Here we go noob hour cables

[Iam]

I have a nice little hifi system but i don't know how to connect it i'm such a noob there are so many different cables and i get lost at where they go or which ones i need. I have attached an image of what the back looks like from images over the web so i couldn't find high resolution ones sorry.


If someone would draw different coloured lines as to where each cable goes and why then i would be eternally grateful!

Or even saying which cable plugs into which port

 

[richardw42]

Hi. What other source besides CD do you use. Reason I ask is there is a little overlapping in tech on the components. The CD Player has digital inputs which means you can plug in sources to take advantage of its DAC. The DAC quality of the MDac would be better than the CDP. Also the MDac is also a preamp so you do not need a separate preamp unless you specifically need it's inputs.

Personally my thoughts are a cheaper CD Player fed into the DAC. A player with a good transport.
That would be connected straight to the power amps.

Have you bought it all yet. I'd suggest if it's all from the same retailer they've really sold you more kit than you might need (accepting I don't know your specific requirements).

Also, is the CDP the 8200CD? An extra £100 would have got the 8200CDQ with preamp.

 

[Arcam_boy]

If you have already bought it I'd connect...

CD PLAYER - Two small RCA outputs (NOT the one with three pins (XLR) to the red/white RCA input on the PRE AMP (as you look at the back of the pre-amp the furtherest sockets to the right) making sure you get the left/right cables correct. For this you'll need an RCA lead.

Then still on the PRE AMP you've got the sockets that say PRE-AMP OUT you'll need two more sets of RCA leads put the right to one MONO POWER AMP and the left to the other.

Then on the MONO amp a set of speaker cables from the speaker out to the rear of the speaker. You could also bi-wire using both sets of outputs from the MONO amp to both sets of binding posts on the rear of the speakers.

Thats the simplest way I would say to set it up.

If you have the m-dac already you could trying using the cd player as a transport. In that case you'd need a COAXIAL or OPTICAL cable running from the OPT/COAX out of the CD Player in to the IN PUT OPT/COAX of the M-DAC and again use the RCA outputs on the M-DAC in to the CD INPUTS on the PRE-AMP.

 

[Iam]

Hi. What other source besides CD do you use. Reason I ask is there is a little overlapping in tech on the components. The CD Player has digital inputs which means you can plug in sources to take advantage of its DAC. The DAC quality of the MDac would be better than the CDP. Also the MDac is also a preamp so you do not need a separate preamp unless you specifically need it's inputs.

Personally my thoughts are a cheaper CD Player fed into the DAC. A player with a good transport.
That would be connected straight to the power amps.

Have you bought it all yet. I'd suggest if it's all from the same retailer they've really sold you more kit than you might need (accepting I don't know your specific requirements).

Also, is the CDP the 8200CD? An extra £100 would have got the 8200CDQ with preamp.

its the standalone cd player i didn't get the CDQ because they say its better if everything are separates. Thats why i included a standalone DAC are you saying it wasn't worth getting the DAC i can still take it back.

 

[Iam]

If you have already bought it I'd connect...

CD PLAYER - Two small RCA outputs (NOT the one with three pins (XLR) to the red/white RCA input on the PRE AMP (as you look at the back of the pre-amp the furtherest sockets to the right) making sure you get the left/right cables correct. For this you'll need an RCA lead.

Then still on the PRE AMP you've got the sockets that say PRE-AMP OUT you'll need two more sets of RCA leads put the right to one MONO POWER AMP and the left to the other.

Then on the MONO amp a set of speaker cables from the speaker out to the rear of the speaker. You could also bi-wire using both sets of outputs from the MONO amp to both sets of binding posts on the rear of the speakers.

Thats the simplest way I would say to set it up.

If you have the m-dac already you could trying using the cd player as a transport. In that case you'd need a COAXIAL or OPTICAL cable running from the OPT/COAX out of the CD Player in to the IN PUT OPT/COAX of the M-DAC and again use the RCA outputs on the M-DAC in to the CD INPUTS on the PRE-AMP.

Thank you Arcam.

 

[Ianfromnotts]

Hi. What other source besides CD do you use. Reason I ask is there is a little overlapping in tech on the components. The CD Player has digital inputs which means you can plug in sources to take advantage of its DAC. The DAC quality of the MDac would be better than the CDP. Also the MDac is also a preamp so you do not need a separate preamp unless you specifically need it's inputs.

Personally my thoughts are a cheaper CD Player fed into the DAC. A player with a good transport.
That would be connected straight to the power amps.

Have you bought it all yet. I'd suggest if it's all from the same retailer they've really sold you more kit than you might need (accepting I don't know your specific requirements).

Also, is the CDP the 8200CD? An extra £100 would have got the 8200CDQ with preamp.

+1

If its been bought I would get the dealer round to install it for you - on a sale like this its the very least they should be doing

 

[Doomlord_uk]

Just want to say, excellent first post!

 

[richardw42]

its the standalone cd player i didn't get the CDQ because they say its better if everything are separates. Thats why i included a standalone DAC are you saying it wasn't worth getting the DAC i can still take it back.

If your only source is CD. I cannot comprehend why they'd sell you such a capable CD Player and also the DAC.

The MDac, is better, but personally if I was keeping the MDac I'd be using a cheaper CD Player if you can't do this I'd take the MDac back.

Was it the dealer that recommended the set up. That's a bigger sale for them. I might sound cynical but that sounds like poor advice. Did you audition and make your own mind up.

I'd have bought the CDQ & power amps. Any sound quality differences will be close.

 

[richardw42]

Re. Separates are best. I have AVI ADM 40 speakers. They also include DAC, pre & power amps and they're about as good as you'll get.

 

[maxflinn]

Who was the dealer that you bought it all from?

 

[MI55ION]

its the standalone cd player i didn't get the CDQ because they say its better if everything are separates. Thats why i included a standalone DAC are you saying it wasn't worth getting the DAC i can still take it back.

Assuming you purchased everything from the same place, your dealer whoever they are have flogged you kit you don't need.

If you're going with the Audiolab kit you don't need the separate pre-amp. Get rid of it. Get rid of the 8200 CD too.

The CDQ is an integrated unit, it plays CDs, it acts as DAC and pre-amp which connects direct to your power amps. It also has a few neat little features but to keep it simple we won't go in to it.

Contrary to what you may have been advised going the separates route does not yield any benefit as far as we are concerned here. In fact it can be more damaging.

If you don't need CD playback and can switch to a source like pc/mac/server etc then the M DAC is a better option as in terms of pure sound quality it has been hailed the reference bit of kit from the Audiolab stable. It also has built in pre amp.

The CDQ isn't far behind though, they are very similar in design and concept and share a similar pedigree.

So depending on your needs you decide whether it'll be the Mdac or the CDQ and in the process save yourself a bundle of cash and added complexity of wiring.

 

[Ben Jammin]

I am also in agreement you would get far far greater value with the audiolab CD player/DAC/pre-amp all in one thing than three seperate boxes, possibly actually a better sound to be honest, more cohesive. Sounds like they just wanted to make money off you there.. However on the bright side if you can't go back you do have a great system.

 

[Iam]

Ok thanks guys but it didn't help my original question lol. No the mdac was my choice i bought it separately from the dealer superfi is where i bought it all. I did think about the CDQ but just thought the separates route was the best even though there was little to no difference in sound quality. I've took the mdac back now anyways.

 

[MI55ION]

Ok thanks guys but it didn't help my original question lol. No the mdac was my choice i bought it separately from the dealer superfi is where i bought it all. I did think about the CDQ but just thought the separates route was the best even though there was little to no difference in sound quality. I've took the mdac back now anyways.

Any specific reason you decided to keep the CD and pre-amp when the CDQ can do the same job probably a litter better?

 

[Iam]

Any specific reason you decided to keep the CD and pre-amp when the CDQ can do the same job probably a litter better?

Separates. If i where to take it back i would have to refund the whole system which is too much of a pain.