Recommendations for hifi speaker choice in the low budget range

[Duskqq]

The Sonos sounds incredibly good for a lifestyle speaker, it is very suitable for casual listening in a small environment, more so than a normal hifi speaker would be.
The M-Audio are active, so you would save on the amplifier, they have two 8-inch woofers that allow them to go much lower than the other alternatives you are considering and they have very little distortion even at high volume, if you read Amir's considerations in the review I linked you will notice that he was amazed by the performance, they also have a horizontal dispersion of 60 degrees, which makes them excellent for covering an entire room as a pair, the price is within the budget and they are easily found on Amazon with all the related return and warranty policies.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense! So after the last two answers of you and rsc1 I'm pondering the M-Audio and the JBL over the Elac and the Wharfedale. I also read Amirs review and tried to find more about their vertical directivity, is it also good?

As for the Sonos, is there a setup you can recommend which is within my budget?

 

[Duskqq]

There is a couple of things to keep in mind.

You said you want to fill the room with sound as much as possible. Speakers with wider directivity will do that, however, you will also have more (potentially nasty) reflections off the ceiling/floor/walls, which will negatively impact the sound. I'm assuming your room is acoustically untreated and is relatively small. A coaxial speaker like the Q150 is a bit narrower in horizontal directivity (about ±50°), but it has much better vertical directivity than most 2-way bookshelves. That allows you to move off-axis from the tweeter vertically (as in standing up and walking around) but still hear the same sound. Pairing them with the Yamaha amp would be fine. Drawbacks would be that they don't have a lot of bass and will distort when pushed hard without a sub.

I do agree that by going active you'd get a bit more bang for your buck. There are plenty that have decently wide horizontal directivity (about ±60° for the JBL 30xP line). Since you're in Germany I'd recommend finding a used pair of JBL 308P MKii's if you can swing it. They go low, have great linearity and sound absolutely amazing for the money. I have a pair and will never get rid of them.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Thank you very much! This also makes a lot of sense, especially pointing at vertical directivity when it comes to standing/walking around. What do you think about the M-Audio bx8 D3 that Talisman suggested in comparison to the JBL 308 MKII? They seem to have similar directivity features to some exten. Actually I already had the JBL in mind but assumed that their sweet spot would be too narrow. So this information is very helpful. I should be able to find a used pair.

I listen to everything, but I would say mostly Art Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Pop, Classic.

 

[holbob]

Surely without a consistent listening position, you would be better off with coaxials?? Maybe look at some used coaxial speakers.

Elac UBR62
Kef LS50
Kali Audio IN-5

You won't need an amp with the Kali Audio.

 

[rsc1]

Thank you very much! This also makes a lot of sense, especially pointing at vertical directivity when it comes to standing/walking around. What do you think about the M-Audio bx8 D3 that Talisman suggested in comparison to the JBL 308 MKII? They seem to have similar directivity features to some exten. Actually I already had the JBL in mind but assumed that their sweet spot would be too narrow. So this information is very helpful. I should be able to find a used pair.

I listen to everything, but I would say mostly Art Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Pop, Classic.

The JBL is a better speaker (more linear, extends lower) but the M-Audio seems to be a bit cheaper. I'd personally go for the JBL if you can afford it.

Surely without a consistent listening position, you would be better off with coaxials?? Maybe look at some used coaxial speakers.

Elac UBR62
Kef LS50
Kali Audio IN-5

You won't need an amp with the Kali Audio.

I'd have to guess these are all outside OP's budget, even used. I agree coaxials would be good though hence why I recommended the Q150.

 

[Duskqq]

The JBL is a better speaker (more linear, extends lower) but the M-Audio seems to be a bit cheaper. I'd personally go for the JBL if you can afford it.

I'd have to guess these are all outside OP's budget, even used. I agree coaxials would be good though hence why I recommended the Q150.

So you would then also prefer the JBL over the Q150 when price considerations are excluded? And what about the 305P in case the 308 are too expensive? Is it also a solid choice over all the other suggestions so far? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to spend the money the most reasonable way.

 

[rsc1]

So you would then also prefer the JBL over the Q150 when price considerations are excluded? And what about the 305P in case the 308 are too expensive? Is it also a solid choice over all the other suggestions so far? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to spend the money the most reasonable way.

I personally would. I have a pair of 305s also for DJ duties and they are great, but they won't fill up the room like the 308s will. Listening to rock and pop you'll appreciate having some more low-end extension. I haven't heard the 306s, but from reading their review those are a good buy also. Get the 308s if you can afford them. If you can't find any in your budget, get the 306s. Set HF switch to -2dB and enjoy the music!

 

[staticV3]

My total budget is say around 350 euros and I'm located in Germany.

The Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 and Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 alone are 350€ per pair.

No budget for an Amp? Or do you have one already?

Am I correct in assuming that by "horizontal" you mean laying down the speaker flat?

No. Horizonal directivity with the speaker in its regular orientation.

And aren't Sonos and Google systems worse from a hifi standpoint

Debatable.

in comparison to e.g. a pair of Elacs + a Yamaha amp both placed in corners in ±90°?

Not sure what ±90° means in this context.

But again: IME two speakers don't work well if you want to move across the room.

 

[Duskqq]

The Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 and Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 alone are 350€ per pair.

I have found a pair of Elacs on ebay for 200 bucks and Wharfedales can be found there as well quite below 350 euros a pair. So with the rest I would intend to buy an amp, the AS201 goes for 70-100 euros on ebay.

No. Horizonal directivity with the speaker in its regular orientation

Not sure what ±90° means in this context.

I used both of these terms incorrectly, sorry for the confusion I'm still new to this but I now understood what you said. Thanks.

Debatable.

Could you suggest a Sonos/Google system that's within the price range or should I just go for like a single JBL 308 and put it in the corner? I don't know other options that would make sense as single speakers. I assume it should be a larger speaker if it is only one.

Thanks again and best regards

 

[Petevid]

I'd recommend Wharfedale 12.1s, , Fosi ZA3 amp and a Wiim Mini or Wiim Pro, preferably the Pro as it has the trigger output to the Fosi amp. Covers lots of streaming options and has Room PEQ or the 12.1s and a Wiim amp for the same reasons.

 

[somebodyelse]

As for the Sonos, is there a setup you can recommend which is within my budget?

Ikea's smart speakers use the Sonos control software at a lower price, and still measure pretty well:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...symfonisk-picture-frame-speaker-review.25139/

 

[staticV3]

Could you suggest a Sonos/Google system that's within the price range or should I just go for like a single JBL 308 and put it in the corner?

I'd either choose a Sonos Five:

Bitte entschuldigen Sie die Störung...

Sonos Five Smart Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests, and detailed measurements of the SONOS Five streaming wired/wireless smart multi-room speaker. It was kindly drop shipped by a member and costs US $549. The Five is solidly built and feels rather substantial in hand. Packaging is always is apple-like...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Or an Adam T7V/T8V, Kali LP-8v2/IN-8v2, or JBL 308P MKII plus a WiiM Mini.

The latter has the advantage of deeper bass extension, PEQ room correction, and not being tied to Sonos' troublesome software.

The former is a cleaner setup, has much wider directivity so may sound more spacious, and has auto standby which the monitors lack. Those are either On or Off (rear power switch).

 

[Duskqq]

I'd either choose a Sonos Five:

Bitte entschuldigen Sie die Störung...

Sonos Five Smart Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests, and detailed measurements of the SONOS Five streaming wired/wireless smart multi-room speaker. It was kindly drop shipped by a member and costs US $549. The Five is solidly built and feels rather substantial in hand. Packaging is always is apple-like...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Or an Adam T7V/T8V, Kali LP-8v2/IN-8v2, or JBL 308P MKII plus a WiiM Mini.

The latter has the advantage of deeper bass extension, PEQ room correction, and not being tied to Sonos' troublesome software.

The former is a cleaner setup, has much wider directivity so may sound more spacious, and has auto standby which the monitors lack. Those are either On or Off (rear power switch).

The Sonos seems to be a good choice which is quite surprising to me since it is such a small speaker, but maybe that's because it has so many tweeters and woofers.

Regarding the WiiM Mini I have one question left: It only meadiates between the speaker and the amp but doesn't substitute an amp, correct? What are the advantages of it in comparison to a simple aux cable attached to a phone/laptop and the amp?

Best regards and many thanks. I'm at least sure now that I will go for one of these setups and that's great.

 

[staticV3]

Regarding the WiiM Mini I have one question left: It only meadiates between the speaker and the amp but doesn't substitute an amp, correct?

Correct. The Amp is built into the speakers.

What are the advantages of it in comparison to a simple aux cable attached to a phone/laptop and the amp?

Wireless operation, PEQ room correction, and potentially at some point equal loudness compensation which I've heard WiiM are working on right now.

 

[Duskqq]

Correct. The Amp is built into the speakers.


Wireless operation, PEQ room correction, and potentially at some point equal loudness compensation which I've heard WiiM are working on right now.

Great, thank you! I'm amazed by all the knowledge you guys have.

 

[Duskqq]

Hey guys, after a long time of consideration a decision towards the audio setup has finally been made. I went for the Kali IN 8v2 as mono speaker setup. I‘m quite satisfied with the sound, however, I wasn‘t as overwhelmed as I thought I‘d be. I have two questions in this regard and it would be amazing if you guys could help me out once more.

First: So, after receiving the speakers, I went out to an audio store to buy an XLR cable in order to connect the single Kali speaker. I also intended to buy an interface, something like a Steinberg, nothing special UR22C. But then the employee at the audio store had objetions. They were more knowledgeable than I, so I cannot say what‘s true and what isn‘t. They said that a mono setup - having only one speaker - would be quite nonsensical because music nowadays is to a vast majority produced and mastered in stereo. So if I only use one speaker, I will lose 50% of the audio information and thereby 50% of the actual music. Because the music is only transfered to either the left or the right output side of the interface and then to a single speaker, but doesn‘t go through both channels and then two speakers accordingly. Is this actually true? I‘m really not sure, that‘s why I‘m asking. I trusted that person in the beginning and so I bought a particular stereo cable instead of the XLR + interface combo. Said cable is supposed to simulate stereo sound without having two output channels (and I also bought it because it was really cheap). Still the sound seemed somewhat odd to me. What are your ideas on this? Is this cable a good idea? I also noticed that with this cable the speaker was really low volume and I had a hard time making it sound louder. I don‘t have an explanation for this, I just know that with the cable the speaker could be connected to my mobile phone without further instance.

Second: I have an old vinyl player that is not preamped. I did buy an additional preamp and rendered the cinch cables (male) to the preamp and then from there leaded the signal to the speaker by a jack 3.5/jack 6.3 adapter. The outcoming sound is totally off. It‘s harsh and blurry and just sounds overall distorted. Is there another potential reason for this other than a mechanical defect? I assume that the needle adjusted to the player is not intact. But I‘m really not sure and haven‘t tried a new needle so far. Do you have any suggestions what I could do next in order to find out where the problem lies? So far, I‘d like to avoid buying a new vinyl player, so I‘m especially grateful for any suggestions that can help with that.

All the best and thanks in advance!

 

[JeremyFife]

Hi, the Kali IN 8v2's should be pretty good for you.

Yes, you will need to combine both stereo output channels into one single input so that you are not just playing one channel, but a cable should be absolutely fine for that. I'm not sure what the salesman was talking about.

Can you explain what other equipment you have and how you are using it? How are you getting music into your speaker?

For vinyl, the output from a turntable cannot be sent straight to a line-level pre-amplifier. The output is filtered (its called RIAA equalisation) and is very low level. You need a "phono pre-amp" between the turntable and a regular pre-amp to boost the signal and to correct the filter.

Again, it would help if you told us what turntable you have and what pre-amp you have. How are you getting that to your speaker?

More info helps, cheers

 

[Duskqq]

Thank you very much for your answer! I‘m really not an expert but I‘m trying my best to give you all the important information that I know of. So as for the cable, I‘m using something like this: https://www.thomann.de/de/cordial_c...MIjOn5pNmFkAMVaZCDBx2kbTBBEAQYASABEgJNKPD_BwE

The salesman just gave me this and told me to plug it directly into the speaker. So this also answers your question how I‘m getting music into the speaker: I‘m connecting my smartphone to the 3.5 end of the cable and then I immediately plug the 6.3 end of the cable into the Kali IN 8v2. That‘s it, I don‘t use anything else right know because that‘s what the person in the hifi store told me to do. I hope this helps.

As for the turntable: I don‘t know the exact model right now, but I will figure it out as soon as I am at home and then come back to you with more information. I will then also tell you the model of the pre-amp I used, since I also don‘t know which type of preamp it is (phono or regular).

Thank you very much again!

 

[JeremyFife]

Thank you very much for your answer! I‘m really not an expert but I‘m trying my best to give you all the important information that I know of. So as for the cable, I‘m using something like this: https://www.thomann.de/de/cordial_c...MIjOn5pNmFkAMVaZCDBx2kbTBBEAQYASABEgJNKPD_BwE

The salesman just gave me this and told me to plug it directly into the speaker. So this also answers your question how I‘m getting music into the speaker: I‘m connecting my smartphone to the 3.5 end of the cable and then I immediately plug the 6.3 end of the cable into the Kali IN 8v2. That‘s it, I don‘t use anything else right know because that‘s what the person in the hifi store told me to do. I hope this helps.

As for the turntable: I don‘t know the exact model right now, but I will figure it out as soon as I am at home and then come back to you with more information. I will then also tell you the model of the pre-amp I used, since I also don‘t know which type of preamp it is (phono or regular).

Thank you very much again!

It would be good for other, more experienced members, to comment too.

That cable is for stereo (both channels) ... however - I think that when you plug it into the balanced TRS input it is treated as mono (slightly technical, balanced cables use two channels for a single output channel in order to deal with noise).
That is, you might only be getting one channel with this - but I'd appreciate someone else checking.

What are you using as the source, what is the other end of that cable plugged into?

A simple check would be to get a new cable with two stereo 3.5mm jacks (the small one) and plugging it into the RCA input of your speaker. That would be a stereo - stereo connection.
If that still doesn't sound right then can use your existing preamp, perhaps needing different cables - but that depends on what your equipment is

 

[somebodyelse]

Thank you very much for your answer! I‘m really not an expert but I‘m trying my best to give you all the important information that I know of. So as for the cable, I‘m using something like this: https://www.thomann.de/de/cordial_c...MIjOn5pNmFkAMVaZCDBx2kbTBBEAQYASABEgJNKPD_BwE

The salesman just gave me this and told me to plug it directly into the speaker. So this also answers your question how I‘m getting music into the speaker: I‘m connecting my smartphone to the 3.5 end of the cable and then I immediately plug the 6.3 end of the cable into the Kali IN 8v2. That‘s it, I don‘t use anything else right know because that‘s what the person in the hifi store told me to do. I hope this helps.

Something 'like' that, or exactly that? If it's exactly that then I think it's wrong. If it just looks like that then it _might_ be ok, depending on how it's wired internally. Or I'm misunderstanding your setup...

The Kali has a balanced input - it uses the difference between the tip and ring as the signal. Stereo puts left and right on the tip and ring, so using a stereo cable to go between phone and Kali will mean you hear the difference between left and right. The mono version you want to hear is the sum of left and right, not the difference.

 

[staticV3]

So if I only use one speaker, I will lose 50% of the audio information and thereby 50% of the actual music.

99% of music is mastered in an equilateral triangle which isn't possible according to your OP.

The WiiM Mini can and will downmix to Mono, which means that all sounds from both input channels will be output to the single speaker.

What's lost is the sound difference between the two channels, so things like panning effects, but those you can't reproduce properly anyway given your listening habits.