John
Rack’em Up!
I think Richer Sounds are a good indicator of how the market is moving and they are certainly giving the traditional hifi dealer a run for their money.
I recently purchased a Sonos Amp from them which is basically a self contained wifi amp and a pair of third party speakers for which the overall cost was about £1k which included some decent speaker cables for my place in Spain. The amp is just 8.5" square and 2" in height and takes up hardly any space. The speakers are Dali Oberon 1 bookshelf speakers as recommended by Richer Sounds. With this I can pick up thousands of radio stations and use Spotify etc. I could, if I wish, connect up a TT but I can't be bothered with that.
The advantage of this type of system is that I could upgrade either the amp or the speakers separately which is a major advantage for those who want to keep their speakers for many years ahead. In theory I could sell on the Dalis and replace them with Shahinian Arcs or whatever as it delivers 125 wpc.
It sounds very good but obviously does not compare with the top end stuff such as Naim or similar but we are not far away from lower prices for better wifi kit and there are hundreds of thousands of traditional speakers that will be around for years to come.
There would be nothing to stop anyone from connecting a top end wifi amp to a pair to say a pair of 15" Tannoy's and they would not need to buy another CD or LP ever again.
The main obstacle to this is that the old chaps tend to like collecting loads of CDs and LPs but younger people prefer to pay a monthly subscription for unlimited music choice which makes wifi based systems the almost certain winner in years to come.
I think hifi will still be around in wifi form but the days of loads of black boxes and special stands that occupy space will be soon be a thing of the pasts
I am now seriously thinking of selling my Garrard 401 TT with the Naim Aro etc, plus the CDS3 CD and the NAT01 tuner and buying a Naim XDS2 or similar and just slot it into the 52/300 plus Shahinian speaker system.
I’m perfectly satisfied running two Sonos Amps with Tannoy’s and ATC’s. The thought of spending more on a “top end Wi-Fi amp” has never crossed my mind. The Sonos Amp works so well with my main turntable system and configuration of my home that I see no alternatives that appeals to me.