Hi-Fi advice required

I know that my question may resemble 'How long is a piece of string' but without knowing much about such things, what is the best hi-fi set-up I can get if I spend up to a grand and bearing in mind I would be using it in conjunction with an iPod and I won't need a turntable? I've had a poke around on Richer Sounds website but putting different 'separates' together is something I know nothing about.

http://www.johnlewis.com/naim-mu-so-...MHww&gclsrc=ds

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TxQqWSnsHoA

If all you're using is an ipod, you just need an amp and speakers. There's no need to spend a grand to amplify MP3s. You may as well just get an amplified monitor set up.

This should do nicely:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/deta...FYpehgodRCgIUA

I was always advised to spend 1/3 on each part - CD player/turntable, amp and speakers.

I would always go to a hi fi store, I use Audi Excellence in Cardiff, but i assume you are in Taunton. I'm not an iPod person, I still use CDs and vinyl as the quality will be better. A good system would show up the deficiencies in mp3 type music though. A good set of cables between amplifier and speakers would also help, aim for about £100 for those, and a good pair of cables between CD (if you're having one) and amp are better than the basic cheap leads supplied in the box, they make a heck of a difference.
So if you are only using an iPod as input you could spend about £450 each on amp and speakers and about £100 on cables.

Have a look at the website
http://www.audiot.co.uk

Look up a hi fi shop near you and go and visit, try and avoid Richer sounds.

Tony

Thanks for all your suggestions so far. I have most of my music on CDs but I do tend to like the 'randomize' option on an iPod.
Is there really that much difference in quality between those two options?

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Thanks for all your suggestions so far. I have most of my music on CDs but I do tend to like the 'randomize' option on an iPod.
Is there really that much difference in quality between those two options?

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If you don't notice a difference, don't worry about it. There's no point in over complicating matters, keep it simple.

I'm so old my ears are shot,playing music through the telly's sound bar is about all they can handle

The problem with hi-fi is everyone has different taste and what sounds good to some people doesn't sound so good to others. For some it's all about bass while for some it's all about the midrange and for some it's about a sweet top end. The best advice is listen to as much gear as you can in your price range because all makes have there own "signature sound".

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Originally Posted by cardiff55

I was always advised to spend 1/3 on each part - CD player/turntable, amp and speakers.

I would always go to a hi fi store, I use Audi Excellence in Cardiff, but i assume you are in Taunton. I'm not an iPod person, I still use CDs and vinyl as the quality will be better. A good system would show up the deficiencies in mp3 type music though. A good set of cables between amplifier and speakers would also help, aim for about £100 for those, and a good pair of cables between CD (if you're having one) and amp are better than the basic cheap leads supplied in the box, they make a heck of a difference.
So if you are only using an iPod as input you could spend about £450 each on amp and speakers and about £100 on cables.

Have a look at the website
http://www.audiot.co.uk

Look up a hi fi shop near you and go and visit, try and avoid Richer sounds.

Tony

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I agree with this this, although you could also add a Streamer and use far better quality files.

I have one of these http://www.whathifi.com/pioneer/n-50/review and it really is excellent. Although I mostly only play vinyl now mind.

One thing I would disagree with is Richer Sounds, well the Richer Sounds shop in Cardiff anyway. They have some very very knowledgeable staff and really helpful. You can also pick up some bargains

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Originally Posted by Richyrich

The problem with hi-fi is everyone has different taste and what sounds good to some people doesn't sound so good to others. For some it's all about bass while for some it's all about the midrange and for some it's about a sweet top end. The best advice is listen to as much gear as you can in your price range because all makes have there own "signature sound".

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It also depends on the characteristics of the room where you listening. Something might sound great in the shop then be different when you have it set up at home.

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Originally Posted by TH63

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TxQqWSnsHoA

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:hehe:

worth a look and read reviews some good stuff sold at good prices ,why pay more when you don't have too

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-HiFi/...ode=2589474031

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Originally Posted by Richyrich

http://www.johnlewis.com/naim-mu-so-...MHww&gclsrc=ds

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Make sure you listen to this one TBG. It will do everything you could want including streaming far higher quality files than MP3 and is put together to sound as good as possible from a one-box solution including speakers.

It has the added advantage of being able to also act as a soundbar for your TV too if you want.

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Originally Posted by Penarth Blues

Make sure you listen to this one TBG. It will do everything you could want including streaming far higher quality files than MP3 and is put together to sound as good as possible from a one-box solution including speakers.

It has the added advantage of being able to also act as a soundbar for your TV too if you want.

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At the risk of sounding like the customer played by Mel Smith in the Youtube clip posted earlier in the thread (and making you all wet yourselves with laughter)..... doesn't such a system lose the stereo effect to some degree if the speakers are all in one place? (Maybe I shouldn't have thrown out my stereogram)

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

At the risk of sounding like the customer played by Mel Smith in the Youtube clip posted earlier in the thread (and making you all wet yourselves with laughter)..... doesn't such a system lose the stereo effect to some degree if the speakers are all in one place? (Maybe I shouldn't have thrown out my stereogram)

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AAAAAHAHAHAHA WHAT A CHUMP

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Originally Posted by Colonel Cærdiffi

AAAAAHAHAHAHA WHAT A CHUMP

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Many a true word.... :-)

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Many a true word.... :-)

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I'd like to know the answer as well to be honest, I always thought the common wisdom was to have the speakers dotted around in certain places to get the full effect.

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

At the risk of sounding like the customer played by Mel Smith in the Youtube clip posted earlier in the thread (and making you all wet yourselves with laughter)..... doesn't such a system lose the stereo effect to some degree if the speakers are all in one place? (Maybe I shouldn't have thrown out my stereogram)

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Stereo is just an effect. And unless you're wearing headphones or sitting in a sweet spot it gets lost anyway. I listen to most music in mono.

Have you considered something like a sonos system?

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Originally Posted by Rjk

Have you considered something like a sonos system?

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I haven't really considered anything prior to starting this thread. I thought that I would take advantage of the expertise here as a good starter. Having just looked it up I see that it's another 'mono' thingy - but I used to like hearing twin guitarists having their own speaker, as it were. Best shoot me now before I go extinct. Alternatively, please feel free to educate me!

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

I haven't really considered anything prior to starting this thread. I thought that I would take advantage of the expertise here as a good starter. Having just looked it up I see that it's another 'mono' thingy - but I used to like hearing twin guitarists having their own speaker, as it were. Best shoot me now before I go extinct.

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I'm no expert, I have mates who spend thousands on speakers and read boring hi fi magazines but that's not for me.
I just got a sonos system and a subscription to a music streaming service, like Napster. Sounds perfectly fine to me and I've ended up listening to loads more music again as a result.

You can also play your music library off a computer if you don't want to pay the £5 a month to stream it

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

I know that my question may resemble 'How long is a piece of string' but without knowing much about such things, what is the best hi-fi set-up I can get if I spend up to a grand and bearing in mind I would be using it in conjunction with an iPod and I won't need a turntable? I've had a poke around on Richer Sounds website but putting different 'separates' together is something I know nothing about.

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Hierarchy is; Source, Amp, Speakers and not forgetting speaker cable and speaker stands.
You already have the source (IPOD), your amp would be the next most important, not really up to date now, but years ago and if on a budget you would have been looking at a NAD 3020, mid-point Audiolab, top end Naim Audio, avoid anything with graphic equalisers, tone controls and all the Fancy Dan crap, it only gets in the way of the signal, I’ll be looking to upgrade my amp shortly and will be looking at something from Cambridge Audio or Arcam. Speakers I wouldn't have a clue, i'm still using a mid 80's pair of wharfdale diamonds and they sound bluddy great :-)

A decent site http://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk/

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

At the risk of sounding like the customer played by Mel Smith in the Youtube clip posted earlier in the thread (and making you all wet yourselves with laughter)..... doesn't such a system lose the stereo effect to some degree if the speakers are all in one place? (Maybe I shouldn't have thrown out my stereogram)

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Hi TBG

With all these things the best thing to do is listen for yourself. You will be surprised how 'wide' the sound appears.

This is near the bottom end of the offering from this company and they are renowned for the quality of their systems. Basically, all they know in a single box.

I have the smaller version of this (the Muso Qb) for the kitchen and everyone who hears it comments on the scale and quality of the sound from such a relative small box. It is in a different league soundwise to the Sonos offerings, but should be for the price.

The way I'd describe it is that you'd use the Sonos type systems for TV speakers and background music, while you can sit down and happily listen to the Muso as a proper stereo too.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a traditional stereo then I'd support an earlier suggestion to find your nearest proper HiFi retailer and ask them show you what is possible for £1000. They will be best used to producing the best systems to a price point and you'll start off with a much better chance of getting what you want.

Most good HiFi retailers will usually let you try the system at home as well to make sure it suits your room before you finally purchase. Audio T in Cardiff is no more expensive than John Lewis either for the Muso. You can also hear the higher cost systems so you know what your money is buying you.

£1000 is a fair bit of money - enjoy listening to a few systems before buying!

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Originally Posted by Penarth Blues

Hi TBG

With all these things the best thing to do is listen for yourself. You will be surprised how 'wide' the sound appears.

This is near the bottom end of the offering from this company and they are renowned for the quality of their systems. Basically, all they know in a single box.

I have the smaller version of this (the Muso Qb) for the kitchen and everyone who hears it comments on the scale and quality of the sound from such a relative small box. It is in a different league soundwise to the Sonos offerings, but should be for the price.

The way I'd describe it is that you'd use the Sonos type systems for TV speakers and background music, while you can sit down and happily listen to the Muso as a proper stereo too.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a traditional stereo then I'd support an earlier suggestion to find your nearest proper HiFi retailer and ask them show you what is possible for £1000. They will be best used to producing the best systems to a price point and you'll start off with a much better chance of getting what you want.

Most good HiFi retailers will usually let you try the system at home as well to make sure it suits your room before you finally purchase. Audio T in Cardiff is no more expensive than John Lewis either for the Muso. You can also hear the higher cost systems so you know what your money is buying you.

£1000 is a fair bit of money - enjoy listening to a few systems before buying!

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Many thanks to you and all the other contributors. I don't NEED to spend a grand but thought it's about time I bought a decent system - and if that's what it takes I would have to bite the bullet. I realise that listening to these systems is advisable but I can't imagine that it's easy with a sales person hanging around and being the centre of attention in a shop whilst each one is tried out.

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Many thanks to you and all the other contributors. I don't NEED to spend a grand but thought it's about time I bought a decent system - and if that's what it takes I would have to bite the bullet. I realise that listening to these systems is advisable but I can't imagine that it's easy with a sales person hanging around and being the centre of attention in a shop whilst each one is tried out.

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The specialist HiFi stores are not like that. Ring and book an appointment, giving an idea of price and features you are looking for. They will then get various options set up for your visit in a separate listening room with a sofa. Be aware they will always try to stretch your budget but then that's their job. Yours is to make sure you're getting what you want. If £500 does what you need then that's enough.

It's your ears and wallet, so make sure you know your limit and what you want the stereo to do for you when you get it home. I mostly use mine with the TV as the difference in sound quality compared to the crappy TV speakers makes the cost worth it on its own.

I spent over 3 hours in store and had 3 different systems and sets of speakers at home before finally purchasing my mid-life crisis system. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and it was great to hear what is possible nowadays.

In the end I went just a little further up the Naim line than the Muso, but still just a single box plus speakers as I really didn't want the stereo to take over the house or my life...

Final point - most stores will offer 24 months interest free credit if you want to stretch the cost out over a few months.

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Originally Posted by Penarth Blues

The specialist HiFi stores are not like that. Ring and book an appointment, giving an idea of price and features you are looking for. They will then get various options set up for your visit in a separate listening room with a sofa. Be aware they will always try to stretch your budget but then that's their job. Yours is to make sure you're getting what you want. If £500 does what you need then that's enough.

It's your ears and wallet, so make sure you know your limit and what you want the stereo to do for you when you get it home. I mostly use mine with the TV as the difference in sound quality compared to the crappy TV speakers makes the cost worth it on its own.

I spent over 3 hours in store and had 3 different systems and sets of speakers at home before finally purchasing my mid-life crisis system. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and it was great to hear what is possible nowadays.

In the end I went just a little further up the Naim line than the Muso, but still just a single box plus speakers as I really didn't want the stereo to take over the house or my life...

Final point - most stores will offer 24 months interest free credit if you want to stretch the cost out over a few months.

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I will ponder on those points. Cheers.

Music nowadays is an effin minefield.
We were all duped into buying CDs because there was no difference in sound when compared to vinyl and they would last forever. We all now know that they do break and the sound is by far inferior to vinyl. You also got far less for your money... because 'smaller was better'.

I rarely listen to music nowadays, it was a far simpler life we led 'back in the day', that though is only part the reason.

I chucked a perfectly decent system, receiver, amp and turntable with aforementioned top quality cables for the latest state of the art Bose iPod docking station, I lashed £200 out quid about 10 years ago.
Problem I've got now is that I download my music (mainly because it is much cheaper) directly to my smart phone - which is not an iPhone.
Okay, I have got a lesser sound quality Bluetooth speaker but the perfectly good, working docking station is redundant unless I want to play my old stuff.

"Why don't you get one of those Bluetooth receivers to attach to the Base docking station?" I hear you ask.
Well, I did.
Problem was the receiver wasn't compatible with the earlier docking station versions :angry:
Feckin apple. Hate them with a passion!

Anyway, my advice is don't think you've ever got the latest gear. If you are a proper gadget person who's got plenty and has to have the latest for social standing reasons then crack on but personally I'd have a whole bunch of rigs doing what I want them to and that is to simply play music.

Just be clear in your own mind on what you want to achieve - good luck :thumbup:

Anyone recall an experiment about 20 years ago -
Some music was played on Radio 1 in stereo, but it was explained on Tomorrow's World at the same time.
CD technology allowed for recordings to 'fool' the ears/brain by playing certain instruments/frequencies at a slight delay (millisecs)
This fooled your ears into thinking the music came from different places - and I could have sworn there was someone playing drums behind my sofa.
It promised a lot, "surround sound" could be played on standard equipment, but I've never heard of it since.

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Originally Posted by MacAdder

Music nowadays is an effin minefield.
We were all duped into buying CDs because there was no difference in sound when compared to vinyl and they would last forever. We all now know that they do break and the sound is by far inferior to vinyl. You also got far less for your money... because 'smaller was better'.

I rarely listen to music nowadays, it was a far simpler life we led 'back in the day', that though is only part the reason.

I chucked a perfectly decent system, receiver, amp and turntable with aforementioned top quality cables for the latest state of the art Bose iPod docking station, I lashed £200 out quid about 10 years ago.
Problem I've got now is that I download my music (mainly because it is much cheaper) directly to my smart phone - which is not an iPhone.
Okay, I have got a lesser sound quality Bluetooth speaker but the perfectly good, working docking station is redundant unless I want to play my old stuff.

"Why don't you get one of those Bluetooth receivers to attach to the Base docking station?" I hear you ask.
Well, I did.
Problem was the receiver wasn't compatible with the earlier docking station versions :angry:
Feckin apple. Hate them with a passion!

Anyway, my advice is don't think you've ever got the latest gear. If you are a proper gadget person who's got plenty and has to have the latest for social standing reasons then crack on but personally I'd have a whole bunch of rigs doing what I want them to and that is to simply play music.

Just be clear in your own mind on what you want to achieve - good luck :thumbup:

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You are dead right - things are moving really quickly at the moment. This is why I went with a company that updates even its old products for many years. I've added TIDAL and Spotify to my Uniti2 since buying it, despite it not being a feature when I did. It sounds as if MQA might be the next 'thing' but hopefully I will continue to be able to enjoy my music for a while yet.

I'm probably going to put everything I own CD wise onto my own NAS drive so it's always there regardless of what happens in the online streaming world. I can also get the quality I want it saved at then as well.

Whatever I do, I'll probably miss something out, but provided the basic pre-amp, amp and speakers are good then you will always be able to plug something into them...

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Originally Posted by bobh

Anyone recall an experiment about 20 years ago -
Some music was played on Radio 1 in stereo, but it was explained on Tomorrow's World at the same time.
CD technology allowed for recordings to 'fool' the ears/brain by playing certain instruments/frequencies at a slight delay (millisecs)
This fooled your ears into thinking the music came from different places - and I could have sworn there was someone playing drums behind my sofa.
It promised a lot, "surround sound" could be played on standard equipment, but I've never heard of it since.

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Yep - it's now called DSP and is in everything virtually, from your car stereo through to your TV speakers.

If you really want a good sound & one customised to your own personal listening tastes then book a session with a proper hi-fi store.
Tell them the type of music you like to listen to, the layout of the room you will be listening in at home &, if you know it, the type of sound you like & that you will be using an MP3 player as a source.
Ask them to set up a suitable amp & speakers within your budget & go & have a listen.
Play tracks that you know well.
After listening to what they have set up you can ask them to swap speakers or the amp to tailor the sound to your own personal tastes.
For well under a thousand pounds you will get a very good sound.
I have a very good set up but it is pointless suggesting my kit to you as everyone has different listening tastes, for instance I like quite a warm sound others don"t etc.
Let us know if & when you settle on a system.

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Originally Posted by headlight

If you really want a good sound & one customised to your own personal listening tastes then book a session with a proper hi-fi store.
Tell them the type of music you like to listen to, the layout of the room you will be listening in at home &, if you know it, the type of sound you like & that you will be using an MP3 player as a source.
Ask them to set up a suitable amp & speakers within your budget & go & have a listen.
Play tracks that you know well.
After listening to what they have set up you can ask them to swap speakers or the amp to tailor the sound to your own personal tastes.
For well under a thousand pounds you will get a very good sound.
I have a very good set up but it is pointless suggesting my kit to you as everyone has different listening tastes, for instance I like quite a warm sound others don"t etc.
Let us know if & when you settle on a system.

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MQA, NAS, TIDAL, DSP.....This may as well be a foreign language to me. I don't even know what a 'warm sound' is, to be honest. As a result I would feel quite self-conscious about having different components being put together in different combinations in a shop. I can see myself forking out for the Naim Muso after a quick demo and saving the embarrassment. I looked it up on the net after it was mentioned above and it has very good reviews. No Dolby though :hehe:

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

MQA, NAS, TIDAL, DSP.....This may as well be a foreign language to me. I don't even know what a 'warm sound' is, to be honest. As a result I would feel quite self-conscious about having different components being put together in different combinations in a shop. I can see myself forking out for the Naim Muso after a quick demo and saving the embarrassment. I looked it up on the net after it was mentioned above and it has very good reviews. No Dolby though :hehe:

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:hehe: You don't need to know anything - just go in and listen. Ask if you can borrow a Muso for the weekend to try at home - the room it is in is always a key component to any stereo. This also gives you a chance to extend your bluffer's guide to HiFi knowledge through trial and error :-)

Seriously, who gives a shit what the shop staff think of you, you're not asking them out for a date. You are offering to spend money with them - they should be grateful, and can talk you through where everything is going now so you can consider all the options.

I'd consider the Muso to be a good, safe bet for future proofing as it's small enough to go in nearly every room in the house, and could be taken on holiday too at a push (though it needs to be plugged into the mains).

Spending money should be fun - go and enjoy asking questions, you come over as curious on this MB so this should be enjoyable

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Originally Posted by Penarth Blues

:hehe: You don't need to know anything - just go in and listen. Ask if you can borrow a Muso for the weekend to try at home - the room it is in is always a key component to any stereo. This also gives you a chance to extend your bluffer's guide to HiFi knowledge through trial and error :-)

Seriously, who gives a shit what the shop staff think of you, you're not asking them out for a date. You are offering to spend money with them - they should be grateful, and can talk you through where everything is going now so you can consider all the options.

I'd consider the Muso to be a good, safe bet for future proofing as it's small enough to go in nearly every room in the house, and could be taken on holiday too at a push (though it needs to be plugged into the mains).

Spending money should be fun - go and enjoy asking questions, you come over as curious on this MB so this should be enjoyable

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:sherlock:

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

:sherlock:

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You travel a lot - hence you seem to have curiosity - not you are curious :-)

PS:

MQA: A new way of encoding high resolution music that is meant to convey exactly what was recorded in the studio
NAS: Network Addressable Storage - basically a box with hard drives in to back up your computers or music in this case. Can be fond by the Muso to enable you to play your music through the music from the NAS. Almost all control is via an iPAD/iPhone or similar. Basically all your music available through an App
DSP: Digital Signal Processing - a way of manipulating the source file to suit your tastes via filters, and/or to tune the signal to the amp/speakers, etc it is being played on. The Muso uses this to optimise the whole package to sound as close to the music source as possible given the laws of Physics
TIDAL: A high resolution version of Spotify ie. CD quality streaming via the internet to a Muso or similar. Subscriptions cost around £20/month but you get a huge collection of music you can listen to as you wish. Spotify is about £10/month. I use Spotify to explore music and then buy the CD if I like it enough.

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Originally Posted by Penarth Blues

You travel a lot - hence you seem to have curiosity - not you are curious :-)

PS:

MQA: A new way of encoding high resolution music that is meant to convey exactly what was recorded in the studio
NAS: Network Addressable Storage - basically a box with hard drives in to back up your computers or music in this case. Can be fond by the Muso to enable you to play your music through the music from the NAS. Almost all control is via an iPAD/iPhone or similar. Basically all your music available through an App
DSP: Digital Signal Processing - a way of manipulating the source file to suit your tastes via filters, and/or to tune the signal to the amp/speakers, etc it is being played on. The Muso uses this to optimise the whole package to sound as close to the music source as possible given the laws of Physics
TIDAL: A high resolution version of Spotify ie. CD quality streaming via the internet to a Muso or similar. Subscriptions cost around £20/month but you get a huge collection of music you can listen to as you wish. Spotify is about £10/month. I use Spotify to explore music and then buy the CD if I like it enough.

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Good lord, man. You are a veritable glossary. May you have a thousand offspring :-)

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Good lord, man. You are a veritable glossary. May you have a thousand offspring :-)

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I bloody hope not - why do you think it took me so long to buy a decent stereo? :-)

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Originally Posted by Penarth Blues

You travel a lot - hence you seem to have curiosity - not you are curious :-)

PS:

MQA: A new way of encoding high resolution music that is meant to convey exactly what was recorded in the studio
NAS: Network Addressable Storage - basically a box with hard drives in to back up your computers or music in this case. Can be fond by the Muso to enable you to play your music through the music from the NAS. Almost all control is via an iPAD/iPhone or similar. Basically all your music available through an App
DSP: Digital Signal Processing - a way of manipulating the source file to suit your tastes via filters, and/or to tune the signal to the amp/speakers, etc it is being played on. The Muso uses this to optimise the whole package to sound as close to the music source as possible given the laws of Physics
TIDAL: A high resolution version of Spotify ie. CD quality streaming via the internet to a Muso or similar. Subscriptions cost around £20/month but you get a huge collection of music you can listen to as you wish. Spotify is about £10/month. I use Spotify to explore music and then buy the CD if I like it enough.

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If you have downloaded a lot of music, as well as having loads of photo's, video's etc, then it is well worth investing in a decent NAS box to store all your data on.

Reading some parts of this interesting thread I would add this.
If you are listening from a computer and you have WAV files invest in a DAC between your computer and active speakers. An Audioengine D1 at £110 Amazon is superb.

Stereo is much more than an effect. Try to find a MONO album.
The mix engineers work in stereo because we have two ears....the stereo adds everything for me like black and white to colour.

External computer speakers on either side of a desk are perfect. Harmon Kardon sticks £100 Amazon my favourites. For a sitting room set up the air moving speakers should be about 8 - 12 feet apart and OFF the floor. Positioning relative to walls is everthing. EXPERIMENT.

Buy .... What hi fi ... for six months and read everything. It is a fascinating subject and a good hi fi set up is a JOY.