turntable + amp + airplay speaker

[ahasver]

Hi, I am new to this forum and new to Hi-Fi as well so please, bear with me.

Currently, I am looking into buying the forementioned setup. I am not an audiophile, however, I have very sensitive hearing and probably can distinguish quality level to some degree.

My motivation for buying this stuff is mostly sentimental, but I would also like to appreciate music ranging from classics (Janáček and Tchaikovsky are on the top of my vinyl wishlist) through bluegrass to modern rock and electronic (Queen, Alabama Shakes or Bat for Lashes). As you can see the range is really wide, so I don't need a setup that accomodates specific needs.

I do live in a small apartment not very suitable for Hi-Fi listening - wooden floor, empty walls etc. Also, I do not have the luxury of "Listening space" for a proper stereo listening.

I think this should be all that will explain my needs better.

I would like your opinion to some questions or problems

1) speaker - I am seriously considering buying just one speaker with Airplay (I am an avid Apple user), so far my favorites are Sonos Play 5, CambridgeAudio Minx 200 and I am considering Loewe Airspeaker or B&W A7 - is any of these choices good soundwise? Usually the reviews are more concerned about connectivity and about sound they just say "Great". How does it compare to the rest of the setup? As I said, I don't have a room spacious enough to listen to some quality Bowers & Wilkins stereo speakers, so I expect some compromise. Also, for undisturbed listening, I'll buy Grado headphones.

2) turntable + amp - OK, so this is simple - I am considering Pro-ject Debut Carbon and Yamaha A-S 500, both rated very good here on WhatHifi. How does it compare to a solo Airplay speaker? Should I downgrade something? Isn't Yamaha way to good? Also, should I leave Ortofon OM10 in the turntable or should I upgrade?

Thank you a lot for reading through and for any comments or input. I may upgrade in some years but I want to start off well.

Have a nice day

 

[The_Lhc]

I don't really understand, if you're going to buy an "Airplay" style speaker you don't need an amp as those sort of standalone speakers already have amps built in. Conversely if you do go for the Yamaha amp then you'll need normal stereo speakers (passive/unpowered) to go with the amp, otherwise you won't hear anything at all.

 

[ahasver]

Thanks, that's a great comment and if valid than all my assumptions are wrong ) I thought that it is possible to play from amp to Sonos. Shouldn't there be some input for signal from amp?

I haven't mentioned it, but I will be listening from computer, ipad or iphone as well...

Thank you and sorry for stupid questions - this didn't occure to me and i didn't know how this stuff works

 

[The_Lhc]

Thanks, that's a great comment and if valid than all my assumptions are wrong ) I thought that it is possible to play from amp to Sonos. Shouldn't there be some input for signal from amp?

Not for a powered speaker, the amp is contained within the speaker itself, so it's pointless having an additional amp. Some of the Sonos devices have a line-in that you can wire a source to (including a turntable if you wish), The Play:5, Connect and Connect:Amp, however a line-in signal is not amplified. Most amps will have a line-out that could be used but then you'll be ignoring all the amplification within the amp that you've paid for, so it's a waste of time and money.

I haven't mentioned it, but I will be listening from computer, ipad or iphone as well...

Well Sonos would suit you well, it can play from a shared drive on a PC and directly from an iPad or iPhone but it does that over your home network, you wouldn't use a physical line in unless you wanted to hear the audio from applications or video (Sonos will only play your local music files, it won't play the audio from YouTube for example). In that sort of setup you wouldn't require an amp at all. If you wanted to listen to your turntable you could plug it straight into the Play:5s line-in (with a suitable cable and phono stage if the turntable itself doesn't have one).

Other options are available (Airplay speakers for example) but I'm afraid I don't know anything about them.

 

[ahasver]

OK, thank you a lot, now I understand it much better.

As I see it, now it is up to me to go and try out how good this amp when connected to a turntable and try to figure out whether I need a headphone amplifier...

I originally thought that a signal from amp would make a better sound from speakers rather than just the tiny one in the speakers.

Also, the YouTube and applications sound put Sonos into a new perspective.

Thank you a lot, you have been very helpful, sorry I started off with such stupid questions but I honestly thought that the selected components made sense together.

 

[The_Lhc]

I originally thought that a signal from amp would make a better sound from speakers rather than just the tiny one in the speakers.

Maybe you should find a shop with some of these speakers in, some of them make a big noise...

 

[ahasver]

i will. it is, however very complicated here in cz to find a shop that stores at peast two airplay enabled speakers and has a sound studio - these kind of shops are usually dedicated to high-end components and there is only a few of them in prague

thank you anyway, i'll start from a scratch

 

[ahasver]

Hi, once again, thank you for your input The_Lhc.

I have thought it over, went to a Hi-Fi showroom and listened to some bookshelf speakers... (As I understood, I'd need a headphones amp anyway) The problem is, however, that I have only limited space to place them and they'd be very stupidly postioned - 50 cms apart, playing from 3 metres to the back of my head or 50 cms on 90 degrees to my head (so one would be 50 cms, one 100 cms). I really cannot place them differently.

Again, I am not going for details and precise stereo as I don't have space for that, I would like to achieve a rich sound that fills a small room somehow evenly...

Would this work with KEF Q100 (my first choice), KEF Q300 or B&W 685?

Thank you all for your time and have a nice day

 

[JoelSim]

Have a look at the Nocs NS2 Air Monitor too if they are sold in CZ.