Hi all, I'd like to share some thoughts with you having auditioned and ordered my first hi-fi today...
First off, its been a great help reading these forums and the contributions of so many knowledgeable people; I haven't actually heard much hi-fi equipment so I've always been more of a reader than contributor- I'm happy to finally be able to offer some observations on the small number of hi-fi components I've heard.
Secondly, big thanks to Sound Gallery in High Wycombe for their help.
Well, I've been thinking about Sonos equipment and really like the ease with which you can access your music from the controller. As I'm starting from scratch, now is a good time to design a system using a small number of boxes so I've already bought a ReadyNAS Duo and hard drive. Yet, in relation to my budget of £3k, the £800 Sonos was always going to soak up a large proportion, meaning compromises in the rest of the kit, especially if I wanted hi-fi sound quality in 2 rooms. I was therefore prepared to compromise on sound quality in the kitchen and will use a Pure radio to wirelessly link to the hard-drive and router for internet radio, effectively leaving most of the budget for better equipment in one room.
So last weekend I headed out with an open mind and without much planning ended up listening to B&W CM1 speakers (£500). I found these wam and instantly enjoyable, perhaps not the crispest sound but I still thought I could easily enjoy listening to them. (As this was my first audition I had nothing to compare them to. Nevertheless, that I found myself enjoying them I took to be a good sign). A Chopin piano etude was presented openly with plenty of clarity in the mid-register at low volume. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss were very engaging, but the driving bassline of 'Armor & Sword' by Rush seemed a little loose and ill-defined.
Next up I listened to B&W 685s (£375). I found these to be more detailed than the CM1s but perhaps less 'warm'. Maybe 'warmth' relates to a lack of precision but I thought I'd probably enjoy the CM1s more for everyday listening. So, a different speaker, but in my opinion and for my tastes not offering any improvement in any area over the CM1s.
Next were B&W 805s (£2,000). A remarkable speaker, offering more depth of bass, and more control, and yet still more attack and precision in the higher registers than the CM1s. Yes, I'd go for these, but they're currently out of my budget given that I'm starting from scratch.
Finally I listened to a pair of Spendor A5s. These were probably my favourites of the day- plenty of precision, detail and bass, not more than the 805s, but a more relaxed presentation over all. For my medium-sized room these would be wonderful.
Penty to think about over the last week... and so today I returned to listen once again to the B&W CM1s and Spendor A5s, this time taking cds of the Killers, a classical compilation and Prince to help me decide, in addition to my original selection. I quickly reached the same conclusion- the B&W CM1s were hugely enjoyable, but the Spendor A5s offered more clarity, precision, control and bass... which is reasonable to expect given their higher cost.
I haven't yet mentioned which kit was driving these speakers. I was listening to a system which worked beautifully with all of them, and also offered one-box simplicity, wi-fi and wired connectivity, DAB and FM radio... the naimUniti. I found this instantly enjoyable with the CM1s right at the start of this audition process. I can't think of a better compromise for what I'm looking for; great sound quality with simplicity and connectivity. I know I haven't compared it to any other amp/cd combination, but it sounded so good I knew I'd be very happy with it; it just 'works' and leaves you to enjoy the music, which is exactly the point I'm trying to reach...
So, today I ordered the naimUniti with B&W CM1 speakers, stands, cable and plugs. Its only due to not being able to take them away today that I'm posting this and not listening to music with a huge smile on my face...Cheers all, and I'll let you know how it all sounds in the house when it arrives!
First off, its been a great help reading these forums and the contributions of so many knowledgeable people; I haven't actually heard much hi-fi equipment so I've always been more of a reader than contributor- I'm happy to finally be able to offer some observations on the small number of hi-fi components I've heard.
Secondly, big thanks to Sound Gallery in High Wycombe for their help.
Well, I've been thinking about Sonos equipment and really like the ease with which you can access your music from the controller. As I'm starting from scratch, now is a good time to design a system using a small number of boxes so I've already bought a ReadyNAS Duo and hard drive. Yet, in relation to my budget of £3k, the £800 Sonos was always going to soak up a large proportion, meaning compromises in the rest of the kit, especially if I wanted hi-fi sound quality in 2 rooms. I was therefore prepared to compromise on sound quality in the kitchen and will use a Pure radio to wirelessly link to the hard-drive and router for internet radio, effectively leaving most of the budget for better equipment in one room.
So last weekend I headed out with an open mind and without much planning ended up listening to B&W CM1 speakers (£500). I found these wam and instantly enjoyable, perhaps not the crispest sound but I still thought I could easily enjoy listening to them. (As this was my first audition I had nothing to compare them to. Nevertheless, that I found myself enjoying them I took to be a good sign). A Chopin piano etude was presented openly with plenty of clarity in the mid-register at low volume. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss were very engaging, but the driving bassline of 'Armor & Sword' by Rush seemed a little loose and ill-defined.
Next up I listened to B&W 685s (£375). I found these to be more detailed than the CM1s but perhaps less 'warm'. Maybe 'warmth' relates to a lack of precision but I thought I'd probably enjoy the CM1s more for everyday listening. So, a different speaker, but in my opinion and for my tastes not offering any improvement in any area over the CM1s.
Next were B&W 805s (£2,000). A remarkable speaker, offering more depth of bass, and more control, and yet still more attack and precision in the higher registers than the CM1s. Yes, I'd go for these, but they're currently out of my budget given that I'm starting from scratch.
Finally I listened to a pair of Spendor A5s. These were probably my favourites of the day- plenty of precision, detail and bass, not more than the 805s, but a more relaxed presentation over all. For my medium-sized room these would be wonderful.
Penty to think about over the last week... and so today I returned to listen once again to the B&W CM1s and Spendor A5s, this time taking cds of the Killers, a classical compilation and Prince to help me decide, in addition to my original selection. I quickly reached the same conclusion- the B&W CM1s were hugely enjoyable, but the Spendor A5s offered more clarity, precision, control and bass... which is reasonable to expect given their higher cost.
I haven't yet mentioned which kit was driving these speakers. I was listening to a system which worked beautifully with all of them, and also offered one-box simplicity, wi-fi and wired connectivity, DAB and FM radio... the naimUniti. I found this instantly enjoyable with the CM1s right at the start of this audition process. I can't think of a better compromise for what I'm looking for; great sound quality with simplicity and connectivity. I know I haven't compared it to any other amp/cd combination, but it sounded so good I knew I'd be very happy with it; it just 'works' and leaves you to enjoy the music, which is exactly the point I'm trying to reach...
So, today I ordered the naimUniti with B&W CM1 speakers, stands, cable and plugs. Its only due to not being able to take them away today that I'm posting this and not listening to music with a huge smile on my face...Cheers all, and I'll let you know how it all sounds in the house when it arrives!
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