An update after having run the HiFi for a week

..If you do buy another please report back your findings! I've thought about this two. Unfortunately, I know that I'd be able to put the "pair" of Hi-Fi's" immediately to use in the back-yard which is where I'd be living as I'd likely all of my belongings in the driveway upon returning from the Apple Store with yet another "not strictly necessary" purchase. 🙂

2. Speaker cones is also a must - the sound will be
more crystal clear - to be honest can't take them off
once you have listened to

... what are the "speaker cones" you're referring to? (In my experience, "speaker cones" refer to the actual speaker itself, specifically the paper/plastic/kevlar cone-shaped surround...) It sounds like you're talking about some sort of cone-shaped enhancer... (or are you talking about the small cone-shaped risers that many audiophiles place underneath speaker enclosures?) Please elaborate! (I searched, but couldn't find any info.)

Thanks!

I am sure he is refefring to "isolation cones," the risers you are thinking of.

Here is an example:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002KR1Q4?v=glance

Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

gotcha. Always wondered how well those worked. Thanks.

Me, too.

I wish I had the disposable income to become an "audiophile"

As it is , I'm still using my old H-K receiver and my pair of Polk Monitor 10s from the mid-'80s has my main rig. The furthest I've gone is to cut my own monster cables and buy a decent rack and stands.

Check out these rigs and listening rooms:

http://www.audiofederation.com/hifiing/2005/HE2005NYC/index.htm

Click through the "Sides" links. What a hoot.

Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Don't mean to disrespect anyone here, just had a couple of points to make.

If you want two hi fis, why not invest on better options?

But before I begin, I must clarify the meaning of an audiophile.

Audiophile-someone who strives for the most true reproduction of sound. In other words, someone who likes to hear what was recorded as close as possible to the way it was originally heard by the human ear.

Having said that, we will immediately eliminate the hi fi as a worthy cotender for such hi fi title. It simply is not an audiophile product....period.

Having said that as well, and despite considering myself an audiophile (that prefers vinyl over anything else other than a live performance), I love the entire iPod line. I even have multiple ones that are true first generation iPods....so I love these little music players.

My point is don't throw your money away kid. You could do much better than that without the limitations of having to satisfy certain conditions in order to have a great, no an outstanding listening experience. You should not have to worry about how far, or high, or on what platform to support it, or what shoes to wear and whaterver the pluck else.

You should just be able to press play and get a big grin on your face shortly afterwards.

My advice given the options given, which is to play music through an iPod and get the best out of it, is to avoid the hifi.

Option A:

Get headphones.

-You can always get audiophile quality from high quality audio through headphones much much much cheaper than going the speaker route. Here are some outstanding options you should consider:

Sennheiser HD580s, HD600s or HD650s with a cardas or Zu Mobius cable. The latter cable will give you slighlty more balance sound and better bass extension. This setup can be found on ebay for the same price that you can buy a hifi. Add a cmoy amp or a mini head amp from shellbrook audio labs and you will simply not go back to anything else....I haven't.

Option B:

Get Canalphones.

Ultimate Ears, Etymotic Research, and Shure are the next bext way to get into the audiophile world. This second option can be less or more expensive than any of the other ones here, depending on which models you look at. I like this option because you don't really need and amp, you dont need to be sitting anywhere in particular, you only need an iPod with high quality audio and your earphones. They can also block a lot of the outside noise for a real clear and intimate listening experience.....pure aural ecstacy! The general rule is the more you spend, the better the sound.....though I would advice against spending more than $300 on canalphones. Even Sennheiser has an in-ear model now that some say sounds incredible, all that for less than $100.

Option C:

Get Monitors.

Get some affordable studio monitors like the M-Audio BX5 or BX8, add a sub if you wish (SBX)...you won't believe your ears!

Well, I can go on, but you would need some serious ca$h, and the returns would be questionable.

Again, only trying to help people who don't know of other options out there....otherwise I would have not written all of this nonsence.

Love one another,

: )

SX

Superfly,

..In denouncing the Hi-Fi on the grounds that it is not a "true" high-end component is to sort of miss the point.

1. The Hi-Fi is intended for sharing music w/ a group. Headphones are great, but don't serve this purpose. Hence, the two really shouldn't be compared.

2. The Hi-Fi, unlike the M-Audio active speakers you listed, can be run on batteries! This alone is a HUGE plus for many applications (i.e, picnic table, cabana, pool-side, etc..).

3. Finally, the Hi-Fi is truly portable. At 15lbs it is lighter than the cooler that people drag to outings, pool, beach, etc.. Even if you have a power outlet by the pool (kinda scary), it's a big pain to drag two speakers and cables and set them up.

In my opinion (and that is all that it is, I realize) of all the offerings that do all three of these things none comes closer to sounding "High-end" the Hi-Fi. The bose (no batteries), the Klipsch (no batteries), the Logitech, and Altec Lansing all are notch below the Hi-Fi. That said, the Hi-Fi will never come close to sounding like my Vandersteen 3A sigs and Bryston electronics.

And by the way, anyone wanting to get the best sound from the Hi-Fi at Home for the smallest $$$ might consider the following: Go to Ebay or Audiogon (.com) and buy a used $150 NAD, Cambridge Audio, or Rotel Integrated Amp (or receiver), then buy a pair of PSB Alpha A/V Speakers or even the cheapest Polk Audio Bookshelf speakers and voila, for $350 you've come as close to high-end as you can for $350. ..Just don't try to run this system on batteries, or drag it to the pool or beach 🙂

IMAC (early 2006) Mac OS X (10.4.4) 1.5 G Ram

How would you set up two HiFi speakers for Left and Right sound? I would consider this for my Mac Mini.