help required getting back into Hi-Fi

dazza1011

Prominent Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2006
Messages
1,881
Reaction score
532
Points
437
Location
Sheffield
so its been at least 8 years since i last visted AV forums and im about to take the dive back into spending money on things the wife has no interest in.

i have accumulted a few bits and pieces and im wanting to start setting things up again but im that far out of the loop i dont even know if what ive got is any good anymore.

ive acquired a Pro-Ject Carbon turntable and have an Azur Phono Pre Amp ( these were given to me by a mate who was moving abroad) and i was looking to purchase a Yamaha 602 with Monitor Audio Bronze speakers however until the wife has done the front room the money comes available i have two amps that im wondering which would be the best to use until i can afford the Yamaha, im starting off small then i can increase over time that way she doesnt see the real costs.

one is a Cambridge Audio Model A1 v3.0 the other is a Yamaha RX-V357 ( which is a AV receiver) both look old but which would be better option going forward.

cheers for any advice
 
Possibly depends on whether you need the radio or the DAC or not, the yamaha certainly has more power but that doesn’t mean it will sound better. You have both so try both! trust your ears r, it’s about your preference at end of the day 🙂

you probably want to check the setup of the TT and you may want a new cart/stylus. I used an azur 540p preamp for a long time With a project debut iii and was happy, however Pretty sure you can get more out of the TT with a good cart match and better phono pre-amp.

when you are ready to refresh/upgrade come with a budget in mind and kind folks here are usually pretty good at making suggestions to get the most bang for your buck 🙂
 
The Yamaha is an old RX low end model which from my experience was a cheap and cheerful AV system, often sold with equally cheap matching Yamaha satellite systems. I suspect it won't be much cop for stereo.

The Cambridge audio, while not a powerful amp in the slightest is actually a sweet sounding amp, in fact the Cambridge was the very first proper hifi amp I ever bought. I still have it in my garage.

As already said it's worth trying both amps seeing as you already have them but I'd be surprised if you prefer that particular Yamaha AVR.
 
Last edited:
For music, use the A1, whilst it lacks fancy LCD display and lights and lacks a remote control, its a great little amp from a soind quality point of view, well built, same designer as creek. In fact I think it will sound better than the yamaha you plan to buy and better build quality than some of the much newer amps that dont have an aluminium facia. Its powerful enough for the bronze standmounters
 
How much money are you ...were you... planning to spend? Both Now and Then?

These are far from free, but they are not going to break the bank by any means -

Yamaha RN602 + Bronze 2 = £550


Yamaha RN602 + Bronze 5 = £699 -


The Bronze Series are on sale right no because Monitor Audio has introduced the NEW Bronze Series, so the older/previous models are on deep discounts.

He who hesitates is lost.


Steve/bluewizard
 
How much money are you ...were you... planning to spend? Both Now and Then?

These are far from free, but they are not going to break the bank by any means -

Yamaha RN602 + Bronze 2 = £550


Yamaha RN602 + Bronze 5 = £699 -


The Bronze Series are on sale right no because Monitor Audio has introduced the NEW Bronze Series, so the older/previous models are on deep discounts.

He who hesitates is lost.

Steve/bluewizard
Cheers i was going to get the speakers anyway its the amp im saving for and just wanted assurances that the Cambridge or Yamaha was up to the task on what has been replied ill stick with the cambridge (until i get the thumbs up to change) and buy the Bronze 2 speakers now , thanks for the advice.
 
Last edited:
You may very well be pleasantly surprised with the Cambridge 😊
 
just to update went for the bronze 5 speakers in white for £190 and were out of stock however the company called me and offered me the new bronze 100's for a tenner more so i thought that was a decent deal so went for it i mean theyre showing at £325 in richer sounds
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom