Absolutely! There's no need to spend thousands to enjoy great music. There's nothing wrong with it if you've got endless supplies of cash, but for most of us we don't and you can still get great sound for not much money if you're prepared to hunt around!
@@paulrolfe4599 People investing 35000 on hifi often are called snobs. People find it totalle normal that one spends 35000 on a new car. I would never spend 35000 on a car but would have no problem to spend 35000 on hifi. To each his own.My system has cost 3200 euros.Some new parts. Some second hand.
@@lopikosmusic9354 Thanks mate. Yeah, some people loose all sense of perspective when it comes to hifi gear. My car didn't cost $5000 so there's no way stereo is going to! 🤣
2K for the entire system is definitely budget. It can sound very good but it’s still budget. That’s a little less than I spent on my main set up and it sounds awesome but it’s budget. If I had more money to burn I would have better stuff
You're so right about the magic of those systems we grew up with. That's why (in addition to my music collection -- LPs and CDs, with a few tapes here and there) I've also amassed a collection of vintage hi-fi equipment. The build quality, parts and workmanship of equipment from the '70s (especially) can't be matched today without spending a fortune. I have some vintage Marantz 22xx-series receivers that I love (the look of them as much as the sound) and other receivers, amps, separates and and other pieces that I swap in and out, from Sansui, McIntosh, Pioneer, Yamaha, Sony, Sherwood, Kenwood... The thing is, that gets expensive too if you can't stop yourself, and my will is weak. And vintage audio equipment is HEAVY! Good thing I traveled around in my younger days, because I never, ever want to have to move this stuff again. They'll have to carry me out of this house in a bag.
Sounds like you have some amazing equipment! I'd love to have a McIntosh amp one day. They tend to run a bit pricey for my blood but I live in eternal hope of finding a bargain one day!
It's good for people to hear that they can assemble a high-quality sound system without spending a fortune. A few years ago I put together a truly "minimalist" audiophile system by investing in an excellent pair of actively powered loudspeakers, plus the ONLY CD player (at the time) that had a vacuum tube output stage - and I was able to save money by buying them used. The tube output of the CD player enabled me to run the active speakers with no other equipment needed. Later I bought another, identical pair of active speakers (used) and an inexpensive 4-channel surround sound processor to build a low-cost "quadraphonic" Hi-Fi system. I still have this equipment and it still gives me great pleasure.
@@mattsmusichannel You make a great point - when you save money by building a Hi-Fi system that performs above its cost, you have that much more to spend on your source music. If you like to use compact discs they can also be bought at bargain prices these days. There are several outlets that sell used and overstock CDs for a fraction of what you'd pay if you bought them new. Even though I grew up during the original vinyl era (I was born right at the time when the first LPs were introduced) I now own many more CDs.
pm6006 UK edition (second hand) Monitor audio Bronze 2 Atacama floor stands Dragonfly DAC Wilco 10/12/14 (?) gauge speaker wire (bought so long ago I don't remember the spec) All music streamed online. With no HIFI shops nearby, other than a real high-end audio specialists, I used recommendations from What HIFI magazine, best in class for x pounds and going with amps that aren't fussy about what components are plugged into them (not that I could tell the difference) I did buy a Onkyo C-N7050 to play CD's (again What HIFI recommendation) although I will be selling this after experimenting with a CD VS streamed copy and honestly couldn't hear the difference. The internet opened up access to music I would never have listened to before, and budget HIFI just made it that much more enjoyable. The total cost of my audiovisual was probably around £1000, and I've owned most of it for at least five years, so maybe not the cheapest system you could put together, but you could spend that on connectors alone so in that respect it's a bloody bargain.
@@mattsmusichannel Certainly will, I subscribed after the one video. It would indeed be nice to see some "cheapaudioman" content that has a focus on stuff we can get here in the UK. best wishes, Richard.
Absolutely agree. Older components can be had for not a lot of money and sound great. My home system (not the most subtle thing, admittedly) is a 1970s Sanyo receiver which a friend gave me and I repaired, some 1970s Technics floorstanders which cost $50 from my local charity shop, and an Akai turntable someone gave me and I repaired. You're so right about the equipment we grew up using, and we still managed to fall in love with music. Of course, we want clarity and imaging, but this can be had without breaking the bank. More power to you, sir, and your friendly, informal presentation style.
My budget hifi system from the past, that I loved the sound of, (in the 70s) was a goldring lenco GL75 turntable (it didnt cost much then), with an Amstrad 5050 reciever, and a pair of Wharfedale Linton 3xp speakers. And it sounded grreat.
B&W DM 302 / 301 still sounds amazing even today on voices. Discontinued quickly as it overwhelmed higher models. Pre owned is really unbeatable in value! Cheers.
I found a pair of DM302's a year or so ago in vgc for £90, and I was amazed. Bookshelf size, floor-stander sound. I am pleased to read what you wrote here, makes a lot of sense to me!
@rachelgray9307 In an exhibit they used I think 30 dm302 to represent each voice in a choir arranged as a choir would. That would sound something else!
I used to own a pair of those B&W speakers back in the late 80's, very good speakers, do not overdrive them, the tweeters are the weak link........I had several tweeters replaced under warranty in the first year of ownership. B&W were great to deal with (via the dealership) and just kept replacing them free of charge.
They're lovely sounding aren't they? Good tip about not pushing them too hard. I'm fairly gentle with them to be honest. They're getting on for 40 years old now so I don't want to damage them. I have in recent years started using a sub with them too, so as to avoid them being overworked at the low end.
Loving your outlook on audio. My dad passed on a pair of home made speakers to me that he made before I was born (late 70's). The are elliptical drive units that were designed to be add in's to allow people to add a pair of speakers to go quadraphonic. They are superb speakers that he built himself. He's a scientist so knows his stuff. The drive units were test units bought in the back streets of London. Amazing sound. Now my kids get to hear Bowie and the like on original kit from the time. I'll never ever get rid of them. It's a delight to run them from modest TEAC kit and blow some of the modern stuff out of the water.
I really appreciate your sharing of your sound system. It reminded me of me! I had a few components here that were really getting a bit long in the tooth. Last year I replaced my old 1977 Realistic STA77 with a new integrated amp. I searched for the best bang for the buck at several sellers and settled on a Yamaha A-S301. I had added a Fluance RT85 and later, a pair of KEF Q150s since they were 50% off at Crutchfield's. This all coming from a man who had not bought a new LP in 40 years! Now I am a vinyl-holic! My earlier turntable was a $20 purchase from Goodwill Online. I REALLY like your Marantz player, that is a weak spot in my system. And what a deal you got on your speakers! Well again, thanks for the presentation, subscribed.
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Thank you for your superbe videos. I live in a country with 300% inflation so these things are impossible for us. I armed valvular and transistor systems since the 50s so am an old engineer. Cheers Patagonia Argentina
I got B&W speakers and I love the sound of B&W speakers I've got fond memories of my old primary school friends dad's old dm110s with kenwood kaf1030 amp and sounded superb
Yeah they do sound lovely. Nice to have memories of stuff like that. I remember my mate from school's dad's old Technics stack with similar fond me memories.
I thought I share :) I actually set up a budget HiFi, my bedroom-Fi! A mix of second hand and new stuff, costs approx. £500. Marantz SA8005 SACD (plays DSD and most formats via USB), Dali Zensor 1 Bookshelf, Fosi V3 amp and Kruger & Matz speaker cable. Really simple basic setup and the sound is amazing.
Good video Matt. One thing to note about older electronic equipment, especially amplifiers is the filtering caps on the power supply. They have a limited lifetime, and do deterioate , which you hear as mains hum. I bought a quad 33 /303 system back end of the 90's and noticed background noise. I replaced all the caps that handled the filtering and ran them for a few years. Then went down the DIY kit route, and now have a fully adjustable system to suit any room . IPL acoustic speakers and Williams Hart 110w mono blocks.
Excellent. My Fisher speakers are from the mid 80s. Still sound warm and sound excellent. Just bought a Yamaha s300 cd player from Crutchfield. We love our music 🎶
It is a good observation. I once had a walkman with Koss headphones, and 2000 cassettes. Never terrible sound because i loved the music i played, and much of that was not well recorded .
It's all about what sounds good to you. I made a few upgrades over the years to enhance things. Went from a QED amp to an Audiolab 8000a, a Dual 505 2 deluxe turntable to a Linn Axis with K9 and Akito, Wharfdale 504 to Dali Zensor 5 via Arcam 2+ (long story lost the Arcam's gutted), Philips CD104B to an Arcam 8 CD (this stopped working and was replaced, briefly, by a Marantz CD6006 UK edition which I really don't like, so ended up replacing the laser in the Arcam £20 ebay fix). Upgraded the power supply in the Linn because the original died. Still have original Yamaha Cassette Deck and Tuner that I bought in 1986.
Neighbour gave me an old Pioneer SA 420 amp with seperate tuner. Sounds sweet and effortless when listening at low volumes. Nothing beats free especially if you can get an old 70's, 80's amp with THAT sound if you know what I mean.
My mate left me his technics sl 1210 mk2 in his will god bless you Pete my speakers are spendor bc1 run by valve amps had a party for my daughter the other week and spent the evening explaining why vintage vinyl sounds phenomenal after playing 1 lp to an audience of teenagers 😅😅
Awesome video!!! As long as the system sounds good to (you) that's all that matters. I'm a lifelong audiophile. My current system only cost 1500usd which includes quality cables & a sacd player. I did my homework. Cheers from Tucson Arizona USA 🇺🇸
When I was a teenager, my father offered me a pair of DM220i speakers. Recently I almost bought a pair second hand, just to hear their sound again… I didn’t do it, as it bought just take space in the house… I’d like to hear them again, though…. Thanks for your video.
I'm back at a budget system. Sold off many components etc at crazy prices. From cables to subs. Not one person was nice, but i needed money. Now I'm using a refurbished audiosource amp 3 at 150wpc, using a schiit magni as pre-amp. A old NAD 515 changer using coax out to a schiit modi DAC. A AT lp60 turntable with upgraded elliptical stylus. A schiit sys switcher for the two sources. My pride and joy, a pair of Soliloquy 5.0 speakers with original stands found at a pawn shop. I dare people to compare my system with theirs.
I have a Yamaha RS202D intergrated amp which has built in DAB and bluetooth connectivity and a Yamaha CDS303 wired up to a pair of Dali Spektor 2s sounds lovely and really didnt cost a huge amount.
My basic setup is as follows, Marantz 6025 turntable with Ortofon OM 10 stylus, Marantz PM 230 amplifier and a pair of Mission bookshelf speakers and that’s it. If I want to improve the sound performance further I put on my headphones (Audio Technica) 😜
Garage/gym system: Raspberry Pi3 with an Innovent dac hat, Fosi Audio V3, old Ruark Prologue Ones. Bloody awesome for £350 all in and goes loud enough.
Nice! That's the great thing about hifi. If it sounded great years ago, it'll still sound great today so long as it's looked after. I think people often rush out to buy the latest great without considering the tremendous stuff that's out there already and costs a fraction of what it did when it was new.
Me too - I’d always wanted an 8000a, and I’ve been delighted with it. I use mine with a Marantz CD54 (an early player closely related to the Philips CD104), a Thorens TD165 (which is older than I am!), and a pair of Rogers LS2A speakers. I’ve always been delighted with the sound quality of this system. Only change I’d make is to swap the LS2s for a pair of Rogers JR149s!
Thank you for your informative video, I also love extracting the best from my 'budget' audio! My latest was upgrading the tweeters in my cheap-ish Yamaha speakers - MASSIVE improvement for not too much money. If I could give one bit of advice though - your receiver shouldn't be cramped up in that little space. You generally need plenty of breathing room around the unit for heat to dissipate properly from the heat sinks (hence the array of vents on the top cover) as excessive heat can lead to premature damage of the surrounding components. An amp that can output 100w per channel is probably getting quite warm even at normal operating levels, so just be aware.
My setup was done on a majorly tight budget but this is what I got. Yamaha DSP-A5 Surround amp £40 TEAC PD-D2620 5 disc CD player £5 Aiwa PX-E860 turntable £5 LG 3D bluray player Free Technics ST-GT350 Tuner £5 Pioneer CT-W650R tape deck £10 Oakcastle IR100 Internet radio £5 Mission 774 Floor speakers Free Mission 73C Centre speaker £5 Ministry Of Sound rear speakers £5 Speaker cone repair kit for 73C £8 That's a total of £88. The Aiwa turntable I removed the preamp as it was causing a horrible buzz. It takes an Audio Technica stylus which was a surprise when I went to order a replacement. The stock cartridge is unbranded. I haven't yet bought a replacement. The rear speakers will be replaced with Mission at some point. All speakers are 8 ohm impedance. In the bedroom I have a Cambridge A1 Mk3 amp with Wharfdale Diamond 9.0 speakers. I have a Bluetooth adapter plugged in so I can stream from my phone. Both the amp and speakers were free.
Great video. Wasn't it great back in the day when could build a budget hifi of your very own making by visiting 2nd hand electronic shops. You basically had your budget then shopped around and did a kind of mix and match so what you bought fitted within what you could afford. In total I had to build 3 different systems from scratch because I got burgled a few times. I remember once happily forgoing a tape deck because I had my heart set on some slightly pricey celestion speakers that I had spotted (don't remember the model). I didn’t mind too much because I knew that when I had the money one day I would get round to adding the cassette deck.
I miss those old shops. There was a great one in my local town called Monty Radio that sold all kinds of wonderful used hifi equipment. It was run by an old bloke who had it for years and it sadly closed down when he retired.
Still have my old mid 80s Heybrook HB1 speakers and Rega 2, and a Marantz CD65IISE, now boxed up and in the garage (with the Denon tuner, and double JVC cassette) as everything was ripped to lossless. I had to replace my ailing Musical Fidelity B1 some years back with a Cambridge 640A (+ preamp), now 'old' itself; all my music is on my FiiO X5iii portable DAP/DAC fed into that amp. New & old sound very nice with a bit of parametric EQ-ing (NeutronMP app in the FiiO) for the Heybrook's that have the tendency to deliver a too much detail even on vinyl(!). I had thought about re-capping and re-chipping the CD player, but numerous blind tests had the FiiO outperforming both it and the Rega. No tips as I've been happy with the setup for some time and haven't felt the need to go shopping :D
I built a minimalist set up , turntable , amp , speakers and spent over £15k. I realised I was obsessed with the technical aspect of the hobby and forgot about the music. Now I am happy with a good quality Bluetooth speaker and a good set of headphones.
Very sensible. The truth is that budget gear gives 95 percent of the performance of the esoteric expensive gear. You can end up spending loads and getting less enjoyment sometimes. Good room acoustics is a major player that ofyen gets overlooked and makes a massive difference.
Have a pair of B&W 330i’s in my living room for the last 5 years . i agree they are great. not the most attractive looking boxes but hey we listen with our ears.
Good buying here. A very capable pair of speakers for a start. AV recievers can be great value providing the dsp and hdmi boards are ok. Parts are the killer with these. I would go go for a Yamaha integrated amp instead. Good cd player and Dac for the price. Tape decks Yamaha at the entry level Nakamichi up higher. Turntables old Pioneers from the 70s....PL12 or PL 15.....Pioneer high end dvd players are good too. I'm a Jbl man myself so USA JBLs are my bag. You are keeping hifi sensible my man good stuff😊.
I have now 3 Budget-Systems, you can have a lot of nice stuff when you go secondhand 😅 Only for speakers I go new 😅 My main system (stereo&5.1) is still powered by the 90€ Yamaha RX-V657, only CD&BD-unit slowly upgraded to a Yamaha CD-S700 & Oppo BDP103D. Speakers are a complete Polk system, great for music and movies. My "vintage" system is a 70's Dual 1209 for 90€, a 70's Yamaha CR-800 Receiver for 120€ and a late 80's Yamaha CDX-710 CD-player for 110€. Speakers are Wharfedales, 340€ the pair. The last one is a HarmanKardon amp&CD-player, together for 210€ ... with a pair of Focal Chorus 706 for 320€ the pair. I know, I could have all invested in one higher value system, but I ended with 3 different sounding systems that I love, and I call that a win!
Yes mate definitely! You can buy a whole used system that sounds amazing for less than the price of one new component in many cases. It's nice to let someone else take the depreciation hit! 😎👍
@@mattsmusichannelthat main system CD-player & Oppo where not cheap, but I slowly upgraded by always selling what I had before. I found a seller on eBay who refurbishes and sells only cd-units, and he also buys or buys back 😊.
Got back into music 6 months ago. While I still have my mid 80’s cd player, I bought new Sony blue ray/dvd/cd player that also plays SA cd’s. I figure the DAC is probably better than the antique I have. I’ll get the antique fixed eventually, can’t let that one go. Cheers
Yeah nice to keep it if you can. I have an early 80's Akai CD A7 somewhere. It sounds really good tbf, but nothing like as good as the modern DAC in the Fosi Audio Q4. I guess technology does move on to a degree.
Personally I love matching different components together both inexpensive and higher end together to see (or in this case hear) the results. I think the amplifier and speakers/headphones are the most important components in a sound system 🤔
Funny, I have the pure direct on my Oppo player, which I thought was cool but after trying it, I can't tell the difference either. lol. Also have a JVC double deck tape player and some B&W speakers, although newer, and a little bright for me. Will check these out and the Fosi dac. Thanks.
Haha, yeah I guess you have to have super hearing to tell the difference lol. These DM 330i speakers are definitely not too bright so yeah might be worth checking them out. The Fosi is great too. Thanks for the watch and the comment!
I truly believe there is a mental / psychological component to this sort of thing. I think a lot of folks don't realize that they don't need to break the bank to get great sound....they perhaps believe that the price tag = better sound. The reality is somewhere in between, but for the vast majority of people who don't consider themselves picky audiophiles, it's downright simple to build a great system for a very reasonable price....if you can get over the mental hurdle of buying aging / used gear.
Yes I think that's true. I get that a lot of people don't wan t the potential headaches of dealing with used gear but to my way of thinking, it's cheap enough that if it does end up breaking you can just replace it!
Now after watching your video & really enjoying your thoughts & knowing that I would love to listen to all your system.. but what I always say to anyone who has their own system .. never feel as though its not good enough when you listen to the so called " Audiophiles " out there who think that what comes out of the mouth is the be all & end all.. Rubbish.. For younger people wanting to start out on Vinyl music go out & buy Vintage items & you will not go wrong because the sound quality you will want & the pleasure you will get is there in front of you when you first put that little Diamond in the groove of a vinyl record for the first time will blow your mind with pleasure.. I could go on for hours with this but I will stop here.. but I would like to answer any questions with any one who wants to know about anything I can help them with as well as talking with you as a person who is also on the same wave length as me..
I have DM110's which are the smaller, one woofer variant of that speaker. Mine are brown and red... but the silver and blue is a cool look too. Some of my favourite ever speakers!
Yes - I have a pair of those for my ‘number 2’ system, run by a Denon Udra receiver - I think I paid no more than £70 for them. They’re very good indeed.
My budget setup starts 1982. Thoréns Td 160 super SME 3009 JBL L300 Summit. I had HK amps but didnt like it. Then 1999 i build my own tubeamp. 845 big amp. Just perfekt for my system. I still use today
That's very cool! Would love to build my own tube amp. I'm really not that technically gifted though, sol it would probably blow up as soon as I turned it on!
I just found your channel - Nice video and set up. At the end of the day it’s about musical enjoyment irrespective of how much the system costs . About 6 months ago I found a fully working technics sl7 linear tracking turntable on Facebook marketplace in the rare black colour available for £7. I drove 150km to pick it up but it was worth it !
I think I got all my stuff for free, but then the amp died and I bought a Marantz to power the speakers (1980s Sony 60W). My favourite component is the Yamaha Minidisc deck - an underrated format!
My system is a mixture of (at the time of buying) new and second hand equipment. I have a Yamaha RX-A1010 receiver that I bought new for around 1.100 EUR; a Marantz CD6004 CD-player that cost me 450 EUR, a second hand Denon DRS-810 cassette-deck (190 EUR). I recently added a Wiim Pro Plus streamer for 250 EUR. I bought a second hand turntable from Akai for 25 EUR, but that one isn't good anymore (plays too slow and I have no clue how to adjust it). Trying to save money for a new turntable now. My main speakers are second hand as wel: Mordaunt-Short MS906 floorstanders that cost me 90 EUR, including a center speaker (Mordaunt-Short MS304). Without exaggerating the best deal from my entire system. This buy made me recycle my previous Q Acoustics 3020 (around 370 EUR new) as surround speakers. I also have a Apart Sub-a165 Subwoofer (around 300 EUR). You really don't need a lot of money to get some decente equipment and you also don't need to buy everything at once. I've gathered my stuff over a period of 12 years or something like that. Good stuff lasts for a while.
Agreed there's ways of keeping price down, I payed more recently but before that bought second hand or had things given before hand, for instance I had a Yamaha rs202d a budget amp that sounds great, I then got mission mx3 speakers from ebay, the cd player a Marantz cd 52 came from my father, a system deck iix record player also from my father, after that I got a wharfdale sw150 sub woofer to compliment the speakers and it sounds lovely, I've upgraded much since then but still use that system, for instance speaker cables, I've had different ones tbh lamp cord is as good as anything it shares the same electrical values when metered, if going budget RESEARCH is always key, things like the pioneer a400 of yesteryear are amazingly good amps, way above budget amps of today yet can be had for 140£, a ugreen Bluetooth reviewer updates the amp to Bluetooth for 20 £, then 110 £ for mission mx3s that's an amazingly good setup, try not to go for vintage speakers though if possible it's a minefield if you don't know what Ur getting, they have a lifespan subject to wear, for the money he mentioned a little research could of bested that system ten fold
Yeah agreed, there's a ton of great stuff out there if you go looking. My system is very much a work in progress (and probably always will be as I enjoy finding cool stuff out there and trying it out). You're probably right, there is likely even better stuff for the same money I paid, so it's worth keeping an eye out for bargains!
Easy to build great, reasonably inexpensive system with new gear although good speakers aren't cheap. Sanscrit 2 is $110, Asgard 3 is $220, Emotiva BasX was on sale for $300.
My only suggestion is avoid turntables made from tupperware and Bic biros, you might want to look at what you can get from the more solid turntables from the late 1970's for similar money. Acoustic and mechanical isolation is improved - and you'll get a far more precise tonearm.
part of my hifi set up is litterally a boombox that i modded to have an rca output and an aux input...only cost £200 my parents for the boombox (was a birthday gift)
Mine is ml 60xt, outlaw amps m2200, marantz sr5015 as peamp, and node 2. What makes it budget is that I bought the 60xt floor model at best buy for 1000.
I must admit it's not the HI FI breaking the bank I worry about . What I think of is what electricity I am using to hear some sounds . Example I have a soundbar for the television but stopped using it because if I just use the television as it is I can still hear whats going on
GM from Toronto ☕️☕️ It’s always money vs. great sound …sometimes a little bit of creativity is required. Don’t have room for a system ..go for a headphone stack ..can’t do that then IEM’s and IFI products come to the rescue. There’s always a way to get great sounding music to feed your soul.☕️👍
Yep, sorry about that Rory. I've improved the lighting on the videos since then. I'm also doing individual videos on each component in the system. The CD player, speakers and DAC videos are already up and you can see them better as well as having much more information about them if you're interested.. Cheers for the feedback.
Question for you - I have a medium priced set up - vinyl with pre amp into speakers via RCA, cd player separate into Dac and then into same speakers via RCA and optical. The cd sounds great and the vinyl sounds generally good but not a clear or loud. Is it worth an external pre amp ? Don't want to spend hundreds and can see some online for second hand but not sure if it would make much difference?
I used a Marantz UD5007 for about 3-4 months and I thought it sounded great. ...but it died. That's what I get when I try to buy older gear. Truth is, I would have continued to use it for years on end if it hadn't died. It would have been nice if the player had some digital outputs, tho...
Haha yeah buying used is status a bit of a gamble. I fun one though! Surprised t didn't have digital outs. My UD5005 has coaxial and possibly optical although I can't remember off the top of my head. Being above it in the range, you're UD5007 should have had something I would have thought. They missed a trick if not!
Yeah very true. If that. Most people are happy with a phone and a little bluetooth speaker. This channel is for those of us who are old school and want proper hi-fi gear because it's fun. I get that most people don't want or need any of this stuff though.
My hearing is shot so I want nice but big bucks would be wasted money for my hi fi. Would get an average receiver to hook up my Blu ray, streaming, and video games but the focus would be music
I DON'T like using modern AV receivers for listening to my cd's and vinyl. Music sounds so much more warm and alive through a good vintage receiver or integrated 2-channel amplifier. Save the AV for movies.
There are a LOT of excellent, older receivers out there selling for very little, as most people want the latest 4K switching, streaming, Bluetooth, etc. Within the last two years I picked up a Denon 4806CI, Yamaha RX-V1 and RX-V3900- all for under $100 each. Thanks for the video!
To much talk talk, just play them. Your right tho, when good enough is good enough. And someday when your more successful and can spent more, then there you go. It'll surprise you what being poor has get you from audio nirvana. Belive me it gets a whole lit better
@@JG-gg9wk I wish I could play them on here, but UA-cam compresses the audio like crazy. There's no point. As for money, there's been times when I've had some (enough to have a new Bentley in the drive) and times (like now) when I've got a 15 year old Nissan in the drive. I don't think it's about how much money you've got. It's about the satisfaction of hunting down really great sounding bargains!
@@JG-gg9wk I'm curious though. Why is your tone so condescending? Is it because you can hide behind your anonymous account name, or are you like this in real life as well?
You're completely correct, I doubt that many of these "audiophiles" actually like listening to music, they are just like petrol heads who know everything about BS but little about ordinary driving habits. A lot of the same audiophiles? seem more interested in elevating their own egos and are mostly jumped up salesmen. The loudspeakers components upgrades guy in his late 50s who appears on here an makes out he can still hear upto 18k says it all to me - they see themselves like the art or fine dining elite where they have much improved perception over ordinary me and you
Good for you Matt, tried to downgrade, failed miserably. The first buys are the fun ones, after that it gets expensive. Diminishing returns is horrible after a while. Imagine buying speakers for $10k. And just sell them because they're boring. Well, that's me. Spoiled brat. But as you, I do love music, I just come to a point I need things that is unfortunately expensive. However, I do like my LS50 inbetweeners. Sigh, yes I've ordered new speakers, just got new amp too.. The good part of all this, I usually buy used, and sometimes you can do as me, pay $4k for a couple of speakers, and to sell them for $4100 6 years later. So.. When you use your money, use them wisely. Then hi-fi will be more of an investment into your joy, without paying that much in the future. Unless you get greedy and buy new speakers as I am doing now. Anyway, as long as you are happy with what you got, it is good enough. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.
@@mattsmusichannel … it’s fine for the price. Can’t complain. My main system costs much much more but I still enjoy the Yamaha + Sony. Just enjoy the music, not equipment.
Lol, terrible might be an overstatement mate. Good sound is good sound and while the equivalent modern speakers should by rights sound better than a 40 year old set, the difference will not be that great. These in modern money are into the thousands and I got this pair for £25. I think they sound wonderful. I think your use of the word "terrible" is unfounded here me ol' son but I appreciate your opinion anyway.
£££££'s doesn't equate to sound quality. I've said this for a while, the biggest factor in hifi is not the kit but the carbon-based lifeform listening.
Finally someone who has understood that it is not a competition about who has got the most expensive stereo but the one that sounds good to himself 👍👍
Absolutely! There's no need to spend thousands to enjoy great music. There's nothing wrong with it if you've got endless supplies of cash, but for most of us we don't and you can still get great sound for not much money if you're prepared to hunt around!
Try telling my manager that, jumped up little hifi snob
Brilliant video! I also love picking up inexpensive gear, you can really find some gems!
@@paulrolfe4599
People investing 35000 on hifi often are called snobs. People find it totalle normal that one spends 35000 on a new car. I would never spend 35000 on a car but would have no problem to spend 35000 on hifi.
To each his own.My system has cost 3200 euros.Some new parts. Some second hand.
I utterly agree with that!
I'm glad you actually understand the meaning of 'budget', I've seen other audiophiles talk about "budget" systems that are $2000 - $5000.
@@lopikosmusic9354 Thanks mate. Yeah, some people loose all sense of perspective when it comes to hifi gear. My car didn't cost $5000 so there's no way stereo is going to! 🤣
2K for the entire system is definitely budget. It can sound very good but it’s still budget. That’s a little less than I spent on my main set up and it sounds awesome but it’s budget. If I had more money to burn I would have better stuff
You're so right about the magic of those systems we grew up with. That's why (in addition to my music collection -- LPs and CDs, with a few tapes here and there) I've also amassed a collection of vintage hi-fi equipment. The build quality, parts and workmanship of equipment from the '70s (especially) can't be matched today without spending a fortune. I have some vintage Marantz 22xx-series receivers that I love (the look of them as much as the sound) and other receivers, amps, separates and and other pieces that I swap in and out, from Sansui, McIntosh, Pioneer, Yamaha, Sony, Sherwood, Kenwood... The thing is, that gets expensive too if you can't stop yourself, and my will is weak. And vintage audio equipment is HEAVY! Good thing I traveled around in my younger days, because I never, ever want to have to move this stuff again. They'll have to carry me out of this house in a bag.
Sounds like you have some amazing equipment! I'd love to have a McIntosh amp one day. They tend to run a bit pricey for my blood but I live in eternal hope of finding a bargain one day!
It's good for people to hear that they can assemble a high-quality sound system without spending a fortune. A few years ago I put together a truly "minimalist" audiophile system by investing in an excellent pair of actively powered loudspeakers, plus the ONLY CD player (at the time) that had a vacuum tube output stage - and I was able to save money by buying them used. The tube output of the CD player enabled me to run the active speakers with no other equipment needed. Later I bought another, identical pair of active speakers (used) and an inexpensive 4-channel surround sound processor to build a low-cost "quadraphonic" Hi-Fi system. I still have this equipment and it still gives me great pleasure.
That sounds like a really cool system Mark! It's really fun to put together a great system for not much cash - more money left over to buy music!
@@mattsmusichannel You make a great point - when you save money by building a Hi-Fi system that performs above its cost, you have that much more to spend on your source music. If you like to use compact discs they can also be bought at bargain prices these days. There are several outlets that sell used and overstock CDs for a fraction of what you'd pay if you bought them new. Even though I grew up during the original vinyl era (I was born right at the time when the first LPs were introduced) I now own many more CDs.
pm6006 UK edition (second hand)
Monitor audio Bronze 2
Atacama floor stands
Dragonfly DAC
Wilco 10/12/14 (?) gauge speaker wire (bought so long ago I don't remember the spec)
All music streamed online.
With no HIFI shops nearby, other than a real high-end audio specialists, I used recommendations from What HIFI magazine, best in class for x pounds and going with amps that aren't fussy about what components are plugged into them (not that I could tell the difference)
I did buy a Onkyo C-N7050 to play CD's (again What HIFI recommendation) although I will be selling this after experimenting with a CD VS streamed copy and honestly couldn't hear the difference. The internet opened up access to music I would never have listened to before, and budget HIFI just made it that much more enjoyable.
The total cost of my audiovisual was probably around £1000, and I've owned most of it for at least five years, so maybe not the cheapest system you could put together, but you could spend that on connectors alone so in that respect it's a bloody bargain.
Nice to find someone doing 'cheap' quality hifi and UK based. Looking forward to more.
Thank you for the kind words! Yes, there will definitely be more cheap UK based hifi content coming. Stay tuned my friend.
@@mattsmusichannel Certainly will, I subscribed after the one video. It would indeed be nice to see some "cheapaudioman" content that has a focus on stuff we can get here in the UK. best wishes, Richard.
Absolutely agree. Older components can be had for not a lot of money and sound great. My home system (not the most subtle thing, admittedly) is a 1970s Sanyo receiver which a friend gave me and I repaired, some 1970s Technics floorstanders which cost $50 from my local charity shop, and an Akai turntable someone gave me and I repaired. You're so right about the equipment we grew up using, and we still managed to fall in love with music. Of course, we want clarity and imaging, but this can be had without breaking the bank. More power to you, sir, and your friendly, informal presentation style.
Thanks Selwyn! That 70's hifi stuff looks beautiful too as well as sounding great. Sounds like a great set up!
My budget hifi system from the past, that I loved the sound of, (in the 70s) was a goldring lenco GL75 turntable (it didnt cost much then), with an Amstrad 5050 reciever, and a pair of Wharfedale Linton 3xp speakers. And it sounded grreat.
I had a Techics SA 206 receiver, loved that thing. Great power and great to look at.
B&W DM 302 / 301 still sounds amazing even today on voices. Discontinued quickly as it overwhelmed higher models. Pre owned is really unbeatable in value! Cheers.
I really like the DM line of speakers. Really lovely sounding, and yes absolute bargains can be had now!
"Discontinued quickly as it overwhelmed higher models." The 'industry'. Pfff.
I found a pair of DM302's a year or so ago in vgc for £90, and I was amazed. Bookshelf size, floor-stander sound. I am pleased to read what you wrote here, makes a lot of sense to me!
@rachelgray9307 In an exhibit they used I think 30 dm302 to represent each voice in a choir arranged as a choir would. That would sound something else!
I used to own a pair of those B&W speakers back in the late 80's, very good speakers, do not overdrive them, the tweeters are the weak link........I had several tweeters replaced under warranty in the first year of ownership. B&W were great to deal with (via the dealership) and just kept replacing them free of charge.
They're lovely sounding aren't they? Good tip about not pushing them too hard. I'm fairly gentle with them to be honest. They're getting on for 40 years old now so I don't want to damage them. I have in recent years started using a sub with them too, so as to avoid them being overworked at the low end.
Loving your outlook on audio. My dad passed on a pair of home made speakers to me that he made before I was born (late 70's). The are elliptical drive units that were designed to be add in's to allow people to add a pair of speakers to go quadraphonic. They are superb speakers that he built himself. He's a scientist so knows his stuff. The drive units were test units bought in the back streets of London. Amazing sound. Now my kids get to hear Bowie and the like on original kit from the time. I'll never ever get rid of them. It's a delight to run them from modest TEAC kit and blow some of the modern stuff out of the water.
I really appreciate your sharing of your sound system. It reminded me of me! I had a few components here that were really getting a bit long in the tooth. Last year I replaced my old 1977 Realistic STA77 with a new integrated amp. I searched for the best bang for the buck at several sellers and settled on a Yamaha A-S301. I had added a Fluance RT85 and later, a pair of KEF Q150s since they were 50% off at Crutchfield's. This all coming from a man who had not bought a new LP in 40 years! Now I am a vinyl-holic! My earlier turntable was a $20 purchase from Goodwill Online. I REALLY like your Marantz player, that is a weak spot in my system. And what a deal you got on your speakers! Well again, thanks for the presentation, subscribed.
Thank you for your superbe videos. I live in a country with 300% inflation so these things are impossible for us. I armed valvular and transistor systems since the 50s so am an old engineer. Cheers Patagonia Argentina
I got B&W speakers and I love the sound of B&W speakers I've got fond memories of my old primary school friends dad's old dm110s with kenwood kaf1030 amp and sounded superb
Yeah they do sound lovely. Nice to have memories of stuff like that. I remember my mate from school's dad's old Technics stack with similar fond me memories.
I thought I share :) I actually set up a budget HiFi, my bedroom-Fi!
A mix of second hand and new stuff, costs approx. £500. Marantz SA8005 SACD (plays DSD and most formats via USB), Dali Zensor 1 Bookshelf, Fosi V3 amp and Kruger & Matz speaker cable. Really simple basic setup and the sound is amazing.
Good video Matt.
One thing to note about older electronic equipment, especially amplifiers is the filtering caps on the power supply. They have a limited lifetime, and do deterioate , which you hear as mains hum. I bought a quad 33 /303 system back end of the 90's and noticed background noise. I replaced all the caps that handled the filtering and ran them for a few years. Then went down the DIY kit route, and now have a fully adjustable system to suit any room . IPL acoustic speakers and Williams Hart 110w mono blocks.
Excellent. My Fisher speakers are from the mid 80s. Still sound warm and sound excellent. Just bought a Yamaha s300 cd player from Crutchfield. We love our music 🎶
It is a good observation. I once had a walkman with Koss headphones, and 2000 cassettes. Never terrible sound because i loved the music i played, and much of that was not well recorded .
It's all about what sounds good to you. I made a few upgrades over the years to enhance things. Went from a QED amp to an Audiolab 8000a, a Dual 505 2 deluxe turntable to a Linn Axis with K9 and Akito, Wharfdale 504 to Dali Zensor 5 via Arcam 2+ (long story lost the Arcam's gutted), Philips CD104B to an Arcam 8 CD (this stopped working and was replaced, briefly, by a Marantz CD6006 UK edition which I really don't like, so ended up replacing the laser in the Arcam £20 ebay fix). Upgraded the power supply in the Linn because the original died. Still have original Yamaha Cassette Deck and Tuner that I bought in 1986.
Neighbour gave me an old Pioneer SA 420 amp with seperate tuner. Sounds sweet and effortless when listening at low volumes. Nothing beats free especially if you can get an old 70's, 80's amp with THAT sound if you know what I mean.
What a great neighbour! Yeah totally get what you mean about that beautiful sound from equipment of that vintage. Really lovely.
Interesting video glad I have found your channel. Great setup.
My mate left me his technics sl 1210 mk2 in his will god bless you Pete my speakers are spendor bc1 run by valve amps had a party for my daughter the other week and spent the evening explaining why vintage vinyl sounds phenomenal after playing 1 lp to an audience of teenagers 😅😅
I have the Yamaha rxv-681 very similar to yours on my second system that i use in my garage, and i love it. I like your speakers, very cool.
I bought a pair of DM220's in 1986 for my bedroom hifi. My daughter still uses them but I wish I still had them.
Awesome video!!! As long as the system sounds good to (you) that's all that matters. I'm a lifelong audiophile. My current system only cost 1500usd which includes quality cables & a sacd player. I did my homework. Cheers from Tucson Arizona USA 🇺🇸
I also go with the Andrew Robinson motto: the only one that has to like the sound of your system is you!
When I was a teenager, my father offered me a pair of DM220i speakers. Recently I almost bought a pair second hand, just to hear their sound again… I didn’t do it, as it bought just take space in the house… I’d like to hear them again, though…. Thanks for your video.
I'm back at a budget system. Sold off many components etc at crazy prices. From cables to subs. Not one person was nice, but i needed money.
Now I'm using a refurbished audiosource amp 3 at 150wpc, using a schiit magni as pre-amp. A old NAD 515 changer using coax out to a schiit modi DAC. A AT lp60 turntable with upgraded elliptical stylus. A schiit sys switcher for the two sources.
My pride and joy, a pair of Soliloquy 5.0 speakers with original stands found at a pawn shop.
I dare people to compare my system with theirs.
Hello Matt.. Just listened to 1 minute of your video & totally agree with everything you have said & will say as I go through the video..
I have a Yamaha RS202D intergrated amp which has built in DAB and bluetooth connectivity and a Yamaha CDS303 wired up to a pair of Dali Spektor 2s sounds lovely and really didnt cost a huge amount.
Fosi V3 + emotiva XT3 and you're good to go for 2k. plug the fosi into a 3.5mm to rca from your amazon echo or whatever. done.
My basic setup is as follows, Marantz 6025 turntable with Ortofon OM 10 stylus, Marantz PM 230 amplifier and a pair of Mission bookshelf speakers and that’s it. If I want to improve the sound performance further I put on my headphones (Audio Technica) 😜
Garage/gym system: Raspberry Pi3 with an Innovent dac hat, Fosi Audio V3, old Ruark Prologue Ones. Bloody awesome for £350 all in and goes loud enough.
I'm still using my audiolab 8000A I bought nearly 30+ years ago and it still sounds great
Nice! That's the great thing about hifi. If it sounded great years ago, it'll still sound great today so long as it's looked after. I think people often rush out to buy the latest great without considering the tremendous stuff that's out there already and costs a fraction of what it did when it was new.
Me too - I’d always wanted an 8000a, and I’ve been delighted with it. I use mine with a Marantz CD54 (an early player closely related to the Philips CD104), a Thorens TD165 (which is older than I am!), and a pair of Rogers LS2A speakers. I’ve always been delighted with the sound quality of this system. Only change I’d make is to swap the LS2s for a pair of Rogers JR149s!
Thank you for your informative video, I also love extracting the best from my 'budget' audio! My latest was upgrading the tweeters in my cheap-ish Yamaha speakers - MASSIVE improvement for not too much money. If I could give one bit of advice though - your receiver shouldn't be cramped up in that little space. You generally need plenty of breathing room around the unit for heat to dissipate properly from the heat sinks (hence the array of vents on the top cover) as excessive heat can lead to premature damage of the surrounding components. An amp that can output 100w per channel is probably getting quite warm even at normal operating levels, so just be aware.
Terrific video sir I have a older kit dynamo a25 a are turn table and a nad 316 bee int amp.music on cheers
My setup was done on a majorly tight budget but this is what I got.
Yamaha DSP-A5 Surround amp £40
TEAC PD-D2620 5 disc CD player £5
Aiwa PX-E860 turntable £5
LG 3D bluray player Free
Technics ST-GT350 Tuner £5
Pioneer CT-W650R tape deck £10
Oakcastle IR100 Internet radio £5
Mission 774 Floor speakers Free
Mission 73C Centre speaker £5
Ministry Of Sound rear speakers £5
Speaker cone repair kit for 73C £8
That's a total of £88. The Aiwa turntable I removed the preamp as it was causing a horrible buzz. It takes an Audio Technica stylus which was a surprise when I went to order a replacement. The stock cartridge is unbranded. I haven't yet bought a replacement. The rear speakers will be replaced with Mission at some point. All speakers are 8 ohm impedance.
In the bedroom I have a Cambridge A1 Mk3 amp with Wharfdale Diamond 9.0 speakers. I have a Bluetooth adapter plugged in so I can stream from my phone. Both the amp and speakers were free.
Great video. Wasn't it great back in the day when could build a budget hifi of your very own making by visiting 2nd hand electronic shops. You basically had your budget then shopped around and did a kind of mix and match so what you bought fitted within what you could afford. In total I had to build 3 different systems from scratch because I got burgled a few times. I remember once happily forgoing a tape deck because I had my heart set on some slightly pricey celestion speakers that I had spotted (don't remember the model). I didn’t mind too much because I knew that when I had the money one day I would get round to adding the cassette deck.
I miss those old shops. There was a great one in my local town called Monty Radio that sold all kinds of wonderful used hifi equipment. It was run by an old bloke who had it for years and it sadly closed down when he retired.
congratulations, ! you have a great audio sistem
Thank you! It's always a work in progress, but it's fun building it up and tinkering with it.
Still have my old mid 80s Heybrook HB1 speakers and Rega 2, and a Marantz CD65IISE, now boxed up and in the garage (with the Denon tuner, and double JVC cassette) as everything was ripped to lossless. I had to replace my ailing Musical Fidelity B1 some years back with a Cambridge 640A (+ preamp), now 'old' itself; all my music is on my FiiO X5iii portable DAP/DAC fed into that amp. New & old sound very nice with a bit of parametric EQ-ing (NeutronMP app in the FiiO) for the Heybrook's that have the tendency to deliver a too much detail even on vinyl(!). I had thought about re-capping and re-chipping the CD player, but numerous blind tests had the FiiO outperforming both it and the Rega. No tips as I've been happy with the setup for some time and haven't felt the need to go shopping :D
I built a minimalist set up , turntable , amp , speakers and spent over £15k.
I realised I was obsessed with the technical aspect of the hobby and forgot about the music.
Now I am happy with a good quality Bluetooth speaker and a good set of headphones.
Very sensible. The truth is that budget gear gives 95 percent of the performance of the esoteric expensive gear. You can end up spending loads and getting less enjoyment sometimes. Good room acoustics is a major player that ofyen gets overlooked and makes a massive difference.
Very true. Getting the room to sound right makes a massive difference. Speaker and listening position too.
Have a pair of B&W 330i’s in my living room for the last 5 years . i agree they are great. not the most attractive looking boxes but hey we listen with our ears.
Good buying here. A very capable pair of speakers for a start. AV recievers can be great value providing the dsp and hdmi boards are ok. Parts are the killer with these. I would go go for a Yamaha integrated amp instead. Good cd player and Dac for the price. Tape decks Yamaha at the entry level Nakamichi up higher. Turntables old Pioneers from the 70s....PL12 or PL 15.....Pioneer high end dvd players are good too. I'm a Jbl man myself so USA JBLs are my bag. You are keeping hifi sensible my man good stuff😊.
I'd love to get a Nakamichi deck one day. Pioneer and JBL stuff is awesome too. I bet your set up sounds sweet as mate!
I have now 3 Budget-Systems, you can have a lot of nice stuff when you go secondhand 😅
Only for speakers I go new 😅
My main system (stereo&5.1) is still powered by the 90€ Yamaha RX-V657, only CD&BD-unit slowly upgraded to a Yamaha CD-S700 & Oppo BDP103D. Speakers are a complete Polk system, great for music and movies.
My "vintage" system is a 70's Dual 1209 for 90€, a 70's Yamaha CR-800 Receiver for 120€ and a late 80's Yamaha CDX-710 CD-player for 110€. Speakers are Wharfedales, 340€ the pair.
The last one is a HarmanKardon amp&CD-player, together for 210€ ... with a pair of Focal Chorus 706 for 320€ the pair.
I know, I could have all invested in one higher value system, but I ended with 3 different sounding systems that I love, and I call that a win!
Yes mate definitely! You can buy a whole used system that sounds amazing for less than the price of one new component in many cases. It's nice to let someone else take the depreciation hit! 😎👍
@@mattsmusichannelthat main system CD-player & Oppo where not cheap, but I slowly upgraded by always selling what I had before. I found a seller on eBay who refurbishes and sells only cd-units, and he also buys or buys back 😊.
@@mattsmusichannelupdated my first post with some detailed informations.
Got back into music 6 months ago. While I still have my mid 80’s cd player, I bought new Sony blue ray/dvd/cd player that also plays SA cd’s. I figure the DAC is probably better than the antique I have. I’ll get the antique fixed eventually, can’t let that one go. Cheers
Yeah nice to keep it if you can. I have an early 80's Akai CD A7 somewhere. It sounds really good tbf, but nothing like as good as the modern DAC in the Fosi Audio Q4. I guess technology does move on to a degree.
Very nice! Thank you for sharing
You're welcome mate! Thanks for the kind words.
Personally I love matching different components together both inexpensive and higher end together to see (or in this case hear) the results. I think the amplifier and speakers/headphones are the most important components in a sound system 🤔
Funny, I have the pure direct on my Oppo player, which I thought was cool but after trying it, I can't tell the difference either. lol. Also have a JVC double deck tape player and some B&W speakers, although newer, and a little bright for me. Will check these out and the Fosi dac. Thanks.
Haha, yeah I guess you have to have super hearing to tell the difference lol. These DM 330i speakers are definitely not too bright so yeah might be worth checking them out. The Fosi is great too. Thanks for the watch and the comment!
I truly believe there is a mental / psychological component to this sort of thing. I think a lot of folks don't realize that they don't need to break the bank to get great sound....they perhaps believe that the price tag = better sound. The reality is somewhere in between, but for the vast majority of people who don't consider themselves picky audiophiles, it's downright simple to build a great system for a very reasonable price....if you can get over the mental hurdle of buying aging / used gear.
Yes I think that's true. I get that a lot of people don't wan t the potential headaches of dealing with used gear but to my way of thinking, it's cheap enough that if it does end up breaking you can just replace it!
Matt , nice video .. There is a lot of used stuff out there. If your patient a good deal comes along.
Now after watching your video & really enjoying your thoughts & knowing that I would love to listen to all your system.. but what I always say to anyone who has their own system .. never feel as though its not good enough when you listen to the so called " Audiophiles " out there who think that what comes out of the mouth is the be all & end all.. Rubbish.. For younger people wanting to start out on Vinyl music go out & buy Vintage items & you will not go wrong because the sound quality you will want & the pleasure you will get is there in front of you when you first put that little Diamond in the groove of a vinyl record for the first time will blow your mind with pleasure.. I could go on for hours with this but I will stop here.. but I would like to answer any questions with any one who wants to know about anything I can help them with as well as talking with you as a person who is also on the same wave length as me..
I have DM110's which are the smaller, one woofer variant of that speaker. Mine are brown and red... but the silver and blue is a cool look too. Some of my favourite ever speakers!
Nice! I really like the brown and red look on those. Great sounding speakers too.
Yes - I have a pair of those for my ‘number 2’ system, run by a Denon Udra receiver - I think I paid no more than £70 for them. They’re very good indeed.
My budget setup starts 1982. Thoréns Td 160 super SME 3009 JBL L300 Summit. I had HK amps but didnt like it. Then 1999 i build my own tubeamp. 845 big amp. Just perfekt for my system. I still use today
That's very cool! Would love to build my own tube amp. I'm really not that technically gifted though, sol it would probably blow up as soon as I turned it on!
I just found your channel - Nice video and set up. At the end of the day it’s about musical enjoyment irrespective of how much the system costs . About 6 months ago I found a fully working technics sl7 linear tracking turntable on Facebook marketplace in the rare black colour available for £7. I drove 150km to pick it up but it was worth it !
I think I got all my stuff for free, but then the amp died and I bought a Marantz to power the speakers (1980s Sony 60W). My favourite component is the Yamaha Minidisc deck - an underrated format!
My system is a mixture of (at the time of buying) new and second hand equipment. I have a Yamaha RX-A1010 receiver that I bought new for around 1.100 EUR; a Marantz CD6004 CD-player that cost me 450 EUR, a second hand Denon DRS-810 cassette-deck (190 EUR). I recently added a Wiim Pro Plus streamer for 250 EUR. I bought a second hand turntable from Akai for 25 EUR, but that one isn't good anymore (plays too slow and I have no clue how to adjust it). Trying to save money for a new turntable now. My main speakers are second hand as wel: Mordaunt-Short MS906 floorstanders that cost me 90 EUR, including a center speaker (Mordaunt-Short MS304). Without exaggerating the best deal from my entire system. This buy made me recycle my previous Q Acoustics 3020 (around 370 EUR new) as surround speakers. I also have a Apart Sub-a165 Subwoofer (around 300 EUR). You really don't need a lot of money to get some decente equipment and you also don't need to buy everything at once. I've gathered my stuff over a period of 12 years or something like that. Good stuff lasts for a while.
Agreed there's ways of keeping price down, I payed more recently but before that bought second hand or had things given before hand, for instance I had a Yamaha rs202d a budget amp that sounds great, I then got mission mx3 speakers from ebay, the cd player a Marantz cd 52 came from my father, a system deck iix record player also from my father, after that I got a wharfdale sw150 sub woofer to compliment the speakers and it sounds lovely, I've upgraded much since then but still use that system, for instance speaker cables, I've had different ones tbh lamp cord is as good as anything it shares the same electrical values when metered, if going budget RESEARCH is always key, things like the pioneer a400 of yesteryear are amazingly good amps, way above budget amps of today yet can be had for 140£, a ugreen Bluetooth reviewer updates the amp to Bluetooth for 20 £, then 110 £ for mission mx3s that's an amazingly good setup, try not to go for vintage speakers though if possible it's a minefield if you don't know what Ur getting, they have a lifespan subject to wear, for the money he mentioned a little research could of bested that system ten fold
Yeah agreed, there's a ton of great stuff out there if you go looking. My system is very much a work in progress (and probably always will be as I enjoy finding cool stuff out there and trying it out). You're probably right, there is likely even better stuff for the same money I paid, so it's worth keeping an eye out for bargains!
Incredible value for your money.
Thanks Alexander!" Yes, I am very happy with the bargains I found.
Easy to build great, reasonably inexpensive system with new gear although good speakers aren't cheap. Sanscrit 2 is $110, Asgard 3 is $220, Emotiva BasX was on sale for $300.
My only suggestion is avoid turntables made from tupperware and Bic biros, you might want to look at what you can get from the more solid turntables from the late 1970's for similar money. Acoustic and mechanical isolation is improved - and you'll get a far more precise tonearm.
Excellent shout. 70's hifi has a really cool look to it as well as usually a very good build quality.
part of my hifi set up is litterally a boombox that i modded to have an rca output and an aux input...only cost £200 my parents for the boombox (was a birthday gift)
Mine is ml 60xt, outlaw amps m2200, marantz sr5015 as peamp, and node 2. What makes it budget is that I bought the 60xt floor model at best buy for 1000.
I must admit it's not the HI FI breaking the bank I worry about . What I think of is what electricity I am using to hear some sounds . Example I have a soundbar for the television but stopped using it because if I just use the television as it is I can still hear whats going on
GM from Toronto ☕️☕️
It’s always money vs. great sound …sometimes a little bit of creativity is required.
Don’t have room for a system ..go for a headphone stack ..can’t do that then IEM’s and IFI products come to the rescue.
There’s always a way to get great sounding music to feed your soul.☕️👍
Good morning Carmine! Yes very well said. Where there's a will there a way!
Always 😊
Are those B&W DM220s? Wow heard these spks in early 80s driven by Creek 4140 & what a musical combo it was.
You're happy and that's what matters.
100% mate 👍
I envy your audio gear, those are high end. thanks for sharing.
Can we have a better light illumination. Can't really see the system
Yep, sorry about that Rory. I've improved the lighting on the videos since then. I'm also doing individual videos on each component in the system. The CD player, speakers and DAC videos are already up and you can see them better as well as having much more information about them if you're interested.. Cheers for the feedback.
Thanks for the prompt feedback . Will be following your channel.
Cheers Rory, much appreciated. I hope you enjoy the content!
I use a Marantz CD 5005 CD player & it cost me £175. It is a nice player.
Very nice score! They're excellent players.
My man. In my mind, spending a little money and having a huge sound is much more satisfying than a perfect moving target.
Absolutely mate!
Question for you - I have a medium priced set up - vinyl with pre amp into speakers via RCA, cd player separate into Dac and then into same speakers via RCA and optical. The cd sounds great and the vinyl sounds generally good but not a clear or loud. Is it worth an external pre amp ? Don't want to spend hundreds and can see some online for second hand but not sure if it would make much difference?
Matt, have you tried changing the plugs on the cables to gold plated? Will take it up to audiophile level 👍
Haha yes! Gold plugs always make things audiophile! Well, they look cool anyway!
I used a Marantz UD5007 for about 3-4 months and I thought it sounded great. ...but it died. That's what I get when I try to buy older gear. Truth is, I would have continued to use it for years on end if it hadn't died. It would have been nice if the player had some digital outputs, tho...
Haha yeah buying used is status a bit of a gamble. I fun one though! Surprised t didn't have digital outs. My UD5005 has coaxial and possibly optical although I can't remember off the top of my head. Being above it in the range, you're UD5007 should have had something I would have thought. They missed a trick if not!
A good JBL Partybox is enough for most people
But a lot of people don’t want to admit it
Yeah very true. If that. Most people are happy with a phone and a little bluetooth speaker. This channel is for those of us who are old school and want proper hi-fi gear because it's fun. I get that most people don't want or need any of this stuff though.
@ So far, for me, the best audio brand is Triangle. They have a very good quality-to-price ratio, and I only use active speakers.
My hearing is shot so I want nice but big bucks would be wasted money for my hi fi. Would get an average receiver to hook up my Blu ray, streaming, and video games but the focus would be music
Sorry but what does AV receiver mean?
AV is audio/visual. An AV receiver is like a regular hi-fi amp but it handles video input/output as well for DVD, Blu Ray, etc.
I DON'T like using modern AV receivers for listening to my cd's and vinyl. Music sounds so much more warm and alive through a good vintage receiver or integrated 2-channel amplifier. Save the AV for movies.
Second hand is the way to go.
There are a LOT of excellent, older receivers out there selling for very little, as most people want the latest 4K switching, streaming, Bluetooth, etc. Within the last two years I picked up a Denon 4806CI, Yamaha RX-V1 and RX-V3900- all for under $100 each. Thanks for the video!
To much talk talk, just play them. Your right tho, when good enough is good enough. And someday when your more successful and can spent more, then there you go. It'll surprise you what being poor has get you from audio nirvana. Belive me it gets a whole lit better
@@JG-gg9wk I wish I could play them on here, but UA-cam compresses the audio like crazy. There's no point.
As for money, there's been times when I've had some (enough to have a new Bentley in the drive) and times (like now) when I've got a 15 year old Nissan in the drive. I don't think it's about how much money you've got. It's about the satisfaction of hunting down really great sounding bargains!
@@JG-gg9wk I'm curious though. Why is your tone so condescending? Is it because you can hide behind your anonymous account name, or are you like this in real life as well?
AUDIO VISUAL When does Television come into it? Not for me.
I'm a big movie fan as well so it's nice to have just the one amp that will handle all my dvd and blu rays too.
You're completely correct, I doubt that many of these "audiophiles" actually like listening to music, they are just like petrol heads who know everything about BS but little about ordinary driving habits. A lot of the same audiophiles? seem more interested in elevating their own egos and are mostly jumped up salesmen. The loudspeakers components upgrades guy in his late 50s who appears on here an makes out he can still hear upto 18k says it all to me - they see themselves like the art or fine dining elite where they have much improved perception over ordinary me and you
Good for you Matt, tried to downgrade, failed miserably. The first buys are the fun ones, after that it gets expensive. Diminishing returns is horrible after a while. Imagine buying speakers for $10k. And just sell them because they're boring. Well, that's me. Spoiled brat. But as you, I do love music, I just come to a point I need things that is unfortunately expensive. However, I do like my LS50 inbetweeners. Sigh, yes I've ordered new speakers, just got new amp too.. The good part of all this, I usually buy used, and sometimes you can do as me, pay $4k for a couple of speakers, and to sell them for $4100 6 years later. So.. When you use your money, use them wisely. Then hi-fi will be more of an investment into your joy, without paying that much in the future. Unless you get greedy and buy new speakers as I am doing now. Anyway, as long as you are happy with what you got, it is good enough. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.
He can't beat my system. A Yamaha RN303 and a Sony SS CS5. Total of no more than $550. Hehehe ...
Love it! Excellent scores mate and I bet it sounds great too!
@@mattsmusichannel … it’s fine for the price. Can’t complain. My main system costs much much more but I still enjoy the Yamaha + Sony. Just enjoy the music, not equipment.
@@hushpuppykl very sensible mate! Totally agree.
I had these b&w speakers. They are terrible compared to what modern speakers can do soundwise.
Lol, terrible might be an overstatement mate. Good sound is good sound and while the equivalent modern speakers should by rights sound better than a 40 year old set, the difference will not be that great. These in modern money are into the thousands and I got this pair for £25. I think they sound wonderful. I think your use of the word "terrible" is unfounded here me ol' son but I appreciate your opinion anyway.
Full of common sense
So much hi fi talk is b/s
My system runs an Audio Technica deck through some £60 speakers......total outlay £180 sounds just fine
Thanks Andy, and yes I agree, you don't need to sell a kidney to get a great sound system.
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fun fact . : Buddy Holly's wife did not attend his funeral !!!
£££££'s doesn't equate to sound quality. I've said this for a while, the biggest factor in hifi is not the kit but the carbon-based lifeform listening.
No sub?
Completely disagree
Excellent!
Quatscht nur.
I'm tight loooooool u look it
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Super cheap! Only the B& W is good!
Only? Oh no! :D