Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

Hunna said:
If the phono stage is next, what’s the recommendation? I can get a MoFi Studiophono for about $530 AUD - is that the best option in the price range (I remember.they were recommended a few years ago) or is there something better?
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Joe Mac said:
The current phono stage recommended at that price is the Darlington Labs MM6. It’s USD$329 (AUS$460ish) before delivery. There’s a review and the tour thread for reference on here too.

Products - Phono Preamps — Darlington Labs

Compare our products against Parasound JC3 and JC3 Jr, Sutherland 20/20, PS Audio Stellar, Hagerman Cornet 3, Cambridge Audio, Schiit, Lounge Audio, Parks Puffin, K&K, Ortofon, physical Step Up Transformers, and so many others. We offer unique no-feedback high-voltage J-FET RIAA phono equalizer
www.darlingtonlabs.com www.darlingtonlabs.com
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This. I switched from a MoFi UltraPhono to a Darlington Labs MM-6. The MoFi was good, but the imaging and level of detail definitely improved with the MM-6. I liked it so much, I upgraded again to an MP-7, which is even better, especially in the lower frequencies.
 
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epyon415 said:
Interesting bit of kit. I was looking at adding a bluesound to my setup this year, will have to compare this to it. Would’ve loved it if they had reviewed the Omni a w/ Lintons.
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The only thing that would put me off would be just how shit the dts play platform that the IAG component use supposedly is.
 
Hollywood said:
I would personally get the 6000A and the 6000CDT instead but then again I already own a music steamer in the form of the NODE 🤷‍♂️
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May wind up closer to this. My cd collection is minimal and Andrew’s review of the streaming section has me feeling there is a bit to be desired.

Looking at MD and the price is like ~$400 diff between 6000A + Bluenode vs Omnia. But much time to research it all
 
epyon415 said:
Interesting bit of kit. I was looking at adding a bluesound to my setup this year, will have to compare this to it. Would’ve loved it if they had reviewed the Omni a w/ Lintons.
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$2300 usd list, Is the value really there unless you need cdp ?

B stock 6000A $750 (1K new), New Node2 $500
 
Hollywood said:
The value is there if you are seeking an all encompassing audio system. The Onnia is a CD player, integrated amp, wireless streaming player, DAC, headphone 🎧 amp and pre-amp all in one unit.
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It’s all in one-ness is also what robs it of intrinsic value. With so many functions in the one box there are compromises that need to be made to fit it all in the chassis and also chances of one bit of the stuff become obsolete and you the having to get a new one or plug an extra box into your neat all in one thing are higher.
 
Joe Mac said:
It’s all in one-ness is also what robs it of intrinsic value. With so many functions in the one box there are compromises that need to be made to fit it all in the chassis and also chances of one bit of the stuff become obsolete and you the having to get a new one or plug an extra box into your neat all in one thing are higher.
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Oh I'm not disputing that fact and this is not the route I would take as stated above but I could see how this would appeal to some people since all you have to do is add speakers and voila. Plus it's probably cheaper than having to buy all the components separately 🤷‍♂️
 
Hollywood said:
Oh I'm not disputing that fact and this is not the route I would take as stated above but I could see how this would appeal to some people since all you have to do is add speakers and voila. Plus it's probably cheaper than having to buy all the components separately 🤷‍♂️
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It can be. I don’t think this one is. It’s too high cost. I’d wager you can buy an amp, CD player and streamer and not be a million miles off price wise. I get the like of the little denon one or the marantz melody x, they’re both really nice sounding little machines at a price point that you just couldn’t get an amp and CD player new at all really. At this cost, not so much.
 
Joe Mac said:
It can be. I don’t think this one is. It’s too high cost. I’d wager you can buy an amp, CD player and streamer and not be a million miles off price wise. I get the like of the little denon one or the marantz melody x, they’re both really nice sounding little machines at a price point that you just couldn’t get an amp and CD player new at all really. At this cost, not so much.
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Again this unit is not intended for me or probably anyone on here but let's make not mistake about it, there's a market for it. Is it good value? Well compared to the NAIM Uniti Atom that sells for x2 the price I would say probably 😉
 
Hollywood said:
Again this unit is not intended for me or probably anyone on here but let's make not mistake about it, there's a market for it. Is it good value? Well compared to the NAIM Uniti Atom that sells for x2 the price I would say probably 😉
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Value is relative and it’s not determined necessarily by price. I’d argue that my PrimaLuna is exponentially better value than the Quad’s it replaced despite being lower powered and over €1k more in price. NAIM are a very particular company that plow a very particular path on their own and are very good at it.

Also having a market doesn’t mean you deserve that market and at any rate I just don’t see what the market for it is. When you’re selling hi-fi at this price then the market is us, or rich show offs. It’s not expensive/beautiful/flashy enough to be a show off piece for someone with more money than sense and it’s too expensive to be the sort of all in one that I could imagine someone like my dad buying to play his CDs and not take over his living room.
 
MikeH said:
I have the Blue Jean cables with the expanding banana plugs and they work. Regular bananas should work as well!
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This will make you laugh. My dad built himself a music room back in the family home when we were kids. He wired the speakers into the walls so that he could wall mount them. He used dynamite fuse wire as his speaker wires…
 
MikeH said:
I heard those dynamite fuse wires are good bang for your buck
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Well they were free…

Basically he has an explosives licence for work and fuse wire is very similar to speaker wire. Because it came on big reels and because you can’t patch a wire for explosives there would be lengths left over at the end of the reel and a guy who worked with him and was into hifi tipped him off that it made great speaker wire 😂
 
Paging 📣 @Joe Mac aka Mr. Wharfedale Linton fka Mr. Tannoy 😉

I have my eyes 👀 set on a pair of Tannoy floorstanding hifi speakers 🔊 but unfortunately I know nothing about them other than the brand name and heritage of course and sadly I can't audition them either because of COVID 😷😕

So what can you tell me about Tannoy? Quality, sound, performance etc.
 
Hollywood said:
Paging 📣 @Joe Mac aka Mr. Wharfedale Linton fka Mr. Tannoy 😉

I have my eyes 👀 set on a pair of Tannoy floorstanding hifi speakers 🔊 but unfortunately I know nothing about them other than the brand name and heritage of course and sadly I can't audition them either because of COVID 😷😕

So what can you tell me about Tannoy? Quality, sound, performance etc.
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It depends on the speakers tbh mate.

I had a set of lower end tannoy’s and they were unbelievable value for money, sound well beyond what they cost. That said they were my 21st birthday present so we’re going back almost 😭 18 years 😭 since I was in that market. I don’t know a whole host about that level of their stuff now.

If you’re playing with the really big boys and it’s the Tannoy Heritage speakers then don’t think, just do it, those things are unbelievable, hella pricy, but wow factor too. Their Turnbury is the speaker I would buy if I came into some serious money.
 
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