Best Micro-CD System Solutions for Home Office
Fri, Dec 2 2011, 4:48PM
This is my first post in the technical 'scary' part of the forum so please be patient with me!
My 20 year old Technics system has just died and to be fair it has been on it's last legs for a while and I recently hooked it up to a pair of Gale bookshelf speakers, which improved the sound a lot.
I work at home in a small office and my current listening is: a) mainly CDs; b) sometimes i-pod and c) increasingly flac files - my choice means of new music which I purchase and store on my laptop. Currently b and c have to be through headphones.
I am looking for a complete solution for under £400 that enables me to listen to everything with and without headphones. I am willing to transfer flacs to CD - as flacs or as 320kbps mp3 tracks but i don't really want to have to burn lots of my own CDs again. i am happy to keep the Gale's or will consider new speakers - but the room is small.
From initial research I was considering:
a) the Marantz micro system with a front mounted usb for those 320kbps mp3s perhaps (or I could hook it to my laptop)
b) the vita Audio R4i that looks good but does it sound it?
I have discounted the Brennan as I really do not have time to fill it - having just filled (and backed up) a 160GB i-pod.
My main musical tastes are opera, classical and jazz.
I would really appreciate any advice or suggesitons on systems. Many thanks in advance.
Tue, Dec 6 2011, 11:05AM
#2
RE: Best Micro-CD System Solutions for Home Office
I recently bought the Teufel Concept B200 after reading a favourable review by Andrew Everard. It consists of an amp and speakers and is directly fed via usb from my computer. The set only cost around £200 and as PC/office speakers I think they're terrific. I use them to listen to internet radio and flac files, even studio quality files and not had a single problem so far.
My normal hifi system consists of Meridian front end, AVi amps and ATC speakers but even after that, the Teufel don't disappoint.
Sun, Dec 11 2011, 2:46PM
#3
RE: Best Micro-CD System Solutions for Home Office
Teufel Concept has been duly ordered. They look great and I think they are the perfect solution. I hope that CDs played on may laptop sound OK but I can't wait to hear how the flacs sound.
Thanks.
Thu, Dec 15 2011, 3:50PM
#4
RE: Best Micro-CD System Solutions for Home Office
The Teufel Concepts have arrived and after much consideration I have tested them with a flac version of the Chailly and Bollani Rhapsody in Blue. Wow. They are incredible PC speakers and hands down beat my main hi-fi which cost twice as much. Thanks very much for the recommendation.
Fri, Dec 16 2011, 12:03PM
#5
RE: Best Micro-CD System Solutions for Home Office
Really pleased you're impressed! I did find them ever so slightly closed or compressed when I first installed them but after a few hours they seemed to open up. As I type, I'm listening to them playing a flac of one of the Suzuki Bach cantata series and they sound great. For organ music, I find turning the bass up does help but mostly I use them with a flat response. For the money, they are a bargain in my book!
Tue, Feb 14 2012, 7:10PM
#6
RE:
Can any one help i have just bought the jb7, and i want to rip a cd directly to an external usb device? can any one be of assistence?
Wed, Feb 15 2012, 3:09PM
#7
RE: Best Micro-CD System Solutions for Home Office
ok these are the five steps you will have to take in order to get this done!
1 Insert the USB device.
2 Insert the CD into the slot gently until it is pulled inside.
3 Push the main control knob to start the main menu, then turn and push the knob to select CD to USB.
4 You will be asked to pick a name from the album database. Select by pushing the knob.
5 This will then copy the entire CD to the USB device. The CD will be compressed to MP3 format (for more information
Mon, Mar 19 2012, 2:40PM
#8
RE: brennan question
I am recording on my jb7 and was wondering the level to set the recording to?
Mon, Mar 19 2012, 2:55PM
#9
RE: Best Micro-CD System Solutions for Home Office
To get the best recording level, first Find and play the loudest passage of music to be recorded.
Increase the recording level on the jb7 until it starts to distort.
Then reduce the recording level a couple of levels.
You are now set to the optimum recording level for your equipment.
Suggest you consider the Marantz CM 603 AV receiver or Denon equivalent. This has a USB socket compatible with iPODs. My Classic with Apple lossless works very well with this unit. The receiver includes internet radio, tuner (AM/FM/DAB) and excellent CD player. It can also handle bluetooth devices. The amplifier is up to the usual Marantz high standards at this price level.
bhg
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