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Hifi recommendations

General

I would like to make a few recommendations below. I am not pursuing commercial interests with these recommendations - the recommendations are based on my personal listening experience, beliefs and technical understanding.

I am German - so the prices and brands below are based on a German market. They can differ in other countries - and are a subjective opinion without any claim to completeness.

I consider the recommendations for AV receivers and BluRay players to be as spartan as possible: What is particularly important here is good equipment with current HDMI connections, good processing, subjectively sufficient level reserves, quiet fans and quiet drives in the players. Due to the short product cycles, I would like to keep a low profile here - any recommendations are too quickly outdated.


Headphones

  • Beyerdynamic: Large product range with robust, inexpensive and good sounding headphones. The former top model DT-880 is available for a comparatively moderate price and should satisfy even a demanding listener.
  • Stax: High sound quality, high wearing comfort, high prices - but the look is rather functional with some models.



Subwoofers

  • Nubert: Good for cinema and musical - at moderate prices.
  • Velodyne: Partly High price range, but interesting closed subwoofers with modern room measuring systems are on offer.
  • SVS: Closed subwoofers for moderate money, but there are also high-priced devices available.
  • ME-Geithain: Subwoofer with kidney-shaped bass radiation for demanding music lovers.



Systems for Stereo und Surround

Sound differences between good electronic components are now quite small. Due to the good equipment of AV receivers (HDMI, subwoofer management, night mode, etc.) I recommend the use of AV receivers also for stereo systems. I only recommend stereo amplifiers for very small budgets or very high level requirements - or for tube fans.

As a general rule: short listening distances, good acoustics and a good setup allow high end for moderate prices.

Entry class <500€: Active satellite systems for surround sound, compact systems or active monitors
  • Surround: satellite systems from Creative or Logitech for PC or BluRay player connection
  • Behringer Truth: Compact active speakers for connection to PC or BluRay player (approx. 130€/piece)
  • Yamaha Pianocraft: Low-priced and high-quality standalone compact systems (depending on equipment from approx. 300 Euro)
  • Nubert nuPro: Compact active speakers for connection to PC or BluRay player (from approx. 240€/piece)
  • Mackie MR5: Compact active speakers for connection to PC or BluRay player (from approx. 150€/piece)
  • BluRay Player: Current device from a popular mass production manufacturer such as Samsung with USB port for fixed memory, about 100€

Middle class 500-1500€ - classic passive boxes/AV receiver combinations: When upgrading to surround, ideally use speakers from the same series:
  • Nubert, nuBox/nuLine/nuPro: wide range of well thought-out passive loudspeakers, now also some active models
  • Magnat Quantum: Solid passive mid-range models, some of them cheaper than discontinued models
  • Canton Vento/GLE: Solid passive mid-range models, some of which are cheaper than discontinued models
  • Elac, various: Solid passive mid-range models
  • Neumann KH120: Extremely affordable active high-end loudspeakers. Only with large listening distances and poor acoustics are the large models significantly better (approx. 600€/piece).
  • AV receiver: current model from e.g. Marantz or Onkyo with the latest HDMI interface, starting at approx. 200€.
  • BluRay Player: Current device from a popular mass production manufacturer such as Samsung with USB port for fixed memory, about 100€

Enthusiast: 1500-5000€ - Welcome to the world of active 3-way midfield monitors. The acoustics should be good to justify those investments.
  • KS-Digital C55/C88: Active 3-way nearfielder and midfielder with coax midrange and wood veneer combined with a very fair price (from about 1000€ Euro/piece)
  • Neumann KH320: Closed 3-way high-end midfielder with midrange/treble dome and waveguides (ca 1900€/piece)
  • ADAM S-3 X V: Fully active 3-Wayer from Berlin Neuköln
  • ADAM, MK3 home: Active loudspeakers with hi-fi optics and wood veneer
  • ME-Geithain, various: Manufacturer of very well thought-out coax loudspeakers and partly kidney-shaped radiation in the bass. Very high vertical range of manufacture and ingenious detail solutions.
  • Genelec 8000 Series: The "Eggs" are standard in smaller recording studios
  • AV preamplifier: Marantz and Onkyo offer very well equipped models starting at 1500 Euro, otherwise use PreOuts of a cheaper AV receiver.
  • BluRay Player: Current device from a popular large-series manufacturer such as Samsung with USB connection for fixed memory (approx. 100€) or optically suitable for AV receiver

High End: 5000-15000€ - professional technology at professional prices
  • Neumann kh 420: 3-way high-end speaker with high-quality midrange/tweeter dome and waveguides (approx. 4500€/piece)
  • Genelec 8351 or 8260a: Sophisticated digital active three-way, interesting mixture of coax driver and waveguide (approx. 4000€/piece)
  • ME-Geithain 901k: Often called "best loudspeaker in the world" by experts, dreamlike 3-way pseudo coax and bass kidney with high vertical range of manufacture (approx. 5000€/piece)
  • AV preamplifier: Marantz and Onkyo offer very well equipped models starting at 1500 Euro, otherwise use PreOuts of a cheaper AV receiver.
  • BluRay Player: Current device from a popular large-series manufacturer such as Samsung with USB connection for fixed memory (approx. 100€) or optically suitable for AV receiver

Open End: >15000€ - Prices that make onions cry. Great equipment - but is the extra charge compared to a MEG 901 or a KH o420 really justified?
  • Me-Geithain 800k: Made in Germany from the finest, active, level-resistant, 4-way, coax, kidney-shaped bass (approx. 20,000€/piece)
  • Backes & Müller Line: High power digital active top speakers with controlled chassis and near field extension by cylindrical radiation (approx. 20.000€/piece)
  • AV preamplifier: Marantz and Onkyo offer very well equipped models starting at 1500 Euro, otherwise use PreOuts of a cheaper AV receiver.
  • BluRay Player: Current device from a popular large-series manufacturer such as Samsung with USB connection for fixed memory (approx. 100€) or optically suitable for AV receiver


 
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