PC based setup - Neutron Five 2.1

steve_1979

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SP_A0360.jpg


SP_A0361.jpg


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AVIsub.jpg


I've been living with the AVI Neutron 2.1 system for a few weeks now and if you've read any of my other posts on this forum you'll already know that I love 'em. It's an 'all in one' system that includes a DAC, 3 x 100watt amplifiers, Neutron V speakers and a 10" sub. I bought it brand new for just £900 and for that price the quality is just astounding. I've heard quite a few seperates system in hifi shops and this beats anything for under a grand by a mile and it even sounds better than most systems that cost £2000!

They sound very natural and uncoloured like studio monitors - but just because they don't add any of their own 'character' to the sound doesn't mean that they're boring because they aren't. They're very dynamic and detailed and will pefectly convey any emotion that's been recorded in a song, they just won't add any extra emotion of their own.

I use them for near-field use at my computer and they have a great stereo image although this does improve slightly when setup for mid-field listening. The way the sub intergrates so smoothly is amazing too. It never sounds directional, it just extends the lower frequencies of the stereo speakers and adds weight but without any of the 'boom' that you normally get with subs. It just sounds tight and tuneful with music unlike most other subs which have clearly been designed to be loud and boomy with movies.

Looks wise they aren't anything particularly special. They're very smart and well finnished but they could do with a bit of extra individuality IMO. The build quality is all top notch though and I like the shiny piano black finnish which looks good and expensive. It would've been nice to have the option to have wood vaneers though.

Overall, for the price it's an absolutely amazing system which I'm very happy with. I no longer have that itch to upgrade and I expect I'll be enjoying this system for many years to come.
 

Mr. Iceman

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Cracking near-field system steve_1979, that sub looks the business.

Is that a hammer on pic 4? I hope you haven't done anything inappropriate to that driver!:)
 

steve_1979

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Mr. Iceman said:
Is that a hammer on pic 4? I hope you haven't done anything inappropriate to that driver!

Hehe. No I didn't take that last photo myself I found it on the internet. That is the bass driver that's used in the sub though. :rockout:
 

steve_1979

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UPDATE 17/10/11

This is just a quick update because I've had the chance to compare my Neutron Five system to some Dynaudio BM5A Mk2 active speakers today. I almost bought these Dynaudio speakers two months ago (with a TC Electronics DAC) which would have cost a bit more than the Neutrons.

In comparison the Dynaudios sound a bit brighter and have a bit more detail but the Neutrons still come very close to matching the Dynaudios level of detail dispite having a passive crossover. The Neutrons definitely have the best overall sound though, they're more natural and the bass is much deeper and solid thanks to the 10" sub which makes such a big difference. The Dynaudios are great speakers but it was definitly the right choice to buy the Neutrons.

I've also listened to a Naim UnitiQute with some Dynaudio DM2/6 passive speakers aswell which I though sounded good and had plenty of detail. The Neutron system sounds better in every way though. The Naim seems good at low volume levels but it starts to struggle a bit when turned it up to moderate (not loud) volume levels. The Neutrons are able to really come alive without losing any detail or dynamics when you turn them up.

It's also worth mentioning that the simple but stylish look of the Neutrons has really grown on me over the past few weeks and they match my black PC and monitor well. Another bonus with them is that they sound good when placed close to a wall.
 

John Duncan

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To be fair, whilst I don't tend to listen to music staring at a monitor, music listening is still a fairly solitary experience since everybody in the family thinks the music I listen to is bloody awful...
 

Andrew Everard

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John Duncan said:
To be fair, whilst I don't tend to listen to music staring at a monitor, music listening is still a fairly solitary experience since everybody in the family thinks the music I listen to is bloody awful...

Well yes, there is that...
 

chebby

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John Duncan said:
To be fair, whilst I don't tend to listen to music staring at a monitor, music listening is still a fairly solitary experience since everybody in the family thinks the music I listen to is bloody awful...

Don't they get to play their music/dvd soundtracks/iPods etc. on your system?
 

BenLaw

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Andrew Everard said:
I really don't get this 'listening to music by sitting at a desk and staring at a monitor' thing. Seems a very solitary way to enjoy music...

Unusually lacking in positivity there Andrew! Everyone to experience and enjoy music in their own way surely?

The system looks great Steve, and always nice to hear other systems and still like your own more :)
 

John Duncan

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chebby said:
John Duncan said:
To be fair, whilst I don't tend to listen to music staring at a monitor, music listening is still a fairly solitary experience since everybody in the family thinks the music I listen to is bloody awful...

Don't they get to play their music/dvd soundtracks/iPods etc. on your system?

Oh yeah, whenever they like. They just, well, never like...
 

MajorFubar

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Loving the HiFi part of your set-up but tell the g/f you need a nice new aesthetically-pleasing Mini PC or HTPC instead of that crate on the floor :D
 

steve_1979

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MajorFubar said:
Loving the HiFi part of your set-up but tell the g/f you need a nice new aesthetically-pleasing Mini PC or HTPC instead of that crate on the floor :D

It's a gaming PC and needs a full size case to allow the air to circulate properly. I've overclocked the processor and added a large heatsink to help keep it cool. 8)
 

steve_1979

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BenLaw said:
Unusually lacking in positivity there Andrew! Everyone to experience and enjoy music in their own way surely?

I thoroughly enjoy listening to music while at my computer. :) I probably end up listening to more music at my PC than I would if the hifi was in the living room.

BenLaw said:
The system looks great Steve

Thanks Ben :grin:
 

steve_1979

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Andrew Everard said:
I really don't get this 'listening to music by sitting at a desk and staring at a monitor' thing.

Seems a very solitary way to enjoy music...

Unfortunately my girlfriend has no interest in hifi and doesn't want any "big speakers" in the living room so having a good PC based setup works well for me. I enjoy listening to music while surfing the web and have the speakers positioned so that I sit in the 'sweet spot' while using my PC. I also use it to listen to background music while getting ready for work in the mornings and apart from losing the stereo image it sounds exellent from anywhere in the room.
 

Andrew Everard

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BenLaw said:
Unusually lacking in positivity there Andrew! Everyone to experience and enjoy music in their own way surely?

Far from 'lacking in positivity' (ugh!), I didn't say I thought there was anything wrong in it – I just observed that I didn't 'get it'.
 

MajorFubar

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steve_1979 said:
MajorFubar said:
Loving the HiFi part of your set-up but tell the g/f you need a nice new aesthetically-pleasing Mini PC or HTPC instead of that crate on the floor :D

It's a gaming PC and needs a full size case to allow the air to circulate properly. I've overclocked the processor and added a large heatsink to help keep it cool. 8)
Ah fair enough. Gaming's not something I'm into so I didn't think about it.
 

steve_1979

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I think that this Silverstone MILO case would look rather nice under the TV. It got a silent PSU, a card reader and 2 front USB sockets which would make it useful for a media PC.

case3.jpg
 

steve_1979

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If you only want to watch TV and listen to music then media boxes like the Boxee and WD HD TV are probably best because they offer better value for money. The advantages with computers is the that they give you more options and flexibility when using the internet and they can run specific software programs such as audio or video editing software.
 

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