Digital Active speakers with Olive 6hd Server

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I am thinking of selling my Linn System because it is 15 years old and going totaly modern into the HD/FLAC Digital world and at the same time going for active speakers.

This is the combination I am thinking of:

The Olive 6HD priced at £4,500 , this is the latest version from Olive with a very high spek to its psu and digital design and its playback formats with 2TB of storage plus being able to play cds and having a digital output and input connections.

http://www.olive.us/products/music_servers/olive6hd/overview.html

Combining this with Adm 9t Active Speakers, priced at £1,125 these speaker have a built in dac and power amps one to drive the tweater with 75w and one to drive the bass with 250w they also have 2 digital inputs plus remote control for adjusting volums

http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html

This system would cost in total £5,625.00

Now I have never lived with a hardrive flac format system and niether have I owned active speakers, So I am asking other people what they think are the pros and cons to a system like this and if they was going to buy a complete new system and have, lets say £6000 to spend what would your choose and why.

Any feedback would be most helpfull
 

Messiah

Well-known member
The ADMs are excellent. I recommend these!

Personally I would be looking at the matching sub. Again many do not require it but I personally prefer standmounts with subs.

As for £4500 for the Olive. That is a massive amount and there are much cheaper options available such as a MAC Mini.

I would certainly do a bit more research before shelling out for the Olive.
 

Ajani

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darrell 1966:
I am thinking of selling my Linn System because it is 15 years old and going totaly modern into the HD/FLAC Digital world and at the same time going for active speakers.

This is the combination I am thinking of:

The Olive 6HD priced at £4,500 , this is the latest version from Olive with a very high spek to its psu and digital design and its playback formats with 2TB of storage plus being able to play cds and having a digital output and input connections.

http://www.olive.us/products/music_servers/olive6hd/overview.html

Combining this with Adm 9t Active Speakers, priced at £1,125 these speaker have a built in dac and power amps one to drive the tweater with 75w and one to drive the bass with 250w they also have 2 digital inputs plus remote control for adjusting volums

http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html

This system would cost in total £5,625.00

Now I have never lived with a hardrive flac format system and niether have I owned active speakers, So I am asking other people what they think are the pros and cons to a system like this and if they was going to buy a complete new system and have, lets say £6000 to spend what would your choose and why.

Any feedback would be most helpfull

NO... That's my answer for that combo...

Not because they aren't probably both excellent units, but because you are buying an Olive 6HD which is meant to output a real high end analog signal (you are paying a premium for the internal DAC and analog output). So just using the digital out of the Olive into the AVI's is a real waste of money... You might as well buy a much cheaper music server to use as a digital transport...
 
A

Anonymous

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Ajani, Its funny because I was thinking that when I got into bed last night, plus I would also be purchasing 2 Dacs, one in the Olive and one in the speakers.

So Looks Like I will have to have a rethink, How does one go about going digitaly active being able to play flac files and cds.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
AVI 9.1T
Apple Airport Express into one digital input.
Blue ray player, or similar transport, into other digital input.

Use a computer such as a MacBook or PC to stream to the Airport. Store the music either on the computer or a Network Attached Storage device.

In terms of software, there's many options including Foobar2000.
 

SteveR750

Well-known member
Am I right in understanding that you can drive the AVIs directly froma PC with a digital signal?

The only drawback is how to then connect an analogue cassette deckand satellite box....if that is at all important
 
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Anonymous

Guest
The AVIs have an analogue input.

You need an SPDIF out on the PC if you wish to directly connect it. I think Apples have this as standard (not 100% sure). Thus, the AEX comes into play as it uses WiFi (a component that I forgot to mention).
 

AlmaataKZ

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6 grand is a very good budget. Why don't you widen your consideration a bit. So, active speakers, hi-rez digital players...

for active speakers (within your budget) there are:

- AVI ADM 9
- several options from Adam audio (Pencil, Column, Tensor range) http://www.adam-audio.com/en/home-audio/products
- AVI planning to release ADM40 active floostanders (if waiting is an option for you)
- active ATC SCM 20
- a few small active pro monitors

Larger ATC actives and active configurations from Linn and PMC are more expensive. Also, does the active speaker has to have a dac built-in for you? if not, then the choice of dacs/streamers is much wider.

With regard to sources/dacs I think it is definately worth widening your search. Nothing agianst Olive 6, it is very interesting ( how its screen is supposed to be seen/used? it has a very strange angle) but there is so many streamers now including from Linn (that you currently have), Olive, MF coming soon, Naim, Squeezebox, Sonos, Peachtree, MacMini, etc etc.

With your budget you can really put together a nice one. But I think you need to widen your search.
 

manicm

Well-known member
From what I've read on the Olive website, the raison d'tere for the flagship 6HD is its top audio quality due to its built-in DAC and other internals.

So they're implicitly saying is that you should not need an external DAC even though it allows for one.

After all 4500k is a heck of a lot of money which would bag you the brand new Linn Akurate DS - add your own storage of-course.

If you need to add your own DAC then buy the cheaper 4HD.

But, although having heard neither, if I had 4.5k I'd blow it on the Akurate, assuming I had amplification and speakers to match of-course.

In fact, your existing Linn amplification might still be good enough - what I would suggest is before making any decision, head over to the Linn forums - owners and engineers are very helpful.

Like I said 4.5k is a nice sum to have and affords you choice. Explore your options.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Thanks guys once agian you have been very helpfull, I was hoping to reduce the size of my hifi as the wife and me want to change the front reception room in our house, which will leave less space for my hifi units and cd / vinly collection hense the reason for storing onto a harddrive.

So I don;t know which way to turn to reduce the size of the my set up, and keep a decent sound quality, may be I can look at a one box solution, and keep my BW speakers to hook up to but the BW's need something good to drive them, thats want made me think about going active with the speakers.

Ive have got time so I will have to get this some more thought and research but thanks for the start guys....
emotion-1.gif
 
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Anonymous

Guest
The Avi Adm 9.1 are a very good choice either with or without there sub depending on your room then a laptop or Mac and an Aex or apple Tv this is a very neat and tidy solution, and if you want to use the turntable you can via the phono connection.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
This is an interesting thread - I'm in exactly the same situation - need to upgrade from CD player (Meridian). I'm also considering the Olive 6 or Linn Akurate. One issue with the Akurate: you need to hard-wire a NAS and therefore you either need to run a long cable or buy a very quiet (= expensive) NAS. And, you need a control device of some sort.

My take is this:

Olive: Excellent single box solution, living room friendly, fairly audiophile

Linn: Audiophile (almost certainly better than the Olive but need to listen) but requires more money and slightly awkward set up.

Make your own choice...
 

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