Hi Fi Separates (General Comments)

Member Name: slackjack

Product:	General Comments
Date:	03/07/00 (329 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheaper and much better than mini systems.

Disadvantages: Get addictive - easy to buy too much

I used to be the type who loved walking around Comet looking at all the latest mini systems with their flashing lights, graphic equalisers and hundreds of toys. Eventually I got my hands on an expensive JVC system. It seemed pretty nice at first but a few things got on my nerves. Most remote controls are quite good - you've got about a 30 degree angle that you can move from side to side of your hi-fi and the control will still work. Not so my JVC - unless the control was pointed precisely at the unit it was no go - at the end of the day, it was a waste of space. I liked the little speakers the rotated when you changed sound modes, but not the metres of thick ribbon cable that couldn't be hidden that was required to control them - they soon got disconnected. The most annoying thing was the digital graphic equaliser. It wasn't possible to adjust it yourself, only to choose from preset levels - most of which were terrible. The final straw was when a confirmed separates fan moved into my house - his kit which had been put together for half the price of mine sounded at least twice as good.
For someone who's been used to mini systems, some of the concepts of separates can be hard to get your head around. Graphics equalisers being the hardest. In the eighties, the Japanese manufacturers spent a long time telling us that the sound was much more controllable with and equaliser - simple bass and treble dials couldn't be good enough. This is in fact rubbish - most of the sliders on your graphic equaliser will do nothing but ruin the sound.

So, I went up to Richer Sounds. There's no point in trying to buy separates in Dixons or anything like that - there's very little choice, and it's also expensive. Richer Sounds have a massive choice, and the prices are often ridiculously cheap. There is also the advantage of the listening room. Here, they'll set up whatever you choose so you can really tell what it's going to sound lik
e - although in the soundproofed and acoustically excellent listening room, it probably sounds a little better then it would jammed into your living room.

I picked up a Yamaha surround amplifier for £100 (one of Richer Sounds silly offers) Technics CD player for £80, and Mission speakers for £120, and ended up with a system that seriously shames the old JVC. And of course, if I fancy some beefier speakers or a minidisc deck, I can just chop and change as and when.

When buying, it's worth picking up a copy of What Hi-Fi. It's got reviews of everything every month which are useful, and Richer Sounds advertise and usually have special offers for readers of the magazine (I saved £50 off my amp, and got a £100 centre speaker for a tenner this way. Even if you don't have ant money off vouchers try to go to Richer Sounds. As well as good prices, the staff are honest, friendly and helpful (while my girlfriend was buying a hi-fi, we enquired about a Sony amplifier. "I wouldn't buy that." The assistant told us. When we asked why he said "It's mass produced crap. Get the Sherwood amp - it's cheaper and better").

A decent Hi-fi set up will also require some decent cabling - the horrible thin stuff you get with mini systems isn't actually that good at reproducing the sound very well. This will add quite a few quid to your budget, but again it's something you could always upgrade when you felt like it.

If you really like to listen to your music, I would recommend getting hold of some separates. Be aware, though, it can become an addictive hobby.

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