Cheapo living room audio

[shuri]

I'm getting some audio on the cheap for my quite small living room for some music and TV shows.
I have a UMIK-1 and I can EQ or x-over using a HTPC.
As of now i'd get:
JBL Control 1 Pro (125€)
https://www.thomann.de/fi/jbl_control_1pro_wh_paar.htm
Old jap amp from ebay (50-90€)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Technics-S...ier/352686205401?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144
The JBLs weakness seems to be the low end. Locally, there's a fair amount of sub 100€ active subs from dubious brands. Perhaps one of those would be good with some EQ? For reference, my desktop 2.0 speakers go to -10dB@35hz and I'm not longing for a sub for those.
I'm not looking for home cinama tier audio, but I don't wanna buy junk.

 

[Berwhale]

You could buy a pair of JBL 305P MKII for similar money and dispense with the amp...

https://www.thomann.de/fi/jbl_lsr_305p_mkii.htm

You'll have to pay a bit more for white though...

https://www.thomann.de/fi/jbl_305p_mkii_white.htm

 

[JJB70]

How cheap is cheap? Although I am not one to spend needlessly I do think that sometimes paying a bit more makes sense. Have you considered wireless? Audiophiles might laugh but the truth is that some of the wireless speakers now are very good and if you have a small room may be worth considering.

 

[shuri]

You could buy a pair of JBL 305P MKII for similar money and dispense with the amp...

https://www.thomann.de/fi/jbl_lsr_305p_mkii.htm

You'll have to pay a bit more for white though...

https://www.thomann.de/fi/jbl_305p_mkii_white.htm

Hmm that's a good one. Actually, I could move my current slightly hissy 5in monitors to my living room and get some second hand passive ones for my desk. Silent active speakers seem to be just a dream.

 

[NTomokawa]

Lurk your local second-hand markets/classifieds to see if you can't pick something up at ridiculously low prices. That's my suggestion for folks who are looking for inexpensive but quality audio.

 

[shuri]

Lurk your local second-hand markets/classifieds to see if you can't pick something up at ridiculously low prices. That's my suggestion for folks who are looking for inexpensive but quality audio.

I could get KEF Q100s for 200€ and the amp in the OP for my desk.

 

[Berwhale]

Hmm that's a good one. Actually, I could move my current slightly hissy 5in monitors to my living room and get some second hand passive ones for my desk. Silent active speakers seem to be just a dream.

Yes, I do get some hiss out out my JBL 104's, I have to keep them below 70% volume. I'm using single ended input from my JDS Atom as the pre-amp. I'd be interested to know if a balanced connection would solve some or all of the hiss, however, I have no way to test this without a significant upgrade to my current desktop setup.

 

[daftcombo]

Yes, I do get some hiss out out my JBL 104's, I have to keep them below 70% volume. I'm using single ended input from my JDS Atom as the pre-amp. I'd be interested to know if a balanced connection would solve some or all of the hiss, however, I have no way to test this without a significant upgrade to my current desktop setup.

Not sure.
My JBL 305P mkII using the Atom as preamp has the same hiss when just on without being connected to anything.

The only advice I can give that reduced hum for me was to plug them on a separate outlet and the Atom and the CD player on another one.

 

[LeftCoastTim]

For low budget, decently loud sound, I have recommended JBL Bar Studio for friends and family. They are around $120, easy to setup, unobtrusive, and sounds pretty neutral (good).

If you could spend a little more and put up with some black boxes, JBL 305p’s are impossible to beat for price/performance. And you can get them in different colors (sometimes).

 

[shuri]

Ended up getting the KEF Q100s for 225€ and a Technics amp for my desk and retiring the active speakers to my living room.

 

[bigx5murf]

Ended up getting the KEF Q100s for 225€ and a Technics amp for my desk and retiring the active speakers to my living room.

View attachment 44232

I run a very similar setup on my desk. I've got much older Kef Uni-Q15.2. I'd love to try out the kef tangerine waveguide models if I ever found a deal on them someday.

I understand you're using that Technics on a desk and don't need much power. But as someone who's collected a lot of BPC, you'll find 80s Technics tends to lag behind much of the competition in THD and SNR. That's why from that era's integrated I tend to keep the Sony, JVC, Denon. I usually keep anything with a THD of 0.00x% and a SNR over 100 db.

 

[daftcombo]

Ended up getting the KEF Q100s for 225€ and a Technics amp for my desk and retiring the active speakers to my living room.

View attachment 44232

How do you like the KEF?

 

[shuri]

How do you like the KEF?

Don't have an amp for them yet, for now they just look mean on my desk. Though, my expections are to get similar sound signature after REW with better imaging and noise floor

I run a very similar setup on my desk. I've got much older Kef Uni-Q15.2. I'd love to try out the kef tangerine waveguide models if I ever found a deal on them someday.

I understand you're using that Technics on a desk and don't need much power. But as someone who's collected a lot of BPC, you'll find 80s Technics tends to lag behind much of the competition in THD and SNR. That's why from that era's integrated I tend to keep the Sony, JVC, Denon. I usually keep anything with a THD of 0.00x% and a SNR over 100 db.

Might've been biased for the Technics since I have a matching radio tuner on my desk I'll look around more if it ends up being insufficient

 

[Willem]

This should be fine for now. There are two snags with the amplifier. The first is that 2x30 watt is not that much, but should be OK for nearfield listening. The second is that the caps may be old, and in need of replacement. That would not normally be economical for an unit like this.

 

[bigx5murf]

Might've been biased for the Technics since I have a matching radio tuner on my desk I'll look around more if it ends up being insufficient

Not hating on Technics from that era, as I've said, I've owned a lot, and still have a SU-v98. I regard them as the toyota of that era's audio gear. They're reliable, but they definitely didn't have the performance specs of their competitors. Looking up the specs on your unit, shows a SNR of 86db for LINE. Lots of options from that era was already offering 100db+, whereas CD quality is supposed to be 96db.

 

[shuri]

Ok, getting to listen to the Technics + KEF combo took some time. Wired it up and took my calibration mic to it.

My listening room isn't quite optimal.. But if it sounds good, it's good right
I'm using the tone controls on the amp on top of the above chart, bass 2,5 up and treble -3 down.
The speakers don't have any audiable hiss from 1m away.. But the amp itself has some hum (100hz). Apparently the filter caps in it are "STK-based" and quite unobtainable.
I'm not an audiophile so I'm not gonna even try to describe how the kefs sound compared to my previous speakers (that are now in my living room (work quite well there)), but they are quite good.
Ended up costing 300€. Alright result.

 

[shuri]

The hum was coming from the transfromer and was amplfied by the casing. Messing with the screw tightnesses reduced the hum.
Few pics from the journey: