[Joe Bloggs]

So, I don't know when I started getting this irrational desire for a mini HiFi... I mean, at the price I'm willing to spend on (heck, at most ANY price range for most products) they are widely considered to be quite suckful, so what am I doing here?

Well...
1. Now you guys know I don't listen to music often enough to qualify as a real audiophile.

But I still want a little upgrade from where I am at now, which is...
2. pcdp->headphones. No amp!! Zip, nada! No, I don't consider the PC to be an amp I can use, because I violate its design assumptions

(it assumes you won't listen low enough that the tracking error of its cheap pot isn't exposed. Well, I DO listen that low)
3. So I want a little upgrade to my source and amp. However, I am probably not going to get the money to buy a separate CDP and new amp, and probably shouldn't bother trying, given my non-listener situation

4. So I need both a new source and new amp in a cheap package. Here's where the mini HiFi comes in.

I've auditioned a few, and the one I've settled on so far is the Aiwa XR-EM60:
http://www.hk.aiwa.com/eng/index.htm
You can find it here, under products->'ultra mini HiFis'

Sounds quite noise-free (I plugged in my etys and there was little hiss up to 40/42 with a digital silence track playing), also sounds somewhat better--less muffled, with more sparkle--than my Sony D-EJ725.

And perhaps I can improve things further later by building a attenuating adapter to run the headphones directly out of the speaker outs.

Claims to have 30+30W RMS output, so perhaps I can upgrade to some decent speakers too.

(ok, now, does this still sound irrational?

)

Anyone have this unit at home? What do you think?

 

[MacDEF]

Joe, I've heard good things about the TEAC models that I think you can get over there for decent prices.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Hmm... never seen a Teac yet??

 

[Wodgy]

Why not get the Tivoli CD:

and use it with your Porta Corda? This would be an ultra-ultra-ultra mini system, with great sound quality. If your only complaint about the Porta Corda is its volume pot at lower volumes, why not just lower the gain?

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Going by my DIY skills you'd conclude that my fingers are all thumbs.

Well, Jan is offering to fix my Porta Corda for $20 shipped (excl. shipping from my end I suppose??)--sounds good? Now I can afford to buy a dedicated source, since I have an amp for the source to drive, hmm? But I'm just wondering what an adapted speaker amp e.g. on mini HiFi can do against the tiny PC?

Something of the power freak within me wants to drive my headphones with a speaker amp. Or, is this is really an 'irrational fixation' now

OK, really now, I'm thinking I need a beefier amp to drive my HD580s at least--certainly MacDEF thinks so

Just wondering if a 30W mini HiFi power amp counts as a 'beefier' amp in this context

I can't believe how I've managed to convert my search for a compromise into the continuing purist search for better sound with an excuse like that

 

[blip]

Quote:

Originally posted by Joe Bloggs I can't believe how I've managed to convert my search for a compromise into the continuing purist search for better sound with an excuse like that

Once you are bitten by the hi-fi bug, you can never make compromises.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Mac, do you know if these Teacs get rebranded or something? I don't see them.