Looking to upgrade my Audio experience, what CD Player & AMP best choice for stereo?

Gibbo

Gibbo

Gibbo

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Hi there

At the moment I am listening to CD's played by my over 3yr Philips Hi-Fi which is powering both its STD speakers and a pair Eltax Liberty 5+ speakers. Needless to say the Hi-Fi's built in AMP struggles to power all 4 speakers or even the Eltax speakers on their own and the CD player I imagine is of just basic/average quality.

My my sound choice is music from CD's and MP3's from my PC so I mainly listen to stereo. Though I do watch DVD's on my PC and am interested in having great sound from DVD's via 2 channel.

What do you guys recommend:-

This is what I am thinking:-
NAD C521 BEE Titanium (CD Player) @ £149.95
301569.jpg

  • What Hi-Fi best budget CD Player
  • Burr-Brown Sigma-Delta 20 bit DAC and seperate power supplies for digital and analogue
FULL SPECIFICATION


NAD C320 BEE Titanium (Stereo Amplifier) @ £159.95
301570.jpg

  • Bass lines are rock-solid and punchy."-What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision magazine.
  • powerful 50 watts per channel (2 channel)
FULL SPECIFICATION

OR


DENON AVR1706 (AV Receiver)
303186-1.jpg

  • Pro-Logic 2
  • 6.1
  • Dolby Digital
  • Dts
  • 6 x 75W per channel
FULL SPECIFICATION


The speakers I shall be connecting upto this will be:-
Eltax Liberty 5+ Floor Standing Speakers
00031584.jpg

  • Long term max power = 100W
  • Short term max power = 150W
  • Frequency = 40-22,000Hz
  • Sensivity = 87dB
  • Impedance = 4-8 Ohm
FULL SPECIFICATION


As I say I listen to CD's which are mainly dance music and I do like good hard hitting clean BASS. I also use the PC for playing MP3's and watching DVD's and the PC is equipped with upto 7.1 channel sound card with digital and analogue outputs.

What does everybody advice or should I go with the selection above? Am I best keeping with the stero AMP or is the AVR Amp the better option considering I am watching DVD's too but I will remain with 2 channels for now. :)
 
A few thoughts:
- If you want to listen to stereo, buy a stereo amp and ignore the AV amp option. For the same price, the dedicated stereo amp will almost always sound better in stereo.
- If you go the route of a dedicated CD player, you'll not be able to use MP3 from your PC (or films). You could buy a decent external DAC (digital to analogue convertor). For the money you're looking at, I'd suggest something like a Meridian 203 (s/h). You should then be able to run a coaxial digital output from your PC to the DAC, and also an optical from a cheapy CD or DVD player that you have to hand. That will improve the stereo sound of your music and DVDs.
- With ref to your MP3s, once you get whatever system you buy, take a few mins to run a quick listening test between an MP3 cut from a CD you own. That might change how you listen to music
- For recommendations on stereo amp and speakers, get down to a decent local hi-fi dealer. Can't say I'm too impressed by RS of late and really don't rate the Eltax speakers I've heard. Go find another group and see what you like the sound of. Just because a reviewer likes Nad kit, doens't mean you will. Base your buying decision on YOUR ears, not someone else's.
 
My amp of choice in that price range is the Musical Fidelity A1. The auction site is your friend!

Mr_Sukebe said:
- For recommendations on stereo amp and speakers, get down to a decent local hi-fi dealer. Can't say I'm too impressed by RS of late and really don't rate the Eltax speakers I've heard. Go find another group and see what you like the sound of. Just because a reviewer likes Nad kit, doens't mean you will. Base your buying decision on YOUR ears, not someone else's.
Click to expand...

The Eltax 5+ are pretty good. Nothing *wrong* with them at the price they are, and I believe Gibbo already has them, hence wanting to use them with his next setup.
 
Your thought about 1nd hand gibbo, you could pick up some really nice kit for your budget. I have recently picked up from a well known auction site the following.

Cyrus III amp - £150
Marantz cd63 mkII KI-sig CD player - £130
B&W CDM1 speakers - £250


this setup would have cost around £1700 new and it sounds amazing.


if your intent on buying new then the CD player you picked is a pretty good one, as is the new cambridge audio budget player

I would stay away from the AV amps if music is of more importance as unless you can spend a lot more they simple cant compete with dedicated music 2 channel amps for sound quality.
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
A few thoughts:
- If you go the route of a dedicated CD player, you'll not be able to use MP3 from your PC (or films). You could buy a decent external DAC (digital to analogue convertor). For the money you're looking at, I'd suggest something like a Meridian 203 (s/h). You should then be able to run a coaxial digital output from your PC to the DAC, and also an optical from a cheapy CD or DVD player that you have to hand. That will improve the stereo sound of your music and DVDs.
- With ref to your MP3s, once you get whatever system you buy, take a few mins to run a quick listening test between an MP3 cut from a CD you own. That might change how you listen to music
Click to expand...

Hi m8

OK confused why can't I listen to sounds from my PC with a dedicated CD player? Won't the amp have more than one input, one for CD and one for AUX connector?

What do you mean about cutting an MP3 from a CD I own? Please explain....
 
Go for the NAD integrated (if only interested in 2 channel) and choose something other than Eltax.

Amps have multiple inputs like you said, can have one for CD player, another for PC, tape, VCR, etc etc
 
Gibbo said:
Hi m8

OK confused why can't I listen to sounds from my PC with a dedicated CD player? Won't the amp have more than one input, one for CD and one for AUX connector?

What do you mean about cutting an MP3 from a CD I own? Please explain....
Click to expand...

Sorry, to explain:
- Yes you can happily connect you CD player to one of your amp's inputs, and the PC to another. However, that will mean relying on the DAC that's built onto the soundcard of your PC. Soundcards are not generally regarded as being the best sounding way of decoding a digital signal (in hi-fi terms).
If however you had an external DAC, you'd be able to drive it from both a CD player, CD transport, DVD player or PC from their digital outputs, hopefully optimising the sound of all of them.
- With regard to cutting an MP3 from a CD. What I'm hoping to show is the difference in sound quality between a CD and a lossily compressed MP3. Personally I think that CD sounds a good deal better, and I wasn't sure if you've ever tried it. Might make you re-consider the format you listen to.
 
High quality MP3s are often indiscernible from the source.. DRZ's listening test proved that :) I wouldn't stop listening to MP3s based purely on sound quality.
 
Amoeba said:
High quality MP3s are often indiscernible from the source.. DRZ's listening test proved that :) I wouldn't stop listening to MP3s based purely on sound quality.
Click to expand...

With all due respect, that's a matter of opinion, which I've stated as much in my earlier post. If you think they're indistinguishable, that's your opinion and it's cool by me, but please don't try to state that as fact.
 
Fair enough :) It is just my opinion and I didn't mean to state it as a solid fact. However is IS a fact that lots of people in DRZ's listening test couldn't tell the difference between the high quality MP3s and the original source.
 
Don't bother with an AV amp if the main use is music. I've moved away from surround sound after having a pretty good setup in favour of stereo. I have a Cyrus 3 amp and it's brilliant and should definitely be considered considering its price at the moment second hand. I really can't fault mine at all.

The NAD stuff will do you very well though, but if you get a chance get down to a hi-fi shop and have a listen to some things.

For the record, mp3s and CDs differ a lot when you start looking at different CD players. It's not so much a "quality" thing, more the presentation. I certainly find my feet tapping and a silly urge to dance like a buffoon when I have justice vs simian playing on my CD player rather than from my PC.
 
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