Suggestion for a Audio system set-up?

[ricohflex]

Rotel 1062 Integrated amp
Rotel 1072 CD Player
B&W 685 speakers but the shop selling Rotel ask me to test it out with Paradiam Studio 20 speakers...

Boy....:sweat: it's an expensive hobby. The more I read about reviews, the more interesting it gets. This is gonna be worst than photography as a hobby:sweat:

You are right.
Hifi can be more than 10 times more costly than photography.
What is worse is that it is not an exact science, so hobbyists are changing systems every once in a while, to try to attain the ultimate sound.
This makes them spend even more.

Bowers & Wilkins speakers are an excellent choice.
Don't let the hifi shop bamboozle you into buying the other speaker brand/s that they happen to be carrying.

There is no need to go for high end in hi fi.
Rotel is so so, not top end, not even average but certainly enough for simple everyday listen.

Don't rush. Take your time.

Your front end ... i.e. the source of the music signal is most important. If you have a lousy source and a top grade amp, it will be amplifying a lousy signal which will be terrible to listen.

 

[htthach]

is there any budget system to hook up with a PC ?
i've read around and some ppl use Monitor audio br2 , rotel ra-04 with a pc?

 

[hacknet]

okay, watch out for the cheaper monitor audios. things like the B and S are all very bright and harsh, bass is often missplaced too. ive had them around for awhile to know, trust me.

i'd still run the nait route if i were you, its a good start, very little need to spend more on cables as naim provides their proprietary cables. then again i really love things like the totem 1..

i wouldnt go near audio house if i were you..

 

[bEnd1ck]

Hi Hackie,

long time no see you post in echoloft.
Didn't know you more into shooting nowadays

 

[hacknet]

haha.. well, i read everyonce in awhile.. but photography seems to pay more for the time being and its a great way to pay for all that lenses, plus my vinyl is all mouldy and im really lazy to clean it all over again...

 

[dEthANGeL]

is there any budget system to hook up with a PC ?
i've read around and some ppl use Monitor audio br2 , rotel ra-04 with a pc?

Depends on your needs and listening tastes.

Some prefer to use DACs. Some prefer to go the analogue route.

Currently using a USB DAC ordered from an MO connected from my PC to an entry level NAD C300 integrated with Van Den Hul speaker cables to a pair of KRK studio monitors. Find this setup more than sufficient for my music needs. Very neutral setup. Though I suspect my KRK to be a little harsh on the treble for certain genres of music.

 

[tigereye19]

I suggest u try BOSE. Is a simple system. No mix and match.
Regardless where is the bass speaker place, the strong base sound always from the centre.
The sales staff is also very polite.
Cheers

 

[dEthANGeL]

I suggest u try BOSE. Is a simple system. No mix and match.
Regardless where is the bass speaker place, the strong base sound always from the centre.
The sales staff is also very polite.
Cheers

Oh NOOoo.....

Let the bose bashing begin :devil: :bsmilie:

Bose is overrated. FYI - their sound rooms have been treated. - Once you bring the set home, it'll sound different.

The only bose that is worth getting is the AM5 Series I / II / III

 

[kelccm]

I suggest u try BOSE. Is a simple system. No mix and match.
Regardless where is the bass speaker place, the strong base sound always from the centre.
The sales staff is also very polite.
Cheers

Bose? :flush: Ha ha

Good to look at, but poor value for money.

 

[dEthANGeL]

Bose? :flush: Ha ha

Good to look at, but poor value for money.

Ohh noooesss.... you have started it! :bsmilie:

But seriously the AM5 is not bad. But needs to be driven by an amp though.

 

[kelccm]

Ohh noooesss.... you have started it! :bsmilie:

But seriously the AM5 is not bad. But needs to be driven by an amp though.

For HT purpose, it is still ok, just feel it is overpriced. But for music listening, I'll definitely avoid Bose.

 

[dEthANGeL]

For HT purpose, it is still ok, just feel it is overpriced. But for music listening, I'll definitely avoid Bose.

HT? .. you got to be kidding.

HT sounds even worse. My uncle spent $5K of his retirement fund on the purchase and it was seriously a bad move after hearing a mixed setup consisting of klipsch / SVS / yamaha that was only a fraction of the cost ... :sweat:

 

[kelccm]

HT? .. you got to be kidding.

HT sounds even worse. My uncle spent $5K of his retirement fund on the purchase and it was seriously a bad move after hearing a mixed setup consisting of klipsch / SVS / yamaha that was only a fraction of the cost ... :sweat:

Ha ha, I agree. My dad also bought a Bose system while I was working oversea, and I felt he just wasted his $ on a system that can't decode any of the surround sound and can only use Bose built-in surround sound that feels so fake. And the bass is so punchless that explosion scene fails to excite. As for music, the tiny jewel cube just sound so thin, and the bass unit struggle to fill in the lower frequency.

On the other hand, my much cheaper NAD CD player and amp and a pair of old floorstander just absolutely sings and fill the whole room. Quite decent for something so budget, total only about $1k+.

To TS, if your purpose is only to listen to music, then go for a decent stereo amp, CD player and a pair of bookshelf/floorstander speaker. They are many brands that you choose from. Take your time to audition them, as each has its sound signature. What we recommend here may not be to your taste.

 

[hacknet]

i just picked up a AE aegis set from my old customer today.. man, they dont sound too bad..! i'll probably sell'em off soon... any one interested? HAHA!

 

[htthach]

what to get with max $500 and a PC?

 

[ricohflex]

Bose? :flush: Ha ha

Good to look at, but poor value for money.

Agree. Very long ago actually went to the shop (is it called Atlas Sound ?) Then they had a (I think he was a Filipino) salesman who was extremely rude and snobbish. Only nice to rich customers.

Always felt the Bose was coloured sound. Definitely not hifi in my opinion.

I only liked the Linn Sondek turntable.

 

[photobum]

To the TS:

Always a good place to start is a Marantz or a Philips CD player. I highly recommend the Marantz CD-63SE MKII, which is a very musically sounding player. You can pop-in any kind of music and it will play well. Furthermore, service parts and components are widely available if repair is need. Ideally, the 'entire' CD player should be separated into a two components- a transport and a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter). There are brands like Meridan, Musical Fidelity, Linn, Primare and Estoric that sell the transport and DAC separately.

For pre and power amps, Rotel is makes wonderful budget systems. If you want a slighter higher-end pre-power amp, try Aragon, Carver or Adcom. For an integrated amp, try Exposure or Audiolab (many people find Audiolabs bright and metallic sounding, but it is probably the most neutral and revealing integrated amp I have listened to so far... at least to my ears it does).

Choice of speakers depend on your listening habits and where they are to be placed. If you stay in a HDB flat or a smaller condominium unit, and the speakers are to be placed in your bedroom. Your choice is pretty much limited to bookshelf speakers. Mission, Monitor Audio and KEF makes some of the better sounding and versatile bookshelf units. For higher-end speakers, try Epos, ProAc, or Sonus Faber.

And if you intend to place your system in your living room or an area with larger floor space, I suggest you listen to B&W, Infinity or Paradigm. For higher-end units, try those from Martin Logan, Vandersteen or Thiel.

Keep in mind that that Hi-Fi 'siao' (the Hong Kongers termed it "Fatt Siew" or "Fever" in Cantonese) is more costly than photo 'siao', so you may want to take it step-by-step. A good pair of interconnects cable can cost as much as a prime lens. Similarly, a good pair of speakers cost more than a Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII with a 50mm f1.2.

For an audiophile, a good Hi-Fi 'system' consists of not only the electronics, but the entire listening area as well. A well setup 'system' can costs more than S$1M for some.

A word of advice. Never, never, never doubles a DVD player as a CD player, unless you use it solely as a CD transport.

 

[RichardSeah]

To the TS:

For an audiophile, a good Hi-Fi 'system' consists of not only the electronics, but the entire listening area as well. A well setup 'system' can costs more than S$1M for some.

But does not mean $1m system sounds like $1m. If anything, most super expensive systems don't sound good because they are set up by people with plenty money but dunno how to set up properly.

All the best systems I have heard so far are quite modestly priced, in the range of $5K to $10K or slightly more. And all the best systems I heard happen to be Diva-based systems. That was why I used to be Diva dealer and I still help the designer T S Lim.

Go to Sky Audio at Bt Timah Plaza for a listen. BTW They sell ALR Jordan speakers from Germany, cheap and good too.

 

[photobum]

But does not mean $1m system sounds like $1m.
And all the best systems I heard happen to be Diva-based systems. That was why I used to be Diva dealer and I still help the designer T S Lim.

I have to agree with Richard as he have many years of experience in the high-end audio arena. A S$1M audio system may not necessary sound as good as a S$10K one. My hi-fi system costs less than S$10K and it is more than 10 years old, but it produces sound that suits my listening taste; which is transparent, detailed, airy and good soundstaging.

Hi-fi enjoyment is very much like eating chicken rice. Some people swear by those served at Chatterbox. And then, Richard and I know this friend who claims that the best chicken rice in Singapore is found at Beach Road Food Centre (yes, the one with an array of army surplus stores on the third floor). Being a Hainanese, I personally find the best chicken rice is at Blk 628 Ang Mo Kio Ave 9 (yes, the market/food centre which burnt down last year).

Back to hi-fi. Diva is a Singapore brand, designed by local hi-fi guru/sifu, T.S. Lim. Everyone should audition a Diva system before listening to anything else. The Diva modified Marantz CD-63SE MKII is a 'must' listen.

 

[photobum]

To the TS:

Actually, I have a system configuration for you for under S$5K (that is if you don't mind second hand or used).

• CD Player: Marantz CD63SE MkII / Rotel RCD-965BX / Philips CD-850 MKII
  
• Integrated amp: Pioneer A-400 (non-X version) / Audiolab 8000A / Exposure X (it is a high current amp, so turn down the volume knob before power off)
  
• Speakers: Spica TC-50 / Epos 12 / Rogers LS4A
  
• Interconnects: Van Den Hul D-300 Hybrid / AudioTruth Lapis / Cardas Hexlink II
• Speaker cable: Tara Labs Space and Time / Kimber Kable 8TC / Straight Wire Rhapsody S
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A good pair of speaker stands and hi-fi rack.
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