Question What's your next HiFi purchase?

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jjbomber

Well-known member
The problem with Hi Fi shops is there packed with a half a million pounds worth of gear and you immediately feel inadequate and poor, and whilst the staff are very nice, you feel obliged to buy something - Usually something very expensive.
While on the other side of the coin there are plenty of tyre kickers who go in there to have a listen, but have no intention of ever buying anything. Davidf will be along to confirm in 3, 2, 1...
 
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Stuart83

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Jul 22, 2023
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Well I've gone ahead and got myself the bellari eq570 in the retro look.

It should tame the bass in a little without a full consultation with Dirac.

I will see if it lives up to its flying reviews when it arrives 😁
 
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Jasonovich

Well-known member
The problem with Hi Fi shops is there packed with a half a million pounds worth of gear and you immediately feel inadequate and poor, and whilst the staff are very nice, you feel obliged to buy something - Usually something very expensive.
It's a shame there aren't too many dealerships around on the high street. I recall as a youth I use to frequent the HiFi store on Gants Hill, Ilford Essex. It was like candy bar to a kid.

Almost every time I would spend the small change I had on something, not to give impression I was loitering or drooling over the high end equipment, I obviously couldn't afford. Almost every time I would walk out the store with something I really didn't need, usually cables or something inexpensive but on the back of my mind I was thinking, can I afford those ex-dems NADs or Rotels?
The lure was insurmountable, I did end up purchasing, DM101 Logic turntable, Musical Fidelity speakers, Sansui double deck cassette player, Harmon Kardon Amp etc etc.
 
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podknocker

Well-known member
almost always. The human ear can pick up differences in volume far easier than it can pick up differences in quality. It's also a well known trick used by hi-fi salesmen. When you go for a demo, they put the volume up on the product they want you to buy.
This is correct. I remember walking into a 2nd hand shop many years ago and they had some awful sounding speakers on demo. When I looked a bit closer and seemed interested, the bloke turn up the volume and they sounded even worse. I told him they sounded even worse at higher levels and carried on looking at other stuff. He looked really annoyed that I'd made it so obvious to him and other potential customers. It's amazing how many people think louder is better, or a bigger TV must be intrinsically better etc. So many ignorant people.
 
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Jasonovich

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My new 'portable' headphone arrived today, nearly New - Focal Elegia Headphones - Closed Back, Over the Ear. Amazing quality, in prestine condition, to my eyes it's brand new!
Sevenoaks are selling them on eBay, I had a look today, there's just one left. If you're interested the price is £335, these normally retail at £499. Get yourself a bargain!

my earphones KZ were driving me nuts with all the fiddling, trying to get it over your correct ear aaagh, I got these on impulse, still very glad I did. The Elegia's are a little big for a portable but they do hug your ears nicely like the llama's soft paws. Oh man, they look so cool. Comes with good quality cable 3.5mm and 6.5mm adapter. I have ordered customised balance 4.4mm cables for them on AliExpress, this should improve the sound further (my assumption, as I've not listened to them as yet).

Happy days!

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View attachment 6775

Check out Nearly New - Focal Elegia Headphones - Closed Back, Over the Ear - Black on eBay!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/37542710...id=TNTnGB1cS7-&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL
I was trying out my new 4.4mm balanced cables on my Focal Elegia. Really nice quality and the sound is decent.
This gave me the opportunity to compare the Focal's directly with the Hifiman's, using the SingXer headphone balanced 4.4 and XLR outputs.
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I almost forgot the tonal signature of Dynamic headphones, having been listening to my Hifiman Planar Magnet headphones so long.

So how do they compare?

Both are great headphones, a simple overview; the Focal's are more lively and fun, slightly compressed compared to Hifiman's. The latter has more open sound, more detail.
Almost boring compared to the Focal's but with the HIfiman's you can listen to them for hours and hours without fatigue, not to suggest this is the short comings of Focal. Far from it, I think it's more to do with the different technologies, you don't get the same level of high frequency distortion from Planar Magnets but it's essentially down to good design and quality of the parts, both brands are quality. Focal's sit better on my head and is beautiful to look at, while the Hifiman's are more functional

Yes mighty please with both, it's like asking a parent which child do you favour? :)

View: https://youtu.be/kUgGEQ4aDVc?si=ktoLknsvYSpkFxHl
 
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Jasonovich

Well-known member
This is why they work so well for me and, the prog/psychedelic rock I most often listen to. Before I bought them, I sent back a pair of Beyerdynamic T5Ps, because they were too clinical. The Pathos Converto compliments them nicely.
I'm very glad I purchase them! The Elegia are discontinued, I think the original retail price was £800+ but now, selling for £399! It's a steal any one looking for for a great pair of cans, should put these on their list before they're all gone.
 

Revolutions

Well-known member
Saw these Adam A3X at a decent price, so couldn’t resist. @Jasonovich you opened a can of worms turning me onto this brand 😂

The T5V were way too big for my desk & a little too bass heavy for my liking. Seeing as I only listen through these close-up, I feel I made a smart swap. Noticeable improvement in definition. And they look good on the iso stands, too.

Only problem I’m encountering instantly is bass being smashed into my face due to the front porting. So if anything, they’re even bass heavier than the ones they replaced🥲

IMG-4467.jpg
 
Saw these Adam A3X at a decent price, so couldn’t resist. @Jasonovich you opened a can of worms turning me onto this brand 😂

The T5V were way too big for my desk & a little too bass heavy for my liking. Seeing as I only listen through these close-up, I feel I made a smart swap. Noticeable improvement in definition. And they look good on the iso stands, too.

Only problem I’m encountering instantly is bass being smashed into my face due to the front porting. So if anything, they’re even bass heavier than the ones they replaced🥲

IMG-4467.jpg
Your desk is much too tidy, it's really not normal you know... :eek: :D
 

Jasonovich

Well-known member
Saw these Adam A3X at a decent price, so couldn’t resist. @Jasonovich you opened a can of worms turning me onto this brand 😂

The T5V were way too big for my desk & a little too bass heavy for my liking. Seeing as I only listen through these close-up, I feel I made a smart swap. Noticeable improvement in definition. And they look good on the iso stands, too.

Only problem I’m encountering instantly is bass being smashed into my face due to the front porting. So if anything, they’re even bass heavier than the ones they replaced🥲

IMG-4467.jpg
I'm a big Adam fan! Glad you've join the club!

Really nice A3X's; have you tried moving these slightly away from the wall or put speaker foam inside the port hole?

I think if I'm not mistaken the A3X like the A7V you can mess with the equalisation dials at the back. On mine, I have it set to flatline or neutral.

I have mine tilted away from me, this seems to disperse the sound better. Also I have long curtains, this is possibly curbing the bass. I have Focal subwoofer One which is picking up the very low frequencies, anything below 80hz. I have damping material around the SW so the bass on this beast isn't excessive. Mind you when I'm listening to the music I pull my chair right up against the wall :)

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Revolutions

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I'm a big Adam fan! Glad you've join the club!

Really nice A3X's; have you tried moving these slightly away from the wall or put speaker foam inside the port hole?

I think if I'm not mistaken the A3X like the A7V you can mess with the equalisation dials at the back. On mine, I have it set to flatline or neutral.

I have mine tilted away from me, this seems to disperse the sound better. Also I have long curtains, this is possibly curbing the bass. I have Focal subwoofer One which is picking up the very low frequencies, anything below 80hz. I have damping material around the SW so the bass on this beast isn't excessive. Mind you when I'm listening to the music I pull my chair right up against the wall :)

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View attachment 6850
Don’t make me regret getting smaller speakers 😂

No eq options on these older ones, only a dial to increase/decrease db’s of high frequency. Independent volume on the front.

Just noticed how much louder they are than the T5V. So much more alive, too. They sound nothing like little speakers. Should have gone for A series from the start
 
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Jasonovich

Well-known member
The As are really top notch. To be honest the A7Vs really are really fine without the Focal subwoofer but I'm a real sucker for a bargain. Still no regrets they work well with the Adams. Who would have thought the Germans and French can get along 😊
Just a little tinkering with the A3s and you'll get there. 👍👌
 
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Revolutions

Well-known member
I bought a WiiM pro plus. The improvement from WiiM Mini w/ amp DAC isn’t huge. But I have to admit that I quite like what it’s done for the sound.

So much that I’ve signed up to Tidal to give lossless streaming another go, see what the difference vs Spotify sounds like through the pro plus.
 

Jasonovich

Well-known member
I recently ordered a pair of OCC Audio Note AN-SPXII speaker cable for my little Dali's in the dinning room. Anxious to hear the sonic differences between these and my custom made orange OFC 16 AWG gauge cables.Picture1.png

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Silly stuff - non-HiFi related, I thought I share. I also purchased Avenger Tony Stark Arc Reactor Heart MK2 - touch sensitive LED. I'm hoping to install it inside my PC fish tank case, just waiting for the USB motherboard adapter cables to arrive, this will allow it to be powered up, when the PC is switched on.

I have mini 3600 bicycle clamp which will allow me hold it together, possibly have it hanging down from top of the case. I know I've never really grown up :)!

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