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Budget Set Up For Newbie

Are you set on vinyl playback?

If not, spend most of the budget on speakers. £50 on a s/h amp and £30 on a basic streamer.

If so, see if you can find an original Roksan Xerxes with a flat top board. Bloody marvellous TT. Then spend £50 on a s/h amp and the rest on speakers.

This advice would have been ridiculed in the 70/80's but I absolutely agree; with some of the bargain amps around at the moment, this seems to be the way to go.

My second system has grown into just this kind of setup with expensive 2nd hand speakers (Shahinian) fronting a cheap but very good classic amp/tuner (A&R A60/T21) with a good quality but affordable 2nd hand DVD player (Denon DVD 3910) for CD/SACD duties.

The amp/tuner/DVD cost about £300 in total; the speakers a lot more, but it all works and is a very musical system. The amplifier has a phono stage so should one desire record playback all you would need is a nice 2nd hand deck and you would be in business.
 
I'm not sure what you mean but i am guessing something to do with to much information, i guess? :confused:

Too much information leading to too much choice.

It's why I suggested a starting point. You may not end up choosing a new record player, but there are plenty of places selling Rega / Project; they are well supported; they are fairly easy to set up; and I think the quality might surprise you.

I see it as a process, and if the learned people here know more about what you do like/don't like when you hear something, they will tune their advice accordingly.
 
Too much information leading to too much choice.

It's why I suggested a starting point. You may not end up choosing a new record player, but there are plenty of places selling Rega / Project; they are well supported; they are fairly easy to set up; and I think the quality might surprise you.

I see it as a process, and if the learned people here know more about what you do like/don't like when you hear something, they will tune their advice accordingly.

Got you. I have a meduim not large living room in a terraced house, so when the neighbours are in i have to be aware of noise. Music wise The Beatles, Pink Floyd etc.
 
I have a picture of it somewhere although i can't remember the model numbers, it consisted of:

Sony direct drive turntable
Technics amp
Technics tape deck
Sony tuner
Bolivar 64 speakers and stands
My Rega Apollo/Brio 3 sounds superb at low volumes, I have your predicament where neighbours are concerned, I chose this set up based purely on this, it took a while to find something that wasn't going to shake the room but delivered tight, defined detail in spades at low volumes when required.
This was in conjunction with either my Castle Richmond 3i speakers, again, tight & deep in the bottom end, but very expressive through the mids, also a pair of Neat Critique 2 speakers, less bottom end but more quality, mids as open as it gets at this level. both work well in this system.
The Apollo has a very analogue sound to it, quite unlike standard cd players.
 
I didn't know that Rega Planar 3s could be had for £150:

http://audiocounsel.co.uk/pre-loved/

Don't see anything new bettering that at twice the price. Simple, almost nothing that can go wrong with it and I'd have thought Rega would look after you if it did.

Same shop has Linn Keilidhs at £250. I've had a pair for years, and it was only curiosity that led me to try other speakers. Work well against the wall.

£200 left for an integrated amp, cables etc. Lots of choice there I'd have thought, old or new.
 
I didn't know that Rega Planar 3s could be had for £150:

http://audiocounsel.co.uk/pre-loved/

Don't see anything new bettering that at twice the price. Simple, almost nothing that can go wrong with it and I'd have thought Rega would look after you if it did.

Same shop has Linn Keilidhs at £250. I've had a pair for years, and it was only curiosity that led me to try other speakers. Work well against the wall.

£200 left for an integrated amp, cables etc. Lots of choice there I'd have thought, old or new.

Good post. The OP could get the lot from there. Rega TT, the Brio amp and with a bit of haggling as a job lot the Royds and some wire all for £600. That would be a great system.

Never liked the Keilidhs myself but if he is local he could audition the Keilidhs and the Credos and the Royds all with the amp and turntable. A rare opportunity SH.
 
Hmmm maybe try a Marantz PM7200/PM7000 for the amp these can be had for £100-170

Someone has already mentioned Tannoy Sixes, the 609/611 are a good match for the above amps.

Keep an eye out for a 'pick up only' turntable, saves the stress of wondering if it will turn up whole, and the prices are more realistic. Maybe an Ariston RD80, Linn Axis etc
 
My favourite system in that price range second hand would be:

Arcam Alpha 8SE CD (£150), 8 amp (£100) and 8P (£100) power amp. KEF Q7 (£200) floorstanders and a Thorens TD50 turntable (£100). Approx. Ebay prices in brackets.

Would look and sound ridiculously good for that money.

DSC_4269.JPG

arcam_alpha_8_cd_player.jpg

arcam_alpha_8r_integrated_amplifier.jpg

arcam_alpha_8p_stereo_power_amplifier.jpg

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I'm digging that, cool system.

With regard to re-capping and servicing older amps, is there anyone of note Londonish that does that kind of work?
 
Thanks everyone for the excellent advice. Keep it coming, however i am demoing these tomorrow:

Project P2 with Ortofon Cartridge
Marantz PM6003 amp
Kef Q 100 speakers
Maybe a Marantz CD player but thinking of using my OPPO.
 
I'm digging that, cool system.

With regard to re-capping and servicing older amps, is there anyone of note Londonish that does that kind of work?
Unless the equipment is faulty I would personally leave the recap, from recent experience, you could well be wasting your money, I had a Naim system recapped recently, (the work was carried out well, in case those who carried out the work are reading) firstly, I noticed zero improvement in SQ, secondly, I basically threw money in the bin.
From here on in, until my equipment breaks down, they will stay put.
 
Thanks everyone for the excellent advice. Keep it coming, however i am demoing these tomorrow:

Project P2 with Ortofon Cartridge
Marantz PM6003 amp
Kef Q 100 speakers
Maybe a Marantz CD player but thinking of using my OPPO.

What do you good people think?
 
What do you good people think?

I remember comparing the Q100 to the Dali Zensor 3 when they were similar prices and preferring the Dali so much i bought it. IIRC the £200 Zenzor 1 also fought off the Kef.

I'd try to include a Dali in any comparison, just don't go for the Walnut wrap, it's hideous.
 
Deposit payed and system will be.................drum roll

Project P2 with Ortofon Cartridge

Marantz CD6003

Marantz PM6003 Amp

KEF Q100's Speakers.

All purchased from Hifisound Ltd in Stockton On Tees, the best Hifi shop i think i have ever been in all my life, with staff that went above and beyond to help out.

Demoed these all today with an informed friend of mine and were blown away by what we were hearing, threw everything at it and it just got better and better. The soundtrack from The Last Samurai, Black Hawk Down, Abbey Road The Beatles, some Bjork, Mike Oldfield and more that i can't remember as it was just one fantastic thing after another.Deposit payed and system will be.................drum roll

Project P2 with Ortofon Cartridge

Marantz CD6003

Marantz PM6003 Amp

KEF Q100's Speakers.

All purchased from Hifisound Ltd in Stockton On Tees, the best Hifi shop i think i have ever been in all my life, with staff that went above and beyond to help out.
 
So good you said it twice!! ;)

Congratulations and I'm sure it's a fab system.

But you will soon get the upgrade bug... we all succumb sooner or later.... :)

Mull
 


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