First post / looking for system advice

[RayDunzl]

If you go the active monitor route be careful of this, some of them are said to have quite a bit of self noise, including the JBLs already mentioned in this thread.

JBL hiss...

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/jbl-lsr-308-in-the-house.1066/#post-27832

Unless you're going to use them as headphones or are really sensitive to it (I'm not), I wouldn't worry about these too much.

 

[Soniclife]

JBL hiss...

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/jbl-lsr-308-in-the-house.1066/#post-27832

Unless you're going to use them as headphones or are really sensitive to it (I'm not), I wouldn't worry about these too much.

I've not found measurements that correlate well with my sensitivity to noise, I've tried in the past and failed to measure any difference at a distance I can still hear noises, we hear into the noise floor making it tricky to measure. And in a small room you are kind of forced to be close to the source of the noise.

 

[kwolf]

If you go the active monitor route be careful of this, some of them are said to have quite a bit of self noise, including the JBLs already mentioned in this thread. So check reviews and return polices, in this area some people just don't hear the noise so on-line opinions are tricky.

Yeah, I was a bit concerned about this. Thanks for the info!

 

[Soniclife]

Yeah, I was a bit concerned about this. Thanks for the info!

This recent thread has some observations about hiss in active monitors.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/charles-sprinkles-kali-audio-lp-6.3625/

 

[FooYatChong]

So- I am in the market for a DAC + integrate amp (or receiver) + speakers

Maybe buy something like an Audiolab 6000A and connect your MacBook over optical spdif. Get a pair of good $600 > $800 speakers and you're set.
You can always add a seperate DAC later, but I doubt it will be worth it.

 

[bravomail]

get Mackie CR3 powered speakers. They are cheap and you can plug them in directly to Mac or PC. If you don't like them - send them back, get something else (JBL?). Also, if u go with powered speakers - you will need a DAC with preamp outputs (volume of speakers will be regulated by DAC). If you insist on getting subwoofer - my only suggestion will be to get an AV receiver (yamaha), 2 passive speakers (Elac Debuts), powered sub (Monoprice 12"). The choices in parenthesis is something I have, tried, sounded good to me.

 

[kwolf]

I've heard the Klispch speakers you reference. Subjectively, they sound nice but they are not full range and has some cabinet coloration. But they are very pleasant to listen to.

At 2.5k
I reccomend
Emotiva DC-1 (used on Emotiva emporium) ($325) to Emotiva PA-1 balanced monoblock amps ($600 a pair) + Emotiva T2 tower speakers ($1000 a pair) (or T1 towers $500). $1925. Done - it's going to be full range. However the t2 may be too much bass for the room. The electronic footprint is also tiny and it's going to be fully balanced.
If you want to go cheap
Emotiva TA-100 ($400) to Emotiva T1 speakers $500 a pair - Total $900. Done. Should be close to full range in your setup. You could also do Emotiva T zero speakers which may not have quite the extension but still sound quite nice

Read a bit about the Emotiva T2 speakers, and they get very glowing reviews. Going up a bit higher in price, I have also been considering Triton Sevens.

Also been reading about the Rega Brio integrated. I bet that paired with a decent DAC (since the Brio is analog inputs only) and one of the speakers mentioned above would sound pretty nice.

Thanks for the suggestion.
-k

 

[garbulky]

Read a bit about the Emotiva T2 speakers, and they get very glowing reviews. Going up a bit higher in price, I have also been considering Triton Sevens.

Also been reading about the Rega Brio integrated. I bet that paired with a decent DAC (since the Brio is analog inputs only) and one of the speakers mentioned above would sound pretty nice.

Thanks for the suggestion.
-k

The t2's are ridiculous imo. We were comparing them with a Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII and the T2s went lower and didn't sound much different (though there was a difference). But the t2s were embarrassing a much more expensive speaker.

 

[Ron Texas]

Man maybe it was me but I disliked the KEF LS50. I thought they were very overpriced

Another county heard from. Some feel the LS50 is too bright. Available here for $999 a pair:

https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...ni-monitor-high-gloss-piano-black-pair/1.html

Probably customer returns.

Other high value passive speakers which get mentioned a lot are Elac and Wharfdale. If someone made the perfect speaker everyone else would be out of business fast, or copy it. No matter what speaker you mention around here someone will find something wrong with it. Usually they are right, but the problem might be one which does not bother you. There are a few speakers which don't have any serious SQ problems, but they tend to be expensive.

The more expensive active speakers can play louder than the value priced ones, at least their specs would suggest. As for hiss, I really don't know. I agree with @Soniclife that these (and other) observations often don't make it into online reports.

The Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII cost $6500 a pair. A big chunk of the price is the fancy woodwork. Airmotive T2 requires a 4 om capable amp. That means a lot of consumer integrated amps will struggle with it.

 

[kwolf]

I'm just not in the market for $6500/pair speakers. The T2s might be a little too powerful in the low end for what I need in my space. Anyone have thoughts on the Klipsch RP-6000F floorstanding speakers? Their sensitivity is outstanding, and they're 8-ohm. Plus the ebony cabinet option looks pretty nice. Question- the Rega Brio is 50 watts / channel RMS... would it be a decent match for the Klipsch RP-6000F's? They're rated at 125 watts continuous, so obviously they could handle more than what the Brio could throw at them, but with a sensitivity of 97dB they should be great at lower powers too... right?