What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[Mirror Image]

Brian, if you're looking for a laptop just get an Apple Macbook Pro. I currently own one and it's the best computer I've ever owned. For me, PC's have always been difficult to maneuver and extremely clunky. Apple's OS and the way the computer runs in general is intuitive and was designed by people who seem to want to make our lives easier. Apple computer also boast the best audio I've from any computer, so if you're looking for another laptop, keep this suggestion in mind.

As for a stereo system, you can never go wrong with Sony. I have a Sony amp, a Sony CD player, and a Sony MD player. I also own a pair of Polk Audio bookshelf speakers and a Cerwin-Vega center speaker, but, to be honest, I do most of my listening these days through my Apple iPod Classic via a SMSL headphone amplifier and a pair of Philips SHP9500 headphones. I rip all my CDs using 256 kbps, so the quality is excellent. This setup is located at my desk with my trusty Broyhill leather chair. My current setup certainly fulfills all of my needs.

[Todd]

A couple things.

First, a DAC is a Digital to Analog converter.  Very important, and stand-alone units run from maybe $50 to six figures.  Performance varies.

Second, how simple do you want it to be, and what kind of system do you want?  You could go quick and dirty, get a Bluetooth transmitter for your PC, buy a Bluetooth receiver (Logitech for cheap, Audioengine for slightly less cheap) and run that into a pair of powered speakers (Audioengine, say, or Emotiva Airmotiv speakers) and you're good to go with decent enough sound.  You can jump to something like a Sonos based system for some more flexibility.  You'd probably need a separate headphone amp, but there are plenty of reasonably priced options there.

Were I going quick and reasonably priced for a small setup for non-optical disc playback, I'd probably opt for the Salk Streamer and Salk Powered Monitors, or more accurately a variant thereof.  I own three pairs of Salk speakers, and they all sound great, so I know what I would be getting, and I'd see about having them build a pair of powered towers with a proper Class A/B amp rather than Class D.  (Check out the frequency plot on the current model.  Crazy flat for such an affordable speaker, and the measurements are accurate, and the Hiquphon tweeter is a beauty.) 

Ultimately, though, I demand higher quality and would need a better DAC and separates for pre-amp and amp, and proper speakers.  Budget dictates how far you go here.  There are thousands of answers in this type of set-up.

[aligreto]

As space constraints are at a premium for you you need as few boxes as possible. I saw the Arcam Solo advertised recently but I have not heard it yet. Some of the promo detail states....

"Featuring the latest Class G amplification the new Solo brings a level of sound quality unheard of in its class: an impressive 80 watts per channel using 8 ohm speakers and 125 watts using 4 ohm speakers.

In simple terms this means music is reproduced with stunning realism without the messy clutter.

Additionally the Solo has an integrated CD player which supports both CD & SACD playback, along with the customary FM/DAB radio tuner. Built in Bluetooth aptX facility gives you the ability to connect a Smartphone, iPAD or any Bluetooth equipped device so you can listen to worldwide Internet radio or songs stored on your phone/pad.

In fact it has several digital inputs plus four HDMI's so your TV/DVD/BLU Ray/Sky Box can be played through the Solo, making it the most versatile stereo on the market to date"

As stated above I have not heard this yet but I have owned Arcam equipment in the past and I have found it to be very good indeed. Perhaps you could consider something like this. Here is what it looks like....




Suitably sizes speakers to fit your available space could then be bought to make for a very compact but versatile system.

[Brian]

Thanks, Todd and aligreto (and Jens - that's right, I saw it ) - questions below because this is not simple enough yet 

A couple things.

First, a DAC is a Digital to Analog converter.  Very important, and stand-alone units run from maybe $50 to six figures.  Performance varies.

So it's used mostly for computer-to-headphones? Is it used for anything else? For lazy Sunday morning tablet/headphone listening, would something like this be an all-in-one solution?

Second, how simple do you want it to be, and what kind of system do you want?  You could go quick and dirty, get a Bluetooth transmitter for your PC, buy a Bluetooth receiver (Logitech for cheap, Audioengine for slightly less cheap) and run that into a pair of powered speakers (Audioengine, say, or Emotiva Airmotiv speakers) and you're good to go with decent enough sound.  You can jump to something like a Sonos based system for some more flexibility.  You'd probably need a separate headphone amp, but there are plenty of reasonably priced options there.

Thanks. Assuming (just for sake of argument) Audioengine Bluetooth receiver + powered speakers, add to this a CD/SACD/Blu-Ray player and that would be more or less a complete living room setup? Am I reading correctly that something like this has Bluetooth receiver built in already? I am genuinely this clueless, sorry.

Similarly...

Ultimately, though, I demand higher quality and would need a better DAC and separates for pre-amp and amp, and proper speakers.  Budget dictates how far you go here.  There are thousands of answers in this type of set-up.

Pre-amp??

As space constraints are at a premium for you you need as few boxes as possible. I saw the Arcam Solo advertised recently but I have not heard it yet. Some of the promo detail states....
Suitably sizes speakers to fit your available space could then be bought to make for a very compact but versatile system.

Thanks! Lack of pricing on the website scares me  - I am young (26) and by no means rich (professional writer) so budget is a major consideration and spending even a few thousand $$ on an audio system means skipping travel this summer, or staying in a low-rent apartment an extra year, or something like that.

Do you know the difference between the advertised Arcam for CD/SACD and the "Movie" version? Would audio playback be more or less the same? I would not be opposed to replacing my cheapo Blu-Ray player if it means an all-in-one movie/music box.

[Brian]

Thanks! Lack of pricing on the website scares me  - I am young (26)

Technologically speaking, I'm a terrible young person. Yesterday one of my friends started trying to teach me how to use an RSS feed. And my friends are shocked/outraged that in the car, I play actual physical CDs.

[Mirror Image]

And my friends are shocked/outraged that in the car, I play actual physical CDs.

And yet they're still your friends?

[Brian]

Brian, if you're looking for a laptop just get an Apple Macbook Pro. I currently own one and it's the best computer I've ever owned. For me, PC's have always been difficult to maneuver and extremely clunky. Apple's OS and the way the computer runs in general is intuitive and was designed by people who seem to want to make our lives easier. Apple computer also boast the best audio I've from any computer, so if you're looking for another laptop, keep this suggestion in mind.

As for a stereo system, you can never go wrong with Sony. I have a Sony amp, a Sony CD player, and a Sony MD player. I also own a pair of Polk Audio bookshelf speakers and a Cerwin-Vega center speaker, but, to be honest, I do most of my listening these days through my Apple iPod Classic via a SMSL headphone amplifier and a pair of Philips SHP9500 headphones. I rip all my CDs using 256 kbps, so the quality is excellent. This setup is located at my desk with my trusty Broyhill leather chair. My current setup certainly fulfills all of my needs.

Thanks for the sound system comments. (Uh, what's an MD player? Minidisc? You have minidiscs??)

As for Apple vs. PC, I have an Apple computer at my office - one of the huge fancy 28" new iMacs - and a PC laptop at home, so I've had ample time to compare. There are definitely major advantages and disadvantages to each; there are things about Apple I find easier, but also features that are clunky or annoying to me. Not going to make a totally uninformed decision, there.

And yet they're still your friends?

Well...it's usually 50s-60s jazz so I turn off the CDs when they hop in. 

[Todd]

So it's used mostly for computer-to-headphones?

A DAC is used to convert digital to analog and is in PCs, CD players, BD players, everything really.  It is separate from a headphone amp.  (Well, the two can be integrated.)

Thanks. Assuming (just for sake of argument) Audioengine Bluetooth receiver + powered speakers, add to this a CD/SACD/Blu-Ray player and that would be more or less a complete living room setup? Am I reading correctly that something like this has Bluetooth receiver built in already? I am genuinely this clueless, sorry.

Basically, yes.  You could get a Bluetooth receiver, plug the optical out into the optical in on an Oppo and then connect the Oppo analog outs (or digital out) to powered speakers like from Audioengine.  The Oppo units have volume controls. 

The Audioengine HD6 appears to include a Bluetooth receiver, so you could just plug an Oppo into those and then a Bluetooth transmitting device should be able to connect to the speakers as well.

(The Audioengine's are powered, but have passive crossovers, whereas the Salks I linked have a DAC and amplifier and active crossovers, which promises better sound, even with Class D amplification, of which I am generally not a fan.  That's a different set of issues, though.)

Similarly...Pre-amp??

A pre-amp is basically just the inputs and volume control section of a receiver or integrated amp.  Higher end gear tends to split each function up.  I happen to use a stereo pre-amp and a stereo amp, both with outboard power supplies, so five boxes total just to amplify what comes from the sources.  (My main rig has nine boxes, not including the two box headphone amp connected to it and the three/four [depending on configuration] piece turntable rig currently disconnected from it.)

[Mirror Image]

Thanks for the sound system comments. (Uh, what's an MD player? Minidisc? You have minidiscs??)

As for Apple vs. PC, I have an Apple computer at my office - one of the huge fancy 28" new iMacs - and a PC laptop at home, so I've had ample time to compare. There are definitely major advantages and disadvantages to each; there are things about Apple I find easier, but also features that are clunky or annoying to me. Not going to make a totally uninformed decision, there.

You're welcome. Yep, that's correct MiniDisc player. Read all about it here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc

I don't actually own any MiniDiscs that have been released by a record label, but my dad owns a few. He even owns Miles' Kind Of Blue, which is a rare one on MD. Mostly I use MiniDiscs for recording as if I really enjoy a CD I just bought, I'll transfer the CD to MD, and, besides sounding fantastic, they come most in handy when traveling since they're so small.

As for the computer issue, I completely understand. There's always pluses and minuses to consider. Thankfully, for me, the positives of Apple outweigh the negatives.

Well...it's usually 50s-60s jazz so I turn off the CDs when they hop in. 

Very considerate of you. Personally, I'd make them suffer.

[Brian]

Basically, yes.  You could get a Bluetooth receiver, plug the optical out into the optical in on an Oppo and then connect the Oppo analog outs (or digital out) to powered speakers like from Audioengine.  The Oppo units have volume controls. 

The Audioengine HD6 appears to include a Bluetooth receiver, so you could just plug an Oppo into those and then a Bluetooth transmitting device should be able to connect to the speakers as well.

(The Audioengine's are powered, but have passive crossovers, whereas the Salks I linked have a DAC and amplifier and active crossovers, which promises better sound, even with Class D amplification, of which I am generally not a fan.  That's a different set of issues, though.)

Oppo = something like this?

The Salks come with a Chromecast adapter so I guess they'd work along similar lines. A friend of mine says his Chromecast has been a piece of garbage, though. Need to ask him for more info on that. Always in favor of better sound, of course, and Salks are pricier but not outrageous in terms of $$ or space taking-up.

If there was a shopping list like:
- Salk speakers
- Arcam or Oppo every-disc player
- Schiit USB headphone amp/DAC
- Bluetooth transmitter
...would that pretty much cover the bases for playing physical & downloaded/streaming music in the living room and on headphones?


Nine boxes?! Maybe I should visit you and see just how different music sounds in your living room vs. what it sounds like in mine...

[(poco) Sforzando]

Technologically speaking, I'm a terrible young person. Yesterday one of my friends started trying to teach me how to use an RSS feed. And my friends are shocked/outraged that in the car, I play actual physical CDs.

Since I too do much of my listening in the car playing actual physical CDs, does that mean we are no longer friends?

[Brian]

Since I too do much of my listening in the car playing actual physical CDs, does that mean we are no longer friends?

Just that the rest of my friends are shocked/outraged at both of us!

[Todd]

Oppo = something like this?

The 105 is much better than the 103 in terms of analog audio output.  (I have both, plus the 93.)  It's worth the extra outlay if you plan on using the analog outs.  It also has a headphone jack, which is pretty good.  The 103 does not have digital inputs, so it would be a less flexible hub. 

I've not heard the Salk powered speakers, or the top Audioengine, but I can assure you that the Salks would sound significantly better than any Audioengine. 

Nine boxes?! Maybe I should visit you and see just how different music sounds in your living room vs. what it sounds like in mine...

My main rig is in a stereo room.  My living room system is only six boxes.  (All counts exclude speakers, of course.)

[(poco) Sforzando]

Just that the rest of my friends are shocked/outraged at both of us!

And I don't even know the rest of your friends, or they me. But I would be the first person to admit my own "audio system" is for shit. I have a receiver, speakers, CD player, even a turntable in the living room; but I like to watch movies on my little 9" portable player while lying in bed, and I do most of my music listening these days in the car. Shocking/outrageous, I know.

[jlaurson]

HELP

Here are all sound-related things I currently have:
- a Samsung TV
- a Sony Blu-Ray/DVD/CD player for the TV, hooked up via HDMI
- a dying laptop with a CD drive
- sweet headphones (Audio-Technica M50)
- external HD

Here's what I aspire to be doing with music:
- playing CDs, SACDs, Blu-Rays on some kind of sound system
- beaming lossless downloads to the sound system (most of my MusicWeb reviews are FLAC copies now)
- still using the headphones when, say, lazing under the covers reading a book and listening to Schubert on a Saturday morning.

Very basic, as requested:

Source (digital) [usually converts to analog via its own Digital-to-Analogue-Converter or the sound card in your computer, but that's the first real quality issue. More anon.]

->

Amplification (Usually, but not necessarily, the Amplifier which usually, but not necessarily includes the job of selecting the source, adjusting the volume, and pumping the result to the speakers)

->

Reproduction (Speakers)


Now, you have different potential sources -- and it looks it would be best if you have digital sources and do all the quality converting to analogue in one dedicated place, a DAC. This DAC could be your CD/SACD player... which works if they have a digital-IN, but I think that's not the most convenient way to go about it.


To minimize boxes and, ultimately, expenses, I would probably make two elements central:

A great DAC with multiple digital inputs (for your CD/SACD player, for your laptop, for your TV)

Active speakers.

Active speakers (you said "Setup for Dummies", so excuse me if I state something too obvious) have the amplification built-in... the most obvious advantage of it being that you don't need an external amplifier... and that the amplification is matched exactly to the speaker, which eliminates a whole set of variables (which only ever reduce, rarely improve, the audio quality). They may seem expensive but given that you don't need that amp, they are a actually good bang for the buck. And you don't have to worry about cables as much as with passive speakers.


What else? Well... if you find the right machine as a DAC, nothing! In that case, it would be nice if that DAC could offer the following:

- Good Headphone Amplification (there are TONS of good DAC/Headphone Amps out there)
- Several Digital Line Ins to choose between from (including at least one USB!), and preferably via remote control... so that you don't have to plug in and out stuff, just to listen from a different source. That's essential, since when it comes down to listening-time, you don't want any inconvenience.
- Pre-Amp ability... namely a good potentiometer. Say what? Basically a quality volume knob. (There are active speakers with remote controls that have volume adjustment available for you, which could make this optional... though the kind of device you would find that offers all the other things you need will likely have this, too.

There is lots of choice out there... I name only those that I know would qualify. None of this is a recommendation per se, as my setup is passive and slightly different and slightly more cumbersome...

...but, if you opt for this minimal boxes/maximum quality setup, you could look at things like the Oppo HA-1, Ayre Acoustics Codex, Cary Audio DAC-200ts, NAD C 510 Direct Digital Preamp DAC, Burson Audio Conductor Virtuoso, Mytek Manhattan DAC, Box Designs by Pro-Ject Stream Box RS (!), Fostex HP-A8C, Benchmark DAC1 HDR or Benchmark DAC2 (!), NAD has interesting products along those lines (and are known for value)...

Now you are (almost) independent of how fancy your CD player is... you could get a wonderful old mid-1990s Philips player used (they react much faster than what you'll be used to and the drives are good and the DAC you don't care about anymore, because they have a digital out)... or use whatever you have... and use your computer for Hi-Fi purposes by plugging the DAC into the USB out.

[aligreto]

Do you know the difference between the advertised Arcam for CD/SACD and the "Movie" version? Would audio playback be more or less the same? I would not be opposed to replacing my cheapo Blu-Ray player if it means an all-in-one movie/music box.

I do not know these products as I have not actually seen them yet but I would assume that the CD/SACD only plays those two media whereas the  "Movie" version would play those two plus Blu Ray. Here is a link to the Arcam site if you wish to investigate further....

http://www.arcam.co.uk/products,Solo,Music-Systems,solomusic-cs.htm

[Spineur]

For those that are continually running out of memory space on their DAP, Samsung has announced a 256Gb microSDXC for june.  Price probably 200USD or more.
It will be interesting to see if Sandisk will match this & help drive the price down.

Anyway I badly need one of those...

[Todd]

Last month, after an almost two month wait subsequent to ordering, I got both the Schiit Bifrost Multibit and Schiit Yggdrasil DACs.  The Bimby is used in my 2.1 channel home theater and the Yggy is used in my main stereo.  I did perform some A/B comparisons between them in my main system before putting the Bimby in its new home, and the Yggy is unequivocally superior.  Both are superb, and offer great bang for the buck.  How much of the units' performance is due to the multibit conversion (they are ladder DACs as opposed to the more common Delta-Sigma approach), how much is due to the Schiit specific digital filter, and how much is due to other factors, I cannot say.  I have kept some very rough notes on some listening - for instance, I don't recall having heard vocalizing by Walter Gieseking before - and I may write up something more detailed later.  For now, I have finally reached a place where my system displays the same level of clarity as (my perhaps faulty memory of) the two best systems I've heard before - a dCS/Nagra/ProAc setup, and a Muse/Spectral/Avalon setup.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I am leaning toward buying a pair of Audioengine A5+ powered speakers for a second system (my office). http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Powered-Speaker-Systems/A5-plus-N-Powered-Speakers They have received numerous enthusiastic reviews and are listed as a Stereophile Class C speaker system under "recommended components"--this alongside much more expensive passive speakers needing amplification.

Source will be my Fiio X-1 and/or laptop with a 3.5mm cable, or possibly bluetooth.  I think the X-1 will have more than enough power for this, but will get a headphone amp if necessary. AS for the laptop, I am not sure what I will need to improve the sound quality--possibly the same amp. All my source files are FLAC. I am unsure about which floorstands (I need about 30" height, I'm guessing) to buy or even how the speakers are secured to the stands. (My Vandersteen 2Ces are bolted to dedicated stands in my other system, but Audioengine does not offer dedicated floor stands for their speakers.)

Any suggestions for such a system for a small room?

[Fëanor]

Last month, after an almost two month wait subsequent to ordering, I got both the Schiit Bifrost Multibit and Schiit Yggdrasil DACs.  The Bimby is used in my 2.1 channel home theater and the Yggy is used in my main stereo.  I did perform some A/B comparisons between them in my main system before putting the Bimby in its new home, and the Yggy is unequivocally superior.  Both are superb, and offer great bang for the buck.  How much of the units' performance is due to the multibit conversion (they are ladder DACs as opposed to the more common Delta-Sigma approach), how much is due to the Schiit specific digital filter, and how much is due to other factors, I cannot say.  I have kept some very rough notes on some listening - for instance, I don't recall having heard vocalizing by Walter Gieseking before - and I may write up something more detailed later.  For now, I have finally reached a place where my system displays the same level of clarity as (my perhaps faulty memory of) the two best systems I've heard before - a dCS/Nagra/ProAc setup, and a Muse/Spectral/Avalon setup.

I have had three Bifrosts:  original, Uber, and Multibit.  The original to Ubers was a modest improvement, but the Uber to Multibit was huge, particularly in detail and transparency.  Whether this is entirely due to the multibit/ladder DAC topology is hard to say because the upgrade also included an entirely new analog section -- and no DAC is better than its analog section -- but I suspect it's largely due to it.

Presently I'm using the Gungnir Multibit.  The "Gumby" is a modest upgrade to the "Bimby";  this might depend on using the former's balanced output, which, in turn, depends having a balance preamp or integrated.