Hi-fi amps

[Steve Maskery]

Morning all,
The last hi-fi system I bought was nearly 20 years ago, so I have absolutely no knowledge of anything remotely contemporary.

Right, that's my starting position, and this is what I want:

A low-profile box (so it sits on the shelf under the telly) with just one input (from the DVD Audio Out) which can be switched out to 1, 2 or 3 pairs of speakers (2 would do at a pinch, lounge and dining room, but I'd like to get digital in the workshop too). My existing amp is too deep for the shelf, and all the other units in the setup have popped their clogs.

I don't want to buy a whole new hi-fi setup, with my existing NTL box and DVD recorder I can get all the radio and music I want. My existing speakers are good, too, even if they are the size of a Pickfords lorry.

Does this kind of box exist? I've googled and Ebayed, but, to be honest, I don't really know what I'm looking at. I did buy a speaker splitter from Derby Market. It has 4 outputs, but it still requires a normal speaker input, it's not meant to be connected straight to Audio Output from the DVD.

Any input gratefully received

Cheers
Steve

 

[Neil]

Hi Steve,

I suspect that an amp with three Speaker Sets is going to be expensive...

I have this Marantz one which has two speaker sets, but I think I would be pushing it a bit to call it low-profile :lol:

Why not pop in to Richer Sounds in Nottingham (108 Mansfield Road) - even if they don't have what you want, you'll probably come out of the store wiser about what to look for.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[dedee]

Steve,
Can't really help with the technicalities but you might get better results if you searched for "slimline" rather than low profile.

Andy

 

[cambournepete]

I think 3 speakers outputs might be very hard to find, but what you could quite easily do is get an amp with 2 speaker outputs and connect and interconnect cable to the tape outputs and run that to you workshop and have a second amp in there - you'll be able to find a second hand one locally that'll do for the shop.

I agree with Neil that Richer Sounds is definitely worth a look.

Just a thought,

Pete

 

[Adam]

I'd give a vote for Richer Sounds too. They do seem to know what they are talking about and have a range of products to suit a range of purchase budgets.

Adam

 

[RogerS]

Steve

'digital in the workshop'? Are you talking playing CDs? How far away is your workshop? How annoyed will you be constantly going back and forth changing channels or Cds or whatever. Perhaps consider a cheapie (eBay?) mini-system for the workshop? Or even a combined radio/CD player?

I use this one...it's pretty good

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/cd-radio-cas ... /index.htm

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thank you gentlemen.

Pete - I have a spare amp (the one that won't fit under the telly). Didn't think of that, it means finding somewhere in the workshop to mount it (easier said than done), but it's an idea I hadn't considered. Thanks.

Roger - I only ever listen to Radio 4. It's that or nothing, but FM reception is poor here without an external aerial. (Actually I might have an hour of Classic FM, usually when Jenny Murray is in one of her "aren't all men bar stewards and aren't we women much better at everything anyway" moods - ie every day). I already have a ghetto blaster in there, but sometimes I just have to switch it off, it is so poor. The weather makes a difference.

But I can get R4 digital through my NTL box. The workshop is just the other side of the wall, indeed, the cable enters the lounge from the workshop.

Neil - I was in town yesterday, I could have called in, if I had thought :S

One option might be to get a little system for the dining room, and just use the main amp for lounge and workshop.
Decisions, decisions.

Cheers all
Steve

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Steve

Why not get a DAB radio for the workshop. Doesn't take up much space and a really good one costs about 80-90.

Just a thought.

Cheers
Neil

 

[wizer]

Steve I hunted high and low for somethng like what you are describing. I wanted 3 speaker outputs to pipe music from our digital jukebox around the house. The bad news is I could not find a good solution. In the end I plumped for a system which im largely dissapointed with.

I did wonder if there might be a seperate speaker control system availible? Must be possible to do.

Try asking here: http://www.avforums.com/forums/index.php

 

[Anonymous]

The bose system is superb it is about the size of a dvd player and it plays cd's the radio and is 5.1 surround.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Derek
I have heard a Bose and yes it is excellent. But it is still Analogue and relies on an aerial, and that is notoriously poor here. An external aerial is essential for R4. OK for the house but lots of faff for the workshop.

I have to say I am coming round to the idea of an ordinary slimline jobbie for inside and a separate DAB for the sanctum sanctorum.

Much obliblged to you all.

Steve

BTW for GW fans - I sent a copy of the issue with the Crocodile Clock in it to my friend Khemraj (Indian, now in Dubai) and have just this minute had an email to say he has received it! He and his new wife are dead chuffed that their wedding present is immortalised in journalism for posterity! So am I! Apparently, Reena (whom I have never met) refers to me as 'Steve Bhaiyya'. Bhaiyya means big brother. Good or what?!

I think that's enough exclamation marks for one posting, better get back to the stove, Judith will be home soon...

Cheers
Steve

 

[Philly]

Steve
If I get what your asking, the speaker selector box you mentioned in your original post should be fine. This goes after your amp but before any speakers. This then selects where the signal is sent. I had a similar box from Makro a couple of years ago. This will work for you, although only one pair of speakers at a time will work. Is this what you're after? You select whatever you want from your amp (tape, c.d., radio) and then use the selector box to decide which set of speakers receives the audio. You should be able to get one for less than £30.
If I misunderstood you-sorry :roll:
The alternative is a cheapy Hi-fi from Asda or somewhere-for £30 you can get a cracker.
Hope this is vaguely helpful,
Philly

 

[Anonymous]

Steve

Cymbiosis in Leicester are the place where I get my gear from. They sell loads and I recommend their Rega (famous for the Rega Planet turntable) amps which give amazingly clear sound and are very slim indeed. If you want to nip over sometime for a visit ( I am off work foir next two weeks, so any time), I have a Rega amp that you can look at

Cymbiosis have a couple of listening rooms and will set up any kit you want to listen too.

Their shop is behind the leicester market

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thanks Tony.
My existing speakers were bought from Leicester when I was a PG student in 1980, and are still going strong! They look dated (teal effect...) but they still sound excellent.
We have a Richer Sounds in town, as well as a couple of other specialist places, and a few little independent places locally. I'm not in a rush, so I'll probably have a poke about over the next few weeks.

Thank you all for your input (pun definitely intended).

Cheers
Steve

 

[tombo]

Steve

This probably wont help much, but I have more or less given up on traditional delivery methods for music and video. I have gone legacy free so to speak, I have sky+ for recording and i have ripped all my cd's and dvd's onto my pc server. I access the library via an xbox under the telly. I regularly listen to radio online and its perfectly good for radio 4, though i doubt that radio3 aficiandos would be satisfied. There are loads of network mp3 players on the market that support internet radio and i am looking to get on of those for my garage/workshop. I suppose what i have done is a bit radical, but i certainly dont miss all those tapes and disks in the livingroom

Tom

 

[Anonymous]

Tom

I like the sound of your setup. I guess it's not really suitable for 'audiophiles' though as all of the delivery methods you mention are 'lossy' and so the quality of music is degraded (seriously in some cases) - won't effect radio 4 though, I listen to it online loads too :wink:

 

[wizer]

Tom I'm pretty much doing the same as you. I have a 12" Touchscreen PC Jukebox in the living room which holds about 40gb of music, I don't own an original CD any more (I do have about 500 vintl records tho). Just looking for a way to pipe the music to all the other rooms. ATM i'm using a yamaha Home Theatre amp and its not great for what I want.

 

[tombo]

digital music is the future and you can choose to encode you music in a lossless format like FLAC. I just don't have the time re-rip 300+ cd's.
If you are interested in this type of thing have a look at these:-

http://www.rokulabs.com/products/soundb ... atures.php

http://www.slimdevices.com/

http://www.netgear.co.uk/netgear_mp101_digitalmusic.php

http://www.linksys.com/products/product ... 8&prid=631

I really like the slim devices box, but an xbox with media center software is hard to beat, its very cheap, can be used to view your digi photos and i have yet to come across a movie format that it wont play. Plus you have the added benefit that it was designed to connect to your telly, boots fast (10 seconds) and you can get a remote control for it. Oh and its a kick ass games machine :wink:

tom