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Yes exactly. Shipping can limit availability and cost a fair bit on big items down here in west Cornwall. Gumtree likewise is sparsely populated with hq audio gear down here too, but i'm hopeful of finding a discerning seller locally nonetheless. R

Not necessarily. I've run a CCA into an integrated via an RCA converter, thus making use of the built-in DAC in the CCA and it sounds fine. Digital input would be preferable if the DAC in the amp is audibly better than the one in the CCA. Hope that makes sense. R

Thanks, unfortunately 120 miles barely get's me past Devon Good looking spec on those speakers though!

Hi All, Trying to help a friend who is looking for a pair of floor-standing speakers and an integrated amp. Based near Truro and I'm hoping someone down here can help. Speakers: I've got loyalty to KEF, but I'm open to other brands as long as the quality is there. Clean, balanced, on/off-axis response is important, as well as deep bass extension that doesn't break up at high volume. It would be good to avoid needing a sub. Condition should be good with any imperfections hard to spot. Power handling should be ~150w rms per speaker. ~£500 to spend Amp: Not very fussy about brands. Interested in most high-powered integrated amps that can accept inputs from a TV and Chromecast audio. I've had good experiences with Yamaha but again, open to what is available locally. ~£150 to spend Price on both is ballpark Anyone down here looking to sell, please get in touch! Thanks, Richard

Hi All, I'm after a Behringer A800 or Audiophonics MPA-S250NC XLR power amp. If anyone has either and would consider selling, I would be interested. Many thanks, Rich

Thanks for the reply @bencat much appreciated. That's interesting you had similar experience with an amazon tablet. I'm currently trying to find out if the Amazon Echo Dot would provide good quality streamed audio, with the tablet acting as a controller, or whether it would simply act as another low quality bluetooth receiver.... Is anyone able to clarify that point? I dare say if my Dad pushed he could send the tablet and receiver back to Amazon, but I should think he'll feel a bit of defeat in doing so, so a work-around solution would be preferable Many thanks, Rich

Hi All, Technical question on behalf of my elderly dad, who has been seemingly mis-sold a setup that has left him with poor audio.... Dad has been sold a Fire 7 tablet and a Home Spot bluetooth receiver whilst subscribing to Amazon Music Unlimited. He has connected the receiver in to his Arcam Solo Neo.He is disappointed with the sound quality, having always used CDs. The signal is not very stable and frequently drops out. He hasn't got the packaging to send the tablet/receiver back for a refund, so it would be good to find a solution that at least makes use of the tablet. It seems the highest quality wireless link currently available on the setup is using the basic SBC bluetooth codec, limited on both the tablet and receiver, so upgrading the bluetooth codec by replacing just one device won't help, from what I understand. I want to find a solution that results in high quality music and doesn't require a lot of spending, as I feel there should be a reasonably simple solution for less than £100, maybe less than £50... I want to see what you good people of the forum can suggest Thoughts so far: Is there a way of streaming the music over wifi? Amazon does not seem very forthcoming in this regard. I'd like a device like the Chromecast Audio, but Amazon apparently don't allow this to link to their tablets, and google no longer make them. I've heard that you can root the tablet and buy a refurbed Chromecast Audio, but this seems a bit involved as a first solution. Is there a modern equivalent device that works with Amazon Music, doesn't cost hundreds of pounds, and is easy to set up? I saw the Amazon Echo Link seems to be discontinued, and seemed way over-priced anyway. There's the Amazon Echo Dot, but i don't know if that will produce high quality audio output through the 3.5mm connector, through a 3.5mm to RCA cable, in to the Arcam Solo Neo? Any suggestions/solutions more than welcome! Please let me know if this is posted in the wrong part of the forum. Many thanks, Rich

Gary thanks for the explanation! That is very different to my bass guitar setup and a totally different concept, many thanks for explaining! It's a fascinating little bit of physics, and I have plenty of speaker cable to play with so I'm keen to give it a try.

Wow! Thanks all for quick and detailed replies. I've had generally slow/short responses on other audio forums so this is a pleasant surprise. That's a relief! I was hoping to keep them on one of the longer sides as there's power and less direct sunlight in those spots. Thanks for taking the time to recommend those. I should have mentioned that I live in West Cornwall, so a lot of the time collection would be impossible, and I'd need a postage option or something nearby (Devon/Cornwall ideally). There's certainly some brilliant equipment on there though. Picking something is tricky! As a bass player, I'm immediately drawn to the valves in the hefty Trilogy Vti, but it's miles away and there's no remote, so maybe a bit impractical. The other amps all have their strong points! I'm leaning towards something with clean power and musicality at a range of volumes, that has ample headroom to effortlessly power the big Jamo's. I'm probably happy to use a separate streamer as the hardware/software/apps/support seems very fluid at present, with technology in that area progressing rapidly. I'd be happier knowing I had an excellent fundamental sound, that had sufficient connections to attach a modern streamer etc that can be replaced if technology moves on. Sorry this is my poor use/knowledge of correct hifi terminology.. I do understand bi-wiring for LF/HF. My bass guitar rig was a stereo-output Ovation Magnum 1 running a bi-amped valve pre-amplification setup, split for each pickup before blending post-EQ and splitting by frequency band and effectively "bi-wired" to separate LF/HF amps/cabs. Eventually I got sick of the weight and complexity of the setup and moved to a modern class-D amp and single lightweight cab. However, I like the idea of a bi-wired hifi setup, but given that many top-end amps here seem to offer only full-range speaker outputs, I get the impression that bi-wired systems are not considered essential for very good sound. Again, I'm happy to be better informed on the topic of bi-wired hifi! All help and advice so far much appreciated! Any more tips on selecting an amp would be great! Many thanks, Richard

Hi All, First post so bear with me Background (skip to questions if you're in a rush!) I've had a pair of Jamo Classic 8s for years now. They were my first relatively pricey audio purchase as a student. Had to replace one driver to get them working properly, but they've not had a single issue in the last 8 years. We've just moved house and finally have space to potentially allow these speakers to sound their best. My current integrated amp is a Sony TA-FE370, which was cheap as chips, has given great service, owes me nothing, but now I feel like treating myself to something better My budget is £100-1000 and I am much more interested in absolute sound quality than too many features. I own some vinyl but dig it out barely once per year. Mostly I listen to music from an Ipod Classic or Macbook Pro via a 3.5mm aux jack. This has created a "blockage" since my Ipod is full, and I don't have space for my music collection and work files on my laptop. The end result is that I have all my music on hard drives, rarely update the Ipod, and my music discovery has slowed to a crawl. I am in the process of choosing a high quality streaming service, from Tidal/Amazon/Spotify tbc. The masterplan is for the music to be controlled from multiple phones or computers wirelessly, with easy switching between devices, and separate speaker sets in the lounge, kitchen, and workshop. I'm already discovering the opportunities and pitfalls of bluetooth. On some friends' systems, I struggle to hear a difference between APTx vs a wired connection playing FLAC/AAC. Conversely several bluetooth devices sound muffled, boxy, dynamically flat, or otherwise flawed. Another functional issue I have with bluetooth is the issue of swapping source devices, having to disconnect one before attaching another. Questions: 1. Speaker position: Given the absence of any online manual (happy to be corrected!) for the Jamo Classic 8s, can someone suggest optimal speaker positions in the room please? Our new lounge measures 5.8m x 3.4m. 2. Replacement Amp: I want to replace my Sony TA-FE370 integrated amplifier with something better. In practical terms it needs to have inputs for: a) Either a bluetooth receiver or wireless streamer or raspberry Pi b) TV c) Phono (although current record player outputs at line level so seems to have a built-in preamp) d) at least one other aux input. It needs to provide sufficient power to make the most of the Jamo Classic 8s (4ohms, 150Wrms/200Wpeak each side) without distorting. A useable EQ would be good to reduce frequency peaks/troughs caused by the limitations of room-shape and speaker position. Separate HF and LF outputs to the speakers might be handy if that is likely to provide audio benefits for the Jamos which have HF/LF inputs that are currently bridged. I would consider an integrated amp or separates, if the whole package meets my needs. Sonically, I like to be able to pick out individual instruments, experience the maximum dynamic range from each recording, and not feel that certain frequencies are lacking or over-emphasised. My go-to test albums are Pink Floyd's Delicate Sounds of Thunder, Betty Davis' Is it Love or Desire?, Curtis Mayfield's Curtis Live, Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged, Maceo Parker' Live on Planet Groove, Fat Freddy's Drop' Blackbird, Soundgarden's Superunknown, Tool 10,000 Days. So a mix of alternative rock, funk, reggae, acoustic, with a sprinkling of jazz and strings. I've looked in to the Cambridge Audio CXA81, which would seem to have rave reviews and tick all my boxes, but maybe I could use something older/used with fewer features, that costs less, and has an overall better sound, or maybe someone on here has a recommendation from the classified section that would be a good match. Any help and advice would be much appreciated. I'm not in a particular rush, and keen to learn a bit before making a decision. Many thanks. Richard