter as you can just use Spotify Connect.
I did previously have a Wiim Ultra. Was excellent i just didn’t like the aesthetic, or silly small screen. So it went back to Amazon.
TEKNOPUG said:
Only you can determine the emotional pull of a product - it's like asking people who you should date. If you want advise on what products actually deliver high fidelity and offer value for money, the that's a lot easier.
I maintain though that there probably isn't anything wrong with your turntable that couldn't be improved with a dedicated pre-amp and maybe a cartridge change. It's the most obviously visual component and the one that you interact the most with - but only you can decide whether you want to change it and for what.
There are lots of clean, powerful amps available now for not a lot of money; whether you want an integrated amp or a pre/power amp combo. Ultimately they are just boxes with no moving parts and the only interaction you have is adjusting the volume.
So that leaves the speakers - which actually produce the sound and have the most obvious visual impact. This is where I would allocate the bulk of my budget.
It's the age old question of whether you want to use your hi-fi to listen to music or music to listen to your hi-fi.....?
So much sense in this post.I maintain though that there probably isn't anything wrong with your turntable that couldn't be improved with a dedicated pre-amp and maybe a cartridge change. It's the most obviously visual component and the one that you interact the most with - but only you can decide whether you want to change it and for what.
There are lots of clean, powerful amps available now for not a lot of money; whether you want an integrated amp or a pre/power amp combo. Ultimately they are just boxes with no moving parts and the only interaction you have is adjusting the volume.
So that leaves the speakers - which actually produce the sound and have the most obvious visual impact. This is where I would allocate the bulk of my budget.
It's the age old question of whether you want to use your hi-fi to listen to music or music to listen to your hi-fi.....?
Speakers, suitably sized for your listening environment with excellent frequency response and sound dispersion characteristics are by far the most important component of a good-sounding hi fi system and should be the biggest chunk of your budget. I recommend Erin's Audio Corner for recommendations on speakers. Erin is one of the best speaker reviewers out there IMO and assesses speakers based on scientific measurements.
Excellent sources (streamers, DACs, pre-amps, power amps) providing top-end signal quality and clean, distortion-free power are easily achieved by lots of very modestly-priced kit these days, produced by manufacturers such as AIYIMA, FiiO, Fosi Audio, Topping, Schitt, SMSL and WiiM.
Edited by Oberheim on Tuesday 23 December 15:23
Edited by Oberheim on Tuesday 23 December 15:24
Similar to the above, I'd spend most of the budget on two standmount speakers, a sub, an amp with a good phono stage and anything leftover on something for streaming. For me a Bluetooth receiver with a good DAC and codec is the better option there, but you may have different requirements.
Panamax said:
In all seriousness, why do you want to play vinyl? IMO you'll get massively better sound by spending a bigger slice of your budget on much better speakers and forgetting about vinyl.
That's a bit like saying "why do you want to own a 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, when a new Nissan Micra is, by any metric, a better car?" Faster, cheaper, more economical, warmer, dryer, safer, better handling, etc etc. Gassing Station | Home Cinema & Hi-Fi | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff