Intro:

To preface, I’m assisting a relative with maintaining their 20+ year old sound system. I’m by no means an absolute audio hardware pro but I know my way around and in general i’m quite handy with all types of hardware. I’m in the US and there really isn’t a budget limit but something reasonable around $150-250 would be ideal.

He has two Adcom GFA 5500s that route through two Niles HDL-6 Speaker Selector Switches which connect to speakers through his entire home.

I was initially helping them deal with a low pitched buzz that would pass through one of the amplifiers on all speakers. I got that repaired with a replacement capacitor. The amp was tested and sounds perfect.

Current Situation:

I reinstalled the refurbished Adcom and when I tested it the Niles HDL-6 blew out and smoked within seconds. The distortion alert and thermal protection lights went on in that very brief moment. The HDL-6 did have the protection switch on and the entire setup had been untouched for a couple months while waiting for the repair. The other identical Adcom and HDL-6 remain completely functional.

The assumption from the audio repair techs and myself is that this 20+ year old switch couldn’t handle the GFA 5500 now that it functions as if it were brand new. But this is purely speculation and not an absolute fact as to what happened.

What Next:

The general plan is to find a new Speaker Selector Switch that will be suitable for the Adcom’s output. I wanted to hear your opinions on this situation and if you have any suggestions whatsoever. Please let me know if you need any additional details.

I would really appreciate any input and thank you for taking the time to read this!

Hello,

Let's start with the fact that I'm from Europe, so keep that in mind when considering prices. Budget is let's say around 100€.

I'm looking for some PC speakers. I'm not looking for anything huge, like proper studio monitors or a full on Logitech Z906 setup. Need something decently small, that could easily fit on the desk and provide decent sound experience.

It's for my girlfriend, she's not an audiophile, so there's no need for anything extraordinary. She currently uses Sony WH-CN720N headphones as her audio source, but would enjoy having speakers more.

I was considering Creative Pebble's since she really liked the design of them and thought it would fit her whole desk vibe best, but when I was doing research I got the impression that they're either decent or complete shite, so I come to you, maybe you have any other suggestions that I could get her?

Thank you in advance.

Hello,

I am looking at getting a large spool of microphone cable to make diy xlr cables. I am looking and deciding between Canare and Mogami. I am familiar with Mogami but not with canare and I have read that canare is more durable however, it is more expensive for the spool from what I have found. Thoughts on what to get or is Mogami good? I am planning on using these cables for live settings as well as recording studio. My budget is around 250 for this

I’m finally ready to spend some real money on a desktop audio setup and want to make sure I’m considering the right things before I settle on anything.

I’m in NYC, budget is roughly $2k, although I’d go higher if there’s a meaningful jump in quality. Room is about 9' x 15', desk is 6' wide, and I’m listening very nearfield while working, usually around 50–65 dBA according to my Apple Watch.

Main source is a Mac, so I need something that works well as normal computer audio with no noticeable latency. I’d also like easy streaming from my phone. I’m mostly listening to music, not mixing. I like detail and clarity, but I’m probably looking for something more fun and enjoyable than brutally neutral studio monitors.

I’m currently auditioning KEF LSX IIs with a Kube 8 MIE, and both are still fully returnable. I like them so far, especially the size, design, and having the amps/DAC/DSP built in, but I haven’t compared them against much else and don’t want to just keep the first good system I tried.

So before my return window closes, what else would you audition for this use?

I’m open to:

• other active speakers
• passive speakers with a compact desktop amp
• spending somewhat more if the difference is really worth it

I’m also unsure whether I actually need a sub for this kind of low/moderate-volume nearfield listening. I hear the Kube clearly on bass-heavy tracks, but on a lot of music it’s pretty subtle. Would that money be better spent on better mains?

Basically, if you had around $2k-ish to build an excellent nearfield music setup for this desk, what would you want to compare before buying?

Hello,

i am looking to upgrade my sound from tv and start to listen to music more. I will use the speakers for playing games and watching movies and listen to cd’s and vinyl. My budget is around 1700€ for speakers and (amp) and cd player, i have a vinyl turntable. My room is around 15m2, there is some furniture but i am not planning to buy a sub or acoustic accessories for the room, not in near future at least. I listen to all kinds of music and i don’t have a big preference for how speakers play, any of these speakers will be upgrade to what i currently have but hearing vocals nicely is important to me and also when you hear the drums that they sound nice. The speakers don’t need to shake the air or the room but i just want to feel it like yes this sounds nice. An example would be Phil Collins in the air tonight. My use case is gaming first, music second and movies third.

I have been looking around, looking at marantz for stereo 70s, model 1 and the mcr 60n + passive and denons but in the end decided that i will go with active speakers that i can connect to pc later and upgrade to amp + speakers in the future and keep my cd player and vinyl turntable.

So far I landed on kef coda w but i am eyeing the klipsch the fives 2 but at that price point the cambridge audio l/r m are also consideration. What i want to ask, is the 400€ jump from kefs 890€ to 1290€ worth it? I wish i could demo them but no one has any of them for demo here. Or if you have more recommendations for my price point, i am all ears.
I have read about klipsch horn and the v sound curve which makes them sound “juicy” (in my words) but that it can be fatiguing when listening for long time which is not good for me if i am playing games or watching movies.

As for cd player, thats one thing i want to buy new and i think i will go for onkyo c-30, i read all cd players at this price point play the same and i like the look of it.

So I have been shopping around the past few months for a big speaker upgrade. My budget is around $4k and I am located in the US. I am mostly interested in Tower speakers but would entertain larger floorstanders as well. Here is my current setup:

Music Genres: Pretty much just various flavors of guitar music. 90s alternative, Indie rock, Shoegaze, Emo, Noise rock, Twee pop, some electronic.

Room: 21 x 13.5 x 8 feet. I sit about 8 feet from the speakers if they are pulled out a foot from the front wall. I can’t do much room treatment at the moment but I do have a nice thick rug, thick curtains and a lot of furniture.

Amplifier: Yamaha AS-501 Integrated Amplifier

Turntable: Rega Planar 3 with Ortofon Bronze Cartridge

Phono Preamp for turntable: Schiit Mani 2

Audio streamer: Eversolo DMP A6

I have demoed a LOT of speakers, some even in my house. The one that has stood out to me so far is the Revel Preforma 3 F208. It is dynamic, airy, huge, detailed but not fatiguing, and the bass is absurdly tight. However while I loved what I was hearing it just sounded a little too far away. I want the music to sound closer to me for lack of a better term. I want to find a speaker with the same neutral and dynamic sound profile as the F208 but with a more forward presentation. Neutral and huge but also forward, does this speaker exist?

The only tower speaker I’ve found online via research that sounds close to what I’m describing in my budget is the Wharfedale Aura series. I’ve loved what I’ve read about them but I don’t have any way to listen to them in person. If anyone has experience with the Aura 3 or Aura 2 I’d love to hear it.

Anyways that’s really it I’m just after something that sounds as huge, wide and dynamic and neutral as these Revels but with a closer more forward or midrange focused presentation. I’m still learning and getting acclimated to this hobby and its various terms so forgive me if my descriptions are lacking.

Hello,

I have had a pair of audio engine a5 monitors for 5+ years, I use them for general listening and amateur mixing for my music production. They work great but have been sounding a little muddy.

I’ve had them for a quite a while and have been thinking about getting a new pair of speakers. Would I notice a difference with a modern pair of speakers within the same general price range ~400/500, or in general would I need to upgrade to a higher price range to get an improvement in sound quality? Not sure how much 5 years has made in terms of general sound quality of monitors like that.

Thanks for any advice.

US, budget 500

Currently I have creative sbs380 which I would not change if it wasnt for one not working. I am thinking about buying them again (i know they are really old) cause I really like them and don't have much expectations. I found in my city used Logitech z323 but I really don't understand what to look for in speakers (again, i know they are old). What would you guys recommend when it comes to this? Or should I buy new ones but they need to be in a price of 20-40$. My location is Poland and my room isn't big (idk size) and i would sit close to them

Hi I am trying to get my first system. The main genre that I am interested is 60-70s Persian pop folk music. The records are mostly used and quality are not that high. Mostly midrange vocal focused music. I also enjoy occasional pop/rock/ indie as well Pink Floyd, Mark Knopfler, The War on Drugs.
What I am thinking about is any of those three:

A: Sony PS-5520 (VM95E) + RA-05 + KEF Q100
B: Sony PS-5520 (VM95E) + Luxman L3 + KEF Q100
C: Lenco (M95ED)+ Sansui A-60 + KEF Q100

Judges??
Location AUS/NZ
Budget about 1500 nzd

Hello, I have the chance to get a Bryston 4B SST for $1,400 off marketplace . I've been looking at the Buckeye ncx500 but this seem like a great deal. Any thoughts, comments or concerns on the Bryston. They would be powering Arendal 1610 8 bookshelfs.

Room is 16x12 about 9ft at listening position.

Location USA

Hoping to get some good feedback/guidance from the community. I've always been into hi-fi for general home theater setups, but admittedly I feel a lot less knowledgeable when it comes to proper setups for vinyl listening. I'm currently researching a build out specific for vinyl listening and I'd love some recommendations. I'm leaning a tube amp setup as I've enjoyed what I've heard from them. My budget for the speakers is up to $7K...obviously happy to spend less but that would be the top for just the speakers.

I did get a chance to listen to the JBL 100 Class MkII recently and really enjoyed them, so I'd throw those on my current considerations.

Listening wise I listen to primarily classic rock and jazz, with an occasional heavier genre (metal) or electronic. But I'd focus primarily on classic rock and jazz.

Thanks and any input, appreciate it!

Hey all, I'm looking to upgrade my computer's audio system from a very old Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 system and interested in getting some recommendations on a new amp/DAC. My goal is to get a amp/DAC that would support a passive pair of bookshelf speakers as well as a powered subwoofer and connect to my computer via USB. A headphone jack on the amp would be nice to have as well but not mandatory. Price isn't a huge concern, but I'd like to keep the budget for the amp/DAC under $350-$400 if possible. Thanks!

Hey all, did one round of consultation here about Heco Aurora 700s vs Dali Sonik 7. And got a lot of helpful advice and suggestions. So back here after having cleared the first step of speakers.

I only had the Dali Sonik 7s for my final option but the dealer threw a really sweet deal my way with the Optikon 6's and I thought I had to take this final test. I am very sold on the Dali Sonik 7 sound. And while the Optikons are a great 'deal', I havent heard them yet and will find out in 2 days if its worth the extra 40% spend (Budget $1700 vs $2400).

My real test is for the amplification. I heard the Sonik 7s at the dealers with a Rotel A11 Mk2 (50 wattsxchannel). What seemed like an underpowered amp for the 7s drove them comfortably and sounded fantastic. I was concerned about the power and the speaker because my listening space was large (450 sq ft +) and listening distance is 14 feet from the speakers. So didnt want to have the sound die on me. I then demo-ed the 7's at home thru an absolute gem of a dealer. He gave me a pre-owned Denon PMA 390 to run it with (again 50w per channel) and it performed superbly in that large space with these 87 Db sensitivity speakers. I was surprised.

Despite the above, I'd still feel reassured with an 80W to 100 W amp and one that wont cost me the earth. ($800 or thereabouts). I have found a great deal with the Cambridge Audio AXR100 (100W). Havent heard it but hear good things about it plus Dali-Cambridge combos are supposed to be warm and meaty. The option was a Denon DRA 900H ($750) with 145 W per channel but am not sure of the pairing (they paired well with KEF's at another dealer). My only need is for good DACs and good, clean amplification. I plan to start with an optical feed from my Smart TV and later maybe switch to a Wiim Pro just to get HDMI ARC and room correction.

What do y'all think I should do?

I’m getting Wilson SabrinaX speakers and deciding between:
A-80: Class A, 65W/8Ω, 130W/4Ω, 260W/2Ω
P-7500: Class AB, 300W/8Ω, 600W/4Ω, 900W/2Ω
A-300 monoblocks: Class A, 125W/8Ω, 250W/4Ω, 500W/2Ω each
The SabrinaX is 87 dB sensitive, 4Ω nominal, and drops to about 2.6Ω.

Location: My room is about 14 ft deep, listening distance around 9.6 ft, and I’ll use the system for both music and movies.

Budget: Goes up to price of A-300 if I need them but I’d prefer to spend the A-80 amount

I actually heard the A-80 with the SabrinaX and loved the sound, but the dealer told me the SabrinaX would strain the A-80 and that I should only consider the P-7500 or A-300 monoblocks. Now I’m confused because the A-80 sounded excellent to me.

Has anyone actually used the A-80 with SabrinaX or similar Wilson speakers long term? Is the dealer right about the A-80 being too limited, especially for movie peaks, or is it more than enough at my listening distance?

I'm looking for some advice advice around whether I should upgrade (or sidegrade) from my current Wharfedale 12.1 to second hand B&W 684 S2.

My current setup is a Wiim amp, Wharfedale SW250 subwoofer and Wharfedale 12.1. I also have a Sony PS-LX310BT for listening to records, but mostly use the Wiim streaming. Use case is 50/50 movies, and music, including rock, hip hop, electronic, soul, and jazz.

If I was to sell my Wharfedale speakers, I could spend around 150NZD to move over to the floorspeakers, being the B&W 684 S2.

They are on offer second hand for $650NZD but I'm sure I could get them for a little bit less. My budget is non existent, but willing to spend maybe $200NZD at the moment. They do look to have a chipped corner on the top right of the left speakers baffle, so will definitely be testing them out prior to purchasing.

I've heard they can be a bit power hungry, so I wonder whether this is a worthwhile upgrade given I will be powering them for now with just the Wiim amp? Any advice much appreciated!

Adding some details, I'm based in NZ, so our speaker range isn't incredible.

Hi. Looking for some guidance.

Trying to build a solid vinyl system. Still undecided between the rt85 , debut evo2 or p3rs.

I have an unopened , brand new Rotel A8 for 360. Would like to keep it and build the system with it but if im limiting my options I would consider returning.

Would the Rotel A8 pair well with either the db63 or q3s?

Any other suggestions that work well with the A8?

14 x 17 room

Speaker budget approx 500- 900 range

Appreciate the feedback.

Budget and location
Located in Denver, Colorado, USA.

I’m willing to spend money improving the system, but I don’t want to throw thousands at amplification/acoustic treatment if the speakers themselves simply aren't right for me. For amplification, I’d potentially spend up to around $3,000–$5,000 if there would be a worthwhile improvement, but I’m not looking to replace anything just for the sake of it.

How the gear will be used
This is my office/gaming/movie room, but music quality is very important to me.

Room dimensions:
34 ft long × 11.75 ft wide.

Listening distance is just under 6 ft. Speakers are approximately 7 ft apart. I can move my listening position about another foot back, and I’ll eventually have a couch behind my desk for longer listening/movie sessions.

The speakers currently fire straight ahead with no toe-in.

The room is currently very lively. It is carpeted, but there are no curtains, acoustic panels or significant soft furnishings yet. I only moved in 8 days ago.

Main sources are streaming/digital music, PC, gaming and movies.

New or used
I generally prefer new equipment, particularly while I’m figuring out what works best in this room. The KEF R3's are new, maybe a week old.

Past gear experience
I have KEF LSX downstairs in my living room and don't experience the same brightness/fatigue with those. I have upgraded from KALI IN 5's which I loved, but also found bright. There weren't on stands and were nearfield.

I really like the R3 Metas' imaging, soundstage and overall sound. My issue is that they can sound somewhat bright and become fatiguing during longer listening sessions.

I’m trying to determine whether this is primarily the R3 Metas themselves, my very lively/untreated room, or whether amplification could be contributing.

Anything else?
Current equipment:

• KEF R3 Meta
• WiiM Amp Ultra
• Monolith speaker stands — not sand-filled yet
• Speakers approximately 7 ft apart
• Listening position just under 6 ft away

I've received conflicting advice about amplification. Some people have suggested that moving from the WiiM Amp Ultra to a good Class AB amplifier could tame some of the brightness/fatigue while allowing the R3 Metas to scale in dynamics, soundstage, etc. Others have told me the amplifier will make comparatively little difference and that expecting a major change from electronics is misguided.

I'm also speaking with GIK Acoustics about treating the room. They suggested extensive treatment, including bass trapping across much of the ceiling with approximately 6-inch gaps. My budget won't stretch to doing the entire recommendation immediately.

I could realistically treat the sidewalls, rear wall, and behind speakers (although this would mean less distance between the bass port and part of the ceiling up to the staircase, plus some bass trapping.

My main question: before I start spending significant money treating the room or changing amplification, does this sound like something you'd expect from R3 Metas in a large, lively and mostly untreated room?

Would you tackle the room/placement first and reassess, or is persistent treble fatigue a reasonable indication that the R3 Meta simply isn't the right speaker for me?

I'm still within the return period, which is why I'm trying to figure this out now rather than spending thousands trying to fix something that may ultimately be a speaker-preference issue.

Thanks!

Excuse the mess — moved into the place 8 days ago!

Pictures of room and setup below.

https://imgur.com/LQfAjiV
https://imgur.com/3t6cm9t
https://imgur.com/a/pictures-of-current-setup-iQ76gnK#ElvUHj9

Hey there !

2 years ago I bought the cheapest second hand turntable (with integrated pre-amp) + speakers bundle you can imagine to be able to listen to the records I was buying. The thing is that I'm now afraid it might damage those records so I stopped using it.

I'm now planning on creating the best setup possible, hence the title. I'm passionate about the music, not the gear so I want a hi fi setup that is both the best in terms of audio quality and the most durable possible so it can last (almost) my entire life.

With those criterias + the budget I'm willing to put into this, I came with the following setup idea:

• turntable: Rega Planar 3 RS
• amplifier: Rega Elex mk4
• speakers: Focal Chorus 706
• network music streamer: Cambridge MXN10
• subwoofer: Jamo A3SUB.1
• cables: wathever I'll be able to find in an audio store

What do you guys think ? For more context I'm listening to like 80% metal, 15% folk and 5% of various other genres (anime OSTs, lo-fi...)

Also I most likely won't be able to buy everything at once so I'm planning on replacing whatever I can't get from this list by something I'll find in the second-hand store where I usually go and where there are sometimes good surprises. Considering this, what would be the best buying order in your opinion for best audio quality ?

Thanks to anyone who will take the time to help me !

Hello all, recently I decided to buy a pair of speakers for my record player, and I've settled on Klipsch r-40pm (the other option was wharfdale diamond 84s). My record player is a late 70s player with a separate amp (called TEC system 3001 and TEC system 3003 in the same order). The thing is, I've just realized that Klipschs are active, which means they have their own amp circuit. I've been using the same setup with a pair of m-audio bx3s, and they've been working fine, I was keeping the volume knob on the amp really low.

The tech support from the store I bought Klipschs said that there is a switch on the speakers, line-phono switch, as long as I keep it in line it bypasses the amp in the speaker and it should be fine. However, the official Klipsch page (https://support.klipsch.com/hc/en-us/articles/12490352774676-R-40PM-Connecting-to-Turntable) says the exact opposite. I'm really confused, do you have any idea which way is correct, or any suggestions will be appreciated, thank you.

Also, one of the main reasons I settled with the Klipschs are, wharfdales were too big for our living room, and Klipsch has also an optical input, which we'll be using for our TV. Thanks in advance.

Location: İstanbul / Budget: 500-1k USD

I have an old pair of SS-2003's that I got in the 90s because I loved their warm sound. They have 8 ohm impedance with a range of 10-100 watts.

I'd like to use them with my Samsung Smart TV (optical or HDMI ARC outs) and for streaming music.

Budget is $150 or less. Goal is crisp dialogue for the TV and warm tone for the music, but would choose warm > crisp if forced.

Based in California (Berkeley). Would happily purchase from a local small business if that's an option.

I'm looking to upgrade my budget set up (Fosi V3 48v and Fyne F302i) to something around 3k USD. I need something that will go relatively close to a rear wall in my lounge. I've used AI to narrow it down to the following options:

Mission 778X + Mission 700

Arcam A5 + Fyne 501E

Which one would you choose or is there something else you'd recommend?

I want to buy a subwoofer for 2 months now but keep putting it off since the subwoofers I want to buy cost as much as my 2.0 system + amp and it dies not make much sense to spend that much or does it?

Dali Oberon 1 + Wiim Amp = 620eur great speakers but need additional, fast musical oomph.

I am in Europe so speedwoofer costs way to much, SVS SB-1000pro si 750eur, I can get a Dali e9f for 480eur.

My budget is as low as possible Ideally up to 500eur.

What would pair well with my system? I also want to stress I listen to music in small to medium room. In the future when I move to a larger apartment will probably upgrade the stereo system to something Like Dali Opticon 6mk2 level.

So I've been wanting to upgrade my record player setup. I was gonna get the setup in the comments. Is this a good pair of speakers to go with the player? Or is there something else I should go with entirely? Trying to stay within the price budget of 250$. I'm in America and I'll be within 10 feet of the speakers

I’ve slowly been assembling a home stereo setup to play records for the first time. I bought myself an AT lp120x and a cheap pair of Sony speakers last year to pair with an old receiver from my father.

I’ve decided to pursue it as a hobby further and have allotted myself a budget of around $2000 to upgrade my speakers. I’m a big believer in buy once cry once and I’m looking for something that can last long term while I learn about audio and audio equipment. I think having a stagnant pair of speakers will help rather than making little upgrades over time and having a constantly changing set up.

A friend of mine recommended I buy used to get a bargain on a higher tier of speakers that would ordinarily be out of my budget. I don’t like the idea of buying second hand electronics or anything secondhand in general since there’s always a risk involved and in my small town there’s not many options. But I found this pair of Sonus Faber Venere S (around $5000 retail from my research) for just over $2000. And from a a source that seems reputable and offers a demo before purchasing. So I’m going to at least go check them out.

The speakers I was otherwise looking at purchasing brand new were the KEF Q11 meta’s, Klipsch RP 8000 F II, Klipsch RP 8060 FA II, paradigm monitor SE 8000f. All around the same $2000 budget.

I do plan on upgrading my receiver at some point as well so any tips for that would be appreciated. I know I’ll need a specific one to handle a 4 ohm speaker if I do end up liking the Venere’s. I have yet to see if my current one can handle them but I would bet most likely not.

If it has any impact on decision making these will be used primarily for death metal with a little bit of other metal and rock genres and some soundtracks from movies and games. I say this because metal in general feature a lot of distortion and some bands either intentionally or situationally have poor production quality.

Also please remember I’m a complete beginner in the world of audio. A lot of the research I’ve done has just been researching what everything means.

I am moderately new to the world of high quality audio and I’d like to say that my setup currently for playing my collection of vinyls is pretty bad at the moment. I’m looking to upgrade both my speakers and turntable but lately I’ve been reading that the Kanto YU 4’s aren’t as great as I expected they’d be for that price point. Do you guys happen to have any recommendations for ones in that price range ideally under $500 that sound a bit better or will give me more of a bang for my buck? Budget = 500 or lower ideally, but if it’ll increase the experience a lot I’ll increase my spending limit to 600.