WDB
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Post by WDB on Jan 1, 2020 18:05:30 GMT
Aha, I’m with both of you on the merits of small speakers. The single factor that contributes most to the ‘best seat in the house’ feeling is imaging, and that’s simply harder to do with big boxes and multiple cones. (I grew up with Quad Electrostatics, which take the point-source idea to somewhere near its logical conclusion — albeit at the expense of volume and bass.)
I remember, more than 20 years ago, being impressed enough by a pair of £800 floor-standers to take them home for the weekend. Full of excitement, I plugged them in and became rapidly disillusioned with the sensation of being thumped in the chest; quantity without subtlety. I took them back and listened instead to the stand-mounters from the next line up. Wow! But half as much again — plus £200 for the stands.
So I bought the stands, which vastly improved my old, £140 speakers. Then went back six months later for the good speakers. I still have them, and the amplifier that went away last week is the one I bought when I could afford it to bring out the best in them. I’ve been thoroughly delighted with the combination ever since, at least until some of the preamp components began to wear out. I’m hoping all will be back to its best in a few more days.
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Post by EspadaIII on Jan 2, 2020 9:47:01 GMT
34 years ago I bought a new system of Mission amp, Mission speakers and a Philips CD150 Cd player. The speakers were eventually upgraded a few years later to Allisons from the USA, which blew me away when I tried them in the hi-fi shop compared to several other makes. Simply clearer without being too bright or too bassy. For classical music they were excellent, especially in the days of music performed on 'period instruments'.
I am rediscovering my music after several years of no system at home. It is lovely...
But I remember the reason why I bought a CD player in the first place. A future brother-in-law came home one lunchtime when I was visiting his sister. He had bought the first 'budget CD player' - the Philips CD150. It was £200 when before that every other player was £500+. This would have been about 1985? That afternoon I open a brand new boxed set of Beethoven Piano Concertos on vinyl. The first disc I put on was Concerto #3 and after two minutes it jumped, and jumped and jumped. Not impressed, I went back to the record shop, got a refund went to the shop where future B-i-L had bought his CD player, bought a CD150 and went to the library to borrow some CDs! Plugged it all in and was converted to CD music. Never put another record after that day until last week.
Is vinyl better. Maybe but only with super high quality equipment and a quiet environment.
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Post by EspadaIII on Jan 2, 2020 9:47:15 GMT
Anyway Happy New Year to you all....
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Post by Humph on Jan 2, 2020 10:00:12 GMT
And to you and yours !
It's all going to be wonderful I'm told...
So that's good.
😉
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Alanović
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Post by Alanović on Jan 2, 2020 10:06:55 GMT
We all just have to believe harder. It was our best option.
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Avant
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Post by Avant on Jan 2, 2020 14:59:08 GMT
All this talk of hi-fi systems brings it home to me that when answering car-related questions on the HJ forum, we do need to be patient and helpful with the likes of Arthur Punter who has £2,000 to spend and asks about buying a diesel BMW for reliability and economy.
I'm like that with hi-fi. In the posts above I've seen Rogers (Ginger?) Dali (very surreal sound I suppose), Mission (what churches and synagogues should be doing) and then Sugden and Marantz, which sounds like an old law case (solid old Sugden suing the interloper Marantz for infringement of patent).
So as you can see I haven't got a clue. When I listen to music it's normally in the car (perfectly adequate Audi system but low-fi by the standards of the cognoscenti). It would be quite nice to have something to play music on here in my office at home - but it needs to be compact, to go perhaps on top of a bookcase. In the old days Panasonic was the brand to go for - is it still?
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Post by EspadaIII on Jan 2, 2020 15:58:35 GMT
If you really like good quality music sound but have limited space and don't "need" stereo you could do a lot worse than buy an integrated speaker/amplifier like a Fostex studio monitor and plug in your [select music source of your choice; phone, iPad, MP3 player, Discman]. Fostex monitor speaker That's what we have set up for my daughter who has limited shelf space. You could also go to Richer Sounds and look for a compact radio/CD based system (some come with speakers but you could replace those with 'bookshelf' speakers like the Dali's noted above). Richer Sounds mini hi-fi
As we should remember on HJ - there are no stupid questions only stupid answers, so ask away. The problem is trying to avoid confusing you - which I may already have done!
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Post by tyrednexited on Jan 2, 2020 16:14:37 GMT
It's difficult to recommend anything without a more comprehensive spec, particularly around the sources you wish to listen to and budget. (The "office" designation rather defines something reasonably compact and unobtrusive).
Just looking at the Richer Sounds options, then a mini-hifi from either Denon or Marantz would possibly fit the bill.
The Marantz CR612 at £459 is very comprehensive in terms of its sources playing capabilities, including a good choice of streaming options (if you have network/WiFi access). If you need less comprehensive needs, then there are decent, cheaper options.
As for speakers, even an entry-level small speaker, such as the Mordant Short M10 (£59) would probably be quite adequate and unobtrusive.
(My daughter has the previous, very similar Marantz model and it is matched by an even smaller set of older MS speakers. It sounds perfectly good for everyday use.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jan 2, 2020 17:05:16 GMT
Simple: buy the biggest Ruark Audio R-series unit that will fit your space and/or budget. I’ve had the excellent R1 Mk3 in the kitchen for a couple of years, and the other week picked up an old but very serviceable R2i (actually so old it’s still badged Vita) from a Facebook classified for a mere £60. That is in my home office and it’s great. Ruark made its reputation in speakers and the Rs show it.
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Post by Humph on Jan 2, 2020 17:09:44 GMT
My sister in law got her parents ( my in-laws ) an Alexa for Christmas. He's 84 and she's 80. Now I know it's mean spirited to laugh, but they both have fairly full on regional accents and are both pretty deaf. Hours of fun were had trying to teach them how to use it...
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Post by EspadaIII on Jan 2, 2020 22:28:42 GMT
We got Hive installed in the new house and it came with a free Alexa Echo Dot. Espadrille has commandeered it. I have to say it makes a decent sound and far better than the Pure Digital radio we have used up till now.
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Post by Hofmeister on Jan 3, 2020 8:46:40 GMT
We got Hive installed in the new house and it came with a free Alexa Echo Dot. Espadrille has commandeered it. I have to say it makes a decent sound and far better than the Pure Digital radio we have used up till now. If you think the .dot makes a good noise you should try out the Echo Plus. Its sound is better than my Bose sound link, and has more or less become the primary source of audip entertainment in our house.
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Alanović
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Post by Alanović on Jan 3, 2020 9:06:16 GMT
There's Amazon Alexa software on our new telly, but I still can't think of a use for it.
BTW, TV was purchased at Richer Sounds. Brilliant advice and service in there. And the same price as all other inferior retailers, including John Lewis.
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Avant
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Post by Avant on Jan 5, 2020 18:56:34 GMT
Thank you so much for all the suggestions re mini-hifi. I need to go to Reading this week for something else, so will visit the Richer Sounds branch there. They have a good reputation for being helpful.
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Alanović
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Post by Alanović on Jan 6, 2020 8:43:46 GMT
Yep, that's where I got my TV. Very helpful and knowledgeable, no hard sell.
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