[dudlew]

Hello Guys,

Once again I throw myself at the mercy of the Head- Fi Court and pray for a verdict. I need help with a source..... and My budget constraiints are pretty tight; $300US MAX

Its for my second system which consists of A Marantz SR4300 Reciever, Monitor Audio Bronze B1 speakers and A Mirage NanoSub. I also have Audio Art interconnects and speaker cables on the way.

So I said to myself, I want to seperate my computer as a source from the rest of my system, as I think that playing music from the hard drive appears to be a stressful thing, Also I write music and work mainly with waves, so they require alot of space. I would also like the convenience of a remote control for track selection etc.

This lead me to consider the Squeezebox, I still have to use the computer, but I have more convenience, but again I hear alot about modding to get it to sound good, which I am not prepared to do. It also means that either a second hard drive or an external hard drive would be in the mix, which carries the costs up above my budget. I can use the DACS on my reciever as a DAC, but I doubt that they will be better than those of the squeezebox

I then considered a cheap universal, such as the Pioneer DV588A or the cheap Yamahas (The only ones that seem to have displays that give proper info), but I have no hi res stuff so I figured that this would be a waste. I have also read that a cd player of the same cost would wipe the floor with it on CDs(which is all I have other than some MP3s). It is still an option though.

I then considered that I should get two players; a cheap DVD player and a cheap CD player, but I have yet to see a dedicated CD player with MP3 playback capability built in for home use

So now I am stuck and need advice. Do you think I should go the SqueezeBox Route and look for a second hard drive later? Would this give me better sound than any of the cheaper players in my price range? Should I go for a player such as the new Marantz, or see if I find a good used Rotel, Sony, Marantz or NAD cd player on Audiogon in my price range? Are the cheap universals worth the cash without the mods over the other two options?

The goal is still good sound (possibly better than I am getting now with my Audiophile 2496 on analog outs to my reciever). I like music with good dynamics, decent soundstaging and a sense of realism, good extension at the extremes, but clean extension(I like to listen loud, so harsh brittle treble hurts my ears). So any suggestions with this criteria will be grateful.

Any Advice is welcome

D

 

[roy_jones]

Very similar situation to what I'm facing right now, so I eagerly await whatever feedback you might get.

The one suggestion I would maybe make is that the Squeezebox as a source itself is said to be adequate. There is the added cost of the harddrive though, and myself, not being technically inclined, am relatively certain that I would struggle with setting up the wireless connection, and that type of thing.

 

[dudlew]

So no advice as to what to do? Someone must have atleast an opinion.

I know my budget is small, but its for a secondary system that I dont want to spend a great deal of cash on.

On a side note, I had an M-Audio Superdac, but it was stolen!! Why I dont know, as most people here wouldnt have a clue as to what to do with it! I did like its sound So I could have used that, but its now gone

D

 

[jpr703]

You really need to choose between MP3s and CDs. While MP3s offer a lot of convenience, in my opinion, they'll just never sound as good as CDs. If the convenience of MP3s is important to you, you'll need to look for a good DAC. However, if sound quality is the most important thing, then you'll need a CDP. I just don't think that you're going to find a unit (especially in your price range) that will handle both well.

I'm not the best person to talk to about DACs, but NAD makes a really good CDP for the money. I'd look and see if you can pick up a used c542 or a new CD521BEE. As a side note, both units play CD-R's. Putting those MP3s on a discs might not be so bad. You're pressed CDs will sound great, and you'll still be able to get some use from those music files.

 

[hciman77]

Philips DVP642 - great Mp3 playback and perfectly acceptable CD playback for $60 with just one problem - you will need a monitor for Mp3 menus - but I bought a baby 5 inch lcd one for $45

 

[jumping jupiters]

If you can go used consider a NAD or Arcam...I had an Arcam CD73t that was really nice...played mp3's burned to a disc...used they around $400 (I know that I am pushing your budget). Also a used Denon 2900 would be a nice universal...again $400 used. In fact this price point seems to be the starting point for better sound...if you can reach into these specialty markets you will be rewarded nicely. The Arcam definitely plays CD's better than the 2900 but a lot of mods are out their for the Denon that might make it superior down the road.

 

[ak622]

What did you end up buying Dudlew? Did you go with a standalone cdp or the squeezebox for your system?

 

[dudlew]

I am still contemplating!! I feel like sticking with the Audiophile right now until I have made a solid decision. I also feel like walking with my Sony source the next time I am home and just keep it with me as its not my whole system and as I am mainly away from home it should not be a big deal. So I may do both for the time being and then decide later on if I stay with my current setup or upgrade. so for right now I am biding my time and keeping my money in my wallet (only for it to jump out and buy cds as I wait).

D

 

[ak622]

Good luck with your decision. I would just stick with what you have until the urge to upgrade really bites you hard or you're hearing too many flaws in your system... But I am thinking along the same lines as yourself but slightly more towards the squeezebox first then DAC later on but I haven't bought it yet either. I'm just gonna hold out and maybe the urge to upgrade will subside.