New to Hi fi . Need a bit of advice

I would speak to your local dealer and arrange to visit to discuss varoius options and arrange demos within your budget just take your time and enjoy your journey.

Source? With a 300dr you're going to be spending a lot more than 10k

I'd echo the above comment. But I'd also forget opt1. A single HicapDR will be significantly better than 2 fcs. The change from HC2 to HCDR on my 282 was huge and having had a FCXS in the past I'm not it's biggest fan, versatile though it is. 282 vs 252 divides opinion so the only way you'll know is by letting your own ears decide. Also at that level of outlay try to get your dealer to let you try the options out in your own home.

have fun.

PS well done with SWMBO. I finally wore my boss down enough to get a pair of Isobariks into the house. 

Why is 'conquering the wife' a good thing? 

I'm sure the comment is as light hearted and unrepresentative of their actual relationship as it came across. As is my comment intended to be about my fully open and respectful relationship where understandably opinions differ about priorities for non essential items.

Just because you have 10 k to spend doesn't mean you need to......naim has some superb all in one units about to Hit the shelves and could be all the hi-fi you ever need....remember your system is going to need balance no point in spending 6-8k on amplification and psu's if you don't have a source or speakers to do them any justice.....

Let's hope so. The idea that one's partner is an obstacle rather than the most important part of one's life is something we hopefully moved on from many years ago. 

Setting casual sexism aside, it would be useful to know the source. And it certainly wouldn't be worth spending that sort of money on amps with those speakers. 

apologies, source is mostly digital (MacBook pro) with either .flac or AAC files as best as I can find/convert/manage throughout my library. 

I also play a bit of vinyl . Deck is a family heirloom 80's Michell focus one with original Michell arm and a newish ortofon cartridge (which I'm looking to change for a MC soon) , new belts and recently serviced motor. (Was my dad's 21st bday pressy so it's got sentimental value else I'd have a Lp12  about now haha) 

Thanks for the input on the options I realise the 252 and both 300 options will push me closer to 15k but with a bit more saving up it might be worth it

I understand about the speakers....was next in the chain of upgrades but thought I'd do well to get the Rotel changed out first and start from there  

 P.s my wife is a wonderful woman she unfortunately just has little interest in musical boxes that cost the same as her car ....

 Thank u for all the help 

Amazing, you're thinking of upgrading before you've even bought anything!

My advice is to go for a 552 with a 300DR, a little over budget but it will sound much better than the Rotel. 

.sjb 

Sloop John B posted:

My advice is to go for a 552 with a 300DR, a little over budget but it will sound much better than the Rotel. 

That sounds reasonable 

Yeah maybe iv jumped the gun a little with the upgrade paths ....u know how it is reading reviews on things when they say "getting an "X" will dramatically improve....." 

Think maybe I needa take a step back and look at the source / speakers etc instead of diving right into psus and the such like 

Thank u guys .... at least you've saved me making a 15 grand blunder without seeing the bigger picture  so glad I posted now

You could do a lot worse than a 272/250. Put the music on a nas and get some decent speakers and you are sorted. Or get a good DAC and a 282/250. You'll need a phono stage too. 

I would suggest that you forget about amplifiers and start thinking about complete systems that work well as a whole. That includes not only source(s) but cables, support shelves, network for streaming, mains supply, the whole lot. You may well find that you get great sound for your budget while only spending a relatively small part of it on amplification.

I used to own a Focus One, and really enjoyed it, but playing it through £10k of amplification is likely to show its weaknesses and cause dissatisfaction. As for digital sources, make sure your Mac is optimised for audio or replace it with a NAS/streamer.

Go and visit a few dealers. Find one that you feel comfortable with. Some are extremely good at guiding you through this process, and will be happy to spend time with you, finding a solution that really works for you.  Take your time, enjoy the process, and you should end up with a great system. Good luck!

Hungryhalibut posted:

You could do a lot worse than a 272/250. Put the music on a nas and get some decent speakers and you are sorted. Or get a good DAC and a 282/250. You'll need a phono stage 

Absolutely agree , was just thinking the same . A 282/250 + a dac, Phono and new speakers .....do u have any recommendations on what sort of speakers to aim for in order to maximise this set up as well as giving a little room for future proofing ? 

ChrisSU posted:

I would suggest that you forget about amplifiers and start thinking about complete systems that work well as a whole. That includes not only source(s) but cables, support shelves, network for streaming, mains supply, the whole lot. You may well find that you get great sound for your budget while only spending a relatively small part of it on amplification.

I used to own a Focus One, and really enjoyed it, but playing it through £10k of amplification is likely to show its weaknesses and cause dissatisfaction. As for digital sources, make sure your Mac is optimised for audio or replace it with a NAS/streamer.

Go and visit a few dealers. Find one that you feel comfortable with. Some are extremely good at guiding you through this process, and will be happy to spend time with you, finding a solution that really works for you.  Take your time, enjoy the process, and you should end up with a great system. Good luck!

Brilliant advice. Thank you ����

I'm not really up on current speakers, though PMCs are good, as are Kudos, say the S20.

Also remember that the room is a big part of the puzzle.Also the type of music you listen to can make a difference....well recorded classical music and jazz can sound amazing on a well sorted system but stick it some poorly recorded indie,pop or metal and it don't matter how much cash you throw at it.....you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.....oh and pmc's,neat,atc and harbeth are some fine manufacturers that match well with naim gear.

You can't go wrong with the 272/250 combination, which allows you a healthy budget for speakers and some top quality cables, which are just as important as the Black boxes.

Focal, Revel, kudos, are very good, Pmc sound great but I don't like the build quality.

10k can go along way, so do as much home auditioning as you can, and never pay full price, the more you haggle the more you get...

Ok il do some research into those thanks.  

Luckily last year i acousticly treated the room with auralex dsp panel's , bass corner traps and risers for my subwoofer and speakers ....this has made the room dry up a bit  and brought all those big nasty standing waves and flutter echo reflections under control 

Hopefully now with the advice given I can make all the right hi fi upgrades to match  

Very good and half the battle is won.lol.

Like someone already told you. Having the money doesn't mean you need to spend it.

some of the guys in this forum are hardcore naim  which I respect greatly. 

You have a descent system which I consider fit for anyone enjoying music. Same category as me as we did within our means focusing on music 

If you won the lottery and got the wife blessing, then great news. 

I suggest you start slowly and get a taste of naim sound and app. They are releasing good all in one uniti system which will be more than enough (star, atom, nova). The two box system also work very well..

my point is that you can spend £5k (speakers and cables included) and be very happy...unless you planning to do the naim Lego box or upgrade game. Again, I respect that but I want my system to be simple and good. All depends on your priorities 

go listen but try to have 3 budgets. Low, mid, high...and see what each means...you will be surprised how a star or nova uniti will sound with a good speaker...

Yeah ur right crabby....not about the lottery unfortunately though haha just got a little saved for a deposit and figured I'd finance the other half now the cat is paid off hebe

Think I got blinded by the thought of aiming higher than is realistic at my stage in the Hi fi journey 

Thanks everyone really appreciate the help 

Regarding speakers, my shortlist would be based almost entirely on models which a good dealer can demonstrate. In addition to matching your system, they have to match your personal taste, and crucially, your room acoustics, which really limits the usefulness of recommendations from other users.

Another little 'advice' of the political kind is to get the Significant Other involved in choosing speakers. With her (his) involvement in choosing the most visible items,   the importance of nice looking, the right size, suiting listening room furniture & sounding good when playing her favourite music,   you get 'buy in'.    Then you can be left to choose (& pay) for the boring black box & wire stuff & that can be a lot easier on family harmony.