First Hi-Fi Questions:
First off, hello all and thank you for reading. This is my first post so bear with me if this doesn't belong here or I make a beginners mistake.
I am 18 years of age and have a ever expanding vinyl collection. While the vinyl is now worth quite a bit I feel that playing it on an Audio Technica LP60-USB turntable does not do my collection justice. I have a budget of about $4500 for the analogue equipment and then another $2000, in a year or two, for some digital/streaming/cd sources etc. I wanted some experienced listeners to give me their opinions on some of the equipment I've been thinking about. All suggestions are welcome but I have some limitations.
I have a fairly small listening room in which the volume would have to maintain reasonable levels. I listen to a wide variety of things but usually it's rock, metal, jazz, or experimental recordings. Anyways, here is the gear I was looking to accquire for my first respectable hi-fi system:
Rega RP-3 w/ TTPSU -OR- Rega RP-6 TT
Rega Brio-R Integrated Amplifier
Neat Iota Speakers
Cable ???
--
Naim UnitiQute
NAD C-515BEE CD Player
All suggestions / feedback welcome,
Cheers!
Jamie
Hi Jamie, and welcome. You have generous budget which will get you a really nice system, as you doubtless realise. The items you list are well regarded and you will find dozens of reviews on this site.
You might want to consider the Naim Unitilite as that incorporates the CD player, and costs GBP1650. The Iotas apparently match it very well, though I've not heard that combo myself.
You mention dollars, so your location will affect availability and pricing. Accordingly, much as I'd like to recommend British gear, it might be wiser to get something made locally. Where are you?
I live in British Columbia, Canada! I have a few local shops that carry Rega, Naim, etc so those have been brands I've been looking into. All suggestions welcome if there are Canadian brands, though I don't care about origin, just the sound quality!
Thanks,
Jamie
NAD, Bryston and Totem are, I think, Canadian companies that are very highly regarded, and in addition to making great products, may, in their native Canada provide better value for money than many imported brands.
That Rega RP3/Brio-R/ Neat combo should work really well in a small room.
In addition to Rega Brio-R you should also try to audition Arcam FMJ A19 and Marantz PM-KI Pearl Lite.
Neat Iota is great speakers, but since you also mention you listen to Rock and Metal you might also want to try out something like KEF R300 and Dynaudio Excite X12.
For speaker cables try Audioquest Type-4 or FLX-SLiP 14/4