3000€ first HiFi system

[kik]

Hi, I am going to purchase my first HiFi system and I’d like your opinion for getting the best out of my 3000€-3500€ budget.

I have all my music in FLAC locally on my computer. I’m in apartment with neighbours upside and below me, and the living room, where the system would be installed, is 27m2.
After 2 months of intensively reading product reviews and trying to understand the important of each component, I noticed that speakers and room correction software are important. DAC, amplifier, and cables come after. Therefore, my choice is:

• DAC: EverSolo DAC-Z6 for 450€. Seems decent, has USB inputs and VU meters.
• Power amp: Apollon Hyper NCx500 ST for 1200€. Low noise level and delivers 380W @ 8ohm.
• miniDSP's UMIK-1 for 100€ for the room measurement
• Speakers: with the remaining budget, I could go for:
  • MA Silver 200 7G for 1700€
  • Dali Opticon 6 MKII for 2000€
  • Focal Theva N°3 for 1700 €

My question here are:

• Does all of that is a coherent choice?
• Which speakers would you recommend?
• Is that amp “too” powerful for my relatively small room and speakers, and my damage them?
• The room correction software has to be installed on my computer, right? I saw the Room Measurement Tutorial for Dummies but I don’t understand how and where the correction part happens.

Thanks !

 

[delta76]

Is the VU meter important to you?
it's very unlikely the amp will damage your speakers. unless you like to play as loud as you can (And at that point your ears would get damage first)
do you want to expand to a home theatre ?

It does sound like to me your best deal is €500 for an used but decent AVR (Denon x3500h or even x3600h if you are lucky). €2000 for the speakers (plenty of choice), then the rest for a sub. with the AVR you have everything and then even room correction. Easy to expand to home theatre if you wish.
Of course if you want a pure "hifi" setup and SINAD is important to you then you can spend differently. The list of components you have is in the right direction

 

[Svet Angelov]

One important thing that could affect your choice of speakers is whether or not you would like to incorporate one (or two) subs in the system. However, since you haven't mentioned it, my guess is that you don't want to bother. In that case I would directly remove the Monitor Audio's from the list, as they are bass-shy.
The REW software is indeed for PC's. If you want to run DSP for other sources except USB, you'd need a minidsp2x4 or the likes.

 

[Svet Angelov]

Regarding speakers: in that price range I'd personally go for either KEF R7 or Wharfedale Lintons (and save some money with the latter). Though maybe the vintage look is not your thing.

 

[kik]

One important thing that could affect your choice of speakers is whether or not you would like to incorporate one (or two) subs in the system. However, since you haven't mentioned it, my guess is that you don't want to bother. In that case I would directly remove the Monitor Audio's from the list, as they are bass-shy.
The REW software is indeed for PC's. If you want to run DSP for other sources except USB, you'd need a minidsp2x4 or the likes.

Thanks your reply. Indeed I don't plan to add subs. I've selected the Monitor Audio because I thought they go low in the frequency and are able to handle bass efficiently. Seems I'm wrong based on your answer.
I read that the minidsp also acts as a DAC, so it would replace the EverSolo DAC-Z6?

 

[kik]

Is the VU meter important to you?
it's very unlikely the amp will damage your speakers. unless you like to play as loud as you can (And at that point your ears would get damage first)
do you want to expand to a home theatre ?

It does sound like to me your best deal is €500 for an used but decent AVR (Denon x3500h or even x3600h if you are lucky). €2000 for the speakers (plenty of choice), then the rest for a sub. with the AVR you have everything and then even room correction. Easy to expand to home theatre if you wish.
Of course if you want a pure "hifi" setup and SINAD is important to you then you can spend differently. The list of components you have is in the right direction

No, I would not expand to home theatre, I very rarely watch movies.
So does the x3600h still make sense or I should keep selecting "pure" HiFi compnents?

 

[delta76]

No, I would not expand to home theatre, I very rarely watch movies.
So does the x3600h still make sense or I should keep selecting "pure" HiFi compnents?

For me yes. It still provides a lot of value/features for the price. You won't hear difference between x3600h vs the components you chose. Not at normal listening level anyway (the hypex can get maybe 3dB louder).

 

[ZolaIII]

Only amp can stay. So it's Mini DSP Flex + UMIK-1 to Apolon and Warfadale Linton's (about 1200 € with stands and total about 3000€). You might or might not want a streamer like Wiim Mini (for a pocket change that it costs).
Sub's always help so you might want to reconsider for given budget to go with cheaper speakers and amplifier so that you have enough money left for a pair of solid budget 12" subwoofers. If that's the case see for what money you can find Yamaha A-S 700~800 range amplifier and Elac DBR62's with two SVS series 1000~2000 sub's. I know Flex availability and price in EU ain't great but think it's worth the fuss anyway.
If you menage to get first proposal for 3K € and get a single deacent 12" sub for 500€ or less (like SVS SB-1000) you can get there for stated max budget even that way (Linkwitz Riley @ 80 Hz is enough for Linton's).
Whatever you chose to do it's not a bad idea to wait a little bit more if that's the option to see if you can find something on discount on upcoming holiday season.
Best regards and have a nice time.

 

[aaddas]

Hegel 190 + JBL L82
And enjoy

 

[kik]

For me yes. It still provides a lot of value/features for the price. You won't hear difference between x3600h vs the components you chose. Not at normal listening level anyway (the hypex can get maybe 3dB louder).

I'll look at this alternative as I initially didn't consider the AVR at all because I only listen to music, rarely watch movies.
Just to confirm, with the x3600h I still would be able to directly plug it to my computer and transmit only audio data via HDMI to it ?

 

[delta76]

Hegel 190 + JBL L82
And enjoy

Do you even consider the budget?

 

[delta76]

I'll look at this alternative as I initially didn't consider the AVR at all because I only listen to music, rarely watch movies.
Just to confirm, with the x3600h I still would be able to directly plug it to my computer and transmit only audio data via HDMI to it ?

You can look it up but I think it has usb input?
My setup is shield + denon. I can cast whatever I like to avr. Tidal or youtube.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

Compelled to reply. Excellent Budget. It could even include everything to be happy for a long while. Longtime audiophile... here. My recent i system is the best I have had during my 50+ years as an audiophile. It is also the least expensive. Calling it "cheap" would be proper.
I would strongly suggest to center your system around a Denon AVR. We'll come to the why "Denon" specifically, later*. You can find AVR-X3500, 3600, 3700 for less than 1000 Euros, in immaculate shape.
You are left with 2500 Euros...
Get a miniDSP 2x4 HD + the Umik-1 Microphone, 400 euros? Perhaps Less
From there, you have a large choice bof speakers. I would suggest Kef R3 a sure bet.. about 1400 euros/pair
Get the Audyssey MultEQ-X Windows App, about 150 euros...
*At this point in time only Denon and Marantz AVR run Audyssey...
Download REW.

You then take a breath, think about a pair of inexpensive subwoofers, if you go for subwoofers, download MSO... and prepare yourself for a journey. The destination is a superior audio system that would belie its price and all the talk you hear, see or read in so many audio magazines, fora, websites, YouTube videos...

More on this later

I'll look at this alternative as I initially didn't consider the AVR at all because I only listen to music, rarely watch movies.
Just to confirm, with the x3600h I still would be able to directly plug it to my computer and transmit only audio data via HDMI to it ?

Yes.

Peace.

 

[Sputnik]

I would strongly suggest to center your system around a Denon AVR.
Get a miniDSP 2x4 HD + the Umik-1 Microphone, 400 euros? Perhaps Less
From there, you have a large choice bof speakers. I would suggest Kef R3 a sure bet.. about 1400 euros/pair
Get the Audyssey MultEQ-X Windows App, about 150 euros...
...
Download REW

The Denon, R3 (or R7, Linton), Umik-1 and dowloading REW are great advice.

But why add the Minidsp 2x4HD if he's not even adding subs? Doesn't seem like that makes much sense in the initial budget.

Same for the €150 Windows app. For most, certainly with a first system, that is far from a must-have.

Those may be fun add-ons in the future, if you like it as a hobby, but not in the initial budget and certainly not for someone who just wants to buy a good system and start listening with a minimal setup time. Those add-ons involve weeks of learning and tinkering.

 

[FrantzM]

The Denon, R3 (or R7, Linton), Umik-1 and dowloading REW are great advice.

But why add the Minidsp 2x4HD if he's not even adding subs? Doesn't seem like that makes much sense in the initial budget.

Same for the €150 Windows app. For most, certainly with a first system, that is far from a must-have.

Those may be fun add-ons in the future, if you like it as a hobby, but not in the initial budget and certainly not for someone who just wants to buy a good system and start listening with a minimal setup time. Those add-ons involve weeks of learning and tinkering.

I agree and that required that I change my posting .. completely.
Drop the Denon AVR and all the rest. You are not interested in tinkering. The miniDSP and UMik mentions had me thinking you wanted to.
You are in Europe. IMHO the best deal. A system that is close to set and forget;

Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 (Click here) 1500 euros. ( plus TVA/VTA). It comes with RoomPerfect that was favorably reviewed here
Kef R3 (or R7, Linton if you find a great deal) 1500 Euros.

Done.

Peace.

 

[Rotiv]

AUDIOPHONICS DAW-S250NC and a good pair of speakers!

 

[kik]

I agree and that required that I change my posting .. completely.
Drop the Denon AVR and all the rest. You are not interested in tinkering. The miniDSP and UMik mentions had me thinking you wanted to.
You are in Europe. IMHO the best deal. A system that is close to set and forget;

Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 (Click here) 1500 euros. ( plus TVA/VTA). It comes with RoomPerfect that was favorably reviewed here
Kef R3 (or R7, Linton if you find a great deal) 1500 Euros.

Done.

Peace.

I mentioned the UMik because I saw on another threat that room correction is not to be neglected. Therefore the Denon AVR-X3800H you were speaking about looked like a good advice. I'm starting to be lost now guys.

R7 seems to be be replaced with R7 Meta and that new versions is much more expensive.

 

[digitalfrost]

Do you need the "hifi" look? Are studio speakers an option? If you buy everything new anyway, why not go active directly and skip the amp. Both Neumann and Genelec have interesting speakers in your price range. You could also use their room correction software if you want (or try with free software first).

The room correction software has to be installed on my computer, right? I saw the Room Measurement Tutorial for Dummies but I don’t understand how and where the correction part happens.

You can use EqualizerAPO to apply correction system-wide, however this will only work when using DirectSound/MME, not ASIO or WASAPI. For me it's not a problem. If you only listen to music with your system, players like JRiver can do correction for you and I'm sure there's some free plugins for various audio players.

 

[FrantzM]

I mentioned the UMik because I saw on another threat that room correction is not to be neglected. Therefore the Denon AVR-X3800H you were speaking about looked like a good advice. I'm starting to be lost now guys.

R7 seems to be be replaced with R7 Meta and that new versions is much more expensive.

Lyngdorf has its own microphone...

Peace.

 

[Willem]

The Antimode X2 DAC/basic preamp is worth considering for its in-built very user-friendly dsp room equalization. If you need more imputs, there is the https://www.tindie.com/products/beni_skate/automatic-spdif-opticalrca-audio-switch/ for automatic switching between multiple optical and coaxial inputs.