Choosing your first sound system with Richer Sounds
Do you remember your very first proper audio system? If you’re anything like me you’ll remember the hi-fi that started your passion for audio with similar nostalgic feelings to those experienced when you think back on your first love. You remember that don’t you? The person who taught you that kissing could be an Olympic sport as you came within seconds of death due to asphyxiation!
Back in 1988 I was on the cusp of leaving home and heading to university. The first priority for any music lover back then was to assemble a system to provide the soundtrack to the parties, seductions and break-ups of those formative years. Mine combined a Systemdek IIX turntable with Linn LVX tonearm (£145 secondhand), an A&R P77mg moving magnet cartridge (£55), Naim Nait integrated (£200 ex demo) and Mordaunt Short MS30 loudspeakers (£130) on Roach stands (£45). The total cost amounted to approximately £575 in 1988, which adjusted for inflation is equivalent to around £2,000 today. That system probably gave me more hours of pleasure than any system since, because I had more time to listen back then thanks to the relaxed schedules of undergraduate life. I was keen to find out what kind of system could be assembled today for similar money and Richer Sounds, the hi-fi dealer most adored by the fiscally constrained, agreed to help.
The demo room at Richer Sounds in Guildford was very smart and was treated with tasteful sound absorbing panels. It was also far plusher than I recalled from my visits there years ago. I proposed a number of components for this piece which they had kindly set up for the demo. The objective was to assemble a turntable, amplifier and speaker system, starting as cheaply as possible and then progressing upwards towards the budget limit of £2,000.
System 1 – £1,143
Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB turntable with ATVM95E cartridge, Mission 778X amplifier and Fyne Audio F5E speakers
For not much over half the equivalent cost of my original starter system I have to admit that I was impressed at just how capable this set-up was. The Audio Technica turntable is an absolute knockout and a delight to use. It also looks cool as hell and is very similar to the Technics SL-1210 in style, although clearly is of lighter construction. Speed stability from the direct drive motor was superb and would probably shame some highly regarded belt drive designs – it even supports 33, 45 and 78RPM.
Playing Duran Duran’s Big Thing album and the track Do You Believe in Shame I was genuinely impressed with the amount of detail the system was resolving, given we are dealing with a turntable here that as a complete front-end comes in below £250 – it was stupidly good. The soundstage was fine with excellent precision in depth and width, although the image was lacking in scale and it was clear that bass power and extension was limited by the relatively small Fyne Audio F5E loudspeakers. In many ways the Fyne F5E reminded me of my old Linn Kan speakers. On acoustic music, light classical, jazz and female singer songwriter material they sound beautifully detailed and revealing, but they clearly have limitations in the bass, especially with rock and dance.
There was a forward quality to vocals and a certain lack of warmth and body to guitars, but there’s no denying that this system absolutely deserves the description of hi-fi and was light years better than Bluetooth speakers at a similar price. I could imagine a keen vinyl collector getting many years of pleasure from this.
System 2 – £1,252
As above plus Ortofon Concorde Music Red cartridge
Adding the Ortofon Concorde MM cartridge to the Audio Technica turntable is a very worthwhile upgrade, because the quality of the turntable and arm justifies it. With the sleek droop nosed Concorde fitted, the system revealed significantly more detail, while bandwidth at both the top and bottom of the frequency extremes was more extended. The difference is night and day to the point where I would regard the ATVM95E cartridge as a passport to get up and running at the lowest cost, while saving for the Concorde. Del Amitri’s Never Too Late to be Alone from the album Twisted revealed impressive vocal detail and a little more timbre and warmth with the Ortofon groove digger.
System 3 – £1,404
Speaker change to Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i
In pursuit of a wider bandwidth sound, I elected to try a larger floorstanding speaker. In came the Wharfedale 12.3i, a very attractive 2-way design with two woofers and a soft dome tweeter which is ported at the rear. These like the Fyne F5E are designed and engineered in the UK, but made in China.
From the off I was deeply enamoured with these loudspeakers, they offer similar levels of detail and clarity to the F5E, but this is augmented with significantly more bass slam, scale and gravitas. The Wharfedale is also better at conveying the texture and richness of vocals on the Del Amitri track and Justin Currie’s voice seemed considerably more lifelike.
What impressed me greatly about these speakers is the way that the bass was so well timed and melodic, there is no evidence of boom or bloat. On the Tanita Tikaram album Ancient Heart, which is laden with complex percussion arrangements, the drums always sounded precise and weighty – this was an astonishing performance for a loudspeaker in this price class. A slight glassiness on busier sections of the music at the top end still remained though, so it seemed like a good idea to try a different amplifier.
System 4 – £1,554
Amplifier change to Roksan Attessa
The Roksan Attessa is a full width design and is really attractive and futuristic looking. I love the beautifully weighted volume control and illuminated orange bar graph LED design on the front panel denoting volume level which is very cool.
Right from the off, the Roksan impressed with a better controlled and smoother top end than the Mission, which made vocals and guitars sound more natural. I also detected a more spacious soundstage which on the Chasing the Dragon recording of Vivaldi in London conveyed a better impression of the location of the players and the venue’s acoustic. For the first time I felt this was a really well balanced system with no obvious weaknesses at all. That it can accomplish all this for not much over £1,500 is deeply impressive and I found myself really enjoying listening. At this price it’s hard to quibble or imagine that anything could be better.
Like most reviewers I’m blessed with a fairly high-end system at home, but I could live with this – I really could. Sure, it doesn’t resolve anything like as much information as my SME 35 fronted system with a stack of Naim amplification into ATC SCM40 floorstanders. It also doesn’t have the same ability to move serious air at very high volumes, but I could buy this combination and really enjoy it – it’s that good. It’s extraordinary just how good affordable hi-fi is nowadays and as for that Audio Technica turntable it’s off the scale brilliant!
System 5 – £1,752
Turntable change to Argon Audio TT4
Tayla Higgins, branch manager at Guildford was keen for me to hear the Argon Audio TT4, although it, must be said, she had to practically tear the Audio Technica out of my hands, so convinced was I of its merits! The Argon Audio TT4 is a Danish designed and engineered belt drive design manufactured in China. The demo example came finished in a very attractive gloss white and was equipped with a carbon fibre Argon Audio tonearm which felt more robust and better engineered than the Audio Technica arm. Also included in the package is the excellent Ortofon 2M blue cartridge which normally retails for £149.
The uplift in sonics was instantly noticeable with firmer bass and even better articulation on the Tanita Tikaram than before. All of the music was presented as more substantial and vocals, guitars and indeed piano and strings sounded richer. This is a genuinely impressive and enjoyable system that would reward even quite discerning audiophiles over the longer term.
Conclusion
Each step upwards through these systems delivered a genuine performance increase, but all of the systems delivered enjoyable music and offered enough sonic rewards to encourage their owner to sit down at the end of the day, glass in hand to unwind with the records they love. Owning a hi-fi like this enriches life and offers night and day benefits over any smart speaker, as well as being flexible enough to accommodate new sources such as a streamer at a later date.
I was so pleased to find that the music lovers of today are blessed to have a wide range of excellent products that are probably better than the products I was able to buy back in 1988. Entry level hi-fi is astonishingly good nowadays, it really is. So ditch those smart speakers and headphones and get into proper audio – there’s never been a better time. All of the products here come from genuinely respected manufacturers who care about engineering high quality products and it really shows.
My thanks to the team at Richer Sounds and particularly Tayla for some excellent coffee and for hosting me for a very enjoyable afternoon!
Jonathan Gorse
Turntables
Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB £245 (Concord cartridge upgrade £109)
Argon Audio TT4 £699
Amplifiers
Mission 778X £549
Roksan Attessa £699 (streaming version £1,199)
Speakers
Fyne F5e £349
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i £499
Richer Sounds
T 0330 900 0050
www.richersounds.com