Can anyone help me choose a mini hifi?

[AmpH]

Sorry but I don't buy into these oxygen-free/self-polarising/non-distorting/look pretty cables. You can't beat a decent bit of mains cable!

To prove the point, I stripped a length of twin and earth mains power cable down to the red and black and wandered off to one of those places in Tottenham Court Road where they had a set-up with knife switches and top of the range kit so they could compare different speaker cables. I asked the salesman if we could try mine against his state-of-the-art ones (mega expensive) as 'I thought I might be able to improve on mine'. So we spent an hour comparing them and in the end he reckoned that they were just as good as his very expensive jobbies...but perhaps the expensive jobbies had 'just a little bit more clarity in the top end?'. Then he asked me where I'd bought mine from. I won't repeat his words here.

Did you compare your mains cable with these speaker cables by any chance ?

http://www.highendcable.co.uk/Nordost%20ODIN%20Speaker%20Cable.htm

[Flosshilde]

Did you compare your mains cable with these speaker cables by any chance ?

http://www.highendcable.co.uk/Nordos...er%20Cable.htm

It's all just a bi' o' wire, innit?

[keithbraidwood2]

Did you compare your mains cable with these speaker cables by any chance ?

http://www.highendcable.co.uk/Nordos...er%20Cable.htm

Ah, the Nordost Odin. The cable range for the celebrity who thinks more is actually more. Like many Nordost cables less, or rather a competitors product, generally IS more. Unlike the perception of Apple products where more is, well, better, where Nordost's high-range products are concerned less is almost always more. Nordost products are almost always overpriced and under-performing in comparison to similarly marketed cables.

That said, they are pretty!

[AmpH]

Ah, the Nordost Odin. The cable range for the celebrity who thinks more is actually more. Like many Nordost cables less, or rather a competitors product, generally IS more. Unlike the perception of Apple products where more is, well, better, where Nordost's high-range products are concerned less is almost always more. Nordost products are almost always overpriced and under-performing in comparison to similarly marketed cables.

That said, they are pretty!

....and beloved of certain Hi Fi magazines !

Ah well, I will just have to stick with my modest offerings from The Chord Company which have served me well for years !

[keithbraidwood2]

....and beloved of certain Hi Fi magazines !

Ah well, I will just have to stick with my modest offerings from The Chord Company which have served me well for years !

Beloved of some hifi magazines...unlike your Chord cables which seem to be liked be everyone. Sadly I no longer (at present) have a system worthy of either company's cables (my choice of course).

It goes to show, however, what a good cable can do for a system. Cables can make a difference between a simply ordinary system and a good system. Of course, what some people choose to ignore is that when you upgrade your components, you should also upgrade the interconnects and speaker cable if necessary.

[MrGongGong]

Ah, the Nordost Odin. The cable range for the celebrity who thinks more is actually more. Like many Nordost cables less, or rather a competitors product, generally IS more. Unlike the perception of Apple products where more is, well, better, where Nordost's high-range products are concerned less is almost always more. Nordost products are almost always overpriced and under-performing in comparison to similarly marketed cables.

That said, they are pretty!

As sold in shops with the name "I saw you coming" over the door

Speaker leads that cost more than a pair of ATC's

[Dave2002]

I've sat on the sidelines for a while. Generally the sound quality achievable from separates should be higher, but against that there are a few factors in favour of the all in one, or almost AIO mini systems. Often the mini systems are very significantly smaller, and suitable for small rooms, bedrooms etc. Many separate units are relatively wide, and some are also tall deep and heavy. An example of the latter is one of the Marantz amplifiers - the PM7200. It may not be realistic to have large separate units in all the rooms where music is wanted, so mini systems may satisfy that requirement.

It may also be useful to consider how listening is to be done. If high quality sound is required the best option might be to choose a system which will enable good quality headphone listening. Often the quality of headphone outputs on "standard" equipment - even including some otherwise good quality separates units - is not good enough, and can be improved on by using a suitable headphone amplifier, or a DAC or other device with a good quality headphone output. For example, some of the Logitech Squeezebox units have a fairly good quality headphone output - though some will still want improvements over that.

It may be that the OP's requirements for a mini system do not exclude having a larger system elsewhere. If, however, there is only room for one system, then subject to space being available I would second the suggestions for separates systems, but that may still not be a realistic option (for all sorts of reasons), in which case get the best mini system within a reasonable budget. Also, consider what is actually required. If only CD playback is required this can be achieved by a small separates system including a T amp (e.g Bantam Gold or Amptastic) fed via a DAC (e.g DACMagic or one of the Beresford units), and if a computer is used then CDs can be played or ripped on that, with the output fed to the DAC. The quality possible using computer based streaming to one of these - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-930...3565692&sr=8-1 , then fed into a small amplifier - such as mentioned above - could be hard to beat at a low price - for example around £280 if an Amptastic amp is used, plus the speakers, or £400 if a Bantam Gold is used, and would possibly take up no more space than a mini system. However, if there is a need for a comprehensive set of inputs and switching etc., then the scenario changes.

It'd be good to know what our OP really wants to do with the proposed system - how it will be used.

[Paul Sherratt]

>>As sold in shops with the name "I saw you coming" over the door
Not necessarily, GG. I've bought some kit recently and need new connecting cables for a couple of devices.
My supplier doesn't deal in this stuff so has passed me on to a former colleague who works from home.
Just this minute had an email from him offering to leave some cables to trial. He reckons Blue Heaven or Red Dawn might suit me ...

What does the team think ! Hadn't heard of Nordost till it was mentioned here !

( I'll probaly end up with some regular electrical mains cable )

[Dave2002]

What does the team think ! Hadn't heard of Nordost till it was mentioned here !

Sounds like something cheesy from the North.

[Resurrection Man]

>>As sold in shops with the name "I saw you coming" over the door
Not necessarily, GG. I've bought some kit recently and need new connecting cables for a couple of devices.
My supplier doesn't deal in this stuff so has passed me on to a former colleague who works from home.
Just this minute had an email from him offering to leave some cables to trial. He reckons Blue Heaven or Red Dawn might suit me ...

What does the team think ! Hadn't heard of Nordost till it was mentioned here !

( I'll probaly end up with some regular electrical mains cable )

That's an easy question to answer as any hi-fi buff will tell you. Your Red Dawn cables are best listened to in the morning...just as the rays from the rising sun caress the outer covering of the cables. These rays are crucial in extracting that ultra-high detail that is so often lost in lesser cables. The rays let the cable warm up and settle nicely along the contours of the floor thus facilitating the passage of the electrons.

Naturally, Blue Heaven cables come into their own at nighttime as they are especially sensitive to the refracted light from the moon. If you can arrange for your cables to follow the natural ley lines at the same time then you will be astounded at the improvement in your sound system.

Then again, it could all be smoke and mirrors

[johnb]

Just a few points to add.

If you listen to equipment in a dealers showroom, listening room be aware that it might sound different in your own home, due to the furnishings, room size, etc. Also sometimes a sound that seems immediately attractive in a dealer's establishment can prove tiring to listen to over the long term.

Dave pointed to the Logitech Touch as a streaming device that is hard to beat at a low price. True - many would say it is hard to beat - full stop.

BUT, and this is a whopping big 'but' - Logitech discontinued the whole Squeezebox range (including the Touch) some months ago, so I would not recommend a person new to Squeezebox buying one now. (However, it might be a very good idea for people who already use Squeezebox products to buy, say, a Touch as an insurance 'back-up'.)

Cables! I've always been a bit sceptical about the difference that various interconnect cables can make. However, a couple of years ago I borrowed a Chord Chorus II cable to try it. My existing cables were quite decent, but in a much lower price category. Usually whenever I have switched cables I've been hard pressed to identify any significant difference, so I was startled when I listened to the Chord Chorus cable - there was quite a significant impact. (I still returned the cable though.)

I guess that any audible differences between various cables very much depends on the individual kit they are used with.

[Dave2002]

Then again, it could all be smoke and mirrors

Nah!

[Paul Sherratt]

Is it like admiring the emperor's latest outfit in the mirror of smoke-filled room ?


" We begin by listening to Roxy Music's "Avalon" through the Nordost Blue Heaven interconnect ($230/1m pair). This is followed by the same track played through the Red Dawn interconnect ($400/1m pair). Next, we switch to Haley Sales, a Canadian singer/songwriter/surfer, and we go from the Red Dawn to the $700/1m pair Heimdall. Finally, we listen to a singer/songwriter named Mika, starting with the Heimdall and ending with the Valhalla ($5000/1m pair) "

Credit: Stereophile mag ...

[Dave2002]

Dave pointed to the Logitech Touch as a streaming device that is hard to beat at a low price. True - many would say it is hard to beat - full stop.

BUT, and this is a whopping big 'but' - Logitech discontinued the whole Squeezebox range (including the Touch) some months ago, so I would not recommend a person new to Squeezebox buying one now. (However, it might be a very good idea for people who already use Squeezebox products to buy, say, a Touch as an insurance 'back-up'.)

I think the Touch is a really great device, and I would even recommend it to someone who does not have any Squeezebox products already, but with one or two caveats. If you're the sort of person who wants to spend (say) £300 on kit, and expect it to still work in 20-30 years, then there is a rather high risk in buying a Touch. If on the other hand you accept that devices and systems may have a relatively shorter life, and perhaps consider such a device worth £60-£100 p.a., then I'd say the Touch is good to go. I think the hardware is robust enough, and the networks and software will probably last a few years at least, even without Logitech's support.

It's really neat, works well, and picks up the wireless signals very easily. I have been very impressed. Whether it has the ease of use features of a mini system I couldn't really say. One problem with technically "interesting" products, such as the Touch is that if these are used by several people in a household, some may find them difficult to use without being shown how to do it. Most people can hit an on button, and turn a volume control knob, and select a signal source, which is the usual interface for mini-systems.

OTOH my Marantz CD player is over 10 years old and still gives very good quality sound which is comparable to the sound of the Touch, and it also is fairly easy to use by others. Not all CD players sound so good. We may have moved into an era when expecting any kit to last for significantly more than 5 years is going to be a challenge. We still have a boom box type device which is over 20 years old which we use every day - cassette, CD and FM.

Lastly, for how many more years can we expect to be able to buy CD systems? Now might be a good time to buy one for anyone who has a commitment to CDs and a sizeable collection, or alternatively a bad time for anyone who thinks the future is going to be with downloads and streaming.

[Stunsworth]

For those who were recommending Squeezebox products - and they are an interesting way of getting music from A to B - Logitech recently discontinued the range. As far as I'm aware there is no comparable replacement from them.