Entertainment For Lively Minds
Expensive Hi-Fi. Help Wanted
Posted by Handsome.P.Wonderful on 15 June 2009 - 11:05am.
This week's podcast was well-timed. We are in the process of redecorating our lounge. In clearing out the room, it occurred to me that the expensive hi-fi system that sits in the corner hasn't been switched on in months. I have therefore decided to replace it with somthing that is more appropriate to my current listening methods.
I would welcome any suggestions from the Word Massive on my options:
Most of my music collection is stored digitally
I listen to music mainly at my PC, on iPod or in the car (on iPod or CD)
I would like to be able to listen to digital tracks in the lounge on decent speakers
I would also like to be able to listen to my vinyl and CDs occasionally
Any ideas?
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Why not keep the 'proper' hi-fi
and connect the PC/iPod to it? Gives you the best of both worlds.
Sonos looks good.
Keep the hifi gubbings (amp and speakers) and get some powered speakers for other areas. Appears to be the best reviewed of the wireless devices and seems to be simple and bug free. Not cheap but not ridiculously expensive either.
http://www.richersounds.com/information/sonosPage
That looks like a strong possibility
As you say, it's not particularly cheap, but it's certainly a reasonably 'elegant' solution.
keep the hi fi or aktimate speakers
dont succumb to MP3 hegemony
as stimpy says-keep he hi fi -buy a lead which has rca plugs on one end and a headphones plug at the other and plug the RCA leads into the aux function ,tuner or anything other than the phono input and bingo - ipod or computer through the hi fi
if you really want to downsize suggest aktimate speakers. English active speakers i.e. no separate amp required . the ipod sits on top into a dock and has remote . Also has plugs for cd players etc -not sure about phono - you'd need to ask.
won a lot of awards cost 450 aussie whatever that is in your part of the world
Just heard the Aktimates that Tony is describing
today-with own iPod and Apple lossless. Rather impressed-on looking them up see the Creek/Epos heritage and not so surprised.
Reason I am posting is because of a newer version which merges in Squeezebox-like capabilities
http://audioaffair.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=3366
have separates connect
have separates connect something like this:
http://www.russandrews.com/product.asp?lookup=1®ion=IE¤cy=EUR&p...
to the AUX stage at the back and hook the other end up your PC or iPod. Sweet, sweet music should emanate thereafter. I had a similar situation in that my main separates system, expensively enough assembled, sits in a living room far enough away in the house from the kitchen lounge and languished barely used until I hooked one of the above interconnects up to it and boosted the playability of the iPhone on both separates systems in the house. A hundred € well spent. A similar interconnect solution is bound to be usable with a more integrated, all-in-one-box system if that's what you have...it's a phono lead into an aux/line out connection on the front of your hifi. Trust me, this works very well, without the need for major outlay on system replacement.
Arcam Solo
is an integrated amp / tuner / cd player from Arcam in a range of prices. It would probably drive your speakers and is a very decent one-box solution to the eternal conundrum that is balancing visual concerns about neatness and no clutter with sonic concerns about good quality sound. http://www.arcam.co.uk/
AirPort Express
Just get yourself an Apple airport express, connect it to your current amp - via analogue or if it has optical even better - and you can stream your MP3's from iTunes. Dead easy to set up and sounds pretty good to these ears. If you have an iPhone, you can even control it via a free "remote" application from App
Chrisf can you enlighten me?
If I were to use an Apple Airport Express through my amp (Harman Kardon) using the optical connect are you saying that my music would stream from itunes on my pc upstairs without further cables or wires? Is the sound good enough? I`m no hi-fi buff but would want a half decent sound.
Not sure if Airport Express works with Microsoft machines
Yeah it does.
It took a bit of work (I had to physically connect to my wireless router using an ethernet cable to get the network to recognise it initially - and the supplied instructions are very vague about this) but I can now stream happily from my PC to my hi-fi and use my iPhone as a remote to control it all.
It's very, very clever. I showed it to the GLW when I had it sorted and she said 'that's nice dear' and went and did something else.
That's GLWs for you.
I had also looked at Airport Express, but had assumed it was a Mac only device. I'll investigate further now I know it can connect to PCs.
Airport Express
The airport express comes with a 3.5mm mini-jack socket that doubles up as both the analog and the optical output. There is a "stereo connection kit" from Apple that comes with a Monster Cable mini-jack to standard SPDIF optical (there are probably third party ones also but general opinion is the Apple one is actually good value for money). Basically you plug in the airport express near your amp, set up on your network (comes with Airport software to detect it) and connect the optical cable. Once setup your itunes will see the airport express as a speaker - at the bottom right of itunes there is a selection - computer, airtunes or even both. Select airtunes and your music will stream to the amp.....
As to the sound quality - remember that its MP3 you are streaming so it will not be high end audiophile, but as its a pure digital connection - basically what goes in comes out. I refer you to the following that was in stereophile magazine (which I don't pretend to fully understand but basically says its pretty good).
http://www.stereophile.com/accessoryreviews/505apple/
Also this from Apple for a background tutorial on setting up streaming music...
http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#tutorial=wirelessmusic
Thanks Chris
That's very helpful.
How about a Squeezebox?
I've been using a Slimdevices' Squeezeboxes for quite a few years in my house and am very happy with them.
If you have Wi-Fi or a LAN they allow you to have all your music on your PC and then plug a Squeezebox into each Hi-Fi. Now you have access to all your digital collection plus anything else on the internet; podcasts, iplayer, Rapsody, internet radio, Spotify, anything you listen to on your PC can go though to your PC....
Sync all your players to play the same thing or play different stuff, and if you have an itouch there's a brilliant remote control app.
http://www.slimdevices.com/
Much cheaper than the Sonos and much more flexible than the AirPort Express.
Sonos
Does have a couple of advantages in that its wireless technology is Mesh based so is less prone to interference and each unit increases the range rather than relying on the wireless router.
The set up is supposed to be very simple as well and less 'techie'. For £800 you can have a 2 room set up (not including the room your PC is in) which includes a amped device and a non amp device. A little more than a Squeezebox but not much I would say. Both worth looking at I'd say.
Both systems have pluses and minuses
The Squeezebox is a bit more geeky but I like the fact it is totally open source and doesn't rely on a proprietary wireless set-up. You can control it with any device that has a browser and 802.11b Wi-Fi.
It also has a large community of people developing add-ons and apps that do all sorts of good stuff.
A two room set-up with a Classic and a Duet, using your existing Hi-Fi, would cost around £500. But you can get started very cheaply, I got one of mine for £80 second-hand on ebay that's all you need to get going.
Duet....
...is a little less forgiving than the Duet. Ensuring you have a good wireless signal is the key. Or run Ethernet to it. If you have the money, consider the Transporter, which is the Audiophreak version.
I have an assortment of Squeezeboxii, and probably use the Boom (the portable version) the most.
Thanks Paul
I like the look of the Sonos, but I will investigate the Squeezebox.
The Zeppelin
My mates got the B&W Zeppelin in his lounge and reckons its the best thing since...well, you know.
You're an erudite bunch
so can you tell me, what was the big bloody deal about bread not being sliced?
I've often wondered, that's all.
It's probably a toaster thing
Sounds reasonable
but that presupposes that the toaster predates the invention of the knife. Did cavemen really have electricity much earlier than we thought? Is this a government conspiracy? We should be told!
Dear Mr Wonderful
There is only one solution to your needs....
These:
https: http://www.ecodigital.co.uk/estore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPat...
coupled with this:
http://www.ecodigital.co.uk/estore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPat...
I have the A2s (the babies) and they are superb.
Customer reviews
Here:
http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/Speakers.16/Audioengine.311/AUD...
http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/Gadgets.4/Audioengine.311/AUDIO...
Thanks billyous
I'll investigate these a bit further.
Wadia Dock?
If your present hi-fi does the biz, why not add a Wadia iPod Dock? Bypasses all the iPod gubbins and presents a very clean digital signal from its output - if your present hi-fi has a DAC input going spare, this arrangement gives the best sound. It also has analogue outputs for running into the amp, but the sound suffers a bit by comparison.
This is assuming that you don't want to go the full "wireless house" route, in which case I'd suggest a look at the Linn website.
DAC & Active Speakers
I’ll keep it brief before I get barred for plugging, but you might want to consider using a Digital Audio Converter hooked up to a pair of Active speakers. We have a couple of options but there are plenty more out there and all being you have an optical or coaxial connection on your soundcard you can play your converted files through the DAC, as well as your CD & turntable.
I’m still a bit of an amateur and do more of the admin (& general refreshments) but could get someone to give you some impartial advice: http://www.iglooaudio.co.uk/ (oh, and we do the Wadia Dock)