Need help for upgrading a mid-range setup in a bad acoustic environment

[Pha]

Hello everyone,

First of all, I'd like to thank those who keep this forum alive, as well as everyone who carries out the measurements and tests. It's a truly valuable resource, with extremely interesting content.

I'm also turning to you for some advice regarding the evolution of my setup.

As it stands, my system is made up of the following components:

• DALI Mentor Menuet
• REL S2
• Yamaha R-N800A

The space where I listen to music is far from optimal and is about 20 m², with over 4 m² of bay windows (see attached diagram). Moreover, I listen to music from my desk most of the time, but also from other equally suboptimal spots.

In short, nothing is really ideal here. So I'm looking for ways to improve my system despite the constraints inherent to my living space.

A few clarifications at this stage:

• I have a budget of around 1,000 euros (I can go 400 euros over if it's really worth it) in the case where I sell one of the components of my system (subwoofer, amplifier, or speakers) --> in other words, I'm not planning to spend more than 300 euros if I don't sell any component of my system
• It's totally ok for me to buy second hands gear
• If I sell the subwoofer in addition to another component, it increases my budget by 800 euros and frees up space that would allow me to invest in floorstanding speakers / buy bookshelf speakers of any size
• Unless you have a very aesthetically pleasing solution, I can't really do any acoustic treatment work. However, I'm very open to calibration topics: as it stands, I've run a YPAO, but I understand there are more advanced options out there (MiniDSP, Dirac... I'm not very familiar with all that!)

As a first step, and just for the fun of it, I was thinking of upgrading my speakers, moving toward one of the following models (note: if I don't sell the subwoofer, I have a maximum height limit of 40 cm for the speakers):

• Audio First Fidelia
• Ascilab F6B
• Ascilab C6B (if it's really worth it compared to the lower model)
• KEF LS50 Meta
• KEF Q Concerto Meta
• Arendal 1961 Bookshelf

Bonus question: since I only listen to lossless digital sources (Spotify at the moment), I've thought several times about selling everything to buy a streamer with XLR outputs along with a pair of active speakers. What do you think about this?

What do you think of all this? Should I start with the speakers? Something else? I'm all ears!

Thanks in advance for your feedback

 

[kyuu]

With your varied listening positions and reflective bay windows on one side of the room, you definitely have a problematic setup. Honestly, I don't think it makes any sense trying to upgrade your setup to make all listening positions better as that's essentially impossible. You can certainly do better in terms of speakers, subwoofer, and room correction, but I think you'd be better off simply getting some powered monitors for your desk since that's your most common listening position. Also, at least there the windows are behind so you'll somewhat ameliorate the problem of a highly reflective surface on one side of the room. You could also use the desk speakers to listen on your bed.

You're probably going to get some remarks to the tune of "just use headphones", given your situation.

The big question for me is what is your source when you're listening? Streaming to the Yamaha? Depending on what it is, the desktop setup may or may not be an issue. Although if you have a PC there that can easily take course of being the source in any case.

 

[Pha]

Hi, thanks a lot for your feedback.

I understand what you mean, however I’m still limited here, as I simply don’t have the space to put speakers on my desk (dual monitors + a piece of furniture that’s very useful to me).

Regarding headphones: I get the point, but I have to admit that over long days, listening with headphones or IEMs is uncomfortable for me… especially since the idea is to have a system that lets me “live with music,” meaning having it playing continuously no matter what I’m doing.

As for my source: I use the Yamaha’s built-in streamer, which runs over Wi-Fi.

 

[Spkrdctr]

I agree with KYUU, with your room you are most likely going to not get much improvement by buying new equipment. You can buy new speakers if you want as the ones you mention, the two KEFs and the Ascilab (I would recommend the cheaper of the two Ascilabs) are very nice high quality speakers. Amir has tested the Ascilabs and they are amazing. If you don't have any glaring issues now, you can just keep what you have but if you buy great speakers like you are looking at it will be ok as you can keep them for many years. When buying quality and measured performance, you can enjoy it for minimum a decade or longer! Let us know what you end up doing and what you think of what you bought. After action reviews are very much appreciated here on ASR.

 

[J-Mo]

Dirac live may help. (for one spot in room)
Check it out and maybe someone that uses it will comment.

 

[LTig]

Hi, thanks a lot for your feedback.

I understand what you mean, however I’m still limited here, as I simply don’t have the space to put speakers on my desk (dual monitors + a piece of furniture that’s very useful to me).

What about a pair of tiny Genelec 8010 and a sub below the desk? You could mount the 8010s with special stands.

 

[kyuu]

What about a pair of tiny Genelec 8010 and a sub below the desk? You could mount the 8010s with special stands.

Goes a bit over the 300 Euro budget unfortunately. I might have recommended the Kali LP-UNF otherwise.

 

[EPICURIOUS007]

in ceiling speakers?

 

[111db]

Okay, here's an "off-the-wall" idea: given that a coherent stereo soundstage is likely unobtainable, how about going mono with a single high quality speaker with good, even 90 degree directivity placed in the upper right corner as depicted? I've been surprised by how much mono can sound satisfyingly hifi. Everybody Loves a Lover by Doris Day is a good example. If you could afford it, a Klipschorn could be fun, especially if DSP corrected.