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Amplifier for KEF R3 Meta
- Thread starter Pawnshop123
- Start date
nygafre
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Ressurrecting this thread a bit.. still happy with the Powernode (despite the recent review) + R3 Meta combination. But as some members pointed out, it is quite inflexible w/ regards to connectivity etc.
Have been thinking about the A-S701.. but I am also debating whether I should go for a room correction solution and get something like the Yamaha R-N800a or the 1000a (stretching my budget).
Any verdicts out there on YPAO?
What I find lacking a bit atm is more tactile bass. (I almost want to use the expression ‘tuneful’). As of now the Metas have great scale/impact, but feels like I’m missing some energy down the mid-lows.
I.e. when using my Airpods I can follow the bass lines so clearly (..and it makes me happy). Perhaps it is just the common challenge of speaker-room interaction.
Have been thinking about the A-S701.. but I am also debating whether I should go for a room correction solution and get something like the Yamaha R-N800a or the 1000a (stretching my budget).
Any verdicts out there on YPAO?
What I find lacking a bit atm is more tactile bass. (I almost want to use the expression ‘tuneful’). As of now the Metas have great scale/impact, but feels like I’m missing some energy down the mid-lows.
I.e. when using my Airpods I can follow the bass lines so clearly (..and it makes me happy). Perhaps it is just the common challenge of speaker-room interaction.
YPAO is a good product, but it doesn't allow you to change the EQs to taste in these receivers, only the AVRs with it allow that.
If you are serious with room correction, i would get a MiniDSP 2x4HD or better yet, a MiniDSP Flex. Also, i would add two subwoofers.
That sounds like a serious investment, and it is, but it gets you to the state of the art with your speakers.
As for amplification, the MiniDSP Flex (i added a RPiZero2 with Moode as a strreamer) is a good preamp with plenty of connections. All you need is a power amp. A solid pairing would be a power amp based on the NC252MP modules.
So my perfect shopping list to add to the KEF R3 Meta would look this:
- 1x MiniDSP UMIK1 (100€)
- 1x MiniDSP Flex (600€)
- 2x SVS-SB1000 (2x500€)
- 1x Audiophonics NC252MP amp (500€)
- PC, Laptop, Tablet, Phone using Bluetooth with LDAC
- TV using optical
- CD Player coaxial
- Phono preamp analog
- RPi with USB
nygafre
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Thank's for that considerate reply. I'v been circling around the miniDSP/Dirac sphere for some time too. I already have the UMIK-1, and I have dabbled with the free trial license of Dirac. Up til now, I've not been too keen to exchange one box for several ones (visual harmonic distortion, VHD). But I'm not discounting it completely.. actually when I look at it, it is not so bad at all.
Ah, you had to mention the Audiophonics.. I've come close a couple times to pulling the trigger on the integrated NC252 version. I can't have subs in my setup as of now, due to neighbours on the other side of my wall. But I borrowed my dads SVS PB1000 a couple weeks back, and definitely plan to add one or two in the future. (It was an awesome improvement, even just with one sub).
I guess I would also need to buy the lisence for Dirac with the Flex? Or do you mean I should add EQ manually (parametric)?
I want to add a little distinction. For my use case I watch quite a lot of movies... I would say about 60/40 for movies and music. For home theatre use I am already satisfied. The Powernode/R3 Meta combination is awesome for this particular use case and leaves me wanting nothing.
But I do think some things can improve for music. I even started thinking that I might miss the wider directivity of my older speakers a bit (for music).. but then again, everything about the Metas are so much better.
Last question, what about something like the NAD C399 w/ DIrac? Just to keep it one box.. what would I be missing compared to the miniDSP/Audiophonics setup?
Ah, you had to mention the Audiophonics.. I've come close a couple times to pulling the trigger on the integrated NC252 version. I can't have subs in my setup as of now, due to neighbours on the other side of my wall. But I borrowed my dads SVS PB1000 a couple weeks back, and definitely plan to add one or two in the future. (It was an awesome improvement, even just with one sub).
I guess I would also need to buy the lisence for Dirac with the Flex? Or do you mean I should add EQ manually (parametric)?
I want to add a little distinction. For my use case I watch quite a lot of movies... I would say about 60/40 for movies and music. For home theatre use I am already satisfied. The Powernode/R3 Meta combination is awesome for this particular use case and leaves me wanting nothing.
But I do think some things can improve for music. I even started thinking that I might miss the wider directivity of my older speakers a bit (for music).. but then again, everything about the Metas are so much better.
Last question, what about something like the NAD C399 w/ DIrac? Just to keep it one box.. what would I be missing compared to the miniDSP/Audiophonics setup?
I bought the license but haven't used it yet.
Soon, i'm sure of it! ;-)
I would prefer the Flex/NC252MP pair for flexibility and value. If you don't like to look at the devices, hide them behind something.
nygafre
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Ahh, so you apply the filters/EQ manually as of now?
Yes. That alone gives me a lot of added clarity, i can play louder without anything getting "smeared" over, if that makes sense.
There is a lot more that could be done, but my speakers change often, so i just fix my room modes in a generic way and take the tonality of the speakers as they are.
Rarely do i have speakers that really need to be fixed, such as the Klipsch RP600M.
Tonality seems to be something i can get accustomed to with time, for me speakers mostly differ in directivity/imaging, if i take a week or two tune my brain on to them.
It helps that i'm not particularly sophisticated in music taste or have trained hearing or something. I'm listening to very simple tunes, for me it's not about complexity, all i need is a nice beat and good melody to have a good time:
But one day i'll set up Dirac. I paid for it, so i will use it, whether i like it or not.
There is a lot more that could be done, but my speakers change often, so i just fix my room modes in a generic way and take the tonality of the speakers as they are.
Rarely do i have speakers that really need to be fixed, such as the Klipsch RP600M.
Tonality seems to be something i can get accustomed to with time, for me speakers mostly differ in directivity/imaging, if i take a week or two tune my brain on to them.
It helps that i'm not particularly sophisticated in music taste or have trained hearing or something. I'm listening to very simple tunes, for me it's not about complexity, all i need is a nice beat and good melody to have a good time:
But one day i'll set up Dirac. I paid for it, so i will use it, whether i like it or not.
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