Where do i go from here

[Willcurrie]

I'm posting in the Hi-fi section because I'm interested in listening to music, although i use mp3 as a source mosty. My amp is a home cinema amp so i hope I'm not posing in the wrong forum with my 1st post.

My current setup is as follows

Onkyo 609 amp

Q acoustics 2010i centre, rears and sub

Linn nexus Nexus fronts

I listen to music mostly and enjoy the odd film. Music is served via a NAS(mp3) to a squeezebox duet linked by optical cable to the amp. I've never been totally happy with the sound while listening to music. I've played around with all the settings on the amp and generally listen in the studio mix dsp setting or stereo depending on the material. I find the setup occasionally sibilant and generally a little harsh when played loud. The room does not really help its 7.5 x 4m with wood flooring but i actually think it's not too much of an influence. One of the nexus tweeters is on its way out and I've found replacements via the oem but I'm considering reviewing my setup as a whole for a bit more musicality. I actually find the nexus to be quite detailed and expressive until the music revs up a bit when it all gets a bit uncomfortable even when using a cd source. I suspect the onkyo plays its part in this but I've not got the experience of other kit to compare it too.

If i throw £1500 at my system and expect a more musical performance where should i spend it? I live in the Highlands so auditioning kit needs to be planned and executed in a day probably in Glasgow. My musical tastes range from prog rock through folk, jazz, vocal and acoustic stuff.

Thanks

 

[Infiniteloop]

If I were you, I would consider ditching MP3 as a source going forward.

Lossless FLAC or ALAC is the way forward. Once you've made this decision, spending money on the rest of your system makes sense, but not until.

 

[Willcurrie]

I guessed that would be one of the 1st suggestions. While that would be a great thing to do I currently have over 900 albums in hight bit rate mp3 format. Most of my CDs are long gone too. Any move away from my current collection will be a long slow process.
I'd like to improve the musicality of my system hardware and as my music library grows over time I can improve my source files.
While mp3 is a compromise format my experience is that a lot of recordings produced in recent years are much more compromised by the final mastering process than anything else.

 

[The_Lhc]

I guessed that would be one of the 1st suggestions. While that would be a great thing to do I currently have over 900 albums in hight bit rate mp3 format. Most of my CDs are long gone too.

Well you're not entitled to listen to any rips from those then, problem solved! HTH< HAND!!1!!

 

[BenLaw]

The words are coming out all weird. Where are you now?

 

[Anderson]

High bitrate MP3 is just fine, it is indistinguishable from FLAC so I would disagree that you change your source.

Most people would say to spend the money on speakers, but you seem to have that all covered. Could you do with a more modern amp, for improved features or equalisation?

What about a new source or multiple? You could grab yourself a Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV and have £1200 left over for movies and music?

 

[Infiniteloop]

High bitrate MP3 is just fine, it is indistinguishable from FLAC so I would disagree that you change your source.

Most people would say to spend the money on speakers, but you seem to have that all covered. Could you do with a more modern amp, for improved features or equalisation?

What about a new source or multiple? You could grab yourself a Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV and have £1200 left over for movies and music?

I respectfully disagree: MP3 is a 'lossy' format. FLAC (or ALAC) is not.

This might help: http://www.stereophile.com/features/308mp3cd/index.html

 

[TrevC]

High bitrate MP3 is just fine, it is indistinguishable from FLAC so I would disagree that you change your source.

Most people would say to spend the money on speakers, but you seem to have that all covered. Could you do with a more modern amp, for improved features or equalisation?

What about a new source or multiple? You could grab yourself a Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV and have £1200 left over for movies and music?

I respectfully disagree: MP3 is a 'lossy' format. FLAC (or ALAC) is not.

This might help: http://www.stereophile.com/features/308mp3cd/index.html

It's weird how MP3, AAC or whatever is frowned on even at high bitrates but people, sometimes the same people, argue about the supposed superiority of vinyl. Funny old world.

 

[The_Lhc]

Down to the lake I fear...

(well, someone had to...)

 

[Infiniteloop]

High bitrate MP3 is just fine, it is indistinguishable from FLAC so I would disagree that you change your source.

Most people would say to spend the money on speakers, but you seem to have that all covered. Could you do with a more modern amp, for improved features or equalisation?

What about a new source or multiple? You could grab yourself a Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV and have £1200 left over for movies and music?

I respectfully disagree: MP3 is a 'lossy' format. FLAC (or ALAC) is not.

This might help: http://www.stereophile.com/features/308mp3cd/index.html

It's weird how MP3, AAC or whatever is frowned on even at high bitrates but people, sometimes the same people, argue about the supposed superiority of vinyl. Funny old world.

MP3 and AAC throw away data in the conversion process at whatever bitrate.

FLAC and ALAC (and Vinyl), do not.

If you want to hear the difference for yourself, go onto a streaming website like Qobuz and listen to streams of the same music in MP3 320kbps and Flac @ 16bit/44.1Khz.

If you cannot hear the difference, I wouldn't bother spending more than £100 on a HiFi system.....

 

[steve_1979]

Now that this thread is about to take a bit-rate related nose dive into the pits of hell I'd just like to add that all cables sound the same and active speakers are best.

*diablo*

 

[Infiniteloop]

Now that this thread is about to take a bit-rate related nose dive into the pits of hell I'd just like to add that all cables sound the same and active speakers are best.

*diablo*

You forgot to add that all CD players sound the same, mono is better than stereo and the shape of a room makes no difference to the sound of the system playing in it.*biggrin*

 

[CnoEvil]

I'd just like to add that all cables sound the same...

*diablo*

...they're not alone in that. *biggrin*