Ruffter

Interesting! It’s no longer listed on their website…

Hi Marc, I read that statement with interest, as it appeared that the issue raised by Vinod was with Danny of selling off bulk stock as demo gear. I bought a Rega Apollo CD player about a month prior to this unfolding, as a demo model, for $850 (on a $1,500 RRP). This was a part of the mass sale that was online due to ‘moving showroom’. During the sale, I asked for photos of condition etc and over email I dealt with Vinod, not Danny. Unsure as to whether this CD player was a part of the gear that was central to this statement but interesting none the less. Thankfully I don’t have any other orders/deposits with them and received what I ordered; I really feel for those who have been stung by this and applaud the other retailers who are trying to help out. Regards, Andrew

Price drop to $425. I will post at the buyers expense. Cheers, Andrew

Further Information: NAD D3045 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier. Bought new from Selby in July 2022, can supply .pdf of the receipt to the buyer. This unit was doing TV duties through HDMI ARC but has been replaced by a SONOS ARC to declutter the area for my wife. In good used condition. Note this amplifier does have a well documented issue, which I experienced, where the audio "stutters" on the digital inputs (both HDMI ARC and optical) but only when receiving free-to-air audio signal (jitter related). There was no issue with sound quality when using the smart TVs inbuilt streaming apps. This is with our 2019 panasonic smart TV. Otherwise a great unit that has lots of options covered - basic high-pass output on mains for sub integration, loudness/bass boost, optical/coax/HDMI/USB/analogue/phono MM inputs. Unit comes with original packaging and remote and shipping can be organised from Darwin at the buyers expense.

Haha, it's all good @POV. I previously decoupled my stereo from the TV in the lounge to a sitting room. I get full control over the stereo, but she gets to dictate the TV room. It is the only TV in our household so we shall see what happens. As I said, I'll go the single bar by itself first, however I am guessing even she will be disappointed, and we will end up with a sub. It may even be a Sonos sub mini. Cheers, Andrew

@aussievintage The two reasons I was looking at the ARC is it is designed to be run with or without a sub, and that she uses Sonos at her work so having that same ecosystem at home will be an easy transition for her on the tech front. My plan was to try the soundbar alone, as that is what my wife is thinking will suffice. I anticipate it won’t be that great but I don’t think I can prove that point without going through the rigmorale of demonstrating so. I suspect we will use that for a bit of time, realise it’s not up to snuff somewhere down the line, and then add on a sub at a later date. I had a look at the other ones, the Samsung 990c on current sale looks a good alternative. But from what I can see the sub is an integral part and it will sound especially bad without it. Might be a case of grabbing the current ARC and seeing how we go… Very jealous @POV, it’s not my wife’s cup of tea unfortunately. Cheers, Andrew

Thanks for all the suggestions! Hi @POV, the current system is pretty minimal as it is, (D3045 and two speakers). I don't think anything short of a sleek/minimalist soundbar is going to placate the wife. I had considered a passive 2-channel soundbar from the likes of Adelaide Speakers but again I don't think it would have the sleek appearance she desires. The reason I was keen on the Arc is that it is designed to run with or without a sub, and there is a reasonably good chance that she will not want a subwoofer. I was thinking I could grab the Arc separately and evaluate that first, and if I'm not happy with the outcome without a sub then I can push that down the line. Ideally I would love an Ambeo Max to be done with it minus a sub, but that is way over budget for this reason. I had a look at the Ambeo plus and even at $2,500 I don't think she'd approve. @Snoopy8, you mentioned DTS and Dolby. That's the stuff I don't understand. This is going to be run off a Samsung smart TV with onboard streaming services; sounds like Dolby processing should cover all my needs then? I was a little worried about the possibility of the current model becoming obsolete somewhere in the near future. Cheers, Andrew

Hi all, Just chasing some advice. The wife wants a soundbar instead of a Hifi. I’d previously tried to placate her by downsizing a separates Hifi to a NAD D3045 (with HDMI ARC), Wiim mini, and some MA Silver 100’s, but now she’s saying she still wants a soundbar. Truth be told, my main issue with TVs is dialogue. Further down the line is surround effects or feeling the couch shake with bass. We have three kids rooms adjoining our main living area so late night TV usually ends in subtitles as it is, but those three kids also don’t mind a movie of a Friday night with a bit of boogie to it. I was thinking of getting a Sonos ARC. It seems to get good reviews, has night listening and dialogue modes, shouldn’t be too bad for ambient music (which the old system did well) and is about the max budget I’d like to spend. My wife has Sonos in her office so that would simplify that side of things for her. Initially I won’t run a sub. Somewhere down the line I may add the subwoofer. Apparently they are bringing out a new ARC later this year. Are there likely to be any massive upgrades that would necessitate the wait? Some reports are that it’ll be more expensive. Not knowing anything about Dolby DTS etc, are these things something that becomes obsolete, and should I wait for a new one on the basis that it may support newer formats? Or are there any other soundbars I should be considering? Cheers, Andrew

Haha, sitting on the radio ready to press record!

I’ve gone with qobuz because I like the idea of being able to pay for the digital copy in FLAC. Got an album I haven’t been able to find for $23.99, I wonder if the amount back to the artist would be the same had I walked into JB Hifi and bought the CD? Cheers, Andrew

I guess it’s the lesser of two evils, I will never get my family away from streaming. I think I’ll go qobuz, at least that way I can buy FLACs. I wonder how that money gets fed back to artists?

Hi all, bit of a sidestep but after reading about Spotify being jerks I am going to drag my family (kicking and screaming) to either tidal or qobuz. User interface etc has always meant Spotify was the go to service. I’ve read about both of them and it seems Tidal is better for paying artists, is this correct? This is less about SQ and more about putting my money somewhere it will help artists. Cheers, Andrew

Hi all, been out bush for the past two weeks sorry. I do not have the original box and have not had great experiences shipping from Darwin in the past. Local sale only at this time sorry! Cheers, Andrew

Further Information: Bought to tame floor bounce in my high set home, which it did well. Unfortunately we could not find a suitable spot for the hifi, so I have now sold the record player and have this leftover. RRP $361. https://www.projectaudio.com.au/products/wallmount-it?variant=19914709729342

Further Information: Well regarded stand mount speakers. Quite enjoyable, non-fatiguing sound. Definitely benefit from more watts. No longer required, have gone to an all-white speaker as the vinyl wrap did not go with the timber floors supposedly.