[UK] Upgrade from Yamaha AST-C10 (high-endish stereo from 1990)

[zuboici]

Parents had a Yamaha AST-C10 - bought in about 1990 for nearly £900!

 

Had it repaired a couple of times over the years but now it's dead, finally time to upgrade after 25 years!

 

Specific make/model or places to buy from please.

 

Many thanks in advance

 

[Goldilock]

If were you I would not upgrade anything unless it really broke. I mean in the end we only hear the 20 - 20khz spectrum not increasing pixels in monitor.

[zuboici]

If were you I would not upgrade anything unless it really broke. I mean in the end we only hear the 20 - 20khz spectrum not increasing pixels in monitor.

 

Repairers say can't get the part anymore. I expect enthusiasts who can choose components and solder them to PCBs probably could so it still has *some* value but "beyond economical repair".

 

(The CD has also been skipping forever and that defo can't be fixed)

 

Thanks for yuor answer tho, you are essentially right!

[DataLepton]

Have a few questions before i can recommend anything...

 

1. What is the main purpose of the system? ie Music (only stereo) or Movies (Home theater) or both
2. Whats your budget like?
3. Are you looking at buying discrete components (Amp,Speakers, CD player all or some from different makers) or a Integrated system (single maker comes as a matched system)

If you want to have a look Yamaha and Onkyo both have some really good integrated systems. you can probably find them on their website or on Amazon etc.

 

Cheers

Datalepton 

[zuboici]

Have a few questions before i can recommend anything...

 

1. What is the main purpose of the system? ie Music (only stereo) or Movies (Home theater) or both
2. Whats your budget like?
3. Are you looking at buying discrete components (Amp,Speakers, CD player all or some from different makers) or a Integrated system (single maker comes as a matched system)

If you want to have a look Yamaha and Onkyo both have some really good integrated systems. you can probably find them on their website or on Amazon etc.

 

Cheers

Datalepton 

 

 

Hi, thanks for your reply Datalepton!

 

  The main purpose is most definitely music. No TV (except Jooles Holland at new year!).

  The recent thinking we've been doing leaves us thinking we need something very similar to our current setup (pictured below - just my old HK PC speakers and a very cheap tablet connected by 3.5mm jack) except louder, better and Bluetooth. I read that BT doesn't affect audio quality as long as the connection is OK - is this right?

  I have a hard time saying we need anything other than a particularly good set of Bluetooth speakers! Mum saw a BT speaker the other day on Groupon so now we have that on its way as a holiday-toy/proof of concept.

  Whilst we do have a couple of Android phones that *could* connect to a Bluetooth stereo system, the screens are too small and our 'cheap tablet' is so cheap it doesn't have bluetooth!

  We're seriously considering a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1", mainly for its similarity to Dad's existing phone. We'd all get some use out of it.

 

  Budget (in addition to around £200 for the Galaxy tab) is, as always, hard to pin down. Mum's saying £350-400, I was assuming a bit more than that but neither of us will let Dad go out on his own looking for a stereo in case he has ideas far in excess of what we think is sensible.

  He knows he's not allowed in any Bose or Bang and Olufsen shops!

  idk what to say... Where does the low end of 'audiophile' start? That Yamaha was very well thought of in its day.

 

 

 

[zuboici]

Emergency bump - I'm about to drop £139 on the eight inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 instead of the 10.1" (about £197)

 

Primarily to send music to whatever system we end up with as a home stereo, potentially same for hoilday BT speaker, and will likely become photo viewer, evening email checker and all those other things

 

Thoughts on 8 Vs 10.1 inch? (no cock size jokes please I've just about had my fucking fill of that shit now)

[DataLepton]

Emergency bump - I'm about to drop £139 on the eight inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 instead of the 10.1" (about £197)

 

Primarily to send music to whatever system we end up with as a home stereo, potentially same for hoilday BT speaker, and will likely become photo viewer, evening email checker and all those other things

 

Thoughts on 8 Vs 10.1 inch? (no cock size jokes please I've just about had my fucking fill of that shit now)

 

The 8" is good enough for what you are looking to do for it. On the audio system side of things Yamaha has a few really good mini component systems, but i dont think they have Bluetooth connectivity.

 

Here are some options after a quick bit of research

 

1.Q ACOUSTICS BT3 ACTIVE BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS (GBP 350.00)  - http://www.amazon.co.uk/ACOUSTICS-ACTIVE-BLUETOOTH-SPEAKERS-BLACK/dp/B00E1FQKDG/ref=sr_1_5/275-9536442-8492543?s=receiver-speakers&ie=UTF8&qid=1399097145&sr=1-5

 

2. Harman/Kardon Wireless Soundsticks Satellite Speakers (GBP 180.00) -  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Harman-Kardon-Wireless-Soundsticks-Satellite/dp/B008UR1LPS/ref=sr_1_1?s=receiver-speakers&ie=UTF8&qid=1399098633&sr=1-1

 

3. Discrete setup (My Fav) - Amp + Speakers + Streamer ( ~ GBP 480 - 415 range)

AMP

1. Marantz M-CR510 Melody Stream Network Receiver (GBP 247.00) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marantz-M-CR510-Melody-Network-Receiver/dp/B00DUCZBUY/ref=sr_1_1?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1399099912&sr=1-1

 

Speakers

1. DIAMOND121-BLACK (£179.00)- http://www.amazon.co.uk/DIAMOND121-BLACK-2-way-Bookshelf-Speaker-Black/dp/B00B1SQ5JU/ref=sr_1_16?s=receiver-speakers&ie=UTF8&qid=1399099028&sr=1-16
2. Boston Acoustics A 26 (£137.95) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boston-Acoustics-26-Stereo-Speaker/dp/B004LACRTW/ref=sr_1_4?s=receiver-speakers&ie=UTF8&qid=1399099398&sr=1-4

Bluetooth Streamer

1. Logitech Wireless Speaker Adaptor for Bluetooth Audio Devices (£27.95) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Wireless-Speaker-Adaptor-Bluetooth/dp/B0057BAB60/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1399100673&sr=1-1&keywords=bluetooth+streamer

Honestly option 3 would be my choice if you have the budget followed by option 1. Option 2 would be like the last resort. Just FYI, you will have to probably spend another 20 quid on cables etc with option 3 but it will sound amazing. This was just a quick check on amazon and there are a million options like this. If you do a bit of research you could get a really really good setup for 450-500 pounds.

 

Hope this helps.. let me know if you need any more help.

 

Cheers & happy listening

Datalepton

[DataLepton]

The 8" is good enough for what you are looking to do for it. On the audio system side of things Yamaha has a few really good mini component systems, but i dont think they have Bluetooth connectivity.

 

Here are some options after a quick bit of research

 

1.Q ACOUSTICS BT3 ACTIVE BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS (GBP 350.00)  - http://www.amazon.co.uk/ACOUSTICS-ACTIVE-BLUETOOTH-SPEAKERS-BLACK/dp/B00E1FQKDG/ref=sr_1_5/275-9536442-8492543?s=receiver-speakers&ie=UTF8&qid=1399097145&sr=1-5

 

2. Harman/Kardon Wireless Soundsticks Satellite Speakers (GBP 180.00) -  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Harman-Kardon-Wireless-Soundsticks-Satellite/dp/B008UR1LPS/ref=sr_1_1?s=receiver-speakers&ie=UTF8&qid=1399098633&sr=1-1

 

3. Discrete setup (My Fav) - Amp + Speakers + Streamer ( ~ GBP 480 - 415 range)

AMP

1. Marantz M-CR510 Melody Stream Network Receiver (GBP 247.00) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marantz-M-CR510-Melody-Network-Receiver/dp/B00DUCZBUY/ref=sr_1_1?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1399099912&sr=1-1

 

Speakers

1. DIAMOND121-BLACK (£179.00)- http://www.amazon.co.uk/DIAMOND121-BLACK-2-way-Bookshelf-Speaker-Black/dp/B00B1SQ5JU/ref=sr_1_16?s=receiver-speakers&ie=UTF8&qid=1399099028&sr=1-16
2. Boston Acoustics A 26 (£137.95) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boston-Acoustics-26-Stereo-Speaker/dp/B004LACRTW/ref=sr_1_4?s=receiver-speakers&ie=UTF8&qid=1399099398&sr=1-4

Bluetooth Streamer

1. Logitech Wireless Speaker Adaptor for Bluetooth Audio Devices (£27.95) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Wireless-Speaker-Adaptor-Bluetooth/dp/B0057BAB60/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1399100673&sr=1-1&keywords=bluetooth+streamer

Honestly option 3 would be my choice if you have the budget followed by option 1. Option 2 would be like the last resort. Just FYI, you will have to probably spend another 20 quid on cables etc with option 3 but it will sound amazing. This was just a quick check on amazon and there are a million options like this. If you do a bit of research you could get a really really good setup for 450-500 pounds.

 

Hope this helps.. let me know if you need any more help.

 

Cheers & happy listening

Datalepton

 

Oh and btw option 3 will give you a lot more of listening options like network/internet streaming, and playing high quality Flac files etc. so it will be the most versatile in terms of future connectivity and being not stuck to one set of protocols.

 

Cheers

DL.

[zuboici]

Oh and btw option 3 will give you a lot more of listening options like network/internet streaming, and playing high quality Flac files etc. so it will be the most versatile in terms of future connectivity and being not stuck to one set of protocols.

 

Cheers

DL.

 

The Q Acoustics speakers look like job done - I hadn't banked on BT speakers at that level but I've seen a few now.  I suspect parents might find they look plain but if they sound great who cares. Richer Sounds sell them so I expect they meet a certain level of quality.

 

I, like you, would rather build something around the Marantz kit but we're way down the bluetooth line now which it doesn't natively support. There's much advantage to making both home and holiday music solutions close to identical - the tablet we've ordered is largely the same to operate as Dad's phone. Both are Samsung and both would be running PowerAmp. Holiday speakers are inevitably bluetooth. Marantz is certainly calling me - shame it does iTunes and streaming (which I can setup) but no BT

 

I think the HK sound sticks push the boundaries of taste too far for any of us....

 

Thanks ever so much for the advice, we're really moving in a better informed direction now I think.

[DataLepton]

The Q Acoustics speakers look like job done - I hadn't banked on BT speakers at that level but I've seen a few now.  I suspect parents might find they look plain but if they sound great who cares. Richer Sounds sell them so I expect they meet a certain level of quality.

 

I, like you, would rather build something around the Marantz kit but we're way down the bluetooth line now which it doesn't natively support. There's much advantage to making both home and holiday music solutions close to identical - the tablet we've ordered is largely the same to operate as Dad's phone. Both are Samsung and both would be running PowerAmp. Holiday speakers are inevitably bluetooth. Marantz is certainly calling me - shame it does iTunes and streaming (which I can setup) but no BT

 

I think the HK sound sticks push the boundaries of taste too far for any of us....

 

Thanks ever so much for the advice, we're really moving in a better informed direction now I think.

 

Yeah i thought you would like the Q-Acoustics, i would choose the same for my parents as well - no complication no fuss!! They are awesome speakers.. i had the chance to hear a pair at the local electronics store and had it not been for the wife i would have picked them up!

 

Anyways, hope i was of help. Cheers and happy listening.

 

DL