Good deal or not (hifi)

[Admiral Huddy]

l like the look of this (system No. 4):

http://www.richersounds.com/information.php?cda=static&cst=hifisystems


CD Spec (http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/product_reviews.php?PID=97&Title=Azur+540C+%28Version+2%29)

Amp Spec (http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/specifications.php?PID=104&Title=Specifications)

Speakers (http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=MORD-902I-AVANT-MAP)


I'm no audiophile but just need to see if these are decent enough for the cash.. I was also wondering why the CD states no MP3 play back yet it says it play CDRW?? Does this mean I can play CDRs?

[Burble]

No MP3 playback means that if you were to burn a bunch of MP3 files to CD and shove the CD in the CD player it wouldn't play them.

For the cash I wouldn't be expecting anything fantastic, but I always thought that Cambridge Audio stuff was quite good value for money.

[leowyatt]

I have an old CA A500 amp and it has been good for me. I think the amp you are looking at got 5 stars from what hi-f (http://whathifi.com/Review/Cambridge-Audio-Azur-540A-V20/)i.

[Matblack]

Its not where my money would go I'd be looking at second hand and makes like REGA, Audiolab, Arcam, KEF, Mordant Short, B&W. For £500 you could build a killer stereo system which would knock the socks off that kit.

However I want to share with you something very important that some people in your position don't seem to 'get'.

Hifis sound different

Sound silly doesn't it but they do, and some people prefer different 'colouration' that hifi equipment gives like some people prefer different power delivery in a car. For example Audiolab equipment is VERY neutral but ARCAM is traditionally more rounded, combinations of speakers and amps give very different feels to music reproduction.

You wouldn't think of buying a car without a test drive would you? You might hate it. So don't go dropping £500 in Richer Sounds without a bloody good listen to what you are going to get :)

Take some CDs you know well and go and listen to what you are getting or buy a Ministry of Sound plastic box from Argos and spend the ££400 you save on renewing your gym membership or something else you'll enjoy ;)

MB

[leowyatt]

NAD are another to consider :) get yourself over to avforums.com and have a nosey round there for advise and second-hand gear.

[Admiral Huddy]

I'm bloody confussed now but good point taken. I'm 5 minutes walk from Richer sounds so I'm going after work.

Problem is I have a slight sound distortion in one ear so quality doesn't really matter too much.. as long as it loud, proud and I can hear it, this is why I'm not really much of an Audiophile.

Any links to any decent deals, kit etc would be great. I need new speakers though because I dropped one of my 'dales whilst decorating :)

[divine]

If quality doesn't matter to you then Deal 2 would be more than adequate.

In the lounge downstairs we've got a Cambridge A1 (entry level afaik ~£70), Cambridge entry level CD player and Gale Silver Monitors (~£50) and it all sounds great, goes PLENTY loud enough (don't think it's ever been past halfway bar when ive had my iPod on it as that is ultra quiet for some reason).

As suggested, have a listen to stuff. They'll probably be more than happy to let you have a listen to deal 2 and 4 to compare. If you cant tell the difference, then no point spending the extra really is there?