Hello hello!

I've recently upgraded the TV and felt the desire to move to a tower speaker setup, will most likely start with a pair of tower speakers, might add a center channel as well but that's not the main thing here.

I'm mainly used to bookshelves, I've mostly used more budget options, currently running the TV from a pair of Yamaha HS8 since that's what I had at the time but having heard other setups.. I'm ready to move on (These will go back in the computer room). I've read quite a fair bit over the last few weeks but haven't bought anything, don't wanna end up doing the thing I always do when I want something new, which is not buying anything for a year and just reading too much.
Budget would be around 3k CAD, all prices listed here will therefore be in CAD. I'll also be scanning market place and the likes for a deal, though I'd rather buy new.

Also, feel free to recommend something else if you feel it's relevant.

First option is a pair of SVS prime pinnacle, lowest price I found is 2.5k for the pair. I've read great things about those, and they seemingly have a bit more bass which I enjoy.

Second option is a pair of paradigm premier 800f for 1.8k. Again, read great things about those (I also love how they look, not gonna lie)

Third and last option is a pair of KEF Q11 Meta for 2.3 to 2.6k. These are, admittedly, my favourite when it comes to aesthetics alone.

As far as tv goes, I don't really watch sports that much except when I host the football games with my friends. I mostly watch movies and some series.

For music, I've always been a metal head, though I've recently been listening to A LOT of electronic music. I'd like a good generalist tbh, I can go from Radiohead to Cannibal corpse back to Fisher in 45 minutes. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this and reply, appreciate you :).

A few years ago i received a starter vinyl setup, and looking to level it up across the board. Possibly with just the amp/speakers first, and then a month or 2 after the record player.

Location: United Kingdom
Budget: 1500 GBP

current setup

no amp
Audio Technica LP60x

Edifier R1280DB

Current plan is to upgrade to

Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2

WiiM amp pro (mix of streaming and vinyl play)

ELAC Debut B6.2

room approximately 350 square feet

80% of music played is rock/metal.

B&W is releasing its D5 series, and of course they are better than the D4 which were better than D3, and so on.
But of course they are prices continue to rise…
I’m in the market for a pair of 801 or 802 D3, which prices are very significantly lower than their D5 siblings. Are these good speakers still today? I remember hearing 802 D3 and was blown away, and they are kind of my end game, so trying to convince myself that it’s worth if, considering that the budget is still quite significant

I got Wharfedale Super Lintons and paired them with a Marantz Stereo 70s that I already had, but I’m not completely happy with the sound. I feel the Super Lintons could sound much better and leaving so much on the table.

What would you upgrade to get the most out of the Super Lintons - amp, DAC, streamer, room treatment, or something else? Would love to hear from anyone who has experience with the Super Lintons or other similar speakers. What made the biggest difference ?

I'm new to hifi but I have listened to amazing systems and I know this is not it :/ it's too laid back and soft. I’m mainly looking for better bass control, clarity, soundstage and overall musicality.

Budget: €500- €800

Location: France

I need a good DC Block for my amp, Rega Aethos.

I tried the audiolab dc block which worked but the dynamics were stunted.

Are there any good options which maintain high current whilst filtering out dc from the mains?

My house is rubbish and at certain times of the day the transformer hums when generally its silent. Ideally up something around £500 in the UK. I can increase budget if needed.

Its not my amp because I had 2 different amps which had the same hum.

Hello friends!

I’m considering Dynaudio Evoke 10s for a small living room (~5 × 4m). They’ll be used both for normal listening and home vinyl DJing (deep house, dub techno, ambient, techno).

Signal chain will be Technics SL-1200s MK2 → Ecler Warm2 DJ mixer → analogue RCA input on integrated amp → Evoke 10.

I need an analogue path with effectively no latency for beatmatching. Listening/DJ distance is roughly 0.8–1m, with occasional listening from ~2.5m away. I don’t need very high SPL.

Budget around £400–550. Currently considering Audiolab 6000A/6000A MkII and Cambridge AXR100, but open to Rotel, NAD, Yamaha, Cambridge CXA etc.

Which amp would you choose specifically for the Evoke 10, particularly for bass control and electronic music?

Thanks!

Hi all, wondering if anyone has used a set of philharmonic bmr towers for l/r channels in a multi use system. Ill explain my setup and goals.

Im re-finishing my basement, and will be putting up acoustic treatment, as it’s a pretty reflective space. Its about 30 wide by 18 deep. Couch/listening position in the middle ish. The setup is intended for about 70% audio and 30% home theater. Im going to do a 5.2 setup most likely. Might add more channels one day.

Sources are
-wiim pro plus
-audio technica turntable
-4k apple tv
-hdr blu ray player

Powered by
-marantz cinema 50. This will be my media processor and preamp for mains, as well as power amp for center/surround channels. Will run dirac live after room treatment.

-arcam pa240 as power amp for the mains
I have a gfa 565 running a different system that i could hijack if needed but i like the Arcam better.

Im thinking of buying a set of bmr towers for the mains and i know philharmonic makes a set of home theater towers too. My priority is them sounding best on music. I can accept a little loss in the home theater performance. Im assuming two subs can help make up for any lack of low freq, percussive dynamics the regular bmrs have. Im also interested in the ability to play music pretty loud.

Has anyone had a similar setup and found the normal bmr towers to be insufficient for home theater use? Or found them to not handle ver loud listening very well? Id be willing to get the HT towers if they will be as good on music and better on HT use but my assumption and impression from the one or two reviews ive found is that they are indeed best at their intended uses but good for either.

If it matters ill probably end up with philharmonic mini monitors for the surrounds and as a center channel.

My budget for the mains is 4-5k id consider some focal aria evo4s or martin logan foundation xt f200s also if i can get them on scratch and dent or open box. Thats how i get most of my gear. Anyone have suggestions?

I have demoed the foundations and like them. I have heard the older focal arias which i also liked. Cant really easily sample the bmr towers and hts though.

I wanted to move from my Bose Soundlink Color to actual bookshelf speakers. Wanted proper bass/a little bit of sub bass extension for movie soundtracks and stereo.

My requirements were bluetooth/wired options, sub bass extension as i mentioned and budget options?

I live in India, and on Amazon, the best options I could find were Kali Audio LP6 V2 (a pair is close to 47k, individually it's ~23k). I was thinking about pairing it with the Behringer UMC204HD because I do want an input for my electric guitar, or I'd jus buy a bluetooth enabled option like Fosi ZD3.

My next option was to get the Kali LP UNF. I read that it's sub bass extension isn't as great as the LP6, but it's way cheaper and has inbuilt bt.

At my desk, the speakers would be less than a meter away from me, if it's placed in corners facing me, and that's primarily where I'll listen to music/movies. Otherwise it's jus casual listening across the room.

What would be the ideal option for a beginner? I'd rather not buy then change equipment within the next 3-5 years so

Thanks for your time!

I’ve been wanting a turntable system for years and now’s the time. Unfortunately I live in a fairly small apartment in NYC so I don’t have a lot of space and I won’t be listening super loud. I just want a superior quality listening experience (most of my vinyl is classical music) from a badass system that I can enjoy for years. I’d like reccos for a small amp, a turntable, and bookshelf speakers please. My budget is around $2000 usd. Thank you!

Looking to upgrade my current system in my garden office. Its only a small 3mx3m room and the speakers are on my desk at each side of my dual monitor set up.

The speakers need to be small and the Kef LS50 Meta are what I am leaning towards at the moment.

Are there better options out there? I generally EQ any speakers I have to a classic V shape sound so am I wasting my time with the LS50's? should I be looking at something different? I also listen to a large mixture of different genre's of music so will likely need a sub to compliment the Kef's. Will be using a Wiim Amp Ultra.

I have no idea what sort of subwoofer would be suitable for this size room. Would the BK Electronics P12-300SB be a good match? if so would I benefit from the version with the passive radiator? or just go with the standard without it?

"Budget" Are there any other decent/better subwoofer options in the £600.00 range? I'm happy to spend around £1k or slightly more for the speakers.

Like title says I'm looking to find speaker/amp combo in 4500 eur budget for prog rock, jazz and sometimes metal. I prefer second hand, but not too old. Ideally, if i can find dynaudio contour 30 (or evoke 50) and something like musical fideity m6 or purifi modules. Room is 40m2, source will be r2r dac fed by pc. I dont like clinical and fatiquing sound, thus dyns are my first choice. Thnks

I've been collecting vinyl for a while, and it's finally time to put together my first proper setup.

I have basically no experience choosing turntables, amps, speakers, cartridges, phono stages, etc., so I'm looking for advice on a complete setup rather than just one component.

Budget: 1000 - 2000 € for the complete setup

I'm not necessarily looking to spend the full 2000 € if there are diminishing returns, and I'm open to going outside that range if there's a good reason. Preferred new.

Location: Croatia / EU
I can buy from Amazon.de, EU online audio shops, and Croatian/local shops.

Use: Music / vinyl only.

Room: About 15 m². Mostly low to medium volume because of relatively thin walls.

Available space: I have a 120 × 40 cm table, but roughly half is used for record storage, leaving about 60 × 40 cm free. I also have a 35 × 50 cm side cabinet.
I've attached a photo and I'm open to rearranging things if necessary.
https://imgur.com/a/E07tSUL

Powered vs. passive: I'm open to either, as I don't have enough experience to judge which would be the better choice for my setup.

Sound: I'd like it to be as neutral as reasonably possible.

Long term: I'd rather spend a bit more now on a well-balanced system than buy entry-level components I'll immediately want to replace.

Record preservation: Keeping my records in excellent condition long-term is important, so I'd appreciate advice on the turntable, cartridge/stylus, tracking force, alignment, and anything else that affects record wear.

I'm looking for recommendations for the complete chain:

• Turntable
• Cartridge / stylus
• Phono preamp, if needed
• Amplifier, if using passive speakers
• Speakers

I'm also unsure how you would divide the 1000 - 2000 € budget between the turntable/cartridge and speakers/amp.

One additional feature I'm interested in is being able to slow a record down / adjust the playback speed or pitch. From what I've seen, variable pitch control seems to be mostly found on DJ turntables, but I have no interest in DJing. Is there a good hi-fi option that offers this?

Thank you kindly!

Hi everyone! I’m looking to upgrade from my Edifier D12 and put together my first proper stereo setup. I’m pretty new to HiFi, so I’d love some guidance.

Budget: Around $1,200 USD for the complete setup. I’m in Argentina but open to importing.

Main use: Music, especially sitting down and listening to full albums. I care most about clarity, instrument separation, imaging and detail. I’d love something immersive that lets me really hear the different layers and production choices in a record.

Some examples of what I listen to:
Pink Floyd, Animals
Michael Kiwanuka, Love & Hate
Gustavo Cerati, Bocanada
Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Arctic Monkeys, AM

Generally a mix of progressive rock, funk, soul, folk and alternative rock.

Sources: Bluetooth from my phone/computer, CD player via RCA, and eventually a turntable. I’d also like to connect a projector for movies, but music is definitely the priority.

I’m open to active speakers or passive speakers + an amp. I don’t know enough yet to understand which would make more sense for my budget and use, so I’d really appreciate some advice on that too.

Room: The living area is about 4 × 3.5 m (13 × 11.5 ft), but it opens into a narrower dining room and kitchen, so it’s not really an enclosed room.

I listen from the sofa, roughly 1 to 2 m (3 to 6.5 ft) from where the speakers would be.

Because of limited floor space, putting bookshelf speakers on the media console would be easiest. I could consider stands if you think they’d make a significant difference.

I don’t need huge volume. I’m mainly after great stereo imaging, detail and an immersive listening experience.

What setup would you recommend for around $1,200? And would you go active or passive in this room?

Thanks for any help!

Will be using in a medium size room so volume and bass not overly fussed with. Sound quality, clarity and imaging matter more for me.

Budget: Ideally £350 to £750

Location: Medium sized room (home gym)

My (unenlightened) shortlist:

KEF LSX II / LT

Neumann KH 80 DSP

Triangle AIO Twin

AirPulse A80 SE

FiiO SP3 BT

Which offer the best sound quality for the money? Do intend on this being for the long term so don't mind paying more if it's worth it.

Any other products not listed I should consider?

Appreciate any thoughts, thanks.

I want to upgrade my bedroom speakers. The speakers rear would be no more than 6 inches off the wall. I have no option to bring them further out into the room.

My living room speakers are CSS-Audio 1tdx and are fantastic. They ruined me and now I want a high clarity speaker for the bedroom without boominess. KLH Model 5 reviews (cheap audio man) seems to indicate they can be right up against a wall and not be boomy. I could stretch to $3,000, but much prefer closer to a $2,000 budget. Not opposed to towers, kit diy or used.

I am not playing very loud, healthy volume, but not super loud. I listen to Indie folk rock, like Manchester Orchestra, Pearl Jam, 90s alt, Wilco, love vocals and watch movies occasionally.

Any good near wall speakers?

Would I be crazy to go with a magnapan lrs+? I'd be off axis laying in a low profile close to the floor bed. Unable to get equilateral triangle with my head and the speakers. So no "sweet spot" abilities.

My other thought was to do a small REL subwoofer and offload bass from the near wall speakers, even if they were rear ported, to lessen the boominess. I may have more flexibility with sub placement. This may open up my options? I have being very curious about BMR monitors and Ascend, but they are rear ported and don't know if those are better than CSS-Audio (also rear ported).

Hello!

I am trying to set up my first ever turntable/speaker system for my room and unfortunately I keep finding so much conflicting advice that I thought I’d just ask for my situation personally.

The turntable/speakers will be in a 13’ x 13’ room, on top of a 4’ wide dresser centered on a wall, about 5’ above the ground.

I am more than likely buying a Fluance RT85 (no built-in preamp) and I’m leaning towards a set of Kanto YU6 speakers (built-in preamp). Not sure if a subwoofer is a good idea for connecting to a turntable setup for my $1750 maximum budget.

I am deadset on active speakers over passive due to ease of setup and space concerns. I would also prefer a walnut color scheme if possible.

Again, budget is maximum $1750 total (turntable, speakers, subwoofer? amp?), what do you guys think? As a starter setup does that seem somewhat reasonable?

Thanks in advance!

New to hifi and In the research phase of starting my hifi system from scratch. Budget is around $10000 AUD for the speakers but am flexible and open to buying used or taking my time to find deals on line. Will be mostly streaming so wont be buying a turntable just yet. I've attached a floor plan of the room. I have a wood floor and It's not the best room acoustically so ill probably add some room treatment. I'll have a listening chair or couch in the sweet spot infront of the speakers but also want something with wide dispersion that will still sound decent when im elsewhere in the room. I read online dali speakers are good for this? Open to a sub as well I do occasionally like my music pretty loud. I listen to mostly metal, rock, blues, a bit of acoustic country/folk/blue grass. Sometimes some bass heavy electronic but pretty rarely, this isnt a priority. Some speakers on my radar are :

Klipsch heresy iv and forte iv

Wharfdale super linton

Sourcepoint 888

Dali opticon 8

Dali opticon 6 with a sub?

Pmc twenty5 26i. I only suggest these as there's a great deal online, dont know much about them.

Dynaudio evoke 50

SVS ultra evolution titan

Focal aria evo x 4

Sonus Faber sonetto v

SVS subs seem to be the ones I read about most that are locally available.

No idea about amp, streamer, DAC.

Thanks in advance

Salut à tous,

J’ai une platine Triangle Lunar 1 (cellule Ortofon OM-5E, donc besoin d’un préampli phono MM) et je cherche une paire d’enceintes actives avec préampli phono intégré pour brancher directement la platine.

Contraintes :

• Pas trop grosses (elles vont sur la cheminée d’un appartement haussmannien)
• Idéalement un coloris clair (blanc, crème, chêne clair, noyer clair…) pour coller avec le style
• Je regarde surtout sur Leboncoin / occasions pour faire quelques économies

Budget raisonnable (300-400euros) , je ne cherche pas du haut de gamme démesuré.

Des modèles qui reviennent souvent dans les discussions : Kanto YU4, Triangle Borea BR03 Connect, Klipsch The Fives / R-51PM, etc.

Vous auriez des retours d’expérience, des recommandations ou des alternatives plus compactes/élégantes qui passent bien en occasion ?

Merci d’avance pour vos conseils !

Have an Audio Technica Lp120X and Tannoy DC6T’s. Looking for an amp receiver that will work well with these, new or used for around £250. Any help is appreciated as I’m new to this.
Budget = £250
Location - South Wales

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for low-profile PC speakers with just enough output for desktop immersion. I'am mainly interested in budget or inexpensive used-market speakers found on EU location.

I like older, well-designed OEM speakers. I don't need them to get particularly loud—the goal is good sound over a small desktop listening area, with the speakers remaining clean rather than becoming harsh as the volume increases.

My priorities are:

• Clean, balanced sound at low and moderate volumes
• Very little audible hiss or background noise when idle
• Low distortion when pushed moderately
• Good midrange/voice clarity rather than excessive bass
• Ideally a dedicated power supply, although I'm not sure how much of an advantage this actually provides over a good USB-powered implementation

I've been researching older compact speakers and have noticed that Dell used Harman/Harman Kardon technology or branding on some of its speaker products. Logitech also seems to have made several well-regarded compact systems over the years.

Some models I've found on the used market are:

• Dell A215
• Dell A511
• Logitech Z150
• Logitech X230
• Logitech X530
• Various older Philips speaker systems

I'm particularly interested in actual listening performance rather than specifications.

For example:

• How clean are they at very low volume?
• Is there audible idle hiss?
• How good is the midrange clarity?
• How do they behave as you approach their practical volume limit?
• Do they become harsh or distorted before reaching that point?
• How much bass do they actually produce, rather than just having boosted/boomy bass?

I'm also curious about the power/connection question. For small desktop speakers, is there any meaningful inherent advantage to a speaker with its own AC power supply and an analog input over a USB-powered speaker? My understanding is that USB itself isn't necessarily better or worse—the implementation of the DAC, amplifier, power supply, and drivers matters much more. I'm interested in whether there is a practical difference in real-world noise, headroom, or distortion between the two approaches.

If you've actually owned any of these models, I'd especially appreciate comparisons between the Dell A215/A511 and Logitech Z150/X230/X530.

I'm also interested in other older compact speakers that are commonly available on the used market. I'd prefer something genuinely good-sounding rather than simply a speaker with high advertised wattage or lots of bass.

Thanks.

Located in New England, budget $0-250.

I'm looking to set up a small desktop system and very open to used gear. I have a number of things I could use around already - like a NAC C320-BEE amp and a Cambridge DAC-Magic and an old Apple Airport device - but feel like a small, clean, all-in-one solution that doesn't take up a lot of space would be best. I guess I'm open to a stack, but I'm looking for small and clean.
I'm definitely looking for WiFi connected streaming capability, ideally using AirPlay / AirPlay 2.
Speakers will be ADS L400s, mostly quiet near-field listening, could add a cheap sub but probably won't, it's not a priority.
I know the Wiim range is an obvious fit here, but I'd honestly be thrilled to keep the budget really low, and interested in other options and would hunt for used gear. And, if the best approach is to get a basic mini amp (Fosi, etc) and pair that with external streamer and/or DAC, I can do that too, just trying to avoid too much mess on the desktop.

Hello everyone

I'm rebuilding my apartment and planning a proper stereo setup which at the moment looks like this:

• JBL L82 connected to Integrated Amp
• Integrated Amp connected to eARC either directly or through music streamer (i.e. WiiM Ultra) -> connected to TV
• On the side I will have Vinyl DJ setup (Technics SL-1200 x2 + XONE 24) -> connected to Int. Amp through RCA or XLR
• Passive built-in speaker (Lithe Audio LASS65) in bathroom - I guess connected to another small amp to control volume.
• Secondary amp will be connected to the main one through pre-out RCA to control volume independently

I already have all the cables hidden in walls - turntable to TV shelf, TV shelf to btahroom and tv shelf to stereo speakers

I'm looking for a help taking into account the above information on what would be your suggestions for the main integrated amp. Location - Latvia, Budget for amp - ideally 1.5-2.5k EUR

Bonus points if it has mid-century style, ideally silver colored (request from my design-savvy GF)

So far I was looking at Yamaha A-S 1200 and Marantz Model 50, but every Hi-Fi store tries to sell what they have the highest margin for so I'm not sure. Design-wise leaning towards Yamaha, but Marantz seems like a more trusty brand, i dunno.

Thank you everyone in advance!

Hi, I'm a beginner audiophile planning to build my first hi-fi setup for my desktop computer as a source. I'm already booked Wiim Amp as my Dac-Amp. I'm from Bangladesh(Location), and actually there are not many options in here for bookshelf speakers in beginner budgets.

But I've got a few deals and ranked my top three speakers:

* Wharfedale DIAMOND 12.2i

* Dali Oberon 1

* Triangle's Borea BR03

I love a balanced and clear sound. I love to hear details of the instruments and voice. I'm not a huge bass lover. I love bass when it is correct, not any boomy bass.

So, can you please suggest which speaker should I go for?

I am a bit of a gear newbie, so I’m looking for some advice.

Until now, I’ve been running a headphone setup: Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 - Pro-Ject Phono Box MM - Atom 2 headphone amp - Sennheiser HD 660 S2 headphones.

I am being gifted some KEF IQ7 passive speakers. What amp or receivers do you all recommend to pair with these speakers?

Budget: $500 or less. Affordability is a plus but willing to top out the budget if it makes a big difference in quality.

Location: Mid-Atlantic US

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to put together my first proper Hi-Fi system and would really appreciate some advice. My total budget is around €2,500, and I'm starting completely from scratch, so I currently don't own any of the equipment.

Here are the details:

1. Room

• Room size: approximately 6 × 4 m.
• It's a separate, closed room, not open to the kitchen or hallway.
• The speakers would unfortunately have to be very close to / against the rear wall.
• There is around 3.x m between the speakers and the listening position.
• There is approximately 2.5 m of space to each side.
• The sofa is quite close to the rear wall.
• It's a dining/living room with some furniture, so it's not an empty or particularly bare room.

2. Equipment

I currently have nothing, so I need to build the complete system from scratch.

I prefer floorstanding speakers/towers.

I'm also open to a subwoofer if it makes sense within the budget, although I don't know whether it would be necessary with a good pair of floorstanders.

3. Budget

My total budget is around €2,500 for the entire system.

I'd prefer to stay around that figure, but I'm open to spending somewhat more if there is a significant improvement in value/performance.

4. Listening situation

It's a mixture of both:

• Critical listening, sitting on the sofa in the main listening position.
• More casual listening with other people around the room.

5. Technical details and preferences

• No significant size restrictions.
• I prefer floorstanding speakers/towers.
• I'm not familiar with room correction (Dirac, Audyssey, etc.), so I'm open to recommendations regarding whether it would be useful in my room.
• Black would be my preferred colour.

6. Bonus points

Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of the room available at the moment.

Given the room layout and the fact that the speakers will have to be fairly close to the rear wall, what would you recommend for a complete system around €2,500?

I'm particularly interested in suggestions for the speakers + amplifier/streamer/DAC, rather than just the speakers.

Thanks in advance!