My first hifi setup, some basic questions as i don´t have many clues :)

[shaihulud]

I am looking to buy a system for 700-1800£

1. How much should i spend on amp? speaker? Also, I will play from a notebook only so i guess a DAC is a good idea? For me as a beginner the amp seems like a low priority, an amp is an amp right? :roll:

2. I listen to alot of electronic music (+rock, piano, Jazz. not so much vocals) on low-ish volume. I prefer smaller speakers with a subwoofer = lots of detail + warm bass...I want as much detailed tweeter as possible (to enjoy all those nice crackling sounds Or is it important with a "full ranged" floor standing speaker?

3.So far I really like the Dali Ikon 1 speaker, B&W sounded to warm and "dull" for my taste ( listened to CM1 and DM686). Any other speakers I should think of? Elac? Canton? (both are frequently being sold second hand here in Sweden)

Very Grateful for any help!

 

[jjbomber]

What part of the country do you live and how far are you prepared to travel for a demo?

 

[hoopsontoast]

I would advise you try and hear as much as you can, see which speakers, amps etc you like.

What brands do the dealers near you sell in Sweden?

Elac and Canton dont really get much press over here, quite big in Germany though.

 

[shaihulud]

I live in Gothenburg, I travel down to Malmö or Stockholm on occation so that could work, Not a fan of going up north....brrr its cold up there ;-)

In Gothenburg it´s mostly elac, canton, dali and b&w. Online I can find Kef, Monitor audio, boston aucoustics among others.
But i frequently visit London so i guess i could take home a pair from there if need be.

 

[atticus]

I live in Gothenburg, I travel down to Malmö or Stockholm on occation so that could work, Not a fan of going up north....brrr its cold up there ;-)

In Gothenburg it´s mostly elac, canton, dali and b&w. Online I can find Kef, Monitor audio, boston aucoustics among others.
But i frequently visit London so i guess i could take home a pair from there if need be.

God kväll, shaihulud. I would be inclined to go for some active speakers if I were in your situation. An amp is not 'just an amp', and the advantage of active speakers is that the amps are already optimised for their drivers, so all the matching has been done for you. Of course, if you like the pursuit of the perfect sound and feel this is part of the hifi experience, you can knock yourself out and go the passive route. AVi speakers are quite popular in Scandihoovian countries and there are dealers in Odense, Denmark and Horten, Norway. My money is on Denmark as I think the girls just have the edge over the Norski babes.

Happy Hunting!

 

[shaihulud]

I haven´t found many active speakers around, and Avi seems more volume then finesse to me?

I found second hand for about 500£ these speakers with this amp:

http://www.audiostereo.ro/BS_203a_main.html
http://www.whathifi.com/review/rotel-ra-04se

Could that be something?
The Elac speaker has a jet tweeter that sounds very nice, goes up to 50,000 Hz

Going to listen to them in the coming days so i guess we´ll see

 

[atticus]

I haven´t found many active speakers around, and Avi seems more volume then finesse to me?

I found second hand for about 500£ these speakers with this amp:

http://www.audiostereo.ro/BS_203a_main.html
http://www.whathifi.com/review/rotel-ra-04se

Could that be something?
The Elac speaker has a jet tweeter that sounds very nice, goes up to 50,000 Hz

Going to listen to them in the coming days so i guess we´ll see

With respect, my dear Swedish meatball, the AVi speakers do accurate and neutral. They also go loud, but this is coincidental. As for finesse - they do not 'flatter' poor recordings (or indeed, any recordings). If this is what you are after, then look elsewhere.

Warm regards and again, happy hunting!

 

[ID.]

The Elac speaker has a jet tweeter that sounds very nice, goes up to 50,000 Hz

But your ears don't and CD's don't carry such high frequency information (SACD, Blu-ray, etc. HD music on the other hand...)

 

[shaihulud]

From what I understand the tweeter is strained when playing at maximum frequency, so a membrane that can play high frequencies sounds better when playing at lower audioable frequencies. Which is one reason why the diamond speaker by B&W is very good

 

[Anonymous]

I can recomend Marantz M-CR603 paired with Kef R100's!

 

[BigH]

I haven´t found many active speakers around, and Avi seems more volume then finesse to me?

What do you mean by that?

AVI use very high quality tweeters and woofers and are not high volume producers.

 

[shaihulud]

I can recomend Marantz M-CR603 paired with Kef R100's!

Thanks alot. It seems like pairing the right speaker with the right amp is actually more important than the quality of the speaker?

BigH:

I havent found many active HIFI speakers around, except for studio monitors.
I was looking at http://www.avisound.com/ maybe you refer to soemthing else?
I guess this is what you mean? http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html

 

[BigH]

I can recomend Marantz M-CR603 paired with Kef R100's!

Thanks alot. It seems like pairing the right speaker with the right amp is actually more important than the quality of the speaker?

BigH:

I havent found many active HIFI speakers around, except for studio monitors.
I was looking at http://www.avisound.com/ maybe you refer to soemthing else?
I guess this is what you mean? http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html

Yes I do refer to AVI UK.

There are quite a few active about like AE, Dynaudio, Focal, AVI, and even KEF are now making some. Not sure what is available in your country though.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

*** across the bridge/tunnel from Malmo to Copenhagen and have a listen to some Dynaudios. They have both actives and passives, plus the new wireless Xeos range. If you like their actives, I'd go for them. The problem with AVI is support, which you won't have if you buy from a local company.