Where to go from here......

Due to a lack of funds, my system hasn't changed for well over a year now and I'm starting to get a little bored with it (see sig. for system)!

There has now been an increase in funds so it's time to do an upgrade (or two!). I've been wanting to change the speakers for a while and liked the MA Silver S5 I heard last year.

My question is, what would give me the biggest gain in change - new speakers (MA S5 or MA S2 possibly) or a new amp (eg Cyrus 6 or Arcam A80 or a possible stretch to Cyrus 8) ? I listen to mainly female vocalists and want greater levels of detail and transparency from my system. The room is fairly small which is why I'm looking at compact floorstanders or average standmounts.

And if, (hypothetically ) I could afford to upgrade them both (without doing a Saab), what two bits of kit would be best for my system (in similar ranges to those mentioned) - I'm happy to explore the second hand side if that would provide some decent bargains.

Any recommendations gratefully received


Cheers,
Batfink

 

I am a firm believer in speakers first, conventionally. Amps if you want to go valve. But for all intents, speakers.
troulbe is, speakers can be so different you may find you don't like them.
But the kefs good as they are, are cheap, and this is the place to start.
Give us a list of ones you are considering.

an arcam amp would make a nice partner, but I have heard arcam is a bit boring no exp. myself.
I would be tempted to go for naim s/h myself, as my allegiance lies here for sonics. maybe a pioneer a400? they are good for not a lot. may be a bit old for you tho'.

 

Room size and budget please - then we can get down to the nitty gritty...


reg :Quad:

 

A popular misconception. I found the Alpha 8R to be very involving.

 

Probably about 3.4 x 4 with the speakers sitting in a bay window type of area.

Budget well...I'm open to suggestions. Don't want anything too good for my CDP. I was thinking around £500 for speakers and/or absolute max of £800 for amp.

Speakers I've heard so far:

MA S5 - great sound (a year ago)
KEF Q3 - didn't like them that much
B&W 602 S3 - nice sound, but probably too big for the room now.
Dynaudio Audience 42 - nice and punchy bass, but not the last work in detail resolution.
Quad 11L - no thanks! They're not all that great.

Amps:

I haven't listened to any yet as I wasn't considering this upgrade, but my recent change of funds has made me re-think! I've heard a few Cyrus systems when "browsing" though and really liked the detailed sound they offered hence the reason I have them on my list.

 

Rotel RA1062 at £600 is shocking me with how good it is. Couple it to a pair of Royd RR1's and you have a superb musicmaker of a system.

Cheers

Jason

 

With your listening preference, Quad ESL63s should float your boat. You can get a late/recently serviced pair for just under the £1000 mark. Save the remaining £300 for any other future upgrades you want to make - but I am pretty sure that once you've heard the ESLs on female vocals, you won't want anything else.

Your room is large enough to take them, but they will need to be positioned at least 2-3 feet from the front wall to get the best out of them.

reg

 

I'd agree with Jason, Rotel amps are "shockingly" good and make you wonder why anyone bothers with more esoteric stuff.

The 1062/Dyanaudio 52 combo is a pocket friendly music maker that should keep you from wasting money on so called upgrades for years.

 

Just plugged a Naim NAC62/NAP140 into my system. It made more difference than any other upgrade I've ever done before. Should cost about £400-450

 

Did you listen to any of the bigger Quads by any chance? I quite liked the 11Ls but they had nowhere near the weight and bass extension I was looking for, and do sound a bit "small" - hence I got 22Ls.

 

Another shameless plug for Rotel amps. I've only got the RA-01, but it put all the other amps I tried to shame for that money (including the NAD C370). Just wish I had some Dyn's to try with it, although I dont think Dyn's would work that well in a small room as I've heard they like to have space to breathe.

And the Monitor Audio's (Silver range) are supposed to partner very well with it.

 

Agreed the bigger Quads sound far better than the 11L's, which are distinctly disappointing for a £400 speaker IMO.

 

Won't that cause bright/harshness problems though - the RA-1062 partnered with the S5's ? I thought Rotel's had a fairly "bright" sound which may not match well with the metal tweeter.

 

I've seen a fair few reports saying that the Rotel does go well with Silvers. Metal tweeters being bright is just a myth -- any tweeter can be bright, even silk ones. The Silvers are meant to be smooth, detailed and clear.

Make sure you get an audition though obviously.

Edit: And FWIW (probably not much) I recall Hifi Choice having an all Rotel system with a pair of Silver floorstanders, and they rated em. An attention grabbing, lively combo was how it was cited. Obviously, that wont be much use to you if you like music that can send you to sleep.

 

what is "without doing a Saab"? i dread to think

btw,your criteria are the the same as what mine were,identical in fact

Eva Cassidy is now an angel in my lounge,she visits at least once a week,

 

Which of your "upgrades" did she like the most ?

 

Haven't a bloody clue,although I think it might be the Milty lens cleaner but then again the Sugden or Sparks could have something to do with it.Or was it the Cleanline,or Neils magic freezer,or the Lack and Foculpods,or the Isol.......................bugger

 

Now that's "doing a Saab"

 

If you like the sound of MA then do try out the GR10s. Fabulous sound and available second hand for around £500 (seen a couple of pairs on Ebay recently).

Liam.

 

Batfink

At risk of boring the forum, I will only say this once more.

Get some secondhand ESL63s. Your listening preference is crying out for a pair. Once you have heard electrostatics, almost nothing else will do unless you like damage inducing SPLs or coloured bass. They are so fundamentally right, you'll wonder why you ever bothered with dynamic speakers.

Do a search on the forum for Quad ESL - several members have heard them, rate them highly and others own them.

There's a pair advertised in HiFiWorld for £900 which leaves you with £400 to pick up a factory reconditioned Rotel RA1062 for £359 from Unilet.

Job done.

reg