What Hi Fi!

Using the computer as the transport / storage method for CD's does seem good, but i'm a bit like Knightshade I work with them all day long.

I used to play with them in an evening as well (had a network of 8 with various os's on them at home) but got fedup of doing that now and I get a lot more pleasure from using a CD Player and going through the routine of picking a disc and putting it in the player then I do from using a pc and "clicking" on the playlist.
 
booktrunk said:
Using the computer as the transport / storage method for CD's does seem good, but i'm a bit like Knightshade I work with them all day long.

I used to play with them in an evening as well (had a network of 8 with various os's on them at home) but got fedup of doing that now and I get a lot more pleasure from using a CD Player and going through the routine of picking a disc and putting it in the player then I do from using a pc and "clicking" on the playlist.

Have to agree with booktrunk. I have 2 PC's near hifi, both connected up and it's so much nicer to me to pop a disc and and go from there.

Bit much hassle adding MP3's etc and booting PC etc. Bit distracting for me, but that's just me.

In regards to CD as a format, I doubt it'll become redundant for decades. Vinyl as an example has been round in it's current form for decades...
 
booktrunk said:
Using the computer as the transport / storage method for CD's does seem good, but i'm a bit like Knightshade I work with them all day long.

I used to play with them in an evening as well (had a network of 8 with various os's on them at home) but got fedup of doing that now and I get a lot more pleasure from using a CD Player and going through the routine of picking a disc and putting it in the player then I do from using a pc and "clicking" on the playlist.

I'm the opposite I again work with PC's etc all day but have found the knowledge gained from work has helped with my HCPC and visa versa.
If the technology is better than a CDP why not use it .
I rip my cd keeping the originals in mint condition then I have the convenience of playing them via a 8" touchscreen TFT on my coffee table,then I get the added bonus of it sounding bloody good to :thumbsup:
I still on occasions use my turntable when I'm feelin nostalgic :)
 
Rob Dear clearly seems to have a nice setup. In these cases I'm guessing it might take a while toiling around and getting the setup just right with the media PC, along with carefully looking into the components to suit the setup.

Sounds like a good system. Like the touchscreen on coffee table idea.

I'm in I.T tech myself and have been for years. If you spend the time / research in buying / building a MediaPC up and get it just right, then it would probably be an excellent solution.

The only thing is you are walking into slightly grey / not fully matured territory with so many custom-setups / diy solutions available. Unless you get it right it could be a headache. After all, the MediaPC has only been coming into homes in the last couple of years.

If you do it right it'll be great, but I have seen media PC users more likely to use their CD player or Minidisc unit / Sky+ and it ends up gathering dust unless you get the right solution for you.

Perhaps another thread to deal with this if you wish to go this route. There should be plenty of info avail in the MediaPC's forum. You're in the best place to ask.
 
We are the lucky ones ie working in the IT industry,therefore we should embrace it as a new technology so it can mature.
Who better to iron out problems in a HCPC than an IT specialist.
Rob
God I sound like a salesman :D
 
Rob Dear said:
We are the lucky ones ie working in the IT industry,therefore we should embrace it as a new technology so it can mature.
Who better to iron out problems in a HCPC than an IT specialist.
Rob

Agree on your point, but I'm lacking in available time for one thing. When I'm not overtiming for other areas of the business (overtimed every night this week), normally have other things on.

In regards to PC problems, by all means fire away, but best HTPC advice? Haven't got the experience in this field. Can provide advice, but not in terms of HTPC usage.

Live in a room at the moment, looking to get a mortgage in the next 18 months or so, but pretty sure I will put together a nice HTPC when have a full place of my own.

Quite a few nice cases coming out to compliment hifi equipment too.
Couple that with say a touchscreen , or wireless Logitech DiNovo setup and would be smart & very functional.

I still have a CD Player, as convenient in my case not got the room for HTPC, touchscreen and the extra bits etc.

Laptop is often used for MP3's, but the rackmount is a bit of a space-hogger so it's unplugged at the moment in a corner..
 
Guy in the shop said HD feeding music will never be as good as a CD player. He then bamboozled me with something like 4 connectors to 2 or something, and said it will always loose sound even if I have a kick ass sound card and store music in WAV. Is this marketting BS to make me buy the Caspian M-1 CD player or is this true?

The system was awesome, quote me £4,500 (all ex-display and with free delivery) for:

- Caspian M-1 Amp
- Caspian M-1 CD
- 2x Monitor Audio GR60
- All high quality cabling (£200 connectors and top end 5m each speaker cabling)

Sounded amazing. He was pretty keen to sell, but I held my ground and refused to place a deposit and said I want to shop around a bit more, to which he replied that shouldn't rush into any sales and be careful! Seemed ok to do it a minuite ago :p Salesmen eh?

Anyway he also advised me against the MIII because you'd need at least a £2k amp to power them, putting me to about £6.5k without any cables or CD player. Quads he said also didn't give comparable sound to the GR60.

Don't really know where else to look for a system, thats way in budget and was the best quality thing he could put together. Should I buy it? It sounded awesome.
 
Ahahah on the actual SevenOaks website they are selling ex-display GR60's for £1,250. The salesman said to me today "because they are ex-display, ill knock them from £2,300 to £1,900 for you". Tommorow when it opens I'm going to phone them up and ask how much they are as a new customer.
 
Oh my god, the caspian equipment he showed me was also ex display, i've added up all the system up from their website (not just the sevenoaks general one, the store specific one) and it comes to £3,050 (without cabling, no more than £400). So he's added £1,000 onto the price.
 
Dont pay anything until you have listened to it in your room. Try some other dealer who stock very different items, not because they are selling poor equipment but it is very useful to listen to a wide variety of products
 
but he was right about the amp for the mk111s!!! Less convinced by the rest....
 
The consumer market is very depressed at the moment so take your time and you should pick up a bargain. Your now finding out that some HiFi shops just want your money and really couldnt care less if your happy with the system. Did he ask you lots of questions while sitting down in a demo room over a cup of coffee, did he then show you a few different systems to gauge how you reacted to different products.............nah, bet he did'nt :mad: remember my advice. Got to say that I dont like Sevenoaks.

I have copied a list of dealers from Neat speakers website, its their dealer list but I know they dont suffer fools gladly, so there are probably some good guys on the list. I would have a listen to the brand new Neat Motive 1 floorstanders at around £1300 add an LFD zero or Mistral integrated amplifier and a Naim CD player for your money. Should be around 4K for the lot including cables. I dont normally do recommendations but you seem to be struggling a bit.

LONDON

Grahams HiFi
190a New North Rd
N1
0207 226 5500
www.grahams.co.uk

Oranges and Lemons (U/P)
61 Webbs Rd
SW11
0207 924 2040
www.oandlhifi.co.uk


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOUTH EAST

PJ HiFi (U)
3 Bridge Street
Guildford
GU1 4RY
01483 504801
www.pjhifi.co.uk

The Sound Practice (U)
St Albans
AL3 4SP
01727 893928
www.thesoundpractice.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOUTH WEST

The Right Note
Avon Villa
56 High Street
Saltford
Bath
BS18 3EJ


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EAST ANGLIA

Signals (U)
Bucklesham
Ipswich
IP10 0DY
01473 655171
www.signals.uk.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIDLANDS

Cymbiosis (U/P)
6 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
0116 262 3754
www.cymbiosis.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NORTH

HiFi Hut (U/P)
1a Coronation Rd
Harrogate
HG2
01423 810990
07736 392852


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NORTH WEST

HiFi Showrooms
12A West Street
Congleton
CW12
01260 280017
www.hifishowrooms.com

Practical HiFi Plus
88 Bridge Street
Warrington
WA1 2RF
01925 632179

Sound Investment
58 Allerton Rd
Woolton
Liverpool
L25 7RG
0151 428 3950


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SCOTLAND

Highland Audio
Seannlios Farm
Kirkhill
Inverness
IV5 7PN
01463 831658
www.highlandaudio.com

Kevin Galloway Audio
11 Milton Road,
Kilmarnock
Ayrshire
KA3 7HG
01563 574185
www.kevingallowayaudio.co.uk

Retro Reproduction
28a Haddington Place
Edinburgh
EH7 4AF
Scotland
0131 558 9989

Heres a further list of dealers that stock LFD, that means they stock a far bigger range of specialist equipment, so if the LFD doesnt suit, then theres bound to be someone else. I have never looked to see if theres a combined Neat/LFD dealer but at least theres lots of interesting stuff to look at and the dealers are more interested in getting you into the right system instead of throwing some demo/display stock at you.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Kronos A/V Limited

8 / 9, Scotch Street Centre, Dungannon,

BT70 1AR

Tel: 02887 753606

Web: www.kronoshi-fi.co.uk
SCOTLAND

Shadow Audio Consultants

21 - 22 Cadham Centre, Glenrothes,

KY7 6RU

Tel: 01592 744779

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.shadowaudio.co.uk

DEVON AND CORNWALL

Audio Destination

32b Bampton Street, Tiverton, Devon,

EX16 6AH

Tel: 01884 243584

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.audiodestination.co.uk
BATH and SOUTH WEST
The Right Note
Avon Villa, 56 High Street, Saltford

Bristol, BS18 3EJ
Tel: 01225 874728
Email: [email protected]

HOME COUNTIES

The Audio Consultants

7, Comet House, Calleva Park, Aldermaston, Reading, RG7 8JA

Tel: 0118 981 9891

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.audioconsultants.co.uk
CENTRAL ENGLAND

Midland Audio X-Change

The Old Chapel, Forge Lane, Belbroughton

Worcs, DY9 9TD

Tel: 01562 731100

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.midlandaudiox-change.co.uk

CENTRAL LONDON
Walrus Systems
11, New Quebec Street, London, W1H 7DD
Tel: 0207 724 7224
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.walrus.co.uk
NORTH LONDON / HERTFORDSHIRE

The Sound Practice

31, St Michael’s Street, St Albans,

Hertfordshire, AL3 4SP

Tel: 01727 893928

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.thesoundpractice.com

SOUTH WEST LONDON

Esotheric Soundworks

27, Prince of Wales Drive, London,

SW11 4SD

Tel: 07960 958301 / 0207 2077086

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.esothericsounds.com
SOUTH WEST LONDON
Choice Hi-Fi
52, Milton Road, East Sheen, London,

SW14 8JR
Tel: 0208 392 1959

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.choice-hifi.com

EAST SUSSEX

Sounds of Music

Firgrove Business Park, Firgrove Road
Cross in Hand, Near Heathfield, East Sussex

TN21 0QL

Tel: 01435 865212

Web: www.sounds-of-music.co.uk
NORTH KENT

Progressive Audio

2, Maryland Court, Rainham, Kent, ME8 8QY

Tel: 01634 389004

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.progressiveaudio.co.uk

NORTH WEST

Practical Hi-Fi Plus

88, Bridge Street, Warrington, WA1 2RF

Tel: 01925 632179

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.practicalhi-fi.co.uk
LEEDS / WAKEFIELD
Premier Audio
337, Barnsley Road, Sandal, Wakefield, WF2 6AF

Tel: 01924 255045

WEST MANCHESTER

Input Audio

1, Arnold Close, Dukinfield, Cheshire, SK16 5QA

Tel: 0161 338 6249


SOUTH MANCHESTER

Dooleys Hi Fi

106, Mill Street, Macclesfield, SK11 6NR

Tel: 01625 264666

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.dooleys-hifi.co.uk

ISLE OF MAN

The Musical Experience

Hedges, Port Lewaigue Close, Port Lewaigue, Maughold, Isle of Man, IM7 1AH

Tel: 01624 817230

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.musicalexperience.net

Good Hunting.
 
Thanks for that, I'll have a look. This is way harder than I thought, I thought it wouldn't be too hard but that sevenoaks threw me completely after I found they lied to my face!
 
I just felt in retrospect I was wasting his time. I was really keen on setting up my PC as a music feeder but he just bombarded me with jargon. If he explained it slower I could probably understand because I do computing at university, but it was like I was wasting his time and asking dumbass questions!
 
Gullanian said:
I just felt in retrospect I was wasting his time. I was really keen on setting up my PC as a music feeder but he just bombarded me with jargon. If he explained it slower I could probably understand because I do computing at university, but it was like I was wasting his time and asking dumbass questions!

I think the problem is that he sells hifi and not computers. my understanding is that a PC based system would not be as good as a dedicated CDP, but I thought that CD copies would lose quality and the difference would be easily detectable. Having tried CD original against a copy I can honestly say there isnt any difference to my ears or my wifes (and she really can spot differences easily). Maybe a PC based system is the same ?
 
Phone PJ HiFi on the list and pop down and explain what you want. It WILL be worth your while.
 
Nic Rhodes said:
Phone PJ HiFi on the list and pop down and explain what you want. It WILL be worth your while.

October the 27th is a demo of NEAT's range of speakers, the shop also stocks Naim Audio and if you give Bob a ring a NEAT www.neat.co.uk he can probably arrange to have an LFD amplifier to try out as I know he has one for his personal system :thumbsup:. or let me know if your going to be there and I will call into the workshop next week (PM me your personal details if you want me to arrange this, so Bob has a contact). Of course your free to try anything out at the shop and no doubt some a home demo can be arranged.
 
Ah PJ is only in Guildford, not too hard for me to get to, might phone up and pop in. Are they friendly in there?
 
Gullanian said:
Ah PJ is only in Guildford, not too hard for me to get to, might phone up and pop in. Are they friendly in there?

As I said, Bob at Neat doesnt suffer fools and you have a recommendation from a long serving forum member. Pop in and get youself an invite for the 27th.
 
Gullanian, Unforetunately there are far better speakers than the MA GR60's. Though they are very good. PMC and Revel should be on your list. PMC are considerably better, Revel are in a different league.
A dealer like that I would happily use and abuse.....
 
Gullanian said:
Ah PJ is only in Guildford, not too hard for me to get to, might phone up and pop in. Are they friendly in there?

PJ are excellent. I drive past an Audio-T and a Sevenoaks on my way to their shop. I don't even consider stopping on the way :thumbsup:
 
Hi guys,

I've arranged to visit PJ's in 2 weeks, I'll phone them up and arrange for a demo of a few systems, and then buy the best one I like most! I'll let you all know how I get on. My dad and brother are also coming to help me choose.

Tom
 
All booked! Will be getting the train down especially for this shop, hope it's good!
 

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