Piega Premium Wireless 301 Wireless Active Speaker System Review

Anyone else think the speakers look remarkably similar to an old forum favourite, the XTZ 99 series?
 
So you can't even change the volume on the tv?
Is this some kind of joke?
Another example of a piece of equipment that's not fit for purpose and has more faults than a drunken showjumper.
This isn't a dig at the review or the reviewer - Ed is a master of his craft and the review itself is fair and thorough - I'm just exasperated at the amount of products coming onto the market recently that seem to have been designed on the back of a fag packet by a team of trainee engineers on ketamine communicating via a dodgy Skype connection.
 
So you can't even change the volume on the tv?
Is this some kind of joke?
Another example of a piece of equipment that's not fit for purpose and has more faults than a drunken showjumper.
This isn't a dig at the review or the reviewer - Ed is a master of his craft and the review itself is fair and thorough - I'm just exasperated at the amount of products coming onto the market recently that seem to have been designed on the back of a fag packet by a team of trainee engineers on ketamine communicating via a dodgy Skype connection.

If the Connect box was the only option for connection, this review would not have gone well. However;

-It isn't (thankfully) the only option for connection.
-You get one anyway when you buy the speakers.

My view on the Connect is that it has been developed with some usage assumptions that are erroneous. It might be best to take the final scoring to be indicative of the speaker on its own and consider that you get the Connect included for specific applications (it would be ideal for generating a second room system from the preout of the main one for example).
 
Nice review

It's disappointing that the connect is so weak in functions. Also I think the product loses a few marks because if you could plug sources into just one speaker and it talked wireless to the other it would be in some way redeeming, it already has a wireless protocol built in.

I was looking at a few similar setups to this but everytime I thought I'd go for one a different bill popped up. I eventually settled for something more conventional.

For less money you have the (probably not as solid) dali oberon 1c with hub or bluos integrated module, or even the dali oberon 7c. Are these on your review radar by any chance
 
I'm curious about this bit -

"Now, I am going to have to go record and say that I don’t understand the Connect. At all. The inputs themselves are fine, if a trifle limiting, but where I find myself scratching my head is that there is no form of remote control of any kind. You can adjust the volume via buttons on the top of the Connect and the input in use via a switch on the back but this seems somewhat limiting. Piega apparently feels that the Connect is likely to be added to a variable output streamer or similar but that’s a slightly random piece of hardware to expect people to have. As it stands, if you connect a TV via optical to the Connect, you better get used to setting a volume level you want for the evening."

Using Roon, Tidal etc. I have the ability to control the volume via the application or fix it - I assume this is the "vari / fix" switch on the back on the connect box. Looking at the manual the vari let's the connect box control the volume and fix let's you control the volume from the appropriate application / connected device. I've certainly seen this in use many times - did you test this part?
 
I'm curious about this bit -

"Now, I am going to have to go record and say that I don’t understand the Connect. At all. The inputs themselves are fine, if a trifle limiting, but where I find myself scratching my head is that there is no form of remote control of any kind. You can adjust the volume via buttons on the top of the Connect and the input in use via a switch on the back but this seems somewhat limiting. Piega apparently feels that the Connect is likely to be added to a variable output streamer or similar but that’s a slightly random piece of hardware to expect people to have. As it stands, if you connect a TV via optical to the Connect, you better get used to setting a volume level you want for the evening."

Using Roon, Tidal etc. I have the ability to control the volume via the application or fix it - I assume this is the "vari / fix" switch on the back on the connect box. Looking at the manual the vari let's the connect box control the volume and fix let's you control the volume from the appropriate application / connected device. I've certainly seen this in use many times - did you test this part?

Yes- The Hugo2 was used running into the Connect over RCA with the Connect set to fixed. This is how Piega envisages you use it. Connecting the B7 via optical does not allow for volume to be controlled on the LG though. As there's no USB input on the Connect, adjusting volume in Roon or other aps is effectively a non starter.
 
Yes- The Hugo2 was used running into the Connect over RCA with the Connect set to fixed. This is how Piega envisages you use it. Connecting the B7 via optical does not allow for volume to be controlled on the LG though. As there's no USB input on the Connect, adjusting volume in Roon or other aps is effectively a non starter.

It seems to me there a couple of uses -

1. RCA in which seems the volume is only controlled by the box (lack of remote is unforgivable I agree).
2. Digital in where it acts as a DAC and according to the manual the variable (controlled by the box) and fixed (controlled by the connected device / app) volume should work (as pretty much every other DAC).

I don't think the LG B7 is fair test, these are like a stereo pair of speakers and an optical / coaxial from a, say, a roon end point streamer should probably be incorporated into the tests / review?
 
It seems to me there a couple of uses -

1. RCA in which seems the volume is only controlled by the box (lack of remote is unforgivable I agree).
2. Digital in where it acts as a DAC and according to the manual the variable (controlled by the box) and fixed (controlled by the connected device / app) volume should work (as pretty much every other DAC).

I don't think the LG B7 is fair test, these are like a stereo pair of speakers and an optical / coaxial from a, say, a roon end point streamer should probably be incorporated into the tests / review?

Any volume adjustment over optical or coaxial is done via bit reduction (USB is a grey area but it's mostly bit reduction there too). Given this audibly mangles the signal to achieve it, doing so is going to be wholly undesirable.
 
Any volume adjustment over optical or coaxial is done via bit reduction (USB is a grey area but it's mostly bit reduction there too). Given this audibly mangles the signal to achieve it, doing so is going to be wholly undesirable.
So if the volume coming into the DAC (via "digital" - optical, coax, usb) that has the volume changed - you are saying it isn't bit perfect and impacts on the sound quality being received?
 
So if the volume coming into the DAC (via "digital" - optical, coax, usb) that has the volume changed - you are saying it isn't bit perfect and impacts on the sound quality being received?

Over optical and coax yes and usually over USB too. There's no 'volume' info in a PCM or SP/Dif feed, you just reduce the volume by removing bits (literally) of it. This is distinct from digital volume controls (as used by a number of DACs which noise shape the signal but entirely in the digital domain.
 
Excellent review, I've owned a pair of these for over a year, downsizing from a pair of kii three's, they are quality little speakers, im really happy with them. You're spot on about the connect box, I use a bluesound vault 2i connected up to the rca's and it sounds so much better.
 
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Excellent review, I've owned a pair of these for over a year, downsizing from a pair of kii three's, they are quality little speakers, im really happy with them. You're spot on about the connect box, I use a bluesound vault 2i connected up to the rca's and it sounds so much better.
Out of interest, did you have a good time with the Kid three's?

Seems like an interesting product, setting price considerations aside.
 
Yes I really enjoyed the kii's, they really are stunning speakers but perhaps overkill for my current room. I sold them on the classifieds to a fellow membe. I'll Hopefully find a used pair when I move in to a bigger property shortly, I've also heard great things about buchardt a500s so I want to give them a audition.
 
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