Systems Shuffle - or what do you want from your audio system?
Yeah, I did say audio system.
In an attempt to displace Ben from his pedestal as Audio Chews' President of Audio Philosophy, I've been shufflin' mi gear and getting a bit more into the world of Sonos.
I love my Third System. It's a good thing all around. Loads of content all accessible from my phone app, and it takes up just about no space at all. What's more, the sound quality is waay good enough for when I'm pottering and cremating in the kitchen.
In an attempt to displace Ben from his pedestal as Audio Chews' President of Audio Philosophy, I've been shufflin' mi gear and getting a bit more into the world of Sonos.
I love my Third System. It's a good thing all around. Loads of content all accessible from my phone app, and it takes up just about no space at all. What's more, the sound quality is waay good enough for when I'm pottering and cremating in the kitchen.
Which got me thinking... Around the issue of where you want hi-fi and where audio will be more than enough. And where the Sonos convenience will whack hi-fi's pernicketiness into the next road. Or maybe two.
My office has evolved into the Rosam junk repository. And I'm gradually putting that right with a bit of help from Marie Kondo ;-)
One of the easy things has been to move on my vastly over specced hifi. I bought a pair of Sonos Ones. They're like the Play:1 I had already, but have a few more bells and whistles - the key one for me is AirPlay, which I mainly use for streaming podcasts as Sonos is weak there.
They sit on my desk, either side of my iMac and make a nice noise when I'm working. That's a good enough noise for when I'm not burrowing deep into some music I love.
When I decorate the office, I'll put them in brackets on the wall. Two more things off of my desk!
Meanwhile, what of the office system? It's destined for the bedroom for when I can lay on the bed and drift off into some Alice Coltrane. Or summat.
I haven't yet put it all back together, but I'm sure it's the best place for a hi-fi.
Comments
I agree with you on all points.
Except Marie Kondo. My sock drawer is a disgrace.
But on your other points I agree with them probably even moreso than you do! Where "audio" is sufficient I can actually find it distracting to have anything too high spec'd. I find it difficult to turn off the hifi-critical part of my brain if I perceive the play-back gear to have hifi-pretentions. If the gear is mine, then I find it difficult (not impossible) to avoid considering its sonic strengths and weaknesses and how I might improve it.
If the gear is simply a mainstream audio playback device it gives me the necessary permission to just accept the audio as it is. So the overall experience can be more restful and centred if it involves some relatively simple playback device.
I don't own a Sonos myself, but I have a couple of friends who do and given their tiny size, the scale and quality of the sound always impresses and annoys me.
That said, I do need a decent system with hifi-credentials for proper music-burrowing!
President of Audio Philosophy...?
Agreed, otherwise.