Uni System

[tomayresss]

Hi all,

Started building a hi-fi system for my bedroom at home, but have since moved off to uni (got as far as buying a NAD C352 and Quad 11Ls) and am on a budget!

Because of my budget, it would seem sensible to me to sell my NAD amp and get an all-in-one system (I'm looking for amp/cd/dab and computer via usb but i'll probably get a mf v-dac for that).

Just wondering how the all-in-ones compare...I listen mainly to classical music via the pc and cd and listen to a lot of music on BBC Radio 3 and want something that will present it well at relatively low listening volumes as well as high volumes when i return home.

Unless the speakers are major overkill for my uni room, it's probably easier to keep them and use them with the all-in-one than to sell them.

How would a Denon all-in-one compare to a NAD C352 with a NAD CD Player, Denon DAB Seperate and Quad 11L for example? Am also considering the Arcam Solo Mini but seems a bit overpriced? Teac Ref 380 looks nice too.

Thanks for the input guys,

Tom.

 

[Anonymous]

keep your current system ... get a night job as a waiter and buy the additional components you require ...

if not, you will be sorry in time to come ... your Nad and Quads are really good items

 

[Anonymous]

and ... while you are working, studying and saving up, subscribe to spotify ... get some cheap wharefedale pc speakers and/or a good headphone and you can listen to music in the meantime (while you do your homework)

 

[idc]

You Uni types are lucky. When I were a lad we all arrived with boomboxes and swapped cassettes. Anyway, my suggested option would be active high quality speakers to connect direct to the PC such as from Audioengine, check the excellent reviews on the site such as http://whathifi.com/Review/Audioengine-A5/. With Spotify, Last FM and internet radio you use your PC as the source of all your music and you get very good sound for not a huge outlay. That should save your amp and speakers at home and the start of a main system.

 

[matthewpiano]

idc's suggestion makes sense. Don't part with the NAD and Quads but keep them safely at home for holidays and as the core of a really nice system for when you graduate.

The Denon DM37DAB isn't good enough for the Quads, plain and simple, and they don't like Arcam gear either - on the end of budget Arcam stuff (which is what the Solo Mini is) they sound lifeless. Neither option will come close to your current NAD amp.

The Denon would be a mistake for low level listening as well because its volume control is shockingly bad, making it difficult to find a volume level which isn't either slightly too low or slightly too loud.

 

[tomayresss]

I should really have said I wouldn't be using the CD player that much, and so thiniking about it the all-in-one suggestion is probably a bad idea.

My reservations about active speakers is that my laptop doesn't have a great sound card, does this not mean listening to my lossless files will just sound bad?

 

[tomayresss]

In addition to this, how will my Quads sound in my new room (small, will be in corner close to wall) ?

 

[matthewpiano]

They need plenty of space around them to perform to their best.

 

[tomayresss]

Hmm ok.

It's just my concern is that active speakers connected to my laptop via 3.5mm will sound like my laptop connected to my NAD/Quad setup in the same way, ie. rubbish, no?

 

[idc]

Are you in a position to audition kit? In any case Audioengine on their site appear to allow returns if you are not happy. I have little pair of Logitech laptop speakers and I did need to play with the audio settings to stop them from buzzing. I did that by putting the laptops volume to maximum and I adjust the speaker volume with its own control. By doing that you apparently minimise distortion (I dont know how, but it worked for me). The other thing I did was switch off noises so that I dont get any audio from the various functions. I am sure there is more you can do.

 

[Anonymous]

keep the nad and the quads get the vdac and connect to that via usb from your pc

youll not be at uni forever and you may not be in the same room forever but you have a nice system so dont throw it away

 

[tomayresss]

one off:
keep the nad and the quads get the vdac and connect to that via usb from your pc

youll not be at uni forever and you may not be in the same room forever but you have a nice system so dont throw it away

The question with this is should I temporarily buy some smaller speakers that would be good at low listening levels and more adapted to a smaller room, to connect to the C352/DAC setup?

 

[Xanderzdad]

I have Samson StudioDock speakers plugged into my PC and laptop. They plug in via the USB and contain a DAC and amplifier, so the soundcard is totally bypassed. For the size and price (around £100) they sound fantastic. Crystal clear.

They are not bassy room fillers but I have them playing in a 5m x5m room and they go loud enough.

They also sync, charge and play my iPod.

Absolute bargain - on holiday I just take my laptop and these speakers instead of my Hi-Fi and CD's.