a1 audioengine with svs sub

[christaras]

Hi guys this is my first post in the forum. Its been a joy to read and learn so many things about audio in this forum and from guys that do not want to show off but to really help others with their knowledge. I could really use your help here.
I have the audioengine 1 on my desk i have limited space with wall at the back of the speakers, also the room is small to medium square feet. I want to ask you about an upgrade. I allready have a zen dac v2 and the most use of my speakers use is for music (tidal/youtube) casual listening. I am reading the forum non stop for a while but i am not able to confident decide what to do. Let me brake it down.

• Option 1 add a sub to the set up because i really like bass and i like how the speakers sound for the most part but the small driver is a very limiting factor when the bass kicks. I was looking for a sub and i was thinking to buy the svs 1000 (the cheapest in my country 699usd.... )i can buy old or new model (i was reading that almost any cheaper category sub doesnt worth the purchase please correct me if i got this part wrong). So is it possible to connect DAC--SVS--A1 in order for the A1 to play only above 110 hz??
• Option 2 i can stretch the desk size and buy Kanto yu6 (YU didnt score well in Amirs test although i would prefer those for the size) or a passive set up with amp (compact) able to play well at wall placement for the same price/size? It wont be the same as the bass that a sub can provide for sure but in comparison with A1 i believe it will be an improvement in every way. (Cambridge Audio Minx XL?)
• Option 3 Studio monitors but is a no go for me for many reasons size/limitation of connectivity/expensive xlr adaptor for the dac/his noise.

The goal is to improve the experience in any way possible in this budget 500-600 usd and also look good or at least decent.
I have no problem going with a passive speaker set up but in my case the limitations of a passive speaker placed to a wall/play good in a close placement to my ears (size max kanto yu6 size) and with the provided budget is very hard to make the call and buy something.
Sorry for the long post if anyone can provide some help please do. Thank you in advance and feel free to correct me (i am new to the audio speaker world) Also my current volume of my system is more than ok i never play very loud.

 

[KantoLiving]

Feel free to message me directly if you have any specific questions about our YU6. Hope the community can help narrow down your choices.

 

[Trdat]

1. Once you go sub, you can't go back. Even the SVS1000 has its limitations but yes, I wouldn't purchase anything less than that standard, its not a bad sub I am just not happy with the cabinet structure but that is me personally.
2. Going from a bookshelf speaker to another bookshelf speaker, if I have understood correctly that is what the audioengine 1 and the YU6 are, then I personally don't consider a move across to another similar type of speaker an upgrade.
3. Going from bookshelf speaker to a Studio monitor is also not an upgrade.

An upgrade is considered say, going from a bookshelf speaker to a 3 way tower or a larger 3 way or even a larger 2 way, or a massive horn speaker or adding dual subs with proper integration. The perceived difference that you will get from speaker to speaker is often mismal and placebo unless of course we are talking a significantly better measured speaker that ticks more boxes. Disclaimer, I do not know either of those speakers nor how they measure, I am just giving a breakdown of how you should move forward with planning an upgrade.

But as you have space limitations I understand that you need to think wisely, and I still recommend the basics, go bigger, sub intergration and DSP. If you really are thinking speaker as an upgrade than go with the directiva project or something that can give you decent bass with its woofer. Personally, I would go dual subs you can get the second sub in due time and a minidsp to integrate it well.

 

[christaras]

Thank you for the reply. I know the sub feeling and i couldnt agree more. In my setup is it possible with the connection DAC--SVS--A1 for the A1 to play only above 110 hz only??

 

[Trdat]

Thank you for the reply. I know the sub feeling and i couldnt agree more. In my setup is it possible with the connection DAC--SVS--A1 for the A1 to play only above 110 hz only??

Your DAC's RCA output will feed into your active speakers and does not have any extra outputs. But, it seems your Audioengine speakers do have a subwoofer output and should have some type of out to use for a sub. You can use the crossover on the sub to set around 110hz but this is only a low pass so the sub won't play above this and your main speakers will still play content below 110hz output. This is not considered a seamless integration but its not bad at all, I have tried it and it works but the entire purpose of adding subs is to take away the low energy from the smaller woofer which ultimately gives them better clarity and significanty more output (plus a number of other reasons), which come to your question whether you can make the A! play only above 110hz. There might be a way to use Equalizer APO to roll off the main speakers or to cut off below your crossover point but I have no idea how to limit it to the speakers when the sub is connected through the main speakers amplifier connecting them as one.

Your second option is connecting them both to a minidsp and having full DSP control including time alignment. This approach needs further research, and another $200 dollars. The above method should suffice as a decent upgrade but of course the extended goal should be dual subs(maybe not in your case cause your sitting on your desk) some DSP control for subs which the new SVS subs do have but they wont have time alignment as the main speakers need to be delayed not the subs in order to meet the timing of the sub, minidsp will give you that. Equalizer APO does as well, but have no idea how to implement that, its free but a steep learning curve.

 

[christaras]

Thanks for the help again. If i send the rca from the dac to the sub and from the sub to the speakers it wont sent only the crossover i set on the sub to the speakers ? My A1 have a sub output but as you mentioned the entire purpose of adding subs is to take away the low energy from the smaller woofer.

 

[Trdat]

Thanks for the help again. If i send the rca from the dac to the sub and from the sub to the speakers it wont sent only the crossover i set on the sub to the speakers ? My A1 have a sub output but as you mentioned the entire purpose of adding subs is to take away the low energy from the smaller woofer.

You can't send it that way, its the A1 that has the subwoofer out. I am going to say that you have come up with a concept that I am not 100% sure about because the sub technically also has an out but your sending a full range signal to the sub and the sub has a crossover at maximum 160hz so from my understanding it won't play anything above so the answer is no it won't work.

Rolling off the energy from the A1 woofer needs some type of DSP, either software based on hardware based such as the minidsp. But, like i said its a decent integration it all depends on the natural roll off of the A1 it could blend nicely. If your edging for an upgrade this is a good way to start of with to understand how things work and you can easily add a minidsp later while attempting to see if its worth your while learning free DSP software. Alternatively you can purchase an active analog crossover whic usually works at about 24db roll off that can work better nothing in between which will essentially work as a high pass and low pass and then use free software DSP.

The below denotes the steps of upgrades and general educational steps

1. Adding sub with the natural roll off of the sub and speaker such as using a an out of the speaker or adding an analog crossover inbetween.
2. Some sort of DSP either free or minidsp. Minidsp will act as crossover and DAC.
3. A more advanced DSP something like Audiolense or Acuratte which can work with an analog crossover, giving you full correction along the entire frequency.
4. Digital crossovers with the more advanced DSP in which you set crossover point with a convolution.

I would stick to number 1 and start researching 2 then once your confident in what minidsp does, you can add it in.

 

[Vict0r]

Sell the A1's and add that to your budget. Get a Presonus SUB8 ($200, XLR-in, so you just route the monitors through the sub and cut them off there), get a pair of forum favourite active monitors like the JBL305 MKII and put those on stands behind your desk if there's no room on top of it. Pull the desk a bit forward if you've got it directly against the wall now. Set!

Those A1's will hold you back. I used to own a pair for a little while, but sold them since it's not just bass they're lacking.

 

[christaras]

You can't send it that way, its the A1 that has the subwoofer out. I am going to say that you have come up with a concept that I am not 100% sure about because the sub technically also has an out but your sending a full range signal to the sub and the sub has a crossover at maximum 160hz so from my understanding it won't play anything above so the answer is no it won't work.

Rolling off the energy from the A1 woofer needs some type of DSP, either software based on hardware based such as the minidsp. But, like i said its a decent integration it all depends on the natural roll off of the A1 it could blend nicely. If your edging for an upgrade this is a good way to start of with to understand how things work and you can easily add a minidsp later while attempting to see if its worth your while learning free DSP software. Alternatively you can purchase an active analog crossover whic usually works at about 24db roll off that can work better nothing in between which will essentially work as a high pass and low pass and then use free software DSP.

The below denotes the steps of upgrades and general educational steps

1. Adding sub with the natural roll off of the sub and speaker such as using a an out of the speaker or adding an analog crossover inbetween.
2. Some sort of DSP either free or minidsp. Minidsp will act as crossover and DAC.
3. A more advanced DSP something like Audiolense or Acuratte which can work with an analog crossover, giving you full correction along the entire frequency.
4. Digital crossovers with the more advanced DSP in which you set crossover point with a convolution.

I would stick to number 1 and start researching 2 then once your confident in what minidsp does, you can add it in.

Thank you again for the information.

 

[christaras]

Sell the A1's and add that to your budget. Get a Presonus SUB8 ($200, XLR-in, so you just route the monitors through the sub and cut them off there), get a pair of forum favourite active monitors like the JBL305 MKII and put those on stands behind your desk if there's no room on top of it. Pull the desk a bit forward if you've got it directly against the wall now. Set!

Those A1's will hold you back. I used to own a pair for a little while, but sold them since it's not just bass they're lacking.

Thank you for the response. As i mentioned above

• Option 3 Studio monitors but is a no go for me for many reasons size/limitation of connectivity/expensive xlr adaptor for the dac/his noise.

My desk is 120x60 so putting a speaker more than 27d is a no go.
I was thinking 3 options either the YU6 (but the 2 year warranty for 500e is very scary and not being able to repair them)
Cambridge Audio Minx XL
Whaferdale d310
with AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 or Loxjie A30 (if it worths the extra cash)

 

[Trdat]

Thank you again for the information.

Welcome!

And just so there is no confusion with a few different ideas flooring around, I do agree with Victor about the A1 holding you back.

I looked into them and you can get a very decent speaker with more bass output that can essentially give you a decent perceived upgrade.

My direction for the subwoofer still stands as always the best upgrade but if your main speakers are flawed then it could be worth starting from a good pair of speakers.

 

[christaras]

Welcome!

And just so there is no confusion with a few different ideas flooring around, I do agree with Victor about the A1 holding you back.

I looked into them and you can get a very decent speaker with more bass output that can essentially give you a decent perceived upgrade.

My direction for the subwoofer still stands as always the best upgrade but if your main speakers are flawed then it could be worth starting from a good pair of speakers.

Any recommendation is welcome.

 

[EdTice]

Hi guys this is my first post in the forum. Its been a joy to read and learn so many things about audio in this forum and from guys that do not want to show off but to really help others with their knowledge. I could really use your help here.
I have the audioengine 1 on my desk i have limited space with wall at the back of the speakers, also the room is small to medium square feet. I want to ask you about an upgrade. I allready have a zen dac v2 and the most use of my speakers use is for music (tidal/youtube) casual listening. I am reading the forum non stop for a while but i am not able to confident decide what to do. Let me brake it down.

• Option 1 add a sub to the set up because i really like bass and i like how the speakers sound for the most part but the small driver is a very limiting factor when the bass kicks. I was looking for a sub and i was thinking to buy the svs 1000 (the cheapest in my country 699usd.... )i can buy old or new model (i was reading that almost any cheaper category sub doesnt worth the purchase please correct me if i got this part wrong). So is it possible to connect DAC--SVS--A1 in order for the A1 to play only above 110 hz??
• Option 2 i can stretch the desk size and buy Kanto yu6 (YU didnt score well in Amirs test although i would prefer those for the size) or a passive set up with amp (compact) able to play well at wall placement for the same price/size? It wont be the same as the bass that a sub can provide for sure but in comparison with A1 i believe it will be an improvement in every way. (Cambridge Audio Minx XL?)
• Option 3 Studio monitors but is a no go for me for many reasons size/limitation of connectivity/expensive xlr adaptor for the dac/his noise.

The goal is to improve the experience in any way possible in this budget 500-600 usd and also look good or at least decent.
I have no problem going with a passive speaker set up but in my case the limitations of a passive speaker placed to a wall/play good in a close placement to my ears (size max kanto yu6 size) and with the provided budget is very hard to make the call and buy something.
Sorry for the long post if anyone can provide some help please do. Thank you in advance and feel free to correct me (i am new to the audio speaker world) Also my current volume of my system is more than ok i never play very loud.

There have been a lot of comments here, so I want to try to take this back to the beginning. Adding the SVS 1000 is a great choice for any speaker system and even if you make other upgrades later, you will be able to continue to happily use it. That sub is capable enough to pair with even very high-end speakers for music listening. Sorry that they are expensive in your country. They are US500 new here in the US. Note the the SVS 1000 Pro and the SVS 1000 are different subs. Both are really good but my comments here apply to the SVS 1000 and would need to be edited if you get the Pro.

You don't want a crossover at 110Hz. The bass will be localizable and it isn't necessary. Take the output of the DAC and run it to the RCA input SVS subwoofer. Set the crossover at 80Hz to match the high-pass outputs. Then take the "output" of the SUB and run it via RCA cables to your speakers. If you're still not happy we will look at upgrading other components. You mentioned "Audioengine 1." Can you be more specific. Is this the "A1" or some other model. This will give you significantly better audio and is a good starting point to continue to learn and maybe upgrade in the future.

 

[christaras]

There have been a lot of comments here, so I want to try to take this back to the beginning. Adding the SVS 1000 is a great choice for any speaker system and even if you make other upgrades later, you will be able to continue to happily use it. That sub is capable enough to pair with even very high-end speakers for music listening. Sorry that they are expensive in your country. They are US500 new here in the US. Note the the SVS 1000 Pro and the SVS 1000 are different subs. Both are really good but my comments here apply to the SVS 1000 and would need to be edited if you get the Pro.

You don't want a crossover at 110Hz. The bass will be localizable and it isn't necessary. Take the output of the DAC and run it to the RCA input SVS subwoofer. Set the crossover at 80Hz to match the high-pass outputs. Then take the "output" of the SUB and run it via RCA cables to your speakers. If you're still not happy we will look at upgrading other components. You mentioned "Audioengine 1." Can you be more specific. Is this the "A1" or some other model. This will give you significantly better audio and is a good starting point to continue to learn and maybe upgrade in the future.

Thank you for your time. So here the 2 subs price difference is 50 usd so do you recommend the old model or the new one? Please tell me the differnce in connection with the latest sub model (i really like the app to control the settings) I have the Audioengine A1.

 

[EdTice]

Thank you for your time. So here the 2 subs price difference is 50 usd so do you recommend the old model or the new one? Please tell me the differnce in connection with the latest sub model (i really like the app to control the settings) I have the Audioengine A1.

Sorry I see from the title that this is the Audioengine a1 even though the post just says "1."

I am not qualified to make a recommendation between the two SVS models. Both are very capable and you will be happy with either one. Somebody else might be able to offer you advice in that area.

The SB1000 has RCA outputs that are "high pass filtered." The SB1000 Pro has RCA outputs that carry the full signal. If you go with the SB1000, you can set everything up as I suggested above and you will be happy. If you go with the SB1000 Pro, you will have to use the subwoofer outs on the A1. Hopefully there is some information in the Audioengine app because the manual doesn't say much about their abilities.

You should probably figure out how that works anyway as those settings will affect the A1s performance. Again I can't help there because the manual for the A1 is non-existent.

 

[christaras]

Thank you for the help. If you can suggest 2 speakers active or passive up to 500e with amp with a size no bigger than kanto yu6 (6.9” W x 8.1” D x 10.7” H (17.5 x 20.5 x 27.2 cm) please let me know.

 

[EdTice]

Thank you for the help. If you can suggest 2 speakers active or passive up to 500e with amp with a size no bigger than kanto yu6 (6.9” W x 8.1” D x 10.7” H (17.5 x 20.5 x 27.2 cm) please let me know.

Those are very exact physical dimensions. Hopefully somebody else has an idea. If you can tolerate a bit larger, Kali Lp6-v2 are all the rage around here and I'm very happyw ith mine

 

[christaras]

Any ideas with this combo ?
Cambridge Audio Minx XL
AIYIMA A07 TPA3255

 

[EdTice]

Those are very exact physical dimensions. Hopefully somebody else has an idea. If you can tolerate a bit larger, Kali Lp6-v2 are all the rage around here and I'm very happy with mine

Here's what you can do. Go to this page. Start at the beginning. Google the dimensions of the recommended speakers. Start with the lowest cost bracket and work your way up until you find ones of the size you want or you decide that you'd rather compromise on size than budget! Sorry these are for USA so you may have to double-check local prices

Active Speaker Recommendations for USA (by @sweetchaos)

I'm constantly asked which speakers to purchase...so, here you go! :D This guide is for ACTIVE speakers. For PASSIVE speakers go here. Click on the "Spoiler" buttons below to expand each section. Readme: Legend: Active Speakers (aka Studio Monitors): Bookshelf speakers (when turned 90deg)...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[christaras]

Here's what you can do. Go to this page. Start at the beginning. Google the dimensions of the recommended speakers. Start with the lowest cost bracket and work your way up until you find ones of the size you want or you decide that you'd rather compromise on size than budget! Sorry these are for USA so you may have to double-check local prices

Active Speaker Recommendations for USA (by @sweetchaos)

I'm constantly asked which speakers to purchase...so, here you go! :D This guide is for ACTIVE speakers. For PASSIVE speakers go here. Click on the "Spoiler" buttons below to expand each section. Readme: Legend: Active Speakers (aka Studio Monitors): Bookshelf speakers (when turned 90deg)...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Thanks i did this previously but all the speakers are too big for my space. Except this Polk Audio XT15??