Downsizing Advice

I am moving house and will not have a dedicated hi-fi room in my new abode. I am therefore looking for advice on the best way of creating a CD only system that will be neat and tidy in a room used by other family members. Due to having twin boys of 2½ I think that my turntable might have to go .

So in terms of selling prices on the sh market and the best sound per pound what would you recommend. What should I sell and what should I keep. The monos will have to go but keep the CD? This is my current set-up;

Front End:
Roksan TMS (with new power supply and isolation shelf) + SME V + Lyra Argo

Sugden Masterclass CD Player (late model of the original design)

Amplification:
Sugden Masterclass Mono Block Amplifiers
Sugden Masterclass PRE
Lenhman Silver Cube Phono Stage

Speakers
Audio Physic Virgo III


Other Stuff

6 x Russ Andrews Signature Power Chords - 1.5m
1 x Russ Andrews Signature Power Chord - 2.5m
1 x Russ Andrews Purifier Power Block
1 x Russ Andrews Power Block
1 x Russ Andrews Purifier
Pair Kimber 3035 speaker cable 8ft

SO my question, what should I keep? Should I sell it all and start from scratch? Should I kill myself?

Advice would be appreciated.

 

Keep it all and get some smaller speakers- What?

 

My advice, as always when looking for a neat and very high quality solution is some active speakers and either a CD player with in-built volume control or your current CD player and a nice pre-amp.

That gives you two boxes and a pair of speakers, that happen to have active crossovers and are bi-amped.

For speakers look at ADAM (do a good looking range available as active), Mackie, PMC, ATC, Tannoy Ellipse look good to me.

Preamps I like Music First TVC or the Django with S&B transformers - these are basically the same.

Have a read of this - http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/pmc/aml1_2.html

 

Get a decent integrated amp - I've had great results with the AVI Lab Series Integrated, driving Audio Physic Avanti IIIs.

 

if you're never going to listen to it, then that's a lot of money tied up in hifi..

how cheap can you go and still want to listen to music?


well, at the moment I have £20 missions and a £25 sonic T amp.. doesnt sound a patch on what I've been used to.. but the brain adapts, and I listen to just as much music.

In fact, what I listen to most is classical music on my clock radio.


If you REALLY have to share the lounge with tellytubbies and eastenders etc..

why not get a very small bedroom system, and dissapear off in there when you want some musical respite?

 

If smaller speakers that are relatively childproof that your after I do have a pair of Elac 301 I's on their stands and they do have bullet proof covers over the speakers. And I could be made to part with them.......

 

Why not buy a wall shelf for the turntable to keep it out of harms way and drop down to a Sugden integrated such as the A21SE to reduce the box count. Certainly keep your excellent source components.

The speaker issue is probably the most difficult to solve. I would think floorstanders are more stable with young children but how do you stop stray fingers pushing at the drive units?

Invest in a good quality headphone amp and headphones, so you can maximise the use of the system.

Graham

 

Get rid of the wife and kids

But seriously- it is very tricky- I like you have Sugden equ. Mine is A21a integrated, maybe slightly more compact. Speakerwise, I chose Focal JLabs which are floorstanders but with metal grilles which might be good with small children around. Our daughter is now 25 but I never remember issues with her and my hi fi other than having less time to listen to it- and I wouldn't have had it any other way. One important aspect regarding speakers, stand mounted speakers can be very top heavy and are very easily knocked over as this 59 year old kid can testify, hence I opted for Focal JLabs when I recently replaced my entire system

 

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