Bedroom Speaker Recommendation

[Deosneos]

Hello Everyone,

I've been reading audienscereview for several years now, I've bought several products based on amirm's suggestions (Topping dacs and amp, mostly). So thank you for this great community!

I'd like to ask some advice on a speaker purchase (possibly also streamer/amp). I have pretty bad tinitus and have been sleeping with thunderstorm sounds on a google smart speaker for a while now, and found it really helps me sleep.
As you can imagine, the rumble of thunder and the clarity of the raindrops leaves a lot to be desired on a smart speaker, so I'd like to get some bedroom speakers, but I am not sure what to get. I'd like to keep my overall budget under (or at least around) €500, and it would of course be nice if the speakers also sound pleasant for the occasional movie in bed or music during the day.

I was thinking of getting either a wiim amp, some passive speakers and perhaps a woofer (for the thunder, although I understand this would increase the budget). I'll mount the speakers on stands, as I cannot drill into the wall. I can build stands myself, that doesn't factor into the price.

Things that (I think, but I'm happy to learn why I'm wrong) are important to me are a low noise floor (sound will be off sometimes and I'm not looking for another disturbing tone), bass extension (thunder), off-axis performance (will be lying down a lot or walking around the room) and energy efficiency (will be on a lot).

I'd like to know your experience with similar setups or any informed advice you might have. Thank you!

 

[flowolf]

Difficult to keep the budget down.
If you can build your own speaker stands, maybe you can build the speakers too? then I would look into the Mecchano 23. Add a streamer /amp of your choice. (and maybe a sub one day)

Or go the smart speaker route and upgrade to a Sonos five.

 

[GXAlan]

The Era300 is nice but isn’t compatible with movies right now as a primary system.

 

[raindance]

I use an echo and am amazed at the quality. I actually prefer the sound of the round echo over the echo studio.

I use mine for the same purpose as you.

 

[Deosneos]

Difficult to keep the budget down.
If you can build your own speaker stands, maybe you can build the speakers too? then I would look into the Mecchano 23. Add a streamer /amp of your choice. (and maybe a sub one day)

Or go the smart speaker route and upgrade to a Sonos five.

Building my own speakers is certainly an option. Sourcing multiple parts might be tricky though (something with a kit would be nice), but I'll check how far I get with the Mecchano's!

As for the other smart speaker recommendations, chromecast compatibility (as the wiim has, I understand) would be prefered, I'm pretty integrated in the google ecosystem and not sure I want to branch out to a new type of casting. But good to hear I'm not alone!