Best sound from mp3 player

[admin_exported]

Hi there

I'm going to replace my hi fi with an mp3 player, and I was wondering whetehr anyone had any suggestions as to what active speakers would be the best to play the mp3 player through? My budget is >500 - I figure it's worth shelling out quite a bit considering the amount of use i'll get from them... I had a look at bang and olufsen, and obviously they look amazing, but seema little too pricey...

Thanks

tom

 

[John Duncan]

They are too pricey. The default recommendation here is the AVI ADM9.1s at a grand (though Sevenoaks next door has an ex-dem white pair for 900

). However, the AVIs kind of depend on a digital signal to work optimally, which you can't get out of an iPod without buying a Wadia iTransport for 350 quid - any other iPod dock will be going through the iPod's analogue stage.

Have you considered getting a media client like a Squeezebox instead of an mp3 player? Same sort of price as a 160gig classic, more flexible - you could then add any number of active speakers (Audioengine, AVI, PMC, Tannoy). This does presume of course that you have a PC and a wireless network.

If you're determined to go down the player route, look at things like the Audioengine A5s (well under budget, dock included), or a good dock (Onkyo, Arcam, Denon) plus one of the above active brands.

 

[Anonymous]

cool, thanks a lot for this. the audioengine a5's look a decent bet. what do you make of the BOSE Companion 5? I heard a demo yesterday and they sounded topnotch...although i can't compare to the a5's (having never heard them...)

thanks again

tom

 

[matthewpiano]

If you like getting less performance for your money but enjoy having a fashionable brand name, buy Bose. Otherwise there is nearly always a better option available for the same money.

The Squeezebox is excellent and I second JD's suggestion. Much better source than an ipod.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for this

i don't think the squeezebox is for me, unfortunately - i'm going to buy a new mp3 player (80gb zune?) for travel as well as for my room, so an squeezebox seems extra expense. bearing this in mind, do you think that the a5's are the better option that you speak of?

the companion 5 really did sound great, btw....and they're quite small too

cheers

 

[John Duncan]

hondatom:
thanks for this

i don't think the squeezebox is for me, unfortunately - i'm going to buy a new mp3 player (80gb zune?) for travel as well as for my room, so an squeezebox seems extra expense. bearing this in mind, do you think that the a5's are the better option that you speak of?

the companion 5 really did sound great, btw....and they're quite small too

cheers

Points noted about the squeezebox etc, but I think you'll be limiting yourself severely with a Zune - the iPod might be more expensive, but it (subjectivelY) sounds best and it's the only one the vast majority of docks will work with.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

I'd agree with that. I have a Classic 160, and the sound quality from the dock port really suprised me (and that's a positive not negative).

Also, I've managed to get docks for home and car with total ease.

One small point. With the ipod, make sure you budget for some decent headphones (I use Sennheiser CX-300s) as the apple ones are shocking...

 

[Anonymous]

I think there may be confusings here.

By MP3 player do yous means you like a portable digital music player?

By MP3 can sound fine, then bestest sound will be from lossless files - WAV, etc

So does you literally physically want a player that can be portables?

Or does you like a music player maybe like computer, notebook, sonos, etc?

San.

 

[Trefor Patten]

Easy, buy an ipod Touch for convenience and connect it to a pair of Eclipse PA 307 IIs. A little over your budget but quality sound from the Eclipse speaker/amp combination. Otherwise consider Fatman ÿtube products, but forget about the Zune. It is a P in The A to use. The only players which come close to the ubiquitous iPod family are those from Sony. Do not be tempted to use the standard settings if you want to listen to MUSIC rather than sound, however, go for Apple Lossless files, WAV or AAC at a minimum of 256.

 

[Anonymous]

The best sound from an mp3 player is when you crack it with a huge lump of wood and it shatters on the floor.

 

[Anonymous]

hondatom wrote the following post at Tue, Jul 08 2008 11:42 AM:

Hi there

I'm going to replace my hi fi with an mp3 player, and I was wondering whetehr anyone had any suggestions as to what active speakers would be the best to play the mp3 player through? My budget is >500 - I figure it's worth shelling out quite a bit considering the amount of use i'll get from them... I had a look at bang and olufsen, and obviously they look amazing, but seema little too pricey...

You could go that route with a nice dock plus active speakers or amp plus passive speakers. Audioengine do some nice active ones within our budget.
Personally, I would go for fat boy itube with speakers of choice.