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Have no speakers and need suggestions

MCH

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Hi,
Yes, starting today i am living the worst nightmare of a music aficionado.
Had a pair of floorstanders and started to think of going bookshelf, one reason being space. Put them on sale "to see what happens" and in 24 hours they were gone, and i had no plan-B!!

My system currently consists of:
Streamer > Topping D30pro > Boxem NC252 > Nothing

Some things to take into account:
I never had a sub and the more i read here on the subject the more i realize how difficult it is to properly integrate one and how little i know about the subject.
Only thinking of changing the electronics makes me want to put everything in the rubbish bin and buy a flaute.

My initial plan was to get something that allows me to survive one year at least without further changes (=same electronics and no sub) and after that, maybe getting something like the minidsp flex w dirac (when waters settle) and a sub. Thought that the kef r3 would be perfect for this purpose.

Then i saw a picture of the r3 besides a LS50 and realised they are giant. @VintageFlanker post in the r3 thread when he received his didn't help...

Then i thought the LS50 meta might be what i need, i don't listen to music that loud anymore, might just need to accelerate the sub acquisition, but then i start to read here that best with two subs... aaaarrrgggg

So at the end of the day i am without speakers and without a clear plan.
The two possibilities above are still alive, but wanted to hear what you guys have to say because i am sure i am missing many other options (=I have no clue about speakers).

Some other details:
- i only care about music: a bit of everything, from jazz to hip hop and mostly rock, but no classical and no movies
- i am not a bass head
- my room is ca 4x7 meters but my listening area is around the half of that
- i am in europe, don't mind used and for the speakers i would like to stay below 1500 eur.
- aesthetics matter and as example both kefs will fit with my family tastes

Thank you for your help.
 
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VintageFlanker

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My system currently consists of:
Streamer > Topping D30pro > Boxem NC252 > Nothing
That is a good start that should drive plenty of things.
- i am in europe, don't mind used and for the speakers i would like to stay below 1500 eur
What country is Europe?:p Knowing where exactly could be helpful. (You know I'm aware about several deals in France, for that matter). For 1500€, there're plenty of very competent bookshelves. Even more on the used market. Besides, LS50 META is definitely a strong contender to begin with.
 
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MCH

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Hi thanks,
Yes i forgot. I live in Luxembourg so buying in Germany, France, Belgium and even the Netherlands is most often an option, even in the used market.
 

LightninBoy

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Then i thought the LS50 meta might be what i need, i don't listen to music that loud anymore, might just need to accelerate the sub acquisition, but then i start to read here that best with two subs... aaaarrrgggg

Having multiple subs is optimal, regardless of the main speaker. So the comment about "best with two subs" isn't unique to the LS50 meta. That said, If you are only interested in optimizing the bass for one listening position, then 1 sub can be extremely effective.
 

VintageFlanker

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Hi thanks,
Yes i forgot. I live in Luxembourg so buying in Germany, France, Belgium and even the Netherlands is most often an option, even in the used market.

;)
 
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MCH

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digitalfrost

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I think KEF LS50 new or old are quite a good choice for your use case. You can always add a sub later if you think you need it. Especially if you don't want large speakers, they will pretty much all benefit from a sub.

I would also recommend the Focal Aria 906 (review here https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/focal-aria-906-speaker-review.14085/) you can get some good deals from https://www.homecinesolutions.fr/s/focal 906 (ask them for their confidential price).

These are much more expensive in the US.

Sound-wise, the KEFs have a narrower dispersion while the Focals fill the room more. There is no right or wrong here, this is preference.
 
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freemansteve

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Although B+W 607's were badly reviewed, for the money, I'm happy listening to 606 V2 AE's.
Sweet when at modest volume but pretty good at party levels (proven several times - one friend use to run a speaker company, and he insisted on playing all his fave tracks after we all went to bed!).

Here's the big thing - if you put them on stands, they are a bit sad...

If you mount them on brackets on solid wall, they will jumble bass and mid as you'd expect. The 606's however, stick out into the room a lot further from our alcoves than 607s, so less confused by the solid chimney breast.

But - then use the included port plugs and pretend they are bookshelf speakers, angle them at your listening area, and then add a pair of subs on the (solid) floor to regain bass, and it all works (after a few hours of fiddling, trying a dozen tracks). Not my first choice of subs as they are missing a low octave or so, but a pair of low profile Q Acoustics 3060S were cheap enough AND fitted around what my wife was prepared to tolerate. OK for most of my music though and driven by a little CA Evo 75.

Not everyone's choice, but we've made it all work OK to many peoples' ears, all for £3k.
 
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MCH

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Thank you guys,
@LightninBoy : i hear what you say. I understand that the rationale behind the need for two subs with the metas is the possible necessitiy to set the xover at high frequencies and hence need "subs in stereo" (sorry if i said something very stupid, as mentioned, i know nothing about subs and their implementation), but i also think this might not be something everybody will find necessary.
@VintageFlanker : thanks again for the link. seems the favorable shipping conditions apply to Belgium but not to Luxembourg. Email sent asking if they ship here and how much it is.
@digitalfrost makes me happy to think on the possibility of not even needing a sub with the metas. Will check out the Focal thread. First impression is that they look big, i see they are similar to the r3 but not so deep. That is good but might stick to the r3 if i decide to go for a "big" bookshelf
@freemansteve after reading this forum for a few months, i dont know if i am psychologically ready to voluntarly opt for a headless panther, but will read the review and see if there is something for me.
 

VintageFlanker

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First impression is that they look big, i see they are similar to the r3 but not so deep.
R3s are much bigger (and heavier) than 906s.

R3 does have indeed higher output than both 906 or LS50, but you're not seeking for high SPLs...

Passive speakers I had next to the R3 were Dyn Evoke 20, that I enjoyed quite a lot. Yet, they are much harder to drive than 906s. No doubt the NC252 will drive them fine if crazy levels are not wanted. Neutrality speaking, META are more accurate, tho.
 
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MCH

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Will check those dyn out too. Seem 2000+ though.
 
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MCH

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Thank you all for your input, I think I am going to go with the R3 for 1200 eur.

I realize that my only problem with the r3 is its size, specially depth, and it is indeed an important con, but the floorstanders that i just sold where exactly the same depth than the r3 and i could live with it (until i decided to sell them :-/ ). the

On the pros side, besides good measurements and comments from the folks here, i have the feeling that i will not miss a sub, that has the huge additional benefit of not having to mess with the electronics.

I also feel that this is a good time to buy this model pricewise. A new model might be about to be released, but even if it takes only a couple of months, i cannot wait for that.

And finally, a comment from our host that made me discard the metas:

"With two speakers, it would be plenty for most people. Problem is, I am not most people. :) I don't want to know limits of equipment I use."

I dont usually think like that, but what the f***, the guy is right. I have a relatively powerful amp with a DAC pumping up to 4 volts, what if one day i want the Stooges to shatter the windows?

now lets see if the family approves.
cheers and thanks again!
 
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