CD player suggestions please for around £400

veryintrigued

Hi there

Apologies if this isnt in the correct section. We've been given some money and are keen to replace a CD player (or HIFI as we know it!!). We have a huge CD collection and no ipods.

Hence great sound, with warranty, decent DAB radio (but not essential as we have radio through TV in the same lounge) and speakers. No need for multi changer really.

As we dont have ipods a docking station would be overkill - but realise we may have to go down this route.

We've scoured reviews via the internet, including Which, Amazon, Whathifi etc.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.


Thanks in advance

paddyrg

Pop to you local richer sounds, their after sales service is excellent, prices keen, they will let you listen to your own CD on the kit, they have one of the few extended warranty scenes worth having, low to no sales pressure, knowledgeable staff. See what they suggest, give it a listen.

closed

What amp/cd/dvd/tv/speaker have you got now, and do you want everything combined eg tv/dvd surround sound etc.

If you have the patience to stick all the discs into a pc/laptop, you could digitize them and play them through a smart tv/set top box, and add soundbar or amp for a little more oomph

http://www.brennan.co.uk/

googler

So ... You want a HiFi system with a CD player, amplifier, speakers, and (optionally) a DAB radio?

Norman_Castle

http://www.superfi.co.uk/p-10642-denon-dm39dab-cddabdabfmusb-micro-system.aspx?utm_campaign=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle&gclid=CMmo9NyJtLoCFbIPtAodWj0A0Q

These are good. Add speakers to match your room. Find a decent shop locally which will let you listen to anything you consider buying.

http://www.johnlewis.com/denon-d-m39-dab-fm-cd-micro-system/p231663839?kpid=231663839&s_kenid=32bb15da-cde0-5bc9-4afa-000034ba4901&s_kwcid=ppc_pla&tmad=c&tmcampid=73

cynicalgit_2

Norman_Castle wrote: »

http://www.superfi.co.uk/p-10642-denon-dm39dab-cddabdabfmusb-micro-system.aspx?utm_campaign=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle&gclid=CMmo9NyJtLoCFbIPtAodWj0A0Q

These are good. Add speakers to match your room. Find a decent shop locally which will let you listen to anything you consider buying.

http://www.johnlewis.com/denon-d-m39-dab-fm-cd-micro-system/p231663839?kpid=231663839&s_kenid=32bb15da-cde0-5bc9-4afa-000034ba4901&s_kwcid=ppc_pla&tmad=c&tmcampid=73

Good advice, go to a proper HiFi shop with a dedicated listening room
And listen to a few CD players. Your budget should ensure a good player.
Have a listen to Exposure they have a "warmer" sound than some.
Don't buy on spec listen first. Don't want to be rude about Richer Sounds but they tend to be pile it high sell it cheap merchants specializing in end of run models.
Independent HiFi retailers do understand the business, go there first.

cynicalgit_2

By the way I don't work for Richer Sounds or Brennan.

debitcardmayhem

I concur with those posters saying go and listen, and take a selection of your own CDs to listen to(but don't take sandwiches and a flask ) Specifications don't take into account of what your ears tell you. DAB is probably not worth it where I live, but you can probably hook up the output from your TV to the new kit, separate speakers are by far and away better than most TV sound.

I_have_spoken

Still not sure what the OP actually needs to buy.

But £400 for amp/cd/tuner/speakers pretty much limits you to one of the mini-systems from Denon, Marantz, Onkyo such as http://www.richersounds.com/package/system-savers/mini-hi-fi-system-deals/pah01777

or this if you can edge closer to £500 - http://www.richersounds.com/package/system-savers/mini-hi-fi-system-deals/pah01296

I'm afraid £400 for everything isn't going to get you a demo at a hi-fi shop, there's no margin in that sale

esuhl

cynicalgit wrote: »

Good advice, go to a proper HiFi shop with a dedicated listening room
And listen to a few CD players. Your budget should ensure a good player.
Have a listen to Exposure they have a "warmer" sound than some.
Don't buy on spec listen first. Don't want to be rude about Richer Sounds but they tend to be pile it high sell it cheap merchants specializing in end of run models.
Independent HiFi retailers do understand the business, go there first.

I went to Richer Sounds a year or two back as I'd seen a budget (£600) system that was highly reviewed in What Hi-Fi magazine. But, when I listened to it in their demo room, it sounded awful. Great service, though.

So... to get the best sounding hi-fi for the money, would it be best to, say, spend four times as much on each component...? Or (as I suspect) is the weak part likely to be the speakers, in which case it might be better to stick with the budget CD player & amp and massively upgrade just the speakers...? Or spend double on the CD/amp and ten times as much on the speakers...?

(Or am I asking "how long is a piece of string"?!)