Speakers KEF R3 equipment match

[RickyC34]

Thank you RIcky! I couldn't understand the difference between Purifi and Hypex but seems you can't go wrong with either. If the price is the same which one would you choose? I read here comments that the purifi cools better in general and is newer technology.

If the price is the same go Purifi. If Hypex is cheaper sleep easy knowing you have an excellent amp and you probably wouldn't be able to tell the two apart if side by side. Like you, my understanding is the Purifi does run cooler. My amp is always cool to the touch even after hours of usage.

It's interesting topic for sure, that I don't mind learning more about it. Also I am more keen to buy a box per function in case I want to upgrade in future but also to get more for the buck. To upgrade an integrated amp need to either buy another one or change to box per function anyway. It seems people in the forum agree that integrated amps are pricier and you don't get the most for the price you pay.

I'm VERY confident you can build a superior system by choosing your components vs an all-in-one. Even if you used the cheaper NC252MP amplifier module you would have superior amplification over almost all one-box solutions.

I will try without Dirac but maybe would later upgrade (when the new paycheck comes in), and I read more on the REW & Dirac.

This 100%. Pick up a Umik 1 and start the journey!

Sorry last question, I read that you definitely need a sub to bring your system to the other level. SVS seems as highly recommended. I have short listed SVS SB-1000pro & SB-3000 micro, any impressions on either? This will be at a later point for sure.

How big is your room? What's your subwoofer budget? The only reason to choose the micro would be if space does not allow for a larger subwoofer. Any reason you're looking at sealed subs over ported? Nothing wrong with that, but you will get more output with a ported subwoofer. When comparing some budget options - RSL Speedwoofer 10s MK ii ($450), PB1000pro ($800), SB1000 pro($600) SB-3000 Micro ($900) I feel the RSL is hard to beat. You can often find the SVS subs on discount but I feel the RSL is now the best bang for the buck offering. If below 20Hz is important to you you'll have to get something with a larger footprint. Monoprice, Rythmik, HSU, and Arendal have solid offerings as well.

I knew I wanted two or more subs eventually so I went with the RSL's to save some money.

 

[metokolev]

If the price is the same go Purifi. If Hypex is cheaper sleep easy knowing you have an excellent amp and you probably wouldn't be able to tell the two apart if side by side. Like you, my understanding is the Purifi does run cooler. My amp is always cool to the touch even after hours of usage.

Same price so I will go for the Purifi then. Should I consider this add on or go basic for my needs? Only if it's add value, to be honest I am way above my budget so if it doesn't add much I will skip.

This 100%. Pick up a Umik 1 and start the journey!

yes Sir, will do!

How big is your room? What's your subwoofer budget? The only reason to choose the micro would be if space does not allow for a larger subwoofer. Any reason you're looking at sealed subs over ported? Nothing wrong with that, but you will get more output with a ported subwoofer. When comparing some budget options - RSL Speedwoofer 10s MK ii ($450), PB1000pro ($800), SB1000 pro($600) SB-3000 Micro ($900) I feel the RSL is hard to beat. You can often find the SVS subs on discount but I feel the RSL is now the best bang for the buck offering. If below 20Hz is important to you you'll have to get something with a larger footprint. Monoprice, Rythmik, HSU, and Arendal have solid offerings as well.

21 square meters (226 square foot). I would say around 600-850EUR. No reason just noticed the SVS SB are highly praised. I checked now for the RSL but can't find it for selling in Europe. Cannot say I know if the 20Hz is important, I just want to get the most of the KEF's R3.

Thank you very much for all the help Ricky! You are definitely giving me confidence that I will make the right choice by going for: Apollon Purifi 1ET400A ST Lux Stereo + MiniDSP Flex (Balanced) + WiiM Pro plus + sub TBD (but will research the RSL 10s MK ii for sure).

 

[RickyC34]

Sounds like a winner to me. My amp did not offer different op-amp offerings so I can not comment on the value or differences between them. +400 seems like a lot, I would not be able to bring myself to spend that much in addition to the amp. My amp was $1,050. I would search for a dedicated thread on that amp and see if owners of it have any input on the op-amps. Is this something you could always add down the road?

 

[metokolev]

Sounds like a winner to me. My amp did not offer different op-amp offerings so I can not comment on the value or differences between them. +400 seems like a lot, I would not be able to bring myself to spend that much in addition to the amp. My amp was $1,050. I would search for a dedicated thread on that amp and see if owners of it have any input on the op-amps. Is this something you could always add down the road?

Yes, sounds alot to me as well. Will research a bit more and let you know if you are curious about it. But I will probably skip on the op-amp features anyway. Thanks for the advice Ricky!

 

[RickyC34]

Here's some op-amp info I found on another forum. diyaudiobest-sounding-op-amps
Also discussed here apollon-ncx500-op-amp-rolling
annnd further discussed here audiosciencereview-ncx500st
I'm bored. lol Glad the FlexHT will be here tomorrow to keep me busy for a while : )

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Here's some op-amp info I found on another forum. diyaudiobest-sounding-op-amps
Also discussed here apollon-ncx500-op-amp-rolling
annnd further discussed here audiosciencereview-ncx500st
I'm bored. lol Glad the FlexHT will be here tomorrow to keep me busy for a while : )

Forget about Op amp changes. Just a gimmick. The amp is very good as is and op amp changes won’t make it audibly better.

 

[metokolev]

Here's some op-amp info I found on another forum. diyaudiobest-sounding-op-amps
Also discussed here apollon-ncx500-op-amp-rolling
annnd further discussed here audiosciencereview-ncx500st
I'm bored. lol Glad the FlexHT will be here tomorrow to keep me busy for a while : )

Thank you Ricky! Have fun with the miniDSP and please share your experience here if you would like.

Forget about Op amp changes. Just a gimmick. The amp is very good as is and op amp changes won’t make it audibly better.

Thanks for confirming!

 

[nygafre]

I have the R3 Metas used with a Powernode N330. It’s a nice enough and simple setup, but with an aio like the Powernode I’ve found the setup quite inflexible for where I am now regarding room correction/Dirac Live etc. I would probably get the miniDSP Flex (HT in my case) and a NCore/Purify based power amp if I started over again. (.. I guess I can start over any time really, lol).

Umik-1 is a must .
Had the Elex-R previously, but since moved on. It’s only officially rated down to 6ohms, so not sure how that would go with the impedance drops below 4 ohm for the R3’s. From my experience I can imagine the Elex getting hot.

 

[metokolev]

Forget about Op amp changes. Just a gimmick. The amp is very good as is and op amp changes won’t make it audibly better.

Is the Lux vs Standard also a marketing gimmick. There is 500EUR price difference between Lux and Standard for both Purifi and Hypex.

Also, I see there is newer Purifi, any thoughts on it? The NCx500 is more powerful than the Purifi and may be that's why it's heating more?

Purifi 1ET400A

Newer model Purifi at same price as the old

 

[metokolev]

I have the R3 Metas used with a Powernode N330. It’s a nice enough and simple setup, but with an aio like the Powernode I’ve found the setup quite inflexible for where I am now regarding room correction/Dirac Live etc. I would probably get the miniDSP Flex (HT in my case) and a NCore/Purify based power amp if I started over again. (.. I guess I can start over any time really, lol).

Umik-1 is a must .
Had the Elex-R previously, but since moved on. It’s only officially rated down to 6ohms, so not sure how that would go with the impedance drops below 4 ohm for the R3’s. From my experience I can imagine the Elex getting hot.

Thanks for the input. Exactly the point of Ricky and Alex earlier, with dedicated box per function your setup is more flexible that a standard all-in-one box. I learned so much on this thread for just a few days, thank you all!

Now I just wonder if the 500 EUR between Lux and Standard would make any difference. I see the Lux is heavier in both cases so my wild guess would be that they are using better parts? Still, probably will save the 500EUR to invest in the sub.

 

[nygafre]

Thanks for the input. Exactly the point of Ricky and Alex earlier, with dedicated box per function your setup is more flexible that a standard all-in-one box. I learned so much on this thread for just a few days, thank you all!

Now I just wonder if the 500 EUR between Lux and Standard would make any difference. I see the Lux is heavier in both cases so my wild guess would be that they are using better parts? Still, probably will save the 500EUR to invest in the sub.

Long term it’s a much more flexible approach.
Can’t comment on the difference between the Lux and Standard unfortunately.

I see you already got good recommendations for subs. I just bought an SVS SB-1000 non pro here. My room is 20sqm, so almost same as yours! The R3’s already go low enough for most of my listening, but a sub adds that extra octave down low which is nice.

 

[metokolev]

I see you already got good recommendations for subs. I just bought an SVS SB-1000 non pro here. My room is 20sqm, so almost same as yours! The R3’s already go low enough for most of my listening, but a sub adds that extra octave down low which is nice.

So you are happy with that sub? RSL was recommended here earlier but I can't find it in Europe so far...

 

[nygafre]

So you are happy with that sub? RSL was recommended here earlier but I can't find it in Europe so far...

For the price-performance and also availability in Norway I could not find anything significantly better without paying probably 2x the amount.

An SVS pro or e.g. an Arendal 1961 1s would be nice to have a few PEQ filters to correct the response.. but I do run my system fully corrected from my PC half the time. The rest of the time I just run the system uncorrected, which is very convenient with streaming etc.. but a sadder experience compared to the corrected :’)

 

[metokolev]

For the price-performance and also availability in Norway I could not find anything significantly better without paying probably 2x the amount.

An SVS pro or e.g. an Arendal 1961 1s would be nice to have a few PEQ filters to correct the response.. but I do run my system fully corrected from my PC half the time. The rest of the time I just run the system uncorrected, which is very convenient with streaming etc.. but a sadder experience compared to the corrected :’)

I will use the sound system with streaming mostly. Thanks for the input ( :

 

[metokolev]

Hi @alex-z , @RickyC34 , @nygafre

Gents can I ask for some help in selecting the connectivity cables. Again I apologize for the stupid question but will be doing this for the first time and want to do it the right way.

So, here are my assumptions based on the device features.

1. Streamer to DAC (OUT from Streamer to IN DAC?)
   • The outputs of the WiiM pro are 1 x Analog RCA Line output, 1 x Digital optical (SPDIF) output, 1 x Digital Coaxial output so either should connect the Streamer (WiiM pro) to the DAC (MiniDSP) right?
2. Amp
   • DAC to Amp (OUT DAC to IN Amp?)
     • The signal to the Amp (Purifi/ Hypex) can be provided via Balanced XLR input connector or Unbalanced RCA input connector
     • However the MiniDSP Flex Balanced has input/ output connectivity only via 4 x balanced 6.35 mm TRS jack (as XLR) (NO RCA). I found that the TRS jack has different head than the XLR so would "as" mean that you can convert the TRS to XLR or else? If yes, how do I do this? Found this TRS (male) to XLR (male) on Amazon
   • Amp to Speakers - unbalanced RCA cable, this should be easy.

I will purchase my DAC & Streamer from this website and see that they offer cables too. I found the following types:

• XLR Male to RCA Female Adapter
• Dual XLR to Dual RCA Cable
• XLR Cable Male to Female

Thank you very much!

 

[alex-z]

Hi @alex-z , @RickyC34 , @nygafre

Gents can I ask for some help in selecting the connectivity cables. Again I apologize for the stupid question but will be doing this for the first time and want to do it the right way.

So, here are my assumptions based on the device features.

1. Streamer to DAC (OUT from DAC to IN Streamer?)
   • The outputs of the WiiM pro are 1 x Analog RCA Line output, 1 x Digital optical (SPDIF) output, 1 x Digital Coaxial output so SPDIF should connect the DAC (MiniDSP) to the Streamer (WiiM pro) with Coax or S/PDIF right?
2. Amp
   • DAC to Amp (OUT Amp to IN DAC?)
     • The signal to the Amp (Purifi/ Hypex) can be provided via Balanced XLR input connector or Unbalanced RCA input connector
     • However the MiniDSP Flex Balanced has input/ output connectivity only via 4 x balanced 6.35 mm TRS jack (as XLR) (NO RCA). I found that the TRS jack has different head than the XLR so would "as" mean that you can convert the TRS to XLR or else? If yes, how do I do this? Found this TRS (male) to XLR (male) on Amazon
   • Amp to Speakers - unbalanced RCA cable, this should be easy.

I will purchase my DAC & Streamer from this website and see that they offer cables too. I found the following types:

• XLR Male to RCA Female Adapter
• Dual XLR to Dual RCA Cable
• XLR Cable Male to Female

Thank you very much!

Yes, optical from the streamer to DAC. Coax carries the same signal but because it uses electrical connections it can carry a ground loop which is always worth avoiding. Optical only uses light.

TRS can be wired as a balanced connection, that cable from amazon is the correct type. You can find cheaper versions though, 12 euro for 3 metres seems common. If you need an unbalanced connection in the future you can get a TRS to RCA, or XLR to RCA adapter. You just lose the noise rejection benefits, because only the positive voltage will be connected.

Amp to speakers should be speaker wire, not RCA. 16 or 14 gauge OFC (oxygen free copper) is what you should buy.

https://www.amazon.de/KabelDirekt-Lautsprecherkabel-5mm%C2%B2-Kupfer-Polarit%C3%A4tskennzeichnung/dp/B01C79Z1FU/?th=1

 

[metokolev]

Yes, optical from the streamer to DAC. Coax carries the same signal but because it uses electrical connections it can carry a ground loop which is always worth avoiding. Optical only uses light.

TRS can be wired as a balanced connection, that cable from amazon is the correct type. You can find cheaper versions though, 12 euro for 3 metres seems common. If you need an unbalanced connection in the future you can get a TRS to RCA, or XLR to RCA adapter. You just lose the noise rejection benefits, because only the positive voltage will be connected.

Thank you very much for the quick response Alex!

Seems I reversed the OUT/ IN signal. It's OUT Streamer -> IN the DAC (optical from the streamer to DAC), right? Then OUT DAC the signal goes IN the Amp (from the Balanced TRS to the balanced XLR), correct?

I am looking at the Balanced only because it was suggested to match the Amp to the DAC but now looking at the back of the Purifi/ Hypex seems has both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA (can switch between both as required), which one would you recommend/ prefer? Does it have any impact to the signal?

Amp to speakers should be speaker wire, not RCA. 16 or 14 gauge OFC (oxygen free copper) is what you should buy.

https://www.amazon.de/KabelDirekt-L...r-Polaritätskennzeichnung/dp/B01C79Z1FU/?th=1

Oh ok, thank you for the recommendation.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Thank you very much for the quick response Alex!

Seems I reversed the OUT/ IN signal. It's OUT Streamer -> IN the DAC (optical from the streamer to DAC), right? Then OUT DAC the signal goes IN the Amp (from the Balanced TRS to the balanced XLR), correct?

I am looking at the Balanced only because it was suggested to match the Amp to the DAC but now looking at the back of the Purifi/ Hypex seems has both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA (can switch between both as required), which one would you recommend/ prefer? Does it have any impact to the signal?
View attachment 334459



Oh ok, thank you for the recommendation.

Yes Streamer out and DAC in is correct. Yes also DAC out (balanced, TRS) to AMP in Balanced, XLR. Use the Balanced In on your amp, it is not more expensive, but can have noise rejection benefits.

 

[metokolev]

Yes Streamer out and DAC in is correct. Yes also DAC out (balanced, TRS) to AMP in Balanced, XLR. Use the Balanced In on your amp, it is not more expensive, but can have noise rejection benefits.

Thank you HarmonicTHD! Will do. Well it seems I am all set then. Thank you all for all the help in selecting the right gear for the speakers!

 

[metokolev]

Here's some op-amp info I found on another forum. diyaudiobest-sounding-op-amps
Also discussed here apollon-ncx500-op-amp-rolling
annnd further discussed here audiosciencereview-ncx500st
I'm bored. lol Glad the FlexHT will be here tomorrow to keep me busy for a while : )

Hi @RickyC34,

Any impressions on the FLEX?