So another hobby is assembling a true HiFi system, and of course taking time to listening to said system.
John
The left trio of HiFi Units comprises of:- (Top) A Sansui AT202 Timer - Bought in the 1980s, and useful as provides a central On-Off switch as well as a Clock Timer. Don't believe anything like this is built today. (Middle) Recently acquired Marantz CD6005 CD player does excellent job of extracting detailed music from CDs. (Bottom) Heart of the system is Marantz PM7004 Amplifier providing 2 x 70 watts RMS of high quality output. |
The right trio of separates consists of:- (Top) Denon DNP 720AE streamer for listening to Internet Radio and files on computer via WiFi. (Middle) Sony ST SDB900 with DAB and FM radio. Both the Denon and Sony are excellent tuners, and in practise roughly sound the same sound quality wise, which is good and detailed. Finally a Yamaha DSP E800 sound processor, used in conjunction with the Marantz PM7004 amplifier to listen to Cinema Surround Sound. |
Main Loudspeakers are Acoustic Energy Aegis Neo 3. These give a pleasant detailed sound free from any obvious distortion and can hit amazing lows and highs (Thanks to a tweeter that has a range up to 40KHz). |
For headphone listening the number one choice personally are the Sennheiser HD540 Reference 2. Originally owned the Reference 1 version in the 1990s, until they hit their untimely demise thanks to a dog! Now recently acquired a second hand pair from Hungary. Their sound is amazingly detailed and free of colouration. Trebles and mid range are to die for. Compared to some modern headphones can sound a little bass light, they are incredibly detailed but the frequency range is flat, not bass emphasised as is the current vogue. A slight lift on the bass tone control adds a more pleasing albeit arguably less HiFi correct. balance. |
The Sennheiser HDR100 are certainly not in the 540 Reference High Fidelity league. However, they are cordless and are a great option for listening to television or music without being tethered by wires. Not sure what their maximum range is, as not been outside it whether upstairs or at the bottom of the garden. The sound is reasonably detailed, with a fair frequency range. A reasonable balance between sound quality and convenience. |
Items have been selected to provided best value for money. For example, the Marantz CD6005 CD player is not quite as good as the very best that costs literally thousands of pounds, but provides to my ears 99% of the performance for a fraction of the price.