Hi-Fi Rack - what it really says

[Rocker]

What does a typical hi-fi rack really say? My thoughts are that it states that the owner is very serious about his [and most owners are men] hi-fi system.

Did anyone ever try to reduce the number of 'boxes' in their system thus reducing the size of the rack? I did a few years ago but still ended up with several 'boxes'. Every 'box' needs cables, mains and signal, a shelf, Ceraballs, spikes or other supports and a shelf to accomodate each 'box'. Every cable connection is by its very nature subtracive [it introduces some small losses to the signal] and the cables themselves are possible entry points for RFI and other nasties.

The Meridian Sooloos room at the Cloney Hi-Fi Show got me thinking that a pair of Meridian DSP speakers [the DSP 5200 were used at the Show] and a Squeezebox are really all that is necessary to provide a fairly decent hi-fi system albeit one that is limited to a single source [music files and Internet radio]. The only 'upgradeable' parts of such a system are the cables, mains and digital, Spikes or other supports for the speakers and the Squeezebox PSU. All the decisions are already made, power amps check, speaker cables check etc. etc.

What do you guys think? Could you live with such a system? How would you deal with the infrequent bout of audio nervosa that such a system is designed to prevent?

[DaveF]

If the source music is digital only then the Meridian approach certainly makes a lot of sense from an engineering point of view. Keep the info in the digital domain as long as possible, that way you can guarantee no loss over long lengths of cable. Do the conversion to analogue as close to the speakers as possible or within the speaker. Keep the analogue cabling as short as possible. I think where Meridian falls down is the quality of their speaker drivers, units, enclosures, whatever. They get a lot of the digital side of things right though in my opinion.

As to whether I could live with such a system that is implemented well and sounds great, well I'll admit that I do like a hifi rack with lots of nice equipement on it. Since I sold my power/pre amp combo, one of the shelves is empty and I cant help thinking about what I could buy to fill that space. Madness I know!

[Fran]

Another way to ask your question might be "could we be happy with a one box system? "

I think so - at present what happens i think is that when you have more than one format, the boxes multiply! So instead of having a cdp and amp, you end up with a cdp, dac, preamp power amp etc etc.

Computer based might be the way to go to help cut down a bit - that devialet amp was dac, phonostage, pre and power all in one box - its possibly the way more and more will go.

Would have loved to have heard the phonostage in that amp....


Fran

[Ivor]

Several years ago I took a definite decision to pare back the number of boxes in my system. In fairness at the time that was just pre/power and CD at the time but there was also all the interconnects too. I deliberately went for an amp that would do all I needed - not quite an integrated amp but I won't digress. As it happens when I upgraded the CD player I ended up with a two box system but that's just an exteral PSU with it's own 'umbilical' cord.
The shelf that would have been empty now houses the PSU for the CD player and the PSU & speed controller for the turntable. Mind you good isolation for these boxes is important too!

[Ken Moreland]

A single format computer based system still requires rack space for the PC, the keyboard, mouse , screen , hard disk drive , backup drive , USB/SPDIF converter , DAC and all the assorted power supplies and connections! Bigger rack required.
KM

[DaveF]

- that devialet amp was dac, phonostage, pre and power all in one box - its possibly the way more and more will go.

Now that's a diy project for you Fran!

[Ivor]

aye, if anyone has an old bathroom scales to supply as a case let Fran know. ;)

[Modest]

One of the options :
http://www.naimaudio.com/hifi-product-type/578

[Rocker]

A single format computer based system still requires rack space for the PC, the keyboard, mouse , screen , hard disk drive , backup drive , USB/SPDIF converter , DAC and all the assorted power supplies and connections! Bigger rack required.
KM

Ken, I am taking it that the computer, which is the music server, is located in another room. Also with the Meridian DSP speakers, the digital output from the Squeezebox [or whatever system you use] could go straight into the speakers. Thinking about it, the small size of the Squeezebox means it could fit on a window ledge or a bookshelf, in effect, leaving two loudspeakers as the only visible parts of the hi-fi system. A TV 'makeover show' dream but that is not the reason for my post.

[Diapason]

Honestly, the way things are at the moment if I could get really good sound from one box and never think of it again I'd be all over it.