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£1200 system - what to go for?

Dynaudio xeo2 + chromecast audio, can add a cdp if required, and has bluetooth as well. Not floorstanders but can just sit on a shelf and have a v minimal system.
 
A few of bits of additional info.

It's not really a holiday home as in it'll be the main residence in 2 - 3 years time, but needs a lot of extension and renovation prior to that. We propose to live in the cottage part while we build it and will be there nearly half of our time. Want a decentish system there while this happens and before I move the main system there in 3 years time. A cheap bluetooth speaker or the likes will just never be used as it just won't sound good enough for m/us, just my/our opinion, not decrying them or anyone else who is happy with them.

Secondly streaming is not possible right now as the Internet connection is so bad. Fibre going in within 12 months to the area so will be fine then, but right now cannot rely on streaming.

Thirdly while a Muso is a good idea I was not at all sold on the sound really.... not my thing and I'm a Naimee.

Hence want cd player/amp/speakers.

Good call on the Keilidhs, was looking at those just now.

Thanks again for all the replies, keep them coming.
 
stevec67 said:
The calls for a one-box solution are not misplaced. It's a holiday home. I spent New Year at a friend's place, the music system was a decent bluetooth speaker. I have to say that it was good enough. Not hifi but not out of the way and if people show up with music on phones (as those below the age of 50 are now wont to do) then it just works.

If you still want a traditional hifi, then I'd be getting Linn Keilidh speakers as they look great, sound very nice and are available in the better finishes for £200-250 which is a steal for what you get. A Rotel 965, Marantz 63, Denon 1015 or similar (£50) are all very good, then amplifier of choice. But I woudn't need to spend £1200, and I'd be looking hard at bluetooth type solutions that would allow me to stream from a Spotify type account, internet radio or my own NAS via the internet and a mobile phone.
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Yep, it's the balance of looks, build quality, sound and price that led me to suggest Keilidhs!
 
I really like my Keilidhs and they are great VFM, but have to say if I had £1200 to play with I'd be throwing most of it at the speakers. I think I paid £750 for my Harbeth C7ES and there's no real comparison with the Keilidhs.

I'm aware that this is not terribly original advice, sorry.
 
The Harbeths will be very revealing of what's downstream though so a lot of care will be needed with partnering kit. You'd need to cost in buying some suitable stands too.
 
Naim hold their value on the used market, but If you like Naim, I would look out for Exposure earlier amps (They use roman numerals as they model numbers). They are similar in sound to Naim, but slightly better and cheaper in my opinion.

Speakers, Epos ES11 or ES14's are excellent and match Naim and Exposure well. I wouldn't personally recommend Naim speakers because I cann't abide them, but I know a lot of people like them, so if you do, I am sure you will enjoy them.

Do you need a CD player or could you live with a streaming solution?, if so, a Rasbery Pi can be had for peanuts, you can then use your Naim DAC with the Pi and you'd be amazed by how good the sound will be.
 
Exposure is similar to Naim but better indeed. I could live with the Exposure sound. Naim is like nails on a blackboard.
Naim speakers are as you say awful. IMO.
 
A few years ago I was working in Portugal and had a nice apartment in Sines for nearly two years. I shipped out some of my spare bits and pieces at the time, a NAC62/NAP140 combo, a pair of Castle Severn 2 speakers and a Quad CD77 as well as music from my laptop played through an external Soundblaster soundcard. The whole thing just seemed to gel and sounded excellent. In truth I hardly used the quad and relied mainly on the laptop.
You could easily put a similar system together for your budget.
 
Rotel or Marantz CDP (or Cambridge transport with a Chinese DAC), Tisbury pre, Amptastic Mini1 with S/H Audio Note AZ-2s.
 
As the OP is a Naimee, which is apparently incurable, why not get one of their all-in-ones of whatever model is affordable and a pair of Totem Arrows?

Within comfort zone and the f/standers are subtle.
 
linnfomaniac83 said:
The Harbeths will be very revealing of what's downstream though so a lot of care will be needed with partnering kit.
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Not really. I've tried Harbeths with a Kenwood 3020SE; they come up on ebay or gumtree for about £40. It sounded great and I had a bit of WTF moment, as in what the hell am I doing with my £5k worth of amps when an old 90s budget integrated sounds so good. Of course I went back to my expensive amps (bought second hand for a fraction of the new price of course!), but that's because I'm mad.
 
The only Naim I've ever considered was the Unitilite, which I've seen described as the "sweet spot" in the Naim line-up. They come up privately at around the £1000 mark, so a couple of hundred to get a pair of secondhand speakers to keep you going. There was one at the link for £925 in January, but presumably sold as they were going to put it on eBay.
https://www.avforums.com/threads/naim-unitilite-in-excellent-condition.2145415/
Central Audio seem to have one at £1295, but that'll blow your budget. http://www.centralaudio.co.uk/index.php?page=products&id=9795
 
Seen a few mentions of Epos speakers, ES11’s are a much easier load to drive so would work much better with a sensible amp. I’ve had them in two systems and think they are brilliant.

Compasses in my opinion are a waste with a cheap front end and cheap amp. I’ve owned a pair, driven by a NAP250 and then an Avondale flavoured power amp.

I’d look at one of Rega’s cd players, maybe an Apollo R if you can find a used one and mate it to a good but non-Naim integrated amp.
 
Put at least £700 of that budget into the speakers IMHO. Indeed Harbeth do not massively rate the influence of amps unless they are wrongly specified. I think they have a point, up to a point. :D
 
Yomanze said:
Put at least £700 of that budget into the speakers IMHO. Indeed Harbeth do not massively rate the influence of amps unless they are wrongly specified. I think they have a point, up to a point. :D
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That may be so, but you’ll want a decent source to do them justice.:)
 
Surely the first question is how big is the space you need to fill? A country cottage snug or converted barn with vaulted ceiling would surely need different speakers? Thereafter match amp to drive speakers? Cheap rotel or Marantz cdp as front end + CCA.
 
There's a system on eBay at the mo of Rega Planet, Nait 3 and Rega Elas well under budget... That would tick all the boxes. Elas go very well next to a wall to so can generally be placed out of the way.
 
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