Recommendations...Teac CR-H255,DR-H300DAB, Onkyo CR-515 or any alternatives?

I'm not aware of any reliability problems with our Onkyo CR-515, and it took home a Product of the Year Award in 2006 - they're never awarded lightly. Apart from its class-leading sound, the Onkyo is one of the very few midi/micro systems I've heard that has worthwhile matching speakers (the CS-515, a CR-515 with speakers, is yours for £300 tops). If you wanted to spend a little more on speakers, you're spoiled for choice at the moment: listen to Cambridge Audio's S30s (£120) and Tannoy's Mercury F1 Custom (£110).

In the interval between asking my question and receiving your reply i'd all but decided upon the Teac CR-H255...the USB functionality enabling recordings and direct MP3 playback seemed a big draw. However, the Onkyo CR-515 appears to be very highly recommended everywhere, whereas the Teac is hardly mentioned...is there a performance gap between the two favouring the Onkyo, and would i be wiser to purchase a CR-515 instead?

Also regarding speakers i was having a hard time deciding between Q Acoustics 1010 or 1020's, Monitor BR1's, the Mordaunt short 902i's, Wharfedale Diamond 9.1's or a pair of similar Missions (31i or 32i). It seemed to me that the Mordaunt or Monitors were a good option but the Mission's also appear to be recommended. I have no clue on how to select the best matching speakers to produce the best result so any advice would be greatly appreciated on both the speakers and the better/differences between the two systems.
 

hey dude,

I seem to be in a similar situation as the one you were in when posting this blog.

What did you end up buying in terms of system and speakers?!?

Im swampd and confused by info.

Azazello

Like I say, I'd buy the Onkyo if it were my money. It's the best-sounding micro around at the money.

As regards speakers, your decision will to some extent be dictated by price - I'm always amazed at the gap between a manufacturer's pricing intentions and the sort of money products end up being sold for. If your budget runs only as far as Q Acoustics 1010s, you won't be disappointed with their performance. Personally, I'd like the Wharfedales on the front of my Onkyo - they're a very sympathetic pairing. Plus the Diamond 9.1s are getting into middle age now, and there should be deals to be done.

Some useful comments.

I'm also in a similar position. I'm about to buy the Teac-CR-H255 since I want the USB connection.

I've had to sell my Rotel RA-01/ B&W 602S3 combination due to it being too big for a new flat. I bought the system based on What HiFi reviews and couldnt have been happier with it.

So, I need new speakers that arent so big and could sound good placed in a small room, in the corner on a bookshelf (so front ported presumably).

I've bought the 2007 Ultimate guide and am a little concerned about the comment that speakers should be carefully selected for the Teac (the comment refers to the Teac DVD DR-H300 actually). [please let me know if I should remove quotes from the magazine].

I only play mp3 really so, wouldnt want speakers that exaggerate the imperfections.

I'd be happy to pay anywhere between £100-200 so am considering the Tannoy F1s, MA B2s, MA BR2s and Wharfedale Diamond 9.1s.

 The review suggests the Tannoys, but I'm wondering if any of the other speakers I've listed would be better in the system if I'm happy to spend more. Unfortunately I cant easily audition them, but am in the process of trying to sort that out.

Would be grateful for any comments please. Thanks.

Having finally (!!!) decided to go for the CR-H255 (the USB facility is very handy, and no-one seems forthcoming on how much the performance difference between the Teac and Onkyo really is) i've just been pondering the speaker options too...like you i'm not really in the position to pre-listen so helpful comments are very important to me.

Having done as much research as i can, i came to the decision of going for either the Mordaunt Short 902i or Monitor BR1's - i was looking favourably at the bigger BR2's but was advised that the Teac would have trouble powering them and would be straining to perform (shame really as i wanted a pair of monster-ish speakers to blast out some of my heavy metal!). One of the people i spoke to assured me that the Mordaunts were the best option but looking at the What HiFi summary it seems that the Monitors are the better choice...so that was what i had almost decided to go for, and having double checked with one of the retailers i had called he seemed to think that either would be a good match. No-one really gave me much advice on the Tannoys and having read good things about the Wharfedales, people have pushed me more towards the Missions over them.

 
Now i have no idea how much salesmanship was involved in those calls, but if i can't have the BR2's, i'm currently looking at the BR1's .....although as i said the Wharfedale or Mordaunt options are still tempting me a little, and i also have very little idea about cable selection. If i had to purchase right this second it'd probably be the BR1's however....positive Wharfedale reviews be damned!

 
Looking back this probably doesn't help you much....but if you do decide be sure to update this thread with your decision! Hopefully some one more knowledgeable will be able to add their sage advice...

Hopefully someone will have already bought one of the combinations or have tested them out.

 "the What HiFi summary it seems that the Monitors are the better choice"

Where did it say that please?

 Am I right that the Mordaunts are rear ported? Although I prefer the design of others anyway.

I've just heard the Mordaunts and the Tannoy F1s. On a different system though.

The guy said that they'd recently had the speakers up against each other in the shop and the Mordaunts sounded best.

Interestingly, dont Richer Sounds own Tannoy?

Anyway, even though I prefer the design of the others, I prefered the sound of the Mordaunts over Tannoys. It was more open and a cleaner midrange in my opinion. They are of course more expensive than the Tannoys though. They're a bit deeper in size than the Tannoys and are rear ported - so may be too big for my shelf (have to measure up later).

 The guy (who's opinion I now value) didnt like the Wharfedale 9.1s and said that they werent so 'clear'.

I'd still like to test out the MA Bronze B2 or BR2 sometime.

 Funnily, clear and open is exactly what What Hifi said about them.

http://www.mordauntshort.com/assets/documents/WHFFeb06902ilicensedreprint.pdf

 I'm now moving towards thinking either Mordaunts or MA's

Nope - Tannoy is part of the TC Group, based in Denmark.

Andrew - yep, not sure what that comment was intended to imply, but actually I thought there was some connection between CA and Mordaunt, not Tannoy.  But frankly I am not sure where I got that from or whether its so ... I'm no expert.  Just something I may have seen somewhere.

sdp

"Nope - Tannoy is part of the TC Group, based in Denmark"

 Sorry for the mistake.

I've read quite a bit over the weekend and so may have got confused or read someone elses nonsense.

...Ah, it was Mordaunt-Short! My point was that if RS recommended the M-S despite owning Tannoy, then that supported the notion of it being an honest view. However, as RS own M-S, I'd me more suspicious that they'd recomment it over other speakers.

Andrew or others, any thoughts on the WhatHifi coment that "speakers should be carefully selected for the Teac"? ie. of those listed above, which would be most suitable? and what short of traits should be avoided?
The Mordaunts did sound to be a little active at the treble end - is that the sort of thing that wouldnt go so well with the Teac?

Anyone else tried any of these (or other) speakers with the Teac?

Not quite that simple: Mordaunt-Short, like Cambridge Audio, is part of The Audio Partnership, which always stresses that it's a completely separate company from Richer Sounds. Richer Sounds distributes and sells Cambridge Audio in the UK, while Mordaunt-Short is distributed here by Marantz, as it is throughout Europe.
 

Fair enough. Although, since Richer Sounds profits from Mordaunt-Short's success, I think its natural to suspect that they may be more inclined to push M-S speakers over others.

Anyway, whatever the case, I thought the Avant 902is sounded pretty good.

I've now bought the Teac CR-H255 and had a chat with the sales guy about suitable speakers.

He said that most people there tend to go with the BR1s or BR2s. Thats pushing me towards the BR2s, although I still have some concerns given that I've read comments that the Teac isnt powerful enough to run them?

Think I'll try to test them out in a shop - dont want the system sitting at home without any speakers )