Listen And Listen Good, Santa
The Age
Thursday November 28, 2002
For hi-fi gifts that won't send Santa into a fit, read this wishlist from the bottom up.
The problem with buying Christmas gifts for people who are into audio is that they're invariably fastidious folk who know far more about the business than you. And you have to be practical; specialised equipment, such as amplifiers and speakers, are not things you can buy without the recipient's input. Where's the fun in that?
But if the recipient doesn't mind looking at their pressies beforehand and you're happy to take them shopping, this is what has been good in high-end gear this year.
Stereo amplifiers
For comfortably under $500, Pioneer's A109 is a great cornerstone on which to start a hi-fi system. It delivers 40 watts per channel and has a good number of inputs as well as tone controls, low power consumption and great performance. It's $449 and the matching tuner, the S208, is $399.
For enthusiasts with more to spend, Marantz's PM14 at $4790 is an excellent pure music stereo amplifier with a range of inputs (including turntable) and a raft of premium features, but the best bit is the delightfully retro temperature gauge on the front panel. It delivers 100 watts per channel. The matching tuner is the ST17, at $1390.
For the purists, the Pathos Logos integrated valve amplifier at $8800 is stunning. It has a rich, warm sound from valves in the pre-amplifier section while the rest of the circuitry is solid state. It's rated at 110 watts per channel but delivers comfortably more.
www.pioneeraus.com.au
www.qualifi.com.au
kedcorp.com.au
Speakers
At around $1000 a pair, we liked the South Australian-made Krix KDXM bookshelf speakers. They have a big, authoritative sound with plenty of bass, but they also handle highs nicely and have excellent presence. Climb to $3000 and our choice is B&W's CM4s at $3299. Featuring the brand's famous Nautilus tweeter, they are still relatively compact yet have a wide soundstage with a nicely defined and accurate sound across the full range. At $6500 we went for Thiel's CS1.6s, not just because they sound great but also for the gorgeous tapering cabinet. The sound is airy yet nicely tight and controlled across the full range with good bass and excellent definition.
krix.com.au
www.e-hifi.com.au
thielaudio.com
Of course, there are lots of less specialised gifts that will delight, and after a year reviewing audio here are some affordable suggestions that may even get the recipient thinking you know more about buying audio than they thought.
CD portables
The one we like the best is Sony's DEJ1000 at $479 - small and light with rechargeable batteries, a remote and excellent sound. If you want MP3 compatibility, the bargain is Digitor's A5547 at $148, and among players with car kits the Sanyo CDP4500CR at $159 is great value.
sony.com.au
www.dse.com.au
sanyo.com.au
MP3 players
Sony's NetMD mini disc recorders are delicious but cost a lot. We really liked the Creative Labs Muvo - tiny, ingenious and flexible at $299.
australia.creative.com
www.musicway.com.au
Earbuds
Earbuds never return premium sound quality so you may as well go for convenience. Jensen's JB9s, which don't sound bad at all, are great because they can be packed into their clever container in a few seconds and won't snag everything in your bag.
www.musicway.com.au
Headphones
The Bose Quiet Comfort noise-cancelling models are the duck's guts for people who fly a lot, but $599 ain't cheap. Among enclosed headphones we like Sony's MDRCD780s at $239, and for clip-ons we went for the JVC HAE5SL at $35.
bose.com.au
Sound systems
Philips does a great job with these, and the MC50 at $549 is a beauty. We also liked Panasonic's SCPM27 at $649. If you're more into systems that look beautiful (and sound pretty good too), take a look at the JVCs, especially the VSDT6 at $499.
www.philips.com.au
www.panasonic.com.au
www.jvc-australia.com
Blaster
Again we went for a Philips because of its sound quality. The AZ1080 is also terrific value at $179. It handles CDs and cassettes.
Radio
The one we'd most like at home is the Bose Wave Radio at $649 (or $999 with a CD player included), followed closely by the Kloss Tivoli radio at $299. For a portable we liked the Digitor PRD3L Outback II Radio at $155, but the Sony ICF703S is more affordable at $66.95.
www.tivolihifi.com.au
Stocking stuffers
Headphone radio
For anyone who likes radio as they walk or jog, Digitor's A5912 headphone radio at $24.97 is cheap but far from nasty. It has strong reception and good sound quality.
CD wallets
CD wallets sure are getting funky. The Life! series wallets are available in a range of styles including an eight-ball and a soccer ball at $19.95 each, while Case Logic has some embroidered models that sell strongly to females. They also have a $14.95 model with a photographic display - simply slide in the picture you like most. Prices vary according to size and format, but think mainly from around $20.
www.lifegetfunked.com
www.musicway.com.au
CD/DVD holders
For anyone into music or movies, a CD/DVD holder is always a welcome gift. Some of these are now getting quite nice to look at, and we liked the ones from Life! Its 25-CD holder is $22.95, or $32.95 for 50, while its 36-DVD holder is $39.95.
Battery charger
Anyone who uses a portable audio player a lot will appreciate a battery charger and a couple of rechargeable batteries. We think the best value is Energizer's NiCd/NiMH charger at around $32, including two rechargeable AAs. It's easy to use.
energizer.com
Remote caddy
How many remotes on your coffee table? If you don't have the budget for a programmable, universal remote to replace them all (think $300 for a good one), the cheap solution is a remote caddy, like this one from Musicway. It holds eight remotes comfortably and a rotating base lets you find them easily. It's $39.95, while a six-remote holder, without the rotating base, is $29.95.
Pillow Talk
The Pillow Talk is a great idea for the beach. It's an inflatable head cushion with a speaker at each ear. Plug in a Walkman and you're in business. It's $19.95 from Henry Buck's.
www.henrybucks.com.au
ROD & MATT'S BUYING TIPS
• Work out what you (need and what you) want the product to do.
• Set your budget.
• Shop around.
• Negotiate - especially on new technology and big-ticket items.
• If spending more than $500, shop somewhere you trust.
• If spending more than $1000, factor in professional installation and delivery.
• Trust your own eyes and ears while choosing equipment.
• Bring your favourite DVDs and CDs along to try out.
• For audio, shut your eyes, relax and listen hard.
• Don't bow to a salesperson's opinion of sound quality - only you have your ears.
• Check the build quality, the warranty and ease of use.
• If buying for someone else, try to achieve their "wants" and "needs" within your budget - not theirs.
• If you see something that is right and at the right price, then buy it - tougher inventory management can mean shortages closer to Christmas.
• It'll probably be cheaper after Christmas.
© 2002 The Age