2k To Spend on Network Streamer and Speakers

[rugbyleague]

Hello there can you help me?

As per title I am looking to purchase a system to stream from. Budget is in title and maybe I could include DAB radio also.

Can you help me with advice on what to buy please?

I have had a nice seperates system in the early 90s but haven't been near since....

If you could guide me through that would be great!

Ian

[oldaudi]

Evening,
Do you have amplification already and simply need a new streamer and pair of speakers?

Which streaming services do you use already? There are hundreds of ways to spend your £2k. Cambridge audio do some excellent streamers but I think you’ll need an amplifier for their solutions. Naim and focal do some good bundles but might be just out of reach with the 2k.

I went for the Cambridge audio cxvn2 (I think that’s the model) and it allows streaming direct using various providers. But you do need separate amplification with this one. Other options could be active speakers and a streamer (so the speakers have the amplification within them)

If I had £2 to spend I’d buy the Cambridge audio cxnv2 for £800, an Audiolab integrated amp or a matching Cambridge
audio amp and then listen to some stand mounted speakers.

The Cambridge Audio solution offers access to 1000s of internet radio stations so you won’t need a separate DAB solution. All your favourites and more will be available

Take a look at the Audiolab 6000A. Amplifier and streamer in one , will leave a good sum for your speakers and come in under budget. Both streamers will need a smartphone so you can select your music.

From memory from my research both can be used in a pre-amp mode so when the upgrade bug bites you can add a power amp.

You could of course simply plug in a laptop to an amplifier which will offer the same solutions

Edited by oldaudi on Friday 17th December 21:28

[rugbyleague]

Thank you very much for this I've been watching all day for replies lol!

In big handfuls I have a smart phone which I stream to a small speaker or connect in the car via blue tooth. I do not own any other kit.

I use Spotify.

I've seen Kef wireless 2 speakers very nice, slightly over budget but contain everything I need.

I've also seen the cambridge audio streamer which gets good reviews. Because of the 100s of options I unsure if there is a one safe option which means I will not be thinking why did I not do X or Y. I may want to add a turntable in a future, I here talk of DAC, speaker placement etc. It feels a bit of a jungle out there.

[oldaudi]

Ok... so to ensure you are upgrade proof:

I recommend the Cambridge audio cxnv2. Supports all your streaming services. It offers a pre amp only mode so you can add a power amp in the future.

In the meantime plug the Cambridge audio into an integrated amp with a phono input to provide the future proofing of turntable requirements

Try various speakers , stand or floor standers.

The Cambridge audio does offer the ability for optical output to separate DAC but I’ve not read any reviews that says an external dac improves things until you get to really high end kit.

I suggest you go to your local richer sounds and have a poke around on the Cambridge audio and Audiolab 6000 range. Both can be purchased for 800£ leaving plenty for speakers and cables....

You control your music from your smartphone but your streamer connects directly to your WiFi and streamers directly, so you’re not streaming through your phone/tablet. Simply controlling your play list

Edited by oldaudi on Friday 17th December 22:09

Edited by oldaudi on Friday 17th December 22:09

[rugbyleague]

Thank you so much. This advice is really helping.

I have had an eye on the Cambridge Audio Streamer...........

[anonymous-user]

Why not a Sonos amp?

[blindspot]

How big is the room, what sort of music do you like, are you ok with 2nd hand kit? Do you want, at some point, to add other zones? What specifically do you want to stream?

I’d tend towards a Naim uniti/unitiqute/superuniti and the best monitor audio speakers - pl100s, GS20s or similar that’ll eat the rest of the budget. Chord odyssey or rumour maybe for speaker cables.

[sociopath]

Cambridge is good, as are the nad streamers.
Bluesound is also an option worth looking at.

If you aren't up to date you could do a lot worse than go to your local Richer Sounds and have a chat. They're very helpful, and are dealers for all three

[bristolracer]

Marantz PM7000N is another option, plenty left in the budget for some speakers

[oldaudi]

Good shout on the marantz range. Forgot about those. Streaming and amplification in one

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/marantz-pm7000n

[mikef]

Or even cheaper in the Marantz line - I got mine for £469 - the Marantz MCR-612 with hi-res streaming, airplay, DAB, CD (I don't use the CD...). Fully remote controlled through the Denon/Martantz HEOS app

[rugbyleague]

blindspot said:

How big is the room, what sort of music do you like, are you ok with 2nd hand kit? Do you want, at some point, to add other zones? What specifically do you want to stream?

I’d tend towards a Naim uniti/unitiqute/superuniti and the best monitor audio speakers - pl100s, GS20s or similar that’ll eat the rest of the budget. Chord odyssey or rumour maybe for speaker cables.

Thank you quite a big room approx 4m by 9m.
Wide range of music including radio, would prefer new kit rather than 2nd hand. Streaming is the wide range of music and possibly introduce a turntable at a later date

[Lucid_AV]

Although Marantz is normally a safe bet, I would be very careful about about the Marantz Melody all-in-one gear such as the M-CR612. The brand has been going through a tough time with reliability on this line. I am not sure if they're out of the woods on this one yet. Do your research.

Equally, I would think twice before putting any money in to DAB reception in good home audio gear. Quite honestly it's trash.

Unless you have a major hard-on for a radio station that can't be received via FM or Internet radio or even via Freeview/Sky/sat radio (hook up your TV or set top box to the audio system) then waste no money on DAB. It's okay in the noisy environment of a car, but at home you'll hear its shortcomings real quick. Every alternative listed above broadcasts at a higher bit rate than DAB/DAB+, and many are significantly better.

For a turntable, you no.longer need to limit your choices of amp to one with a dedicated phono input. Many good quality TTs are available with a built-in phono pre-amp. It creates a line level output that will connect to any line level/AUX input on an amp or pre-amp or even active speakers. Harking back to your 90s Hi-Fi days, Line level would be the inputs marked CD, Tuner, Video, Tape etc.

There are also standalone phono pre-amps which further increase your connection options. I run my Linn turntable through a Rega Phono pre-amp in to a Yamaha AV Receiver. The signal connects to one of the line inputs. My previous AV amps never had a phono input. Fashions have changed though and now it's more common to see a token phono input included. The sound quality via the standalone pre-amp is better than my AV receiver's phono input.

[anonymous-user]

I would be spending as much time looking at the app associated with any potential streamer as the physical box.

You have spotify but are you thinking you can still use the app to control the playback on your chosen streamer or will you use the streamer app to access spotify?

Sounds like you need a device that supports Spotify Connect at a minimum but do look at this before spending any money.

I use Amazon for music streaming and bought the Marantz ND8006 but the integration of Amazon Music and the Denon/Marantz HEOS app is crap to say the least. This is not something I anticipated having come from a Sonos solution where the integration is very tight and works very well.

[hyphen]

Used power amp (<£350)
Bluetooth receiver (£150)
Then spend the rest on used floorstanders

Stream via your phone to the Bluetooth receiver and upgrade to a proper streaming solution down the line.

Edited by hyphen on Saturday 18th December 10:01

[mikef]

Lucid_AV said:

Although Marantz is normally a safe bet, I would be very careful about about the Marantz Melody all-in-one gear such as the M-CR612. The brand has been going through a tough time with reliability on this line

References/links for that? I have been using my MCR612 to drive my garden speakers for 18 months and an MCR511 in my office for 6 years without any problems or reliability issues that I've noticed

[jimmytheone]

Lucid_AV said:

Although Marantz is normally a safe bet, I would be very careful about about the Marantz Melody all-in-one gear such as the M-CR612. The brand has been going through a tough time with reliability on this line. I am not sure if they're out of the woods on this one yet. Do your research.

+1
I bought a MCR611 about 5 years back, thinking it would be a great compact do-it-all for kitchen/diner.
- The bluetooth is hit & miss, and there's significant lag between laptop and sound.
- It doesn't remember stations very well (DAB) ie "cant find the one you just saved"
- App is terrible (via iPad or phone). This is something i would now prioritise in a new buy, depending on how you're going to drive it.
- Mine's linked up to the router via a TP-link for internet radio (mixed success) and it is always "chatting", even when the marantz is turned off, hell knows what it's talking about!

And to cap it all off, i think i've got a dry connection on the speaker terminals so it often plays out of only 1 channel, very frustrating.
Marantz were always good in the past (CD52) but not this one.

When it works, it sounds great (for the money), coupled with some Dali Zensor 1's but...the above ^

[blindspot]

rugbyleague said:

Thank you quite a big room approx 4m by 9m.
Wide range of music including radio, would prefer new kit rather than 2nd hand. Streaming is the wide range of music and possibly introduce a turntable at a later date

Ok, for a large room you'll probably be better off with floorstanders. Speakers are quite simple devices, so although I understand why you might want a warranty on the electronics, you'll definitely get lots more for your money if you compromise and go for used speakers. You do need to listen to a few things to find out what sound suits you - I particularly like the Monitor Audio stuff, and think they've got some real gems scattered through their ranges. GS20s, PL200s, RS6s and a few others. Comb ebay or join PinkFish for bargains.

On the electronics, the simple choice is an amp and separate streamer or an amp with built in streamer. The latter will be less receptive to later upgrades, but cheaper, 'cos one box, one transformer, one space in the ISO container from china etc.

Naim stuff is probably out of budget for new, as is the Cambridge Evo 75 which seems to have been very well received (would leave just £200 for speakers at stated budget). Maybe a Roksan Attessa (£1500 or so) or a Marantz PM7000N (£900ish?).

Think more about streaming - I use Tidal, because it sounds great and there's an app that works in my Polestar (!) and Roon - which has a great control interface and permits easy multi-room stuff. But then you need your streaming kit to be Roon compatible, and a computer to run the server from..

If it was my money, I'd spend about £500 on a second hand Naim Unitiqute (you'd be amazed how good one of these sounded on my PL200s), and the rest on the speakers. That leaves an easy upgrade path if you want to improve things later, and the kernel of a second system.

[rugbyleague]

gottans said:

I would be spending as much time looking at the app associated with any potential streamer as the physical box.

You have spotify but are you thinking you can still use the app to control the playback on your chosen streamer or will you use the streamer app to access spotify?

Sounds like you need a device that supports Spotify Connect at a minimum but do look at this before spending any money.

I use Amazon for music streaming and bought the Marantz ND8006 but the integration of Amazon Music and the Denon/Marantz HEOS app is crap to say the least. This is not something I anticipated having come from a Sonos solution where the integration is very tight and works very well.

Thank you hadn't considered the app but makes absolute sense. What I think I want is to be able to choose what I play using an App, but then the streamer sorts itself out directly with the streaming supplier i.e. phone chooses song, song delivered directly to streamer and plays??

[Ultuous]

I like the Yamaha stuff personally - I've got an r-n602 and it connects perfectly (and yes, directly) to Spotify when controlled via my Android devices.

The Yamaha app itself's average I would say - use it to connect to Internet Radio etc. but not a huge fan of it for streaming from my NAS (UI/ Library is a little clunky) but I just use BubbleUPnP do that, which integrates perfectly... The receiver connects to pretty much anything, which is great when a mate comes round and wants to share some tunes!

Edited by Ultuous on Saturday 18th December 14:08