help me choosing first HiFi


Hello everyone

first time poster here, not a big expert, just music lover. Please I need your help to select a good (understood pretty difficult to use the word “best”) system for my budget. My apology for the long thread.

My source: mainly cd (around 2.000 so ripping is not an option)
Music: classic, chamber, opera, piano solo, jazz + radio and some podcast.
Like detailed, spatial, clear and natural sound, but not cold.
Budget: 2.000 EURO (2.000USD/ 1500 GBP), stretchable at most to 2.500 euro (2.800 usd/ 1.800 gbp)

I have been reading for some weeks now, and few days ago I started to listen as well. Basically I am torn between two main alternatives:

“Alternative 1”- a good integrated entry system, like the Cambridge MINX XI, which is Ampli+DAC+network streamer. Has a good price, good quality. This would give me everything, and leave budget for the speakers, and be the simplest and cleanest solution. I read many reviews and the internal Dac is supposed to be very good.

“Alternative 2” - increase a bit in quality, stretch the budget, get a good ampli-dac+cd, and add a cheap web radio which will be sent to the good Dac into the amplifier. First thinking: Cambridge new CX series: ampli culd be the CX A60 and the cd player the CXC, a player with NO dac inside. I would miss the chance to send some podcast from my pc/mac to the stereo. I would gain flexibility to change some component or add a new one in the future. As far as I have read, the network streamers currently on the market produce good sound but software somehow has still to catch-up, so i might buy this in the future, and now buy just a web radio receiver. Nevertheless, I saw network streamers like Pioneer N30 do not cost too much.

I should try to listen to these two alternatives and assign a price to the difference in quality I am supposed to hear (not sure yet!) But I am still confused about few fundamental issues.
Let's start:
1- “invest more of your budget into the speakers” VS “rubbish in rubbish out, so split equally your budget among the components”. I heard both of them. What follows in the first case is to use a basic cd player/dvd player, send the digital signal to my good Dac and enjoy. In the second case instead I should also invest in a good cd player or blu ray should I use the same for movies as well.
2- pairing ampli with speakers. I am still confused on how to undestad if an ampli and speakers are potentially a good match. I know, I should listen, but in theory I hear “that ampli cannot express the best out of those speakers” or “those speakers are an overkill with that ampli” or “you need a better ampli for that speakers” or instead “with that ampli you should use a better speaker set”. In theory, I understood I should look not at WATT, but at somethink related to electrical power/ampere, but dont know much. So if I choose speakers first, I dont know how to choose the best ampli for that speakers.

As far as the speakers: so far I heard just TOTEM (canadian producer) MITE model. I was blown away, seriously. I couldn't imagine speakers so small would produce that clarity, that definition of space. Cannot think a bigger speaker to sound better. But I'd like to hear something more before. I was set to listen B&W 685 s2, as I had read good things, but perhaps the Mite are a bit superior. Other I'd like to listen: Sonus Faber Venere 2.0, Focal 906 and some Monitor Audio.
To sum all this up, my questions for you experts are the following:
1- what would you suggest for me in terms of alternative1 vs alternative2?
2- should I buy a quality cd player or a basic cheapest blu ray reader ?
3- should I look to buy bigger floorstander spearkers? or with the budget is better to stick to bookshelves? Do you have alternatives to the speakers I mentioned?

Thanks really a lot in advance
lorcar

Showing 1 response by bdp24

Finding a good dealer, assuming there is one within driving distance of you, is a much better way to proceed at assembling a music system, IMO.