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The Radio 3 Boards > Collectors Resource > Audio and Hi-Fi Equipment > The buying of Hi fi Equipment
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Author Topic: The buying of Hi fi Equipment  (Read 572 times)
harmonyharmony
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« Reply #15 on: 10:40:53, 08-11-2008 »
Following on from my woes, documented here, I'm in the market for a new CD player and a new DVD player, and have a budget of £450 tops. I'll be visiting my nearest Richer Sounds outlet when time permits, but I think that I'll have to get my old DVD player looked at first to see what the problem was. I don't want to spend my money on a nice system only to find out that my library's CDs are going to destroy it. If it's a choice between a low-quality machine that I can replace in a few years which enables me to play library CDs, and a high-quality machine on which I can only play my own discs, I'm afraid I'll have to go for the former. I'll certainly take along a few library CDs to the shop so that they can give their verdict but is it also worth taking the DVD player along? Would they take a look at it there? I suppose I can only ask.
If I'm good today and get a lot done in the next hour or so, I might head there this afternoon.
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'is this all we can do?'
anonymous student of the University of Berkeley, California quoted in H. Draper, 'The new student revolt' (New York: Grove Press, 1965)
http://www.myspace.com/itensemble
SH
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« Reply #16 on: 10:56:23, 08-11-2008 »
Quote from: harmonyharmony on 10:40:53, 08-11-2008
I don't want to spend my money on a nice system only to find out that my library's CDs are going to destroy it. If it's a choice between a low-quality machine that I can replace in a few years which enables me to play library CDs, and a high-quality machine on which I can only play my own discs, I'm afraid I'll have to go for the former.

Or you could keep the old player & use it for library CDs, and the new player for non-library discs? CD players don't take up that much space.

Just a thought.
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harmonyharmony
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« Reply #17 on: 11:17:20, 08-11-2008 »
There is no old player.
The DVD player I was using to play CDs died.
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'is this all we can do?'
anonymous student of the University of Berkeley, California quoted in H. Draper, 'The new student revolt' (New York: Grove Press, 1965)
http://www.myspace.com/itensemble
SH
***
Posts: 101
« Reply #18 on: 11:39:52, 08-11-2008 »
Quote from: harmonyharmony on 11:17:20, 08-11-2008
There is no old player.
The DVD player I was using to play CDs died.

Sorry - things read should carefully more always I Smiley
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harmonyharmony
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« Reply #19 on: 11:42:13, 08-11-2008 »
It's ok. I'm still in mourning but I'll get over it.  Cry
For the time being, I'm bringing in the little CD player/radio thing I have in the kitchen and plugging it into the amplifier.
It'll do for the time being.
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'is this all we can do?'
anonymous student of the University of Berkeley, California quoted in H. Draper, 'The new student revolt' (New York: Grove Press, 1965)
http://www.myspace.com/itensemble
Robert Dahm
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« Reply #20 on: 12:51:11, 08-11-2008 »
Is a CD player all you want? For £450? I should think you'd be able to do very well for yourself for that money. In the budget arena (which, I'm shocked to say, £450 still very much is), I can't recommend Cambridge Audio enough. There are other brands that compete more-or-less favourably with specific CA models at their respective price points, but IMH(and relatively inexpert)O Cambridge Audio are consistently strong across their entire range, and ridiculously competitive whatever the price point at which you are looking.

No, I'm not on commission.

[cue]Ron with much better advice[/cue]
« Last Edit: 12:53:11, 08-11-2008 by Robert Dahm » Logged
harmonyharmony
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« Reply #21 on: 12:57:49, 08-11-2008 »
Quote from: Robert Dahm on 12:51:11, 08-11-2008
Is a CD player all you want? For £450?

Ahem.

Quote from: harmonyharmony on 10:40:53, 08-11-2008
I'm in the market for a new CD player and a new DVD player, and have a budget of £450 tops.

I'm thinking Cambridge definitely. Was looking at the (Richer Sounds) website today and eyeing up the Cambridge AZUR 540C, and the Cambridge DVD89.
Those look like my preferred options at the moment, though I'll have to talk to someone in-store first and have a listen.
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'is this all we can do?'
anonymous student of the University of Berkeley, California quoted in H. Draper, 'The new student revolt' (New York: Grove Press, 1965)
http://www.myspace.com/itensemble
Robert Dahm
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Posts: 197
« Reply #22 on: 01:38:47, 09-11-2008 »
carefully more always should read I, etc. *blush*

The 540C is very nice. It's my CD player. I also have the DVD86, which I used for a long time to play CDs, as well, before I got the 540C. Both are rather good pieces of kit, although I do find myself wishing I'd spent the extra money and got the DVD89 for its SACD capabilities.

As always, have a listen in-store.

Out of interest, what amplifier do you have, as this will no doubt play a rather large role in determining how different bits of equipment sound.
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harmonyharmony
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« Reply #23 on: 11:53:40, 09-11-2008 »
Quote from: Robert Dahm on 01:38:47, 09-11-2008
carefully more always should read I, etc. *blush*

 Wink

Quote from: Robert Dahm on 01:38:47, 09-11-2008
Out of interest, what amplifier do you have, as this will no doubt play a rather large role in determining how different bits of equipment sound.

I've had a long-term goal to replace bits of my setup as I go, so my current amplifier isn't my final amplifier.
It's a Technics SU-V500 that my supervisor gave to me.

Quote from: Robert Dahm on 01:38:47, 09-11-2008
The 540C is very nice. It's my CD player.

This thread had already pointed me towards the 540C, but it's good to read another vote!

Quote from: Robert Dahm on 01:38:47, 09-11-2008
I also have the DVD86, which I used for a long time to play CDs, as well, before I got the 540C. Both are rather good pieces of kit, although I do find myself wishing I'd spent the extra money and got the DVD89 for its SACD capabilities.

Also, you've identified my reasons for wanting the DVD89!

It's not going to happen this weekend, due to constraints of time, and may well not happen for a while (for similar reasons).
It may depend on how fed up I get with my interim arrangements!
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'is this all we can do?'
anonymous student of the University of Berkeley, California quoted in H. Draper, 'The new student revolt' (New York: Grove Press, 1965)
http://www.myspace.com/itensemble
harmonyharmony
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Posts: 4080



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« Reply #24 on: 12:22:09, 09-11-2008 »
I'll also add here that we use a lot of Cambridge equipment at work and I've been favourably impressed. Only ever had one problem, and that was with a (Cambridge) CD player that started skipping whenever the CD got beyond 50 minutes. As it went further into that zone, the noise got worse until it was unbearable.
It was quite a problem because we were trying to play a load of my students the entire Ring Cycle, in a country house miles from anywhere. In the end, we ripped all of the tracks (Lossless compression) onto a laptop and played it through the amplifier.

I think that speakers will be my next priority (possibly after Christmas) followed by a turntable.
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'is this all we can do?'
anonymous student of the University of Berkeley, California quoted in H. Draper, 'The new student revolt' (New York: Grove Press, 1965)
http://www.myspace.com/itensemble
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