Box count

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the What HiFi community: the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products.

npxavar

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2022
329
113
570
Visit site
Did you mean KEF Wireless, because the Reference range starts at about £7,500 and isn’t ideal for the little Technics?
@jjbomber uses KEF Reference speakers and an Oppo BDP 105e in his setup. The little Technics would be a more complete package than the Oppo BDP 105e if only it had pre-out. Technically you could also replace the power amp with the Technics but it probably can't drive £7,500 speakers.
 

npxavar

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2022
329
113
570
Visit site
I suspect people who buy an ‘all in one’ box aren’t very likely to visit a Hifi forum. Nothing to ask, if you’re satisfied!
Nothing to celebrate/brag about either, if the sound reproduction is not stunning.

Marketing words like "stunning" have made me agree only in Hi-Fi separates purchases.
 

npxavar

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2022
329
113
570
Visit site
What got me interested into Hi-Fi was the Edifier 1280DBs. Self powered speakers with 5 inputs costing 100 euros for my cheap Samsung TV with horrible audio quality, because of the TOSLINK input. The jump in audio quality compared to a Philips mini system in my parents' house was unbelievable to my ears. But they were fatiguing for long listening, so I moved on to Edifier 1800TIII with "Pro-ject Audio DAC Box E", a 230 euro setup. Still fatiguing but not so much.

To make a long story short, my path to the current clutter of what I find as stunning of Motorola G7 Play -> iFi Zen Blue (with iPower) -> Atoll DAC100SE -> Cambridge Audio CX80 -> Dali Oberon 3 was one of separating and upgrading.

Now I mostly stream directly from my smartphone's audio out but I know what gives me the stunning experience.
 

matthewpianist

Well-known member
Personally I wouldn't go down the all-in-one route, by the same token I like to keep box count to minimum, by that not a hi-fi set-up that dominates a living room.

Wouldn't say no to half sized amps and CDPs, such as Cyrus, Leema Elements and suchlike.

The challenge I always think of is that if you have a turntable, half-width makes little difference. It might reduce the number of shelves required, but the system still occupies the same footprint overall.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Al ears
The challenge I always think of is that if you have a turntable, half-width makes little difference. It might reduce the number of shelves required, but the system still occupies the same footprint overall.
Concur - if not for a better word, half-width boxes is optical illusion, but that would suit Mrs. P, as she's always banged on about "no additional boxes" when upgrades are required.
 
  • Like
Reactions: matthewpianist

Witterings

Well-known member
Concur - if not for a better word, half-width boxes is optical illusion, but that would suit Mrs. P, as she's always banged on about "no additional boxes" when upgrades are required.

They all say that don't they!

When I spent more on a speaker upgrade recently and she wasn'y happy I calmly explained she didn't like the size / colour of the previous ones so was only thinking of her by buying something smaller and a better "colour match" for the room :ROFLMAO:
 
They all say that don't they!

When I spent more on a speaker upgrade recently and she wasn'y happy I calmly explained she didn't like the size / colour of the previous ones so was only thinking of her by buying something smaller and a better "colour match" for the room :ROFLMAO:
I'm Neville Chamberlain 😁 of hi-fi when it comes to Mrs. P and box count: Appeasment is the order of the day. Can't be doing with unnecessary agg. 😋
 
  • Like
Reactions: matthewpianist

Oxfordian

Well-known member
There are 5 boxes in my system, 6 if you include connecting my i-Pad for streaming Apple Music, rare but it does happen.

I don't envisage ever going to an all in one system for my main music system as I like the ability to upgrade parts of the system as I want/need to, I am unsure that I can do that if I have an all in one system.

However, I do have a Ruark R4 Mk3 CD/Tuner in the family room which is on for most of the day and sounds pretty good and can accept connections via USB and Bluetooth that's the closest I will probably ever get to a one box system at the moment.
 

DIB

Well-known member
May 21, 2009
166
36
18,620
Visit site
I used to have all the usual boxes , 8 was the most I had at any one time, seperate hifi rack, plus speakers.

The only thing remaining for the last couple of years are the speakers, with the addition of a Cyrus Lyric all-in-one. I love it, and I'm as satisfied as I ever have been with any system I've owned. The Lyric at the prices they go for 2nd hand these days are worth it for the amplifier alone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Al ears

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts