Help Please - New HiFI required but struggling with new technology!

[admin_exported]

Hi,

I wonder if you can help me. I recently had my 1998 Cyrus Dad1, Cyrus Sl Amp and Monitor Audio Monitor 3 system stolen. I am now looking at replacing this. Things have certainly moved on from 1998 when ipods, streaming etc were not around. I am looking for a system that it is a little more convenient than the old system. Ideally I would like to be able to use spotify on the system, also use the music either stored on my laptop or through an ipod. I have about £2300 to spend, but if it comes in cheaper that would be great. I enjoyed the old system but find now I do not have the time to listen to cds a lot so probably wanting more convenience rather than top end quality, but dont want anything too rubbish.

Initial thoughts was to maybe go for something like the B&W Zepellin and use an apple airport express and airfoil to stream music from my laptop or use the nano i have already, and just spend the budget on cds and other things. Or would i be better getting an amp, and speakers etc. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

AVI 9.1 with their subwoofer may be one to have a close look at ... have not heard this setup (yet), but many who have say it is good

 

[Anonymous]

you might be better off looking at active speakers like the quad range which have an amp already built in and connect the airport express to that or connect the ae to an external dac which connects to the speakers

 

[Anonymous]

Im lost already, what are active speakers and what are the avi9.1s?

 

[Anonymous]

the avi 9.1 are another brand of active speakers like the quads

dynaudio also make active speakers too and apparently whf are going to do a comparison test of active speakers soon so you can read all about them

 

[Sean Mc]

Can I add my similar-type query to this thread?

Used to have an Audiolab 8000a with B&W DM110s (some time ago). After years of college and children, I'm reduced to an Ipod and a Sony STR DB930/ Tannoy 5.1 package. Ho hum.

My query is this: Buy an amp with an MP3 jack in the fascia (and record CDs in Lossless)? If so, which amp is best sub-£500. And is it worth buying a £500-1000 amp for this purpose (are there any?)

Or do I have to buy an amp/CD player and get my CDs out of the loft?

Alternatively, would it be a good idea to buy e.g. the B&W 685 5.1 system, and get a new AV amp which can do both Blu Ray and music? Would this do the music justice (man!) If so, what AV amp would give me good musical reproduction using my Ipod?

Can you tell I'm uncertain what to do!?

 

[Anonymous]

You could consider a Meridian F80 if you want to move the system around, it also accepts airport and now comes with a dock. Arcam Solo also a good bet. The active speaker route is also a very good option. Best thing to do is draw up a list and get out and do some listening.

The most important thing is to enjoy the process. It should be fun.

 

[idc]

I agree with Dulwich. Decide first if you want an all-in-one setup like the Meridian F80 or speaker dock such as the Zeppelin, or if the full stereo sound of speakers such as the AVIs would be better for your listening room.

 

[Anonymous]

Get an iPod Touch and use its built in WIFI instead of using an airport express. You can get the cheapest Touch, you don't need lots of memory because you can either stream music to it from your Mac or PC or use the Touch to get music straight from the internet using your WIFI. You can then use the iPod Touch to use Spotify, Simplify Music (incredible) or zillions of Internet Radio stations (get the NPR app and listen to some great USA stations) or the other amazing Touch apps for streaming music to the touch. You can even install Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil on it and stream to it using Airfoil on your computer.

Then you can either use the headphone out jack on the Touch or even better an LOD (line out dock, google this) to connect the Touch to any stereo. If you do this with something like the Meridian F80 which comes with its own LOD you'll have an excellent truly high end transportable system which is only a wee bit short on soundstaging but otherwise incredible for the size.

Even better since you'll still have money left over in your budget, get a high quality portable headphone amp for a few hundred quid and some very good headphones and attach the Touch and now you can walk around your flat listening to high quality music, sit out in the yard, go out to your fave coffee place etc or blast your music in the middle of the night and have all this incredible music available to you. I use an iQube portable headphone amp with some sennheiser HD 600 phones with an ipod touch. Gread stuff. There's hundreds of different portable headphone amps (use google).

F80+Touch+iQube+HD 600's and a few streaming apps from the app store and you're under budget and have a hugely flexible way to enjoy your music.

 

[Anonymous]

I've just bought the Avi 9.1's and I think I will buy the Onkyo ND-S1 dock for my classic ipod. The speakers sound great to me and my wife.

 

[the record spot]

Active speakers - speakers which come with an amplifier built in so not requiring a separate amp to be purchased. You can then plug in a source directly to the amp. See AVI, Acoustic Energy and Meridian for fine examples (ranging from £800 for the Acoustic Energy AE22, £1500 for the AVI 9.1 and a damn sight more for the Meridian gear!).