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ForeverAutumn
11-16-2010, 07:08 AM
I'm looking for a small, nice sounding system that will fit on my kitchen counter. I went into an audio shop yesterday to look at the Tivoli Music System. I love, love, love the look of this system, and I can get a black unit on sale for $599 right now. But for the price the sound was pretty disappointing. Plus, I'd have to buy a separate iPod dock, as the Tivoli doesn't include one. http://www.tivoliaudio.com/product.php?productid=244&cat=267&page=1

The sales guy showed me two other systems that were pretty nice. The first was the Denon DM38. Nice little system with separate speakers that I could move around for better sound. And was under $400. http://ca.denon.com/ca/Product/Pages/Product-Detail.aspx?Catid=a024bd86-e75a-4961-b8d4-14ff35f793d8&SubId=&ProductId=4d712553-92e1-49b7-ad81-a448a951b1f3. This one also has a great feature that allows you full iPod control though the remote.

The other system he showed me that I liked was the Geneva medium. I actually loved this one. Great sound! Lots of bass for such a small unit. It's ugly as all get-out, but sound-wise just killed both the Tivoli and the Denon...for about $749. http://www.genevalab.com/shop/genevasound-m

Can anyone recommend a nice sounding system for a kitchen? It has to be small enough to fit on the counter.

The sales guy offered to show me the Bose Wave, but by the way he asked it I think that he knew before he even asked that I wouldn't be interested. :)

SlumpBuster
11-16-2010, 10:49 AM
That Denon looks nicer than most peoples main systems. :D

Here is a suggestion in another (cheaper) direction.

http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/superpipe-black.html

This might be a little more down market than you want, and it lacks a CD player, and you might not like its looks. But after years of struggling to find something that worked in our small kitchen, this really fit the bill. Ease of use, portability, and durability were deciding factors over sound, but sound is acceptable at lower to medium volume. It is not going to sound as nice as the ones you linked to.
I got it for $100US and it was worth it. And at that price I don't have to worry about it getting knocked around, or knocked off the counter or getting all greased up. I liked it enough that I actually got two more for other rooms.

Hyfi
11-16-2010, 10:57 AM
If your not stuck on all in ones, TEAC makes a very nice unit like the Denon.

http://www.teac.com/consumer_electronics/reference_series/cr-h238i/
The TEAC can be had for about $300 USD and then you could get speakers of your choice and fit.

ForeverAutumn
11-16-2010, 11:11 AM
That Denon looks nicer than most peoples main systems. :D

Here is a suggestion in another (cheaper) direction.

http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/superpipe-black.html

Thanks but the link doesn't work. I'd prefer something with both a CD player and an iPod dock (the dock can be USB connected). But I guess if I have the iPod dock I could forego the CD player if I had to.

Hyfi
11-16-2010, 11:20 AM
Thanks but the link doesn't work. I'd prefer something with both a CD player and an iPod dock (the dock can be USB connected). But I guess if I have the iPod dock I could forego the CD player if I had to.


Ah, you need this one but it's $400
http://www.questforsound.com/amps/amps_teacCRH277iB.htm

http://ii.alatest.com/product/600x400/6/4/TEAC-CR-H227-Hi-Fi-Mini-Component-System-0.jpg

Poultrygeist
11-16-2010, 01:00 PM
For a kitchen I would go small and unobtrusive. If it were me I'd build a small system around a T-amp with nice inputs and binding posts.

ForeverAutumn
11-16-2010, 01:11 PM
I'd build a small system around a T-amp with nice inputs and binding posts.

I don't even know what that means. :smile5:

But small and unobtrusive sounds good.

SlumpBuster
11-16-2010, 02:09 PM
He means one of these. http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-650

(Hopefully the link worked this time)

IMHO, that would be way too many wires (for a kitchen system) by the time you added a CD player and and Ipod dock.

JoeE SP9
11-16-2010, 02:47 PM
Thanks for that link. I have seen and heard about those speakers here on AR. I had thought about buying them but had no real need for them. The suggestion of them and the T-Amp being perfect for a computer system is dead on. They will be under my tree for Christmas. That little system will be perfect for the computer in my library/spare bedroom. Merry Christmas to me!!

SlumpBuster
11-16-2010, 03:57 PM
Let us know how it sounds after Christmas. Not to sound like a shill, but I've only had good experiences with Parts Express and have loved every Dayton branded product I've bought. Dayton is always a step or two higher in quality and fit and finish than I expect.

ForeverAutumn
11-16-2010, 04:32 PM
He means one of these. http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-650

(Hopefully the link worked this time)

IMHO, that would be way too many wires (for a kitchen system) by the time you added a CD player and and Ipod dock.

That's actually a very interesting idea. I could plug in the iPod or CD player one at a time and keep the unused component in a drawer to reduce the counter clutter. But I'd also like a radio, so I'm not sure what I'd do about that. And no remote. That could be a problem.

02audionoob
11-16-2010, 04:38 PM
http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=CS-445&class=Audiosys&p=i

http://www.us.onkyo.com/images/common/product_images/Audiosys/CS-445(B)_US.jpg

LeRoy
11-16-2010, 05:44 PM
I'm looking for a small, nice sounding system that will fit on my kitchen counter. I went into an audio shop yesterday to look at the Tivoli Music System. I love, love, love the look of this system, and I can get a black unit on sale for $599 right now. But for the price the sound was pretty disappointing. Plus, I'd have to buy a separate iPod dock, as the Tivoli doesn't include one. http://www.tivoliaudio.com/product.php?productid=244&cat=267&page=1

The sales guy showed me two other systems that were pretty nice. The first was the Denon DM38. Nice little system with separate speakers that I could move around for better sound. And was under $400. http://ca.denon.com/ca/Product/Pages/Product-Detail.aspx?Catid=a024bd86-e75a-4961-b8d4-14ff35f793d8&SubId=&ProductId=4d712553-92e1-49b7-ad81-a448a951b1f3. This one also has a great feature that allows you full iPod control though the remote.

The other system he showed me that I liked was the Geneva medium. I actually loved this one. Great sound! Lots of bass for such a small unit. It's ugly as all get-out, but sound-wise just killed both the Tivoli and the Denon...for about $749. http://www.genevalab.com/shop/genevasound-m

Can anyone recommend a nice sounding system for a kitchen? It has to be small enough to fit on the counter.

The sales guy offered to show me the Bose Wave, but by the way he asked it I think that he knew before he even asked that I wouldn't be interested. :)

Here is what I found on AA that might be of interest to you. As far as a radio goes, you may want to check out Sony's FM/AM Digital Tuner XDR-F1HD. I paid $100.00 USD for my Sony radio about a year ago. The my only 2 complaints about the radio is it gets very hot so ventilation is critical and the other complaint is if you lose power or unplug it then you loose all of your saved settings and have to re-do them all over again :(

Anyway, here is the AA link:
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AUN22

poppachubby
11-17-2010, 02:55 AM
I have heard this thing and it rocks. I think without the CDP it comes in under $600. IMO and Ipod dock is the way to go in a ktchen, no messin with CDs.


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Bill K Davis
11-17-2010, 05:17 AM
Bought the Onkyo receiver(audionoob's) for a relative for about $100, without the speakers,on ebay. This was highly rated on Amazon, very small, and sounds super with some Harman Kardon Ten speakers I found at a thrift store. The Harman Kardon Tens are too big for a kitchen ,but are amazingly good speakers,made in 1993.My mistake. I got the Onkyo CS 325,which is now on ebay(receiver only) for $105,and free shipping.

ForeverAutumn
11-17-2010, 06:42 AM
http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=CS-445&class=Audiosys&p=i

http://www.us.onkyo.com/images/common/product_images/Audiosys/CS-445(B)_US.jpg

This looks like a nice system but I can't actually find it on any of the dealer websites from the Onkyo site to get a price.

ForeverAutumn
11-17-2010, 06:46 AM
I have heard this thing and it rocks. I think without the CDP it comes in under $600. IMO and Ipod dock is the way to go in a ktchen, no messin with CDs.

This looks pretty nice. It might get expensive if I have to purchase speakers separately, but it's worth looking at.

I'm torn between something like the Denon, inexpensive and all-in-one, or getting something a little more high end that can double as a receiver anywhere in the house...giving us the option of moving components around in the future as we continue to decorate the house.

What's becoming clear to me is that there are some good, more flexible and less expensive options than the Geneva out there.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

dwayne.aycock
11-17-2010, 07:18 AM
If I dare to mention BOSE then here is what I have in my kitchen. I have the BOSE I-pod sound station. It has great sound for the price and it does not take up any space, at least in my application. I have it on top of my refridgerator. It fills the room with my tunes, especially when the Wife and I have game night. I suggest giving it a try, you may be pleasently pleased.

ForeverAutumn
11-17-2010, 08:10 AM
If I dare to mention BOSE then here is what I have in my kitchen. I have the BOSE I-pod sound station. It has great sound for the price and it does not take up any space, at least in my application. I have it on top of my refridgerator. It fills the room with my tunes, especially when the Wife and I have game night. I suggest giving it a try, you may be pleasently pleased.

Hmmmmmm. I do have a set of Bose computer speakers with a subwoofer in my home office and, for a small space, they do sound pretty nice. I like the look of the Bose iPod dock for the kitchen. It would take up a lot less counter-space than any of the other options that I've been looking at.

It's just that...well...it's Bose!

What's the bass response like on that sound station of yours?

Maybe I should be more open minded. :frown5:

EDIT: I just looked up the price of that Boss system. The Denon DM38 was less expensive and has way more features.

Hyfi
11-17-2010, 08:14 AM
Hmmmmmm. I do have a set of Bose computer speakers with a subwoofer in my home office and, for a small space, they do sound pretty nice. I like the look of the Bose iPod dock for the kitchen. It would take up a lot less counter-space than any of the other options that I've been looking at.

It's just that...well...it's Bose!

What's the bass response like on that sound station of yours?

Maybe I should be more open minded. :frown5:

Are you looking for iPod playback alone or Tuner and CD capability?

ForeverAutumn
11-17-2010, 08:23 AM
Are you looking for iPod playback alone or Tuner and CD capability?

Tuner capability is a must (I guess that rules out the Bose, actually). With CD would be preferable, not everything we own is on (or could fit on) our iPods...but I could live without CD in the kitchen if I had to. So far, I'm thinking that the Denon and the Onkyo are looking pretty attractive. The Cambridge Audio system that Poppa showed me looks pretty nice, but if I have to buy speakers on top of the amp, it might start to get a bit pricey.

Going in a slightly different direction, this Boston Accoustics model looks pretty interesting too. There's an optional iPod dock available for it. http://www.bostonacoustics.com/Trio-Stereo-AMFMCD-Radio--P368.aspx

dwayne.aycock
11-17-2010, 08:23 AM
With t he i-pod, you can set the EQ for the sonic characteristics you like. The BOSE reproduces them very well. It does NOT have the option of a tuner, but I-pods now have tuners already built in. There is a Jass station here in Atlanta (WCLK) that has awesome jazz, and with the i-pod and the Bose system, I am pretty pleased. Keep in mind that I am NOT trying to capture the sound and dynamics I have in my dedicated music / HT room. It's the kitchen for goodness sakes!! If you can demo one with the i-pod, I think you will be pleased.
Dwayne

GMichael
11-17-2010, 09:34 AM
Does your main system have multi-zone?

ForeverAutumn
11-17-2010, 10:09 AM
Does your main system have multi-zone?

No. Unfortunately not. Although, I suppose that I could look at putting the money into an upgrade on the main system instead of a separate unit for the kitchen. There are just so many options!

Hyfi
11-17-2010, 10:10 AM
No. Unfortunately not. Although, I suppose that I could look at putting the money into an upgrade on the main system instead of a separate unit for the kitchen. There are just so many options!

Niles speaker selector. Run the main outs to Niles box and 4-6 sets of speakers.

ForeverAutumn
11-17-2010, 11:39 AM
Niles speaker selector. Run the main outs to Niles box and 4-6 sets of speakers.

Hey, that's a pretty nifty gadget.

So, I assume the way that would work would be that the receiver would control what's playing and you could choose which speakers you want to hear it out of. But that you would have to listen to the same thing on each set of speakers that you choose.

So, we couldn't watch a movie from the main system and listen to a CD in the kitchen, for example.

Is that correct?

Hyfi
11-17-2010, 11:46 AM
Hey, that's a pretty nifty gadget.

So, I assume the way that would work would be that the receiver would control what's playing and you could choose which speakers you want to hear it out of. But that you would have to listen to the same thing on each set of speakers that you choose.

So, we couldn't watch a movie from the main system and listen to a CD in the kitchen, for example.

Is that correct?

That is correct and now you understand my crazy 3 zone setup with a main system, a second receiver and a HT receiver allowing me to watch a movie in living room, tuner in family room and CD player outside.

ForeverAutumn
11-17-2010, 12:44 PM
That is correct and now you understand my crazy 3 zone setup with a main system, a second receiver and a HT receiver allowing me to watch a movie in living room, tuner in family room and CD player outside.

That won't work for the kitchen then. While a speaker selector is a cool idea to wire most of the house, the kitchen would need a designed unit so that we can listen to whatever we want in there while someone else is using the main system.

I'm still thinking Denon or Onkyo.

02audionoob
11-17-2010, 03:54 PM
This looks like a nice system but I can't actually find it on any of the dealer websites from the Onkyo site to get a price.

J&R ships to Canada...

http://www.jr.com/onkyo/pe/ONK_CS445/

ForeverAutumn
11-17-2010, 04:25 PM
J&R ships to Canada...

http://www.jr.com/onkyo/pe/ONK_CS445/

Thanks. I put it in my shopping cart to calculate shipping and was told that they won't ship that item to Canada due to manufacturer restrictions. That happens a lot with electronics because of different warranties in Canada and the US.

I'll have to find a Canadian distributor if I want that unit...assuming it's available here. Or I could drive for 1.5 hours and land in Buffalo. :)

ForeverAutumn
11-26-2010, 06:53 PM
Hey guys. Just thought I'd check in and let you all know what we ended up with.

https://panasonic.ca/english/audiovideo/audio/audioentertain/SCHC30.asp

I looked at some of the items that you guys recommended and actually came very close to buying this system (http://www.yamaha.ca/av/microsystems/MCR230.jsp) tonight. We found a great deal on it and it sounded better than the Onkyo or Denon for less money. But my husband thought that these systems would take up too much counter space. He also pointed out that we really just need something decent to listen to while cooking, not something kickass that we're going to blast. I hate when he's right.

So, we ended up with this Panasonic system that takes up very little counter space and sounds quite decent for what it is. It's not going to shatter any glasses, but for just listening to tunes while cooking, it'll get the job done. We also have the option of wall mounting it, which would be cool.

I'll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen tomorrow as we're having friends over for dinner tomorrow night. I'll give you an update on sound in a couple of days. :)

JohnMichael
11-26-2010, 07:06 PM
Check this out, it caught my eye. We are both so stylish I could see this in your kitchen and with the choice of colors.

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/hifi-systems/mcr-140__u/?mode=model

ForeverAutumn
11-26-2010, 07:51 PM
Check this out, it caught my eye. We are both so stylish I could see this in your kitchen and with the choice of colors.

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/hifi-systems/mcr-140__u/?mode=model

LOL. You do know me well John. :) We looked at those tonight! They're really cute, but the sound isn't as good as the other Yamaha unit and they were $100 more. The colours were really cool though.