Your ideal "good enough" system
- Thread starter Nic P
- Start date
Whaleblue
Southbound
IME - Obs, yes - Arcs, not so much.
Julf
Facts are our friends
I would go for a cheap NAS as server, a wandboard/beagleboard/raspberry pi as streamer (or a second-hand SBT), a basic async USB DAC, any halfway-decent power amp and spend the rest of the money on speakers.Maybe 1500 in total.
Blindspot
pfm Member
MBP or mac mini, Naim Unitiqute, Monitor Audio GS/GX/PL speakers to suit the room and available funds. I find the unitiqute to be something of a performance bargain. Offers a lot of what its bigger brothers do in a small, inoffensive package. Doesn't do anything badly and really shines with well recorded high res files.
Robert
Tapehead
Funnily enough I've been putting together my 'good enough' system in recent months.
Two reasons really. First I want to move house within the next 12 months and want something that sounds good enough, is reasonably portable and looks cool in a wide variety of potential environments. The current main system has certain fixed requirements in that regard. Secondly, I just enjoy the challenge of putting together old gear and getting it to exceed the sum of the parts.
So currently that's:
- iPad running Spotify and some local files.
- Planar 3 with solid motor, Mission 774 and Goldring Elite MC.
- Marantz 2225 vintage am/fm receiver
- AR4xa vintage loudsepeakers.
That's just doable for around £1200 with some elbow grease. A good MM in place of the Goldring would bring things in at about £1k. Assuming a used iPad.
The 774 is a luxury and good enough would still apply with a nice R200 or RB300 on the Planar.
The Marantz phono stage is actually sensitive enough and quiet enough to take the 0.4mv Elite direct. They didn't skimp in those days.
You can hear it at Scalford.
Two reasons really. First I want to move house within the next 12 months and want something that sounds good enough, is reasonably portable and looks cool in a wide variety of potential environments. The current main system has certain fixed requirements in that regard. Secondly, I just enjoy the challenge of putting together old gear and getting it to exceed the sum of the parts.
So currently that's:
- iPad running Spotify and some local files.
- Planar 3 with solid motor, Mission 774 and Goldring Elite MC.
- Marantz 2225 vintage am/fm receiver
- AR4xa vintage loudsepeakers.
That's just doable for around £1200 with some elbow grease. A good MM in place of the Goldring would bring things in at about £1k. Assuming a used iPad.
The 774 is a luxury and good enough would still apply with a nice R200 or RB300 on the Planar.
The Marantz phono stage is actually sensitive enough and quiet enough to take the 0.4mv Elite direct. They didn't skimp in those days.
You can hear it at Scalford.
linnfomaniac83
I bet you can’t wheelie a unicycle!
I think an amp that can deliver a good chunk of current helps but they aren't that bad, Arcs sounded amazing on the end of my klimax amps a couple of years ago. A Rega Osiris or even an elicit would be up to the job.
Tony L
Administrator
In many ways 'good enough' is all I'm aiming for. These days I'd say both my systems are remarkably simple:
System #1 is Garrard 301/M2-10/2M Black, Rega CD & DAC, Quad 34/306 and a pair of 15" Tannoy Monitor Golds.
System #2 is TV, music via iTunes & Spotify from a MacBook Pro with a Focusrite 2i2 ADC/DAC (I need the ADC bit as this system is used for recording instruments etc), Audio Synthesis PAS-02 passive pre / Quad 303, Klipsch La Scalas and some BK subs (I'd not argue the latter were essential!).
I list them as there is a very consistent theme here: big easy to drive speakers with decent yet unpretentious amp and source components upstream. There are certain areas I feel it is really worth sinking money into (turntable engineering, full-range speakers etc), and areas I just don't. System #1 is a MM cart via a pre-power you can find on eBay for about £400 and a nice old pair of full-range studio monitors. Very simple indeed. It only has a stand-alone DAC as I like to be able to play the computer through it, the CD player on it's own sounds fine.
If I didn't need vinyl / wasn't an overly-obsessive collector of music (both vinyl and CD) I could easily get away with a Mac and DAC as source and not want for more. I could actually strip system #2 down even further as the Klipsch sound excellent with just a little £50 T-Amp as they are so easy to drive!
System #1 is Garrard 301/M2-10/2M Black, Rega CD & DAC, Quad 34/306 and a pair of 15" Tannoy Monitor Golds.
System #2 is TV, music via iTunes & Spotify from a MacBook Pro with a Focusrite 2i2 ADC/DAC (I need the ADC bit as this system is used for recording instruments etc), Audio Synthesis PAS-02 passive pre / Quad 303, Klipsch La Scalas and some BK subs (I'd not argue the latter were essential!).
I list them as there is a very consistent theme here: big easy to drive speakers with decent yet unpretentious amp and source components upstream. There are certain areas I feel it is really worth sinking money into (turntable engineering, full-range speakers etc), and areas I just don't. System #1 is a MM cart via a pre-power you can find on eBay for about £400 and a nice old pair of full-range studio monitors. Very simple indeed. It only has a stand-alone DAC as I like to be able to play the computer through it, the CD player on it's own sounds fine.
If I didn't need vinyl / wasn't an overly-obsessive collector of music (both vinyl and CD) I could easily get away with a Mac and DAC as source and not want for more. I could actually strip system #2 down even further as the Klipsch sound excellent with just a little £50 T-Amp as they are so easy to drive!
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MVV
pfm Member
Yes, one of the reasons I will try to get there is to hear that.
Robert
Tapehead
Be nice to see you.
I'm currently toying with fitting an Airport card into the Marantz and relabelling it's (unused) AM radio switch as 'Airplay'. But I'm torn on the idea. It would be neat and functional, and it works given a little linear dc supply fed via the lamp lines, but it also feels like defiling a classic.
Gromit
Plasticine Dog
Glad you've said this Joe as I'd probably do the same. Have often thought of starting from scratch and going all-Rega as every time I've heard such a system it's really hit the spot. Neat, reliable, solid, and not expensive in the grand scheme.
Saying that, my rig's not worth all that much but it makes me happy.
G
Guest432
Guest
Glad you've said this Joe as I'd probably do the same. Have often thought of starting from scratch and going all-Rega as every time I've heard such a system it's really hit the spot. Neat, reliable, solid, and not expensive in the grand scheme.
Saying that, my rig's not worth all that much but it makes me happy.
I bought most of mine secondhand, the only new things were the speakers and turntable but they were ex dem and still need breaking in yet.
£300 Rega Brio-r
£350 Rega Apollo-r
£300 Rega DAC
£600 Rega RP6
£800 Rega RS5
£250 ZYX R50 MC cartridge
£250 Tom Evans microgroove
£60 Laptop
£90 HiFace 2
£150 Tellurium Q black speaker cables
£100 Mogami 2549 interconnects x4
£3250 for a system that sounds amazing is fantastic value when you think that some people will pay over £3k just for a whest phono stage or even a Koetsu cartridge.
pocketkitchen
Registered User
It's a bit of a myth, that one. I used my Arcs (older more difficult to drive, slightly, than the new) with an NVA AP20 very happily for several years. It was ****ing brilliant. I've also used them with a 25 Wpc Shigaraki Integrated which sounded ace too. Have a word with Pear Audio about it. Back in the day, John often used to recommend trying them with an integrated (Nait, 8000A etc), which impressive results. Once you get to Hawks or Diapasons then yes,, but Obelisks below can work very well with modest amplification.
Gromit
Plasticine Dog
Can't really argue with that.
I remember a few years ago Rega did a 'system for a £grand' demo at one of the London Heathrow hifi shows. Was about the time the R1 speakers were released. Was one of the best, most entertaining rigs of the day. Music just bubbled out of this system as though a cork had been released. Wonderful.
Robert
Tapehead
Glad you've said this Joe as I'd probably do the same. Have often thought of starting from scratch and going all-Rega as every time I've heard such a system it's really hit the spot. Neat, reliable, solid, and not expensive in the grand scheme.
Saying that, my rig's not worth all that much but it makes me happy.
I could be quite happy with RP3, BrioR, Apollo R, Ela with a nice clean cartridge.