Non-techie music lover needing advice

[riggs]

Hi fellow music lovers,

I was hoping I could get some consensus advice without the need to go down the rabbit hole of learning about setups, technologies etc (unfortunately, I just don't have the bandwidth)...

My family and I listen to a LOT of music (rock, house, downtempo, jazz and some pop) and our setup is not up to scratch in any way. After we moved a few years ago and the TV moved out of the main living area, it's gone from bad to worse. We are a streaming family and are currently listening to Spotify and Soundcloud via a Sonos Move, with the rest of the Sonos gear away in the TV room (sub and Playbar). I also have 2 Quad 22L floor standing speakers and a NAD C372 stereo integrated amp which are not currently utilised. I need to know whether to replace what I've got or add to it.

We mainly listen to music in the semi-open dining and living rooms (8m x 9m combined) and outside (level access from the living room).

I have not enjoyed the sound coming from the amp to Quad's when I connect for example my phone to amp via some input... not sure if its the amp-speaker combo, the Spotify feed, lack of dedicated DAC... literally dont know why it sounds so rubbish (I'm sure its obvious to you). Also, my wife doesn't want the Quad speakers in the living room so initially thought I would keep them for post renovation (18-24 months) and buy 2 bookshelf speakers to mount on the living room wall...

If this is the recommended approach, should I keep the NAD C372 amp or should I upgrade so that I have an amp (I've only just learned about class-D) better suited to new book shelfs AND Quads (for future)? Do I need a streaming DAC?

The other idea I had was to buy 2 Sonos Era 300's (or Era 100's or Five's) and possibly another sub if beneficial (??)... this seems like a much easier solution and also enables me to use the Move for more dedicated outdoor listening, but then what do I do with my Quad's and NAD amp?

I've always believed the Quad's were a great speaker but I've never been able to get the best out of them...

Your advice is highly anticipated and much appreciated!

 

[Cool Runnings]

ASR is a godsend for a lot of non-techies like me. Instead of fumbling around in the wilderness of YouTube reviews ASR provides objective science in a digestible way for folks like us to avoid all the subjective mess out there and quickly get to a much better higher of sound reproduction and music enjoyment.

To get straight to the point. I think the simplest path is to go through the DAC, DAC/AMP, AMP, Speaker recommendation lists found in ASR and pick off some options based on your budget, aesthetic and functionalities preferences. Then simply do some ASR (and YouTube research) on your shortlisted options.

I am a Wiim fanboy and have had great experiences with Wiim Mini, Wiim Pro and Wiim Ultra. So that covers my streaming and even DAC needs (Wiim Ultra). Plus Wiim room correction is really a step up for non-techies like me.

For speakers, I have bought Ascend Acoustics and Genelecs speakers because of ASR. Love them.

For amp, I use a Nord amp via Wiim Pro and Topping D70 Pro DAC and through to Ascend Acoustics Speakers.

Just stick to the basic principles of sound quality found here, you won't go far wrong. SQ and budget wise.

 

[somebodyelse]

The Sonos Five measured pretty well so probably not a bad choice if it preserves domestic harmony. I don't think anything from Sonos that's been reviewed here has done too badly

In terms of what makes a difference to what you hear, electronics are low on the list so long as they're operated within their limitations (not pushing the amp up to 11 for example). Speakers have much greater variations in both frequency response and distortion than the electronics. The frequency response is also significantly affected by placement and the acoustics of the room (soft furnishings and carpet providing damping, or lots of hard surfaces giving strong reflections). If the speaker directivity is good (off-axis response generally follows on-axis) it is possible to correct the frequency response with EQ, but needs anechoic measurements like those you see here or at spinorama.org. I haven't seen any measurements of the Quads so can't say whether EQ would be helpful there. The other EQ use is room correction for low frequency effects (usually below ~400Hz, lower in large rooms. For that you need a measurement mic and something to do the EQ based on the measurements. It can be done with free software, but that has an accompanying rabbit hole of learning. The automated systems like Dirac Live are quicker and easier, but cost more. AVRs usually have something similar built in, and it's starting to appear in streamers like the Wiim, or server software like Roon.

I don't know what EQ options Sonos offers, but that's probably the first thing I'd look at if keeping the Quads.