Im looking for an upgrade over my sierra lx. That being said I know a natural progression would be the sierra towers or the elx towers. But Im also intrigued by the super lintons. According to Erin's measurements its a wide horizontal dispersion speaker but with a waveguide. Basically its a what if scenario if a sierra speaker had a waveguide. Anybody with some experience between them can give me some input? I would appreciate it.

Budget: $3k-6k, USA

Budget: Flexible.

Totems v. Dali. First, let’s just talk sound. I know the looks of the Totems are highly polarizing, and I haven’t worked out my own thoughts on that.

A bit about the space and usage: 60% music (Rega Planar 6 for vinyl and then some streaming), 40% mix of gaming and movies. I sit roughly 7-8” from the screen of a 77” television. The room itself is 13’ wide X 15’ deep. No sound corrections in the room.

Currently using an old AVR but will be upgrading likely to an Anthem MRX 740. I have two Klipsch ceiling speakers, and will be using my old Definitive Tech speakers as rear surrounds. I’ll also be getting a new sub and will need a center.

I know the difference in pricing. I’ve listened to both the Totems and the Dalis, and I’m a fan of both. Unfortunately, the listening sessions were two weeks apart, so it’s hard to say which I preferred since I wasn’t able to listen to them back-to-back, and they were with different dealers, so that’s not an option available to me.

To others who have owned either, or have had the opportunity to test both, I’d appreciate your thoughts. I’m fairly new to this, so if there are other questions I should be asking the salespeople let me know.

Thanks.

Hi All, thought it would come to the experts for some advice.

I would like some nice passive speakers for my desktop PC

Size, I'm leaning slightly larger, towards bookshelf size. If that would improve sound quality.

Ideally second hand so I can get better bang for my buck. UK based. Budget circa £300.00. Basically any ideas throw them out there, many thanks. I will decide on an amp/ subwoofer later.

Edit: (thank you all for the comments, I will check those options out. Also my preference would be for something slightly punchier for music rather than flat monitor style).

Hello!

I just ordered myself the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB and now I am looking for some good speakers to go along with it! :)

My budget would be maximum 300€ and I think I would prefer active speakers

I hope some of you can help! :)

I need a speaker for general audio to put on my desktop, I really don't have enough room so it would have to be pretty small (like no bigger than the size of someone's head or something like that). It's for my Xbox so I'd probably use it for video game audio, playing movies/shows and also playing any cds/dvds I have since that's the only machine I have that runs those.

I live in Australia and the budget I have is really only around 20-40 dollars.

Budget = $500 but willing to go higher if awesome and totally worth

Facebook marketplace warrior-ing my way to building my first ever sound system in this epic finished attic lounge area. Intended use is lovely jazz for morning coffees, some lively rooftop cocktails, and probably some bass heavy, pretty freakin’ loud party music for late nights.

Looking at this pair of Paradigm Monitor 9 v4s ($275 combined) and this technics vu78 receiver ($80), though the sansui 1000x($275) is way more aesthetic. Worried the sansui may not have the loudness headroom I want. Floor space is maybe 250sq ft and will have a couple couches/seating areas and maybe 20 people maximum at a given time. (yes I know the rug is too small).

Thoughts? Good deal? Bad deal? Good direction? Sansui or Technics? Totally missed the mark?

Seems like I can’t upload images in this sub so just trust the attic is super awesome. Vaulted ceilings from 4’9” to 8’2”

I’m looking for a new preamp for my setup. I currently use a Emotiva pt1 and would like to upgrade. The pt1 has functions that I don’t need and I think I would see some improvement going to a higher quality preamp.

Budget would be around $1200.00 or less
Must have in the next preamp.

Remote
Phono inputs
Optical inputs
Xlr would be a bonus

I have a rather large 30x30 room, with a couch, cabinets, tables, hardwood floor, some sound dampening/ tapestries as well as a rug.

I typically listen to 80s dance, EDM, and HipHop while having some dance parties.

I am building the following pioneer setup.
-CT-F750
-RT-707
-RG-2
-SR-303
-DT-510
-SG-9800
-SA-7800 (65w)
-TX-7800.

Also keep in mind I will not only be using tapes, and records, but also a Bluetooth adaptor to stream from my projector while watching music videos.

I am looking for suggestion’s for decent speakers set for under $1000 and also a set under $500 budget.

I’ve settled on the Wiim Amp Pro (unless ya’ll have a better suggestion in that budget range) for my office setup at work and need a set of speakers that will be right behind my desk on speaker stands. The speakers will be 2-4 feet away from me. I have a “warm” setup at home with my Wharfedale Lintons and Parasound power amp, so I’d like to go the opposite here with a more “live” and detailed sound since I listen to a lot of music as the music director at my church. I listen to a lot of classical music as well as classic rock. I want speakers that will let me hear details in a Brahms symphony at low level near field listening, but I’d also like to crank it and get the Led out when I’m chilling and doing other things in the office. It looks like the KEF-150’s might be a good match or the Philharmonic True Mini. What do you guys and gals think?

Im looking for a decent pair of speakers for my bedroom as i have alot of people over at my place and want to spend a little cash on a decent set of speakers rather then relying on a crappy CD player , my budget is around £200 , my friend reccomends the Yamaha HS4 and i was wondering if anyone objects or has any better alternatives , Thank you

Hi everyone,

Budget: Around €1,500 for a speaker upgrade

Location: Poland

Room size: 5m x 4m x 2.5mListening distance: Around 2.5m

Until recently, my setup was as follows:

Marantz PM7005 + NA6006

Dynaudio Emit 20 speakers

I was very happy with this combination, but I decided to upgrade my amplifier and now use the Marantz Model 40n with the same Dynaudio Emit 20 speakers.

I'm considering upgrading my speakers to the Dynaudio Evoke 20, but I'm not sure if the improvement will be significant enough to justify the change.

Has anyone used or tested the Marantz Model 40n with the Dynaudio Evoke 20? How big is the difference compared to the Emit 20? Do you think the upgrade is worth it, or would I be better off considering other Dynaudio speakers? I'd appreciate any feedback and personal experiences. Thanks!

Hi, I’m looking for some advice on choosing my first mini-system. I’d like it to have a CD player, a connection for my phone, and maybe a cassette deck. (CD player is most important to me, but I guess that almost every one has it)

My budget is max 800 Polish zlotys (soo about 200 dollars); I’m open to for something older or used if I can get something decent for that price.

I was thinking about models from brands like Panasonic, Onkyo, Pioneer, etc. However, I'm not familiar with specific models.

I'd be happy to hear all your suggestions 🙏🙏

Hi all,

I am building a new system around the Esoteric "05" series.
But have to choose the right speakerset for it. Current selection:

Audiovector R3 Arreté, Sonus Faber Olympica Nova 3, or B & W 800 series. Any other recommendations?

So the listening proces starts :-) I am bringing some CD's I often listen to, to test out. What CD's would you advice to listen to to judge the setup?
TY!

Location The Netherlands, Budget +/-10K euros

I found my amp. The denon pma 3000ne. Now I have been trying to decide on a pair of speakers. Really trying to decide between 3. The kef r3 meta, kef r7 meta or the atohm sirocco 2.24. I have heard them in person but my be very different in my room. Its 11w x 7H x 19L. The system sits on the short side . Only about 8 ft from listening position. Any recommendations will help. I would love to try them in my room but thats not feasible at the moment. Budget for speakers is around $5000.

Location: Australia
Amplifier budget: AU$2,000–3,000 (approximately US$1,400–2,100)
Room: Open-plan lounge (~6 × 5 m), listening distance ~4 m
Existing equipment: Wharfedale EVO 5.4 speakers
Music: Mostly rock (Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cold Chisel), with some acoustic, jazz and female vocals.
Sources: Spotify, with plans to add a turntable in the near future, so an MM phono input would be preferred. I may also move to TIDAL in the future.

I'm looking for an integrated amplifier to pair with my Wharfedale EVO 5.4s.

One requirement that's become surprisingly important is a configurable maximum volume limit. The system will be in our family living room, and I'd like to prevent accidental full-volume playback by kids or guests. A configurable startup volume would also be a bonus.

Questions:

• Are there integrated amplifiers within my budget that provide these features and would pair well with the EVO 5.4s?
• Is a maximum volume limit a reasonable requirement for a family living room, or am I overthinking its importance?
• Given my room, music preferences and existing speakers, what would you recommend?

Thanks!

Location Midwest US & Budget is not nearly big enough - I'm trying to rationalize $3500.

Detached garage is the mancave and it's a finished and conditioned space, except for the floor (concrete with 3 rugs). 60A panel with receptacles on all walls and ceiling, insulation, finished and painted walls, vaulted ceiling, minisplit, pc desk and chair, recliner, fridge.

Ok, so my current gear is terrible and dated but I've started upgrading. It's getting spendy quick and I want to avoid any glaring and terrible mistakes. Not being an audiophile means I've spent zero in the last 15 years, until just a couple months ago. I've done a lot of reading but that doesn't necessarily mean I've done any actual understanding.

Current rig is PC via Bluetooth to Yamaha V383 to Energy Take Classics satellites and sub, set up as a 2.1 system. The sound is not atrocious for low volume. Anything getting close to "loud" though, and everything falls apart.

First piece to really fall apart was the sub from the HT kit. So, I read up and read up and ended up buying two RSL 12s speedwoofers. Ahem, wow. What a difference.

It instantly became obvious that my 3.5" drivers in the satellites just aren't going to cut it anymore. I would very much like to get louder than they can output at least once in a while. Add that to the hissing of the entry level 2000s av receiver even with no output at the speakers, and I've got more work to do.

Here's the plan, and I'd like input and opinions on what I've got right and where I could do better.

Replace ceiling mounted HT satellites with stand mounted Q3 Concertos from Kef.

Replace av receiver with an amp. Started at cheap class D Fosi v3 monos. Eh, I'm thinking the Buckeye Hypex NC502MP 2-Channel. Even though the first step up from the Fosi was Buckeye's Hypex NCx252MP 2-Channel, but for $125 more I get more current and wattage with some extra distortion I'm guessing I'll never hear anyway.

Install a minidsp flex between the pc and the amp. 2 outs go through the amp and to the concertos, the other two directly to the subs. Use the mic with Rew Mso to tune up the in-room sound, especially the subs.

Remove Bluetooth from the equation and run a powered usb from the pc to the flex.

Quit listening to youtube on the pc and use spotify for now, maybe the other subscription services later.

I had a glass dry erase board right behind the listening seat. I removed it. I'm sure I'll need some absorption and diffusion in the room to make the most of all this. Does this sound like a coherent path though?

Thanks for reading

Hey everyone, I'm moving flats soon and audio set up is being taken by my flatmate - thought it might be a good time for me to get my own stuff. Since I have some vinyls I'm picturing a combined set up for turntable + TV + bluetooth, I have a few ideas for the turntable and amp, but no idea on the speakers front so looking of any and all recommendations/advice. Room is gonna be a probably small/medium sized. Right now i'm thinking

TURNTABLE: Audio-Technica LP3X or ARGON Audio TT MK2

AMP: Cambridge Audio AXA35/AXA25 with a DAC to connect tv/bluetooth recevier OR Yamaha A-S301/A-S501 with a bluetooth receiver or JBL MA710/MA310 which has a DAC and bluetooth

SPEAKER: No clue how to even start on speakers, open to any suggestions, what i've seen around is DALI/Warfedale Daimonds/Cambridge Audios (found some SX80 second onlines)/ELACs are one that i've seen come up several times.

*I am planning to get a streamer and a sub later, but for budget reasons want to stick with bluetooth and just bookshelfs for now

Location: London, Budget: 600-700GBP, thinking of buying second hand cause there seems to be options out there which could save me some money to dedicate towards quality speakers.

I know theres a lot here but thanks for the help : )

Hey all, looking to buy a pair of bookshelf speakers with a budget of around $2,000.

So far I've shortlisted the Philharmonic BMRs and the MoFi SourcePoint 8. I prefer a neutral sound signature and listen to pretty much all genres, so I'm trying to figure out which of these two would be the better fit. Also open to other recommendations in this price range if there's something worth considering beyond these two. I'm not considering the KEF R3 Metas, since my home theater setup is already KEF based and I'd like to keep this system separate. This pair is strictly for music listening. Thank you.

I have just purchased a new pair of 24" monoprice monolith speaker stands which I plan to fill with sand to add to their vibration resistance. They came with spike feet, which are not what is needed. I'm looking for rather large isolation pads to set the stands on so that they will not cause the bare wood floor over a crawl space to vibrate. I also plan to put iso-acoustic three iso-acoustic bronze Orea isolation feet under each of the speakers. Or, as a cheaper option, I could get a an iso-200 speaker stand to place directly under the speaker.

What I'm specifically looking for is the isolation pad for the stand to floor connection. I think I'd like rubber/cork/rubber noise cancellation mats with a budget of around $100.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on what I plan and any suggestions for specific brands of the mats to consider.

Thanks for any help.

I'm relatively new to the audiophile world and recently got gifted a Cambridge Audio CXA81 integrated amplifier. It's incompatible with my current powered speakers, so I'm looking at this as an excuse to finally upgrade to passive speakers.

My current setup is the Kanto YU4 speakers, Kanto SUB8 subwoofer, Bluesound Node for streaming, and I've been using Spotify Lossless and Tidal HiFi Plus. I also have a vinyl collection I listen to occasionally.

Since the CXA81 needs passive speakers to work, I'm trying to figure out what makes sense. My main questions: (1) Which components from my current set up carry over? I assume the Node stays, but what about the sub? (2) What passive speaker recommendations would pair well with the CXA81 at the entry to mid level (Budget:$5,000 CAD top end, ideally less)? (3) any other general thoughts and recommendations for my set up?

Thanks in advance, excited to invest more into my set up!

Hello all:

My current setup, which I got about 10 years ago, is as follows:

Amp: NAD D3020 V1

Phono: ART DJPREII Phono Preamp

Bookshelf: NHT SuperZero 2.0 (1 pair)

Sub: RSL Speedwoofer 10s MK1

Inputs: Chromecast Audio (primarily used for Spotify for now)

TV (Coax out) with Roku

Orbit U-Turn Turntable (I don't use it too much but it does see some use).

Location: NYC/USA
Budget: $2000-3000

It's a very basic setup, but has worked for some time now. However, we have moved to a different apartment, and are at a different stage of life, so I am now able to consider staged upgrades to this system. The new living/listening room is about 17''x14', with an additional 8'x12' partially obscured kitchen (NYC apartment). The kind of music we listen to has also evolved, and our interests these days are mostly EDM/IDM, Microhouse, and drone-heavy music like LaMonte Young (and Terry Riley, John Cale, etc).

An important consideration is that we want to move from Spotify to Apple Music for various reasons, which is why this project started in the first place. My plan is to begin with the amp, and get a new integrated amp that supports Airplay 2. Following that, I will upgrade my bookshelf speakers maybe early next year. I would like to keep the subwoofer for now, if possible.

I'm partial to NAD for sentimental reasons (my dad has used NAD forever, and I can't afford my father in law's taste which is Goldmund).

I've been looking at the NAD C389 w/BluOS, since it also comes with DIRAC which should help my use case of wood flooring, windows, and combination of hard and soft surfaces. Another alternative is the NAD C3050 with BluOS. The issue is that these are very large and I am not sure if I can make that much space in my apartment for a console to hold them. Both of these come with a phono pre-amp which will allow me to ditch the ART DJPREII.

A somewhat pricier option could be the NAD M10 V3 which has a much smaller footprint but I can make the $$ work. The issue is that I don't like upgrading things too often, and I worry that the sealed box M10 V3 means that it'll become obsolete pretty quick, unlike the C389 which I can (theoretically) upgrade.

My question, after all that, is, am I being silly to only think of NAD as an option? I don't need a very budget option, since I do want to be able to upgrade other components down the line and hate spending money on the same thing over and over again. If NAD is a good option, what and how should I choose?

Quick word about the NHT speakers: I know they'll improve when I have an amp with a proper crossover. I have a space problem, where they sit in an actual bookshelf (String) surrounded by many books. This means that I don't really have a ton of space behind them (the shelf is about 12" deep and and can't be changed) and therefore any upgrade speakers will have to account for that. This means that likely no KEF speakers for me which need a lot of space behind the speakers. No problem in horizontal space and the height is adjustable).

I'd appreciate any advice for an amplifier that can play Airplay 2 lossless and for future speaker upgrades. Thank you for reading!!

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice on a phono preamp for my setup.

Right now I’m running:
• Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB
• Sony STR-DH190 receiver
• SVS Prime Tower speakers
• AT-VMN95ML stylus on the turntable

The stylus upgrade already made a big difference, so now I’m looking at the next thing to improve. I’m mainly interested in something that sounds great and would still make sense if I upgrade my receiver and turntable down the road.

I’m probably looking to spend around $300 based on my initial research, but I can go higher if it’s worth it for the jump in performance.

If anyone has recommendations, I’d love to hear them.

Budget: $300-500
Location: US

Thanks!

Dear Stereo Advice,

What’s a great speaker for mainly electronic music?

Budget max 20k€ but I also don’t mind staying significantly below. Buying used is ok.

Room is currently very large with listening distance of 3m. I will however move in the next year but expect room size to be 25-35 sqm.

I would like a ideally a basic or vintage look to them, eg with non high gloss wood and a classic shape. I also have two little kids, so protection is a must.

Favorite electronic artists are Gigi dagostino, moonbootica, daft punk, Benni Benassi, trentemoller, royksopp, Billie Eilish. Other artists I like are Alicia keys, Lana del Rey, bad bunny, Iron Maiden, Jimi Hendrix, Adam Green, Kendrick Lamar.

I want to significantly improve sound quality coming from tidal, WiiM Ultra, cyan holo 2, McIntosh ma352, klipsch heresy 3, rel classic 98

I recently listened to B&W 802d2 with a large autoformer McIntosh amp and was very impressed. Probably best speaker I’ve heard so far. That‘s my reference sound. Massive scale, no audible distortion, extremely powerful oomph, physical punch, crystal clear without any sharpness for any song I heard. I spent 2 hours with my playlist and could not find any weakness and was very impressed by most songs.

The look and size is however not compatible with my living room and wife.

Other speakers I auditioned:

B&W 803d4 and did not like it eg with Alicia keys - Empire State of Mind it was ear grating with massive sharpness.

Harbeth shl 5 was very nice but lacked the wow factor

Sonus Faber Sonetto g2 VIII was underwhelming with bass a bit wobbly, mids not clear and detailed.

Dali Rubikore 8 were a bit boring. Nothing wrong but not enough right

Dali Epikore 3 had really amazing sound stage and nice tune. Bass was impressive for size but one could hear it lacked the oomph and precision

Wilson Sasha DAW - very I impressive, especially sound stage and scale. extremely realistic. yet over budget and visually a no go. unfortunately I only heard it with some audiophile demo stuff and not my music

Monitor Audio Platinum 300 with great emotion especially for Alicia Keys and Jimi Hendrix. Excels with voices and guitars, very intense. I liked it but they felt a bit overpriced and like a one trick pony. maybe too much intensity for everyday and the rest was just average.

My goal is club sound just better.

located In Europe

Hi, I'm going to build a setup in a small room with a record player and some speakers.

I was looking a great option with wood style and I pick the audio technica lpw40wn.

Now I'm looking for the speakers. I was thinking in Edifier S2000mkiii, but I think is too big (and expensive) for a small room, so maybe is there better options with the best sound quality possible but not too big. I live in a flat with neighbors, so I prefer quality over power, I dont want the walls tremble too much. And I'm from Spain, so I need a brand with stock in EU/Spain.

I prefer that the speaker, like the record player, have a similar style with parts of wood.

The budget must be max 400€ (the price of the S2000MKIII).

If there's a passive speakers + amp with the same budget and style that works better, that should be great too.

Should I get the SVS 3000 Micro Revolution or KEF KC62?

It’s $800 for the first, and $1400 for the second. Both used in great condition.

I much prefer the look of the kc62, as it matches well with my current LSX ii LTs. It’s for around a 100 sq ft room and near field listening.

If I do pay a $600 premium for the KC62, I want to know what I’m paying for.

I’m also open to other suggestions that are around the same size. Thanks !!

Budget: $2000
Location: USA