It’s fascinating how a good hi-fi setup can reveal new layers of detail and nuance in music!. My music appreciation changed quite a bit with hi-fi gear. I found artists/songs I would never usually listen to sound AMAZING on a new setup, and others I previously listened to felt lacklustre in comparison. Maintaining a reasonable budget, I was able to piece together a setup that brought the music appreciation to a completely different level. It was quite a journey, some jokingly claimed and perhaps with some truth claimed, that I started with building the house roof down, yet I arrived at a level that, even to my own surprise, was far beyond anything that was expected.
The narrative I set was to buy second-hand, discontinued yet outstanding. And perhaps I did start with the roof.
I chose the Helicon 800 Mk2 speakers from DALI, which were discontinued around 2016. I was able to find it in mint condition for approximately 3,220 USD, a real bargain. I was able to listen to them by borrowing an amplifier and a high-end CD transport, and right away I was blown out of the water. What a sound!. Its integrated dome and ribbon tweeters pro for crisp highs, wood fiber cones for precise midrange and bass, and strong dual 8-inch bass drivers for deep, clean low-end. With its high-end finishes and refined design, the Helicon 800 Mk2 is a stunning visual art piece a true pleasure to behold.
The amplifier was more a selection by chance. I visited the local pusher HIFI-Klubben and received their opinionated treatment. I do not know why some businesses apparently are looking down on their clients maybe it’s stemming from issues with company culture, management, or staff training I don’t know. Regardless of the arrogant service received, I was able to harvest some knowledge from them, and Lyngdorf seemed to be a good choice. with technical choices that are very true to the music, it seems to be a brand to go for. I did find a second-hand Lyngdorf audio tdai-2175. It seems to have plenty power and a very leaned back amplication, so far it seems like the perfect choice.
As the source of sound, it was a larger debate. A very dear friend of mine is arguing that no streaming compares to his Audiolab 8300 transport, and he is very possibly right. It was his CD Transport that was used when testing the speakers, and it is true that is has an exceptional sound quality and versatility. It does delivers clear, detailed sound with a wide dynamic range making it ideal for the music i usually enjoy. Yet it is not a cheap choice, and I wasn’t able to find it according to my narrative, who knows, I might find it one day. Instead I found a Cambridge Audio CXN, immediately I was taken by impressive sound quality, versatility, and user-friendly features. The CXN offers built-in support for popular streaming services and high-resolution audio formats, allowing users to access their music library and stream directly from high performing platforms like Tidal.
In all, I was home with an impressive setup for 4,102 USD, a bargain for a setup 3 times the worth, and a HIFI setup that potentially could if not entirely likely could last me out.
On my second-hand watch out list
- Audiolab 8300 CD
- Lyngdorf Transport V2 or V1
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