Should I ditch the 685s and pair my Solo Mini with BR2s instead?!

[admin_exported]

Enjoyed reading another glowing review of the Arcam Solo Mini in the latest WHFSV

but it did beg the question whether I should sell my 3 month old B&W 685s that it's currently paired with and buy some MA BR2s which are recommended in the review? Although the 685s are the better speaker, would I get a better overall sound with the BR2s or stay with what I have?

 

[chebby]

If you are actually unhappy with your 685's then move up a notch not down.

Are you unhappy with the 685's, or just thinking you might be missing something?

 

[manicm]

I have the Solo Mini with 685s too and now that I have sited them properly with stands (at last) I can make one observation:

They need to be clear of rear and side-walls - > 30cm. Yes there's more bass at < 30cm but imaging definitely suffers.

I would say experiment with siting before thinking of another purchase.

BTW I bought the B&W stands - they seem fine and I got them at a good price.

If you really are considering other speakers I would rather aim for the RS1s instead of the BR2s. I heard the RS1s but maybe did not get hear their full potential cos one of those horrid 'demo' discs were spinning. I think had I brought my own CDs I would have been surprised.

I'd also consider KEF iQ30s or Rega RS1 (if you have the space for the latter - they're rear ported and will need some free air).

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's not that I'm unhappy with the 685s , just that the overall sound might be better with the BR2s if the WHFSV review is to be believed (did they mean Solo Mini + BR2s are better than Solo Mini + 685s??) and also that I might not be doing the 685s justice in this set up and with the admittedly pedestrian use I ask of them (like buying a Porsche just for the odd run to the shops).

Siting is difficult as well - I can only get the 685s 20cm from an interior wall, any further in the room and people will walk straight into them when they come through the lounge door. I have a fairly average and decent sized rectangular lounge but despite all the advice about siting speakers (not in corners, 3m apart, away from the wall etc.), I struggle to see how most people could put speakers in the ideal position in an average room unless you de-camp all your furniture into the bathroom and nail shut the odd door or two?! Mine are in about the only position they could go in my room unless I wanted to watch the TV in a mirror from the kitchen! I do at least have them on Z2 stands.

And that's the other thing that made me re-think the BR2s was that they're less fussy about where you put them.

 

[Anonymous]

Jarnesque:
Yes, it's not that I'm unhappy with the 685s , just that the overall sound might be better with the BR2s

With symptoms as textbook as this, there can be no doubt as to the diagnosis: you are suffering from a classic case of upgraditus. This is a particularly virulent ailment transmitted through hi fi forums, although it may also be picked up from the pages of hi fi magazines.

Treatment usually involves not reading aforementioned forums and magazines for an extended period.

If left untreated, secondary symptoms usually emerge, which may include the following:

wasting lots of money on needless or inappropriate "upgrades"

regretting that you didn't stick with what you had in the first place

listening to your equipment rather than listening to music and thus forgoing any pleasure from it

divorce (in rare cases)

Good luck.

 

[JoelSim]

tractorboy:Jarnesque:
Yes, it's not that I'm unhappy with the 685s , just that the overall sound might be better with the BR2s

With symptoms as textbook as this, there can be no doubt as to the diagnosis: you are suffering from a classic case of upgraditus. This is a particularly virulent ailment transmitted through hi fi forums, although it may also be picked up from the pages of hi fi magazines.

Treatment usually involves not reading aforementioned forums and magazines for an extended period.

If left untreated, secondary symptoms usually emerge, which may include the following:

wasting lots of money on needless or inappropriate "upgrades"

regretting that you didn't stick with what you had in the first place

listening to your equipment rather than listening to music and thus forgoing any pleasure from it

divorce (in rare cases)

Good luck.ÿ

Or downgrades.

ÿ

 

[chebby]

Rega RS1's are unfussy about positioning too despite rear ports. Rega even make wall brackets for them which could be the answer.

They are around the same price as the 685's (£385 I think) and sound rather special. They are also quite efficient at 90db and 8 ohms and therefore an easy load for your Solo-Mini and capable of producing decent volumes in a small-medium space with the 25 watts available. (That has been found to be a fairly 'conservative' power rating.)

(I should qualify that though by saying I have only ever heard the Rega RS1's on the end of a £3000 Naim XS/CD5X system.)

I have seen a (very) favourable review of the Arcam Solo-Mini (from a well known UK monthly hifi magazine) where a pair of £2400 Living Voice Auditorium speakers (92db efficiency) were used to great effect as well as more 'appropriately' priced speakers. I would not go that far (!) but it does show what high regard some have for the Solo-Mini's potential.

Please check back in here before buying £2.4k speakers though. There are better ways of spending the money even with limited space.

 

[lordmortlock]

Jarnesque: I struggle to see how most people could put speakers in the ideal position in an average room unless you de-camp all your furniture into the bathroom and nail shut the odd door or two?! Mine are in about the only position they could go in my room unless I wanted to watch the TV in a mirror from the kitchen!

It doesn't sound like your hearts really in this - these are surely minor sacrifices one makes when in search of (dun dun dahhhh) the 'perfect sound'

I'm joking by the way.

 

[manicm]

Jarnesque:

Yes, it's not that I'm unhappy with the 685s , just that the overall sound might be better with the BR2s if the WHFSV review is to be believed (did they mean Solo Mini + BR2s are better than Solo Mini + 685s??) and also that I might not be doing the 685s justice in this set up and with the admittedly pedestrian use I ask of them (like buying a Porsche just for the odd run to the shops).

Siting is difficult as well - I can only get the 685s 20cm from an interior wall, any further in the room and people will walk straight into them when they come through the lounge door. I have a fairly average and decent sized rectangular lounge but despite all the advice about siting speakers (not in corners, 3m apart, away from the wall etc.), I struggle to see how most people could put speakers in the ideal position in an average room unless you de-camp all your furniture into the bathroom and nail shut the odd door or two?! Mine are in about the only position they could go in my room unless I wanted to watch the TV in a mirror from the kitchen! I do at least have them on Z2 stands.

And that's the other thing that made me re-think the BR2s was that they're less fussy about where you put them.

Jarnesque, I think that's unfortunately your problem - I'm also in a smallish room and to my ears 20cm is definitely not ideal - you're getting good bass but at the expense of imaging.

I would definitely sound out the KEF iQ30s as their famed UniQ drivers make them quite versatile at siting - and imaging is their strong suit as well. In fact I regret not auditioning more speakers with the Mini before I bought it.