My Dad's want better speakers !

[R-Oak]

both my parents are retired, and live in a nice house. but their audio is mediocre at most, and they asked me ( that know's nothing ) about audio to help them
the only thing i have going for me, is that I, at least, know that I know nothing, so at least, that is something !
so i was hopping if a few member's could help me

things to know
- my parent's don't want movies really much, and really don't care about the whole immersive studio effect
- my parent's Love listening to music, from (beatles, beach boys, celine dion, andrea bocelli, andré gagnon)
- they listen to vocals, piano, violin, and other easy listening track's ( no rock, no rap, no metal )

- Butget : 1000$ CAD (MAX) my dad told me 1000, but im pretty confident that he is looking to spend more towards 500$ CAD
- he doesnt mind buying used, but... finding a used deal for me is harder, because i dont know how to judge gear ( i'm new to all this )
- they currently have ( iphone linked to applemusic, and a apple tv / and a macbook ) and this is what they are using to put music on, so .. they will need either
( a shit long wire, a bluetooth devise ) or something so they can control the music from number 3 in the graph bellow ( in the kitchen )


the real complex thing here, is :
1 : my dad doesn't want towers, he wants bookshelf speakers
2 : they want the sound to **fill** the house (not loudly) but they want to *fill* the space.. if that makes any sence
3 : their listening spots are : (number 1 to 4)

1 is the living room coutch
2 is where they spend most of their time reading the news and just chilling
3 is .. obviously the kitchen
4 is a three season room that has a roof and couch, but isn't used in winter, because it's a kind of sun-room and isn't heated, but where 80% of the time is spend on nice days


so, honestly i really dont know where to start,
i was thinking of just geting
FIRST - 2 active bookshelf speakers ( to avoid using a amp ), and reducing cost
SECOND - a DAC.. if needed ( topping d30 or something similar )
THIRD - add a active bookshelf speaker, IF they feel like they want more ?
but .. i have no clue if
a: this is a good idea
b: what type of speaker
c: where to position them

anyway, any help on this would be really appreciated

 

[maxxevv]

Really depends on how high are his expectations. But by the looks of it, you'll need at least 2 pairs of bookshelf speakers to fill the layout you have there.

Maybe you can consider some of the those Bluetooth connected and powered speakers from the likes of Edifier, Q Acoustics or Swan. They are pretty decent if you're just into ambient sound and not fiddling into high-fidelity territory.

And they are pretty affordable too. Your budget probably allows you to set up 2 sets of them in the 60~70W RMS category.
A quick Amazon selection:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_...eakers&ie=UTF8&qid=1532965742&rnid=2941120011

 

[dc655321]

Sonos may be a reasonable choice. A pair of Play 3 speakers, or several Play 1 speakers could work.
This is a flexible solution (in terms of placement), requiring only good wifi coverage, power outlets per speaker, and an IOS or MacOS app for control.

Sound quality is fine for casual listening.

 

[cjfrbw]

Isn't this why God invented Bose?

 

[R-Oak]

thing is, right now they are using the TV speakers for tv, and they are using a apple docking station in the kitchen for most of their listening needs,
so anything beyond utter shit, will be a decent improvement.

that being said, whit a budget that is more than a few hundred dollars, ( we are talking around 600$+ CAD ) well i think he is still waiting to be wowed by the speakers.

i was thinking of using something like a pair of JBL LRS305
- one in the top left corner near the tv
- one at the right of the fire place ( that is represented by that grey rectangle whit a black dot on it )
and having them control them whit their apple TV.
and... after that maybe
- add a speaker in that little corner bottom right of the dining table that could be pivoted 90 degree

the wirering of the last one might be a little tricky tho, but i'm pretty handy, i could probably pass a wire in the ceiling

that being said, a speaker that would be whit something like a walnut finish would make my father really happy.

 

[maxxevv]

The JBL's are powered but you need a source connection to them for them to work. Probably need to get a Bluetooth Receiver in that case.

Also, I don't think they have enough power to sound good everywhere with that floor layout of yours. The JBL's also only come in Black...

 

[bigx5murf]

I was into small speakers when I first got into this. Their form factor does have some inherent performance advantages (imaging, stiff enclosure minimizes resonance). But ultimately I realized you can't beat physics, and enclosures with volume just have more performance advantages (efficiency, bass extension etc). Small speakers sound best on heavy stands. So realistically they take up the same space as small towers, while being more prone to damage from being knocked over. I get you want powered. But as cheap as chip amps are. It's simple to turn any speaker into a powered speaker.

 

[Chris Prosser]

I think filling the space is best done with a few Sonos speakers. You can pick up 3-4 of the Play 1, they all synchronize and allow you to have low volume that fills the space.

 

[Webninja]

I agree with above posts that one pair will not suffice. I was looking into Bluesound as an alternative to Sonos. Maybe a sound bar and 2 wireless speakers would provide sound throughout the floor.

I also semi-reluctantly recommend the HomePod if your parents are Apple folk. They work very well for non-critical listening and the volume is impressive for the size.

 

[GGroch]

When the use case is filling a home with decent quality music that can be enjoyed whether watching TV, Dining, or even in the three season room I agree with those above who are suggesting small wireless smart systems like Sonos, Bluesound, HomePod, and others like the JBL Link Series, and Google Home/Chromecast Audio connected devices.

The Amazon Echo system has just added Apple music to its streaming offerings and now have several devices, like the $35 Echo Input that can turn any powered speaker with either an Aux In or Bluetooth into a multi-room controllable music source. During the pre-Christmas sales many of these are great values.

One key is to choose a system that is compatible with the music sources they use now. Sonos, Homepod, and now Amazon Echo devices work with AppleMusic. Most others do not. So if that is what they use most of the time, make compatibility a priority.

You should consider not just their goal of whole home room-filling music (usually at low volumes) but also their perspective. My guess is that they would think two Sono's One Speakers in the TV room, after running the room equalization procedure they now have, will sound great...and as has been pointed out, depending on budget Sonos Play Three and Five are available now, or to upgrade/add later.

 

[Legion1capone]

Swan m200 mkiii+. I have the non Bluetooth version and they literally sound good with everything. But they are more suited to nearfield listening