Buyers Guides > Audio

Hi-Fi Buying Guide > Step 1

Just like home cinema kits, hi fi systems come in three types. To a large extent the equipment you may buy will be determined by your budget but size style and flexibility also have parts to play, however the most important factor to us is you get the best sound quality you can for your money or the “pound per sound”.

MICRO SYSTEM

For
The most popular form of audio system, the micro system comes in a wide range of finishes and prices, the more you spend the better the sound quality you will get.

Against
These are still compact systems so you cant expect to shake the house foundations, next to a separates system your long term upgrade options are very limited. Avoid flashing lights and other gimmicks they tend to harm the sound.

Verdict
Choose wisely and you will get a great little system for sensible money, however be aware it is not all good stuff out there.

STYLE SYSTEM

For
You will not see a sexier system short of hi fi high end, usually a lot of innovative thinking.

Against
Style systems do not sound as good as their more prosaic microsystem rivals or full size separates.

Verdict
A great way to make high fi fun and can be ideal if space is limited, but often you are paying a premium for styling rather than sound. Separates are better.

SEPARATES SYSTEM

For
Excellent sound per pound quality, plenty of power even in budget systems, plenty of long term upgrade options.

Against
Neither as small or convenient as micro or style systems rivals and you do not get much to play with.

Verdict
This is the purist option and we believe the best use of your cash if you are wanting true sound quality from your system. If you do go for a separates system and choose wisely you will build a system that will last you for years

Hi-Fi Buying Guide > Step 2

CHOOSE EQUIPMENT THAT COMBINES WELL TOGETHER

if you have decided the way to go is the separates route the next step is to research the key features and sonic characteristics of each component you are interested in. however do not automatically choose five star expensive units for two reasons 1st you can often get just as good a system by blending four and five star units together 2nd more expensive does not always mean better that is why we recommend you spend time reading journals such as what hi fi sound and vision for in depth testing and reviews.

CD PLAYERS

Before you buy a standalone CD player, consider whether one of the CD-based digital recorders or even a DVD player (which also plays CDs) could fulfill your needs instead. Check the cd player can handle cd-r discs if you want to play discs that you have made. You will need a digital output to record to mini disc or cd-r. a remote control is usually standard and a headphones socket is a good thing but make sure it has volume control. Display off lets you kill the display – some players sound better with out it.

SPEAKERS

Huge speakers in a small room can sound poor, while small speakers in a large room can struggle to fill the room. Check the specifications: speakers have a power handling range (eg 20 – 100w) so ensure your amps power rating is compatible. Check sensitivity (look for a range of 87 - 92db/w/m) and impedance (6 – 8 ohms)

AMPLIFIERS

The amplifier is the backbone of your system so, when you choose one, make sure it has enough connections to let you plug in all your other separates (three should usually be enough for most people). Also, check whether it has outputs for recording purposes. The Denon and Marantz amps let you listen to one source while you're recording another. If you have a record deck, make sure there's a turntable (phono) input, too. If not, you'll need to buy a separate adaptor (around £40) to enable you to play records (but make sure everything is right for your cartridge). Some amps allow you to run a second pair of speakers to another room in the house. A 30 – 100w power output is usually adequate for most living rooms.

TUNERS

The main decision here is whether you want to go digital or stick with trusty analogue radio - or opt for both. If you live in a coverage area, DAB digital radio offers the choice of many extra BBC and commercial stations, plus station, programme and even track information scrolled across the front display. It also eliminates interference and hiss. A rooftop aerial will give the best reception for both DAB and FM.

RECORDERS

A CD-R deck burns cd’s you can play on most hardware, including portables, however the latest technology is hard disk (HD) recording. This can mean anything from a portable player such as an i pod to a high end cd-r/hd . Compressed MP3 files are small but can sound poor, while cd quality eats space but sounds great, therefore we would recommend buying as large a HD as you can. Below shows a little more specific information on recorders.

CD RECORDERS

These are really designed to make copies from other CDs, but most can record from analogue sources, such as a tuner or turntable, too (though it's generally easier to do this with a minidisc or hard disc recorder). CD recorders let you copy only to blank 'audio' CD-Rs, not the cheaper CD-Rs designed for computers. You can use either 'record-once' CD-R discs or re-recordable CD-RW discs with many models

MINIDISC RECORDERS

This format is good if you like making compilations, as it's easy to reorder and delete tracks after recording. It's also easy to carry the discs around and use them in portable minidisc players. The indications are that the future of minidisc lies more in portable players than in home hi-fi. Sony's the only manufacturer to launch new minidisc separates recently.

HARD DISC RECORDERS

CD players combined with hard disc drives (HDD) are fairly new products. The built-in hard disc means you store your recordings in the machine itself. One drawback is that, if the hard disc goes wrong, you'll lose anything stored on it so it makes sense to keep your originals. Also, it's not a portable format, so you may want to record from the hard disc to a CD or minidisc for listening away from home.

The two HDD recorders we've tested have slightly different roles. The Sony HAR-LH500 is essentially a 'jukebox'. It can store 125 hours of music in perfect CD quality, or use compression to archive 1,340 hours of music - probably most people's entire CD collection - at slightly lower quality. The Yamaha CDR-HD1300 incorporates a CD recorder, so you can record from its hard disc to CDs (making it good for compilations). However, it doesn't allow digital compression, so you can store only around 120 hours of music.

Make sure you label the tracks you record to the hard disc if you want to find them later. You can then view track information on the recorder's display or by connecting it to a TV (Yamaha) or a PC (Sony) for easier searching. Both recorders let you group tracks as well as name them, so you can sort by album, artist or even listening mood.

COPY PROTECTION

Nearly all the recorders use the serial copy management system (SCMS), which stops you making more than one digital copy of any recording. If the source CD is a copy, or is copy-protected, you'll be able to make only an analogue, not a digital, recording. However, that's not necessarily as bad as it might sound: we thought the analogue copies we made generally sounded very good

Hi-Fi Buying Guide > Step 3

BUY CABLES AND SUPPORTS TO MAXIMISE YOUR INVESTMENT

As with home cinema the right accessories can make or break your hi fi . We recommend you spend around 10% of your total budget on stands, interconnects and speaker cables, this should ensure you get the very best performance from each component and that means better sound quality. We also recommend a good equipment rack as an additional investment.

Phono (RCA)



The standard cable used on most hi fi

Digital coaxial



Connects a cd players digital output

Digital optical



An alternative to electrical digital cables

DIN



Alternative to phono sockets, only found on specialist high end hi fi equipment

XLR



Balanced connector for high end hi fi

BNC



Locking connector for high end hi fi

Speaker stands



These position your speakers at the correct height and keep them firmly located so all their energy is used to make music

Isolation platforms



Electronic components do not like vibrations. These platforms soak up interference preventing it from being transferred to sensitive components

Equipment racks



These do the same job as isolation platforms reducing interference and vibrations

Headphones



Ideal for solo listening, but make sure your kit has a headphone socket.

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