Discussion:
"7 reasons to buy a hi-fi system (and not a wireless speaker)"
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g***@gmail.com
2020-07-11 02:35:27 UTC
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https://www.whathifi.com/features/7-reasons-to-buy-a-hi-fi-system-and-not-a-wireless-speaker
MELMOTH13
2020-07-11 08:36:20 UTC
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Post by g***@gmail.com
https://www.whathifi.com/features/7-reasons-to-buy-a-hi-fi-system-and-not-a-wireless-speaker
By the way...I would be curious to know on which installation the
regular music lovers of this forum are listening to their favourite
recordings !...
As far as I'm concerned:

Amplifier: McIntosh 2x700 watts
Preamplifier: Accuphase
Speakers: Klipshorn Heritage and Magnepan M26 (105 dB vs 85 dB !)
Klipsch subwoofer with its dedicated amplifier
Converter: Audiomat and Marantz
Drive: CEC and Marantz
LP Turntable: Thorens 2026 + 2 SME + Shure + Ortofon
Alex Brown
2020-07-11 11:30:17 UTC
Permalink
Post by MELMOTH13
Post by g***@gmail.com
https://www.whathifi.com/features/7-reasons-to-buy-a-hi-fi-system-and-not-a-wireless-speaker
By the way...I would be curious to know on which installation the
regular music lovers of this forum are listening to their favourite
recordings !...
Amplifier: McIntosh 2x700 watts
Preamplifier: Accuphase
Speakers: Klipshorn Heritage and Magnepan M26 (105 dB vs 85 dB !)
Klipsch subwoofer with its dedicated amplifier
Converter: Audiomat and Marantz
Drive: CEC and Marantz
LP Turntable: Thorens 2026 + 2 SME + Shure + Ortofon
That What Hifi piece is mostly bollocks.

Me - I've used AVI "speakers" for the last 10 years, the DM10 at the
moment. These are speakers with built in DAC and amplifiers (250W for
the woofer, 75W for the tweeter). I use a sub too.

I am pleased not to have to bother with separates, "upgrade" worries, etc.

Just feed them digital bits (for which all functioning sources perform
identically). Or use your own DAC and feed them a line-level analogue
signal.

Unfortunately, AVI seems to have cased trading following the retirement
of key guy, which makes me wonder what I'd do if these units break.
--
- Alex Brown
MiNe109
2020-07-11 14:55:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by MELMOTH13
Post by g***@gmail.com
https://www.whathifi.com/features/7-reasons-to-buy-a-hi-fi-system-and-not-a-wireless-speaker
By the way...I would be curious to know on which installation the
regular music lovers of this forum are listening to their favourite
recordings !...
Amplifier: McIntosh 2x700 watts
Preamplifier: Accuphase
Speakers: Klipshorn Heritage and Magnepan M26 (105 dB vs 85 dB !)
Klipsch subwoofer with its dedicated amplifier
Converter: Audiomat and Marantz
Drive: CEC and Marantz
LP Turntable: Thorens 2026 + 2 SME + Shure + Ortofon
NAS -> Bryston streamer -> NAD DAC -> Linn amps -> Quad ESL 63

But I also enjoy my AxiomAir wireless.
s***@nycap.rr.com
2020-07-11 15:29:00 UTC
Permalink
Post by MELMOTH13
Post by g***@gmail.com
https://www.whathifi.com/features/7-reasons-to-buy-a-hi-fi-system-and-not-a-wireless-speaker
By the way...I would be curious to know on which installation the
regular music lovers of this forum are listening to their favourite
recordings !...
Amplifier: McIntosh 2x700 watts
Preamplifier: Accuphase
Speakers: Klipshorn Heritage and Magnepan M26 (105 dB vs 85 dB !)
Klipsch subwoofer with its dedicated amplifier
Converter: Audiomat and Marantz
Drive: CEC and Marantz
LP Turntable: Thorens 2026 + 2 SME + Shure + Ortofon
CD player: Oppo
Receiver: Yamaha R-S500
Speakers - Mini-Mags
Sub-woofer: Hsu Research STF-2

MIFrost
Mandryka
2020-07-12 10:45:38 UTC
Permalink
System 1

Quad ESL 63
Gradient subwoofers
Krell KSA50 Mk 1 for main speakers
Some cheap powerful Denon amp for subs
MT crossover
Museatex idatt 44 DAC with John Wright upgrades and power supply
Electrocompaniet ECI-2 as preamp (experiment)
Squeezebox classic.

System 2

Spendor SP1
Quad 306
Theta DS Pro Prime II
Raspberry Pi streamer


System 3

Rogers JR 149
Radford STA25 Mk3
Theta Chroma 396 DAC
Squeezebox Classic


System 4.

Warfdale Diamonds fixed to wall with Linn Braket
Little Rotel integrated amp from the 80s
Direct from computer soundard.
MiNe109
2020-07-12 15:24:46 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mandryka
System 1
Quad ESL 63
Gradient subwoofers
Krell KSA50 Mk 1 for main speakers
Some cheap powerful Denon amp for subs
MT crossover
Museatex idatt 44 DAC with John Wright upgrades and power supply
Electrocompaniet ECI-2 as preamp (experiment)
Squeezebox classic.
System 2
Spendor SP1
Quad 306
Theta DS Pro Prime II
Raspberry Pi streamer
System 3
Rogers JR 149
Radford STA25 Mk3
Theta Chroma 396 DAC
Squeezebox Classic
System 4.
Warfdale Diamonds fixed to wall with Linn Braket
Little Rotel integrated amp from the 80s
Direct from computer soundard.
Now I want to do my secondary system! Yours look nice, btw.

System 2

Dynaudio DM 2/8
Linn LK-100
JDS Labs OL Switcher
Squeezebox Touch
Andy Evans
2020-07-14 07:45:33 UTC
Permalink
My system:
Source: Mac Pro, all music in iTunes, plus all internet activity goes through my system.
DAC: AK4490
Preamp: Op-amp with 2x NE5534 chips. Gain 5.5x
Amp: 46 tube (plate choke, teflon coupling cap) into 300b, all DHT.
Speakers: IB Columns with Mark Audio Alpair 10m full-range units.

I make all the electronics except the solid state stuff. Massive power supplies, loads of chokes and polypropylene caps. Rod Coleman voltage regs on all the filament supplies.

It's a smallish room. My 2 goals are timbre of acoustic instruments and transparency. I've been building my own electronics with DHT tubes for 12 years. This is the best so far. The op-amp stage is surprisingly good. All very minimalistic, ultra simple circuit but massive power supplies.
Raymond Hall
2020-07-15 03:44:21 UTC
Permalink
Post by Andy Evans
Source: Mac Pro, all music in iTunes, plus all internet activity goes through my system.
DAC: AK4490
Preamp: Op-amp with 2x NE5534 chips. Gain 5.5x
Amp: 46 tube (plate choke, teflon coupling cap) into 300b, all DHT.
Speakers: IB Columns with Mark Audio Alpair 10m full-range units.
I make all the electronics except the solid state stuff. Massive power supplies, loads of chokes and polypropylene caps. Rod Coleman voltage regs on all the filament supplies.
It's a smallish room. My 2 goals are timbre of acoustic instruments and transparency. I've been building my own electronics with DHT tubes for 12 years. This is the best so far. The op-amp stage is surprisingly good. All very minimalistic, ultra simple circuit but massive power supplies.
Hi Andy, with slightly larger power supplies and an inverter, you could supply the house with ac. When not listening of course. Btw, how close are your neighbours?

Ray Hall, Taree
Andy Evans
2020-07-15 06:10:11 UTC
Permalink
Post by Raymond Hall
Hi Andy, with slightly larger power supplies and an inverter, you could supply the house with ac. When not listening of course. Btw, how close are your neighbours?
Ray Hall, Taree
Massive power supplies don't mean loud, Ray! Just means extremely well filtered. Since the 46 and 300b are directly heated, the filament supplies also need to be pure. Actually I don't play my system loud - on the contrary I listen at fairly low volumes, hence the importance of transparency. I'm in an apartment block so neighbours up and down. I like lower volumes and extremely transparent. It's very restful.
John Hood
2020-07-15 07:13:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by Andy Evans
Post by Raymond Hall
Hi Andy, with slightly larger power supplies and an inverter, you could supply the house with ac. When not listening of course. Btw, how close are your neighbours?
Ray Hall, Taree
Massive power supplies don't mean loud, Ray! Just means extremely well filtered. Since the 46 and 300b are directly heated, the filament supplies also need to be pure. Actually I don't play my system loud - on the contrary I listen at fairly low volumes, hence the importance of transparency. I'm in an apartment block so neighbours up and down. I like lower volumes and extremely transparent. It's very restful.
How do you go with current mastering practice of making a string quartet
go from a whisper to a scream? I remaster quite a lot of the music I
regularly listen to - even excruciatingly soft (read inaudible) music
deserves to be heard.

JH
Mandryka
2020-07-15 08:01:29 UTC
Permalink
Conventional speakers often do badly at low volumes, my electrostatics do better, and friends tell me horns work well at low volume too.
Andy Evans
2020-07-16 01:49:44 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mandryka
Conventional speakers often do badly at low volumes, my electrostatics do better, and friends tell me horns work well at low volume too.
Electrostatics are wonderful but full range ribbons are even better. I loved my Apogee ribbons, but sadly I didn't have space for them - needed a bigger home than mine. A friend has Duettas - best speakers I ever heard
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