[Closed] Audiophiles...

B&W, Mission, KEF, Celestion…

JBL L100. That's what I'd get anyway. If I had some money in my loudspeaker jar 🙁

Pair of Rogers JR149s. Same drivers as the iconic LS3/5a studio monitors. Better looking and better balanced for general sound. If placed on a desk get some isolation stands. Mine made a huge difference. Bought an immaculate pair on eBay for £350. Might go for a pair of LS3/5a next.

Now added foam covers.

Dont think i have JBL L100 quality ears....

Just keep what you have. That amp is great for desktop / small rooms with those speakers.

You buy bigger speakers, then you will want/need a bigger amp, then a bigger DAC and end up unintentionally spending £££

If you don’t need loud sound you could try some of the old B&W 601/602 s3 with larger drivers for bigger sound effect. Seen them go as low as £100. Very good speaker for that kind of money.

Ruark Icons, <£100 a pair and enough bass unless you want it to sound like your local drug dealer's BMW. I happen to have a pair for sale 😂

Srsly I prefer tight bass, which you usually get with a smaller box (which gives less colouration) controlled by a decent amp. But it is subjective.

Thanks all those B&W 601s look interesting

i tend to hone in on whatever is on special offer. Monitor audio bronze is decent, i got some 1s for £100 last year, I think the 2s (which would suit you) were about £150 at the same time, but there might not be any left..

Had some B and W monitors for a long while, very good. Now got some Kef Xq20 (2009ish so might be a bargain now), much brighter but also good across the range.

TiRed
Full Member
Pair of Rogers JR149s. Same drivers as the

Now added foam covers.

My god, that's the ugliest speaker set up anyone has ever seen! 😆

a bigger DAC

I don't understand that one? Amp yeah, but why would you need a bigger DAC? (unless your current one is awful)

Got some Tannoy dc2000 here, they pop up s/h for around the £150 mark. Sealed box design so nice linear bass end with no lumps. Good imaging too as they’re dual concentric, high sensitivity also so they’re pretty loud/easy to drive. Really good for watching movies- orchestral stuff has that quality you get in the cinema- very lush and rich.

I recently got a pair of Dali Oberon 5s (discounted as they'd been returned to Richer Sounds). They make a lovely noise.

Q-Acoustics BT-3. I just happen to have a pair in matte white looking for a good home after a bit of a Sonos splurge...

Thanks all those B&W 601s look interesting

Pretty much the best 'budget' all round speakers, in my opinion. Not huge, but can deliver decent bass, and a good balanced sound. I think you need to spend a fair bit more to get anything appreciably 'better'. Good sensitivity, easy to 'drive', so can go pretty loud without distorting, fairly good dynamic range, nothing to really shout about, which is good for an all-rounder. With the more exotic speakers, you can find models that are a bit more difficult to drive, so need a more powerful amp, but then deliver greater dynamic range, but then you need good acoustics to really appreciate them, which most homes just don't have. The 601s can be had for silly money really, £100 or even less, the earlier S1 versions cheaper than the S2 and S3s, with no appreciable differences to the average ear/in the average setting. I don't think you can go far wrong with a set really.

My god, that’s the ugliest speaker set up anyone has ever seen!

They look better encapsulated in foam - wraps all the way around. I should have gone for black Aperta stands. Speakers are ace though. Driven by a SONOS Amp with computer connected to Line In.

Why don't you spend the money on some good cables, apparently they make the sound come alive

Whenever I've browsed through eBay (and Facebook marketplace) there seem to be real bargains to be had on larger speakers (big floor standers particularly).

If placed on a desk get some isolation stands

Just use some Blu-Tak, or some stick-on rubber/cork pads on the bottom of the speakers. Does exactly the same job, for an absolute fraction of the cost.

Why don’t you spend the money on some good cables, apparently they make the sound come alive

😀 Don't start that again...

Have you looked at KRK Rokit 4/5/6/8...? The number refers to the size of the subwoofer (inches). I've a pair of Rokit 6's (G3) and the sound clarity on them is very good. They're an 'active' speaker so an all in one unit.

Have XLR, RCA and TRS input. I tend to use the RCA when I'm using my laptop at my desk, but the XLR when using my decks (Pioneer DJ-RX if anyone's interested).

Can pick them up fairly cheap second hand, I paid £200 for the pair a couple years ago. Think they're nearly that much each, new.

😈
Cables, cables!

I post this not because these are great speakers ,I have a a pair in white but because of the interesting decor.OSP anyone? Does it have some magic audiophile properties?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154491981191?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338353466&toolid=20006&4236=%26customid%3Ds%253AGS%253Bgc%253ACjwKCAjwgISIBhBfEiwALE19SRfFfB4gTSbEW9FHj7ORdNSGGcdLuV0eUDzHgVOJukDWjOmfO8uCzBoC5tcQAvD_BwE%253Bpt%253A1%253Bchoc%253A2&customid=s%3AGS%3Bgc%3ACjwKCAjwgISIBhBfEiwALE19SRfFfB4gTSbEW9FHj7ORdNSGGcdLuV0eUDzHgVOJukDWjOmfO8uCzBoC5tcQAvD_BwE%3Bpt%3A1%3Bchoc%3A1&gclid=CjwKCAjwgISIBhBfEiwALE19SRfFfB4gTSbEW9FHj7ORdNSGGcdLuV0eUDzHgVOJukDWjOmfO8uCzBoC5tcQAvD_BwE

What do you hope to achieve with "a bit bigger" speakers?

Could set them further apart, bit more bass its a big room...

Was considering some fresh cables? I think i saw a thread on that......

Stands well back...

Have you looked at KRK Rokit 4/5/6/8

He's using an amplifier so actives are no good, I have KRK Rokit 7 G4's, they're surprisingly decent for very little money but for non-powered speakers id probably go with some variant of Elacs

KRK's are studio monitors no? Unless you need them why would you have something designed to clinically reveal rather than colour the sound in a pleasing way? Just my opinion. I have old Yamaha studio monitors that I use for making music, but then I listen to music on a big old pair of 70's Kefs that just sound nice 🙂

Mind you, I think modern studio monitors, especially at the cheaper end are designed to sound a bit flattering. Otherwise nobody would buy them as they'd think they sound rubbish.

Junior has some powered studio monitors in his errr studio which is all foam on the walls and stuff. I don't know what they are other than German and about 500e. Compared with Hi-Fi speakers at the price they do low bass really well, if you're into techno or metal they're for you. If you like a warmer rounder sound then don't. I was also surprised by how small the sweet spot was with the monitors

Keep yhem coming folks, battering ebay as we speak.

Errmm my new speaker cable arrived in the post.... its copper coloured is that good...

Audio Pro T20's - lovely, especially if you can get them half price through the outlet

The speakers are clearly the limiting factor, as they are budget/mini system level. We don't have a budget but here goes.

Some of the speaker suggestions are somewhat 'aspirational', given the rest of the system, but the basic truth is you need to match the quality of the speakers to the quality of the amp and the room, and to some extent the source too.

It sounds like you need some 'fairly decent' bookshelf speakers. They can't be too revealing/good as they'll expose the shortcomings upstream (source and amp) but they need to be 'as good as you can get away with'. B&Ws are solid and get good reviews but I've never been a massive fan of them myself. Rega also have a good rep and could be a good bet s/hand. Dynaudio are very good, IMO (Audience 42s for example) but without knowing your particular amp they may be a stretch as they need some driving.

I'd see what Richer Sounds have in your budget for Mordaunt Short (low budget, don't write them off), then Wharfedale, Fyne, Dali and Acoustic Energy (mid-budget).

Join the Audioshite Facebook page, all vintage discussion and doesn't take itself seriously at all.

But if it is bookshelf type speakers, i have both Q-Acoustics 3030i and Dali Oberon 3, both really pack a punch for their size.

oldmanmtb2
Where are you based?
I'm in Todmorden and have various speakers and amps that may suit depending on your budget.Happy to let you audition them to see if they are to your liking.
PM me.

Thanks Nick further North Scotch Corner, nice of you to offer

If your new room is bigger then bigger speakers providing they are are more sensitive ( the db rating) and positioned optimally should give you a bigger sound .The basics of speaker placement should be tried first to try and get the best out of what you already have. Experiment with them closer to and then further away from walls making sure they are at ear listening height and this will usually increase or decrease the bass.There's a sweet spot where some frequencies of the soundwaves don't cancel each other out,usually close to the wall or a couple of feet out especially with ported speakers.Changing the angle they are toed in at towards you can give you better soundstage and imaging.Good stereo sound doesn't sound like it's coming from the speakers but from somewhere in the middle(closing your eyes helps).
Or if you can't be arsed with all that faff just do what I did and buy the biggest ,baddest speakers and amp you can afford then add a stonking subwoofer crank it up and annoy the whole street 🙂
Monitor Audio Bronze 2 are a good shout,sensitive ie powerful and look good too..I got a lot of my stuff "open box" from AV Online,Peter Tyson and Richer Sounds full guarantee and great diso****,register with them and you can usually get added discount too.Don't think I'd pay full price for anything again. Also wait for the regular ebay 15,20% discounts on ebay as Peter Tyson sell stuff on there too.Just need to be be patient.

I've been looking for something like this for a while and I've just come across a review of the Naim Mu-so Qb Second Generation.
Does anyone have an opinion on this? For 6 music and Spotify it seems ideal. Most of my listening is at lowish volume and that's where most lower price systems seem to be disappointing. They all sound better when cranked up!

Thanks for all the suggestions and input its much appreciated.

I live in the sticks.. volume is not an issue

I went through a similar situation last year when wfh clearly wasn't just a blip.

Started with some Q Acoustic 3020i on the desk, with angled foam stand things to lift them off the desk. Sounded ok but a bit shrill because I am only four foot away from them.

I've ended up with Kef LS50 and a new amp (Arcam SR250), along with a sub woofer - controlled by the Arcam. Sounds very good indeed although I don't listen loud with the speakers on my desk.

A bit OTT tbh for a desk set up but the thought was I am now spending a lot of time there so might as well have nice good sounding music whilst I am.

Always had sub woofers in systems for the last 30 years and they make good music great even at low volumes, as long as you can set them (and the mains) up properly.

Update - just went to Richer Sounds with £750 burning a hole in my pocket. I listened to the Naim Qb and was massively underwhelmed. It sounds very "closed in". I then tried the Naim Mu-So which is very good, had a lot going for it, and I can see why a lot of people would think it fantastic, but it didn't quite do it for me. Especially at £1300.
Back to square 1. I guess a streaming amp and speakers will be what I get. But Sonos seems to have captured a lot of the market and there aren't many great streaming amps for less than £800.

In tradition of recommend what you've got.

Some Tannoy Revolution DC6 Signature, really good sound, look great and I found them at a bargain price - what's not to like.

They do need a bit of oomph to drive them but my amp seems to cope.

I guess a streaming amp and speakers will be what I get.

Bluesound Powernode + decent bookshelf spks?

I have the Node 2i and it's a great bit of kit. If I was after a one box amp/streamer then that's gotta be on the list.

Ah the old demo somthing crap then something decent that you need to sell trick... 😉

when I worked for the UK distributor we made boxes up using their enclosure designs.

right up there with some of the top PA kit that cost £££

https://www.beyma.com/en/products/

way more fun than anything to be found in Ritcher Sowndz. even with mains cables....

Hifi is like a fart

Everyone is super proud of their own.