[Tetramesh]

Hi

My Sony hi-fi died last week after 14 years of good service so I've been looking to replace it and am once again looking for a Sony one.
On Amazon I came across the Sony CMT-G2 N IP which looked quite good but after a bit more browsing came across the Sony CMTG2BNIP.
I looked on the Sony website for the full specifications for both the CMTG2BNIP and the CMT-G2 N IP. To me the cheapest of the two listed on Amazon seems to have more features.
Am I missing something or is the cheaper one a better hi-fi than the more expensive one?
Also, does anyone here own any of these models and would they recommend buying or avoiding them?
Thanks.

[AlanO]

I'd avoid both. There are better options some of which are less expensive.

Take a look at Richer Sounds website, they've got the Demon Dm38 with Mission MX1 speakers for under £300. That will sound far better than anything with Sony's own speakers and save you a bit of cash.

[Tetramesh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanO

I'd avoid both. There are better options some of which are less expensive.

Take a look at Richer Sounds website, they've got the Demon Dm38 with Mission MX1 speakers for under £300. That will sound far better than anything with Sony's own speakers and save you a bit of cash.

I took a look at the Denon D-M38 on the Richer Sounds site but saw that it doesn't have Wi-Fi which I was hoping to use to stream audio from my PC. I've never heard of Denon before, are they known for good quality products?

[stud u like]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetramesh

I took a look at the Denon D-M38 on the Richer Sounds site but saw that it doesn't have Wi-Fi which I was hoping to use to stream audio from my PC. I've never heard of Denon before, are they known for good quality products?

Denon are one of the best and been going for years.

[chrisjr]

Denon are a very good HiFi maker. They have been going for years but because you don't often see their kit in the likes of Currys and Comet they may not be as well known as brands like Sony that do appear on the shelves of the out of town sheds.

They do do a mini system with WiFi streaming but it doesn't appear to do DAB if that is something you require.

http://www.denon.co.uk/uk/Product/Pa...ProductId=CEOL

[Kenny Maclean]

Another vote for Denon. I've had the M35DAB for years and still sounds fantastic. Sony's domestic range have really been going down hill in quality the past few years, and is certainly no longer the premium brand it used to be (though it continues to price most of it's stuff as though it is).

[Tetramesh]

Thanks for the replies, looks like I'm better off getting a Denon.
Why don't the large high street shops sell products from the likes of Denon and Marantz?

[AlanO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetramesh

Thanks for the replies, looks like I'm better off getting a Denon.
Why don't the large high street shops sell products from the likes of Denon and Marantz?

In fairness they do tend to sell a limited number of them - John Lewis usually do and Currys tend to in their 'flagship' stores, but the volumes don't justify the carrying a full range.

You've identified 2 of at least a dozen 'high end' brands who's products are far better than the Sony, Philips, Sharp et al when at comparable prices. I'd also look at and consider Teac, Yamaha, Onkyo when looking at all in one systems.

Don't forget most of these manufacturers don't include speakers with their products - which means you can pick speakers you actually like the sound of rather than those you're just given as part of the bundle. It means you get a system that's far more to your liking with fewer compromises.

[alan1302]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetramesh

Why don't the large high street shops sell products from the likes of Denon and Marantz?

Most people buy on price rather than quality s mainstream shops don't want to stock lots of kit that is unlikely to sell.

[dmp]

I've had two denons, one with the 3cd auto changer and now a 35dab. The multi changer had a fault with the changer and volume control and the dab although very rarely used has decided to loose audio, although it shows the cd or radio playing. I've been told it's the amp. Denon didn't want to know in either case so it's now and expensive door stop.
Wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.
Dave

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetramesh

Thanks for the replies, looks like I'm better off getting a Denon.
Why don't the large high street shops sell products from the likes of Denon and Marantz?

Marantz was for many years just Philips, although I believe Philips sold it on a number of years ago.

Certainly Denon have a far better reputation than Marantz.

[rjb101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetramesh

I took a look at the Denon D-M38 on the Richer Sounds site but saw that it doesn't have Wi-Fi which I was hoping to use to stream audio from my PC. I've never heard of Denon before, are they known for good quality products?

If you want to stream, pick up an ipod touch, plug it into the usb port and use that.

[AlanO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

Marantz was for many years just Philips, although I believe Philips sold it on a number of years ago.

Certainly Denon have a far better reputation than Marantz.

Wikipedia is your friend, Nigel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marantz

History

1952 Saul Marantz sells his first audio product, the "Consolette" pre-amp
1964 Marantz acquired by Superscope
1966 Beginning with the Model 25, and then 22 and 28, Marantz started manufacturing their products in Japan through a partnership with Standard Radio Corp.
1974 A manufacturing plant is open in Europe more specifically in Belgium on the site Péronnes-lez-Binche Walloon Region Belgium.
1975 Standard Radio Corp. changes its name to Marantz Japan Inc.
1980 Superscope sold the Marantz brand, dealer network, and all overseas assets (except U.S. and Canada) to Philips Electronics
1992 Philips acquires U.S. and Canada trademarks and dealer network
1997 Saul Marantz passes away aged 86.
2001 Marantz Japan Inc. acquired the brand and all overseas sales subsidiaries
2002 Marantz Japan and Denon merge to form D&M Holdings, to later be joined by other elite audio equipment brands, most famously McIntosh Labs and Boston Acoustics
2008 Philips sells its remaining stake in D&M Holdings, ending a 28-year relationship between Philips and Marantz.

Marantz has been out of Philips ownership for over 10 years.

Either way it was run independently of Philips even when owned by Philips rather than being a 'badge engineered' job. The link wasn't visible to the general public, not unlike Sony's ownership of Aiwa.

[TV King]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

Marantz was for many years just Philips, although I believe Philips sold it on a number of years ago.

Certainly Denon have a far better reputation than Marantz.

I use separate and my CD player is the Marantz CD5001 Original SE in black. I have had it since March 2007 and it is an excellent CD Player. It also has CD text which is a nice bonus.

I have it connected to my Yamaha RX - V2600 AV reciver and use 5 KEF speakers.

But I never knew that Marantz used to be owned by Philips.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanO

Either way it was run independently of Philips even when owned by Philips rather than being a 'badge engineered' job.

It certainly wasn't 'very' independent - and while much of it probably wasn't just an existing Philips model rebadged, it was obviously designed/made by Philips when you looked inside.

Philips gear has always been totally different to all other makes (it's like they come from a different planet).

It bears no resemblance to the Sony/Aiwa situation, Sony were a major share holder in Aiwa for many years - but Aiwa was run totally separately, and weren't related to Sony models in any way. This, of course, changed totally when Sony took 100% control of Aiwa, and they are now a single company - although I've never seen any Aiwa gear at all since this happened. But Sony Assist covers both Sony and Aiwa models, and when you ring Sony the automated message says "welcome to Sony and Aiwa".

[Gary Brenton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanO

I'd avoid both. There are better options some of which are less expensive.

Take a look at Richer Sounds website, they've got the Demon Dm38 with Mission MX1 speakers for under £300. That will sound far better than anything with Sony's own speakers and save you a bit of cash.

I agree... the Denon system is a 'What Hi-FI' 5 star award winner and is far far better than anything from Sony.

Sony is vastly over-rated and their reliability is quite poor compared to other manufacturers...just going by past experience...

[Orbitalzone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

...............
Philips gear has always been totally different to all other makes (it's like they come from a different planet).

.............

yeah ain't that the truth! if they could make it out of nylon white breakable plastic, they'd do it and then some

I always thought the Charly deck VHS mechanism was their pinnacle of horribleness hehe

[2Bdecided]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmp

I've had two denons, one with the 3cd auto changer and now a 35dab. The multi changer had a fault with the changer and volume control and the dab although very rarely used has decided to loose audio, although it shows the cd or radio playing. I've been told it's the amp. Denon didn't want to know in either case so it's now and expensive door stop.
Wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.
Dave

Meanwhile my 1993 Denon mini system is still going strong. Still surprises me how good it sounds. No WiFi though

Cheers,
David.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orbitalzone

yeah ain't that the truth! if they could make it out of nylon white breakable plastic, they'd do it and then some

I always thought the Charly deck VHS mechanism was their pinnacle of horribleness hehe

To be fair, the Panasonic G-mech wasn't a great deal better

[Orbitalzone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

To be fair, the Panasonic G-mech wasn't a great deal better

ah but I could fix those really easily (after some practise) and could rebuild a Gdeck blindfolded.... nice little earners those were.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orbitalzone

ah but I could fix those really easily (after some practise) and could rebuild a Gdeck blindfolded.... nice little earners those were.

It always amazed me (on both those decks) how could someone design something so overly complicated that gave no advantage over other less complicated decks?.

I repaired a number of G-mechs over the years, but only one or two charly mechs, basically we wouldn't touch Philips.

[iangrad]

The electronics in Philips C wrap & G mechs ( Philips with a Pana deck ) were 100 % reliable even now I know of a fully working and in regular use 20 ish year old Vr323 . But both deck were fault prone but the C wrap decks were so easy to sort out and a small kit of consumable would keep most machines working for ever . Odd designs though . Philips stated that there replacement for the C wrap which was called turbo drive and which went in things like VR747 would be the last design VHS deck and so it proved

[Orbitalzone]

Yes those designers certainly could make a lot of plastic cogs and levers do some wonderful things that previously could only be done with metal cogs and levers