Hello to all - i'm looking for some help
Hi all
13 years ago i was an avid reader of what hi-fi magazine, i loved reading and drooling over some of the items back then and still do when i occasionally buy. Your magazine made me buy the system i still use today. However family life changed things (as they always do) and lost touch with a few of things i was on the ball with, which leads me to your forums where i hope to get some answers which i probably wont find in print.
I could really do with some help as i am looking to upgrade, reason being my current system is 10-12 years old and the amp is starting to take 3-5 mins to turn on before the sound comes out (so im thinking its on its back legs), the CD player has just been fixed but its still not right, no sound comes out occasionally when 'play' is pressed and one of the speakers has had a finger poked in the tweeter.
My current system is.....
NAD C370 intergrated Amplifier / Rotel RCD-951 Cd player / B&W DM601 S2 speakers
The system still sounds good and i probably will have another year or so enjoyment out of it, but the speaker at certain freqencies sounds rough due the the tweeter, but the amp and CD player im feeling has a short shelf. Im kinda out of touch with what's hot and what's not, sure i can look at the star ratings, but posting here i hope to find some answers to questions on my mind.
I have a a small ish budget £600-800 (£800 being the abosolute max) for a Cd player, amp and speakers, i will upgrade over the course of 6-10 months.So my questions are.....
Which would you replace first? (im thinking speakers or amp)
I have been looking on ebay and other sites at amps / cd players i used to drool over 10 years ago like Arcam 7/8/9 and roksan kandy even linn genki cd player these all seem to go for £150-300. The question here is would a cd player and amp that retailed at £600-800 each still play and sound better than a £200-250 CD player or amp of today standards.?
I listen to wide variety of music - Macy Grey / Bruce springsteen / Happy mondays / coldplay / Red hot chilli pepppers and 80's music.
Can anyone help and rise to the challenge of guiding me to a system that will last me another 10 years?
Hi thx for the reply jjbomber
The Rotel RA-11 looks nice i admit but its out of my price bracket. I should have stated more clearly my budget for all 3 (Amp/Cd/Speakers) is £800 absoloute max so im looking for CD player for 200-250 amp for the same price and speakers same price total £750. However if spending £100 more on an amp would do so much better, im up for that but the extra £100 would have to come off one or both of the other 2 items.
I know its not much of an upgrade (but im hoping 10 years of technology will change that) considering my old system cost me around £900. But while i have kids in the house im not really willing to spend more money on a higher performance system, as when im out it get's some ambuse. What im looking for is something that will cost the same total amount (£800) and deliver the same performance or better than what i have currently. This is why i asked if a CD player cost £800 6-8 years ago and i can buy from ebay for £200 now is as good as a CD player that costs £200 today.
As for technology i have i-pod (ideal for music on the move) and dock and music on the pc, but for me my CD collection nothing else compares, nothing else nothing sings like a CD's on a good system.
Rotel is £450 max after discount, B&W 685s £360 max after discount. so taht's £810. I'm only £10 over budget and a bit of haggling I'm sure you'll get down to £800. As I said, I would keep the Rotel CD player but just use it as a transport, letting the new amp do the DAC function.
Otherwise, best bargain but for CD players are the old Arcam DVD players, such as the DV78. These were £800 new and now go for less than £100 as they are not Blu-Ray, nor 3D, not HDMI. They remain outstanding CD players.
Thx again jjbomber
Sorry i didnt see the angle you were comeing from before now i understand. Looks to me like a good option i never considered which i will take in to serious consideration, i just have to hope the CD player holds out longer than what i expect. But like you say the Arcam DV78 could be a good filler untill funds are better.
DAC's were coming of age as i built my last system, so I dont really understand DAC is there a sizeable difference in clarity?
Anyone else have any good idea's for the issue i have?
Coffecup
I had a demo 685’s with Rotel CD, Rotel amp, same years ago. Really liked the sound. It was perfect match for me. I ended up buying these speakers. Well recommended.
Personally, I'd look into getting the C370 serviced.
I used to own a C350, which conked out and needed a new PSU board. Sixty quid, fitted. The C370 is a brilliant amp- get it looked at (if you can) because it's well worth saving, IMHO of course...
This will leave you more dosh for the other bits!
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I'd change the amp first, as that is the one giving the most problem. I would go for the Rotel RA-11. I would use the coaxial output on your current CD player to connect to the new amp and let the RA-11 do the digital to analogue conversion.
Next up would be speakers. The B&W 685s would be my choice, a 'like for like' replacement of a sort.
Finally, I would keep the CD player as long as possible. It may be that CDs have a short life expectancy, with downloads and streaming on the march.
I have no idea what dealerships are available where you live, but it is always advisable to try and get a demo first. However, due to the ways of the world, it isn't always possible.