Recommend a setup anyone?

[3sgte_power]

Hi,

can anyone recommend me a setup? I have a budget of NO MORE then £1500 and i am looking for decent sound. All i am essentially after is a CD Player, Amp, Speakers (NOT floorstanders) and a Tuner (preferably DAB). This may sound a bit stupid but the setup has to look aesthetically pleasing too.

I really like the Cyrus range, are they ok for a 25ft x 10ft room (me sitting about 15ft away?

Another possible option is the Linn Classik (£800) + some top notch speakers.This route would also save me on interconnects, but the downside is no DAB

Finally, is it ok to place the setup in side the bay area of a bay window or do speakers need free space?

Maybe i am talking out my backside, i'm a kinda newbie, so any help on this would be awesome.

Thanks

[schillaci0]

Arcam solo and Quad 11l or 12l all under £1500 and will sound superb.

[booktrunk]

The Arcam all in one does seem good.

If you have £1500 have you considered secondhand... Can get a heck of a lot for that sort of money.

Cyrus 7 amp and cyrus 7 cdplayer with a new small sized DAB unit and maybe new speakers for that sort of price.

On hififorsale. £500 Cyrus 8 amp cyrus 7 cdplayers around £325-350 + £150 for new small sized DAB unit. Leaves £500ish for new speakers or for some seriously decent second hand ones Maybe second hand Monitor Audio GR10s with stands?

I don't know exactly what but you have some idea there of what you can get for your money.

Also I know this is really vain sounding but having a baby cyrus stack with a very similar dab tuner does look cuter than the Arcam solo

Steph
EDIT: Re speakers ... if you can place them further apart you will probably get better seperation but everything is a compromise. Try them see if you can cope or if you find your wasting the equipment if the speakers are so close together, and then decide it's up to you

[3sgte_power]

So, how would the Cyrus setup sound compared to say a Linn Classik?

Music i mainly listen to is solo artists, so has to be spot on for vocals, but also require the fast punchy bass to keep up with Paul Oakenfold style music.

BTW, i've heard a friend's setup the other day. Linn Classik with AVI Neutron speakers, it was absolutely stunning. The sound was so lush.

[3sgte_power]

BTW...i dont mind 2nd hand.

[3sgte_power]

Has anyone here done a back to back demo on the Arcam Solo and Linn Classik?

Thanks

[tom_nieto]

It depends what Cyrus amp you were to buy really. I would expect the separate CD player and amp would sound slightly better than the all in one box solution.

Be on the lookout for CD7Qs as they're top notch, if a little expensive for your budget. i'd be really tempted to leave out the tuner for a while, but that's just me

[5ergo]

Hm, what about NAD CDP + NAD amp + some Dynaudios?

[Pezerinno]

What about a second hand arcam A32 (I happen to be selling) and some dynaudio Audience 52SE or if you can find some contour 1.3's. Not sure about DAB radio...

[Alex Simon]

Hi there
Is your bay window a continuous curve or just like below (ignore dots).
....________
__| ...........|__

If it's a curve then you will have to accept that the sound will always be compromised, but if it's as the diagram, you will be able to find a decent position for them. THe best thing is if you can give them one meter of space at the sides and then not have anything in between them. - You'll need longer cable runs to get to your components, but removing things from between the speakers is always a great free upgrade

As for actual component choices, have you tried some of the more 'left field' choices such as Rega/Sugden/Naim? When I used to be looking for hifi, I was always amazed at the difference in sound between going to a sevenoaks/superfi/etc and going to a specialist dealer. I remember my astonishment when I'd previously been interested in some 'magazine favourite' Mission speakers, that ended up being blown out of the water by my favourite budget speaker floorstander of all time - the Rega ELAs.

Cheers
Alex