Advice Please: Setup for around £3k

M

Morpeth

Guest
Probably the sort of topic your all fed up of but here goes all the same;

Looking to put a stereo together on a budget of £3000 ($6k US), I would be looking for a decent set of speakers, amp, and one digital source as I’d prefer to rip CD’s directly to a hard disk (128kbs sound ok?… just kidding). I have a laptop if it’s needed. Room size, think standard Victorian terrace front room. I have fairly eclectic tastes in music, anything goes from classical through to rock and some dance.

I wouldn’t know where to start but just want to get some feeling for what I could put together and how I might split the money between components.

Thanks
 
There are so many options available to you, I wont bother naming specific electronics.

Id go to a few dealers, without specifying exactly what budget you have, and enjoy yourself!

To throw one combo in the ring: Cyrus seperates + Dynaudio speakers
 
Asking for specific kit recommendations on here really won't help that much, as all you'll get is replies saying "Buy xxx piece of kit, it's ace cos I have one".
Before anyone rips my head off, you need to be aware that each of those replies is right.
The key point being that individuals tend to focus their importance on different areas of musical reproduction, which is why manufacturers have their own distinctive "sonic signatures".

What you need to do is get out there to experience some systems and see which type of approach and presentation style you prefer.

My suggestion is to focus first on deciding on a pair of speakers as they are the most personal element of choice. Be aware that there's far more than the standard 2 way floorstander, e.g. premium stand mounts, horns, active, electrostatic and hybrids. All have their own compromises and advantages. So for example, I use a pair of horns, which I love for their dynamics, but some people are not happy as they tend to have worse colouration than some and show up the front end more. More recently I've heard some active ATCs, massive sound, very clean and I really liked them, but they weren't as good on dynamics. What I'm trying to get at is that there isn't a perfect solution.

For your amp, the key element is that it works synergistically with your speakers. If you buy say a pair of B&Ws, they tend to work well with gutsy and lively amps (e.g. Naim), and won't work as well with low powered valve amps (IMO). Buy a set of horns, and Naim amps will rip your ears off (again IMO), but low powered valves or class D can work wonders.

Lastly is your source. Sounds like your prime material for a streaming solution like the Transporter, SB+ or new Linn Sneaky. All are good solutions and are worth checking out.

In short, get out there to listen. IMO you should be spending roughly the same amount on each component, but be chosing speakers first, then work back up the chain.
 
For sure theres alot of choices but youve got to spread your budget to get good amp, speakers, mains isolator , etc. One weak link in all this could spoil your sound dramatically.
 
Definately look at the Linn Sneaky DS. For £1k, you get a quality digital source, preamp and poweramp. The only other things you'll need to buy are a NAS to hold your ripped music, a pair of speakers and some cables. Oh, and you might want a nice remote control too.
 

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