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Thread: High or Higher-end Audio

  1. #1
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    High or Higher-end Audio

    I'll start.

    Kef store is having a birthday sale the next few days, so stuff is 25% off. I'm planning to pick up some Digital Eggs for the office, and maybe some other stuff if it catches my fancy.

  2. #2
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    I am just really not on board with all the wireless speaker hoopla. Every one I have deployed has sucked for one reason or another - either a great speaker company doesn't know software or a software company doesn't know audio*. I want cohesive system of speakers like Sonos, but one that doesn't suck sweaty balls. Why someone doesn't make a Sonos-esque system that has quality 100w or 300w or something amps is beyond me. The number of those things I could have placed here in 2015 is unreal.

    * Somehow, Logitech gets a nod here for marrying pretty ok software to pretty ok speakers.

  3. #3
    Corvette Enthusiast Kchrpm's Avatar
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    *fingers crossed for Chromecast Audio*
    Get that weak shit off my track

  4. #4
    Spiny beast TheBenior's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by thesameguy View Post
    * Somehow, Logitech gets a nod here for marrying pretty ok software to pretty ok speakers.
    Mmm... adequate.

  5. #5
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    I fell out of love with my Logitech 2.1 set pretty quickly. I know what tsg means about odd wireless setups though. The new Sonos 5 is interesting but I doubt it can be properly called hifi. I don't think the Eggs can either, but it's ok, I have my floorstanders at home for that.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by thesameguy View Post
    I am just really not on board with all the wireless speaker hoopla. Every one I have deployed has sucked for one reason or another - either a great speaker company doesn't know software or a software company doesn't know audio*. I want cohesive system of speakers like Sonos, but one that doesn't suck sweaty balls. Why someone doesn't make a Sonos-esque system that has quality 100w or 300w or something amps is beyond me. The number of those things I could have placed here in 2015 is unreal.

    * Somehow, Logitech gets a nod here for marrying pretty ok software to pretty ok speakers.
    I'm with you on this. A friend of mine has a very extensive Sonos system throughout his house. It seems convenient at first, and it's got serious initial wow factor, but it sounds awful. Bad sounding music in every room in the house only if you fiddle with your phone doesn't really appeal.
    And I'm not sure if the quality of these things increase all that much with price. I was recently at a freshly remodelled, stupidly expensive apartment where the owner was showing me his new wireless system. Lots of wow factor, but a giant pain in the arse to actually use once you got past that. It took maybe twenty seconds to turn the volume down in the room we were in. Sure for a party you can kind of set it and forget it, but for casual use it's pretty silly. Also it's all Apple based which really irks me. For example there was an iphone in a waterproof housing built into the wall of the wetroom. That seems like it'll be future proof...

    And it didn't sound great.
    It was okay, and I accept that my standards are higher than others, but I wouldn't be happy if that noise came from my current setup let alone a six figure effort.

  7. #7
    Corvette Enthusiast Kchrpm's Avatar
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    Beauty of Chromecast Audio: $35 a piece, you plug it in via optical (or RCA or 3.5 mm) to whatever sound system you want/already have. Will be important to see how good the multiroom sync is, of course, this will be the first time they've done it.
    Get that weak shit off my track

  8. #8
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    If it properly transferred Tidal or Spotify over an optical in then I could see it doing quite well for USD35. But it's 3.5mm or RCA only, so mad failz.+

    I bought the Eggs and they're fine for the office. Also some M400s which I'm breaking in now. I also pre-ordered the KEF Muo BT speaker (not hi-fi, but whatever) for fun as they throw in a free pair of KEF M100s with the purchase, so why not. Picking those up next week.

  9. #9
    Corvette Enthusiast Kchrpm's Avatar
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    Tidal and Spotify won't work on the Chromecast Audio's optical output?

  10. #10
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    Spotify will work over an AUX output. For the purposes of this thread, it's like buying a monster computer and only allowing it to connect over a 6Mbps connection. Better than nothing but far from ideal.

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