Audiophiles hifi appreciation thread old and new

Just wondering what you mean by "proper studio monitor"?

Is there a list..?

all this

https://www.kmraudio.com/atc-scm20psl-pro-pair.php

for example, loads of people use atc in a home set up.

As in near/midfield studio monitors designed specifically for the purpose of giving the most accurate representation of what's being passed through them... As opposed to hi fi speakers which often add colour to the sound.

I was this close to getting a mini rig the other day until I found out it has a weird mini USB to aux charge cable.

If you lose that, or forget it at home. Good luck finding a cable for it.

Might be able to look past that if the sound lives up to the hype...

Yes, it has a barrel power supply rather than micro USB or whatever. The designer claims it's because he couldn't make a USB one soundproof or something but it is a bit annoying.

Mine's always in the lid of the case so I haven't forgotten it yet but I suspect I will sometime.

I should really look at making a microusb adapter, it's a bog standard power jack it uses so shouldn't be too tricky.

How's the sound?

I quite like listening to music on my Focals but even casually I'm still sitting in the sweet spot and not trying to fill a large room.
Not keen on overly coloured/hyped/scooped hifi speakers, would rather have something neutral-ish and EQ to taste if necessary.

Which Focals do you have just out of interest?

I'd say it's the best of the portable speakers I've listened to (which is a fair number). A surprising amount of bass and copes well with both low and high volume.

I'd say it's the best portable speaker for the combination of size, sound and battery life.

If it's just going to sit in a kitchen plugged in though then you can obviously get something better for the price.

So for £250 a pair, what's a good active hifi speaker set thats good for low end colour in a medium sized room?

CMS 65s - nowhere near the top end but a good balance of accuracy and vibe.

Not disputing that there's plenty of crossover (no pun intended) between studio monitors and audiophilia, I just don't think that entry level nearfield studio monitors are really the way to go for listening pleasure. I'm afraid i don't know much about active hi fi speakers so can't answer your question Iain. Sure someone will come up trumps though.

I did have a bit of rant about active stereo speaker the other day as i find the concept a bit odd. I get the case for active monitors in that you get a well matched built-in amp for your permanent studio set-up. I get the attraction of portable wireless units you can stream to, such as the sonos, too. With that system you can also move it about and plug back in to charge. But surely with wireless stereo speakers, you need to be set up in a semi-permanent position as and aren't made to be moved about. Most of them require permanent power cables to each speaker. A lot of them such as the KEFs i keep seeing advertised in my timeline require an additional tether between the units as well... That's a 50% increase in the number of "wires" required from normal speakers and underlines the fact that they're not made to be moved about. That being so, you have to wonder exactly what you've gained by losing speaker cables from an amp which you could easily stream to via any number of unobtrusive devices?

Happy to be put right but I just don't see the advantage.

Just buy my KRK's for £175 the pair and worry about details later! ;)

Im a fan of the powered speaker as they are being powered individually by the amp that is designed exactly for them. But you are right, probably not very necessary.

At the lower end more likely designed with the cheapest amp that will give "acceptable" performance...

It's also a lot easier to run speaker cable to the right places than power.

Any recommendation in London for hi fi repairs, I have a couple of turntables needing some love...
Reliable without being an audio guru with extortionate prices?

Sorry maybe page change made my post unseen, or if not that sorry if I'm a nuisance...

More specifically, my Thorens TD 125 needs a bit of electronic TLC... It runs ok mostly, keeps the speed fine, but there's the occasional speed drop (couple of seconds), and also full stop of the platter, which goes back normal just by turning on and off... Been like this for few years (I've owned it since 1998) and is kind of acceptable as not too frequent, but I've been told this is normal for a TT that old (it's the MK1, so from the 1960s I guess) and that it's not a bad idea to give it a service... Could be a good occasion to put the power transformer aside? Ideas welcome...

The other TT is a Denon DP60L. Loads of electronics in need of TLC too as temperamental. I'd be also happy to get rid of it to part finance the refurb of the Thorens, as I'm using a Lenco as my secondary TT now.
Thanks !

... Although tweaks like this make me want to keep the Denon!
http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=39090

Does any one have any experience with those cheapo valve amp kits? Or cheaper valve amps?

FFS new page again!

good for low end colour

Just say it, all you care about is bass.

http://www.oandlhifi.co.uk/servicing-repairs/london-hifi-servicing-and-repairs.asp

not used them myself but was just looking

Will give them a ring thanks...

recomendations please, but im torn between getting vintage amp or the onkyo a-9010, reviews look good but wondered what other people thought.