Just upgraded my bedroom system. Spent about $800 on speakers and integrated amplifier, both from very well reviewed "British" midfi manufacturers. Resulting sound- a very modest improvement on my previous box store level gear. I know $800 is not a lot in the world of audio, but it's still a fair amount for most people. I wasn't expecting my main system sound, Spendor and equivalent gear, but still quite disappointed that I couldn't do better.
you need to spend a lot to get decent sound
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I debated naming the products and decided that based on my in store auditions there really wasn't a huge difference amongst similarly priced products so I really didn't want to single out and slag particular components, but rather make the general point that under a $1000 for a system you shouldn't expect good let alone great sound, at least according to my experience. I welcome contradiction!
At that sort of price point, from my experience i'd say getting the right speakers that suite your room and music taste is the hardest bit, but if you find something that works for you, there's no reason you can't build the rest quite easily to reach a modest price.
Also, second hand gives you some amazing options as well which should be considered when budgets are tight.
Also, second hand gives you some amazing options as well which should be considered when budgets are tight.
steveledzep
pfm Member
You don't need to slag off the ones you didn't choose. Just tell everyone what you have FFS ! Otherwise, why start the thread ? I'm very pleased with my kit......but I'm not telling you what it is !!!!
The point of my original post is that I'm NOT pleased with my kit.
russel
./_dazed_and_confused
You can get a really good front end and amplifier for not much money, say raspberry pi and a good cheap DAC, tripath based amps sound very good by any standard never mind the minimal price, what does cost and does not seem to get cheaper, most likely because it's mechanical, is speakers.
Lee T
pfm Member
You need to state what you had & what you now have, otherwise this thread is defunct i'm afraid.
I have found there is no need to spend lots to achieve a sound your happy with, even blown away by.
In my case a Naim Nait3 / cd3 / Neat Critque 2 speakers £800 second hand
Below this, Rotel ra-04/rcd-06 / Castle Richmond 3i £280 second hand
Both systems sound completely different but offer excellent sound reproduction.
If tested blind, I can guarantee very few, if any, would know the price differential.
I purchased KEF x300A speakers with built in amp and DAC for my study for ~300GBP and they are fantastic. I use in near field configuration, fed from computer but have tried them in the lounge, seriously questioned why I need(ed) to spend more... Just add your streamer of choice SB Touch etc and you're away. Nice and tidy as well.
Just to clarify, in general not talking specifically bedroom, I rarely get the opportunity to just sit and listen, music is generally an accompaniment to activity which is not to say it's not very important for me to have in my life.
For the bedroom I use a Tivoli Radio and companion speaker with Chromecast which is a nice sound if not hi-fi TBH if I wanted higher quality sound in the bedroom I'd be looking at headphones.
I originally wrote "more fidelity in the bedroom" but decided that would be dragging the thread off-topic...
Just to clarify, in general not talking specifically bedroom, I rarely get the opportunity to just sit and listen, music is generally an accompaniment to activity which is not to say it's not very important for me to have in my life.
For the bedroom I use a Tivoli Radio and companion speaker with Chromecast which is a nice sound if not hi-fi TBH if I wanted higher quality sound in the bedroom I'd be looking at headphones.
I originally wrote "more fidelity in the bedroom" but decided that would be dragging the thread off-topic...
Singslinger
pfm Member
Just curious - what do you have in your main system?
Sonci
pfm Member
and also what is decent sound, does any of the systems mentioned here make decent sound?
graystoke4
pfm Member
just read a review of the Monitor Audio A100 amplifier, it does look like a life-style product to me, the review was positive about the sound, but this amp is also a wireless streamer and a whole lot of other things going on, all for £400, take away the case price, mark up, streaming and distribution etc you have a £50 amp, if you want a amp buy a amp, at this price i would always buy second hand, unless a showstopper is released,
chebby
pfm Member
£750 (UK full RRP) got me some excellent loudspeakers, but I had to do a bit of homework to find something (other than actual 35 year-old speakers) that are still built like, and sound just like 35 year-old speakers!
Wilmslow Audio's [fully made-up and varnished] HB1 clones were another possibility but cost about £1k with VAT and delivery.
Wilmslow Audio's [fully made-up and varnished] HB1 clones were another possibility but cost about £1k with VAT and delivery.
delange
pfm Member
For a bedroom system I would look at companies such as Audioengine. They have active speakers with very decent sound and don't cost an arm and a leg.
I personally use in ceiling speakers from Art Sound which are fed from an RPI with an IQ Audio amplifier. Cheap system and sounds very decent.
The Monitor Audio amp is indeed a "Life Style" type product. Although it wil be a good amp, it will also be a tab bit overpriced.
I personally use in ceiling speakers from Art Sound which are fed from an RPI with an IQ Audio amplifier. Cheap system and sounds very decent.
The Monitor Audio amp is indeed a "Life Style" type product. Although it wil be a good amp, it will also be a tab bit overpriced.
tuga
Legal Alien
This is the thing about upgrading: you must identify the shortcomings in your current system components and then find replacements that will deal with those shortcomings.
Otherwise it's just a money-wasting sidegrade.
And forget magazine reviews, they're just taste-biased reviews paid for by the manufacturers...
R
Tony L
Administrator
It would be interesting to know what people consider the minimum they could spend (new) and genuinely be happy with the result and not have an immediate upgrade itch. I suspect I could live with say a decent CD or preferably SACD player, something like a Sugden integrated and small pair of ProAcs, Kef LS50s, Neats or equivalent, so probably about £3k plus speaker stands and cables, which is not cheap! Pro-audio actives may throw a curve ball at this, but it is rather hard to avoid metal dome tweeters there and I tend not to get on with them!