system downgrade but much happier ????
hi guys n girls just thought id share something with you. i recently sold my expensive audiolab 8000 mono blocs preamp arcam t32 tuner monitor audio rs1 speakers and bit the bullet and bought a marantz cr603. Now how is it that a system that cost me under 400 quid can make me happier than a system that at the time mustve been over 2 grand ? I mean the tiny 603 sounds so deep n rich yet so easy on the ears without being boring i just dont wanna turn it off. Quite the opposite with my audiolabs. NOw.dont get me wrong, at 125 wpc the system displayed awsome power and detail a massive soundstage and huge amounts of drive but was not , for me at least , a comfortable long term listen. I.m just so pleased with the marantz for the relatively small outlay for.a.system that does so much.
...though to be fair, it doesn't mean you couldn't spend the money your old system cost differently, and be thrilled.....hifi is like that.
It is rather good isn't it? 
Glad you are enjoying it.
hi guys n girls just thought id share something with you. i recently sold my expensive audiolab 8000 mono blocs preamp arcam t32 tuner monitor audio rs1 speakers and bit the bullet and bought a marantz cr603. Now how is it that a system that cost me under 400 quid can make me happier than a system that at the time mustve been over 2 grand ? I mean the tiny 603 sounds so deep n rich yet so easy on the ears without being boring i just dont wanna turn it off. Quite the opposite with my audiolabs. NOw.dont get me wrong, at 125 wpc the system displayed awsome power and detail a massive soundstage and huge amounts of drive but was not , for me at least , a comfortable long term listen. I.m just so pleased with the marantz for the relatively small outlay for.a.system that does so much.
It's about the sound that suits your ears, as opposed to the cost of a kit.
I'm very keen to upgrade the speakers but if I don't hear a decent uplift I won't spend the money.
Just enjoy your kit.
Yeah its a weird thing hifi. Im not for a minute saying that you should never invest in high end kit if you had the money , i had the money sitting there to go and get the roksan kandy k2 combo but decided to use that money on the house and just get the marantz as it was better than nothing and its just turned out so well i dont find myself missing out or thinking that i should be getting the lastest amp or.cd player, and like i said, the amount i spent on my last system has made me even happier and def makes a ton of boxes seem a waste. But hey guys you know full well when that itch creeps in to go get a 150watt monster amp its gotta be done.but for now im as pleased as punch. I.d recommend anyone to at least audition one of these before doing anything else. Theyre very wife friendly too
Absolutely -- you've discovered the Marantz is filling a void the Audiolabs couldn't. The strange thing about hi-fi/AV is there's no right or wrong answers. Obviously the Marantz presentaion is more clement, and there is numerous reasons: Perceived VFM, practicality (including wife friendly, which always helps), room acoustics and personal aspirations and so on and so forth... .
I've often mentioned systems that have an "instant Impact": the likes of Cyrus are a perfect example of this, then the polar opposite is the outright boring. Somewhere you have to find the middle ground, and with the Marantz being an all-in-one, it's solved... assuming the speakers, of course, suit the tonal qualites of the amp.
If I hadn't stumbled across the Leema I would probably still have my Arcam A65+ - still rate this little amp very highly.
Gawd, I'm prattling on here...
Enjoy! it'll get even better as your ears change and the amp 'beds in'.
I wouldnt mind a listen to your set up pp especially that juicy vinyl spinner and youre certainly not prattlin on youre making perfect sense mate
As someone who hasn't posted pics of his own system, I feel a little hypocritical, but I think starting a thread in this section means you have to post pictures.
It's a pairing I've seen and used in store many times, but love to see it in a real living room, etc.
high id i have taken some pics on my.phone but seem to be having a bit of trouble loading em on here but will keep trying as im quite proud of my humble sytem
That Marantz definitely seems to be all the system most need. It makes a room full of boxes seem daft.
TV room : Samsung 60" plasma-ATV3, Denon DBP2012UD-Yamaha RXV3067-AVI ADM9RSS,MA RSW12,/Sonos ZP90 via optical, Sky+ HD & Sky Connector, PS3
HiFi : Sonos ZP90 - AVI ADM40
Bedrooms : 2 x Sonos Play 3
Ipad for Sonos & Spotify