Newbie Advice: €6k Streaming Setup for a 14m² Wood-Paneled Room in Japan

[Nekochan]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum. I’ve been reading posts here for a while and find the community really interesting. I love listening to music, but I’m not well-versed in the technical aspects.

I want to invest in a Hi-Fi setup. I live in Japan, and my budget is around €6,000 (approx. 1,000,000 JPY). I would like your recommendations for an amplifier and speaker system tailored for streaming (Tidal, Qobuz, etc.).

Here are my room details and preferences:

• Room size: 14 m² (approx. 150 sq ft) with a ceiling height of 2.80 m (approx. 9 ft).
• Acoustics: Carpeted floor, wood-paneled walls, and a wooden ceiling.
• Listening habits: I like listening at high SPL (high volumes).
• Music taste: Quite eclectic (Jazz, rock, electronic, classical).

How would you distribute this budget between acoustic treatment and the hardware itself? Thanks in advance!"

 

[Sokel]

You have to define what high SPL means to you.
Price goes exponentially higher as SPL goes high (all other important parameters being nice and similar)

 

[napfkuchen]

Welcome
Given the current market conditions, I would likely allocate a budget roughly as follows:
Speakers: AsciLab F6B (Pair = €900), availability can be problematic though
Subwoofers: 2x SVS SB 1000 Pro (= €1,600)
Amp: WiiM Amp Ultra (€600)

My office is similarly small (4m x 3.6m = 14.4m²) to your room and also lacks ideal acoustic conditions. The upgrade from an inexpensive pair of active speakers to my current Genelec setup cost just over €5,000 at the time. Hower, the sonic improvement was rather modest. It was only the installation of several acoustic absorbers (approx. €2,000) that yielded a clearly audible improvement. The supplier was GIK Acoustics. However, they don't seem to have any distribution in Japan. You'll just have to look around for local alternatives.

 

[Nekochan]

You have to define what high SPL means to you.
Price goes exponentially higher as SPL goes high (all other important parameters being nice and similar)

Thank you very much for your reply.To give you a reference, my current setup consists of a pair of Devialet Phantom (103 dB max SPL). I usually listen to them at 80% volume from a 2-meter distance.
Given my budget and that I am based in Japan, I have found a great local deal on a pair of Genelec 8331A (The Ones).

I am considering pairing them with a Genelec SAM subwoofer (like the 7350A or 7360A) and using the GLM kit for room correction and bass management. What are your thoughts on this setup

 

[Nekochan]

Welcome
Given the current market conditions, I would likely allocate a budget roughly as follows:
Speakers: AsciLab F6B (Pair = €900), availability can be problematic though
Subwoofers: 2x SVS SB 1000 Pro (= €1,600)
Amp: WiiM Amp Ultra (€600)

My office is similarly small (4m x 3.6m = 14.4m²) to your room and also lacks ideal acoustic conditions. The upgrade from an inexpensive pair of active speakers to my current Genelec setup cost just over €5,000 at the time. Hower, the sonic improvement was rather modest. It was only the installation of several acoustic absorbers (approx. €2,000) that yielded a clearly audible improvement. The supplier was GIK Acoustics. However, they don't seem to have any distribution in Japan. You'll just have to look around for local alternatives.

Thanks for your kind reply. I am considering Genelec 8331A with a Genelec subwoofer..As I work in video post I could use them as monitors also

 

[Redacted]

Do you have neighbours?
If so, look at €1000 max, and put €5000 towards moving!

 

[Puddingbuks]

Thanks for your kind reply. I am considering Genelec 8331A with a Genelec subwoofer..As I work in video post I could use them as monitors also

The 8331 do not go very loud.

 

[Nekochan]

Do you have neighbours?
If so, look at €1000 max, and put €5000 towards moving!

 

[Nekochan]

Haha, no need to move! Neighbors are not an issue at all—we live in a house in the countryside.

 

[Sokel]

Thank you very much for your reply.To give you a reference, my current setup consists of a pair of Devialet Phantom (103 dB max SPL). I usually listen to them at 80% volume from a 2-meter distance.
Given my budget and that I am based in Japan, I have found a great local deal on a pair of Genelec 8331A (The Ones).

I am considering pairing them with a Genelec SAM subwoofer (like the 7350A or 7360A) and using the GLM kit for room correction and bass management. What are your thoughts on this setup

As @Puddingbuks said above, 8331A won't go loud.

On a similar setup, I would go for a pair of NEUMANN KH-310 A and a sub, better two.
That will give you some punch as well.

 

[Nekochan]

The 8331 do not go very loud.

That is my concern. The Newman KH 150 with a KH 750 DSP could be another option. Plus obviously to allocate funds for room treatment and correction. The budget goes out the window!! Ha ha..

 

[napfkuchen]

Thanks for your kind reply. I am considering Genelec 8331A with a Genelec subwoofer..As I work in video post I could use them as monitors also

That's my current setup. At 1-1,2m distance it's more than enough. When I tested the maximum volume the speaker gave up first. Output-wise the 7350a seems to be the right "partner" for 8331As. So choosing a 7360a probably doesn't make much sense, unless you go with 8341As.
I’ve also had the opportunity to listen to the Devialet Phantom (some larger early model ...). Wasn't familiar with the music selection, so it’s difficult to draw comparisons. To my ears, it sounded very unbalanced with plenty of kickbass but little genuine, deep bass.

 

[Marc v E]

Since you said you would use them both for listening at high volume, streaming and video editing, I lean towards a professional brand like Genelec or Neumann.

To be honest, there is no such thing as a system that is both good at nearfield and midfield at high spl, in my experience.

What you could do, as a sweet compromise, is choosing a 8350 Genelec speaker close to the wall when video editing and using them with subwoofer(s) when listening at high spl. Glm (Genelecs eq) would come in handy here for measuring and tailoring different listening positions.

Also, Genelec are ime very friendly and willing to help you, either through a dealer or from their website.

I'm personally a fan of Genelec, but where subwoofers are concerned I thought that Neumann's KH750 was breathtakingly intense. Pairing it with the Neumann kh150 would probably also give you high spl and impact. Neumann has got its own dsp that you can dial in using their measurement microphone.

Best is to listen to these speakers and see which one of these brands is most appealing to you.
Either of these brands' dealers can probably advise you for the best setup and acoustic panels, since they aim at the professional market.

(For a streamer I would recommend a WiiM ultra and connect it digitally.)

 

[Puddingbuks]

Living in the countryside, loving high SPL, you will need 15 or 18 inch subwooferS.

 

[ZolaIII]

Thank you very much for your reply.To give you a reference, my current setup consists of a pair of Devialet Phantom (103 dB max SPL). I usually listen to them at 80% volume from a 2-meter distance.
Given my budget and that I am based in Japan, I have found a great local deal on a pair of Genelec 8331A (The Ones).

I am considering pairing them with a Genelec SAM subwoofer (like the 7350A or 7360A) and using the GLM kit for room correction and bass management. What are your thoughts on this setup

That's not very loud if louder at all then what we came to be averaged front deticated SPL (76 dB). At shout out you will probably like to get even little over 80 dB depending how much room can handle, 88 dB stereo program is as loud as you will be able to hear all there is to it ever, very loud goes over it too crowded huge spaces or out in the open, 100 db+ program (PA).
I don't know either prices or availability where you are. Sometimes it's worth snapping around to see what you can find with a good bargening price.
Contrary to local moding culture (or to what at least it used to be in Japan) i will recommend integrated Yamaha R-N 2000A or R-N 1000A.
Best towers you might find to the price and a sub or two. For example on budget Polk R700, if you can find by a good price Revel F208 (hopefully 2.8 m hight will be enough for them). Budget sub/sub's as Speedwoofer 12S. Then you need to learn to control your self and how you can enjoy hearing everything there is to be heard on lower SPL program then one you prefer now with use of equal loudness compensation (automatic equal loudness with those amp's) and to start little lower and on prolonged session gradually go up in 1.5 dB steps (up to cuple of times to +6 dB psy 50% louder). I ain't one of those who is for investing too much in accustic treatment, good thick rug and accustic curtains (along with DSP for lows) is usually enough and not so hard to upkeep and maintain.

 

[Thighsofsteel]

As @Sokel says. It depends on what you mean by high SPL.
Also, do you have any equipment today that you are keeping? Streamer, DAC?
Plus you state your room is 14 m square, what are the actual dimensions?. How far from the speakers do you sit? Is your seating position up against a wall or do you have space behind the seating position.

 

[xaviescacs]

As I see it the loudness reference is the current setup

Devialet Phantom (103 dB max SPL)

and the 8331 have roughly the same SPL spec. Adding a 7360A that frees the 8331 from handling low freq, I don't see how this could be a downgrade in loudness capability of the system. I have a pair of 8030C without sub in a 5mx3m room and they are pretty loud...

Saying something like this

Listening habits: I like listening at high SPL (high volumes).

in this forum is quite something

 

[Redacted]

There's something to be said about listening at levels that are (within reason and sanity) close to levels of hearing the music live. Especially now that most venues (where I live) are a bit regulated to save people's hearing.

No matter how nice a "loudness" control is in terms of following 'ear response', below a certain volume, music starts getting 'backgroundy' to me. And sometimes that's nice, but sometimes it feels like being in a supermarket with the rest of the Walking Dead.

I see no fun in Simon and Garfunkel at 110dB, but you can't really play, say, Rammstein at background levels.

I also think that recordings are mixed to "sound right" when played at a certain volume, and this varies. Maybe there is a volume sweet spot for all our recordings, but I think it's a bit louder than most people go to! And maybe people choose speakers based on their preferred listening levels, rather than what the FR claims to be, or room sound.

 

[ZolaIII]

In live you have happy and loud bunch and guy with hot dogs stand to them trying to be louder so you go order or two magnitudes psy louder to shush it down. In controled environment ambient noise will be much more down to extent in the country with a little work put to it low 30's there you can have both order or two in between it and program averaged loudness to DR of material and stay in much more sain loudness boarders to where physics kick in low to sub bass mostly where you nead substantial loudness boost in order to compensate for it especially how programed SPL is lower. It's posible even to get to low speach program SPL with everything in it but that needs 2.2 setup 2.1 is more than fine for low 70's and up. When you get over 88 dB SPL reference calibration point (85 mono) the benth in bass starts to go slightly in reverse side. RME interfaces from pro equipment have such beyond the threshold ELC for example.

 

[Sokel]

Saying something like this

in this forum is quite something

The very founder of this forum* like it un-clipped and high on occasion, why would that be strange?

*(as I do too for peaks with my classical)