Madder Max wrote:They're actually quite a decent band, shame that most people only know Come on Eileen. My cousin recently bought some decks for his amusement. Good thing for him is that he's in the middle of nowhere so he can make as much noise as he wants, he's mostly into trance. Any good sites for 12" and stuff? |
Buying Advice: Amps and the like • Page 2
-
-
ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoTake the stuff that you are keeping with you to the audition. ie your DVD player and speakers.
A £200 CD player can quite easily beat an £800 DVD player for CD playback.
Rotel are good, I'd add Cyrus, Arcam, Nad, Sony to my list for that money. Personally I love Cyrus - I listen to anything except jazz - unless Squarepusher counts. -
Sponz 702 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 17 years agofunnily enough, im about to get a new amp and speakers...
also funnily enough, ive just bought myself a pair of Technics SL-DZ1200's (Digital CD turntables) with a Technics SHMZ1200 Digital mixer. (been DJing and writing music on & off since 1989, Clubs, pirate radio, house parties etc etc, im a child of the Acid-House Revolution)
im gonna get me some BlueRoom Mini-Pod speakers i think, but not too sure on an amp to go with them yet. i dont need anything massive, as i live in a small Brighton town-house, and my neighbours will shoot me.
ive bought a number of things from Richer Sounds in my years, but only ever branded stuff, Pioneer, Technics etc etc.
i got my digital decks and mixer though from Unbeatable -
Denon seem to be a fairly cheap make, there is one of their systems in work and it's a bit shit, am I to assume that carries on with the rest of the brand? -
ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoNo, Denon make some of the best DVD players and AV amps.
Also the little £300ish shoebox size system is the best on the market. -
HoraceGoesSquiffy 1,563 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 17 years agoJust to confuse matters further, I always got on pretty well with Marantz (consumer and pro gear). I would check them out. -
ssuellid wrote:
That's interesting, the system in work regularly skips and it just seems to be a poor quality system rather than vibration. I'll take your word though.
No, Denon make some of the best DVD players and AV amps.
-
Is there anything I should know about conventions, integrated, pre amps etc? -
ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoI doubt you could find a pre/power combination for your budget but that will get you a decent integrated. -
milko 39 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 18 years agoI live in Chiswick! I just bought an amp and speakers!
From Richer Sounds in Ealing. They were lovely, gave me extra discount and were generally quite helpful. Works great so far, tis a Pioneer AV receiver and a set of Sony speakers. Nothing too amazing, but a dang sight better than the telly's own stuff and a good start. Dolby Digital 5.1 DVDs and xbox, yum. -
milko wrote:
Spooky, you don't shop at Sainsburys for groceries and frequently wander into the game store and then wander out dissatisfied, do you?
I live in Chiswick! I just bought an amp and speakers!
From Richer Sounds in Ealing. They were lovely, gave me extra discount and were generally quite helpful. Works great so far, tis a Pioneer AV receiver and a set of Sony speakers. Nothing too amazing, but a dang sight better than the telly's own stuff and a good start. Dolby Digital 5.1 DVDs and xbox, yum.
Where abouts is the store, i couldn't find it last time I was there. -
mal 29,326 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 20 years agoUncleLou wrote:
I'll second this. I was in the market for a new integrated amp last year and ended up with a Rotel. I didn't quite have the budget for something like a RA-1062, so I went for the RA-02 instead. It's reasonably low-range, but that can be accounted for by it only being a 40W amp - to my ears they haven't skimped on the sound quality. I've got a fairly large living room, and 40W is enough to piss the neighbours off. And I'm using shelf speakers with that amp (which need more power than floor-standers).
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. -
mal wrote:
That's another point, I don't really have that much appropriate furniture and short of making my own where is a good place to look. I am not going to Ikea
And I'm using shelf speakers with that amp (which need more power than floor-standers).
-
Went to Sevenoaks Hi Fi in Ealing on Saturday and after a bit of trouble finding the place I went in and got some decent advice and said I'd come back and buy one dependent on the missus.
I went over to Richer Sounds for a look around and they were absolutely packed and nothing really grabbed me. They had the same unit I eventually went for but I preferred the service, presentation and decor of Sevenoaks so I went back there on Sunday and dropped £140 on this marantz unit. Very simple to install and it is very very good, such a warm rich sound. Great stereo effects, bass, mid range and the treble isn't too bad either. I'm chuffed. Thanks all for the advice.
Next is speakers when I have the dosh.
Edited by Mr Sleep at 12:28:50 10-01-2005 -
ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoMarantz stuff does have a warm sound. Give it 48hrs of so of music playback and the treble will improve as well. -
ssuellid wrote:
Cool. I was quite surprised by how bassy it was, I'm only using my old hi fi speakers but it improved them greatly. I played Jaku by Dj Krush and it resonated through two rooms at a fairly low volume. Wont be long before the neighbours complain
Marantz stuff does have a warm sound. Give it 48hrs of so of music playback and the treble will improve as well. It also has a really cool feature where the remote control volume control turns the volume knob on the amp unit. -
Khanivor 44,800 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agossuellid wrote:
No, Denon make some of the best DVD players and AV amps.
Also the little £300ish shoebox size system is the best on the market.
They make fine yogurt as well.
I have an oldish Arcam amp which sounds verynice. When the fuses to the speaker outputs haven't blown, that is. -
smoothpete 37,743 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 17 years agoGet some Eltax monitor 3s from Richer Sounds for the speakers if you don't want to spend too much. I think they are £60 per pair for the black ones. I've got 4 and they sound good -
smoothpete wrote:
Yeah that isn't too bad. The ones they recommended in Sevenoaks were 250 a pair. I've got that kind of cash but I'd rather not spend it all at once when my other ones will do the job at the moment. I think I'll wait with speakers, we might be getting some new furniture for our flat soon so I'll wait and see how that pans out.
Get some Eltax monitor 3s from Richer Sounds for the speakers if you don't want to spend too much. I think they are £60 per pair for the black ones. I've got 4 and they sound good
What's the advice on putting other peripherals on top of the amp? -
smoothpete 37,743 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 17 years agoMy amp sits on top but only because it tends to get hot and I worry about it overheating. I think you should be ok to put stuff on top as long as you don't obstruct air flow around the amp -
ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoMr Sleep wrote:
What's the advice on putting other peripherals on top of the amp?
Normally not to. But if the other stuff has feet so the airflow is not obstructed then it should be OK.
The manual should say - my AV amp reckons nothing within 10cm of the sides and 20 cm of the top but it is a tad powerful and hot running.
Missions and B&W speakers were always a nice match for Marantz stuff but proper stands for the bookshelf speakers are needed to stop the bass being too flabby. -
Yeah it worries me too, my dvd is pretty slimline so it might okay. I'll try it for half an hour tonight and see how hot the underside of the DVD gets. -
ssuellid wrote:
It wasn't very specific, I'll have another look tonight.
The manual should say
Missions and B&W speakers were always a nice match for Marantz stuff but proper stands for the bookshelf speakers are needed to stop the bass being too flabby.
That is something I'll have to invest in as well...it really starts to add up! -
smoothpete 37,743 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 17 years agoOr get some shelf speakers and a cheapo sub woofer, Acoustic Solutions do a reasonably meaty one for less than £50 -
smoothpete wrote:
I'd rather avoid a sub since I live in a a flat. I have to keep my computer sub at minus dB lest it shake the floor
Or get some shelf speakers and a cheapo sub woofer, Acoustic Solutions do a reasonably meaty one for less than £50 -
ssuellid 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoIf you get some decent speakers you don't need a sub anyway. Subs are great for films and the like.
You might want to consider some cheap floorstanders as it will cost you at least £60 for decent stands for the bookshelf/standmount speakers.
Do take your amp with you tho when buying speakers - its far easier to mismatch amp and speakers than finding a combination that work well together.
At least with hifi you don't have to keep upgrading. I kept my last system for 14 years and it was fairly cheap - less than £700 for the lot. -
smoothpete 37,743 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 17 years agossuellid you use a projector right? I set mine up yesterday but I've cocked up the throw distance, much too big for my screen so I just have to project straight onto a white wall. It's only designed to have a maximum throw distance of 3 metres, mine's at about 4, the issue is that the LCD pixels are really quite visible as the picture is so large
Edited by smoothpete at 13:33:46 10-01-2005 -
ssuellid wrote:
I was considering it before but how cheap do they start at? Sevenoaks' started at four hundred, I realise the store had mostly expensive kit but I'm assuming the cheapest is around there?
You might want to consider some cheap floorstanders as it will cost you at least £60 for decent stands for the bookshelf/standmount speakers.
Do take your amp with you tho when buying speakers -its far easier to mismatch amp and speakers than finding a combination that work well together.
I probably would if I had a car but I don't fancy carting all that money around on the tube. Plus, it's pretty damn heavy.
At least with hifi you don't have to keep upgrading. I kept my last system for 14 years and it was fairly cheap -less than £700 for the lot.
Yeah that's part of the reason I've moved over into the seperates market, I'm sick of scrapping entire units because one bit has broken down. -
smoothpete 37,743 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 17 years agoI had a pair of Eltax Liberty 5 floorstanders that were alright, they were £100 at the time but may be cheaper now. Worth a look but as mentioned earlier take your amp along or get them to set up a demo with the exact model of your amp -
Not a lot you can do apart from move the projector closer to the display wall. You cannot make the image any smaller?It is ceiling mounted?
Mr Sleep, you can pick up decent brands floor standers for less than £200. Or even end of line and discounted models for £140 from Richer Sounds. Electronics wise I would generally avoid Richer Sounds but for end of line speaker deals they are usually unbeatable on price.
Sometimes posts may contain links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.
