Hi-Fi Stereo for use with CDs, Vinyl and Spotify?

[Cromulent]

I've wondered if it was worth getting a Hi-Fi stereo with a CD player and vinyl player and plugging my computer audio output into the AUX port.

How much would I be looking to spend to get a system like that? I think I'd want a subwoofer to go along with it as well. Music is probably one of the essential things in my life so spending a bit extra would be worth it, but I don't think I'd be able to go above £400.

Advice? Opinions?

 

[Nico72]

£400 all in is a small budget in hi fi. It would stretch more in the second hand market.
What do you use currently to listen to your music?
Regarding vinyl, it is only worth it if you already have a collection of music in that format. Otherwise I would avoid it, particularly with a low budget.
For listening to music stored on your PC, I would avoid aux in and look for an amp with a usb DAC input, or a wireless solution like the (now discontinued) Chromecast audio.

 

[Gilbers]

A worthwhile system including a CD player, turntable, amplifier, speakers and subwoofer is going to be close to impossible for £400.

As Nico has already suggested, if you can limit your source to either the PC, or a cheap streamer - a Chromecast audio or (for iOS) an Airport Express spring to mind - that frees up alot of your budget.

Unless you have a big room to fill, or are aiming for club levels of bass (which I’d say isn’t really hifi) I’d also drop the thought of a sub.

That just leaves you needing speakers and an amp. If you can stretch the budget a little, assuming you don’t have a huge room or need earth-shaking volume I’d consider something like the Topping PA5 amp (£325 from JustDacs) and some Concept 20 speakers (£230 from Peter Tyson). The latter in particular appear to be an amazing bargain at the moment.

Another alternative would be a set of active studio monitors, which have amplification built-in and can provide serious bang for your buck, but somebody with more experience of these, (e.g. @Paul7777x) would be better to advise you there.

 

[FootHealer]

I've wondered if it was worth getting a Hi-Fi stereo with a CD player and vinyl player and plugging my computer audio output into the AUX port.

How much would I be looking to spend to get a system like that? I think I'd want a subwoofer to go along with it as well. Music is probably one of the essential things in my life so spending a bit extra would be worth it, but I don't think I'd be able to go above £400.

Advice? Opinions?

Hi,

As the guys have already said, getting a HiFi with a subwoofer and turntable for less than £400 is tricky. As @Nico72 suggested, unless you have a sizeable vinyl collection, I would avoid getting a turntable. I'd also recommend avoiding the AUX out, as the sound quality would be a little underwhelming. And as @Gilbers said, a subwoofer is going to cost a fair bit.

The second-hand market might be the best option. You could potentially cable together a new pair of speakers (say Q Acoustics 3020 for £129, a basic amp like the Cambridge AXA25 for £200, and use the remaining £80 for some cheap speaker cable and an RCA cable, plus a chinese USB DAC for the PC. That would actually make a nice little PC based system. Adding a CD player would cost at least £200. Adding a turntable, another £180. I'd stick with the PC for that kind of money. You can always add other components later.

 

[FootHealer]

I was mulling over a second option that included a subwoofer for less than £400. You could get an Arylic A50+ off Ebay (new) for £139. It has a USB in for use with a PC plus a subwoofer out. It also supports Spotify.

Arylic A50+ Stereo Amplifier with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB streaming | eBay

Arylic A50+ improves on the previous model, the Arylic A50, by replacing the RCA line outputs with a passive sub-woofer output, and an SPDIF Optical input. The Arylic A50+ is a WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 enabled digital integrated stereo amplifier.

www.ebay.co.uk

You can pair this with a set of Wharfedale Diamond 9.0 speakers from Richer Sounds (£49) and a Wharfedale Diamond SW150 subwoofer for £149 from AV Online. These speakers have been a round a while now, and have been marked down in price quite a bit over the years. I tried them years ago, and they weren't bad...excellent for £50 a pair. They have very little bass though. If you add the matching subwoofer, you'll get down to 40Hz easy. It certainly won't be the most refined system, but for £360, I think its pretty good. Use the other £40 to get some cables or a used CD player off EBay. Or keep it aside and save up for a CD player.

Wharfedale Diamond 9.0 (Black)

Shop for Wharfedale Diamond 9.0 Black Speaker Pair with Richer Sounds for a 6 Year Guarantee, expert advice and Lowest Prices Guaranteed

www.richersounds.com

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 Subwoofer, Black at AV.com

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 Subwoofer, Black at AV.com

www.av.com

I hope that helps. The previous system I mentioned would be "more audiophile", but this system will have the bass you may be missing from smaller speakers, plus you don't need a DAC. Anyway, thought I'd mention it. Good luck