Help Required Regarding Stereo System

[MRMACPHISTO]

Hi there,

i was wondering if anyone could help me as I am a little behind the times regarding the digital world!!

My issue is i have music on both CD and digital downloads on an itunes account.

I need to know what people use, that will allow for me to play my music to a decent standard. I just want to be able to walk into the room and be able to play some music either my digital purchases or CD's.

I would be looking at spending around £1,000, so obviously it is not going to be a top of the range package!!

Thanks for any help that may be given.

My main concern is easy access to the Itunes account.

Also, for back up purposes, would it be a good idea to purchase an external hard drive to keep a copy of my itunes account should anything go wrong?

 

[letsavit2]

http://www.richersounds.com/package/system-savers/hi-fi-system-deals/pah011017

This with apple airport express?

 

[davedotco]

Easy peasey.

Rip your CDs to iTunes so everything is in the same place.

Use either a decent cheap usb dac or an AEX depending on your computer and how you want to control your music.

Buy a decent amp speaker combo that gives you the sound that you want, do try a few different things.

My personal choice would be something active, like these.....

http://www.studiospares.com/studio-monitors/mackie-hr624-mkii-pair-2pt/invt/260860

http://www.thomann.de/gb/adam_artist_6_hochglanz_schwarz.htm

Of course I might wait a month or two and get a pair of AVI DM5....... :silenced:

 

[adamrobertshaw]

I would just look for a digital integrated amplifier such as those made by TEAC, such as the AI-501DA

Burn all your CD into I-tunes in ALAC format. Don't bother with a CD player again.

If your music is on computer connect it via USB to the amplifier, that's assuming you can get the computer next to the amp.

 

[MRMACPHISTO]

Thanks very much for your responses. You have all been a great help.

 

[matthewpiano]

Given your requirements I would suggest active speakers. At more affordable prices the Yamaha ones I've heard have been very good indeed, but with your budget I'd also be inclined to check out the AVI DM5 and ADM9.1RS - the first under budget and the second a bit over, though the DM5s with a DAC (which the 9.1s have built in) would come in around your budget in the end. I haven't heard the AVIs yet, but they would seem a good possible solution to your needs.

If you want to stick with a more traditional approach I'd advise going for something like the Yamaha A-S500 for the amp (well made and plenty of power) and pairing it with some good speakers around the £500-£600 mark and spending the rest on a DAC.

 

[Overdose]

Hi there,

i was wondering if anyone could help me as I am a little behind the times regarding the digital world!!

My issue is i have music on both CD and digital downloads on an itunes account.

I need to know what people use, that will allow for me to play my music to a decent standard. I just want to be able to walk into the room and be able to play some music either my digital purchases or CD's.

I would be looking at spending around £1,000, so obviously it is not going to be a top of the range package!!

Thanks for any help that may be given.

My main concern is easy access to the Itunes account.

Also, for back up purposes, would it be a good idea to purchase an external hard drive to keep a copy of my itunes account should anything go wrong?

A backup drive is a very good idea if you rip your music CDs, as to what equipment to get, that depends on what you already have.

Another consideration is if you would be happy to look at the used market.

 

[skippy]

Easy peasey.

Rip your CDs to iTunes so everything is in the same place.

Use either a decent cheap usb dac or an AEX depending on your computer and how you want to control your music.

Buy a decent amp speaker combo that gives you the sound that you want, do try a few different things.

My personal choice would be something active, like these.....

http://www.studiospares.com/studio-monitors/mackie-hr624-mkii-pair-2pt/invt/260860

http://www.thomann.de/gb/adam_artist_6_hochglanz_schwarz.htm

Of course I might wait a month or two and get a pair of AVI DM5....... :silenced:

Dave,

Regarding the Mackie's, have you heard the 824's?

I've been looking at a pair of these, but the reviews seem to point to the 624's being better due to their midrange handling... Any thoughts?

 

[davedotco]

Easy peasey.

Rip your CDs to iTunes so everything is in the same place.

Use either a decent cheap usb dac or an AEX depending on your computer and how you want to control your music.

Buy a decent amp speaker combo that gives you the sound that you want, do try a few different things.

My personal choice would be something active, like these.....

http://www.studiospares.com/studio-monitors/mackie-hr624-mkii-pair-2pt/invt/260860

http://www.thomann.de/gb/adam_artist_6_hochglanz_schwarz.htm

Of course I might wait a month or two and get a pair of AVI DM5....... :silenced:

Dave,

Regarding the Mackie's, have you heard the 824's?

I've been looking at a pair of these, but the reviews seem to point to the 624's being better due to their midrange handling... Any thoughts?

The 824s are truly awesome, overly so in normal sized untreated rooms. They can be quite overwhelming, the bass is prodigious, impressive at lower levels but turn them up and you will be appologising to your neighbours for a long time.

Unless you live in party central the 624s are a better bet, still plenty of bass and a prodigous output capability but better integrated and balanced than the bigger brother. Not the most refined of speakers but in terms of presence, punch and sheer scale they leave most competitors miles behind.

Serious fun to be had here, still pretty decent a low levels, especially considering the price, but for a truly solid and believable performance they take some beating.

 

[skippy]

Cheers for that Dave.

The 824 is a big box going off the specs too (not that it matters), 624's I can get for about 600 quid new over here so they sound even more of a bargain.

Sorry to hijack this, but can anyone answer this...

I have a Sonos connect on the main floor. I was thinking of fishing a coax cable into the basement and feeding it directly to actives. I have the Sony 1040 down there which I could connect the coax to and then send an rca out to each speaker via the unamplified zone 2 on the amp.

Is there any way I could go directly to the actives without the need to go through the amp or is the above the correct way.

Thanks in advance

 

[Overdose]

You can go direct to the speakers, just be careful to reduce the volume on the source beforehand to avoid any 'scares'.

 

[skippy]

You can go direct to the speakers, just be careful to reduce the volume on the source beforehand to avoid any 'scares'.

The only problem is I'm using the analogue outs to the amp on the main floor, hence the reason to feed the coax out downstairs, basically saving myself the expense of forking out for another connect.

 

[davedotco]

Cheers for that Dave.

The 824 is a big box going off the specs too (not that it matters), 624's I can get for about 600 quid new over here so they sound even more of a bargain.

Sorry to hijack this, but can anyone answer this...

I have a Sonos connect on the main floor. I was thinking of fishing a coax cable into the basement and feeding it directly to actives. I have the Sony 1040 down there which I could connect the coax to and then send an rca out to each speaker via the unamplified zone 2 on the amp.

Is there any way I could go directly to the actives without the need to go through the amp or is the above the correct way.

Thanks in advance

I guess if you use the sony as a fixed output dac, in essence, that should work though I think controlling volume would be difficult, all in all a second sonos connect is really the way to go.

 

[skippy]

Cheers for that Dave.

The 824 is a big box going off the specs too (not that it matters), 624's I can get for about 600 quid new over here so they sound even more of a bargain.

Sorry to hijack this, but can anyone answer this...

I have a Sonos connect on the main floor. I was thinking of fishing a coax cable into the basement and feeding it directly to actives. I have the Sony 1040 down there which I could connect the coax to and then send an rca out to each speaker via the unamplified zone 2 on the amp.

Is there any way I could go directly to the actives without the need to go through the amp or is the above the correct way.

Thanks in advance

I guess if you use the sony as a fixed output dac, in essence, that should work though I think controlling volume would be difficult, all in all a second sonos connect is really the way to go.

Thanks for the input guys.

What I think I'm gonna do first is drop a digital coax down to the Sony and see if that works (I've read somewhere that all the outputs on the Sonos are on at the same time...technically you could supply 3 amps with sound???) on the cinema speakers.

This'll cost me 20 quid, so no real loss if nowt happens.

If it does work the amp has a zone 2 pre out which I'm hoping will send the info to the actives (when funds allow).

Dunno if anyone on the forum has a Sonos feeding more than 1 amp, but I'd be interested to hear the results?

Cheers

 

[MRMACPHISTO]

hI,

Thanks again. I now have a different question, but still related.

I have a pair of Mission speakers, which I do like. However, the problem is that the speaker cable connection is wire that I used to put into my old Amp.

Are these speakers of no use now, or are there products that would allow me to carry on using them?

Thanks

 

[davedotco]

hI,

Thanks again. I now have a different question, but still related.

I have a pair of Mission speakers, which I do like. However, the problem is that the speaker cable connection is wire that I used to put into my old Amp.

Are these speakers of no use now, or are there products that would allow me to carry on using them?

Thanks

Can you not connect them to your Sony in the normal way?

Not sure what you mean about the connections. Surely some inexpensive speaker wire will do the job?

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Difficult, as he has no Sony!

 

[dalidenon]

Hi

I have a problem with my bluetooth streaming.

My setup: Denon AVR 2113 Receiver. 2xDali Suite 2.5 cherry, 1x Dali Suite C.07 cherry, 2x Dali suite R.07 cherry, 1x Dali Suite cherry Sub 1.2. Sony BM10 Bluetooth receiver.

My problem is that when I am using my phone through bluetooth streaming it plays fine, but the subwoofer does not turn on? My subwoofer works fine when watching movies and so on, but when playing music with a lot of bass, it does not turn on. That gives a quite lame experience since the sound does not work that well with out the bass.

I have tested the bluetooth receiver on a portable speaker, where the bass works just fine.

Do you have any idea about what is wrong?

Thx in advance.

 

[Thompsonuxb]

Check the set up on your amp.if your amp has separate settings for each input.

Set your LFE to both or sub and just check your settings on your amp.

Could be you have your crossover settings to low for the input of your digital device.

Hi

I have a problem with my bluetooth streaming.

My setup: Denon AVR 2113 Receiver. 2xDali Suite 2.5 cherry, 1x Dali Suite C.07 cherry, 2x Dali suite R.07 cherry, 1x Dali Suite cherry Sub 1.2. Sony BM10 Bluetooth receiver.

My problem is that when I am using my phone through bluetooth streaming it plays fine, but the subwoofer does not turn on? My subwoofer works fine when watching movies and so on, but when playing music with a lot of bass, it does not turn on. That gives a quite lame experience since the sound does not work that well with out the bass.

I have tested the bluetooth receiver on a portable speaker, where the bass works just fine.

Do you have any idea about what is wrong?

Thx in advance.