This is my first venture into hi-fi sound on a budget. My uncle recommended the Rotel RCD-855 as a classic, and now affordable, CDP with great musical qualities. The NAD C 326BEE is a highly-rated "beginner audiophile" amp with plenty of power to drive the Axiom Audio M3v3 bookshelf speakers I picked up.
My blog with more details on how I ventured into this hobby: [url]http://thesoundapprentice.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-sound-apprentice-goes-hi-fi-finally.html[/url]
System edited: Recently added the DH Labs Silver Sonic Air Matrix RCA interconnect cablea downright awesome cable. The build quality and materials are clearly superb. The hunter green jacket is attractive. The locking connector collars are sturdy and grip like a vise. The shielding guarantees zero noise. And damn, these things sound good
System edited: My NAD C 326BEE came with some cheap steel jumpers. These Jena Labs jumpers made a HUGE difference in the sound quality. Way cleaner sound, better detail imaging, lower noise. Good tweak for any other NAD users. These were picked up used for $40, and are definitely worth the investment, in my opinion. My Review: http://thesoundapprentice.blogspot.com/2013/11/tweak-your-nad-preamp-jumpers-make-good.html
System edited: Recently began testing a Sony DVP-S9000ES my uncle sourced for me. Really enjoying it so far. Here's my novice write-up of the comparison to the Rotel RCD-855 I started with. http://thesoundapprentice.blogspot.com/2013/10/cd-player-shootout-rotel-rcd-855-vs.html
I based my speaker placement on Cardas' setup guide for rectangular rooms. The only thing I changed was that I moved the speakers a little closer to the rear wall to enhance the lows. So far so good. The room is small, so there are some limits, but everything is equally spaced from the rear and side walls.
I have some Gotham Audio speaker cables and Wireworld Equinox 3+ RCA that my uncle gave me to use from his collection. I haven't started experimenting with different cables much yet.
