Entry level set up advice please!

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JayDiddy

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Total newbie to music systems so looking for some friendly advice.
I want to build a basic set up to play vinyl/cd/stream.
I don't have the confidence to know about buying second hand stuff so what would people recommend?
Am based in West Yorkshire and happy to travel a bit to go and get stuff.
Budget is about £750
 
JayDiddy said:
Total newbie to music systems so looking for some friendly advice.
I want to build a basic set up to play vinyl/cd/stream.
I don't have the confidence to know about buying second hand stuff so what would people recommend?
Am based in West Yorkshire and happy to travel a bit to go and get stuff.
Budget is about £750
Click to expand...

Many dealers sell used gear (usually from trade-in deals). This might be a good option as long as you avoid Emporium Hi-Fi.
They will be happy to let you audition equipment and suggest alternatives for a given budget.

Buying a turntable is a bit risky but if buying from an audio forum classifieds section you should be ok (e.g. https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/).
Parts for some older CD players have been discontinued and they should be avoided.

Audio Technica (direct-drive), Pro-Ject and Rega are safe entry-level turntables which come with an on-board phono preamp and a decent pick-up cartridge. Expect to pay around £250.

£750 is a bit short for a system with 3 sources. You can get a WiiM Pro streamer / amplifier and maybe a pair of small Q Acoustics speakers.
 
Don't look to do do too much to start. A good second hand amp, even just a Power Amp would be a good start. Being and "Oldie". I was astounded at the quality of music available via a DAC, and not for much money either. In particular, an iFi Uno, for very little money. I have one driving my Quad 909 at the moment. This should leave you with enough left for a decent pair of second hand speakers.

Listening for a while to streamed music - a lot in Ultra HD will give you a good idea about what to buy when it comes to vinyl and CD's. With the amount of material available via streaming, I am thinking of going wholly over to it. The iFi was bought for my birthday by my son and what a cracking gift it is.
 
JayDiddy said:
Total newbie to music systems so looking for some friendly advice.
I want to build a basic set up to play vinyl/cd/stream.
I don't have the confidence to know about buying second hand stuff so what would people recommend?
Am based in West Yorkshire and happy to travel a bit to go and get stuff.
Budget is about £750
Click to expand...
I've got a few bits I can sell you for a good price if you can collect from near Durham.
 

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