Systems: $10,000 stereo

By Michael Jones

April 2007

Putting together a stereo system can be difficult and confusing. There are so many choices and so many different permutations of systems.

To help, AudioEnz has asked five hi-fi specialists to put together systems. These dealers have used their expertise to assemble systems and explain the thinking behind their choices. First up, the brief is a system at around $10,000. No constraints or guidelines were placed on the dealers, except that the system is for music listening, not home theatre.

So here are five very different ways to put together a $10,000 hi-fi system.

Totally Wired, Dunedin

A Tivoli Model Three to wake up in the morning

Thorens TD295 mkIV

Perreaux SXP2 passive preamplifier and matched SX60m mono power amplifiers, with Sonus faber Concertino domus

Image 414

It’s 2007 and I’ve decided I’d rather spend $10K on a new hi-fi system and make do with a slightly smaller, more economical car. Being a bit of an unreconstructed punk rocker I’ve got a big pile of LPs that easily outnumber my CD collection. And an iMac sitting on my desk. Which all probably makes me dead centre of National Radio's new demographic. So start with two Tivoli radios - the Model 3 clock radio to wake me up and the PAL to wander around from room to room. That’s hardly made a dent in funds.

You might find my choice in turntables surprising given that we have dealt with just about every brand under the sun in the last 20 years (and presently have a Linn at home) but I’ve had it with turntables that don’t switch off at the end of the record. The new Thorens TD295 mk4 manages to look rather beautiful in gloss black, lacks for nothing in sound quality and, you guessed it, switches off itself! Its also easy to take the TD295 from it’s out-of-the box standard up to something special - drop on a Dynavector 10X5 (or even better 20X) and include the P75 phono stage as we are going for a line only amp system. The Thorens Disc Stabilizer is the finishing touch. All up we have stayed just under $3K for an extra special analogue set-up that anyone will enjoy and will last for years.

The new Perreaux SXP2 passive preamplifier and matched SX60m mono power amplifiers might be ultra compact and affordable ($2700 for all three boxes) but to my ears they are the most musically satisfying products they have ever released. Simplicity is the key. The fact they look beautiful, run cool and are New Zealand made (Dunedin in fact) are just bonus points.

Now we could go down the conventional CD player track at this point. But if CDs are a convenient alternative to analogue the iTunes is a convenient alternative to having to choose and change CDs. Given we use Apple LossLess when recording, the only impediment to serious sound quality is the basic analogue output from the iMac (it’s the same with any PC too). Enter Perreaux’s matching USB and SPDIF upsampling digital to analogue converter - the SXD2. Having nothing better to do one day we did a carefully set up direct comparison between the Perreaux/iMac combination and what we would regard as a serious CD player. Obviously there were differences in the character of sound but on the basis of overall quality and listenability, we really proved to be on level pegging. Like the Perreaux amps, this is a completely modern and minimalist approach to better sound and usability.

Speaker choices can often come down to pragmatic considerations - available space, aesthetics, budget. musical tastes and last but not least, sound quality. In a perfect world I’d match the above system with nothing less than the new Quad Electrostatics. However the arbitrary $10K total budget intrudes a little on that. Chris Ball’s Image 414s would be my idea of the perfect all round floor standing speaker, maybe even in an extra special finish – an almost bespoke solution. My only other contender would be the little Sonus faber Concertino domus, complete with dedicated stands. You might suggest the only thing that could possibly top a hand built NZ made speaker is a hand built Italian speaker, albeit at another $800. With both options I’d cable with SlinkyLinks, maximising performance and budget by keeping all runs as short as possible and including the better Eichmann silver plugs.

My little calculator shows we can easily do it all on the allotted budget. Alternatives to the above? In a more conventional mould, a Quad system with the 909 power amp would have to feature. For a purpose built CD only system we could even have a new Meridian G06, the Perreaux pre and stereo SX25 amp and Sonus faber on-wall speakers. As you might imagine there are an almost infinite number of ways to make music at this level - it’s a personal choice, so take the time to check out options that you might not have previously considered. The way to always get the best out of any dealer is to broadly outline your requirements and then let us do our job in terms of selecting components for you - specific models don’t really matter - it is the end result that is important and when you hear that, you’ll understand why we do what we do.—John Ransley

Thorens TD295 mk4 turntable	$1520
Dynavector 10X5 phono cartridge	$499
Dynavector P75 phono stage	$699
Perreaux SXP2 passive preamplifier	$699
Perreaux SXP2 SX60m mono power amplifiers	$1998
Perreaux SXP2 SXD2 USB digital-to-analog convertor	$1299
Image 414 loudspeakers	$2599
Tivoli Model 3 clock radio	$499
Tivoli PAL radio	$349
Total	$10161

The Listening Post, Christchurch

Audiolab CD player, preamp and power amp

Paradigm Studio 60

AudioLab has been re-introduced into the industry after a "sabbatical" and boy, they are back in a big way. The AudioLab CD player is hugely revealing, while being extreemly forgiving of older or bad recording.

The Pre-Power combo delivers a smooth and controlled 100watts to the Paradigm, three way, floor standing speakers. The combination delivers great base control, while not losing sight of the clean musical approach we all expect from any good stereo system.

The WireWorld interconnects and speaker cable help deliver great bass weight while not getting in the road of all the music (no, the price is not a miss-print, cables like these are well worth the investment).

Speaking of bass, the music I listen to, while not dance music, tends to be rocky in nature or listened to at louder more "emotional" volumes.

Often the wrong choice of interconnects or speaker cable can push the listener past the "detail barrier" and end up with a bright or glassy top end, particually at higher volumes. The wrong speaker choice can lose control of base, or lose everything all together at higher volumes.

This is also very comon with an underpowered amplifier. This combo is a great balance of all the desires a listener has and delivers a superb sound accross all music genres and at all volumes.

If you are in to a big sound when listening to the likes of Creed, but still want a system that lets you relax to Norah Jones, this is the one for you.—Crighton Weir

AudioLab 8000 C CD Player	$1299
Audiolab 8000Q Pre-Amp	$1499
Audiolab 8000P Power Amp	$1299
Paradigm Studio 60 Floor Standing Speakers	$3299
Wire World Polaris Interconnects (x2)	$399
Wire World Polaris Speaker Cable	$1899
Total	$10,293

Eastern Hi-Fi, Auckland

Musical Fidelity A3.5 amplifier and CD player

DynAudio Audience 72

It was easy deciding what to recommend for this article – I just had to choose my favourite system that we sell in the shop. Even though $10,000 is a fair wad of cash, in the grand scheme of all things hi-fi, it is a relatively modest budget to allocate to a complete and balanced system. In this case I will be limiting it to one source, an integrated amp and a pair of floorstanding speakers.

Luckily for me we happen to carry the products of two of my preferred brands, namely Musical Fidelity and Dynaudio. I use examples of both in my own system, and there is always a synergy between them, the Dyns like the power of the MF amps, and the detail and musicality of the MF CD players is always a winner.

The entry level Musical Fidelity A3.5 gear is damn amazing value for money, offering a big chunk of the performance of the A5 range for nearly half the price.

The A3.5 cd player uses 24 bit 96 kHz upsampling which accounts for its superb retrieval of detail and rich smoothness. MF take great pride in the quality of their power supplies, and the A3.5 CD player is no exception, using very sophisticated supplies with low residual noise to get out of the way of the music.

The A3.5 amp is on its own tremendous value for money. What you get is basically an A5 integrated with a smaller power supply. This reduces the output by about 3dB, without sacrificing any of the definition or powerful dynamics MF are known for. It puts out 240 watts into the Dynaudio’s 4 ohm load, and provides plenty of current to control those woofers. One very useful feature that the amp has is its Home Theatre pass through mode, which fixes the gain and essentially turns the A3.5 integrated into a power amp to be controlled from your AVR’s pre outs, so you can use the same speakers for home theatre or two channel duty without mucking about changing cables etc.

The only thing really missing from the specs is an onboard phono stage, but there are plenty of well priced units that could be used from the likes of Project, Goldring and even MF’s own X-LPS V3.

My favourite speakers at the moment are Dynaudio’s Audience range and the Audience 72 is the star of the bunch in my opinion. Attractively finished in either black or real cherry wood veneer, and of average size to fit most New Zealand rooms. They are a two and a half way model that uses two 170 mm woofers and a 28 mm tweeter derived from the renowned Esotec model. Substantial internal bracing and damping using bitumen sheets controls cabinet resonance.

The DynAudio 72 is a front ported design, which allows for fairly flexible room placement, although they do like to be away from the side walls. When fed by the Musical Fidelity gear, the Dyn 72’s just disappear, projecting a wide soundstage that never exaggerates the size of the performers. A solo guitarist sounds like one and an orchestra is represented with a great sense of scale and drama.

Everyone who hears this system in the shop comments on the quantity and quality of the bass, which for me is a Dynaudio strength. It is always tight and never boomy (provided you set them up right!) and has texture that avoids the one-noteness that many other brands suffer at this price point. The midrange is smooth and open and very balanced and it goes without saying the higher frequencies are fantastic.

With this system you just want to listen to music and forget about the hifi, which is supposed to be the point. This system excels with all types of music, although of course it is ultimately limited by the power on hand from the amp, and the size of the speakers. We have sold this system to many happy customers, even one holidaying from Gore who is absolutely rapt with it, and says he and his family hardly watch TV anymore as they’ve rediscovered their music collection!

Of course a system isn’t complete without cabling and I have had success with the Audioquest King Cobra interconnect and the Type 8 speaker cable, properly terminated of course!

Overall this system delivers a powerful, assertive sound that is also rhythmic and neutral and really is a steal for the price.—Neil Young

Musical Fidelity A3.5 CD Player	$3199
Musical Fidelity A3.5 Integrated amp	$3299
Dynaudio Audience 72 Speakers	$3999
Audioquest King Cobra interconnect	$179
Audioquest Type 8 Speaker cable (six metres)	$240
Total	$10,916

The Listening Post, Hamilton

Marantz SA7001

Marantz PM7001

ProAc Studio 130

Before recommending any equipment to our clients, we like to understand their individual requirements. Personal musical tastes, preferences in character of sound, and different listening environments all effect what comprises the “perfect” system for any given music lover. Each recommendation we make is based on what is best for the individual.

Having said that, after thirty years of putting systems together for clients, there are some combinations which stand out as delivering level of musical realism and involvement far beyond what one would usually expect for the price.

The following is one of our personal favourites. Each component is something special in its own right, but together they make magic.

The ProAc Studio 130’s are the replacement for the award winning Studio 125’s. They’ve retained the sweet and natural midrange that made the 125’s a favourite among our clients, but now offer even greater clarity and delicacy. Bass articulation and dynamics have also improved out of sight.

The Marantz PM7001KI amplifier received Hi-Fi Choices Best Buy Award for 2007, and rightly so. It punches well above its weight with good clarity, and an effortless and natural presentation.

Like the PM7001KI, the Marantz SA7001 SACD/CD player is an award winning product, having been named Best Product 2006 – 2007 in the Audio Player category by EISA. It’s open and honest presentation compliments the strengths of the PM7001KI.

Power conditioning is something that is all too often over looked in system design. The music that you hear from your equipment is generated from your mains power supply. For the purest and sweetest music, your must start with pure, clean power. Historically all but the most expensive audio grade power conditioners have tended to sacrifice dynamics and “life” to deliver improved smoothness and sweetness. The PF range of power conditioners from Pure AV are the first we’ve found that deliver the benefits of power conditioning without compromising dynamics at a reasonable price. To keep as close as possible to our $10,000 budget, we’ve recommend the PF30 at $699. Upgrading to the PF40 at $999 or the PF60 at $1299 will give even better results.

Having the best components in the world is useless if they don’t work as a synergistic whole. Choosing components that compliment each other is a great start. But choosing the right cabling is what separates great music systems from good music systems. We’ve found the Analysis Plus cables allow the wonderful musicality and realism these components are capable of to shine through, without adding a character of their own.

The end result is a system we love. Uncannily real, unerringly musical, beautiful to behold, and able to let us connect with our favourite music at an emotional level. What better way to spend $10k?—Romesh Anandaraja

ProAc Studio 130 speakers	$3799
Marantz PM7001KI amplifier	$1999
Marantz SA7001KI SACD/CD player	$2999
Analysis Plus Oval One Interconnect	$299
Analysis Plus Clear Oval bi wired speaker cables (approximately, depending on length)	$500
Belkin Pure AV PF30 power conditioner	$699
Total	$10,295

The Real Music Company, Wellington

Naim CD5i

Naim Nait 5i

Rega R7 speakers

On building any audio system to a budget (and aren’t they all!) the overriding priority is firstly how musical we can make the system given the customer’s preferences of source and functionality and secondly how it all both sounds and looks.

Given the majority of a two-channel (stereo) systems are CD based, and also given our long-standing belief in a source-first philosophy then the priority must be to select our finest CD player in the price range and place it in well matched system.

Being Naim dealers the choice of CD players is relatively simple at this price point. The Naim CD5i ($2900) is a remarkable source providing the starting point of a range of CD players that goes up to nearly $55,000. The benefit of being in this range is the R&D that goes into a top line player filters down naturally and beneficially. Mortals can therefore benefit.

And benefit they do. The CD5i is a well-constructed, carefully designed, beautifully engineered but more importantly very, very musical CD player. Detail, tonal accuracy, lively dynamics and rhythmic layers aplenty, this is a player that effortlessly brings any CD collection to life.

The system is off to a good start then. The Naim NAIT5i integrated amplifier is the ideal partner. The NAIT has enjoyed legendary status over the last 30 years, this latest incarnation being one of audio’s true bargains. A controlled, involving sound, detailed yet not overly hi-fi, ready and waiting with an excellent power supply that delivers when required. At $2650 this is a very capable amplifier that punches way over its weight.

That leaves us with a speaker choice. We recommend the Rega R7 speakers ($4300) as a great match. These fabulous looking speakers compliment the Naim components in the quest for a musical and accurate sound, both in terms of timing and timbre. Crucially they rely on Rega’s in-house built drivers that are built to a level that minimises the need for any electronic crossover correction. An efficient design that does not require a huge power amplifier to drive them they provide a great partner for the Naim NAIT5i. The lower octaves are effortlessly available when required, with the mid and upper ranges capable with an at times breathtaking naturalness. Construction is excellent, with the design of a small facing front, due to the side-mounted bass driver, earning good ergonomic points as well.

Importantly all three components are so well matched that years of listening pleasure is easy to imagine upon audition.

Possible alternatives? Want a turntable? You could add a Rega P3 with an Elys 2 cartridge, downgrade the R7s to R5s and still have an excellent system under budget. Need a tuner? Spend as much as you can now then come back for a tuner of your choice. Both the tuner and the system will end up higher up the food chain as a result. If you really need a tuner now, if it’s primarily for chat rather then music then around another $500 will get you going. Want music – wait till funds allow, and enjoy this exceptional CD system from day one.—Allan McFarlane

Naim CD5i CD player	$2900
Naim NAIT5i integrated amplifier	$2650
Rega R7 loudspeakers	$4300
Total	$9850

Coming up

The next issue of AudioEnz will include systems designed for a smaller room at under $4000.

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