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Top right: Arcam's rDock; Top left: NaimUniti; Above (top to bottom): Arcam Solo mini and Meridian's F80 and AD88
IPOD HI-FI SYSTEMS
UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
All-in-one audio
Why exclusive hi-fi brands are embracing the iPod generation
Back in the '80s when CDs began superseding vinyl among music lovers, the question raging among audiophiles was which format sounded best. (It was vinyl, by the way.) Today that debate is moot because everyone is hooked on MP3, a format that uses less data than CD or vinyl in order to reduce files sizes. It means MP3s are breathtakingly convenient and — sonically speaking — breathtakingly bad. "MP3s… do not offer sufficient audio quality for serious music listening," states Stereophile magazine. Now many iPod-wielding fans will say they can't hear the difference between MP3s and CDs — and they probably can't. But there are those who, over the years, have spent hours auditioning hi-fi, swapping speaker cables and visiting trade shows in pursuit of audio excellence. For them, listening to MP3s is akin to watching VHS having seen Blu-ray.
Modern convenience
This shift in listening habits has meant the cottage industry that served the needs of audiophiles has had to change. If convenience is what punters want, it's convenience they'll get. In the past, some hi-fi firms >>>
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© 2009 Commercial Break
INFO
NaimUniti
Approx. £2,000.00
Meridian F80 / AD88
Approx. £1,495.00 / £1,949.00
Arcam Solo mini / rDock
Approx. £700.00 / £150.00
Websites
Naim Audio
Meridian Audio
Arcam
