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  • Hi-Fi Advice
  • jlc
    Free Member

    I wonder if you can help, I recently got burgled and my cyrus dad1 cd player and SL amp were stolen along with my monitor audio speakers. I originally had bought these back in 1998. The insurance money has come through and I am looking for a replacement hifi. Things have obviously moved on alot since 1998 (ipods weren't around) and I am wondering what my options are. I probably don't listen to CDs as much anymore and looking for something more convenient. Ideally I would still like to have decent quality sound but probably not as high standard as before if I can get a more convenient system. Would ideally like a system I can use spotify on and either an ipod or use my laptop to play music through.
    One options is a docking station but because the speakers are always together I wonder if you can get decent stereo sound? There is the naim uniti but that is £2k with out speakers and I didn't want to pay so much. Any help or advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

    zokes
    Free Member

    Ideally I would still like to have decent quality sound but probably not as high standard as before if I can get a more convenient system.

    Stay away from MP3s then, in ANY form. Rubbish in = rubbish out – no matter what amp and speakers you use, if your source is rubbish, your sound will always be, no matter what amp / speakers you use.

    If you do want to use MP3s though, a simple 3.5mm jack –> twin phono is your docking station for most amps 😉

    bobbyspangles
    Full Member

    second that twin phono bisnezz. good leads would maximise the quality

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    GJP
    Free Member

    Naim are supposedly launching a UnitiQute on 7th January. There is very little information about it yet on-line.

    Initial descriptions say it is pretty much like the Uniti but without the CD and therefore you would hope it cost somewhat less.

    May be worth a look?

    Spongebob
    Free Member

    It's true, that in a high end system, MP3 does take something away from the experience. Notably a lot of high end detail and spatial effect. To mitigate this loss, for streaming, I use a high MP3 bit rate of 320kbps. I chose this over FLAC or Ogg Vorbis because support for these more highly acclaimed audio formats is limited (I hate having to rip my entire CD collection over and over!).

    Frankly, another big problem is getting a device with a decent enough audio stage and power supply. This probably has a bigger impact on the audio performance than compression issues.

    Forget iPod as a music source, they simply don't cut it. They are built to a price and are not engineered to supply an input to anything of quality. (no offence to all those who are delighted with theirs, but until you have a few grand's worth of proper hifi, you just won't hear the difference).

    Some sort of NAS/Streamer setup will give the best results, or a media PC of course. Squeezebox players are pretty good, but still are a bit flaky on their power supplies. Some firms offer high end component upgrades for these, but they cost a disproportianate amount and I haven't heard a modified one to know if it's worth the spend. The Squeezebox Transporter is their flagship high end streamer, but it costs over £1200. It does have a quality DAC and could be used as a preamp for other devices, accepting digital inputs.

    The Pocorn Hour C200 looks like an exciting option. I hope to add one of these to my network along with a device capable og capturing off air broadcasts.

    I expect at some point I shall embrace Windows 7 Media Player and build a sleek, silent HTPC (Home Theatre PC). Taking this route, one can tailor the quality of components. The choice of options and quality is considerable. I've avoided this route to date because I hoped to build a system out of dedicated A/V hardware (I find these tend to do what it says on the tin and the UI experience is effortless in comparison to a PC which has to remain pernamently booted to be of any real use).

    This whole subject is going through a pretty rapid evolution, so I started small and cheap. I'll take the plunge when the superior technology takes hold (but it definitely won't be anything offered by Apple Corporation).

    nu_groove
    Free Member

    For both convenience and quality you should look at the AVI ADM 9.1. There are loads of reviews online, both from the pro's and audio enthusiasts, so I won't bore you with too much detail.

    Importantly, the DAC and amps are built into the speaker cabinets, so no need for loads of separates or expensive cables. They have line-in and optical inputs, so ideal for taking all sorts of inputs from CD players, MP3 players, computers, media servers (squeezebox etc).

    A brand new, boxed pair was recently on ebay for £850, but generally they are around £1k new. To put this into perspective my last system consisted of NAD monoblocks, external DAC, AE1 speakers…about £4k's worth all told. It sounded precise, clean, natural and totally engaging. However, when auditioned side by side with the AVI's there was a staggering leap in quality – the same style of sound but so much better.

    Whatever you decide, enjoy the search, and have fun with your new system.

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