Nearly there.....but could use some advice

[RobinKidderminster]

No bias then?

 

[Overdose]

No bias then?

Of course not, an ATV or AEX would probably be another solution that would fit the bill. Fed by a NAS both solutions would be an ideal set up for the OPs purposes.

 

[TubularTechnician]

Firstly, thanks for all the replys.

As mentioned I am probably worrying about nothing and I have no idea how it will sound until it actually plays something ! But in my defence it is very confusing starting from scratch in a field I know nothing about, having to rely on reviews and user recomendations. I've read so much 'this cable can offset this and those speakers can counter that' that you end up going over and over it all until you don't know where you are.

To answer a couple of points: Home demo. Now I'd read about home demo's on the forum but I didn't want the wife and girls knowing what I was planning as its a suprise and to be honest, as stupid as it sounds I didn't want to be too much trouble to the shop who don't know me from Adam and probably thought I was wasting their time as I didn't have a clue what I was going on about !

@ Robin re kefs: I'd originaly been checking out low budget systems and heard the Dali zensor's and the Tannoy Revolution DC6 in Richer Sounds and I liked the sound but not the looks for my room. I picked the Kef for audition on looks and they sounded fantastic to me in the demo room, better than what i could recall of the others in RS and I'd heard the Tannoys in there with the K2 amp. Obviously in the back of my head were the LS50's with similar looks and the high praise on here but I stopped short of a demo as the budget had gone from £550 to penny's shy of 2K without cables the more I read up about it, and I probably would have bought them putting £200 + higher grade cabling on the top. Also, as I've knocked back the CDP budget to increase on amp and speakers I figured that the CD6004 may not do the 50's justice and the R100's would be more friendly ? Must admit to a nagging doubt that I should have demoed them if only to see what all the fuss is about.

Very relieved that some of you say aiming across the narrow part of the room is fine but I do have a large leather sofa that I'll be sat in to listen :doh: Ah well, as Spursgator noted, you cant win !

As for actives, yes did consider them because as a newbie to hi fi I havent got a foot in a camp yet but I'm really not very tech savy and downloading and bitrates baffle me. I couldn't see myself ripping a CD to a NAS as it takes me 10mins to just log into an email account so ruled out the active side of things.

@ ID: I realise that in the grand scheme of hi fi my system is very modest, indeed I'm staggered by the price of some of the forum members kit, but as a scaffolder for 30 + years I can honestly say I've never earned an easy quid in my life. Infact I've shivered my way to most of them over the years. Even though I now own my own firm I still know how difficult it is to earn 2 grand in my game in this financial climate, and although I could have walked into Frank Harvey and walked out with the blades had I wished, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that and it wouldn't have catapulted me to the top of the hi fi knowledge pile either. No Range Rovers on my drive, just a 7 year old Navara and the wifes mini. I much prefer modest but theres no harm in wanting modest to be as good as it can be.

Right then, I'm off to check out cables and interconnects from atlas and Van Damme.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Sounds to me like yr lack of expweience is made up for by common sense and careful thought. Good luck with your ventures into this bottomless pit. I recon u will enjoy yr kit very much and in a few yrs time u will enjoy with many more here, the long joirney to utopia.
U will be welcome back here Im sure.
Cheers

 

[BigH]

Firstly, thanks for all the replys.

As mentioned I am probably worrying about nothing and I have no idea how it will sound until it actually plays something ! But in my defence it is very confusing starting from scratch in a field I know nothing about, having to rely on reviews and user recomendations. I've read so much 'this cable can offset this and those speakers can counter that' that you end up going over and over it all until you don't know where you are.

To answer a couple of points: Home demo. Now I'd read about home demo's on the forum but I didn't want the wife and girls knowing what I was planning as its a suprise and to be honest, as stupid as it sounds I didn't want to be too much trouble to the shop who don't know me from Adam and probably thought I was wasting their time as I didn't have a clue what I was going on about !

@ Robin re kefs: I'd originaly been checking out low budget systems and heard the Dali zensor's and the Tannoy Revolution DC6 in Richer Sounds and I liked the sound but not the looks for my room. I picked the Kef for audition on looks and they sounded fantastic to me in the demo room, better than what i could recall of the others in RS and I'd heard the Tannoys in there with the K2 amp. Obviously in the back of my head were the LS50's with similar looks and the high praise on here but I stopped short of a demo as the budget had gone from £550 to penny's shy of 2K without cables the more I read up about it, and I probably would have bought them putting £200 + higher grade cabling on the top. Also, as I've knocked back the CDP budget to increase on amp and speakers I figured that the CD6004 may not do the 50's justice and the R100's would be more friendly ? Must admit to a nagging doubt that I should have demoed them if only to see what all the fuss is about.

Very relieved that some of you say aiming across the narrow part of the room is fine but I do have a large leather sofa that I'll be sat in to listen :doh: Ah well, as Spursgator noted, you cant win !

As for actives, yes did consider them because as a newbie to hi fi I havent got a foot in a camp yet but I'm really not very tech savy and downloading and bitrates baffle me. I couldn't see myself ripping a CD to a NAS as it takes me 10mins to just log into an email account so ruled out the active side of things.

@ ID: I realise that in the grand scheme of hi fi my system is very modest, indeed I'm staggered by the price of some of the forum members kit, but as a scaffolder for 30 + years I can honestly say I've never earned an easy quid in my life. Infact I've shivered my way to most of them over the years. Even though I now own my own firm I still know how difficult it is to earn 2 grand in my game in this financial climate, and although I could have walked into Frank Harvey and walked out with the blades had I wished, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that and it wouldn't have catapulted me to the top of the hi fi knowledge pile either. No Range Rovers on my drive, just a 7 year old Navara and the wifes mini. I much prefer modest but theres no harm in wanting modest to be as good as it can be.

Right then, I'm off to check out cables and interconnects from atlas and Van Damme.

I think you misunderstand about actives, actives are speakers with the amps inside them and also a DAC if you get the ADMs, all you have to do is plug in a cd player or whatever source you have and that is it, so far easier and you don't have to worry about speaker cables or other cables. So nothing to do with ripping cds or NAS, not unless you want to go that route, you can play your dvd through which many people do, have them set up either side of the tv, some even play cds on a blu-ray dvd player.

 

[TubularTechnician]

Thanks Robin, I'll let you know how it sounds.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Beware those regulars selling snake oil. I claim to know nothing. Some claim to know everything. :cheers: Goodnight all.

 

[TubularTechnician]

BigH, yep it looks like I did misunderstand the actives. I thought they were for pc or hard drive music only.

I thought I'd read myself to a basic grounding but there's lots more to the whole thing than meets the eye. And although quite daunting in some repects for a layman ,it should be fun learning and I can't wait to get it all up and running.

I tend to get really into things as I go along and who knows, in a years time I may have valves in the bedroom and be asking advice on actives + streamer for the garage 8)

 

[BenLaw]

I tend to get really into things as I go along and who knows, in a years time I may have valves in the bedroom and be asking advice on actives + streamer for the garage 8)

Not questioning your prospective increase in knowledge, but this is an unlikely combination

 

[GSB]

BigH, yep it looks like I did misunderstand the actives. I thought they were for pc or hard drive music only.

I thought I'd read myself to a basic grounding but there's lots more to the whole thing than meets the eye. And although quite daunting in some repects for a layman ,it should be fun learning and I can't wait to get it all up and running.

I tend to get really into things as I go along and who knows, in a years time I may have valves in the bedroom and be asking advice on actives + streamer for the garage 8)

Are you James May :?

 

[Exoticsounds]

Also, as I've knocked back the CDP budget to increase on amp and speakers I figured that the CD6004 may not do the 50's justice and the R100's would be more friendly ?

Since you will be using a DAC, the CD player which will actually just be a "disc drive" and the M1-DAC is of a very high quality and should suffice for quite awhile even if you upgrade to more expensive amp or speakers.

 

[TubularTechnician]

Thanks thats good to know. I was under the impression the DAC would only come in to play for the sonos and/or ithings played independant from the CD, but from the connection advice you gave earlier in the thread I see differently now. When I asked in the shop what connections I needed I was told 2 x interconnects, one from CD to amp, one fron DAC to amp and then sonos to DAC when I got the sonos at a later date. He didn't set the DAC up for the demo as he said it wouldn't make much difference to the CD.

learning a bit more every day. Thanks again.

 

[Exoticsounds]

In absolute terms running it from the CD to the DAC onto the amp should give the best result. BUT you should also try to run the CD directly into the amp, it will have a slightly different tonality which you might prefer.

As i see it the main purpose of a Hi-Fi set-up is not necessarily to have the most "correct" sound possible, first and foremost it should let you enjoy your music to the max.

 

[TubularTechnician]

I see, thanks. I'll give both connections a try.

 

[CJSF]

In absolute terms running it from the CD to the DAC onto the amp should give the best result. BUT you should also try to run the CD directly into the amp, it will have a slightly different tonality which you might prefer.

As i see it the main purpose of a Hi-Fi set-up is not necessarily to have the most "correct" sound possible, first and foremost it should let you enjoy your music to the max.

Thats about the best observation I have read on here for a looooong while, 'individual taste and enjoy the music' . . . :clap:

CJSF