I've recently graduated from uni and have a little money (£600 ish) burning a hole in the bank so I thought I'd divert this into my Hifi as my current setup isn't really doing much for me. (Arcam 72t - Technics 900 pre/ power - Monitor Audio B2's) Sorry if the kit mentioned is a little below the level normally discussed on here but I'm a long time lurker and value the opinion of people on here. I'm looking around the £600 mark, most probably second hand after today's experiences as most of the new speaker seems to be missing that something special, but any advice in general would be appreciated. I listen to quite a varied range of music from rock/indie (kings of leon, libertines, radiohead) to acoustic with a little bit of dance/electronic thrown in. In the system I'm after :- • greater bandwidth with a solid tight bass • greater instrument separation and something non-fatiguing • A 'sweet' midrange • low listening levels would be appreciated by the better half (but not important) Or to be blunt, something that 'rocks' a little more than my current system I've been through a few speakers today none of which I could settle on and ended up leaving the shop empty handed and unhappy at wasting the stores time. All were on an entry level Arcam system except (*) which were on a high end Naim system. :- JM labs chorus series (*) - Good speakers, if a little laid back, but the bass didn't quite do it for me. Dynaudio Audience 72 - These seemed to be lacking bass (could this be down to the amplification). The midrange sounded a little too dry to live with. Naim £1250 price level - By far the best for detail and separation but I really couldn't get on with the naim sound. Rega Ara bookshelves and Rel stampede sub - I don't think these were setup anywhere near correctly but they weren't sounding good to my ears. I could go on but won't. Mission V6's - Seemed lacking on bass and separation compared to others Quad 22l's – Nice Midrange, but separation and bass were lacking. Don't think they rocked that much either. I've also heard MA GR20's which are spot on for acoustic but I can't say they really rock. I was hoping to listen to some B&W's but the store didn't have any in stock at the time. Apologies for being long winded but hope someone can come up with some ideas to help. Any trade Pm's will be welcomed especially if you're in the Sheffield area.
The Bronze 2s are said to be pretty lively (I have not heard them), so might be wise to stick with them. Get them close to a wall and you should get reasonable bass output. For something lively, I'd be tempted to spend the budget on a rotel amp (ra-01 or rc-03/rb-03 if buying new, RA971mkII, RA1060/1062, RB-971mkII + RC972 if buying sh), and a new CD player. Perhaps a superDAC and the arcam might raise the grin factor.
you could always build your own. if you really want bang for your buck this has got to be the way to go. several people on here have either modified, built from kit or are having speakers built from scratch. very worth thinking about and kits can be bought with everythign except the glue... have a listen to some b&w's but be aware they take an age to 'break in' and really only wake up when played LOUD! your other kit is probably ok, i've got a soft spot for technics pre/powers (love the vu meters and golden glow) and the arcam was respected at it;s price point in it's day. welcome to zerogain. cheers julian
Audio Analogue Puccini SE and these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5735354179&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT
I'd side with Isaac. I reckon the Technics house sound is quite warm and mellow from what I'd recall. i think I heard those amps a few years ago. I like the Naim sound myself so am perhaps not the best to talk about it, but the chrome bumper pre/powers are absolutely corking. IMHO that is. How about a 32/140, and perhaps a SuperDAc or the one Michael is trying at the moment. If you spend sensibly you'll get your money back if you don't like it. Naim speakers aren't the easiest thing to like in the world, so don't let it put you off. They do amps especially well. On the other hand you could perhaps try to find some Rega Ela speakers. They have a transmission line inside and are rather fast and pacey. Those Castle Chesters would be a top buy, they're great with Naim.
iirc the Technics 900 pre/power was just an integrated in two boxes- the power supply went into the power amp then connected via an S-video cable into the preamp ergo not a true pre/power... anyway, its a warm cosy sound but lacking in detail. i'd have a look at the JM Lab Cobalt range- a step up from the Chorus' that you looked at. Some bargains here : http://www.audio-cinema.co.uk/used.php?offset=14 Lastly, just make sure they get some decent stands and cables too and you should be onto a winner. Jm Labs stuff really is top value for money imo
Hi Jonny, Im not suprised the speakers you tried didnt do it for you if you were running them with entry level arcam kit. A speaker can only reveal what the electronics are doing. For instance knowing Dynaudio speakers very well they would sound bloody awful on the end of that and need good quality electronics to sound their best. I would be looking at changing Amps before spending cash on better speakers. Curtis
true pre/power imo is when the preamp and poweramp are separately connected to the mains. the Technics SUA1010 was a proper pre/power arrangement with separate PSUs...
B&W CDM1, SE version easier to find. And then save for an amp/front end. Alternatively spend it all on an amp. Something from Primare perhaps.
Change of direction Thanks to everyone who has replied here. TBH you're right here. I've always called it a Pre/power due to the 2 boxes. But the power supply is in the power 'box' with a battery IIRC in the pre 'box'. It's definitely smooth and has done a good job, maybe I need my eye's opening a litte though After the advice on here I think I'll have a look at amps available. I was looking to spend a little more on an amp in a few months time but maybe an integrated with pre outs, so i can add a power amp then upgrade the pre, is the best route to go atm. I've been looking our for rotel but any tips around the £300 mark would be appreciated. Lord Summit - I'd be interested to hear Naim electronics on some speakers I'm familiar with. I've got to say I was impressed with the Kit I heard the JM labs connected up to, I'm not sure if I could have lived with the sound but it would definitely be nice to know if that was down to the speakers or electronics. Anyway ...I've been playing around with cables and placement on my day off and have managed to get 'better' bass out of the B2's. Cheers Issac. I seem to have picked up some boomy bass. Could this be purely to the speakers being closer to the wall? the room in general? The Amp? At the end of the day, they're still nowhere near up to scratch on the other characteristics so I'm going to keep hunting. Cheers for the tip off Saab. If these weren't collect only I might have had a go for them myself. Good luck if you're bidding. I'm calling in a favour and going to have a listen to some B&W 600 series. Just to give me an idea on the sound. A lot of dealers seem to be pointing me in the direction so it can't harm anything.
If only I had a car to put the petrol in. The Mrs keeps telling me to get my priorities sorted. I keep arguing that I have! Ps. Julian cheers for the DIY idea. My DIY skills just about stretch to super gluing things together but I'm going nowhere near any electronics until I get a death wish.
jonny, take a look at the link at the bottom of my sig - at the bottom of that there is a link to my speaker build diary - i'm the same as you when it comes to diy and electronics but if you can find someone who could build the x-overs for you (and i'm sure there may be some on this forum who'd do it for a nights beer money) then the rest is easy and very rewarding. if you go for a wilmslow kit i believe they send the x-over fully built needing only the wires connecting to the speakers - which could be push on clips to start with. wilmslow are a bit pricey though. cheers julian
Those pair of Kef Ref 2's are still available at hifiguy.co.uk for £600. They might just fit the bill and I'm sure 'er indoors would approve of the looks: Matt.
