| Well I have a little extra cash after christmas and I'm stuck between buying a nice set of seperates or a new computer and to aid all this I'd like to get some advice on moving into the area of audiophilia. I'm figuring on a trip to richersounds on Saturday. |
Buying Advice: Amps and the like
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ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoA) don't go to Richer Sounds.
Where are you in the country?
Audio T in Epsom are the best I have ever dealt with in a hifi shop. Excellent service and advice. My more local Audio T is crap tho.
edit - what is your budget and what are you after?
Edited by ssuellid at 12:49:43 06-01-2005 -
I'm in Chiswick, London. I was kind of interested in the second hand market but since I don't really know very much about these things I figured I should start new and see how I fair with that. Hence Richer Sounds.
What I'm looking for is a decent amp, probably the most important part so I'm told. I'll probably just use my DVD player to play things for the moment and I'll probably use my current Hi-Fi speakers till I know what I'm doing.
I have a budget of about 350-400 I think, last time I checked anyway, it might fluctuate a bit (bills etc) so I'd rather buy it in chunks rather than all at once.
Edited by Mr Sleep at 12:55:06 06-01-2005 -
I'm with ssuellid. Richer sounds are a bit dodgy. You can pick up a decent jack plug amp and 70W speakers for a few hundred which gives an expandable and adaptable base. I have this and everythin goes through the amp via a phono (not flippin' mono!)-jack lead that cost around £15-£20...
Edited by Madder Max at 13:17:43 06-01-2005 -
Madder Max wrote:
Any particular reason you say that?
I'm with ssuellid. Richer sounds are a bit dodgy. -
deem 31,667 posts
Seen 8 months ago
Registered 18 years ago -
Its just the impression I get and from having been there, the kit itself seems pretty lightweight, but then i wanted a system that will last until the next millenium! I have that system now as its more of a PA rig but for DVD's & games etc....it rocks my flat into orbit. I mix with CD's and I based my decision on sound-quality, which is superb. Richer Sounds dont really do heavy-weight stuff. Thats it really...
Think of the rig the guy with the ageing disease in Bladerunner had and you'll get an idea of what I am building. Sort of retro-moderny and hardcore, y'know the score.
Edited by Madder Max at 13:15:03 06-01-2005 -
Are you looking for a decent analogue setup or some digital home theater rubbish? .gif)
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UncleLou wrote:
Home Theatre doesn't bother me too much, it'd be nice to use it for DVD's but I can always use the phono jack for that so it's not really a problem. The music is the more important part.
Are you looking for a decent analogue setup or some digital home theater rubbish? -
Madder Max wrote:
That's the trouble though, I live in a block of flats and while we have pretty well padded walls it would be nice not to piss my neighbours off too much.
it rocks my flat into orbit
Oh and a must is a remote for the amp since I'm a lazy bastard. -
Mr Sleep wrote:
Madder Max wrote:
That's the trouble though, I live in a block of flats and while we have pretty well padded walls it would be nice not to piss my neighbours off too much.
it rocks my flat into orbit
Oh and a must is a remote for the amp since I'm a lazy bastard.
I'm lucky as fuck really as the flat I am in is a new 'gated' block and everyone else seems to have earth-moving systems in their pads too and no one complains (plus I am shit hot at mixing!! I've stood in the hallway on a Saturday and the sound is phenominal, like a war going on!
One of my neighbours actually asked me to turn it up when I mix!! (Which is only an hour a night between 7 & 8pm.)
(Smug is best... -
Shinji 5,902 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 20 years agoUm, I'd like to chuck in a word of approval for Richer Sounds as well - I've bought a hell of a lot of kit off them (not just my own kit - stuff for a bunch of media conventions as well) in the past few years and they've been really good to deal with all along. We've had problems with a couple of DVD players and some speakers, and they've been superb at just exchanging stuff, no questions asked, even a year after the original purchase.
Plus their staff really know what they're talking about, and are prepared to spend the time with you to work out what exactly you need while not treating you like an imbecile if you DO know what you need - and their prices are as good as anywhere online. -
Madder Max wrote:
What kind of thing do you mix?
One of my neighbours actually asked me to turn it up when I mix!! (Which is only an hour a night between 7 & 8pm.)
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I am quite fond of Rotel's amplifiers - the RA 1062 might fit your budget, for example, though I have to admit I am not exactly too well informed anymore nowadays. -
Mr Sleep wrote:
Madder Max wrote:
What kind of thing do you mix?
One of my neighbours actually asked me to turn it up when I mix!! (Which is only an hour a night between 7 & 8pm.)
Mostly drum 'n' bass (intelligent stuff such as LTJ Bukem), trance, house and a fair bit of old skool. Breakbeats are my biggest passion. been bedroom dj'ing for 6 years. Dun a few pubby gigs but they were the type where you get asked for oasis and Dexys midnight Runners....which did my head in!
Edited by Madder Max at 13:32:25 06-01-2005 -
Shinji wrote:
That's the kind of thing I need, just some kind of decent advice. I hate going into a store wanting some advice and then feeling like I'm being coerced into buying something, I tend to find that stores with staff that actually enjoy their job will just chat about stuff because they love it, not just so they can sell it to you.
Plus their staff really know what they're talking about, and are prepared to spend the time with you to work out what exactly you need while not treating you like an imbecile if you DO know what you need - and their prices are as good as anywhere online. -
HoraceGoesSquiffy 1,563 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 17 years agoMax - You play much Moving Shadow stuff? Curious as I used to record for them, and wondering if anyone still remembers. -
ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoThe reason I would not shop at Richer Sounds is nowadays a lot of the audio stuff they sell is their own brands - amps, speakers, cables and CD players - they are not very independent. A independent hifi shop sells more of a range. Richer Sounds are great for end of line bargains tho and have excellent customer service.
Edited by ssuellid at 13:35:24 06-01-2005 -
mrharvest 5,718 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 18 years agoPut them up online somewhere, Max.
Moving Shadow? Who could forget? -
deem 31,667 posts
Seen 8 months ago
Registered 18 years ago -
ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoAlso it is well worth buying a cheap dedictated CD player rather than using a DVD player to play CDs.
A lot of dealers do ex dem and ex customer stock - you can pick up some real bargains quite cheap. My Cyrus 6 I got recently is ex dem and in as new condition.
Edited by ssuellid at 13:39:15 06-01-2005 -
Nemesis 20,312 posts
Seen 5 days ago
Registered 20 years agoIf you have a Sevenoaks Hi-Fi local you can go in and check out the stuff in there.
I nabbed my Yamaha [link=http://bilder.dvd-shop.ch/prodbild/65500/65531-01.jpg">440 Amp and -
UncleLou wrote:
That is exactly the kind of thing I was thinking about, headphone outputs are a must too. I don't need that much bass definition since I live in flats and I mostly listen to jazz, so a system to suit that would probably be good.
I am quite fond of Rotel's amplifiers - the RA 1062 might fit your budget, for example, though I have to admit I am not exactly too well informed anymore nowadays. -
HoraceGoesSquiffy wrote:
Max - You play much Moving Shadow stuff? Curious as I used to record for them, and wondering if anyone still remembers.
COOL! Unforunatley I'm not too hot on labels. Might sound pretentious but I put on a CD and then select the next track that sounds good which means (IMO) cross genres and striving for a mixed sound thats fresh. (Once they took the breakbeats out of music it got a bit boring for me. DJ Sy's stuff as an example, from '93-'94 is the stuff that I could listen to endlessly.) I think I have it but you can never be too sure.
Tried my hand at djing a reaggae house party for a rasta band a while back and it went safe 'n' ting and me 'ad a positive vibe from the guys. had them nodding along to some garage/ragae mixes!
What stuff did you record?
Edited by Madder Max at 13:42:03 06-01-2005 -
Nemesis wrote:
I don't have that much extra cash!
But once you've got LOTR on a DTS EX running through it, or a Floyd CD you begin to really understand quite why you spent a grand+ on it. -
ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoIf its primarily for stereo don't buy an AV amp. -
Nemesis wrote:
Just checked, there is one in Ealing which isn't that far away...I'm actually strangely excited now....
If you have a Sevenoaks Hi-Fi local you can go in and check out the stuff in there. -
Mr Sleep wrote:
UncleLou wrote:
That is exactly the kind of thing I was thinking about, headphone outputs are a must too. I don't need that much bass definition since I live in flats and I mostly listen to jazz, so a system to suit that would probably be good.
I am quite fond of Rotel's amplifiers - the RA 1062 might fit your budget, for example, though I have to admit I am not exactly too well informed anymore nowadays.
In my experience, you can't really go wrong with a Rotel - I have a Rotel (albeit an older one) myself, and listening tests with two mates in various hifi shops last year ended up with both of them buying Rotel amps as well. They're hard to beat in the price region you're looking at. We also listened to NAD, Cyrus, Mucisal Fidelity etc. etc. amplifiers, but the Rotel came on top for Jazz and classical music. Of course, it's always very subjective, but make sure to at least listen to a Rotel somewhere. -
ssuellid wrote:
Noted, yeah I'll probably do that at some stage, I'll probably just use the DVD player for the time being as a stop gap.
Also it is well worth buying a cheap dedictated CD player rather than using a DVD player to play CDs. -
rhythm wrote:
/is in same camp
/has shopped at Richer Sounds for years and never had a problem
/waves
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