mud_shark Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 I have spousal permission to research a new stereo system - (and even to eventually buy when funds permit) … so am very happy. Am new to all this, so would be grateful for some advice. Budget is nominally $3k, I'm sure there will be some wiggle room in there. Am starting from zero. What do I want this system to do? - Play vinyl - Play AM/FM radio - Play digital music files (MP3 and FLAC) which are stored on my NAS - Spotify - Play CDs, and ideally the hi-res content on a number of Blu-ray albums I have - Eventually, I'd like to be able to have a portable, Sonos type speaker, that I can move from loungeroom to backyard as needed (not included in current budget). - I do NOT want surround sound / sub-woofer. 2.0 stereo only. First thoughts... - Turntable: Project Debut Carbon DC (RRP$629) - Amplifier/Receiver: Yamaha- R-N602 (RRP $999) (Covers the radio, Spotify and hopefully the "playing files from my NAS requirement" - Speakers: I've seen a classified post here for a clearance of Q Acoustics 3050 for $850 - Blu-Ray player : Suggestions welcome (A $3k budget leaves me with around $500 for the BD) Where will it go? - Living room which is roughly 4m x 4m. One wall of which opens into the kitchen/dining area which is around the same size. Yes, I will eventually go into a store and listen to this before I buy - but need a reference point.. and to basically ensure the system I've specced out in my head will do what I want it to do? Questions: - Will I need a separate streaming unit to play the files on my NAS? Ideally I would prefer not to and navigate my library through an app on a phone/tablet.. - How's my balance of how I'm spending on each component? - Any suggestions for suitable BD player? - Can I go wrong with this type of setup for this type of $$$? How might I tweak things? Grateful for any suggestions/guidance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdave Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 If it's a Synology NAS you can stream your music using Synology's free DS Audio app from your phone or tablet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mud_shark Posted October 29, 2018 Author Share Posted October 29, 2018 Just now, cdave said: If it's a Synology NAS you can stream your music using Synology's free DS Audio app from your phone or tablet. Yes, it's a Synology... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irek Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 Hi, There are not many stereo receivers to choose from , Yamaha is pretty good for the price and features. I would probably go with Pioneer Bluray player with RCA cables $45/m. But if sound quality would be a priority and skipping some functionality than integrated amp + DAC + laptop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yamaha_man Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 With your limited budget I would go secondhand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mud_shark Posted October 29, 2018 Author Share Posted October 29, 2018 3 minutes ago, yamaha_man said: With your limited budget I would go secondhand. Yeah, I had thought about that. Am not quite sure where to look. Am just not sure how I feel about playing Gumtree roulette.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yamaha_man Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 SNA classifieds are the best place IMO. Keep an eye on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKay Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 (edited) Check out Bluesound Node 2 it will play radio, all of your streaming needs, all of your digital files on a NAS or device (except DSD). They should start popping up second hand as the 2i is coming out. It also has a reasonable DAC and will unfold MQA tidal files if you ever go down that road. It also has an analogue input. I think you would be looking at around $550. Edited October 29, 2018 by PKay 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mud_shark Posted October 29, 2018 Author Share Posted October 29, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, PKay said: Check out Bluesound Node 2 it will play radio, all of your streaming needs, all of your digital files on a NAS or device (except DSD). They should start popping up second hand as the 2i is coming out. It also has a reasonable DAC and will unfold MQA tidal files if you ever go down that road. It also has an analogue input. I think you would be looking at around $550. So if I went down this path, could then I get an integrated amplifier rather than a receiver - since the Bluesound would handle all the radio / streaming requirements? Edited October 29, 2018 by mud_shark spelling 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irek Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Good sound quality integrated amps starts from around $2000 - Musical fidelity, Rega, Naim, Marantz. Second hand speakers are not a bed idea. Personally I would be looking for Focal chorus. Kef ls50 wireless are also worth audition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eggcup The Daft Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Do you own music in all the formats you list already? You can do better in terms of sources if you only buy for the music you already have. You could also rip all your CDs - you may find it better to do that than play them through a cheap bluray player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mud_shark Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 21 minutes ago, Eggcup The Daft said: Do you own music in all the formats you list already? You can do better in terms of sources if you only buy for the music you already have. You could also rip all your CDs - you may find it better to do that than play them through a cheap bluray player. Yes. I have CDs, Vinyl and Digital Files. I could indeed end up ripping all my CDs (frankly have already done a fair few). The Digital/Vinyl/AM-FM Tuner requirements are mandatory. The CD/BD component is the lowest priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKay Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Are you after book shelf or floor standers? The Kefs come up a lot and I think it’s because people take them home and find extended listening will be shrill and harsh. There were some legends up for sale today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Slack Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Hello, these topics are always interesting. There were some suggestions for $2k in another thread, link, that you might want to look at, and add another $1000 to the speaker budget. If you dropped to the Yamaha R-N303D Network Amplifier for $600, you could go for speakers in the $1500+ range, and I would suggest giving the Krix Phoenix Mk2 a listen. If you are happy to buy used gear, that has a double effect: opens up your price limit, and closes down your options to what is available, or what comes up. Good luck, Regards, Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mud_shark Posted October 31, 2018 Author Share Posted October 31, 2018 3 hours ago, Grant Slack said: There were some suggestions for $2k in another thread, link, that you might want to look at, and add another $1000 to the speaker budget. Thanks for the link. That was a great thread. It was interesting to see the breadth of opinions around how one might allocate their budget. It cemented for me that at the price level I'm looking at there are many entry level options... The Bluesound Node 2 is looking mighty appealing. In terms of amp/receiver, the Yamaha R-N303D seems not to have a phono input. But I get your point about dropping to a lesser model Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Slack Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Well spotted. The N303 has phono input, the N303D does not. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al.M Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 (edited) You could easily put together a good used system, perhaps not every single item on the list but certainly a used integrated for around $300-600 that was once worth $2k rrp, Speakers the same, new blue node new or other used network players like Cambridge Audio NP30 for $250 and similar from Pioneer and Yamaha etc. An integrated amp over a receiver will generally sound better in the same price range. If you are creative and flexible and suits your habits and maintenance, some thing like a good sounding used Chinese made KT88 tube 50w amp that was worth about $2k rrp but $600 used can potentially sound better than any $3-5k midfi integrated amp. You will need to trial mix and match but if that is too much risk and thinking for you then just get a well reviewed $300-800 integrated amp e.g. Audiolab 8000, older Naims, Arcam, Rotel, Cyrus, Yamaha AS701 etc Edited October 31, 2018 by Al.M 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tone Malone Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 A few other considerations: - How many boxes do you want? It's not just sound related if you or your household members get frustrated by the space taken up by components and extra wires. There have been some great gains recently in active speakers with built-in amplification. For instance, Triangle were offering an active speaker and turntable package which I think would leave you more than enough left over for any other components. If I were starting over, I'd be seriously tempted by the active speaker route. It also takes care of the challenge if amp/speaker matching. - The user-friendliness of your network player app is crucial IMHO, as it could likewise affect how often you actually enjoy music. I'm a +1 for the Bluesound, it's user friendly and quality is decent for the money. Also, streamers are likely to be superseded more quickly than many other components, so when the time comes you can just swap it out. There are also some great second-hand Bluray/universal disc players out there, if you can forego 4k Bluray. Check out Oppo, also Marantz and Denon. (Some may also meet your audio streaming needs.) I got a Marantz ud5007 for $300 and while it's a poor streamer, the sound and visuals are well beyond what I anticipated. That would take a lot of pressure off the budget for the other components. Good luck with your system building, trust your ears and enjoy the experience 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mud_shark Posted November 4, 2018 Author Share Posted November 4, 2018 Some great points there @Tone Malone, especially around number of boxes/space.. I've done a lot more reading since my original post, and am really keen to have a system that doesn't take up a lot of space, and can be easily used by my wife and kids (both of which will only really want to be able to use Spotify. The new Bluesound Node 2i looks very nice, and in terms of amp, the PS Audio Sprout100 looks like it could do the job nicely, as well as looking the part. I have no issue going down the path of 2nd hand, especially for the speakers and amp - I just don't have the knowledge of the brands that many here on the forum do. Seems a bit of a minefield for noobs like myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irek Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 Hi, the problem is that especially speakers choice is very personal. There are many brands, Australian and overseas . At the hifi show in Melbourne I heard only good or very good system. Once you choose your brand we can discuss details e.g. is PMC 25.22 better than PMC 20.22 or maybe PMC 25.23 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tone Malone Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 16 hours ago, mud_shark said: I have no issue going down the path of 2nd hand, especially for the speakers and amp - I just don't have the knowledge of the brands that many here on the forum do. Seems a bit of a minefield for noobs like myself. Yes, the second hand option is daunting, I only felt more confident about it once I had already bought new! Half width amps are coming back into favour. Others to consider are Rega Brio and Cyrus One (a new Cyrus One HD has just been released). Another thought is the compact Quad Vena amp, which you could match up with the Quad S1 speakers ... I think you can get the combo for about $2k. Some half-width amps especially are "class D" ... it helps them generate a lot of power from a small box but they can have a different sound profile which isn't to everyone's taste. Regardless, if you go an amp and passive speakers, I'd find the speakers you like first and then check the amp complements the sound profile. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juicester Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 With your requirement to play cd's, stream and blu rays; it's pretty hard to go past an oppo or Cambridge audio. I'd be more inclined to keep the streaming side to your source and buy a decent amplifier without that added doo-dabbery. An integrated with a decent phono stage and then some speakers. AM/FM tuners are basically chucked for free this days (I have one you can have)... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dokken Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 I have a Cambridge Audio 752BD listed in Home Theater Classifieds if interested 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juicester Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 Or something like this with a cheap blu ray player attached to it's DAC.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mud_shark Posted November 4, 2018 Author Share Posted November 4, 2018 14 minutes ago, Juicester said: Or something like this with a cheap blu ray player attached to it's DAC.... I did see this. Lovely looking unit. There's always something out there that costs that little bit (or even a lot) more than you had in mind to spend 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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