Newbie looking for help - B&W 685

[MeisterMuSk]

Hey all.

Im pretty to all this, but I'm listening to music (like most of you guys i guess) everyday, for several hours straight. I now feel like I need some better sound at home. I've been A LOT on the run and with my Bang and Olufsen EarSet i3 I've always felt secure with the sound. At home it is pathetic - the sound from my Apple Cinema Display... Yea, shame on me, but cannot afford everything.

Now, I am amazed with the sound and design of the B&W 685 - and even though i ADORE the CM1 I do not think my budget can afford it at the moment. Still, I have some questions:

I thinking about buying 2x 685s and connect them to me desktop computer, and in order to do that I need an amp I've been looking at this:

ARGON HA2 tube (I cannot post links, yet)

Will that do the trick for me? The problem, however, is that I am considering adding a sub in the future when the cashflow (hopefully) starts changing for the better due to graduation.

Another option for me is to buy only ONE CM1 at the moment, and then buy an additional in the future - but how would that work?

To get everything clear, I am just a regular guy, loving to have music running in the background. I have no interrest in a full sorround system or anything, i just like simplicity and good sound

God, I better stop now before I get lost in words. I really hope you filter the information and understand what I'm trying to say here :9

Best regards, Michael Madsen

 

[bikemig]

Don't buy just one speaker. What is your total budget? Also where are you located since it looks like the argon ha2 is European and location obviously matters when buying gear.

You've pretty much picked out your speakers since you love the sound of the B&W 685s so the real question is what are you going to get to drive them.

Also given that you like headphones, it looks like you want something that can do double duty and drive both a pair of headphones and your speakers. Plus you are using a computer as your source (good choice).

This may be well over your budget at $500 US but it has a list of features that you should be thinking about: Onkyo A-9050 - Integrated Stereo Amplifier | Model Information | Onkyo USA Home Theater Products

I would seriously consider buying this if I were looking to set up a 2 channel system. It has high quality digital inputs for streaming your music files, a robust amp for your speakers, a headphone amp, and a sub out. If you are using a mac as a source (you do have an apple cinema display), you can connect it to the amp digitally with a mini toslink to toslink cable and have the amp's nice quality dacs do the D to A conversion.

 

[MeisterMuSk]

Thank you for your reply.

I am located in Denmark, so I guess that is off your usual guidiance area hehe.

At the moment i am not exact about my end budget - since I consider adding for instance the sub later. I guess the all around at the moment is somewhat about 1.250k $? I do have a MacBook Air latest generation but actually my cinema display is connected to a Windows computer (easier to customize a powerhouse that way hehe).

I do like the idea of being able to connect my headphones aswell so thats a nice addition for sure.

Im still confused about the choice of the 685s or CM1? It is a price increase by 50% but the design also gets an uplifting touch. I've read several places that the B&W requires a big amount of power from the AMP so I guess I have to keep that in mind when spending my coins.

Thank you for your help so far, sir.

 

[IamEvilOne]

Get geeksquad! lol

 

[JerryLove]

25W-100W @8ohm? Your least expensive solution which will allow for active crossover later (read: adding a sub) would be to get an inexpensive AVR. If you were in the US, I'd direct you to Accessories4Less for an onkyo or Denon.

 

[MeisterMuSk]

Thanks for the replies.

Well, apparantly it seems impossible for me to find that Onkyo you were linking to in Denmark, and even so, as far as I was concerned that what only a 2.0, right? I really would like to go up to a 2.1 so i could add a sub in the future.

Regards, Michael.

By the way, what to you mean when saying "25W-100W @8ohm?"

EDIT:

My friend is offering me an Onkyo 705 for free - would that do the trick? And can it be plugged to my computer?

 

[bikemig]

The Onkyo 705 does 100 watts at 8 ohms; your speaker specs call for 25-100 watts at 8 ohms.

There are plenty of ways to connect the computer to the av receiver. The easiest is to run a mini jack to rca cable from the computer to the receiver. In this scenario, you are relying on the computer to do the digital to analog conversion and that may not be optimal depending on the sound card in your computer.

The dacs in the av receiver are pretty good so you may want to utilize them. One way to do that is to stream your music wirelessly. If you use iTunes for your musical front end, buy an apple express (or apple TV) and connect it to the AV receiver with a mini-toslink (on the mac end) to toslink using one of the receiver's digital inputs. You can stream your music wirelessly that way and not worry about the cable. Freeing the system from your computer may help you plan out where your equipment is located better and it will allow you to rely on the dacs in the av receiver.

 

[MeisterMuSk]

Thank you for your reply.

Well, I've heard of lot of people telling me that the mini-jack solution is kinda a no-go unless I've invested in a very expensive sound card - as you a refering to.

I listen to my music through Spotify, and even though I got an Airport Express i cannot use it since my internet provider forces me to use their router, sadly. And by the way, on my Airport Express there is only a USB and a Mini-jack port, no toslink? Dont know if that is because it is an older model.

Givin the circumstances, how would you advice me to plug the system?

EDIT: I do have a Boxee for my TV purposes, guess that could do the trick?

 

[bikemig]

You simply add the AE express to your existing network. That will extend the wifi system and the AE express will then show up in your network. It has an audio out (a regular mini-jack port). You can connect it with a minijack to RCA cable (and then to the analog input in your AV receiver) or a mini tosklink to toslink to a digital input.

Yeah Spotify doesn't work with iTunes. But this will fix that problem: Rogue Amoeba | Airfoil | Select Your Operating System

Or just get this and call it a day: Amazon.com: HRT Music Streamer II High Resolution USB D/A Converter: Computers & Accessories

If this is not available in Denmark, just look around. There are plenty of good and relatively inexpensive usb dacs that will do the job.

 

[MeisterMuSk]

Ahh, think I get it --> With that software it is just like AirPlay - sneaky sneaky! But still, I think im a little confused --> connecting through a mini jack will not damage the output quality like if I did it from my computer? Sorry for all those stupid questions.

But I guess my Boxee could do the trick aswell - since it is connectd to my wireless network and at the moment it actually allows me to AirPlay through it, so with that software you linked it would be no problem.

However, I have a hard time understanding why suck a product you link to would be better? Given the price you could buy a Boxee or Apple TV and get more features? Is it because it boost the quality?

 

[bikemig]

The real issue is that you want a good quality dac converting the digital files into analog. The av receiver is designed to do that well; computers are not but you can add a quality sound card to take care of the problem.

The AE express had an audio output that can send out either an analog or a digital output depending on the kind of cable you use. Here you want to use a digital cable (mini tosklink to toslink) because this will sound better.

Never used boxee but if it has a digital output that you can connect to the AV receiver, that should do the trick.

Personally I think it's hard to beat the AE express but I use iTunes a lot. Rogue amoeba fixes the problem with Spotify or any music not going through iTunes with an AE express. There are, however, obviously plenty of good alternatives.

An outboard dac has its uses. If you don't want to upgrade the sound card on your computer, then this is an alternative that is also device independent (you can connect it to different computers).

 

[MeisterMuSk]

Hey again.

Im thinking about connecting it directly to my computer - but im thinking about avoiding buying an expensive sound card.

At the moment I got a ASUS P8Z68-V LX motherboard, and it got Optical (I think thats the name) output, but do you have any idea of that i capable of putting out 320 bits? I cannot seems to find it anywhere.

Regards, Michael