HiFi - Help

[Bri w]

Looking to put together a decent-ish system and have decided on Denon and Cambridge for the CD player and amp but I'm a bit stuck on the speakers. Mission used to do some decent ones but from what I've heard/read recently they've sort of lost their edge.

Can anyone recommend some decent speaker manufacturers?

[Souldude]

Monitor audio, bowers and wilkins and tannoy to name a few. All depnds on your budget.
Best is to go and listen for yourself. I have Arcam AVR350 amp, Denon DVD/CD player and Monitor Audio 5i's

[ravingdavis]

I have a very nice pair of Mordaunt-Short Avant 902i bookshelf speakers. They were not terribly expensive but they give a great sound and look nice too.

Not sure what their current range looks like but I'm happy to recommend them as a manufacturer.

[paiste]

Another recommendation for. b&w!

[kaivalagi]

I have some great Mission floor standers as well as one of their centers and 2 rears bookshelfs, they're quite a few years old now but sound just as they did when I first bought them. When purchased I got a previous years model at reduced price from richer sounds, worth giving them a look if you're not worried about getting the latest and greatest...

I think in all honesty you wont go wrong with any of the brands mentioned, Mordaunt Short are up there for me too, I had some before the Missions, but B&W's are the bees knees too...

[embee]

I haven't bought any new hi-fi stuff for some years, but I tend to read up on reviews like what-hifi best buys (http://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/hi-fi-speakers) for example and see what the common trends are.

I think speakers are probably the most subjective part of the system though, it depends what your room is like and where you're putting them as much as what type of sound you like, and often the aesthetics do matter (despite what hi-fi geeks would say). You've got to live with them.

Hi-fi stuff is much better value than it has ever been, you can get great performing stuff for not much dosh these days, and speakers are possibly one of the best examples of this.

I'd suggest don't pay loads for speaker cable either. The best bang-for-buck stuff I've found for stereo speakers is shotgun twin coax stuff like this (http://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-black-shotgun-coaxial-cable-sky-25m/99025), around £1 a metre. Strip it back and join the conductors in each line so you have a solid core plus all the fine braid and shield joined together. You're after a combination of a solid core and lots of fine wire braid, some types have very sparse braid. The shotgun version gives you a cable for one speaker. Works really well, try it.

[Ratty]

I've had B&W 602's for nine years now. Always well recommended and have been flawless in performance. Not looked at the current range but I'll bet they are still best budget.

Ratty

[-Ralph-]

Kef Coda range

[-Ralph-]

PS: Planning a trip to London anytime soon? Quite a lot of the shops on the Tottenham Court Road have demo rooms and they also have internet prices.

[Littlepeahead]

We currently have Mission which are pretty good but I loved my B&Ws which I left behind in my previous home, along with 600 CDs.

Mr LPH is muttering about upgrading to B&W - he's stopped yelling at our two fat moggies every time they nearly topple the speakers over playing with their squeaky mole which make me think he's waiting for one of them to get knocked over and then he can say 'Damn cats knocked over my speakers, they are broken beyond repair, now I shall have to purchase a shiny new pair - and get rid of the cats".

[-Ralph-]

and get rid of the cat

I'm waiting for that excuse too. Somehow I don't think I'll get away with it.

I would never harm it, but I could try driving it 30 miles away and dropping it off, but when it didn't come home for a few days night the wife would know straight away that it was me because I've threatened to do it so many times now.

[timwilky]

My hearing is too knackered to justify decent Hi-Fi.

So these days a creative d200 bluetooth speaker and all my music on mp3 works very well. Takes up no space. CDs are so last century. or stream from multitude of internet radio stations. no need for any kit beyond a decent mobile telephone or simple computer

[hindle8907]

Another thumbs up for Mordaunt

[Littlepeahead]

I'm waiting for that excuse too. Somehow I don't think I'll get away with it.

I would never harm it, but I could try driving it 30 miles away and dropping it off, but when it didn't come home for a few days night the wife would know straight away that it was me because I've threatened to do it so many times now.

You know it would find its way back and then trash not only your stereo, but also rip out your eyes while you were asleep.

[Bibio]

splash out and get some martin logans :-)

to be honest go and demo some speakers and let your ears decide. personally if i had the money i would have some nice KEF Q floor standers but they tend to be a bit dry for some tastes.