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Hi-Fi

SpurMeUp

SpurMeUp

David Ginola
Couldn't see a Hi-Fi thread. My old Marantz amp has packed up. Might be able to get it fixed. But these days I only seem to connect a phone or laptop for playing music or projecting films.

It is sad to see the end of separates systems, but can still plug in a record player to this LS50. Pricy, but if I can justify it, I'm tempted as it connects with wireless and bluetooth.

Has anyone used something like this?

 
SpurMeUp said:
Couldn't see a Hi-Fi thread. My old Marantz amp has packed up. Might be able to get it fixed. But these days I only seem to connect a phone or laptop for playing music or projecting films.

It is sad to see the end of separates systems, but can still plug in a record player to this LS50. Pricy, but if I can justify it, I'm tempted as it connects with wireless and bluetooth.

Has anyone used something like this?

Click to expand...

Wouldn't trust what hi fi review on any thing.
Your amp has maybe chucked it, but what speakers do you have that these would be replacing?
You can get a really good stereo amp for £500.
 
glasgowspur said:
Wouldn't trust what hi fi review on any thing.
Your amp has maybe chucked it, but what speakers do you have that these would be replacing?
You can get a really good stereo amp for £500.
Click to expand...

...and you can get Amps with Bluetooth, but the choice is surprisingly limited. Most music is consumed digitally now isn't it? Yet separates manufacturers seem slow to bring though amplifies that are designed with with laptops and phones in mind. Over the past 5 years I've used a line in to the amp to play music, which isn't an optimal way to play digital music is it? These LS50 things at least seem designed to work with modern media, plus can plug in a turn table. Just wish they were cheaper.

If I could get a good amp with digital connectivity that would be an option, though the speakers are 10 years old and could be upgraded too.
 
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SpurMeUp said:
...and you can get Amps with Bluetooth, but the choice is surprisingly limited. Most music is consumed digitally now isn't it? Yet separates manufacturers seem slow to bring though amplifies that are designed with with laptops and phones in mind. Over the past 5 years I've used a line in to the amp to play music, which isn't an optimal way to play digital music is it? These LS50 things at least seem designed to work with modern media, plus can plug in a turn table. Just wish they were cheaper.

If I could get a good amp with digital connectivity that would be an option, though the speakers are 10 years old and could be upgraded too.
Click to expand...

There are plenty of decent amps with an optical input which the Chromecast audio can output to.
 
milo said:
There are plenty of decent amps with an optical input which the Chromecast audio can output to.
Click to expand...
This is the best solution.

As long as the Bluetooth receiver does aptx and has a digital output then it's just passing a signal through without loss as it stays digital. Let your amp do all the DAC stuff - if you have a good amp use it for what it's good at.
 
scaramanga said:
This is the best solution.

As long as the Bluetooth receiver does aptx and has a digital output then it's just passing a signal through without loss as it stays digital. Let your amp do all the DAC stuff - if you have a good amp use it for what it's good at.
Click to expand...

Any specific amp recommendations?

Just seen that these LS50 all in one speakers are £300 cheaper in the US. Can you get these kinds of things shipped from the states and save £250 odd?
 
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SpurMeUp said:
Any specific amp recommendations?

Just seen that these LS50 all in one speakers are £300 cheaper in the US. Can you get these kinds of things shipped from the states and save £250 odd?
Click to expand...

You can ship anything but you've got customs duty and VAT on top of that and the courier's fees for paying on your behalf.
 
milo said:
You can ship anything but you've got customs duty and VAT on top of that and the courier's fees for paying on your behalf.
Click to expand...

Interesting.

Not in the colour I'd like, but these appear £500 off UK prices, and supposedly don't have additional duty. Something dodgy somewhere. Too good to be true? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KEF-LS50-Wireless-in-Gloss-White-Copper-Sealed-NEW-White/263718260284?epid=2168960149&hash=item3d66d54e3c:g:Q-QAAOSw2D1Zf6G3&_sacat=0&_nkw=kef+ls50+wireless&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

Edit: makes sense now, when you add to the basket, it pops on an extra £330 for customs. Still cheaper than buying in the UK but only by £70 once you add shipping.
 
SpurMeUp said:
Interesting.

Not in the colour I'd like, but these appear £500 off UK prices, and supposedly don't have additional duty. Something dodgy somewhere. Too good to be true? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KEF-LS50-Wireless-in-Gloss-White-Copper-Sealed-NEW-White/263718260284?epid=2168960149&hash=item3d66d54e3c:g:Q-QAAOSw2D1Zf6G3&_sacat=0&_nkw=kef+ls50+wireless&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

Edit: makes sense now, when you add to the basket, it pops on an extra £330 for customs. Still cheaper than buying in the UK but only by £70 once you add shipping.
Click to expand...

I have never bought anything through eBay with that setup but I think that import duties are on top of the sale price. I think that you need to price into that purchase the cost of returning it and getting a refund/replacement, if there is a problem.
 
SpurMeUp said:
...and you can get Amps with Bluetooth, but the choice is surprisingly limited. Most music is consumed digitally now isn't it? Yet separates manufacturers seem slow to bring though amplifies that are designed with with laptops and phones in mind. Over the past 5 years I've used a line in to the amp to play music, which isn't an optimal way to play digital music is it? These LS50 things at least seem designed to work with modern media, plus can plug in a turn table. Just wish they were cheaper.

If I could get a good amp with digital connectivity that would be an option, though the speakers are 10 years old and could be upgraded too.
Click to expand...

Have a look at Marantz mid price range amp and an Arcam r dac or similar.
I'm out of date a little with dacs but as good a name as kef are I'd rather spend my money on an amp than Bluetooth speakers.
 
SpurMeUp said:
Any specific amp recommendations?

Just seen that these LS50 all in one speakers are £300 cheaper in the US. Can you get these kinds of things shipped from the states and save £250 odd?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I don't have an audio setup any more. I use my AV amp for everything now - as long as you choose one that's good in stereo (Marantz usually are) then there's very little quality dropoff.
 
There is also the Denon Heos system, very similar to Sonos but better sound quality but a worse interface
 
I’ve got an old beefy denon laserdisc amp and having connected that to a dab I can now stream via airplay so it’s probably going to eke out a third decade of use, albeit in the shed.

Bit too big for the rooms we have in our cottage.
 
I'm currently running with a Denon X1500 receiver. It's got pretty much everything. Bluetooth, Airplay 2, Spotify direct, input for turntable, Wi-Fi, 4K support ++. Not very expensive either at around £4-500. Got a pair of System Audio Saxo 40 speakers, which I'm most pleased with. Listened to about 10 different speakers in that size/price range, and they were by far the best imo. With the sub, Saxo 10, the whole lot was less than £1200
 
I'd second the Denon amp range, I'm running a denon avr x4300h with Q Acoustics speakers, as Kandi1977 says, it's really worth spending the time to match the speakers to the amp.

Good luck
 
Yamaha AVRs have become my preference in recent years. Got the RX-A3060 for surround and processing duties, then a Roksan K3 integrated stereo amp for the front pair. (Roksan make a great old school British quality amp!)
I’ve gone Dali Rubicons for the floor standers, centre and Dali phantoms for the in-ceiling Atmos.

Rel sub, but looking to change. Open to recommendations if anyone has any previous?

(Sources are an LG E6 OLED for built in apps, Oppo UHD203 for UHD, CD & SACD, AppleTV 4K, and I use the Yamaha’s MusicCast function for streaming lossless music via my Tidal account.
Finally, I have a pimped up Pro-ject Debut Carbon DC turntable and Tube Box DS phono stage - for proper retro analogue vinyl duties!!!)

Decent set up, quite pleased with how it’s coming together! :D
 
Some great ideas in here!

Although it’s against my instincts, the attraction of these all in one systems is they should be optimised for digital use. If you have to convert via WiFi or use various additions Like Chromcast it must effect the quality?

Will prob get a LS50 or similar. Still like the sound from the Marantz amp. Could see if it’s repairable and install in the kitchen.

Any recommendations for repair centres?



Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
 
Anyone know much about cooling and ventilating AV kit?

I've converted the space under my stairs into an AV cupboard and it's starting to get really hot. I'm not allowed to vent into the hallway or leave the doors open (wife's instructions), so I suspect the only option is venting out (the back wall is external) but I'm open to clever ideas.

The next question is how much I need to do in order to vent - will just an open vent allow the hot air to escape? Do I need to have a fan take the air out and hope that cooling the cupboard will cool the kit? Or do I have to put cooling on each item and attach that to an external vent? Although this is not in the room I use for watching films, there isn't a solid door between them, only the plywood cupboard door. That means any solution would need to be reasonably quiet.
 
I use silent 120mm PC fans connected to the USB ports on the back of my AV unit, so it only runs when the AV is on.

The fans pull cool air up from under the floor (old house) and expel it out of the back of the cabinet.

You can get dedicated Home Theater AV Cabinet Cooling kits but I prefer the flexibility of positioning individual fans to optimise the air flow, routing and cable tying all of the cables around the edges of the cabinet also help with air flow.

Or for the ultimate solution install a aircon unit under the stairs something like a Akai Mistral 9000 btu split air conditioner
 
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