Seeking Guidance for a “Good Enough” HiFi Setup in livingroom.

[DanielT]

Thank you @DanielT (as always)

I have had my eyes on the MA Silver series before. I have not yet seen them in person, but in pictures I cant help to think they look a bit cheapish? (even the wood finish). I much prefer Dynaudio Contour Legacy but not their price tag. I have been suggested Wharfedale Super Linton by others but Im not sure if everyone in our home apprechiate their looks as she had whishes for "a white slender speaker", like Q Acoustic Concept 50.

Thank you for suggestion about the amp. Im a little hesitant to used for the sake of used. I have set a side money ($4000) for this and want to spend every dime of it since its my ticket away from hifi forums, reddit, yt etc. Lets say I have a one time in life to splurge.

If I were to buy Wiim/Bluesound + power amp, would it just be plug and play or do I need to manage some settings etc?

But they have invested in getting a speaker with good sound. Dynaudio Contour Legacy and finish, ok but they costs four times as much as the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7g.

Q Acoustic Concept 50. Aha. Well, I don't know much about it, but undeniably a white slender speaker. It looks modern in its appearance.

Heco 1000? If the width of this Heco is okay, I think, despite the lower price than the Q Acoustic Concept 50, they give them a match. Most likely Heco will win that match. Heco 1000 should have better umf , dynamics in the bass area considering two 8 inch bass drivers:

Pros​

• Tonally accurate
• Wide dynamic range
• Broad and even dispersion
• Good sensitivity
• Not difficult load for amps
• Not back-breakingly heavy despite size

Considering what you said about finish regarding Monitor Audio. Heco 1000 , good sound for that price, undeniably so BUT you can't have everything:

Cons​

• Imitation wood veneer isn’t very convincing

HECO Aurora 1000 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review

The German made Heco Aurora 1000 floor-standing speakers ($799/ea) were put through the wringer with our in depth measurement testing and yielded surprising results. Are these the speakers to get?

www.audioholics.com

One more tip, I don't know much about them but 25% discount right now on the Dynaudio Emit 50:

Dynaudio Emit 50

Köp Emit 50 från Dynaudio hos Referenceaudio.se

www.referenceaudio.se

A ten year old NAD or Yamaha amp has many years of life left in them. But it's okay if you buy used, not through a company with a warranty, then so if the stuff break, well....A $175 used amp is next to pointless to take to a repair shop. Then I must say that the NAD amp I suggested was in the usual NAD tradition, that is to say rather ugly, the looks that is. One to set in a cabinet so you don't have to see the amp look.
not too small cabinet alternative good air-flowing cabinet

_____
So not used, probably not DIY and modern look on the speaker plus not too wide. I'm guessing that these don't fit into the home then, heh heh:

Home built speakers with dual 15 inch bass drivers. Building cost about SEK 25,000 ($2,300), I sell them for SEK 10,000 ($900). They sounds very good. High SPL.:

If I had room for such large ones, I would have definitely checked them out. What kind of design, crossover, what brand model of drivers bass and compression in them and so on.

Högtalare dubbla 15

hifitorget.se

Regarding Wiim/Bluesound, I don't know much about them but I see you got help with that.

 

[Looneybomber]

Yeah, real men only drive cars with hand crank start.

Oh you’re the kind of person who uses sarcasm instead of science when someone holds a differing opinion from yours. Why try to prove yourself right when you can just ridicule the other person. Classic.

You must be new to audio and didn’t know of just how many people are trashing their speakers due to amps going bad. Here is just one of many posts about it.

“How many have had issues with bad plate amps on subs and towers? I have 2 of them bad, and there have been 4 pairs on the local classifieds with bad amps recently.”

Audiokarma Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums

Home stereo and general audio discussion forums.

audiokarma.org

threads/definitive-technology-bad-plate-amps-lots-of-them.883358/

If it can’t be repaired or replaced, trash. Add in the extra complexities with having all the electronics built in and that is an expensive lifestyle speaker just waiting for a premature death. For someone who wants something to last 20-30 years, an all-in-one lifestyle speaker should be last on the list.

 

[DanielT]

For someone who wants something to last 20-30 years, ....

Hm, that's a question discussed regarding new class d amplifiers. So far we don't know. We'll see what the test of time brings:

Class D amp long term reliability

Hi, Looking for 2 channel amp to play a few hours 3-4 days a week. Would like to keep it for the next 10-15 years. Are class D amps today reliable enough to last that long without issues? Or should I go with AB amp? Don't really care one way or the other, but obviously my choice would be...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[mags65]

How about this combination:

WiiM Ultra streamer/dac/pre, SEK 4.700, has PEQ and sub management (for future), great app easily accessed by all potential users.

IOM Ultra power amp, SEK 6.400 (EUR 450 + VAT), Hypex NC252MP that can drive pretty much anything and should look great with the WiiM. 12V trigger connection for ease of use. https://internetofmusic.nl/product/iom-ultra/

Polk Reserve R700, SEK 24.000 (but is on sale relatively frequently - saw it discounted in Norway this fall), great review by Erin. The downward port solution should help in placement close to wall, in my experience (Fyne 502SP) this has worked like a charm.

Total of 35.000 SEK + cables, freight. And the benefit of full guarantees when purchased new from dealers.

 

[DanielT]

How about this combination:

WiiM Ultra streamer/dac/pre, SEK 4.700, has PEQ and sub management (for future), great app easily accessed by all potential users.

IOM Ultra power amp, SEK 6.400 (EUR 450 + VAT), Hypec NC252MP that can drive pretty much anything and should look grest with the WiiM. 12V trigger connection for ease of use. https://internetofmusic.nl/product/iom-ultra/

Polk Reserve R700, SEK 24.000 (but is on sale relatively frequently - saw it discounted in Norway this fall), great review by Erin. The downward port solution should help in placement close to wall, in my experience (Fyne 502SP) this has worked like a charm.

Total of 35.000 SEK + cables, freight. And the benefit of full guarantees when purchased new from dealers.

Polk Reserve R700 seem to be good speakers , but one thing I noticed , that has nothing to do with the speakers themselves,is this. A mini rant from my side:
What the hell, is there no competition on the HiFi market in Sweden? How come that ALL dealers have the same price on them?! Doesn't free pricing exist?

 

[Waxx]

You can do it in a lot of ways. I would probally do something like this:

streamer seperate as they got outdated very fast: Wiim Pro Plus 150$
MiniDSP Flex with Dirac: 750$. It's a very easy to setup dsp, with room correction. It takes some time to do, but when done it's set and forget and the device works as a normal preamp with 4 output (L-R + 2 subs maybe).
Ncore 252 based amp like the Audiophonics AP300-S250NC (and there are more models): 550€ (don't know how much in dollar)

That gives you still about 2500$ for speakers, so a Kef R3, Revel F206, JBL 4309, ... are all possible. We don't know what your personal taste is on looks and sound, but those are alle tested here and good and within your pricerange.

Some active speakers can als be bought for that, like a pair of Neumann KH120 II or so. Then you can even skip the amp. But for longlivity reasons i would not do that in your case.

​

 

[Esprit]

Thank you for your suggestion. Im sure they are good, but they would not qualify as "generally discreet design"

White Genelec

 

[mags65]

Polk Reserve R700 seem to be good speakers , but one thing I noticed , that has nothing to do with the speakers themselves,is this. A mini rant from my side:
What the hell, is there no competition on the HiFi market in Sweden? How come that ALL dealers have the same price on them?! Doesn't free pricing exist?
View attachment 411855

My guess? None of these actually have the speakers in stock. They just list them at RRP, and order from the Swedish distributor if/when any buyers come along. If you go and shop around, you will likely get a minimum 20% discount from one of them.

 

[kyuu]

You should probably consider the KEF Q11 Meta and the Elac DFR52.

 

[DanielT]

A few more suggestions:

Magnate Signature 707




BRL has an offer on them right now:

Magnat Signature 707 golvhögtalare, svart par

Signature 700-seriens flaggskepp, med teknik hämtad från de mer exotiska modellerna. Dett...

www.brl.se

Daniboun thought about buying them:

Quadral Plus Nine or Magnat Signature 707 ? help )

Hi amigos, Would like to order some new floor speakers. My actual setup : Topping LA90 + AK4499 Gustard DAC Source : Audio HD Streaming Living room : 30M2 PS : I am actually using some XTZ 99.38MKII, 100% Seas with the Beryllium Tweeters made un USA by Truextent®and the new XTZ Mcap Supreme...

audiosciencereview.com

However, it seems that daniboun has bought a pair of Elac FS 247.4 at a good price. They also seem good:

Elac FS 247.4, a big slap in the face!

Hi amigos, After listening, I had the opportunity to purchase a pair of Elac FS 247.4. I might as well tell you that at €1000 per pair (new), I got a golden deal) And what a big slap in the face! These speakers are exceptional from the first listen. For instance : nn the complex title Grare...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[Mal]

What the hell, is there no competition on the HiFi market in Sweden? How come that ALL dealers have the same price on them?! Doesn't free pricing exist?

Same in UK. But I suspect it's hyper-competition! They all keep a beady eye on each other - when the price goes down in one they all follow instantly...

 

[Looneybomber]

Hm, that's a question discussed regarding new class d amplifiers. So far we don't know. We'll see what the test of time brings:

Class D amp long term reliability

Hi, Looking for 2 channel amp to play a few hours 3-4 days a week. Would like to keep it for the next 10-15 years. Are class D amps today reliable enough to last that long without issues? Or should I go with AB amp? Don't really care one way or the other, but obviously my choice would be...

audiosciencereview.com

There’s more to an all-in-one speaker than just the class D amp. There’s the preamp, DAC, input processing/switching, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi receiver, etc. Even if the Class D amp is very reliable, something else could die and result in an expensive doorstop if a replacement isn’t available many years down the road.

Complexity is the enemy of reliability and it sounds like the OP’s priority is reliability.

 

[kemmler3D]

I'll just +1 the suggestion for KEF LS60 as it fits your requirements really well, I have a set in a similar sized irregular, un-treated room, and they do not leave much to be desired. The sound is excellent and the "point source" arrangement of drivers makes it (IMO) a bit less sensitive to the room or positioning. The bass is surprisingly good at moderate listening levels.

If you can find a set secondhand still in warranty... it might fit your budget.

Add a WiiM (Pro) and you can also have room correction and nice streaming features.

Adding a sub later is easy, there is a sub out on the speaker.

I won't dispute those saying that integrated active speakers have a higher failure rate. But there is also something to be said for convenience and WAF.

 

[unpluggged]

Oh you’re the kind of person who uses sarcasm instead of science when someone holds a differing opinion from yours. Why try to prove yourself right when you can just ridicule the other person. Classic.

You must be new to audio and didn’t know of just how many people are trashing their speakers due to amps going bad. Here is just one of many posts about it.

“How many have had issues with bad plate amps on subs and towers? I have 2 of them bad, and there have been 4 pairs on the local classifieds with bad amps recently.”

Audiokarma Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums

Home stereo and general audio discussion forums.

audiokarma.org

threads/definitive-technology-bad-plate-amps-lots-of-them.883358/

If it can’t be repaired or replaced, trash. Add in the extra complexities with having all the electronics built in and that is an expensive lifestyle speaker just waiting for a premature death. For someone who wants something to last 20-30 years, an all-in-one lifestyle speaker should be last on the list.

So a good-spirited humorous remark triggers you to the point you engage in strawman ad hominem arguments? Goodbye then. I have a life to live.

 

[Mal]

There’s more to an all-in-one speaker than just the class D amp. There’s the preamp, DAC, input processing/switching, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi receiver, etc. Even if the Class D amp is very reliable, something else could die and result in an expensive doorstop if a replacement isn’t available many years down the road.

Complexity is the enemy of reliability and it sounds like the OP’s priority is reliability.

The OP has several competing priorities: sound quality, hitting ~100dB without strain, cost, reliability...

The KEF LS60 Wireless speakers each contain three amplifiers:

• One 500W Class D amplifier for the low-frequency drivers.
• One 100W Class D amplifier for the midrange driver.
• One 100W Class AB amplifierfor the high-frequency driver.
  

On the negative side that's more to go wrong.

On the positive side, KEF argues, these separate amplifiers optimize the performance of each driver and ensure accurate sound reproduction across the entire frequency spectrum.

So do you have a trade off between quality and reliability?

SoundStage! Simplifi | SoundStageSimplifi.com - KEF LS60 Wireless Active Speaker System

 

[Mort]

MiniDSP Flex balanced w/ Dirac Live = $770
Hypex NC252MP 2-channel = $575
Philharmonic BMR Monitor = $2000

Total: $3,345 + shipping

Money left over for cables, speaker stands, and a WiiM to hook up to the MiniDSP.

When ready, add a pair of subs. The MiniDSP can handle 4 total outputs.

Pretty close to my answer. I'd upgrade to the 502 and maybe flex HT for the final $500.

 

[Mort]

Something like this I had in mind. Have not heard BMR and think it would be pricey to ship and/or ship back if I dont like the sound.

What can you demo then? Genelecs probably.

BMR is unmatched for the price.

 

[DanielT]

Something like this I had in mind. Have not heard BMR and think it would be pricey to ship and/or ship back if I dont like the sound.

If you can't find them in any EU country, keep in mind that you need to add 25% to the price because of:

Shop online from a country outside the EU

Customs and VAT

You always pay VAT. On most goods, VAT is 25 percent.
You pay customs duty if the value of the goods is more than SEK 1,800. ($165)
This applies regardless of whether the item is new or used.

Bra att veta innan du handlar på nätet

Vi har sammanställt det viktigaste du behöver veta när du ska handla på nätet från ett annat land. Ta reda på vad som gäller för just din vara.

www.tullverket.se

 

[Looneybomber]

So do you have a trade off between quality and reliability?

Like everything, there are always trade offs. As always, the goal is to balance the negative trade offs with the design goals. This is not exclusive to audio or anything that’s come about in our lifetime. It’s a notion that’s been around long before we were born.

I would argue with the Kef LS60 the trade off is not reliability vs quality, I would argue it’s convenience vs reliability. Yes the quality is there, but the quality can easily be found without the convenience of an all-in-one system.

 

[StefanSweden]

But they have invested in getting a speaker with good sound. Dynaudio Contour Legacy and finish, ok but they costs four times as much as the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7g.

Q Acoustic Concept 50. Aha. Well, I don't know much about it, but undeniably a white slender speaker. It looks modern in its appearance.

Heco 1000? If the width of this Heco is okay, I think, despite the lower price than the Q Acoustic Concept 50, they give them a match. Most likely Heco will win that match. Heco 1000 should have better umf , dynamics in the bass area considering two 8 inch bass drivers:
View attachment 411838

Pros​

• Tonally accurate
• Wide dynamic range
• Broad and even dispersion
• Good sensitivity
• Not difficult load for amps
• Not back-breakingly heavy despite size

Considering what you said about finish regarding Monitor Audio. Heco 1000 , good sound for that price, undeniably so BUT you can't have everything:

Cons​

• Imitation wood veneer isn’t very convincing

HECO Aurora 1000 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review

The German made Heco Aurora 1000 floor-standing speakers ($799/ea) were put through the wringer with our in depth measurement testing and yielded surprising results. Are these the speakers to get?

www.audioholics.com

One more tip, I don't know much about them but 25% discount right now on the Dynaudio Emit 50:
View attachment 411841View attachment 411842View attachment 411843

Dynaudio Emit 50

Köp Emit 50 från Dynaudio hos Referenceaudio.se

www.referenceaudio.se

A ten year old NAD or Yamaha amp has many years of life left in them. But it's okay if you buy used, not through a company with a warranty, then so if the stuff break, well....A $175 used amp is next to pointless to take to a repair shop. Then I must say that the NAD amp I suggested was in the usual NAD tradition, that is to say rather ugly, the looks that is. One to set in a cabinet so you don't have to see the amp look.
not too small cabinet alternative good air-flowing cabinet

_____
So not used, probably not DIY and modern look on the speaker plus not too wide. I'm guessing that these don't fit into the home then, heh heh:

Home built speakers with dual 15 inch bass drivers. Building cost about SEK 25,000 ($2,300), I sell them for SEK 10,000 ($900). They sounds very good. High SPL.:
View attachment 411845

If I had room for such large ones, I would have definitely checked them out. What kind of design, crossover, what brand model of drivers bass and compression in them and so on.

Högtalare dubbla 15

hifitorget.se

Regarding Wiim/Bluesound, I don't know much about them but I see you got help with that.

I hope to demo Aurora soon! Heard much good about them and they look great (from pictures and videos).