First-time poster, recent lurker, and total hifi novice here seeking a lot of advice on building a proper hifi system for the first time in my life! Although I’ve always loved listening to music, I’ve never really invested in my hardware. I’ve been researching seriously over the last several weeks, and stumbling around the internet led me to ASR, which has been a fantastic resource. Apologies in advance for the upcoming wall of text, but let me share the essentials and where I need help. Also, please let me know if I should post this in another part of the forum.
Budget: My all-in target for a new sound system is roughly $15k. My general approach to making significant purchases is “buy once, cry once.” I’ll shell out for gear that will last a lifetime.
The Space: We’re planning to finish our basement, which has a 16’’ x 32’ area for a home theater/music system as well as a bar area. We already put a large TV on one of the narrower walls, and I’m planning to set up an LCR sound system to support it. The primary seating area (couch) will be roughly 12’ from where the speakers will go (there’s wiggle room for equilateral triangle-ing), and there will be a secondary seating area in the bar space that’s about 20’-25’ from the speakers. One of the long walls has several windows and a sliding glass door. Overall, about ⅔ of that wall is glass, so I’m planning to have heavy curtains for assisting with reflections. (I’ll save sound treatment questions for another day, but I figured that folks might find the glass presence relevant.)
Use Cases: The speakers will be used most frequently for watching TV and movies, but we’re music lovers, and I want to create a sound system that lets us spend more time really appreciating the craft of music recording. (Our main floor living room has a Sonos system, which pumps out a decent amount of sound but not a lot of magic.) Music in the basement will be played entirely through Spotify, Tidal, or via YouTube videos. So, the only sources really will be a streamer and the TV. Adding a CD or record player down the road is a remote possibility – definitely not a priority. I’m also content to start with an LCR system. I want people sitting in the bar area to enjoy hearing music, too, and it seems counterproductive in that respect to have a bunch of speakers in the middle of the room pointed away from the bar and back towards the couch. In terms of music tastes, we’ll primarily listen to “indie,” pop, electronic, rap, Americana, and classic rock. Thanks to tinnitus, I won’t be cranking the volume super high. I want to ensure that the bass experience is rich and integrated even at low/medium volumes, though.
On the hardware front, my research has me leaning toward a couple of possibilities: (1) a Genelec-based system where all of the components are active/powered and (2) a more traditional hifi system centered on Philharmonic Audio speakers. Unfortunately, testing either system in advance is … challenging. I’m kind of in the middle of nowhere. The nearest Genelec retailer is four hours away, and Philharmonic Audio doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar footprint. Anything sonically fancier than a Best Buy is 100 miles away, and the local Best Buy isn’t a fancy one. I’ve gravitated towards Genelec/Philharmonic Audio based entirely on review/forum posts here and YouTube reviews. Both brands appear to deliver a ton of bang for the buck.
A Genelec-based system would seem to be more idiot-proof for a neophyte like me. AFAICT, I could just buy a Wiim Ultra, plug the TV into it, connect one speaker to the Wiim, daisy chain the other speakers to each other, and I’m done. The speakers and streamer provide the amps, DAC, etc. If I need to replace the $300 Wiim after a few years, no big deal. And Genelec has software to assist with room correction, which is a nice perk. Three 8351Bs for LCR and a Wiim takes care of most of the equation and fits right at the budget target. My concerns with this approach are: (1) Am I underestimating the amount of gear that I need? Am I right that Wiim + Genelec obviates the need for other components? (2) These are near-field speakers, but the bar (and even the couch, really) aren’t near-field distances. How much does that defeat the purpose of these speakers? Are they simply the wrong speakers for a room like mine? (3) Will the speakers be reliable enough over the long term? Having lots of electronics in the speaker is convenient but also creates multiple potential failure points, and replacement speakers wouldn’t be cheap. (4) What to do about subwoofers? Genelec’s website suggests adding at least one 7370A for the cubic area, but those are another $4k apiece. I haven’t gone as deep into researching subs as I have speakers, but SVS, HSU, and RSL all appear to have well-regarded subs for a fraction of the cost. Should I expect a Genelec sub to integrate sonically with Genelec speakers significantly better than another brand’s? I don’t want to “cheap out” right at the finish line, so if it’s really the best option, then OK. And I’m fortunate enough that going a little over the budget doesn’t create long-term financial discomfort. But I also don’t enjoy spending thousands of dollars unnecessarily and don’t love the idea of potentially needing a second $4k sub to energize the space properly.
Onto the Phils!
I’ve been incredibly impressed by what I’ve learned about the quality-to-price ratio for Philharmonic Audio. They offer a center channel speaker, so I can stay with one manufacturer for an LCR experience, which is great. I would definitely go with towers, but I’m torn between the HT and BMR versions. I’m told that I wouldn’t need a subwoofer with the BMR tower, which certainly helps stay within the budget target but I do wonder if that would compromise the home theater experience in noticeable ways. (I like a good Christopher Nolan “whomp,” after all.) The only downsides of the HT tower are definitely needing a sub (which isn’t a deal breaker, obviously) and the cabinet shape just isn’t as pretty to me as the BMR (though, again, not a deal breaker). With the HT, I’d have complete peace of mind they could easily handle anything that Tom Cruise, Christopher Nolan, Led Zeppelin, or Daft Punk could throw at them. I just don’t have a strong sense of whether it’s overkill for my use cases/music tastes. One side effect of going with either of those towers instead of Genelecs, of course, is that I’d need to figure out the amp situation. Do I need a pre-amp, a power amp, and an amp-amp? Any other components? And would an integrated option like a McIntosh MSA 5500 be the only component I need since it includes a streamer/DAC? Does that amp have enough juice to power three speakers plus a subwoofer or two? I feel a bit overwhelmed by this part of the hardware chain. (Separately, I’ve seen the “McIntosh is overpriced” commentary, but if it’s truly a one-size-fits-all tool for my use case, it sounds great, and it’ll work for the rest of my life, then I’m comfortable with the price tag. I’m open to other approaches to the amp/streamer equation, too.) Next, I have no idea what kind of subs would integrate nicely with the sound from HT Towers if I choose those over the BMRs. As mentioned above, I’ve read good things about SVS, HSU, and RSLs generally. I’m very open to other suggestions, including whether to use one or two in the room. (Again, assuming that people recommend the HT over the BMR.) Finally, not to get morbid, but Dennis Murphy is no spring chicken, so it’s hard for me to anticipate how service/support for these speakers might work years down the line. This clearly isn’t a deal breaker given the amount of thought I’ve put into buying his gear, but it’s one piece of the equation.
I’m not completely wed to only these two speaker manufacturers in case people can recommend other systems that offer a high quality-to-price ratio and still land around my budget target, but these two have leaped out the most in my research.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading – and I appreciate any knowledge/wisdom shared!
Budget: My all-in target for a new sound system is roughly $15k. My general approach to making significant purchases is “buy once, cry once.” I’ll shell out for gear that will last a lifetime.
The Space: We’re planning to finish our basement, which has a 16’’ x 32’ area for a home theater/music system as well as a bar area. We already put a large TV on one of the narrower walls, and I’m planning to set up an LCR sound system to support it. The primary seating area (couch) will be roughly 12’ from where the speakers will go (there’s wiggle room for equilateral triangle-ing), and there will be a secondary seating area in the bar space that’s about 20’-25’ from the speakers. One of the long walls has several windows and a sliding glass door. Overall, about ⅔ of that wall is glass, so I’m planning to have heavy curtains for assisting with reflections. (I’ll save sound treatment questions for another day, but I figured that folks might find the glass presence relevant.)
Use Cases: The speakers will be used most frequently for watching TV and movies, but we’re music lovers, and I want to create a sound system that lets us spend more time really appreciating the craft of music recording. (Our main floor living room has a Sonos system, which pumps out a decent amount of sound but not a lot of magic.) Music in the basement will be played entirely through Spotify, Tidal, or via YouTube videos. So, the only sources really will be a streamer and the TV. Adding a CD or record player down the road is a remote possibility – definitely not a priority. I’m also content to start with an LCR system. I want people sitting in the bar area to enjoy hearing music, too, and it seems counterproductive in that respect to have a bunch of speakers in the middle of the room pointed away from the bar and back towards the couch. In terms of music tastes, we’ll primarily listen to “indie,” pop, electronic, rap, Americana, and classic rock. Thanks to tinnitus, I won’t be cranking the volume super high. I want to ensure that the bass experience is rich and integrated even at low/medium volumes, though.
On the hardware front, my research has me leaning toward a couple of possibilities: (1) a Genelec-based system where all of the components are active/powered and (2) a more traditional hifi system centered on Philharmonic Audio speakers. Unfortunately, testing either system in advance is … challenging. I’m kind of in the middle of nowhere. The nearest Genelec retailer is four hours away, and Philharmonic Audio doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar footprint. Anything sonically fancier than a Best Buy is 100 miles away, and the local Best Buy isn’t a fancy one. I’ve gravitated towards Genelec/Philharmonic Audio based entirely on review/forum posts here and YouTube reviews. Both brands appear to deliver a ton of bang for the buck.
A Genelec-based system would seem to be more idiot-proof for a neophyte like me. AFAICT, I could just buy a Wiim Ultra, plug the TV into it, connect one speaker to the Wiim, daisy chain the other speakers to each other, and I’m done. The speakers and streamer provide the amps, DAC, etc. If I need to replace the $300 Wiim after a few years, no big deal. And Genelec has software to assist with room correction, which is a nice perk. Three 8351Bs for LCR and a Wiim takes care of most of the equation and fits right at the budget target. My concerns with this approach are: (1) Am I underestimating the amount of gear that I need? Am I right that Wiim + Genelec obviates the need for other components? (2) These are near-field speakers, but the bar (and even the couch, really) aren’t near-field distances. How much does that defeat the purpose of these speakers? Are they simply the wrong speakers for a room like mine? (3) Will the speakers be reliable enough over the long term? Having lots of electronics in the speaker is convenient but also creates multiple potential failure points, and replacement speakers wouldn’t be cheap. (4) What to do about subwoofers? Genelec’s website suggests adding at least one 7370A for the cubic area, but those are another $4k apiece. I haven’t gone as deep into researching subs as I have speakers, but SVS, HSU, and RSL all appear to have well-regarded subs for a fraction of the cost. Should I expect a Genelec sub to integrate sonically with Genelec speakers significantly better than another brand’s? I don’t want to “cheap out” right at the finish line, so if it’s really the best option, then OK. And I’m fortunate enough that going a little over the budget doesn’t create long-term financial discomfort. But I also don’t enjoy spending thousands of dollars unnecessarily and don’t love the idea of potentially needing a second $4k sub to energize the space properly.
Onto the Phils!
I’ve been incredibly impressed by what I’ve learned about the quality-to-price ratio for Philharmonic Audio. They offer a center channel speaker, so I can stay with one manufacturer for an LCR experience, which is great. I would definitely go with towers, but I’m torn between the HT and BMR versions. I’m told that I wouldn’t need a subwoofer with the BMR tower, which certainly helps stay within the budget target but I do wonder if that would compromise the home theater experience in noticeable ways. (I like a good Christopher Nolan “whomp,” after all.) The only downsides of the HT tower are definitely needing a sub (which isn’t a deal breaker, obviously) and the cabinet shape just isn’t as pretty to me as the BMR (though, again, not a deal breaker). With the HT, I’d have complete peace of mind they could easily handle anything that Tom Cruise, Christopher Nolan, Led Zeppelin, or Daft Punk could throw at them. I just don’t have a strong sense of whether it’s overkill for my use cases/music tastes. One side effect of going with either of those towers instead of Genelecs, of course, is that I’d need to figure out the amp situation. Do I need a pre-amp, a power amp, and an amp-amp? Any other components? And would an integrated option like a McIntosh MSA 5500 be the only component I need since it includes a streamer/DAC? Does that amp have enough juice to power three speakers plus a subwoofer or two? I feel a bit overwhelmed by this part of the hardware chain. (Separately, I’ve seen the “McIntosh is overpriced” commentary, but if it’s truly a one-size-fits-all tool for my use case, it sounds great, and it’ll work for the rest of my life, then I’m comfortable with the price tag. I’m open to other approaches to the amp/streamer equation, too.) Next, I have no idea what kind of subs would integrate nicely with the sound from HT Towers if I choose those over the BMRs. As mentioned above, I’ve read good things about SVS, HSU, and RSLs generally. I’m very open to other suggestions, including whether to use one or two in the room. (Again, assuming that people recommend the HT over the BMR.) Finally, not to get morbid, but Dennis Murphy is no spring chicken, so it’s hard for me to anticipate how service/support for these speakers might work years down the line. This clearly isn’t a deal breaker given the amount of thought I’ve put into buying his gear, but it’s one piece of the equation.
I’m not completely wed to only these two speaker manufacturers in case people can recommend other systems that offer a high quality-to-price ratio and still land around my budget target, but these two have leaped out the most in my research.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading – and I appreciate any knowledge/wisdom shared!
