Advice for first HiFi System

[itsluden]

I’m located in the US and am open to new or used equipment.

I’m looking for a stereo setup for my living room (11-ft high ceilings; listening position about 12 ft from the speakers). The system will be placed next to the TV (speakers positioned in red and sub in black in the diagram above). Because this will be shared use with extended family, I’m looking for a sound that isn’t overly bright or clinical, with a solid low end.

Budget: $2,500 – $3,500
Usage: ~50% movies, ~50% music (jazz, electronic, classical, rock, pop, R&B, rap)

I’m not entirely sure which speakers, subwoofer, and amplifier/receiver combination would make the most sense for this room size and mixed usage.

Some options I’ve looked at (in no particular order of preference):

Speakers
• KEF Q11
• Wharfedale Super Lintons
• KEF R5

Subwoofer
• RSL Speedwoofer 10s Mk2

Amplifier
• Wiim Amp Ultra

 

[pablolie]

NAD D3020 may also be a solid candidate. I prefer the LS50 with a sub (the D3020 handles it well), but enjoy the journey.

 

[DMill]

Let’s start with the good news. In your budget you can build a great system. I’d add some sort of room correction into the equation.

But here’s the bad news. You have about a million different options and different ways to get there. You are going to hear opinions about active speakers, different brands vs others, etc. Also, as thorough as you are trying to be to describe your room I can ask 10 more questions about just your room alone. That’s not even counting personal preferences for little things like, do you need HDMI or are you looking to be able to expand your system? There is no one correct answer to your question.

If it makes you feel better I personally like all the options you’ve listed so far. They might not be my first choice but none seem bad based on measurements I’ve seen.

 

[itsluden]

Let’s start with the good news. In your budget you can build a great system. I’d add some sort of room correction into the equation.

But here’s the bad news. You have about a million different options and different ways to get there. You are going to hear opinions about active speakers, different brands vs others, etc. Also, as thorough as you are trying to be to describe your room I can ask 10 more questions about just your room alone. That’s not even counting personal preferences for little things like, do you need HDMI or are you looking to be able to expand your system? There is no one correct answer to your question.

If it makes you feel better I personally like all the options you’ve listed so far. They might not be my first choice but none seem bad based on measurements I’ve seen.

Yeah, I definitely understand that opinions will vary. It does help to know that the options I’ve chosen seem solid. Are there any specs I should be especially mindful of (amp power, etc.), or anything in particular I should keep an eye on or avoid as I work through this build? I’ll definitely be aiming to listen in person where possible.

 

[suttondesign]

Large space, long listening distance. I would look for large mains since standing waves are not too bad in that large space. And narrower directivity because of the corner. I would pick the biggest revel you can afford and skip the sub.

 

[Power Pop 23]

Yeah, I definitely understand that opinions will vary. It does help to know that the options I’ve chosen seem solid. Are there any specs I should be especially mindful of (amp power, etc.), or anything in particular I should keep an eye on or avoid as I work through this build? I’ll definitely be aiming to listen in person where possible.

Welcome to ASR !

The amplifier and loudspeakers you have listed are solid, low-risk, options.

The WiiM Amp Ultra's 'RoomFit' room correction feature can mitigate differences amongst the loudspeakers while offering Parametric EQ to adjust the sound profile as desired.

 

[CD2]

Your choices look good. If you have time to audition, and depending where you are, used speakers may also be interesting in this price range. E.g. here in Seattle is what a local shop has right now: https://www.hawthornestereo.com/used-gear/speakers/used-floorstanding-speakers/

 

[DanielT]

I’m located in the US and am open to new or used equipment.

I’m looking for a stereo setup for my living room (11-ft high ceilings; listening position about 12 ft from the speakers). The system will be placed next to the TV (speakers positioned in red and sub in black in the diagram above). Because this will be shared use with extended family, I’m looking for a sound that isn’t overly bright or clinical, with a solid low end.

Budget: $2,500 – $3,500
Usage: ~50% movies, ~50% music (jazz, electronic, classical, rock, pop, R&B, rap)

I’m not entirely sure which speakers, subwoofer, and amplifier/receiver combination would make the most sense for this room size and mixed usage.

Some options I’ve looked at (in no particular order of preference):

Speakers
• KEF Q11
• Wharfedale Super Lintons
• KEF R5

Subwoofer
• RSL Speedwoofer 10s Mk2

Amplifier
• Wiim Amp Ultra

But why "only" two-channel stereo? You said 50% movie. In that case, why not consider a home theater system?
Fully equipped 11.2 (or 7.2.4) Dolby Atmos:

...or some other home theater setup with fewer channels/speakers?
I'm not a home theater guy so tips and advice on such solutions, if there is interest, more knowledgeable people here can give you tips and advice.

 

[dominikz]

Speakers
• KEF Q11
• Wharfedale Super Lintons
• KEF R5

Subwoofer
• RSL Speedwoofer 10s Mk2

Amplifier
• Wiim Amp Ultra

IMHO that should be a pretty great system with any of those speakers! I'd just add a miniDSP UMIK-1.
Good luck and enjoy!

 

[itsluden]

IMHO that should be a pretty great system with any of those speakers! I'd just add a miniDSP UMIK-1.
Good luck and enjoy!

That's definitely on the list once the setup is finalized!

 

[dominikz]

Speakers
• KEF Q11
• Wharfedale Super Lintons
• KEF R5

Regarding you speaker choice: it might be worth mentioning that from the spins we see that both KEFs have narrower directivity than the Lintons.
The Lintons should therefore present a wider, more enveloping soundstage, whereas the KEFs should present more focused imaging.
You might prefer one or the other kind of presentation, it is a pure preference thing.

Looking at out-of-the-box tonality it seems Lintons should be the brightest of these, and Q11 the warmest.
Note that you can always adjust tonality with EQ, but not directivity.

Lastly, Lintons have the highest specified sensitivity, with R5 the lowest. That means Lintons should play a little bit louder when driven with the same amp. This may be a factor in a big room.

These speakers should all sound noticeably different, but all of them are definitely good choices.
Hope some of this information helps you!

 

[itsluden]

Regarding you speaker choice: it might be worth mentioning that from the spins we see that both KEFs have narrower directivity than the Lintons.
The Lintons should therefore present a wider, more enveloping soundstage, whereas the KEFs should present more focused imaging.
You might prefer one or the other kind of presentation, it is a pure preference thing.

Looking at out-of-the-box tonality it seems Lintons should be the brightest of these, and Q11 the warmest.
Note that you can always adjust tonality with EQ, but not directivity.

Lastly, Lintons have the highest specified sensitivity, with R5 the lowest. That means Lintons should play a little bit louder when driven with the same amp. This may be a factor in a big room.

These speakers should all sound noticeably different, but all of them are definitely good choices.
Hope some of this information helps you!

Thank you, this info is very helpful! I’m leaning toward speakers with wider horizontal directivity, though I’m slightly concerned about the proximity of the sidewall. My understanding is that the Lintons have a narrower vertical listening window, where moving significantly above or below the intended listening height can lead to changes in tonal balance as well.

 

[Mort]

Another wide directivity option is Philharmonic Audio. A pair of BMR monitors ($2k) and a Rythmik L12 ($1k) will run great off a Wiim Amp Ultra and be within budget.

 

[dominikz]

Thank you, this info is very helpful! I’m leaning toward speakers with wider horizontal directivity, though I’m slightly concerned about the proximity of the sidewall.

The proximity of the right sidewall to the right speaker will likely cause an SBIR notch somewhere in mid-bass - exact frequency depends on the distance from middle of woofer to sidewall. If you can keep this distance over 4ft you should be OK (assuming you use an 80Hz crossover to sub).
Lack of symmetry is not ideal, but probably not a dealbreaker.

Lintons have a narrower vertical listening window, where moving significantly above or below the intended listening height can lead to changes in tonal balance as well.

TBH I wouldn't be that concerned about it if you're listening at a distance.
The response seems to be good within about ±10-15° vertically, which gives a pretty solid vertical spread (e.g. at 10ft listening distance you should get minimal tonality shift even if you move your head 2-3ft up or down from the optimal axis).

But it is true that both R5 and Q11 keep consistent tonality over a wider area vertically.