HiFi Equipment

gafferino

Im looking to spend between 500 and 700 euro on a hi fi system for my bedroom. ive looked in all the regular places such as dixons and petes but have found nothing. does anyone know of any shops in dublin then sells decent equipment? i dont want to buy online because i want to see and hear it first. please help as its not long until christmas!!!!!!!

Idleater

gafferino wrote:

Im looking to spend between 500 and 700 euro on a hi fi system for my bedroom. ive looked in all the regular places such as dixons and petes but have found nothing. does anyone know of any shops in dublin then sells decent equipment? i dont want to buy online because i want to see and hear it first. please help as its not long until christmas!!!!!!!

X-Music (near the Ha'penny bridge) have a selection of hifi seperates and they are linked to richersounds.

Otherwise Harvey Norman have some seperates and also allinone systems. Currys too, they are linked to Dixons but generally have bigger stores so there is more stock on display.

L.

ZENER

I suppose the primary question will be "what do want as your main input ?" Either way spend a larger proportion of the budget on speakers and amplifier.

If you want to use it as an *.mp3 system then be sure to use a good quality sound card (SB Live/Audigy) in the host computer, if it's going to be CD Audio then basically any half decent DVD/CD player will suffice these days.

From an audiophile POV, "500 to 700" isn't a huge budget but you will find something that pleases you. A tuner/amp is a good compromise, look for something with about 25 - 40 W RMS output. Speakers are totally subjective so listen to a few different sets in your price range. For Example:

Kef Coda 70's
Mission M711

A good compromise !!

With Amp/Tuner in mind you could do worse than a Marantz SR4400 in Cool Black !

The Panasonic DVDS47MR-SIL should look after your CD/DVD requirements.

If true CD audiophile is your bag then consider ACOUSTIC SOLUTIONS-SP121 CD PLAYER

Enjoy

Zen

gafferino

thanks zen but where's the best place to go for this equipment in dublin?

commited

I had a long reply typed out to this but this retard computer decided to die..

In a nutshell..

I disagree with much of what Zener said. You cant just pick up "any half decent" CD/DVD player and hope it'll sound good - there is alot of tat out there, including that acoustic solutions player (which definately isnt "audiophile")

Go into cloney audio in blackrock - www.cloneyaudio.com - they're good guys and often have alot of high quality used stuff in stock, which they dont list on their site.

If you cant afford anything they have in there, at least go in and get a feeling for the brands you like and think work well together - it'll then be easy to pick up similar sounding used equipment for less.

Recommending a home cinema amp for a stereo system is just ridiculous - they are no where near as good as a stereo amp at the same price level (or even anywhere near).

As for speakers - very much personal preference - but dont go near those bi-polar speakers - they are rear speakers made for movies not music.

If you spend wisely, you'll be able to pick up a system that sounds like it cost twice or three times the amount that it did and should keep a smile on your face for 10+ years. I spent about IR£1000 5 years ago, and I'm more than happy, the upgrade monster only coming to visit because my father has a ridiculously expensive system which puts mine in the shadows!

If you're going to use an MP3 based hifi, it obviously gives you more to spend on the amp/speakers - but CDs always sound miles better, so buy a CD player if you are a true music lover. If you are going to play Mp3s through your PC - go for one of the M-audio or EMU0404 cards - abuout €100. Avoid the creative tat (unless you can find an old PCI128 card which ive found is a bit of a stereo star)

When you go to demo, bring CDs that you know well - you'll probably be shocked at how much better they sound, and it'll give you an idea of how the system works with music you like.

If you want anymore help - drop me a PM.

ZENER

I was taking the value for money point of view with my recommendations. If you take out 250 to 300+ for a reasonable set of speakers there isn't a lot left to spend on true audiophile components.

Sure you can buy S/H and get top notch parts for a song (pardon the pun !) and that is something to be recommended of course. But if you think there is much difference between CD Players at that price range then you can probably hear the difference that O2 free cables make on a creative labs PCI128 sound card !!

They use standard components mass produced in taiwan. A true audiophile CD player will have a seperate DAC, PSU and mechanism or combination of these - below the price of these the Amp and speakers will have more effect on the final sound anyway. A CD/DVD Player below 200 quid will be indistinguishable from a 99 quid one in my experience. The difference between a good CD player and a reasonable one is quality DAC and EC system and quality output stages things not present in sub 200 quid gear no matter what their bumph tells you.

The amp - in hindsight - was probably a poor recommendation but again I was approaching it via bang per buck. The home cinema option will provide connections to varied input devices and allow access to SACD titles via the extra output channels and provide plenty of inputs for items like X-Box - PS2, PC etc etc.

As you say though a dedicated stereo amp is desirable over an all in one job. A good maker known for quality Amps at a low price is NAD, their current offering is the C320BEE which scores well. Sony too make some fine amps in their ES range though they are pricey !

For speakers - many stores like Harvey Normans have auditioning rooms where you can experiment. I won't go into why I think it's wrong but you could audition there and buy online at a saving. I would put aside the majority of the budget for these as they are what will reproduce all the nuances of the signals from the other components.

Bringing a familiar CD is an excellent idea so long as it hasn't been recreated from compressed files from your computer, i.e. .mp3 or .wma etc.

I'd be interested to know what you eventually opt for, post back soon !

ZEN

commited

There certainly is a difference between CD players at that price point. I havent demo'd much stuff recently, but during the summer when i was in the UK, I went to listen to some of the low end stuff with a friend and found that there was a big difference under £150 between the CD/DVD players at that price level. I mention the PCI128 because I was genuinely surprised! I'm going to order an EMU0404 after xmas to see the difference (need to sort out my furniture placement first though)

And yes, cables do make a difference imo - the purer you keep the signal, the better your sound will be. It's a nice and effective upgrade at a later stage if you dont have the cash initially.

Every CD player has a CD transport, dac & PSU within it, not just audiophile (I hate the word audiophile, but we'll use it anyway) ones. Separating all of these items into separate boxes doesnt always result in better sound - look at the case of wadia - some of the best CD players in the world. I, however am going the separate Transport/DAC route, but it comes at a price.

The source is always the most important part of the system.

The extra channels need extra speakers, which is more money for a diminishing return compared to that extra money being put into stereo. I play movies etc in stereo, and I've often had people comment that its no worse than a cheaper 5.1 system. Music should be stereo imo - after lots of demos of SACD and DVD-A I'm not convinced in the surround format for music..

The NAD C320BEE is excellent for the money if you like the type of sound it produces. Sonys ES range is ridiculously overpriced and stuff for half the price out performs it imo.

Speakers are very subjective - spending more isnt necessarily going to make it sound better to your ears. I know plenty of people using relatively cheap speakers with very expensive systems, purely because they love the sound they produce and cant better it for a reasonable amount of money.

Harvey normans is another option, but I was unimpressed with their range and prices when I was in there - every little bit of extra demo helps though!

If you are going to the UK any time soon - hold off buying/demo'ing until you get over there - some really really great shops over there.

All in all - hifi is very subjective and all experience and advice helps, but only you will know what sounds right to you!

ZENER

There certainly is a difference between CD players at that price point. I havent demo'd much stuff recently, but during the summer when i was in the UK, I went to listen to some of the low end stuff with a friend and found that there was a big difference under £150 between the CD/DVD players at that price level.

A case of the Emperors new clothes IMO - no-one wants to admit that they paid loads for something that is no better. Look inside these players at this price and you'll find the same silicon with perhaps slightly better quality caps but nothing to justify the higher pricetag except the prestigious brand on the front.

Every CD player has a CD transport, dac & PSU within it, not just audiophile (I hate the word audiophile, but we'll use it anyway) ones. Separating all of these items into separate boxes doesnt always result in better sound - look at the case of wadia - some of the best CD players in the world. I, however am going the separate Transport/DAC route, but it comes at a price.

There is some justification for seperating the components of a player but this is offset by the price and the added expense of the equipment required to actually hear the difference. Some maintain that the Presence of a large transformer in proximity to the sensitive focus coils on a laser can have a detrimental effect and there is some substance to this but most people wouldn't even notice even those who claim to be able to tell.

Many experiments have been done using blind testing of "Audiophile Equipment" where listeners were "told" they were listening to a range of components but in fact were listening to the same items each time and low cost items at that. Surprising is an understatement speaking of the results. Magazines in the 80's made huge claims about triangles of copper or aliminium placed at "sweetspots" around a listening room and some "audiophiles" actually claimed to hear a difference !

Read this..

Excerpt:

". . . that a blind test, merely by being blind, reveals the reality of audible amplifier differences; and 2) that sighted listening is dominated by nonaudio factors, the so-called "Placebo Effect.""

The job of an amplifier is to amplify - without distortion or coloration - the signal at it's input. So any amplifier that sounds "different" is introducing distortion into the signal - of course to prove this we need a purer reference - a difficult item to come accross.

My suggestion here is to listen to the components you intend to buy and not get hung up on brand names and also remember that a reviewer gives only his/her opinion on what the equipment sounded like to them - this does not necessarily mean it will sound the same to you, in fact there is every chance you will question the reviewers credentials after hearing for yourself.

Good listening !

ZEN

commited

ZENER wrote:

A case of the Emperors new clothes IMO - no-one wants to admit that they paid loads for something that is no better. Look inside these players at this price and you'll find the same silicon with perhaps slightly better quality caps but nothing to justify the higher pricetag except the prestigious brand on the front.

There is some justification for seperating the components of a player but this is offset by the price and the added expense of the equipment required to actually hear the difference. Some maintain that the Presence of a large transformer in proximity to the sensitive focus coils on a laser can have a detrimental effect and there is some substance to this but most people wouldn't even notice even those who claim to be able to tell.

Or maybe you have cloth ears First of all - €200 is hardly "loads". Secondly, I agree with the prestigious brand thing - there is an awful lot of crap such as B&O and Bose. The DAC i've ordered is of no "prestigious" brand, but it will improve my sound immensely, all for €250. Back in the day, when I was doin extensive demo'ing of various brands and components, I heard differences in every component I tried. Some coloured the sound, some made it bright and fatigueing. There is a huge difference in components at a certain price point - if there wasnt, everyone would buy the same make/model all the time, wouldnt they?

Many experiments have been done using blind testing of "Audiophile Equipment" where listeners were "told" they were listening to a range of components but in fact were listening to the same items each time and low cost items at that. Surprising is an understatement speaking of the results. Magazines in the 80's made huge claims about triangles of copper or aliminium placed at "sweetspots" around a listening room and some "audiophiles" actually claimed to hear a difference !

Read this..

Excerpt:

". . . that a blind test, merely by being blind, reveals the reality of audible amplifier differences; and 2) that sighted listening is dominated by nonaudio factors, the so-called "Placebo Effect.""

Interesting article:
"First, it demonstrates that my following the then-as-now "objectivist" mantra—that audiophiles should buy the cheapest amplifier that offers the power and features they need—had let me down." was interesting.. That is definately not the "audiophiles mantra". The "audiophiles mantra" is to buy what sounds best to their ear. As I said before I spent days testing components and the result was a system that has kept me happy for over 5 years. Anyone who looks at specs and buys their amplifier based on that is a fool.

The job of an amplifier is to amplify - without distortion or coloration - the signal at it's input. So any amplifier that sounds "different" is introducing distortion into the signal - of course to prove this we need a purer reference - a difficult item to come accross.

Nearly every amplifier "colours" the sound a little bit, as was shown in that stereophile article. Generally every brand has a "sound". I like the Naim/Arcam/Meridian sound in my experience, but I also have a €40 T-amp, that has more detail and clarity than amps costing 100 times its price. It has certainly replaced my arcam for the time being.

My suggestion here is to listen to the components you intend to buy and not get hung up on brand names and also remember that a reviewer gives only his/her opinion on what the equipment sounded like to them - this does not necessarily mean it will sound the same to you, in fact there is every chance you will question the reviewers credentials after hearing for yourself.

I agree - ignore reviews and make up your own mind. Listen to lots of components in various combinations and you should end up with a system that you love. Make sure you listen for an extended period of time so that you dont end up with a system that is fatigueing.

Good luck!

TempestSabre

Anywhere sell 2nd hand HiFi gear in Dublin?

commited

Cloney Audio usually have a good selection of used stuff - some real bargains too..

Or my attic