Do I need Hifi component system?

Question

I passed by a HMV store and saw some nice Cambridge Audio and Dennon component systems.

I'm interested in buying one but I don't know if I need it since I listen mostly to digital audio on my phone or mp3 player. I haven't bought a cd since the early 2000's.

Not sure if I should just spend my money on some bluetooth speakers instead.

Answer 1

Thats a personal decision. Digital music files have a lot of detail that is not reproduced, or gets glossed over by small, portable systems that cannot drive any sort of speaker capable of revealing them, or of creating a sound stage or panorama worth talking about. If you like the rich, full and detailed sound good audio equipment provides, then you do. If your interest is limited to the flat, compressed sounds of elevator music or car radio, or a little top ten while jogging. then you don't. Bluetooth is for removing the wire off an earbud, for mostly voice calls.Its about encrypting radio transmissions so they cant be picked up by everyone elses earbuds - that's its claim to fame, not sound quality. It does not carry the full frequency range hi-def sound is composed of, nor is it free from interference. Its basically low quality FM radio transmission. Nothing wrong with it, but you are not getting the detail or scope of modern recordings from radio transmission. Included.at the receiving end, you still have to decode the signal, power it, (usually with batteries) and amplify it, (usually with cheap, tiny, poor quality amplifiers the size of a beetle) then feed it to your earbuds, or whatever substitute speaker version of loud earbuds is offered. People do not make ten to sixty pounds of electronic system-ware to hold paper down in a high wind. The gear has purpose, does a job, And if you like what you hear, you can buy it.

Answer 2

My suggestion is go and visit a real high end audio store, one that truly designs and installs high quality music systems so you have a reference point of what is possible and what a good music system actually sounds like in comparison. This way you will know first what a good system is and how good it can sound, and weather you would be interested in investing in a nicer sounding music system. Most people have never heard a good system and have no idea how much better a good system is in comparison to what most people think is good. Granted you can spend a wide range in a high caliber system But you can also spend a reasonable amount on a good system if you know what to look for. Most these high end audio stores have a wide range of price points in systems and there are some exceptional sounding budget gear IF you know what to look for.



Most of the music systems people hear in your best buy type stores are not what audiophiles call high end. Not by a long shot.



The big question is once you hear a good system you will realize that you will actually want to sit and listen to music and not look at it as just background music, it will be something you get a more emotional experience from.



There are keys to designing a good system and it honestly takes years to understand all the complexities of what makes a good system. So unless you have years to learn it all, your best bet is to put your hands in a expert who designs high quality music systems, and figure out what level and budget of system that will best suit your needs. Most people underestimate what they think a good system will cost, don't short change yourself and your budget and think this is good enough. Most people do and end up getting into the high end audio and then spend more money upgrading as their budget and listening taste improve.



But please dont short change yourself and think you don't think you have the ears for it, and that a cheap pair of speakers should be good enough. Go and listen ! Then decide.



Oh and as far as digital music is concerned. Mp3's are not high quality audio. They are just ok for portable devices and even your car with its high noise floor. But listening to Mp3's on a high quality music system is not good and not high quality. Its like going back to standard definition TV. Once you see HD there is no going back right ? Same with cd, or even high resolution music files. We are talking files at LEAST 44.1khz and preferably even higher. Honestly no one is really buying cd players anymore. Most high end digital music systems are done on music servers, with high resolution software and computer based music servers. Often it can be designed with the use of most laptop computers and with a higher quality Digital to Analog Converter. DAC.



You may also be introduced and experience analog playback systems in these high end stores, which might open your eyes to even higher quality music playback. Yes analog is still the preferred playback in high end audio BUT its not for everyone. It is not cheap, it is not easy, and takes much time and patience if you want good sounding analog music.



Kevin

40 years high end audio video specialist

Answer 3

You can't argue that the main thing is your speakers. It does need everything to make them work well too. What bitrate are your MP3 files? Where did the just buy a BT speaker come from? Better speakers do make it sound better for the most part. Audiophiles like to say garbage in garbage out. No, if you play your MP3's with crap speakers it would sound like crap no matter how good your source is. If you play them on a better system it would be improved.



Things are different now. You can get good sound and don't have to spend millions of dollars. If you have a ridiculous stupid low budget then you can't be helped.

Answer 4

Like Inconsolate said its a personal decision...A lot depends on how particular you are and how much you value small subtleties in music playback...Also how much time effort and expense your willing to go through in order get a better playback experience and weather all that time effort and expense fits in with your life style..Even with Blue tooth speakers they is a difference in playback quality between a $500 hi end Blu tooth speaker and a $35 dollar one...It may be that a Blue tooth speaker is better for your life style....If your always on the go and listen to music in various places a high quality home system is not going to do you much good...If you do a lot of home listening where your sitting down in one spot and intently listening to the music and are not just listening to music as back round sounds while doing other things like cleaning or home work...then you might be a candidate for a better quality home listening system...Now adays there are Hi rez music downloads available in ALAC FLAC DSD and other formats and also players that are designed to accommodate higher resolution files so its not only about CD playback anymore...Many of these hi rez download files offer better than CD quality playback and if you have the speakers and system you can hear the difference with intent listening for background music not so much...