Audiophiles hifi appreciation thread old and new

Yay!

Do you want to access your music from several different rooms, or just from one hifi? Would having your music on your phone whilst you’re out and about be worth an outlay? Do you have a dedicated computer or NAS (or are you willing to set one up) to stream your music to these various end-points? Is your library sizeable and good quality? If yes to all then Plex could a useful addition. But if not, maybe a straightforward dac/amp with a USB port to mount a hard drive would be cheaper, and put your money in to speakers. For a £500 budget I’d spend ~£400 on speakers and get a little dac / amp with USB to drive them for now. You could get a denon dm41 + speakers within budget (they’re great, I got my dad one earlier this year) and add a chromecast if you later decide you want to use Plex on a NAS to access your music from other rooms.

Posted that up, above.
Ticks all the boxes apart from being too expensive and having the Alexa gubbins.

I know 😁

smsl Q5 Pro
or
SMSL M6 DAC + Tangent Amp

there are plenty of options for small footprint desktop DAC amps out there

My GF streams BBC 6 Music from an iPad to a set of Bose Companion 20 Speakers, which has served her purposes well for many years. But, the iPad is so old now it doesn't really stream very well, and spends more time buffering than actually playing music.

What other options are available, aside from purchasing a new iPad (which seems a bit extravagant) just to steam 6 Music?

Reset the iPad to factory and just install iplayer radio or tunein or whatever. It’s probably out of memory. Otherwise get an amazon echo dot and install the bbc app. I’ve got this setup in my kitchen solely for 6music (and setting cooking timers / weather forecast / train times). She’ll likely be impressed with the voice control.

If you are willing to go the Google route the Lenovo 8" Smart Display can be found for £80-90 in the sales.

I use it in the kitchen and it a cracking little unit. Good sound for something so small.

Get an echo dot, brother in law got one for Christmas and it was great for playing 6music, tune in etc. All running from his phone/iPad. Cheaper than going down the rabbit hole of streamers/all in ones, etc..

Current music corner.

@freddo @Mr_Sworld @cornelius_blackfoot

Reset the iPad to factory and just install iplayer radio or tunein or whatever. It’s probably out of memory.

I've just deleted everything I can on the iPad, it's got 5.7gb of space and done a restart. It is better, but it's still a bit patchy. Alas, there's one app I made with a developer back in 2010, which I don't have anywhere else, and if I do a factory reset, I'll lose it forever! The choices!

I'll have a look at the Amazon Echo Dot, but I was hoping for a solution using the existing Bose speakers, as they sound great in our little flat and we already have them.

The Lenovo display looks pretty good, but I'm not sure it's got a way of connecting it to the Bose speakers, which are a) wired through the bookcase which will be a pain to get out, and b) probably sound much better.

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Neat

Lovely all back Bromptons

Such a difference between a cramped London one bed flat and your minimalist beauty!

@psee very elegant!
@Muppetteer sorry I should have been more specific. You can run the echo dot's output through the Bose speakers. Or perhaps you can backup the iPad before you factory restore it to try that solution?

Chromecast?

I'll have a look at the Amazon Echo Dot, but I was hoping for a solution using the existing
Bose speakers, as they sound great in our little flat and we already have them.

I have that. Bose speaker in the kitchen with an echo dot connected to the AUX -> voice control for the Bose now.

I just purchased some PMC Twenty5 23 to replace my B&W 801's which have gone into storage until I can afford a house with a bigger living room! Though they lack the warmth and low end of the B&W's, the clarity of the PMC's is astounding. I've been geeking out having a listening party much to my partner's dismay.

Lovely!

It's a wild suggestion but you could use a radio plugged into the speakers.

Or a Freeview box for better sound quality.

Treated my speakers to a couple of sets of sound isolation pucks. 70% off retail on ebay.

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I'd be interested in a review and a link for those if possible. I've been thinking about getting something similar for mine.

The aluminium inner puck is isolated with a harder than expected outer plastic disc, but it keeps the speakers in position slightly more securely. I’m not convinced they add much to SQ but I wasn’t prepared to pay £400+ for Gaia feet or £600 -£800 for Track Audio feet (both of which are ugly too). They’re on a 3cm granite plinth (£45 each Ebay seller: memorial_plaques_headstones), which are sitting on sorbothane pads (£15 / set, ebay seller: dappletoft). Plinths and the sorbothane pads improved sound presentation, these not so much TBH. Perhaps that would be different if the speakers were directly on the floor. If I were going that route I'd add a sorbothane pad to the underside of the puck to improve the isolation. Pretty sure my neighbours are happier.

I got the SSC 300 pucks from ebay seller: 1812pingu60, he sells hifi gear and ladies thongs. Make of that what you will. They were listed at £85 but he took an offer of £60. Retail is £200, obviously you'll need two sets for a pair of speakers.

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Appreciate this isn't quite audiophile stuff but anyway.

Bought a fancy pants TV. Thinking it's an excuse to treat it to a soundbar.

Prev (LG) TV had this (inc sub)
https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/lg/1405113/lg-sh5-review-a-brilliant-soundbar-for-under-200

New (Samsung Q9) TV and I'm considering a Sonos Beam. Would be used for music in that room as well. All my listening is radio and/or streamed. No intention to buy CDs or Vinyl at the moment.
Sonos Beam seems to be decently reviewed as a fairly smart, fairly decent sounding, fairly reasonably priced bar.

Will I notice any real difference...

(I'm slightly hankering after a Naim Mu-So, but they're a bit more spendy, and I reckon it deserves a better position than sitting underneath my tv)

Yes. Any bar will better the experience! The tvs are flat and therefore no space for proper speakers.

Plus Sonos is a good choice. Do it