At the start of the month, we asked: Is bigger always better, or are you more interested in smaller, but still great-sounding, hi-fi?
Editor’s note: Forget £10,000 to splurge on a new stereo amp, my big treats to myself this year are going ad-free on Disney+ and getting Taste the Difference mayonnaise during the weekly shop (trust me, it really is better than the basic stuff, especially with some chopped garlic added)…
But is it something you, our core readers, actually want? Or are you lucky enough that giant, Temptation-level hardware is your main port of call for hi-fi?
After a month of deep, mostly constructive dialogue, you’ve given us a clear answer – and it’s one we should have seen coming, given your past responses to Ask The Reader questions.
The devil is in the details
“It depends,” was the main theme of your early responses. For some, this was in reference to the specific hardware in question, which is fair, as we know first-hand that not all hi-fi is created equal. But the bigger focus among many of you was on the impact the room you plan to place the hardware in can have.
The chain was started by reader AndyC405, who told us, “I think it depends on room size,” before going on to point out, “for the really big stuff, I think you need to have a dedicated 'man cave' and the necessary $$$ [...] for probably 98 per cent of us here that isn't the case.”
They added that this is a key reason for choosing smaller components, but added subwoofers to complement them, as this was the optimal set-up for the space they are listening in.
“My living room is some 5m x 8m-ish – it's an L shape, which plays hell with the bass acoustics, which is why the subwoofers were good as I could adjust them accordingly,” AndyC405 added.
Facebook follower Marc Bungener made a similar point, arguing it’s all about picking the right hardware for the specific space you have and treating it correctly.
“If you are really chasing good sound rather than being a hi-fi snob, then size matters both ways, depending on the room: very large speakers [..] will create more problems with room mode/resonances if the room is too small for them,” he wrote.
“And in a large room, small bookshelves will struggle to fill the room at realistic sound levels [...] Most people do not pay enough attention to the room treatment, by which I mean both speaker placement and a correct balance of absorbing/reflecting materials. This really is the elephant in the room.”
As always, audio quality is your main concern
After agreeing that the room makes all the difference, your comments then largely split into two camps. The first would “go big” if they had the space, and was ably represented by OldCyrusSeparates, who has just started building a new listening room he thinks is ideal for larger hardware.
“If you're lucky enough to have the space, or better still a dedicated listening room, then surely there's no substitute for full-size kit,” they continued.
“I have recently renovated and obtained a listening room pass from the boss on the proviso that it doubles up as a 'library' and includes a sofa bed. Putting up some bookshelves would seem a small price to pay for the chance to scour a certain well-known auction site for a pair of pre-loved Focal or JBL behemoths.”
However, a near equal number argued that the convenience of smaller, more discreet and easily moved hardware is your preference, even if you have room for larger hardware. But, as articulated by read Trevor McW, they would still need to deliver in one key area.
“As a younger fella, I used to crave bigger speakers and good-looking stuff. Today, all I really want is the best sound I can get for the budget I have. I like to listen to detail, sometimes at low volume, other times with some welly! I also like good soundstaging and well-defined lower registers. At the end of the day, if technology could deliver excellent sound (both loud and quiet) from smaller gear, I'd go that route,” wrote Trevor McW.
So, as is always the case, ultimately, sound quality was the single biggest unifying factor among all of you, even if your thoughts on what is an ideal size for hi-fi differ.
Our hot take
Hi-fi comes in all shapes and sizes, and we’ve found five-star products in pretty much every one of them over our nearly five decades reviewing audio hardware.
Yes, larger hardware can come with benefits. The dimensions of larger electronics give the makers more scope for bigger circuit layouts, and they can house bigger internal components (as in larger mains transformers and the like). The added real estate also means they are easier to design with robust heat management in place.
But it's not a guarantee for audio quality; smaller hardware has its own inherent benefits, chief of which is not taking up as much space. But, at a technical level, smaller products have shorter signal paths and potentially offer fewer ways for RFI to creep in.
Even with that in mind, the room you want to use it in, as well as the specific product in question and how it fits into your wider system, plays a big part too. Which is why, like you, we think the devil is in the details – especially if getting the best audio quality possible is your main focus.
MORE:
These are the best speakers money can buy
We rate the best floorstanding speakers
Our picks of the best bookshelf speakers
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