CD Changer + Damaged Speakers

Hey all

Need some advice on what I should do about my current hifi situation.

Currently everything is done via my relatively new Sony hifi system (MHC-WZ5). However, I've recently decided I want a CD changer again. Add that to the fact that whilst the sony system understands MP3 CD's and the like, the reading process is too damn slow, and from switch-on to playback, it's not as fast as I'd like it to be.

I am eyeing up the cheap and rather jolly looking Yamaha CDC585, which does everything I need it to at a decent price.

But what should I do with my current system?

A) Add the CD changer to this one and connect it via the MD/VIDEO phono sockets, and use this system until the hifi eventually dies?
-or-
B) Build up a small scale seperates system (on a budget of course, willing to spend around £140-180 on each component)

Considering I want a seperates system that can pump alot of bass, I'm not sure a seperates system is viable. I do, however, want a better system that doesn't tend to swallow the mid-range and lower highs, because on some of my CD's (screamo, punk etc, with plenty of screeching) the sound gets muffled, and some of the frequencies just seem to get lost in the noise. What components would you guys suggest? (Amp + Speakers)

Also, I've noticed a small amount of damage on my current system's speakers:


How could I repair it?

Thanks!

 

Probably not repairable, looks like the driver is pretty much mullahed to me.

Personally I'd go the separates route - a few years back I made the jump and never looked back. £140-180 per component will get you something quite surprisingly good, especially if you're prepared to go second hand/ex demo for some bits!

 

at £150 a box youve got the option of either:
1) buying new from richer sounds/sevenoaks and getting something that'll be ok.
2) buying second hand from somewhere/someone you can trust.

why not send a Private Message to Rory. He works in a hifi shop and could Im sure sort you out with some ex-dem stuff that would sound ok. I just wouldnt trust the average 'richer sounds monkey' to get even the basics right.

if you want full blown second hand, try calling Nick at the emporium (www.emporiumhifi.co.uk). Tell him your max budget, - if you dont mind stuff thats perhaps a few years old you'll get a sound that will pee on what you could buy new. Not only will you get better sound, but what you buy will have a reasonable re-sale value. The minute you take a 'richer sounds rig' out of the shop for £450, its instantly worth about £150 on the second hand market. I shit you not!

The emporium has a load of old richers specials here: http://www.emporiumhifi.com/Pages/ModernPages/CheapGrunge.html you'll see what I mean. Of course if you really want to save the pennies you could get a richers-equivelant system from that link.

Here's a few gems he has in right now in your budget..

NAIM NAIT 3 integrated amp, line only 250
REGA PLANET 2000 cd player 275
ACOUSTIC ENERGY AEGIS 1 boxed 100

if you have a reasonable sized room and want a decent floorstander for a full range sound..

RUARK TALISMANS 800 275


That Rega/Naim/Ruark combination might be about £150 over budget, but if you beg, borrow or steal it you'll have something which cost someone else about £2,500 new - and it will sound like it.

Good luck whatever you get.

 

the Z5 is 100WPC (but at a lot of distortion i think, and thats probably a peak figure). My suggestion is to get the CDC585 and connect it as you suggest (although the CDC585 reads CDRWs and CD text, theres no mp3 facility). I would also get some fairly bassy speakers. Look out for some Tannoy fusion floorstanders or Mordaunt Short 904s. They will be ok on the Sony mini system for a while, although you have to use the horrid speaker wire supplied. When funds permit you can then get an amp although I wouldn't recommend the matching Yamaha AX396 if you go for the Mordaunt Shorts or Mission M33s as it will be far too harsh

An alternative to the CDC585 would be the Marantz CC4300 5 disc changer or the Sony CDPCE535 ( i think thats the model- they only do one 5 disc). They both support CDRs and CDRWs, have remote controls. The Marantz also does cd text.

 

nb
Ive just noticed I completely bi-passed the 'multi cd player' thing.

Trust me though mate, when you have high quality sound you wont care about getting up to change the cd over..

hey, some of us still get up every twenty minutes to swap their LP's over..

 

Hey guys,

Thanks ever so much for the advice!!

I'm just wondering wether to go seperates or not. I was looking at the Technics SCEH790 hifi thingy. It looks really swish, does MP3 and stuff, and would act as a dolby amp for my new TV. Only flaw is it doesn't support ID3 and CD Text - plus it's only £335 inc delivery.

But then again, with seperates I can add a nice minidisc player so I don't have to worry about my netMD's batteries dying when I want to record something. And I can tag a DAB on too... But then again, the technics also has 3 inputs or so I can see! :-/

I don't think I can afford more than that when I think of it. I'm so confused as to what to do!! To be honest, I have my faith in these all-in-ones because I've seen them in action and I know I can push them really hard in party environments and not have to worry about blowing some very nice and expensive speakers, and the fact that one remote controls everything is nice, too..

I hate myself. lol

 

Bottleneck: All good advice but not sure whats happened to your sums?! If the max is around £180 per box, CD, Amp, Spks thats 540 notes. The system you proposed is £800 which is nearly £300 over budget, not £150. Am I missing something somewhere?

M3G4: Is it essential to have a changer? My reckoning is if you bought an equivalently priced single disk job the difference in sound would more than make up for having to get up and change disc. Second hand stuff even more so. EDIT: Sorry, hadn't noticed bottleneck covered that too

 

hahaha thats true.

I guess I wasnt thinking maths, just what was the best kit I could see for about 200 or so a box.

you've got to admit that would be one arse-kicking starter system.

m3g4 - i understand the 'party' thoughts though. You wouldnt be happy if someone poured beer all over your lovely new kit, or pushed in the tweeter, as happened to one young reveller here on zerogain..

 

You'd get far more useable power out of some seperates, the cambridge audio things go far more (useably) loud than the technics all in ones.
Ebay is worth checking too.

 

Yeah. I worry about bass. My current system really begins to strain at high volumes.. the bass drivers look like they're itching to leave the cabinets, and in parties, at loud volumes, the system struggles to define the boundaries between the mid and high ranges - though this may be something to do with the fact they're two-way as opposed to the 3-ways on the technics system.

I also love the idea of 5.1...

 

Its because you have too much distortion in the system. A better amp will play louder with less distortion so everything will be better seperated and the drivers will be much happier too.
You'll end up with a worse sound if you try to do 5.1 if your spreading the cost of your stuff over 6 speakers and an amp rather than one stereo amp and 2 speakers so you'd loose out on component quality.
At your budget you might find that 2 ways are better than 3 as 3 ways are far more difficult to design and execute properly. And again, your buying lower quality drivers etc.

 

what you want is an old powerful integrated Technics, Marantz or Yamaha amp off ebay for £50 or so, a well built oldish separate cd player- something like a Marantz CD52mk2 se or one of the CD94 models.

Then chuck on some old floorstanding speakers like Tannoy 611s or Mordaunt Short ms45/55s. These rarely go for over £80 but have huge bass. The Tannoys dual concentric tweeters are very hard to blow and the Mordaunt Shorts have positec tweeter protection circuits.

If you were an insane bass head you could add on an old and original Rel Storm or Strata sub for £150 or so

Theres some ideas

Just don't get that Technics SCHE790 system. Flimsily built, sounds shite, if one bit goes wrong it all goes wrong. You can't even upgrade the speakers as one output feeds treble and mid and the other feeds bass. Not even prologic II or 6.1 on it so hardly worth the bother for home cinema. Horrible plastic cased surround speakers anyway.

If you're really stuck give us a holler on msn chap.

 

thats a very good arguement for seperates I think.

you said you were worried about party damage, well like rory's just said if you get damage with seperates only one part needs fixing/replacing....unless your parties involve mad people with axes?!?

 

Not just that, it's also people pissing about with the volume knob - e.g. turning it up to maximum. I know that my current system can handle that as long as the "enhancements" aren't switched on.

 

if you do go down the route of seperates, might be worth putting inexpensive second hand speakers on the end - if thats something that happens a lot.

worst probable scenario sounds like a blown driver.

 

Or the world could end

 

there are some Mordaunt Short VS100s on ebay atm. They have an ICT driver so impossible to blow- theres no crossover!!