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No idea what you‘re trying to tell me. I have both.
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Please talk some sense into me
- Thread starter grezp
- Start date
Okay sorry I looked at the Ultra not the Amp Ultra
- Thread Starter
- #23
Forgot to include this info in the original post.
The room is an open floor plan about 18’ x 24’ (5.5 m x 7.3 m), with the living area itself around 18’ x 13’ (5.5 m x 4 m). My listening distance is roughly 14 ft (4.3 m). The ceiling slopes from 15 ft to 9 ft (4.6 m to 2.7 m), with the speakers placed at the higher end and my seat at the lower.
I’d like to try DIY eventually — maybe for my home office where I can hide the mistakes. The living room, though, probably deserves something a little more refined than whatever Frankenstein build I’d end up with.
My wife would surely prefer I thought like you!
Unlike some of the others commenting here, I think DSP based room correction is an essential component of getting the best sound your can achieve. Further, I'm not convinced DSP is a commodity, and that Dirac ART, Trinnov, and RoomPerfect are probably the best of the bunch. I would keep this in mind, and also consider using two subs to help you get the best bass response results. And... assuming you're going to use subs, probably go with standpoints. All of the speakers you've put on the list are very good ones, while I've not heard them, I would add the Ascend brand to the list.
- Thread Starter
- #26
I’m honestly a bit surprised by how mixed the opinions are on room correction. I’m not adding sound panels all over my living room anytime soon, so DSP feels like the next best option. The space has hardwood floors and is basically wrapped in windows—so I’m hoping DSP can work some magic there.
After going down the spinorama rabbit hole, I’m now strongly leaning toward the Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower. I think I’ve just got enough space for them.
Use of RC is somewhat divided out there. I think having good dsp to accommodate your circumstances/tastes is a good thing rather than the straight wire sort of approach (which doesn't take into account levels very well). I have several older Ascend speakers, good stuff, and the newer ones with raals would be very attractive to me. I would use subs (and gear appropriate to sub integration) in any case among any of your choices.
You’ve got a very good selection of speakers to choose from on your list!
An alternative… Passive speakers such as the ones listed, couple of subs, and a Denon x3800…. My case..I’m new to Hi-Fi. I’ve mostly dabbled with headsets, and now I’m finally taking the plunge to buy some real speakers and an amp. The setup will go in my living room and be used about 50/50 for music and movies/TV. I listen to a mix of genres—jazz, electronic, classical, rock, and hip-hop. I’ve also got some space constraints, so I've mostly considered bookshelf speakers. They’ll need to be fairly close to a wall—about 10 inches (25.5 cm) away.
I was initially eyeing the LS50 Meta + a sub, but then I watched and read reviews of the R3 Meta. Then I got swayed by the Buchardt S400 MKII, which led me to the E50. But after seeing the E50’s frequency response, now I’m considering the A10. I’m all over the place.
*See title*
I think I’ve narrowed my choices down… for now. (Check back in a few weeks for updates.)
Option 1
Option 2
- KEF R3 Meta
- Some sub—maybe KC62, SVS, or something else
- Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 (RoomPerfect sounds compelling)
Option 3
- Buchardt E50
- No sub
- Lyngdorf TDAI-2210, NAD with Dirac, or something else with room correction
Option 4
- Buchardt A10
- No sub
- Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 or another affordable non-amp streamer combo with Dirac
- KEF R5 Meta
- Some sub—maybe KC62, SVS, or something else
- Lyngdorf TDAI-2210 or NAD with Dirac
The R3 Meta setup seems like the most logical first buy-in. My wife isn’t exactly thrilled by the way they look; I think they’re fine. I “demoed” the R3 and R5 at Best Buy today for about 5–10 minutes. The R5 made the R3 sound small, but I was very impressed by both. I had a wow moment with the R3, then got blown away by the R5’s wide soundstage. They both need a sub, in my opinion.
I’m really drawn to the E50’s aesthetic. My wife likes it too, which is a big plus. Everything—from the internals to the cabinet—just screams premium. But spending ~$4.5 K on passive speakers for my first “Hi-Fi” setup feels like a stretch. Plus, I’d probably have to upgrade from the Lyngdorf 1120 to the 2210 to power them properly, which means more $$$. I'm open to other room correction options too, but RoomPerfect sounds simple. After looking at the frequency response, I felt a little underwhelmed. Not sure why I’m hung up on that—my untrained ears wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. I’m sure they sound great and at that price point, they’d better.
To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about active speakers. They’re intriguing, but when I think “Hi-Fi,” I picture passive speakers + amp. I know that’s an outdated mindset, but still. My only concern is future upgrades—or if something fails after warranty, I’d be stuck replacing both the amp and the speaker. Maybe that’s nothing to worry about.
The Ascilab A6B also look tempting. See title—again.
If you were in my position and had $5–10k to spend, what would you do? Maybe you can sway me in another direction
EDIT: The room is an open floor plan about 18’ x 24’ (5.5 m x 7.3 m), with the living area itself around 18’ x 13’ (5.5 m x 4 m). My listening distance is roughly 14 ft (4.3 m). The ceiling slopes from 15 ft to 9 ft (4.6 m to 2.7 m), with the speakers placed at the higher end and my seat at the lower.
-It is made to work with audio and video (hdmi surround codecs etc)
-Amps are good. 168w with 4ohm into 2 channels
-Very good EQ choices built in if used properly (Audyssey or Dirac/DLBC/ART)
-Loudness compensation if using Audyssey
-Family friendly in use
I would also through this out there… add a pair of surround speakers for a 4.1 system or 5.1 system. The use of the back surrounds would also be used for Dirac ART to make your room/system sound even better
Cons… it doesn’t measure very well (relative to some 2channel products) as tested by Amir but not sure any of those issues would be autidble compared to the ease of use benefits and built in EQ etc.
Ascend elx would be a very solid starting point....
Can someone weigh in on that 14 foot listening distance? I'm no expert, but I feel like the usual recommended "hi-fi" listening distance is around 8-10 feet. Does one need to factor a long listening distance into the speaker selection?
I would agree .. it's probably gonna take towers+ sub(s) at 14ft for high volume listening...and I would assume some soundstage (imaging) challenges , but that can be adapted for...7-8 ft is my max listening distance and my speakers are 3 ft from the front wall and not near side walls ...
I'd agree that this one is going to take some larger than average speakers, preferably of the narrower dispersion variety. Think perhaps something like Cerwin Vega XLS-12s or -15s, JBL HDI-3800s or the like.
- Thread Starter
- #35
I’m mostly concerned about vertical reflections. My ceiling slopes from 15 ft down to 9 ft, with the speakers at the higher end and my seat near the lower. Not exactly ideal acoustic conditions. I wish I could flip the setup, but that’s not possible. I’m hoping the ELX’s Ribbon tweeter’s narrow vertical dispersion helps reduce unwanted reflections.
Having gone through numerous bookshelf speakers, I would get your preferred floor standers from KEF, Revel, Ascend, or Philharmonic.
and then add minidsp / Dirac. Unless you are into serious rumble with movies, there is a good chance you can go without subs (depending on what room measurements say and your preference).
I hated trying to integrate subs and subs mean two more objects sitting in your room.
and then add minidsp / Dirac. Unless you are into serious rumble with movies, there is a good chance you can go without subs (depending on what room measurements say and your preference).
I hated trying to integrate subs and subs mean two more objects sitting in your room.
daniboun
Major Contributor
Would consider the Audio first designs Fidelia Sota measurements ( see Erin's review) + Sub SVS 1000 Pro + Wiim Amp pro or Ultra.
The Fidelia has an excellent vertical/ horizontal measurements and and very well controled bass reflex port.
You will be able to use PEQ and Room fit to get the best from this 2.1 setup
www.audiosciencereview.com
The Fidelia has an excellent vertical/ horizontal measurements and and very well controled bass reflex port.
You will be able to use PEQ and Room fit to get the best from this 2.1 setup
My Fidelia DIY build
I purchased the Fidelia DIY speaker kit from Audio First back in late August. My kit's arrival was delayed until October due to my special request to have the baffle made in a gold color instead of the stock black. Much thanks owed to Harry at Audiofirstdesigns who was gracious enough to grant...
www.audiosciencereview.com
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