Small active Hi-Fi speaker's needed..advice please

[JoeFrost]

Right,
I am currently in a studio flat so all my hi-fi proper is being stored elsewhere so what I need are a pair of either active bookshelf sized speakers, or a small amp/speaker combo. It's going to be a second hand jobbie, unfortunately not from the AVForums as my brother got my account blocked somehow selling HD DVD's () so if you could recommend me something, I would be most grateful. Budget around £150-200.



Joe

Edited to up budget a bit to £150-200.

Edited by JoeFrost on Saturday 14th May 21:13

[PJ S]

With £100 as the budget, you don't come to a forum asking for advice on how to spend it - just go on eBay or Richer Sounds.
If you've an iPod, just get a sound dock and use it - it'll sound just as good as any £100 amp/speaker combo, and be neater, without cables trailiing about the place.
That or if no iPod, but just CDs, then a micro hi-fi.

[Crackie]

JoeFrost said:

Right,
What I need is a pair of either active bookshelf sized speakers, or a small amp/speaker combo. Budget around £100.

These Active Diamond's might fit the bill
http://www.amazon.co.uk/WHARFEDALE-DIAMOND-8-2-PRO...

Edited by Crackie on Saturday 14th May 16:05

[JoeFrost]

Anyone heard if Behringer are a decent sound? Bit over budget but the Truth range looks pretty good...Only dock I like the sound of id the B&W Zeppelin which is way over budget, plus I plan to keep this small set up for a kitchen unit in the future.

[JoeFrost]

Anyone heard those Diamonds above? Thanks for the suggestion

[JoeFrost]

I was thinking of these for example;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Behringer-MS40-Digital-Monit...

[Crackie]

The Wharfedale 8.2 price was each not for a pair . These are nearer your budget and there are plenty of customer reviews to check out in the attached link.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000MN96T6...

[JoeFrost]

Any opinions on active monitors compared to standard hi-fi speakers?

[JoeFrost]

Ok, last ask for opinions I promise...

It's down to these three..

Behringer Truth active studio monitors

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

or a mini seperates system like this Technics one with some other bookshelf speakers.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Soooo....what would you suggest? I've never had active or monitor speakers before, and the room I will be using them in has a real space issue i.e. a lack of it, so what does the PH hi-fi guru's think?

Thanks guys,
Joe

[NDA]

I recently bought a pair of these for my study:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acoustic-Solutions-bookshe...

....and have to say, they're superb! I have a fairly monster hi fi set up as well as a recording studio, so I have a vague idea what a good sound is, and these little cheapies are stunning. They are hooked up to a Linn amp (which accounts for some of the reason they sound good). But worth a look - your additional budget could go on a decent little amp which will give you better flexibility in terms of adding other components (which you're bound to want to do!).

[JoeFrost]

The thing is, I also have a pretty monster set up, however it's all in storage at the moment as I am staying in a small place in London. This is purely for while I am here, and will be used with an iPod. I want some quality as I will transfer it to say, a kitchen when I move. I won't be adding anything else to it, the only thing I might add is a decent dock.

[PJ S]

FFS, why are you complicating your life?
I said days ago, just get a sound dock - whether it be Bose, B&W, or another, even if 2nd hand, it'll do grand for the task now, and later when it gets put in a kitchen.
Why would you want more stuff in a kitchen than is absolutely necessary?

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/H3302ZM/A?fnode=...

Ok, over budget, but I've heard it in-store, and it's mildly impressive.
Anyway, eBay I'm sure, will let you find something within budget, if that's too much to shell out.

Edited by PJ S on Monday 16th May 12:17

[JoeFrost]

Why is this making you so angry? You did suggest getting a dock, but I told you that the only one I liked the sound of was the Zeppelin, which I can't afford.

Please don't reply if you have nothing either valuable to contribute, or a polite way of doing it.

[JoeFrost]

PJ S said:

FFS, why are you complicating your life?
I said days ago, just get a sound dock - whether it be Bose, B&W, or another, even if 2nd hand, it'll do grand for the task now, and later when it gets put in a kitchen.
Why would you want more stuff in a kitchen than is absolutely necessary?

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/H3302ZM/A?fnode=...

Ok, over budget, but I've heard it in-store, and it's mildly impressive.
Anyway, eBay I'm sure, will let you find something within budget, if that's too much to shell out.

Thank you for the suggestion, I too have heard that dock but wasn't too enamored with the sound either, hence wanting some opinion's on the above items.

I guess I'm hoping I can get a little slice of hi-fi quality as opposed to doing the obvious and getting a dock of some kind, convenient as that option may be.

[JoeFrost]

NDA said:

I recently bought a pair of these for my study:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acoustic-Solutions-bookshe...

....and have to say, they're superb! I have a fairly monster hi fi set up as well as a recording studio, so I have a vague idea what a good sound is, and these little cheapies are stunning. They are hooked up to a Linn amp (which accounts for some of the reason they sound good). But worth a look - your additional budget could go on a decent little amp which will give you better flexibility in terms of adding other components (which you're bound to want to do!).

I found this amp on the 'Bay...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

..and I seem to remember someone on here rating it rather well, albeit lacking a little in the power stakes. As you have a studio etc, I would assume your fairly knowledgable about these things so what do you think? Worth a punt with your speakers? Or better to get a larger, more 'normal' amp/mini separates system like the Technic's/Denon jobbies I linked above to pair them with?

I appreciate this is all people's opinion's but still, I like to hear them. Thanks for your time.

Joe

[NDA]

A bit underpowered - to say the least. I'd look at something else.

[JoeFrost]

That's what I thought, I just liked the size and hoped it would be powerful enough

[NDA]

Something like this would be good - plenty of woof too.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/CAMBRIDGE-AUDIO-TOPAZ-Ster...

[JoeFrost]

What I'd really like to know is if an amp like that /\/\/\ and some speakers around the same price from the 'bay would be better in sound quality at all volumes than some active monitor speakers and a dock for my iPod/laptop?

Thanks for the suggestion though, that amp had occurred to me as my sister bought one from Richer Sounds.

[PJ S]

http://www.hifigear.co.uk/bandw-zeppelin-ex-displa... - still over budget, but even so.