Complete audio system with all inputs (vinyl, CD, streaming, others) - Nearfield Noob Notes

[Chrispy]

Honestly, you're kinda right about that. In the end, it really is just another way to listen to music. I could take those 800 dollars from the turntable, the phono, and the switcher to buy an electrostatic headphone with accompanying amplifier. I guess the real question is if vinyl's worth more to me than a wholly new way to hear music.

Decisions, decisions...

Listening to music accurately is nice. Using gear to mangle that, meh. Headphones aren't a great way to go in any case.

 

[GoneWithTheDess]

Listening to music accurately is nice. Using gear to mangle that, meh. Headphones aren't a great way to go in any case.

For me here I had the opportunity to listen to a very nice pair of electrostats when I was first picking out headphones (Stax SR-X9000 with a Blue Hawaii amplifier). I came in a few times and tested a lot of headphones with a lot of differing amplifiers, and nothing came close to matching the sheer detail and feeling that the electrostats did.

The main aim of my setup right now is trying to build out a full audio system that lets me enjoy different genres to their limit... speakers/subwoofers for EDM and a nice clear headphone for classical recordings. I'm sure the speakers can perform passably for that as well, but I doubt much at the price range I'm in can beat the entry level electrostat headphones for jazz/classical resolution. (RR1 Conquest/STAX LR-300 with EHA5 Amp).

I'm also trying to go into this with an eye on the future. I can get a better subwoofer in the future, and transfer my pair over to home theater. The same follows for the distributed components.

What would you recommend me do, then? I think my budget's reasonably balanced around everything I want to accomplish right now.

 

[Robin L]

Honestly, you're kinda right about that. In the end, it really is just another way to listen to music. I could take those 800 dollars from the turntable, the phono, and the switcher to buy an electrostatic headphone with accompanying amplifier. I guess the real question is if vinyl's worth more to me than a wholly new way to hear music.

Decisions, decisions...

I've gone the high-end electrostatic headphone route. $2,000 worth of Stax "Earspeakers" and hybrid tube energizer/amp back around 1988.
Believe it or not, this sounds better:

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM. It was kindly donated to me by a member and costs US $24.99. The cable is soft and longer than typical which I like. They take fair amount of effort to push it but then they make a reassuring...

www.audiosciencereview.com

$25, including shipping.

 

[GoneWithTheDess]

I for one am very glad to hear your awareness of the "disposable" mindset that has been created by the easy-access, no-cost, no repercussions from copyright streaming, file-sharing world.
You sound like someone who is willing to invest time to appreciate what musical artists create. That's great!
But has an aging, lifelong HiFi and music enthusiast I can't tell you how, as a teenager, I longed to get away from the noise, poor (relative) performance and inconvenience of vinyl. I went through a couple different TTs. Mind you I still have dozens of albums from those days.
But once CD hit I replaced them all and luxuriated in the superior SQ and yes, gapless playback.
My ritual became put the shiny disc in-hit play-enjoy! Such a relief.
You also sound like someone who appreciates the electromechanical nature of these now ancient mediums. And that's totally okay!
Personally I draw the line at reel-to-reel. Lovely machines but too much space for me!

Yeah, tapes are a bit too far for me. I'd like it to at least have something like 97% the sound quality.

 

[GoneWithTheDess]

I've gone the high-end electrostatic headphone route. $2,000 worth of Stax "Earspeakers" and hybrid tube energizer/amp back around 1988.
Believe it or not, this sounds better:

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM. It was kindly donated to me by a member and costs US $24.99. The cable is soft and longer than typical which I like. They take fair amount of effort to push it but then they make a reassuring...

www.audiosciencereview.com

$25, including shipping.

Just ordered. There's really no excuse I could have to not.

 

[GoneWithTheDess]

Listening to music accurately is nice. Using gear to mangle that, meh. Headphones aren't a great way to go in any case.

I guess the real question I'm asking by posting here is what mistakes not to do. I'm pretty sure the components I've picked out are great for my budget... and I got there by reading a lot of reviews.

All of you have been around the proverbial block a lot longer than I have. This is my first real audiophile setup, and I'm probably coming into this hobby at a younger age than most with a larger budget than most (for my age.) I have the opportunity to get things right the first time, or start on my way there. What mistakes shouldn't I make? Should I go buy that Psychoacoustics book or whatnot before pulling the trigger on anything else? Any and all advice would be appreciated.

 

[Robin L]

Just ordered. There's really no excuse I could have to not.

Mind you, they do sound different. My "Earspeakers" had a big peak in the upper midrange/lower treble (centered around 3//4 kHz) that made everything sound "detailed" but ultimately made everything sound "etched". Initially engaging, ultimately irritating. On top of that, everything below 100hz was distorted. There was some sense of imaging outside my head but not a lot. The Zero 2 IEMs don't have that outside the head imaging and there's a bit of a dip centered around 4kHz. However, there's no distortion anywhere, the midrange is to die for, and the sound continues without attenuation below 20hz. It's gives you a good idea of what an ideal speaker should sound like. The same company makes an IEM tuned with more treble and slightly less bass:

7Hz Salnotes Zero IEM Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of the 7Hz Salnotes Zero IEM. It was kindly donated by a member and costs US $22 ($20 on Amazon now). The molded plastic looks cheep and the left and right markings barely visible. The included tip was extra soft/thin which may be a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Bland_username42069]

You could probably buy someone’s old mini hi fi system with minidisc, cd player, amp, phono stage for about $200 - otherwise yr going to end up with a complete random collection of boxes to stack.

 

[GoneWithTheDess]

I think I've decided on the important audio equipment (but still undecided on vinyl/other stuff) but I still do have some questions about the speaker. I'm pretty sure the KEF Q Meta is rear-ported, so if I'm placing these against the wall on my desk, would that lead to worse reflections than a front-ported speaker? Should I specifically look for a budget for those?

And some more. If I know that I'm going to be using these speakers with a subwoofer, what should I be looking for on the measurements to indicate that they should perform well WITH one? I notice that on Amir's measurements, the Early Reflection graph shows off a lot of responses through frequencies. I assume that the y-axis on those charts is simply how loud the speaker, and the graphs show the loudness through a range of frequencies. I don't know how to really interpret this, though, especially with regards to how the speaker's set up. Are these real measurements, simulated ones, and if so how do those reflect a speaker's near-field performance?

Would the contour plot be what I'm looking for here?

 

[Robin L]

I think I've decided on the important audio equipment (but still undecided on vinyl/other stuff) but I still do have some questions about the speaker. I'm pretty sure the KEF Q Meta is rear-ported, so if I'm placing these against the wall on my desk, would that lead to worse reflections than a front-ported speaker? Should I specifically look for a budget for those?

A:

And yes having ports on the rear can cause trouble if you place the speakers against the wall.

B:

Neumann KH120 II Monitor Review

This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests/EQ of Neumann KH120 MKII DSP active monitor (speaker). It is on kind loan from the company and costs US $999 each. I love the form factor for desktop use. It is not too deep or unwieldly as some larger configurations can be: Back...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Point being that the Neumann 120 speakers are self-powered, making the issue of what amp to get moot, and that they have the flattest frequency response in its class. Not to mention that they go down to 50 Hz, flat. Looks like the ports are in the front, FWIW. They cost about the same as the KEFs.

 

[GoneWithTheDess]

A:

View attachment 491106

And yes having ports on the rear can cause trouble if you place the speakers against the wall.

B:

Neumann KH120 II Monitor Review

This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests/EQ of Neumann KH120 MKII DSP active monitor (speaker). It is on kind loan from the company and costs US $999 each. I love the form factor for desktop use. It is not too deep or unwieldly as some larger configurations can be: Back...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Point being that the Neumann 120 speakers are self-powered, making the issue of what amp to get moot, and that they have the flattest frequency response in its class. Not to mention that they go down to 50 Hz, flat. Looks like the ports are in the front, FWIW. They cost about the same as the KEFs.

So look for front-ported speakers, got it.

I think you might be confusing the KEF Q1 Metas with the LS50 Metas... these look to be about 1K USD per speaker, far out of my budget. 2K's for the system as a whole. I might be able to pick up a pair of the Neumann 80s for cheaper (500ish each) but that also means that I'd have to figure out a new music streamer, I was originally planning for about 500 USD for the pair. It just seems like a waste to have the WiiM amp with powered speakers only for streaming.

Any recommendations for passive speakers?

 

[Robin L]

So look for front-ported speakers, got it.

I think you might be confusing the KEF Q1 Metas with the LS50 Metas... these look to be about 1K USD per speaker, far out of my budget. 2K's for the system as a whole. I might be able to pick up a pair of the Neumann 80s for cheaper (500ish each) but that also means that I'd have to figure out a new music streamer, I was originally planning for about 500 USD for the pair. It just seems like a waste to have the WiiM amp with powered speakers only for streaming.

Any recommendations for passive speakers?

Right, my bad. The one you're looking at is still back ported, by the way.

Amir likes this one, appears to have a sealed enclosure:

AsciLab F6Bs Speaker Review

This is a review, detailed measurements, EQ and listening test of AsciLab F6Bs bookshelf/surround speaker. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $575 [now $725 with shipping included] for a pair. This is an absolutely gorgeous design! It feels that way as well with a solid cabinet that...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[GoneWithTheDess]

AsciLab F6Bs Speaker Review

This is a review, detailed measurements, EQ and listening test of AsciLab F6Bs bookshelf/surround speaker. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $575 [now $725 with shipping included] for a pair. This is an absolutely gorgeous design! It feels that way as well with a solid cabinet that...

www.audiosciencereview.com

That also seems like a really good option... shame it's apparently out of stock everywhere, lol.

 

[Chrispy]

For me here I had the opportunity to listen to a very nice pair of electrostats when I was first picking out headphones (Stax SR-X9000 with a Blue Hawaii amplifier). I came in a few times and tested a lot of headphones with a lot of differing amplifiers, and nothing came close to matching the sheer detail and feeling that the electrostats did.

The main aim of my setup right now is trying to build out a full audio system that lets me enjoy different genres to their limit... speakers/subwoofers for EDM and a nice clear headphone for classical recordings. I'm sure the speakers can perform passably for that as well, but I doubt much at the price range I'm in can beat the entry level electrostat headphones for jazz/classical resolution. (RR1 Conquest/STAX LR-300 with EHA5 Amp).

I'm also trying to go into this with an eye on the future. I can get a better subwoofer in the future, and transfer my pair over to home theater. The same follows for the distributed components.

What would you recommend me do, then? I think my budget's reasonably balanced around everything I want to accomplish right now.

Matter of preference to an extent, just not a fan of using headphones.

Different genres are nice, but different media gets silly. I'd not use the vinyl, while I still have mine, have the same tt for 40 years too. Just rarely use it except in a nostalgia session or with some of the few vinyls I have that I can't find a good digital version of. I'd spend money on good speakers/subs over vinyl in any case. Electronics/amps as needed/required but I think mostly in terms of using speakers (active or passive, have both).

 

[GoneWithTheDess]

Pulled the trigger on everything, got some fantastic Black Friday deals. Ended up going with most of what I said earlier... KEF Q1 Meta, the double Caldera subs, the WiiM amp, Topping DXII. Only change was that I dropped the minidisc (sad) and just got an SMSL PL150 player to use as a transport. I'm probably going to leave out the vinyl... and maybe use the money leftover to buy myself a nice pair of planar IEMs. And some shelves and stands.

(Ended up choosing the Metas after looking at Erin's review of the Q150 and demoing the KEF speakers at Costco. Fantastic! 8.2 score with a sub and EQ... great. Figure the Meta's going to be better than the Q150s so not much difference... and half the price of the Neumann 80s.)

So long, and thanks for all the fish helpful advice! (Especially the no-vinyl bit.) Can't wait to see how it comes together.