With around £200 budget I've been thinking of buying a new hi-fi
system like a Sony or Panasonic or going to richer sounds and trying
to pick up some bargain seperates from their Trade Counter section.

I keep hearing that seperates invariably offer better quality and it's
tempting to build up a system as and when I could afford to improve
it. However, I've read online somewhere that CD technology has
improved in the last couple of years for example, and perhaps other
aspects have too (amps and so on) and am now wondering whether a new
hi-fi system would sound just as good as seperates that may be several
years old in design.

I'd appreciate peoples thoughts and opinions on the old seperates v
new system choice.

I wouldn't buy anything other than a second (ie. kitchen/bedroom) system new
for £200. If you do some research online and find out which stuff to buy,
you can (just about) put together a reasonable sounding setup for that sort
of money. As you mentioned, the used separates route also gives you the
option to expand/upgrade later as you can afford to do so. I've created a
very nice sounding setup myself, buying nearly everything secondhand off
Ebay (although admittedly spending more than £200). Btw, I wouldn't pay too
much attention as far as recent 'improvements' are concerned - most of what
you've heard almost certainly originates from hifi media hype!


"MG Lewis" wrote in message
om...
With around £200 budget I've been thinking of buying a new hi-fi
system like a Sony or Panasonic or going to richer sounds and trying
to pick up some bargain seperates from their Trade Counter section.

I keep hearing that seperates invariably offer better quality and it's
tempting to build up a system as and when I could afford to improve
it. However, I've read online somewhere that CD technology has
improved in the last couple of years for example, and perhaps other
aspects have too (amps and so on) and am now wondering whether a new
hi-fi system would sound just as good as seperates that may be several
years old in design.

I'd appreciate peoples thoughts and opinions on the old seperates v
new system choice.

MG Lewis wrote:

With around £200 budget I've been thinking of buying a new hi-fi
system like a Sony or Panasonic or going to richer sounds and trying
to pick up some bargain seperates from their Trade Counter section.

I keep hearing that seperates invariably offer better quality and it's
tempting to build up a system as and when I could afford to improve
it. However, I've read online somewhere that CD technology has
improved in the last couple of years for example, and perhaps other
aspects have too (amps and so on) and am now wondering whether a new
hi-fi system would sound just as good as seperates that may be several
years old in design.

I'd appreciate peoples thoughts and opinions on the old seperates v
new system choice.

You can't even get a decent new pair of speakers for £200.

I have a very nice pair of Rogers speakers from "Cash Converters"
and have seen some decent CD players and amps there.
eBay can also have some bargains.

Within your budget, all CD players and amps will sound the same
and the speakers will make the difference.

If you are in the Midlands, I have a pair of Mordaunt-Short MS3.40's
with stands you can have for 50 quid.
(Never been thrashed, full service history.)

--
Eiron.

On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 20:45:29 +0100, Eiron wrote:

MG Lewis wrote:

With around £200 budget I've been thinking of buying a new hi-fi
system like a Sony or Panasonic or going to richer sounds and trying
to pick up some bargain seperates from their Trade Counter section.

I keep hearing that seperates invariably offer better quality and it's
tempting to build up a system as and when I could afford to improve
it. However, I've read online somewhere that CD technology has
improved in the last couple of years for example,

Nope, the last *significant* improvement in CD quality happened around
1990, when 'bitstream' converters came in. A cheap modern Technics CD
player is very close to sounding as good as anything you can buy at
any price.

and perhaps other
aspects have too (amps and so on)

Nope, they've been sonically transparent for twenty years or more at
the mid-price and up end of the market. A modern Yamaha AX-582/592
will sound pretty close to state of the art, despite what the
so-called 'high enders' would have you believe.

and am now wondering whether a new
hi-fi system would sound just as good as seperates that may be several
years old in design.

Nope, get some discontinued separates from Richer Sounds (their
Cambridge range contains some real gems) and you'll be well on the way
to top-class sound on a budget. The *important* thing is the speakers,
and good ones do cost serious money.

I'd appreciate peoples thoughts and opinions on the old seperates v
new system choice.

You can't even get a decent new pair of speakers for £200.

You can, but stick to top brands like B&W, KEF or Mordaunt-Short for
best results. Recently dicontinued ranges will give the best value,
and Richer Sounds is a good source of such.

I have a very nice pair of Rogers speakers from "Cash Converters"
and have seen some decent CD players and amps there.
eBay can also have some bargains.

Indeed so. In fact, there's a pair of Spendor BC 11s on for £95 right
now, which will give you great sound - and serious 'audiophile cred'!

Also B&W 602 Series 2 at £56, and many other excellent speakers
including Mission 780SE and even ATC SCM7s at very reasonable prices.

Within your budget, all CD players and amps will sound the same
and the speakers will make the difference.

Correct - and he'll get little improvement from the electronics until
he has spent at least a couple of grand on serious speakers.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 20:45:29 +0100, Eiron wrote:

Nope, the last *significant* improvement in CD quality happened around
1990, when 'bitstream' converters came in. A cheap modern Technics CD
player is very close to sounding as good as anything you can buy at
any price.

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

I have a cheap modern Technics CD player (2002) which is
vastly improved by the addition of a Meridian 203 DAC. In
fact I have two such setups which I consider superior to my
Marantz 6000 CD player. An additional bonus is that the
Technics will play any CD-R's without quibble whereas the
Marantz is very picky.

No wonder you can't hear the difference between cables, Stew :-)

Alan

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 07:27:59 +0000 (UTC), "Alan Murphy"
wrote:

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 20:45:29 +0100, Eiron wrote:

Nope, the last *significant* improvement in CD quality happened around
1990, when 'bitstream' converters came in. A cheap modern Technics CD
player is very close to sounding as good as anything you can buy at
any price.

I have a cheap modern Technics CD player (2002) which is
vastly improved by the addition of a Meridian 203 DAC.

********. Don't forget I used to *own* a 203 DAC, and it didn't make a
whit of difference to the sound of either my Marantz CD-94 or my Sony
CDP 715E. It's all in your imagination - which is fine, but don't
confuse that with anything in the physical soundfield.

In
fact I have two such setups which I consider superior to my
Marantz 6000 CD player. An additional bonus is that the
Technics will play any CD-R's without quibble whereas the
Marantz is very picky.

That's certainly a solid practical difference.


No wonder you can't hear the difference between cables, Stew :-)

As with so many, you have a vivid imagination. As you surely already
know, I'll gladly give you £1,000 if *you* can hear any difference
between cables.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 07:27:59 +0000 (UTC), "Alan Murphy"
wrote:

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 20:45:29 +0100, Eiron wrote:

Nope, the last *significant* improvement in CD quality happened around
1990, when 'bitstream' converters came in. A cheap modern Technics CD
player is very close to sounding as good as anything you can buy at
any price.

I have a cheap modern Technics CD player (2002) which is
vastly improved by the addition of a Meridian 203 DAC.

********. Don't forget I used to *own* a 203 DAC, and it didn't make a
whit of difference to the sound of either my Marantz CD-94 or my Sony
CDP 715E. It's all in your imagination - which is fine, but don't
confuse that with anything in the physical soundfield.

In
fact I have two such setups which I consider superior to my
Marantz 6000 CD player. An additional bonus is that the
Technics will play any CD-R's without quibble whereas the
Marantz is very picky.

That's certainly a solid practical difference.


No wonder you can't hear the difference between cables, Stew :-)

As with so many, you have a vivid imagination. As you surely already
know, I'll gladly give you £1,000 if *you* can hear any difference
between cables.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

Forget the cables. You'll no doubt be farting around balancing
the output level to +/- 0.1 decibel to make the test impractical.

I'll bet you an even £1000 that on my system, playing my
music, I can tell the difference between a Technics CD player
SL-PG490 alone, and the same player with a Meridian DAC
203 optically connected, in more than 67% instances.

Alan.

"Eiron" wrote in message
...

If you are in the Midlands, I have a pair of Mordaunt-Short MS3.40's
with stands you can have for 50 quid.
(Never been thrashed, full service history.)
--
Eiron.

Add a cheap new CD player (£50) with a Meridian 203
DAC (£100 Ebay) and a Pioneer A400 (£75 Ebay) or
similar (Nad 3020 £40 Ebay) amplifier and you have
better than decent sound for less than £300.

Alan

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 08:08:39 +0000 (UTC), "Alan Murphy"
wrote:

"Eiron" wrote in message
...

If you are in the Midlands, I have a pair of Mordaunt-Short MS3.40's
with stands you can have for 50 quid.
(Never been thrashed, full service history.)
--
Eiron.

Add a cheap new CD player (£50) with a Meridian 203
DAC (£100 Ebay) and a Pioneer A400 (£75 Ebay) or
similar (Nad 3020 £40 Ebay) amplifier and you have
better than decent sound for less than £300.

Better still, buy a £150 CD player............

Better again, go to Richer Sounds and buy:

Cambridge Audio CD5 - £99.95

Cambridge Audio A300 - £139.95

Mordaunt-Short MS906 - 349.95 (black or maple)

I'm sure if you buy the whole system, they'll throw in all the cables
you need. Total outlay of less than 600 squids, all new gear, and
top-class sound by any reasonable standard.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:02:33 +0000 (UTC), Stewart Pinkerton
wrote:

Better again, go to Richer Sounds and buy:

Cambridge Audio CD5 - £99.95

Cambridge Audio A300 - £139.95

Mordaunt-Short MS906 - 349.95 (black or maple)

I'm sure if you buy the whole system, they'll throw in all the cables
you need. Total outlay of less than 600 squids, all new gear, and
top-class sound by any reasonable standard.

A tad more than the OP's budget of £200, though ;-)

I don't think that's enough to start buying separates, to be honest. Each
component will likely be so cheap that the first upgrade will show up the
rest of the system. Something like a Denon DM-31 would be a much better use
of the money. Okay it's not upgradeable but it should give good sound for a
long time and will always find a good home somewhere in a house.

--
I want to be a modirater when I grow up.

Mail john rather than nospam...