Recommendations for upgrading my system

bshikari

bshikari

Active Member
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
270
Location
London, UK
Hi all,

I bought a cheap used hi-fi system just over a year ago, because I thought it was going to only have it for a very short amount of time. I've now realised I'll probably stay where I am for a while longer, so I'd like to upgrade it slowly.

Here's what I have:

- TT: Pro-ject Debut III S Audiophile
- Pre-amp/Receiver: Pioneer SX-337
- Speakers: Technics SB-102

I am not too knowledgeable on hardware, and that's why I came to this trusted forum for advice. I think the Pioneer is probably the weakest point in the system, but I'm not sure if I should invest in a pre-amp first, replace the receiver, or do both at the same time. I'm happy to receive both vintage and modern recommendations. Overall, I think I'm just looking for a setup that compliments the Debut III, and then upgrade up from that eventually.

I saw that the Onkyo A-9010 amplifier has glaring reviews, especially for a fairly affordable amp (~£200). If anyone here has it I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

Also, a guy I know is selling a pair of B&O Beovox S30 speakers, so if anyone has ever had one, I'd love some feedback on it.

Thank you all so much in advance! Haven't had too much time to come back to the forum, but hopefully I'll be around more often.
 
bshikari said:
Hi all,

I bought a cheap used hi-fi system just over a year ago, because I thought it was going to only have it for a very short amount of time. I've now realised I'll probably stay where I am for a while longer, so I'd like to upgrade it slowly.

Here's what I have:

- TT: Pro-ject Debut III S Audiophile
- Pre-amp/Receiver: Pioneer SX-337
- Speakers: Technics SB-102

I am not too knowledgeable on hardware, and that's why I came to this trusted forum for advice. I think the Pioneer is probably the weakest point in the system, but I'm not sure if I should invest in a pre-amp first, replace the receiver, or do both at the same time. I'm happy to receive both vintage and modern recommendations. Overall, I think I'm just looking for a setup that compliments the Debut III, and then upgrade up from that eventually.

I saw that the Onkyo A-9010 amplifier has glaring reviews, especially for a fairly affordable amp (~£200). If anyone here has it I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

Also, a guy I know is selling a pair of B&O Beovox S30 speakers, so if anyone has ever had one, I'd love some feedback on it.

Thank you all so much in advance! Haven't had too much time to come back to the forum, but hopefully I'll be around more often.
Click to expand...
Do you have a rough idea of total budget? Or budget split out by component?

I'd agree the Pioneer is the weakest element, and there are almost an infinite number of options and paths to take, depending on your budget :)
 
Bsdmr2 said:
Do you have a rough idea of total budget? Or budget split out by component?

I'd agree the Pioneer is the weakest element, and there are almost an infinite number of options and paths to take, depending on your budget :)
Click to expand...

I think I'm going to do it piece by piece over a few months.

I'm not entirely sure of what my budget is. I think £500 overall would be a good reference (I don't think I'll upgrade the TT yet, so excluding that). Don't stick too much to that number though, I'm willing to go both higher for something quite special or lower for a good deal.
 
bshikari said:
I think I'm going to do it piece by piece over a few months.

I'm not entirely sure of what my budget is. I think £500 overall would be a good reference (I don't think I'll upgrade the TT yet, so excluding that). Don't stick too much to that number though, I'm willing to go both higher for something quite special or lower for a good deal.
Click to expand...
Great, there's definitely some good components available in that bracket! With regards to speakers, are you set on stand-mounts or floorstanders? You can obviously get a lot more for your money going down the ex-display or ex-demo route. But if I was buying new, then for the amp, I'd look at:
  • Marantz pm6006 (I've owned this previously and it's very capable)
  • Onkyo A-9010
  • Or the new Rega IO
For bookshelf speakers, I'd look at:
  • Q Acoustics 3030i (smaller version of my floorstanders)
  • B&W 607
With ex-demo you'd have access to some higher priced kit, but depends if you have a good local dealer or not.
 
Bsdmr2 said:
Great, there's definitely some good components available in that bracket! With regards to speakers, are you set on stand-mounts or floorstanders? You can obviously get a lot more for your money going down the ex-display or ex-demo route. But if I was buying new, then for the amp, I'd look at:
  • Marantz pm6006 (I've owned this previously and it's very capable)
  • Onkyo A-9010
  • Or the new Rega IO
For bookshelf speakers, I'd look at:
  • Q Acoustics 3030i (smaller version of my floorstanders)
  • B&W 607
With ex-demo you'd have access to some higher priced kit, but depends if you have a good local dealer or not.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot on the recommendations! I quite like the Onkyo, because it's quite stripped back and has only what I need for a very attractive price. I did read that the phono pre-amp in it is not the best, so I'd probably be looking to get one if that's the case.

Would you recommend buying new (or ex-display/ex/demo), then? Or do you think I could get better hardware for the same money if I tried to find some vintage gear around ebay and such?

I'm not aware of the hi-fi stores around me, but I'm sure there are some good stores here in London I could check for ex-demo gear.

My setup now looks like this, and my space is rather limited. I could make it work with floor standing speakers, if it'd make a big difference, otherwise I'll probably stick to having them on the Kallax.

Screenshot 2020-07-09 at 16.30.03.png
 
bshikari said:
Thanks a lot on the recommendations! I quite like the Onkyo, because it's quite stripped back and has only what I need for a very attractive price. I did read that the phono pre-amp in it is not the best, so I'd probably be looking to get one if that's the case.

Would you recommend buying new (or ex-display/ex/demo), then? Or do you think I could get better hardware for the same money if I tried to find some vintage gear around ebay and such?

I'm not aware of the hi-fi stores around me, but I'm sure there are some good stores here in London I could check for ex-demo gear.

My setup now looks like this, and my space is rather limited. I could make it work with floor standing speakers, if it'd make a big difference, otherwise I'll probably stick to having them on the Kallax.

View attachment 55836
Click to expand...

Vintage can be more trouble than its worth, reliability isn’t guaranteed, it may well be in need of work doing on it and the more desirable pieces are well known and priced accordingly. You can get great deals by hunting the pages of dealers for ex demo/open box deals, a lot of the dealers will have a page on their website dedicated to that. At £500 it’s going to be extremely tight to squeeze a phono in alongside an amp and speakers. You can do better than the onkyo on board phono but I’d concentrate of speakers/amp with your budget, and if you could save another £200 over time you’d have a phono worth having, this gets a lot of love and I can attest to musical fidelity gear being great!

Musical Fidelity LX2 LPS MM/MC Phono Amplifier - Silver Musical Fidelity LX2 LPS MM/MC Phono Amplifier - Silver: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
 
Also for speakers these Elacs should come into consideration. Added to the Onkyo at £200 you’re at budget and everyone around these parts who’ve bought them give them glowing reviews!

www.richersounds.com

ELAC Debut B6.2 (Black)

Shop for Elac Debut B6.2 Black Bookshelf Speaker Pair with Richer Sounds for a 6 Year Guarantee, expert advice and Lowest Prices Guaranteed
www.richersounds.com www.richersounds.com
 
Thackeraye said:
Hey, @Kyuuji - did you not get the Onkyo? I have it, and am pretty happy with it. I'm pairing it with other components that are pretty poor, but I get a good sound out of it.
Click to expand...
Hey, I did get it indeed. Don’t have any point of comparison but I’ve been extremely happy with my whole setup and it worked out the gate. Glad you’re having a positive experience with it too!
 
Joe Mac said:
Vintage can be more trouble than its worth, reliability isn’t guaranteed, it may well be in need of work doing on it and the more desirable pieces are well known and priced accordingly. You can get great deals by hunting the pages of dealers for ex demo/open box deals, a lot of the dealers will have a page on their website dedicated to that. At £500 it’s going to be extremely tight to squeeze a phono in alongside an amp and speakers. You can do better than the onkyo on board phono but I’d concentrate of speakers/amp with your budget, and if you could save another £200 over time you’d have a phono worth having, this gets a lot of love and I can attest to musical fidelity gear being great!

Musical Fidelity LX2 LPS MM/MC Phono Amplifier - Silver Musical Fidelity LX2 LPS MM/MC Phono Amplifier - Silver: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
Click to expand...
I'd agree. I'd definitely seek out ex-demo, but I'd avoid vintage unless you're going go down a higher end route and only pick up things that can still be serviced by the manufacturer in-house, like Naim gear.
 
Bsdmr2 said:
I'd agree. I'd definitely seek out ex-demo, but I'd avoid vintage unless you're going go down a higher end route and only pick up things that can still be serviced by the manufacturer in-house, like Naim gear.
Click to expand...

Or stuff like the old marantz that is so ubiquitous in the used market that there’s an army of engineers able to service it. That said that stuff is so in demand that it’s way overpriced right now!
 
Thank you all for your input!

I'm definitely leaning towards a new/modern amp. I'm thinking of getting the Onkyo off Amazon to try it out and see how it sounds. But I'll definitely try to look into ex-demos first. If anyone has any recommendations of stores in London, I'd be very grateful!

I might pick up some vintage speakers, since the electronics in them are much simpler than the amps, and I'm much more confident that if anything is/goes wrong with them, that I can open them up and making fixing them a fun DIY project. (I'm an electrical engineer, so I do have some knowledge of electronics). From my research you can get quite capable speakers that match new ones that have a much higher price tag than I can afford at the moment. But I also have my eyes on the ELACs @Joe Mac suggested!
 
Just found some B&W 601 S3 speakers that I think I can probably get for around £100, maybe a bit more.

Does anyone have any experience with them?
 
I was close to a deal, but someone came and offered more, so I lost them. Considering some Monitor Audio Studio 10s now, but can't find any record of ones being sold, so I am unsure exactly how much to offer for them.
 
Decided to up my budget to the £1000-£1500 range for speakers, amp, and a streamer. I think it'll prevent me from upgrading again soon, and have the system last in my hands.

I'm considering returning the Onkyo and getting a manufacturer refurbished Cambridge Audio CXA80 for less than £400. It doesn't have a pre-amp, but I think a Schiit Mani should do that job well. But I'm very pleased with the Onkyo, so if it fits the other components well, I might keep it.

Regarding streamers I've been trying to hunt a cheap Cambridge Audio CXN V2, and I've found a few for £600. I've tried one the other day and was very pleased with the interface and the sound quality. I'm trying to justify paying the extra over the Bluesound Node 2i or the Audiolab 6000N. If anyone has any of them, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Regarding speakers, I listened to the Dali Oberon 3 the other day and was very surprised with the quality of their sound. It was right after I tested the B&W 606 (which I was kind of underwhelmed by, but I listened to them in a huge room, and I don't think they were too suited to fill that room with sound), and I was much more impressed by them. Before making a decision I wanted to listen to the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2, the ELAC Uni-fi UB5, and the Klipsch RP-600M.

I'd love any input.
 
bshikari said:
Decided to up my budget to the £1000-£1500 range for speakers, amp, and a streamer. I think it'll prevent me from upgrading again soon, and have the system last in my hands.

I'm considering returning the Onkyo and getting a manufacturer refurbished Cambridge Audio CXA80 for less than £400. It doesn't have a pre-amp, but I think a Schiit Mani should do that job well. But I'm very pleased with the Onkyo, so if it fits the other components well, I might keep it.

Regarding streamers I've been trying to hunt a cheap Cambridge Audio CXN V2, and I've found a few for £600. I've tried one the other day and was very pleased with the interface and the sound quality. I'm trying to justify paying the extra over the Bluesound Node 2i or the Audiolab 6000N. If anyone has any of them, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Regarding speakers, I listened to the Dali Oberon 3 the other day and was very surprised with the quality of their sound. It was right after I tested the B&W 606 (which I was kind of underwhelmed by, but I listened to them in a huge room, and I don't think they were too suited to fill that room with sound), and I was much more impressed by them. Before making a decision I wanted to listen to the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2, the ELAC Uni-fi UB5, and the Klipsch RP-600M.

I'd love any input.
Click to expand...

May be worth a look on Pink Fish for speakers. They have a classified section there and usually have some great stuff on the go. Full of lunatics banging on about speaker cables too.

Also a guy who sells vinyl at mega decent rates
 
bshikari said:
Decided to up my budget to the £1000-£1500 range for speakers, amp, and a streamer. I think it'll prevent me from upgrading again soon, and have the system last in my hands.

I'm considering returning the Onkyo and getting a manufacturer refurbished Cambridge Audio CXA80 for less than £400. It doesn't have a pre-amp, but I think a Schiit Mani should do that job well. But I'm very pleased with the Onkyo, so if it fits the other components well, I might keep it.

Regarding streamers I've been trying to hunt a cheap Cambridge Audio CXN V2, and I've found a few for £600. I've tried one the other day and was very pleased with the interface and the sound quality. I'm trying to justify paying the extra over the Bluesound Node 2i or the Audiolab 6000N. If anyone has any of them, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Regarding speakers, I listened to the Dali Oberon 3 the other day and was very surprised with the quality of their sound. It was right after I tested the B&W 606 (which I was kind of underwhelmed by, but I listened to them in a huge room, and I don't think they were too suited to fill that room with sound), and I was much more impressed by them. Before making a decision I wanted to listen to the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2, the ELAC Uni-fi UB5, and the Klipsch RP-600M.

I'd love any input.
Click to expand...

In that budget for a steamer I’d be goingfor the bluesound now that the Aurelic aries mini is no longer a thing. Unless you fancy a bit of a DIY project with a raspberry pi and DAC hat to sar some money to invest in other two components.
 
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