low end separates or all in one?

[spindoctor79]

I'm another one trading up - well maybe - to entry level (ie £250-350) separates from not particularly wonderful midis, and having had a comb through the current threads and a few other places, it looks like these are my options:

1. Cambridge AUDIO CD34, plus Cambridge Audio A5 plus Mission M71i's, which is a £250 package from Richer Sounds.

2. A Denon DM31 (£180 from Richer Sounds) plus something like Eltax MONITOR 3's (£70 from Richer Sounds)

3. Or maybe a TEAC REFERENCE CRH250DAB SYSTEM which seems to be about £260. (I like the DAB radio bit on this...)

4. If it's really going to be worth it, I might stretch to something like Nad C521 BEE (£160) or maybe the Marantz CD5400 (£100) plus an A5 (£120) or Marantz PM4400 (£130) plus Eltax Monitor 3s (£70)

Space is limited but not so limited the DM31's size is decision maker in itself (a little terrace) and The Wife Problem applies re speakers.

Any thoughts?

Matt

PS I'm humbled by you guys' willingness to go on responding to strings of know nothing newbie queries like this....

[bob1]

Have you considerd second hand ,you will get more for your money.

[spindoctor79]

Yep, I have, the only drawback being my almost total ignorance of what to look out for.

[bob1]

I wanted a cheap system for the dinning room, i bought a kenwood 3030r amp, it got good write ups in the mags was £250 but picked one up for £60 on ebay, then i wanted a dvd player as i wanted to play mp3/wma disc's for the garden ,that cost me £45 should have been £80ish ,speakers were mordaunt short ,were £130 cost me £25 inc cable.I also got an outdoor speaker for the garden should have been £100 but i got it for £45 and that was new of ebay.

[bob1]

Originally Posted by spindoctor79

Yep, I have, the only drawback being my almost total ignorance of what to look out for.

The best thing to do is read the reveiws get some gear in mind and then look out ,you could even put a wanted add in the classified section.

[Ed Selley]

Were it my money, I'd go cheap on New Years Eve and go for either the Marantz set or go slightly over budget for the Cambridge Azur 340 amp CD combo with the Eltax's as the musicality, upgradeability and sheer performance of the seperates will ourun the mini's. The entry level Marantz gear sounds very warm and refined whilst the Cambridge 340 bits are unsung heroes- the last project of the amp designer was the Tag 100x10 power amp.....