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Hi folks, just after some ideas for sound for my office that works for music (tidal hifi) and also teams.
I have been using a Cambridge Audio Minx M5 that plugs into a usb and has a dac built in, two small desktop speakers and a sub under the desk. That has just died (but may be salvageable if I can find an audio fettler locally)
But wondering about some Ruark MR1s to modernize. Would I also need a usb DAC to provide the RCA out to the speakers?
I guess my computer has a standard sound card, is that good enough? But also has an Nvidia graphics 1060 card. Could I use an hdmi to RCA converter and run a feed from that?
Or do I buy me some small bookshelf speakers and a tangent amp and run that set up? Still might need a dac tho?
Thanks for any advice
Perhaps not hi-fi enough, but I have an Audio Pro T5.
I think the equivalent now is the C5 MkII which has 'smart' features that my one doesn't have.
I have a Chromecast Audio plugged into the back of mine, but all of that is now taken care of in the speaker.
It says it supports Tidal Connect - you mention using Tidal Hi-Fi.
They are really good little speakers, solidly built & with a lot of punch.
Not sure about the Teams aspect of things. I use a headset for that.
I use one of these connected to some old Mission speakers...
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I'm sure someone will be along soon to say this isn't hi-fi though! 🙂
My desktop system is a WIIM Mini into an SMSL M300SE DAC into a Douk Audio T8 (for tone and balance controls) into a Fosi Audio ZA3 into some ancient but still surprisingly good 25 year old Mordant Short speakers. Sound awesome but way too loud for a desktop! Luckily the DAC has a good headphone amp - something I'd highly recommend if you don't have one for a desktop
The PC goes into th DAC as well, as does a CD player
I have recently upgraded my desktop set up to a SMSL AO300 Amp and Denon Q150 speakers.
Sounds good to me.
I mainly use it via USB from PC, but the amp has Bluetooth and many other input options (also has sub out and separate headphone DAC).
but still surprisingly good 25 year old Mordant Short speakers.
Still using some MS-15s I bought in 1988...
Checkout the cheapaudioman on youtube does lots of reviews on Ayma anps etc, I would say these are ideal as desktop amps.
A quality USB DAC is essential, as it’ll be chalk and cheese compared to the onboard sound card. I use an MOTU M4 audio interface, but then I want the mic inputs too.
You could just hook the DAC up to some active speakers for the ultra simple & compact solution, provided you’re OK with your PC being the only audio source.
I listen to more music at my home office desk than anywhere else, so I’ve even added a compact subwoofer. I bloody love it.
A reasonably cheap dongle DAC should feed those MR1s pretty well. Worst case you could feed them directly from the headphone output but thats the worst sound you'll get outta tghe laptop.
Audioengine A2+ speakers are similar but have a DAC in them if you want something cheaper.
@breatheeasy Those all-in-one active speakers with USB/bluetooth are ideal for an office. You’re only ever going to stream from your phone or PC, so you may as well keep it all in one box. I‘d only consider a separate amp if I had some very good speakers to reuse.
I use Mr1s for music, but a jabra for teams. I love the Mr1s, I bought a second set for the bedroom after trying about 10 inferior options (Amazon echo studio, audio pro bt5, majority d40, some others I've forgotten about). The graded refurbs direct from Ruark are like new and cost a chunk less, I signed up to be notified of new stock and had an email a couple of hours later (might just have been lucky).
A small pair of Genelecs?
Can you use the 3.5mm line out (headphone socket) from the pc?
If so, just get something like this:
https://www.edifier.online/collections/2-0-bookshelf?sort_by=best-selling
OP I'm sorry to say that I didn't read your post properly.
If you have a sub now, I think you'll miss not having that bottom octave or two.
Cambridge Audio a good company IMO. They have nice amps and always focus on having a decent DAC, so I think you'll really notice the drop if you use your PC's on-board DAC.
I inherited a Ruark R5 and think it sounds amazing for what it is, just a one-box HiFi. The connectivity is excellent apart from not having USB streaming support, only USB mass storage support. I'm sure the MR1 would sound (and look) great, and there's an option of a sub, but again no there's no USB support for a PC connection. You'd have to add a USB DAC.
Thanks Folks,
Lots of food for thought there.
Have been looking at those all in one powered speakers w usb input, and some of those are interesting, if a little large for a desk. The audioengine one looks good. Kantos yu2 come up quite often as well.
Also wondering about an ifi Uno DAC and RCA or 3,5mm input for powered speakers with no usb input.
For a slightly smaller form factor, wharfedale ds2 looks good if slightly older.
That nobsound amp looks interesting, but a couple of reviews online suggests it fries your speakers?
I'll keep on looking and see where I net out. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and buy the MR1s
Thanks for the feedback folks.
So in the end I went for the Ruark MR1 , and an ifi uno DAC. Went with the graded seconds, and indeed got an email within an hour of registering my interest. Maybe the cloth on the grills is not quite straight, but i can't see anything else wrong. I'm running the MR1s over BT at the moment until the DAC arrives. Really pleased with the sound and don't think that I'll need a sub. I will get some wedge stands tho to angle them up a bit to raise the stereo image which is a bit low at the moment.
The isoAcoustics Aperta stands that my Rogers JR149s are sitting on were a revelation. They were not cheap, but they made a huge difference to the sound. Mine are silver to match the monitor and DAC. And I was a little skeptical. Just face them the right way round[1]
https://isoacoustics.com/home-audio-isolation-products/aperta-series/
[1] Not really 😉
The IsoAcoustics aperta above are the fancy alloy hifi version versions of these isoacoustic iso-130 pro/studio use stands here at half the price, I use the iso-155 on my desk.
The Ruark MR1 are 130mm wide x 145mm deep so the ISO-130 as above will fit, you can find them here at juno records for £74
Only just seen this thread. The Ruark MR1's are designed to be used over bluetooth with a computer - there's a DAC built in, so you don't need a separate one. Also, they only have minimal connection options - bluetooth, 3.5mm analogue jack or optical (which is really for TVs or streamers). The sound is great, but the lack of usb input annoys me.
I got me some kanto wedges: https://www.kantoaudio.com/speaker-accessories/s2/
Thanks for the recommendation and I know that form is function and all that, but those isoacoustics are a bit fugly. Not that I want to put my desk setup on Insta but......
Hadn't picked up on the internal BT dac - thought all the processing happened at the source rather than speaker, with the attendant low quality DAC in the PC. Puzzling they don't include a USB connection.
Maybe I can return the IFI dac.....
The isoAcoustics Aperta stands that my Rogers JR149s are sitting on were a revelation. They were not cheap, but they made a huge difference to the sound. Mine are silver to match the monitor and DAC. And I was a little skeptical. Just face them the right way round[1]
What's actually making a difference, is the bit of rubber or whatever similar material that they use to isolate the speakers from the surface they're placed on. You can achieve the exact same effect by just using some bits of suitable material; some people use things like squash balls; I've used Blu-Tak and those little rubber pads you can buy to put under objects that might scratch a surface, that type of thing. The main benefit of those very expensive pieces of cast aluminium that I can see, are that they can angle the speaker up or down as desired. That's pretty easy to do also, without spending lots of money. I do find the Iso Acoustics marketing spiel amusing though.
Raising the tweeter level to the ear or mid tweeter/mid driver/woofer dependant on speaker design and getting the angle correct is the main benefit of the IsoAcoustic stands, it could be done easily with books and squash balls but for the sake of a few £ comparative to the cost of speakers it’s perfectly reasonable. if you don’t want to pay for the fancy home hifi variant then by the cheaper plastic version designed for studios. Cheaper pro version below, works just the same.
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Got the subwoofer version as well
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This may be going too far down the hifi rabbit hole but, during lockdown I worked from home pretty much all year. Got myself a 1800mm wide desk and bought some Kef LS50 speakers, a subwoofer and a nice amp.
Under ISO acoustics stands, it sounded lovely but a bit detached and just good hifi rather than great listening.
Tried a few other speakers and settled on some Mark Audio Tozzi One self build tiny things.
They were ridiculous and the music just appeared all where it should be and the little speakers could not be located with my eyes shut.
When working from home wasn't the main priority for the room the huge desk was in, I eventually sold them and moved to a smaller desk with regular stand mounts either side but the best desk sound by a long way was those small drivers.
Have a read into Mark Audio and near field if you fancy losing a few hours 🙂
I will accept that they aren’t cheap and I paid the “apple tax” for matching silver alloy. I’m very pleased with them though, and the speakers they support aren’t light. They are of course angled at my ears and, better, I run cables under them to keep the desk tidy.
I was surprised at how much of a difference they made. I’d probably get the black studio versions if I didn’t want matching, rather than make my own. They just work.
The alloy versions are very nice and I would prob have bought them as I like nice things and sit in front of my monitors 16hrs a day/7days a week but cost came into consideration, for the price of the alloy stands for sub/monitors @ £350 I bought the cheaper plastic version for sub/monitors @ £150 and kept £200 in my pocket.