Mini HiFi vs Docking station?

[rich85uk]

Afternoon all, in a few months time will probably be moving into my first flat/apartment and one thing that i will be buying is a DAB radio,Ipod docking system for the kitchen. Now i will have a pair of TDL KV1 bookshelf speakers that i could use
http://www.tdl-loudspeakers.co.uk/kv1.htm

I understand TDL isnt the world leader in speakers and probably rank about average for speakers sold by Richersounds but both the KV1 and KV6 (floorstanders) pack a punch for their price and arent offensive to the ear

Budget will be up to £300 which gives me 2 options

Mini HiFi:
http://www.richersounds.com/product/mini-hifi-syst...

Docking station:
http://www.ruarkaudio.com/products/r2i-overview

Both easy on the eye, Ruark needs no introduction on here but Denon do produce award winning mini systems and amps. which do people think will give the best overall sound and VFM?

[5pen]

I'm not familiar with those particular speakers but I'd guess that the Denon and most bookshelf speakers in the £100-£150 range would sound better than the Ruark, and I say this as an owner of an R2i. It also has network capabilities, so is a more flexible device.

Having said that, for use in a kitchen where placing speakers and running wires can be tricky, the Ruark is a great product and I'd certainly recommend it as good compromise of convenience and sound quality.

[Skyedriver]

Thanks for throwing another spanner in my works!!
Been trying to decide between a Bose Dock, Mini Zepellin and the Ruark 2 for weeks now, wife wants one for Christmas.
Having tried a Bose wave CD/radio thing last week, I think they are "all right" but turning up the volume started to distort the vocals. And surely to get a decent base sound you need "big speakers"?
The mini Hifi will have better speakers just wonder how her indoors will accept the wires....
As a comparison of the 3
Bose & Mini Z are both just docks but Ruark has a radio too
How good is DAB? Never tried it and wonder about reception.
Bose & mini Z both around the £200 mark (Mini Z is slight second)
Ruark is £250
Round J Lewis today (very busy there) I couldn't find any of the above but loads of others inc Pure(?) and Panasonic. And a full size B&W Zepellin.

[rich85uk]

5pen said:

I'm not familiar with those particular speakers but I'd guess that the Denon and most bookshelf speakers in the £100-£150 range would sound better than the Ruark, and I say this as an owner of an R2i. It also has network capabilities, so is a more flexible device.

Having said that, for use in a kitchen where placing speakers and running wires can be tricky, the Ruark is a great product and I'd certainly recommend it as good compromise of convenience and sound quality.

thanks for your input, i feared that but it gets such good reviews i have always been tempted by one

[rich85uk]

Skyedriver said:

Thanks for throwing another spanner in my works!!
Been trying to decide between a Bose Dock, Mini Zepellin and the Ruark 2 for weeks now, wife wants one for Christmas.
Having tried a Bose wave CD/radio thing last week, I think they are "all right" but turning up the volume started to distort the vocals. And surely to get a decent base sound you need "big speakers"?
The mini Hifi will have better speakers just wonder how her indoors will accept the wires....
As a comparison of the 3
Bose & Mini Z are both just docks but Ruark has a radio too
How good is DAB? Never tried it and wonder about reception.
Bose & mini Z both around the £200 mark (Mini Z is slight second)
Ruark is £250
Round J Lewis today (very busy there) I couldn't find any of the above but loads of others inc Pure(?) and Panasonic. And a full size B&W Zepellin.

sorry
my experience with bose is abit hit and miss, mate in the army had a docking that was all the rave a few years ago and wasnt that impressed, dads bose in his mazda is actually pretty impressive and years ago heard a bose surround sound TV that was mind blowing, but i remember the price was too and looking back on it probably could of got a better setup for cheaper if they avoided that brand

reference your point on bass and speaker size im no expert but for best bass the speaker needs to be a certain amount of space in the speaker design/enclosure and this will be compromised on a docking station to keep it fairly compact

i heard DAB radio a few years ago and it was hit and miss, either perfectly clear and better than FM or randomly worse but we were in a rural location and there is now DAB+ which is meant to be better

a downside for you to consider the mini system route is you may go over budget (i already have the bookshelf speakers) and it will take up more room and as 5pen says there will be more cables to hide