Top 5 Affordable Hi-Fi Upgrades
/These are our top 5 upgrades for a Hi-Fi system without breaking the bank.
1. Mains Cables
There are some products that make a good difference to the sound of a hi-fi system that seem to defy logic, and fancy mains cables are one of those products. However trust us, they make a worthwhile improvement to almost all systems and these are our two favourites under £200.
Chord Company Power Chord (IEC style only) 1M £175
Audioquest NRG-1.5 (Figure 8 style) 1.8M £145
2. Analogue Interconnects
It's an obvious one but upgrading your interconnect will make a big difference, even if it's a decent one from a few years ago the technology used keeps moving forward. Our favourite mid priced lead at the moment is the Chord Company Anthem Reference. It's not cheap at £450 for a 1M but the price will be going up on the 1st April, and it represents excellent value for money at the moment.
3. USB and Ethernet Cables
This is another controversial one, and only for those who have embraced the newer computer based music streamers and storage. Like the mains leads, some will argue that they can not make a difference, however we will happily refund customers who buy them and do not hear a worthwhile improvement. These are our favourites.
Audioquest Cinnamon RJ/E Ethernet 1.5m £79
Audioquest Carbon USB 1.5M £145
4. DAC
Getting a good quality DAC can make a massive difference to the performance of your Hi-Fi. They are especially good if you are taking music directly from a computer, but can also be good as an upgrade to an older CD player or Sonos. Please remember to budget for decent cables as well! Our current favourites are:
Arcam irDAC £399
Naim DAC-V1 £1295 (Price increase 1st April)
5. Cartridge (Plus service)
For those into vinyl, or getting back into vinyl. If your turntable is a few years old having your turntable serviced and changing/upgrading the cartridge will pay dividends. These are our favourite cartridges without spending a fortune.
Ortofon 2M Red £85
Dynavector DV 10X5 £379
