Hi Fi Systems - most beautiful CD player ever?

I've got mine sitting on an Apollo table (4 black metal legs and 3 clear square glass layers) and plain black three-leg Apollo stands. I agree they do look nice like this.

Not sure about the FMJs . . . they sound a bit 'safe' for my liking . . . but it's obviously subjective at that level.

The thing I love about hifi - other than listening to it, of course - is the way you get to gradually build your system up: I've just got one component and already I'm dreaming about the next :p:

Reply 4

Tagit

12

fuglyduckling

The thing I love about hifi - other than listening to it, of course - is the way you get to gradually build your system up: I've just got one component and already I'm dreaming about the next :p:

Thats what i hate about component systems, you always ending up looking for better kit out there which is why ebay is full of lots of second hand separates which are only a few months old. Any ideas on what amp your may go for?

Reply 5

fuglyduckling

OP

As for what amp I want . . . I really don't know. I'm going to ____ (great shop near where I live) to sound test a few. I'll probably buy one second-hand to try to get something really nice. I guess I'd spend up to £700-800 at the maximum, depending on what my bank account's looking like. Any suggestions?

Reply 6

has anybody heard the cambridge range the world is boasting about? (cd players)

Reply 7

Cambridge Audio? I have one of their mid range amps the 640A Azure, its a lovely amp has a cracking specification but they are all built down to a price.

CA produces are basically just great value for the money a £1200 Cambridge system would sound amazing but its hardly high end but then again its not high end prices.

Reply 8

hmmm, i was thinking about getting azur 640c (v2) - £250 and won the best cd player under £500 category. i have a music fidelity amp running a pair of castle howards and need a good cd player, but don't have the cash to match the amp/speakers. i've not had a test run on the ca azur yet but i can't help thinking that a £250 cd player has to have something wrong with it!

Reply 9

If you look at the specifications you will find it has some very exotic components under the lid.

A trick with HIFI is to often ignore the prices and just listen to it, go into Richersounds have a listen and see what you think.

From what I have heared the 640C is supposed to sound quite musical but also smooth enough not to sound too thin on high end amps and speakers.

You could also look at the second hand market.

Reply 10

thePhantom

fuglyduckling

I guess I'd spend up to £700-800 at the maximum, depending on what my bank account's looking like. Any suggestions?

Had no idea people spent this much on home hifi gear. I was going to get a setup from Richersounds for about 250, but figured that would be fine!

then again, I suppose It's not really different from me looking to spend that much on a DJ mixer ...

Reply 11

A RS £250 will be quite handicap. It will sound much better than any mini or all in one system but you will soon realise its limits. For the money though they are great.

If £250 is your budget and you want new gear you can't go wrong them richersounds deals.

Reply 12

thePhantom

AT82

A RS £250 will be quite handicap. It will sound much better than any mini or all in one system but you will soon realise its limits. For the money though they are great.

If £250 is your budget and you want new gear you can't go wrong them richersounds deals.

I was going to go for a CA A1 amp,

http://www.richersounds.co.uk/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=ELTA-CONCEPT180-BLK
these speakers

and the gale 8 sub:
http://www.richersounds.co.uk/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=GALE-STORM8-BLK

can you advice a better way to spend £250 at RS?

Reply 13

Way way too much overblown bass on that system, ditch the sub, spend a little more on the amp (the A5) and get some better speakers. Is it for a small room if so floorstanders are a big no no

Reply 14

AT82

If you look at the specifications you will find it has some very exotic components under the lid.

A trick with HIFI is to often ignore the prices and just listen to it, go into Richersounds have a listen and see what you think.

From what I have heared the 640C is supposed to sound quite musical but also smooth enough not to sound too thin on high end amps and speakers.

You could also look at the second hand market.

aye, i noticed. my worry is the suitability for my setup. i have a music fidelity x-a100r amp with castle howard speakers - crystal sound and amazing for vocals and classicals. the 640c - i've read - brings out certain high frequencies, so i'm worried about having too much treble and thus being tinny (but richer sound dont do home demos!)

have you heard it?

Reply 15

thePhantom

AT82

Way way too much overblown bass on that system, ditch the sub, spend a little more on the amp (the A5) and get some better speakers. Is it for a small room if so floorstanders are a big no no

I suppose I could go for the A5, its on offer sometimes at RS.

It's a fairly big uni room. The biggest in the house ...

Can you personally recommend some bookshelfs in my price range?

I've always wanted a sub though :tongue:

If only to annoy my housemates, although In hindsight, I wouldn't even be able to use it a lot - the walls in student houses are paper thin...

Reply 16

Unless its massive you do need book shelve ones, you will also get better quality drivers in them as well. The sub is still going to produce quite slow bass, they are more more movies rather than music, any decent book shelves should make enough bass for music.

These paired with the Cambridge A5 would be brilliant

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/2197

The difference between the A1 and A5 is massive and if you like your bass you need the extra power the A5 offers, it simply grips them drive cones much better resulting in much deeper and tighter bass.

Reply 17

The Boosh

aye, i noticed. my worry is the suitability for my setup. i have a music fidelity x-a100r amp with castle howard speakers - crystal sound and amazing for vocals and classicals. the 640c - i've read - brings out certain high frequencies, so i'm worried about having too much treble and thus being tinny (but richer sound dont do home demos!)

have you heard it?

They do home demos but if you don't like it you have to buy the replacement form them :frown:

so in your case its not ideal.

No idea what your speakers sound like so I can't comment. Either way if it they are bright sounding you will need somthing with a smooth mid range and a rolled of high end. You certainly want to be avoiding any of the japaneese stuff for this reason.

Reply 18

fuglyduckling

OP

Azur 640 has got some excellent reviews. I've not heard it properly but a lot of people have said it is very detailed (large soundstage and superb timing often mentioned) - my worry would be that it's a little bright and that the musicality might not be great but that's without having demoed it. Boosh: why not just wait until you have more cash and somewhere is selling something ex demo at a knock-down price and buy a really nice CD unit to match the rest of your kit (not that Cambridge Audio isn't good stuff!).

To the poster wanting to spend £250 - I'd buy secondhand . . . you'll get a LOT more for your money. I'm actually selling some of my DJ gear to finance the latest acquisitions . . anyone want a Pioneer CDJ100 or Vestax VMC004 XL Mixer (both boxed and A1 condition)?

I'm going to demo the Primare CD21 and Primare i21 combo together with my speakers tomorrow. Will post a review afterwards - I've heard that these two sound superb together and give best-in-class performance! My very own CD21 (silver) is arriving tomorrow so I'll take a photo and post it. :smile:

Reply 19