£4K System

Alba one piece midi hifi.
No interconnects to play with. No upgrade options to tempt the Money out of the wallet. No synergy issue. Ceramic cartridge included as standard on the turntable. Should have about £3950 change too.

Seriously though, Roksan make some good kit. Check out the Kandy range and one of their cheaper turntables. Should be within his price range.
I'm pretty sure they do all the electronics and speakers pretty well. There's plenty of good reviews about.
Interconnects and stands/racks i'm not so sure about-check Roksans' website, they may well manufacture some.

 

Thanks yes I've considered the Roksan range and ordered an ex-dem new Kandy L for myself. Interestingly enough the friend is a she. But she has NO Interest in how it looks and just wants the best sound she can get. As a Music graduate, it seems a reasonable request, although best being somewhat subjective.

Might have given a bum steer in terms of one make. My overarching concern is really synergy.

HiFi shows have been good opportunities for me to listen to odd pieces of equipment, I can't pretend to know how weel x goes with y in the price constraints set.

Anyone tried the AVI CD and Amp combo?

Thanks for the ongoing help.

 

I can't say it strongly enough, get active speakers. Just buy them! They will be the closest thing to what is on the actual recording. and guarantee synergy between speakers and amps. If you want a warmer or sweeter sound then you just add a valve pre-amp.

The Mackie HR626 are very good for the money if you don't quite want to get a pair of PMC AML1's. They probably look better, too.

http://www.mackie.com/products/hr626/index.html

 

:shame: I do apologise. Only read the previous post.

I'm afraid i only have experience with the Kandy amp(in the previous MkIII guise) so i can't comment on synergy.
The amp is rather nice sounding though. No harshness, lovely smooth midrange and a gutsy bass with good timing.
Worth a try and i'd imagine the cd player will go very nicely.

 

I'm sorry to state the obvious but I'm afraid the only way she'll know whether any kit is good enough is to audition.

Enjoy.

 

Indeed she will, just trying to get a shortlist together.

Patience is a virtue seldom found in women................but expected of men!

Help has been great and I'd welcome names of any good tube pre-amps as per above suggestion. Also (showing my ignorance here) would it still require a phono stage for this set up and active speakers?

Feeling I should pledge something to the forum for the help now.

Thanks.

 

Love it!

Regarding the auditioning, it can take a long time. However, don't think of it as a chore, just try to enjoy the experience. £4k is a good budget and should guarantee a wide selection of hardware. Perhaps you can listen to our members' system for starters. There may be one or two close to you.

I won't bore you with my own preferences, but it involves large(ish) speakers.

 

Gulliver - auditioning is certainly key.

At the very least she should hear a few different 'types' of speaker - active studio monitor, electrostatic panel, conventional 2 and 3 way..

they will all sound very very different, I assure you.

 

Where abouts are ?

We may be able to make some good recomendations as to good and helpful dealers.

 

I'm near Brixton, Sarf London presently.

No access to a car, I'm reliant on Public Transport. Which may make my leaving things on standby carbon exempt. (Another thread)

Any suggestions?? (Keep it clean)

 

Spend a day in London going round a few shops.

Walrus - for the unusual side of the market

KJ West One - for a large selection

Oranges and Lemons - for your boggo stuff

I'd reccomend booking appts with all 3 shops, give them your budget and ask them to give their best 2 alternatives..



oh..
and that shop tenson reccomended in nth london would be a good place to visit too, not many shops do studio monitors full stop.


**finally**

don't forget to ask them to include as much 'ex demo' kit as possible, it will give you much better sound for your money.. and you'll still get a full warranty.

 

I would also recomend Walrus and O and L.

Both very welcoming and helpful, they just cater for differnt tastes.