£2800 credit to spend a Sevenoaks.

What do you recommend I have a listen to?

I already have the Cyrus 8 and Quad gear in mind, but is there anything else? Does anyone know of any sneaky combos like Cyrus amp with MF CDP for example?

I know you'll tell me to 'listen for myself', but I'd like a heads up before I go. Cables are already taken care of.

I know its probably the wrong place, but are is that new Denon 3910 any good with stereo? I'm actually gonna give a couple of Home Theater rigs a spin as well

 

Sevenoaks now deal with PMC,so i recommend a listen to the GB1s and TB2+

 

Not wanting to be rude, but this seem the worst possible way to go about buying kit. I suspect it will be all to easy to waste a hell of a lot of money.

First of all I'd think about what your objectives are, and then when you know what you want to achieve then its time to start narrowing down products. Randomly buying products is a recipe for disaster IMO.

What is your system btw?

 

Hi Kasperoff.

Do you have a credit note with Severedscrotes or can you spend the money in a proper hifi shop?

 

Robbo's right of course..

If you want hifi more than AV, then zerogain is a good choice.

Your room dimensions, existing kit list and any AV requirements would help people to help you IMHO.

This is a list of sevenoaks brands..

CD players and amps

Arcam Cyrus
Denon Harman Kardon
Linn Products Marantz Meridian
Meridian Quad
Roksan Rotel Sony

speakers

Acoustic Energy
AVI
B&W
Cyrus KEF
Linn
Mission Monitor Audio
Quad Ruark Wharfedale


From that, I'd be shortlisting B&W, Ruark, Monitor Audio GR series, Meridian, Rotel, Quad, Linn.

It has to be said though, there are some outstanding brands that Sevenoaks just dont sell.

If this is an insurance payout or similar, Id go to a few more shops and here some of the alternatives before opting for sevenoaks.

Reccomending models is harder than reccomending brands, when we dont have all the info

Chris

 

if you ask, they may well get in brands which are not on their list - the guy who runs my local Sevenoaks will happily get all sorts of stuff in for me to audition - the only trouble is actually with some distributors who won't deal with Sevenoaks.

 

Yes fellow's its gotta be Sevenoaks.

Ideally I'd have been give the cash and would have gone 2nd hand. But I'm stuck with Sevenoaks.

I'd be looking at Copland, Sonus Faber, Dynaudio and Unison if I had my way.

Anyhoo, I'm looking for an Amp, CD and speakers suggestions from you lot. Ideally standmounts. I have always liked Monitor Audio Gold 10's and was thinking about having a listen to them with the Quad 99/909 (?) combo.

Music preference is varied (Guns N Roses to Damien Rice to Dr Dre).

Gear will be placed in my front room. About 14 x 13 feet. Speakers will be about 5 feet apart and I'll beable to spare a few foot or so behind them.

 

OK,

How about the Quad 99 CDP with variable output directly into a Rotel 1062 power amp driving Monitor audio/PMC speakers, spending the rest on supports and cables.

 

Unico cdp and amp into ruark or PMC or MA rest on stands etc They may be willing to get it in for you.

 

Sounds interesting Robbo. I'll put it on the short list.

However I can't find much info on the 1062 Power amp. I did find the RB-1080 tho that looks quite tasty.

Don't you rate Quads power amp?

 

I don't think Sevenoaks do Unico do they? I guess I could ask them to try and 'source' some if they don't.

 

You could always dem unico elsewhere and get SO to order in for you. Sneaky but hey so are ther prices

 

My mistake, the 1062 is an integrated, not a power amp. the 1080 should do you.

 

Arcam CD192
Arcam A90
B&W 705 (or Perhaps AVI Pro Nine Plus)

 

I know this isn't the most MF friendly place, but has any one spent any time with the new X-series gear? It's getting some decent press. But I guess MF always does.

Ken Kessler gives the Quad 99CD-P lots of love too. Anyone heard this? Ditto Cyrus' X-DAC?

Cheers for the input guys.

 

I'd have a listen to Quad 99 / 909 / 22L if I were you and take it from there, though obviously the GR10s have the advantage of being standmounts which is much better if you're looking for standmounts.

Edit: or perhaps plan B: Rotel 1072 / 1062 / MA GR20.

 

Although i've never bought any products from SO and have only ever visited two of their shops ( Glasgow GWR and Aberdeen ) i have to say that the staff , particularly in the Glasgow store where very friendly and chatty, no hard sell and seemed happy just to oblige me window shopping.
I know that some of the guys here have suggested brands that SO don't stock , but could possibly get in for you. Why not just pop down to one of their stores and try out the brands that they do stock first. I don't reckon that their product range is really all that shabby at all, you never know you just might find that system that really gets your rocks off.
The advice so far seems to be more on the negative side and you haven't even had a listen, yet, FFS.
I'd be pretty happy to be going shopping for Hi-Fi with £2.8K in my backsy, Rather than have virtual people make you agonise about what you can't buy there go and have a try of what you can buy. I won't give any specific recomendations as i haven't been out and about demo'ing gear with any spare cash for too long now, you jammy bugger, go and enjoy.

 

I have seen some second hand Meridian active speakers in some branches of Sevenoaks before.

You might be able to combine that with a meridian source or a quad 99cdp for the price, although its pushing it.

If they do stock PMC (no comment on the website that I could see) you could get a quad 99cdp and a pair of active PMC's (hopefully $$)

just a few thoughts

I believe sevenoaks have a list of second hand stock in all their branches somewhere.
Im sure thats a good question to ask them

 

Definitely check out the Quad 99CD-P - it has it's own pre amp (which can take additional digital inputs) so you can save money on a separate pre-amp and go straight into a quality power amp.

I'd be tempted to try it out with the Quad 909 power amp and then maybe the Quad 12L standmounts - this would leave enough for some decent stands and cables. You could also try out the MA GR10's but they are a bit more pricey than the 12L's.

If you want a surround sound set up instead then what about a Denon 2910 DVD player, the 3805 amp and an Acoustic Energy 3A or 3B speaker package?

Matt.

 

Well I own a 99cdp and 707 .....you really can't beat it. The three coax and three optical digital input plus the preamp really put the icing on a very good cd player.
Those quad speakers are exceptional within their price bracket....though they are not electrostatics! Though a word of warning.....the quad presents the music and if you don't like it ...it's not it's fault. Or thats how I see its presentation you get whats on the disc nothing disguised.