What was the last bit of gear you bought in 2024?

Can’t wait to try these out.

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Nice! Judging by all the boxes in the background they are not the only thing you have purchased! :smiley: :upside_down_face:

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So I have done it, I have actually done it, I have bought a streamer!!!

A Uniti Atom and a nice wee pair of Kef LS50 Metas to go with it :slightly_smiling_face:

As all the ‘old’ hifi is in the smaller ‘music’ room we wanted a small system for the bigger room. We wanted something that would nicely blend in, so initially thoughts were a Muso, but then I felt I wanted a bit more so ended up with the Atom. Just a few tweaks needed for placement, we are looking out for a nice appropriate table for it.

Overall I am delighted with it. Aesthetically both the Atom and the LS50s look great and sound terrific! AND now I get it! I get what this streaming thing is all about! :slightly_smiling_face:

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I used to have this system 4-5 years ago (non Meta version of the LS50s) and I must admit it is a fantastic sounding combiniation. As you say, they look great together too. The LS50 stands look fantastic too but they are rather pricey…

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Awesome.

And at the risk of stirring up a hornet’s nest, I don’t think the Atom is as sensitive to set-up as classics etc - so I would not limit yourself to “hi if furniture” in your search for a home for the Atom. Especially if it’s in a more general purpose room.

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Yes the stands are a tad expensive but they do help set it all off. To be honest I delayed on going for the stands because of the cost but I spied them on sale from a hifi shop for £309, so they are on their way :slightly_smiling_face:

Interestingly when I was in auditioning the speakers my dealer had a used pair of the KEF R3s, non Meta, which I was interested in. They looked great and sounded good too, there was a bit better bass separation, but overall the LS50 Metas were so much better! I am sure the newer R3 Meta sound fantastic but budget ruled them out!

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Yes indeed. Happily we are just looking for a nice solid console type table to fit in with the room decor. Nice plain good quality wood will do the job!

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I’m interested to know what you think of the Meta speakers Martin. I had a pair of the R5 Meta with my classic system for a while and I must admit I was impressed. One of those few technological innovations which is the real deal and not a gimmick in my opinion. I only changed them to upgrade.

I totally agree with you, it is definitely not a gimmick!

I listened to the R3s first and yes they were good and I would have been happy taking them. Then the LS50 Metas went on and the clarity, detail and insight was way way better than the R3s. That’s where they won it for me, yes the R3s had a bit better separation, which they should really, with having a separate base unit. But the clarity etc just makes the Meta a clear winner. I love that clarity and I feel there is a lovely cohesion with the LS50s and they just suit my needs perfectly. Though I would love to hear the R3 Metas, but I must resist the temptation!

I did a bit of reading up on Meta and I totally agree with the reviews. A piece of innovative genius by Kef I would say!

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Hifi Rose RSA720 fiber optical hub. My streamer has a fiber optic usb output so connecting this between tge streamer and my Dave is supposed to remove any noise. Initial impressions are positive and I’ll experiment with and without the pheonix usb in line over the next week or so.

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Ansuz A2 Digitalz coax RCA - BNC between streamer and NDS.

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nice

The Atom is a very nice device, which I also used for several years with many hours of listening. It offers a wonderfully closed sound image and fits into modern living rooms. The most important thing for good sound is speaker positioning in the room. The Atom is grateful for careful positioning. I had it on a glass plate following the approach of Xanthe here in the forum[(Click here)(Vibration Isolation / Support for Glass) and (Click here). This helped the sound just as much as a good power cable (the Atom reacts sensitively to the power supply and in my case a Vovox excelsus Power Cord took it to a new level). If you invest a little time in setting up and cabling, which doesn’t have to be expensive, you’ll be amazed at what this reasonably priced device can do. There are also many tips here in the forum. Enjoy.

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Hi Martin, I have both the Ls50 and R3 metas, the cohesion that you mention of the Ls50 still prevails, it is just such a well sorted design and it’s simpler configuration helps here.

The R3 meta is capable of bigger soundscapes and volume and dynamics , but for 90% listening , the ls50 is a special speaker.

I actually have mine hooked up with dual kc62 subs, that then brings the effortless dynamics to the party, but just as a word of warning , getting the kc62s to integrate takes an age of experimentation.

I’ve also found with both Kef speakers that distance from the side wall is far more influential than to the rear.

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That’s good to know Wilfried, though I don’t think Mrs M would settle for a glass top table, I just have to be content with wood!

Interesting comments about the power leads. Currently I am using the supplied Powerline light, but after everything runs in I will have a play around with some of the other leads I have and see what works best. I have a MCRU No 75 that is meant to work well and a Titan Audio Helios which will be worth a try too. Thank you.

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Got Wednesday’s impulse buy home today… No idea if it will improve the vinyl sound, but it is well built and solid in any case :innocent:




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I have the LS50s positioned either side of the chimney breast, 30cm from the back wall and only 15cm from the side, which allows the front of the speakers clear air to the front. Unfortunately I am not able to bring them out much further than that. They do sound pretty good though!

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Did you keep the 555PSDR?

They are a British HiFi classic for sure :+1:

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It was not for sale. (A loan from a friend)