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Son's first hifi setup - wow!

Joined
Mar 19, 2024
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I helped my son put together his first hifi setup - wow!
SMSL AO 300. Such an impressive DAC / integrated amp. The SMSL AO 300 highlights to me that that the DACs are a "solved problem". Such an impressive device. Impressive power output. Very hard to match at the price.
Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2 Bookshelf Speakers. These little Pro-Ject speakers are great and are just enjoyable to listen to. I know there are better measuring speakers - but were on a budget - and these seemed sensibly designed and well made.
SVS SB-1000 Classic Sub-woofer.
Small form factor PC as main source.

We live in Australia, so some of the speaker recommendations on ASR are hard to source - or really ++ expensive here.
The result is impresive! I could easily live with this system in the main room.
Incredible how far hifi has come in the last 10 years, even in the last 5 years. SMSL and similar seem to have really shaken up hifi components and what is possible.
 
I helped my son put together his first hifi setup - wow!
SMSL AO 300. Such an impressive DAC / integrated amp. The SMSL AO 300 highlights to me that that the DACs are a "solved problem". Such an impressive device. Impressive power output. Very hard to match at the price.
Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2 Bookshelf Speakers. These little Pro-Ject speakers are great and are just enjoyable to listen to. I know there are better measuring speakers - but were on a budget - and these seemed sensibly designed and well made.
SVS SB-1000 Classic Sub-woofer.
Small form factor PC as main source.

We live in Australia, so some of the speaker recommendations on ASR are hard to source - or really ++ expensive here.
The result is impresive! I could easily live with this system in the main room.
Incredible how far hifi has come in the last 10 years, even in the last 5 years. SMSL and similar seem to have really shaken up hifi components and what is possible.
With the advent of class D amps and class D chip amps the economics have changed and including the DAC prices too it's great affordability. Hopefully more people will see this and come onboard.
 
Glad you (and presumably your son) are happy with the system. With decent sources and amplifiers so cheap now, I think it makes sense to pile as much of the budget into speakers as possible.

If I was assembling a system for someone I’d in 9/10 cases recommend a Wiim amp Pro and speakers recommended on ASR. The Wiim could remain in the system with multiple speaker upgrades and subwoofer additions, assuming room size and listening distance is on the smaller side, before thoughts of upgrading it.
 
Thank you everyone for the comments!
Re: other sources. I have “donated” an old Cyrus CD player which has optical out. He finds CDs “fun to play with” (!).
I did look at the Wiim pro amp. I am not sold on streamers that cannot accept USB input. I don’t like to be tied to only using apps the streamer supports. My son is in IT and so there was always going to be a PC! If it were my wife, this would have definitely been a good option.

We live in interesting audio times! I remember not even 10 years ago getting separate USB to toslink converters as the implementations at the time were often average. Now… just not done. I had a CD transport and radio tuner - both no longer used. 3000 CDs ripped to FLAC and in boxes under the house.. and Roon. Radio stations all streamed. My focus has shifted to speakers and room correction.
 
Thank you everyone for the comments!
Re: other sources. I have “donated” an old Cyrus CD player which has optical out. He finds CDs “fun to play with” (!).
I did look at the Wiim pro amp. I am not sold on streamers that cannot accept USB input. I don’t like to be tied to only using apps the streamer supports. My son is in IT and so there was always going to be a PC! If it were my wife, this would have definitely been a good option.

We live in interesting audio times! I remember not even 10 years ago getting separate USB to toslink converters as the implementations at the time were often average. Now… just not done. I had a CD transport and radio tuner - both no longer used. 3000 CDs ripped to FLAC and in boxes under the house.. and Roon. Radio stations all streamed. My focus has shifted to speakers and room correction.
Your case would be the 1/10 to recommend something other than the Wiim. Totally get it.
Although you could get a cheap USB to SPDIF/TOSLINK adapter to connect PC to it.
Or if you want to add the streaming options to your system get a Wiim Mini.

When I got my first HIFI system in 1997 a decent CD player and amplifier cost double what a Wiim Amp costs now. It’s really significant progress.
 
Your case would be the 1/10 to recommend something other than the Wiim. Totally get it.
Although you could get a cheap USB to SPDIF/TOSLINK adapter to connect PC to it.
Or if you want to add the streaming options to your system get a Wiim Mini.

When I got my first HIFI system in 1997 a decent CD player and amplifier cost double what a Wiim Amp costs now. It’s really significant progress.
Hi Matt,
I remember my first amp and CD player! Cost a fortune for me at the time.
Real progress.
 
On the tight budget with sub/subs I think its Kali's LP6 V2s and with very good availability.
Without sub's and enough extension is either JBL 308P MK2 or Kali LP8, whatever you can find cheaper.
I used to recommend SVS SB-1000 but it's discussed so nice catch there.
In traditional passives + power amplifier
Elac DBR62 and at least nice 100W Yamaha and if you can find good old A-S/R-S 700 in mint condition or as new (like I did) or even A-S 502 or R-N 803 will do just fine (really depends what you can find and how stubborn you are). DAC's performance ain't problem this days and as it's PC after all something like Creative AE 5 Plus will do just fine for the purpose and of course then you can beat a hell out of signal. I use JRiver tho and do my DLNA server's. Who knows what you can find in attic...
 
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