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Post by Slinger on Aug 4, 2022 16:34:30 GMT
Talking of Bluetooth speakers, I've just picked up a Monitor Audio Airstream S150 Anniversary Edition for forty quid on eBay, to pair with Alexa, and hopefully make the free Amazon Music streams sound a bit better. It's an old model, but apparently it's in " Immaculate condition" and it got very good reviews when it was released. I also knocked the guy down a tenner with my "best offer," which was a pleasant surprise.  This arrived yesterday, and it was, as the buyer promised, in absolutely immaculate condition, right down to an unmarked original box, with all of the original packaging inside. It's currently residing next to my bed, and paired with an Amazon Show 8 which lives on my bedside table. Pairing was, as it should be, accomplished in seconds. It's got a brace of 3" speakers, so I wasn't expecting chest-thudding bass, and I didn't get it either. What I will say is that the bass is well defined, if not actually thunderous, probably due to the rear-firing Auxiliary Bass Radiator (ABR). The proprietary 1" gold dome C-CAM® tweeter is flanked on angled baffles by dual 3”-CAM metal cone bass drivers. The C-CAM drivers are powered directly by dedicated Class D amplifiers, generating forty watts in total, which are fed by (it says in the blurb) a " high-resolution DAC" and optimised by " intelligent digital processing" to ensure the ideal balance of detail, dynamics and dispersion within Bluetooth range. Whatever.  The only info I can find on the DAC quotes it as being a " 28-56 Bit Dual Precision". Make of that what you will. Chances are it's a SigmaDSP ADAU1701 that's handling the digital processing, which is a highly thought-of chip. The unit weighs in at 2.26 kg (5lb), so it's not exactly lightweight. It's an excellent pice of kit, I have to say, but I was already a Monitor Audio fan, and their C-CAM drivers don't disappoint. No remote might be a downside for some, but not me. It's also mains powered so there's no walking around the house cuddling it. Again, this suits me. I've got a few radio stations saved on Alexa, so it's simply a case of " Alexa, play Noteworthy Blues," (for iunstance,) and off it goes. Alternatively, " Alexa, play Bach" works too. |
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Post by brian2957 on Aug 4, 2022 18:21:40 GMT
That looks decent mate, and for a good price. Happy listening  |
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Post by karatestu on Aug 4, 2022 18:36:37 GMT
My JBL charge 5 has two passive radiators, one on each end. There is plenty of bass I must say especially when put near a wall. I am surprised you wanted to know what the dac chip is in yours Paul. I haven't the slightest interest in knowing what is in mine.
Affordable, no fuss music has never been so good. I hope you enjoy it.
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seanm
Rank: Trio
Posts: 162 
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Post by seanm on Aug 5, 2022 8:31:26 GMT
Slinger, Well done with your purchase.... Having just returned from another nomadic phase, I have been reliant on powered bluetooth speakers for access to music. Initially the Ultimate ears wonderboom 2 which is basically, a self-powered, standalone coffee mug which will fill a room with not unpleasant sound. This gave way to a pair of Edifier R1700BT powered bluetooth speakers with both wired and BT inputs. These are made in China and only cost around £50 locally. They were on additional cheap stands and worked well in both TV and music duties. They have been handed on to colleague to fight another day. This video caught my eye a while ago Basically, taking a pair of ordinary bookshelf speakers and turning them into powered speakers with a suitable bluetooth class D amp module. I'm sure that many of us have pairs of such speakers sitting idle. I like BT very much from a convenience point of view, but it is a constantly moving target with both new versions of BT (currently v5.2 I think) and new improved codecs such as APTX.... annoyingly these "upgrades" are generally worth getting since realistically, the technology is still in its infancy. I apologise if you lose an evening watching the other videos from this guy |
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Post by MartinT on Aug 5, 2022 10:08:19 GMT
Hey Sean, have you returned from China, then? Where are you now?
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seanm
Rank: Trio
Posts: 162
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Post by seanm on Aug 5, 2022 10:41:06 GMT
Hi Martin,
Yes I returned a week ago (after 3 years). I am currently staying with my daughter in High Wycombe
How are you?
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Post by MartinT on Aug 5, 2022 10:48:23 GMT
I'm well, thanks Sean. Nice to have you back. I work in Hampton so it wouldn't be hard to meet up for a drink and catch-up after work one day. Continue via PM?
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The only info I can find on the DAC quotes it as being a "28-56 Bit Dual Precision". Make of that what you will. Chances are it's a SigmaDSP ADAU1701 that's handling the digital processing, which is a highly thought-of chip.
