I'm currently trying to build up several audio systems bit-by-eventually-replaceable-bit, and I was hoping to get a little advice.
First, I mainly use a late-2008 MacBook in my home office hooked up to a Dayton APA-150 that I so far quite like, with that driving a pair of Polk Audio M-40s that I picked up for less than $100 new. I have a few thousand mp3 with bit rates varying from 32 to 320, with most at 192 or better, a few thousand ALAC files ripped from my CDs, and a growing handful of higher-resolution files from HD Tracks.
I'm presently thinking my upgrade path will be as follows:
Add a DAC now, in the future possibly a headphone amp, and maybe even a preamp/input switcher. At some point, the speakers will go to the living room, where I originally intended them, and will be replaced with something slightly smaller - Dayton b652s to start with, since they're cheap, then on to something better when I can afford it. I wouldn't mind adding a sub one day. The problem is, WHAT dac, headphone amp, etc?
In terms of DACs, I definitely want both USB and optical inputs, something that will handle the higher resolution files I'm just getting into, and if at all possible, something with a form factor roughly comparable to my amp. I've looked into the Fubar Mk II, Mk 4, and the Teradak Chameleon, but I'm hoping for more ideas in the US$200-400 range. Any advice?
Next, I currently have no audio gear in my living room at all, and I'd like to change that asap. Unfortunately, this also seems to be the area where I have the least clue on how to get started. In the living room, I currently have a PS3 and a few older game systems. I hope one day to add a Mac Mini to play digital music, just as my laptop does in the other room, to largely replace the PS3 for Netflix, and to play old emulated games. I don't have or care about cable, satellite, etc, just an antenna. I mostly use Netflix and DVDs, and don't care very much about BluRays.
For lack of a better idea, a receiver seems like the way to at least get started, and the Yamaha RX-V667 looks nice and seems to get good reviews. I don't care much about surround sound and have no place for rears at the moment, but it would be nice to hook everything up to one box and then have just the one cable headed to the TV instead of the mess of spaghetti back there now.
That said, there's something very nice about just putting in a CD and listening to music, without the TV being on - to simply push 'Play' and not have to bother with anything else. For this reason, at the very least I would like to add a decent stand-alone CD player or transport.
So, the big questions here are:
Will a receiver like the 667 and Mini be good enough to do most of my listening until I have the space and money to invest in a dedicated, audio-only setup, or should I skip on an a/v receiver altogether and go ahead and with an amp, CD player/transport, and DAC, more like I have in the office? Can I send audio from the Mini to the DAC in the receiver over HDMI, or will I have to run a separate TOSLINK? People have told me an Apple TV would be a better choice than a Mini, but just what is the ATV capable of audio-wise?
Lastly, I would like to put together a very small system for the bedroom. I plan on using an old 3rd gen iPod as the main source. The iPod only charges over FireWire, and its battery is shot, but I still want to get use out of it. How can I best put it to use?
First, I mainly use a late-2008 MacBook in my home office hooked up to a Dayton APA-150 that I so far quite like, with that driving a pair of Polk Audio M-40s that I picked up for less than $100 new. I have a few thousand mp3 with bit rates varying from 32 to 320, with most at 192 or better, a few thousand ALAC files ripped from my CDs, and a growing handful of higher-resolution files from HD Tracks.
I'm presently thinking my upgrade path will be as follows:
Add a DAC now, in the future possibly a headphone amp, and maybe even a preamp/input switcher. At some point, the speakers will go to the living room, where I originally intended them, and will be replaced with something slightly smaller - Dayton b652s to start with, since they're cheap, then on to something better when I can afford it. I wouldn't mind adding a sub one day. The problem is, WHAT dac, headphone amp, etc?
In terms of DACs, I definitely want both USB and optical inputs, something that will handle the higher resolution files I'm just getting into, and if at all possible, something with a form factor roughly comparable to my amp. I've looked into the Fubar Mk II, Mk 4, and the Teradak Chameleon, but I'm hoping for more ideas in the US$200-400 range. Any advice?
Next, I currently have no audio gear in my living room at all, and I'd like to change that asap. Unfortunately, this also seems to be the area where I have the least clue on how to get started. In the living room, I currently have a PS3 and a few older game systems. I hope one day to add a Mac Mini to play digital music, just as my laptop does in the other room, to largely replace the PS3 for Netflix, and to play old emulated games. I don't have or care about cable, satellite, etc, just an antenna. I mostly use Netflix and DVDs, and don't care very much about BluRays.
For lack of a better idea, a receiver seems like the way to at least get started, and the Yamaha RX-V667 looks nice and seems to get good reviews. I don't care much about surround sound and have no place for rears at the moment, but it would be nice to hook everything up to one box and then have just the one cable headed to the TV instead of the mess of spaghetti back there now.
That said, there's something very nice about just putting in a CD and listening to music, without the TV being on - to simply push 'Play' and not have to bother with anything else. For this reason, at the very least I would like to add a decent stand-alone CD player or transport.
So, the big questions here are:
Will a receiver like the 667 and Mini be good enough to do most of my listening until I have the space and money to invest in a dedicated, audio-only setup, or should I skip on an a/v receiver altogether and go ahead and with an amp, CD player/transport, and DAC, more like I have in the office? Can I send audio from the Mini to the DAC in the receiver over HDMI, or will I have to run a separate TOSLINK? People have told me an Apple TV would be a better choice than a Mini, but just what is the ATV capable of audio-wise?
Lastly, I would like to put together a very small system for the bedroom. I plan on using an old 3rd gen iPod as the main source. The iPod only charges over FireWire, and its battery is shot, but I still want to get use out of it. How can I best put it to use?
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