Seperates vs All in One streamer…
Discussion
Hi chaps,
I currently have the following in my shopping basket:
- Cambridge Audio CX81
- Cambridge Audio CXN100
- Q Acoustics Concept 50
I haven’t bought hi-fi gear for far too long and am applying my old skool logic that separates are better than an all in one system and probably required to drive the speakers acceptably.
However…
The area i need to put this is a but restricted for spare space I have some shallow shelves otherwise it’s going to be a floor standing rack. I’m also very aware that my thinking may be out of date. Perhaps a high end all-in-one really will perform equally???
I’d welcome some sage advice. Do i stick with separates for fidelity or am i better served by a more modern approach?
I currently have the following in my shopping basket:
- Cambridge Audio CX81
- Cambridge Audio CXN100
- Q Acoustics Concept 50
I haven’t bought hi-fi gear for far too long and am applying my old skool logic that separates are better than an all in one system and probably required to drive the speakers acceptably.
However…
The area i need to put this is a but restricted for spare space I have some shallow shelves otherwise it’s going to be a floor standing rack. I’m also very aware that my thinking may be out of date. Perhaps a high end all-in-one really will perform equally???
I’d welcome some sage advice. Do i stick with separates for fidelity or am i better served by a more modern approach?
Sure. But i don’t see the point of sitting in a perfectly optimised environment and trying to appy that to my, imperfect, home environment. And frankly, I dont have time anyway.
I have Q Acoustic M20s and a REL sub for my office/desk set up (bought via the internet believe it or not) hence leaning towards the Q Acoustic gear as I like the warm, easy sound they produce.
Non-dedicated environments are never going to be perfect so I don’t think theres much point in getting too obsessive unless it’s a home cinema or dedicated listening space.
However, im now curious as to why the highly regarded options i listed are getting zero votes… cost? Interface? Something else?
I have Q Acoustic M20s and a REL sub for my office/desk set up (bought via the internet believe it or not) hence leaning towards the Q Acoustic gear as I like the warm, easy sound they produce.
Non-dedicated environments are never going to be perfect so I don’t think theres much point in getting too obsessive unless it’s a home cinema or dedicated listening space.
However, im now curious as to why the highly regarded options i listed are getting zero votes… cost? Interface? Something else?
Edited by DoubleSix on Sunday 7th April 15:18
Also, some pretty savage reviews on the KEF reliability on Reddit. Makes me hesitant. I wanted solid, workhorse performance with no fuss. Not latency and buggy software.
Ive read a lot of positive stuff about WIIM but i’d need an amp so im not really solving the placement issue there.
Ive read a lot of positive stuff about WIIM but i’d need an amp so im not really solving the placement issue there.
Tony1963 said:
I sincerely hope you’re not saying that some of the great active speakers out there are more compromised than most passive speakers!
My top tip here, unless you’re in a hurry, would to be buy used and move it on if you don’t like it. Enjoy the journey, and become a bit of an authority on what you end up with, and why.
It was a question more than a statement really Tony. To me, logically, cramming everything in a user friendly box must introduce compromises. Correct me if im wrong.My top tip here, unless you’re in a hurry, would to be buy used and move it on if you don’t like it. Enjoy the journey, and become a bit of an authority on what you end up with, and why.
Similarly, those KEF LS50 speakers with everything built-in are less £££ than the speakers alone that i listed in my OP. So, i would need someone to explain, convincingly why they are even comparable. You know, beyond “i have them and they sound nice”. One mans Mercedes is another mans Hyundai etc
I really haven’t got time for a journey sadly. I just want someone to say, “thats great gear” or “have a look at this comparable option”. I not sure the options here are necessarily comparable, hence my question above.
Edited by DoubleSix on Sunday 7th April 16:19
Loads of very hard surfaces, glass, porcelain. Crazy roof angles etc. Horrendous for listening basically 
Those Buchardt A500s look right up my street but show as sold out. The point someone made about room correction seems especially relevant to my space. The KEF stuff doesn’t seem to have any. I just watched Darko’s review of the A500s… mmmmm want
I have very eclectic tastes musically everything from Dub to Classical. DnB to Chilli Peppers. Not much music i cant appreciate accept perhaps some weird europop s
te
Those Buchardt A500s look right up my street but show as sold out. The point someone made about room correction seems especially relevant to my space. The KEF stuff doesn’t seem to have any. I just watched Darko’s review of the A500s… mmmmm want
I have very eclectic tastes musically everything from Dub to Classical. DnB to Chilli Peppers. Not much music i cant appreciate accept perhaps some weird europop s
te Edited by DoubleSix on Sunday 7th April 17:25
Edited by DoubleSix on Sunday 7th April 17:29
Thanks! That’s a cool set up you have and appreciate the suggestion, haven’t seen those speakers before.
Right now, having done some more research and digested the views here, I’m leaning towards the KEF LS60 floor standers in white. For the following reasons:
- small footprint
- low bloat (no additional boxes required)
- powerful enough to fill space
- decent bass output
- recently discounted!
- the A500s are out of stock
My only reservation is the lack of proper room correction.
Right now, having done some more research and digested the views here, I’m leaning towards the KEF LS60 floor standers in white. For the following reasons:
- small footprint
- low bloat (no additional boxes required)
- powerful enough to fill space
- decent bass output
- recently discounted!
- the A500s are out of stock
My only reservation is the lack of proper room correction.
Edited by DoubleSix on Monday 8th April 07:30
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