• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Small Room - Speaker and Integrated Amp Recommendation

CSCastle

New Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2023
Messages
4
Likes
1
Hello All. I am hoping those with FAR more experience in choosing audio gear than myself might be able to help me out.

Long story short: Decided to put together a system for my apartment over Christmas and for getting into vinyl for the first time. Went on Amazon and bought a cheap Chinese tube preamp (Douk Audio P1) and tube amplifier (Nobsound 6P1) and some cheap Klipsch speakers (R-41M) along with a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon and it's a variety of issues, sound horrible and just not the right setup for my room currently. Preamp, Amp and Speakers are being returned. Lesson learned. I freely admit it could be user error for setup potentially. Doing tubes with separates for my current space needs is just not right regardless at this time.

Trying to move towards a nice 2.1 setup which is reasonably easy to use and setup as I start to learn more about hifi towards upgrading down the road. I don't intend to use it for movies and don't even own a TV currently.

Room Configuration: small apartment, 12x10x8 room. Not perfect but it's what I have to work with. Desk on one side as I WFH 100% so it won't be perfect but doing my best to try and put together a system to put out a nice soundstage etc given the limitations.

Music Listening Choices: Lots of Rock, Prog Rock, Jamband live recordings (Grateful Dead, Phish etc), Ambient, EDM (Trance, Hardstyle and Deep House primarily), some Jazz and Orthodox Chant. Not much classical. Listening volumes aren't too crazy being in an apartment and trying to usually (but not always) be a good neighbor. Moderate volumes most of the time. Getting into vinyl for the first time but will probably stream or connect via USB from my laptop or BT from my phone or laptop as available I guess otherwise based on what the system supports.

Current Equipment:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
Subwoofer: SVS SB-1000 (just arrived which I intend to keep as I had a SVS cylinder sub for a # of years which I loved)

Budget: $2000-3000 for an integrated amp and bookshelf speakers. I'd prefer towards the lower end to give me budget for a reasonable set of speaker stands, audio rack etc as needed to flesh out the setup fully.

Needs:
  1. phono preamp section for the Pro-Ject turntable
  2. subwoofer out or line out to connect the SVS SB-1000

I was considered the following based on extensive reading of reviews and threads here and elsewhere and have ended up with a paradox of choice scenario:

Speakers Thoughts:
  1. Revel M16 (well rated here and elsewhere, especially at a $1000 pricepoint)
  2. SVS Ultra (read through most of the epic thread here on these which made me pause)
  3. Monitor Silver 100
  4. Buchart S300 MKII SE

Integrated Amplifier Thoughts:
  1. NAD - D 3045 HybridDigital DAC/Amplifier
  2. Yamaha A-S801SL Natural Sound Integrated Stereo Amplifier
  3. Cambridge Audio CXA61/81
  4. Peachtree nova150/300

Currently, I'm leaning towards the Revel M16 but a bit confused as to what will be sufficient and convenient from the integrated amp side for hooking up the turntable, sub and speakers while supporting a line from my laptop or a BT or USB connection from my phone otherwise.

Any thoughts on these possibilities, my overall idea for the room or otherwise is REALLY appreciated!

Thanks in advance.
 

Doodski

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
20,749
Likes
20,760
Location
Canada
Generally speaking a subwoofer in a wood frame construction apartment building is a recipe for neighbor complaints but you already have it and have run it so I assume you're OK with the subwoofer. The Yamaha AS-801SL is a very nice amplifier with good design and the TOP ART stuff is not a gimmick because it is actual circuitry and layout parameters that help. The value proposition from Yamaha is very good on the AS-801SL. The speakers I cannot advise on because I have not heard them. In my opinion the phono preamp to buy is either the Cambridge Audio Duo or Solo and maybe the Parks Audio Puffin if you are a tweaker and like adjusting the sound.
 

yzbythesea

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2022
Messages
6
Likes
0
I only heard Monitor Audio silver 100 in your list and I cannot recommend it. I tried one home and found out it sounds harsh and metallic (To a point where my ears hurt). For your budget, I think Kef LS50 is another good option. it amazed me in the store. Very detailed, good clarity and airy. For the amp, if you can still get the Arcam end-of-year deal, Arcam SA10 is good entry one for $699.
 

dominikz

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 10, 2020
Messages
803
Likes
2,626
The more I look into this, the more it seems to me that good AVRs are at the moment some of the best value all-in-one solutions (preamp + streamer + room EQ + bass management + power amplifier).
Perhaps look at any Denon with "XT32" version of Audyssey MultEQ-X.
Another benefit is an AVR allows you to later expand into multichannel easily.

BTW, I use Revel M16 together with SVS SB-1000 in a small apartment (still no AVR, though :() and am quite happy with the combination!
 

MaxwellsEq

Major Contributor
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
1,628
Likes
2,426
phono preamp section for the Pro-Ject turntable
I have the Cambridge Audio Alva Duo phono pre-amp and it works well. It has low background noise and handles clicks well. Measurements show it has a good RIAA implementation and sufficient headroom.
 
OP
C

CSCastle

New Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2023
Messages
4
Likes
1
Thanks for the follow up comments.

I decided to go with the Alva Duo over the Alva Solo based on amirm's great review and recommendations above. Definitely leaning towards the Revel M16 and Yamaha with Revel stands at this point. Added to my shopping cart. Going to sleep on it.
 

Doodski

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
20,749
Likes
20,760
Location
Canada
Going to sleep on it.
Smart move. I sleep on all decisions now and sometimes I sleep for several nights if I feel uneasy about something whether that be the value proposition, the quality, the terms or just the rapid rate at which stuff becomes junk these days. :D
 
OP
C

CSCastle

New Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2023
Messages
4
Likes
1
Made a decision and pulled the trigger this morning.

Yamaha AS-801SL
CA Alva Duo
Revel M16
Revel Stands

Thanks for all your help. I'll let you know how it all turns out once I hook it all up and listen to it.
 

Bernard23

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Messages
527
Likes
389
Made a decision and pulled the trigger this morning.

Yamaha AS-801SL
CA Alva Duo
Revel M16
Revel Stands

Thanks for all your help. I'll let you know how it all turns out once I hook it all up and listen to it.
What made you choose the Yamaha over the CXA81? I'm looking at both (actually the 701, which is a fair bit cheaper)
 
D

Deleted member 58421

Guest
strange post. You asked for recommendations due to seemingly poor choice/integration but then simply didn’t receive any serious system recommendations and went ahead again lol.
 

JiiPee

Active Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2021
Messages
252
Likes
482
My proposal:
- Schiit Mani, or Cambridge Audio Alva phono preamp
- DSPeaker Antimode X2 preamp with DSP for room correction and 2.1 setup optimization
- Genelec G Three active speakers

Considering that You have a fairly small room and a subwoofer, I think a DSP-based room correction really helps.

Oops... Sorry... I responded to original post and did not notice that this is too late...
 
Last edited:
OP
C

CSCastle

New Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2023
Messages
4
Likes
1
strange post. You asked for recommendations due to seemingly poor choice/integration but then simply didn’t receive any serious system recommendations and went ahead again lol.
I don't really think your saltiness is warranted or constructive.

Doodski and MaxwellsEq gave me some excellent and timely advice (thank you btw, truly) that was directly related to the equipment listed and my living situation. They along with some insightful reviews by amirm regarding the Revel M16s and the CA DAC on the forums set my mind at ease enough to actually pull the trigger and ORDER equipment rather than second-guessing myself for 5 months from now without ever buying a thing.

You all set my mind at ease to not have buyer's remorse and to actually be able to enjoy what I chose and rediscover what is possible with music. That says something about the forum imho. I had a time frame at the end of the year when the money was available in my budget and I was motivated to purchase and thanks to all of you I did.

Bernard23, great question regarding the Yamaha over the Cambridge Audio (and apologies for the late reply). It really came down to budget and knowing my naturall (often misplaced) tendencies. I knew that I would needlessly choose the more expensive CXA81 over the Yamaha for no rational reason (especially as a professed newbie at the beginning of my own journey) which would have added an extra $5-600 to my budget for no real gain. The Yamaha has a great, retro look to it. The thing looks really nice in person, has tons of power (WAY more power than I truly need in my apartment even before you talk about the SVS SB-1000) and combined with the Revel M16s, it just makes listening fun, especially in a less-than-ideal space, as I eventually fine time to learn more about tuning to the room and what is possible.

I REALLY like the M16s and super happy I got the matching stands on top of it. A great entry point into higher end audio.

Hope that helps!
 

napfkuchen

Active Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2022
Messages
295
Likes
397
Location
Germany
To break it down in short there are (my personal experience) two ways you can get somewhat decent "hifi" playback in a small room:
  1. Get a speaker system that has dsp capabilities, preferably with active speakers (because then you can put the budget where it is well-spent) and a subwoofer. Forget about fancy DACs, SINAD and other things. That's for the last 5%.
  2. Place as much absorbers as possible considering the space needed, room aesthetics and your budget.
My speakers have huge dips below 100 hz. In my last flat they played down to 40 hz without any issues. But that's what cancellations and SBIR do. Especially in small rooms where you are limited regarding speaker placement you might be better off with a sub/sat-system because typically the sub has more placement options. For 3000 $ that might be a set of Neumann KH 80 speakers and KH 750 sub (alignment kit).

Just to give you a brief overview, my listening room / home office is 4 x 3,6 x 2,65 m (13 x 12 x 8.7 ft), so very similar dimensions. My dsp speakers showed the following results before room treatment:

1677691520073.png

1677691565694.png


After treatment (front wall, table, first reflection point absorbers and bass-traps - well not exactly but that's what they are called - in the front corners):
1677691620463.png

1677691743033.png



For now I am very happy. Bass feels punchy, stereo panorama is excellent. On the right side there is a window which needs a curtain to fight early reflections, I also plan adding some back wall absorbers. But what you can see is that dsp cannot fix reverb. As soon as sound leaves the speaker chassis it bounces around. Furniture and carpets won't help much. Once everything is finished I will probably post the results in a separate thread.
 

Bernard23

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Messages
527
Likes
389
Bernard23, great question regarding the Yamaha over the Cambridge Audio (and apologies for the late reply). It really came down to budget and knowing my naturall (often misplaced) tendencies. I knew that I would needlessly choose the more expensive CXA81 over the Yamaha for no rational reason (especially as a professed newbie at the beginning of my own journey) which would have added an extra $5-600 to my budget for no real gain. The Yamaha has a great, retro look to it. The thing looks really nice in person, has tons of power (WAY more power than I truly need in my apartment even before you talk about the SVS SB-1000) and combined with the Revel M16s, it just makes listening fun, especially in a less-than-ideal space, as I eventually fine time to learn more about tuning to the room and what is possible.
Thanks, FWIW in the meantime I bought the A-S501. A bargain at £350 from Amazon, though the smaller Denon it replaced was also perfectly capable and similar ability, just not as powerful. I doubt that the CA is in practice any better.
 
Top Bottom