Hi-Fi Confusion

[MattyW]

for years and years i have been putting up with crappy stereos and mainly suffering, listening to music on an ipod through a cheap speaker dock.
I am now finally in a position to invest some cash into buying a seperates system and hopefully falling in love with my music collection again.

I have been having a good look on wesbsites such as richer sounds, and av forums, but i am a bit confused as to what to do.

Initially, i will just be looking at buying some form of amp, some floorstanders, and (i think) a squeezebox type of thing, to use for internet radio (and in the future to link to an archive of music)

Now, to start, i thought that i would be able to get an av receiver that i would be able to connect to an ethernet cable to use for internet radio and podcasts, and i would also be able to cable up to my tv to run that through as well, although the tv thing is a minor, as it would primarily be for music and radio. After a bit of research, it seems as though av receivers are quite a bit deficient in the sound stakes in comparison with a stereo receiver. Great audio quality is my main aim with all of this, and so i am now of the opinion that a stereo receiver with an external device for streaming internet radio would be a better option. Would I still be able to run my tv through a stereo receiver? i won't be looking for surround sound, just a bit better audio quality.
The other issues seem to revolve around these squeezebox devices. They seem like a good deal for streaming radio, but in the near future, i have this idea of having this box, for lack of a better word, on which i am able to upload all of my cds (which are back in the uk) and store them losslessly, and then access them directly through the receiver, or squeezebox device. The thing i don't want to do, is to have to have a computer running to be able to do this. Is there a way of holding (approx 2000 albums) of cd music in a lossless format, which can be run through a stereo (this doesnt need to be wirelessly, just convenient and not linked through a computer)
If anyone is able to make sense of this, and has any advice as to a good setup for what i am after, i would be very grateful.

In summary, i expect my system tin the future to be:
Amplifier/Tuner
Floorstanding speakers
Bookshelf speaker (to be purchased at a later date)
CD Player (to be purchased at a later date)
Internet radio device
Hard drive equiv to store cd'd music (to be purchased at later date)

And in addition, i will be also using an ipod for all the music i have which isnt on cd

PLEASE HELP!!!

thanks very much

matty

 

[srichards]

I'd start looking at sonos gear. Reasonable sound quality and will do streaming and also have built in amps as well as ability to plug into separates.

Don't over look second hand gear either as there are some nice classic amps which will sound miles better than lots of the new ones for the same price.

There are devices, which are more expensive, that you can load your cds directly onto. Naim do one (it's 4k). There are probably cheaper ones but ultimately they're just a fanless pc in a box. A better alternative is to load them via a pc/mac onto a NAS and have them streamed via that. You can also then use the device for backup too.

 

[MattyW]

nice one, i have had a quick look at both sonos and that naim stuff. it looks pricey, but probably worth the investment in the long run.
do you know if there is any difference in the sound quality of an av receiver or a stereo receiver?
Can a NAS be accessed without turning the mac on, once all the cds are all uploaded onto it?
cheers for the response. I have had use of a B&w receiver before which did the internet radio thing, which i liked the functionality of, but it seems like they dont have any details of it online
thanks very much for your input though, really appreciated!

 

[srichards]

Generally av receivers are designed for home cinema so have a different voice to standard stereo receivers. It's down to preference really. I find a normal stereo amp to be fine for watching tv and films. I'd try both with music and see which you prefer. A really good AV amp will probably sound better than a much cheaper stereo only one.

The naim will only hold about 400 cds currently but it is dual disk so it backs itself up automatically. It will also stream from a NAS. I think naim do a version with no storage that just streams from t'internet or NAS. Think it is much cheaper than the HDX (one with built in cd drive and HD for storage)

Once you've loaded your flac or other lossless files onto the NAS you shouldn't need to have your computer on to access them, assuming you've plugged your NAS box into your router

 

[arad85]

Hifi can be more expensive than cameras. Pick a budget, stick to it and enjoy. The Naim streamer is a rip off as you can do so much more with less money assuming you have an ounce of technical savvy (and that's from someone with a top end Naim system integrated with a networked player )

 

[neil_g]

i can recommend a few things..

synology for the NAS
b&w for the speakers

but as andy said, you can litterally spend a fortune on hi-fi kit. work out your budget and start from there.

 

[arad85]

b&w for the speakers

Oooh crikey, no far too coloured IMHO (but a lot of people like them so...) Hi fi can be a bit like the Canon/Nikon debate....

 

[neil_g]

Oooh crikey, no far too coloured IMHO (but a lot of people like them so...) Hi fi can be a bit like the Canon/Nikon debate....

im basing that on a couple of old sets ive owned, but yeah like you say its the mac/pc thing all over again

best thing to do is get down richer sounds or somewhere and arrange to test a load out in your budget range.

 

[arad85]

but yeah like you say its the mac/pc thing all over again

Oh no it isn't.....

best thing to do is get down richer sounds or somewhere and arrange to test a load out in your budget range.

Yup, anywhere that has a demo room IMHO (do RS have these?). When I used to buy hi-fi (stopped as it was getting too expensive ) I'd take a day off midweek and go demoing. Much more relaxed. Don't forget to take some music you know really well though.