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Suggestions for first Mid-Fi listening system?

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I would like to start with a greeting from Israel and say that this is the place I feel most comfortable receiving real advice from, because it is the most professional place for the audio around the internet AFAIK :)

As of today, I bought Sennheiser x Drop 6xx headphones and they are on their way to me.
I am considering purchasing Schiit stack for them:
Asgard 3 AMP + Modius DAC.

In addition, I want to invest and make my dad happy with a turntable and speakers so we can sit together and listen to records, as he sat with his father 30-40 years ago and spent a joint listening while sipping whiskey, even though in Ukraine they probably drank vodka with salted fish and green onions.

I wanted to ask - can Modius + Asgard 3 somehow connect to a turntable if the turntable does not have a built-in phono preamp? Or will I have to buy a phono preamp anyway because Asgard 3 does not have a module (?)?

I would love to get recommendations on speakers that are suitable for listening from a distance of about 4-5 meters.
Is it worth buying neutral monitors such as KRK ROKIT or JBL 306P MK II? Or go for bookshelf speakers instead?

Wow. So much to learn.
My budget for a turntable is about $ 800, and I probably need to replace the cartridge, SO...

In short - I am 26 years old, not earning enough to afford a Hi-Fi audio system for full 'eargasm' experience, but I am a person of Buy once, Cry once, so I would love to know what the normal budget is that will give me good quality for the money without going bankrupt.

Thanks!
 

LightninBoy

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I own the jbl 306mkii and wouldn't recommend them if you are listening at 4 to 5 meters. Most budget studio monitors compromise overall output to meet their price point, which is a smart compromise for near field listening.
 

Chrispy

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You want real advice but still use a stupid term like "mid-fi"? Seriously?

Altho I suppose a combo of vinyl and headphones could well qualify as mid-fi now that I think about it. Wouldn't want to, but....
 

Blumlein 88

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Come on guys, he is a new poster here. Be nice.

I'm not sure, but it looks like with the Asgard you can have an input module, a DAC module or a phono module, but not all three or even two. You could get the input module and have a DAC and phono stage separately, but you would need a way to switch between those.

Maybe someone can come up with a better solution. Ideal would be a pre/amp headphone amp, DAC combo with phono stage. I can't think of any. Maybe someone else will come up with one however.

With speakers, 4-5 meters is a bit far for monitors. Maybe the JBL LSR308 would suffice, but I think that would be stretching it perhaps.
 

Martyreasoner

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You want real advice but still use a stupid term like "mid-fi"? Seriously?

Altho I suppose a combo of vinyl and headphones could well qualify as mid-fi now that I think about it. Wouldn't want to, but....
Yah well the guy is clearly new to the hobby, has limited funds, and is English as second language. Let's be nice.

The original post has too many questions and assumptions though.

My advice...

No turntable unless there is a big vinyl collection that is part of the father son bonding.

Get something portable to drive the headphones. My current rig for hd600s is the hidizs s9 pro. Sounds great. Is cheap.

For speakers, start looking at the sweetchaos threads for both active and passive as a jumping off point.

The short answer is that krk studio monitors are not likely the best choice for your home listening environment. Also they are ugly in my opinion.
 
OP
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Many thanks to the kind forum members for the information.
Indeed, I use Google Translate to express myself in English at this point.

At this point I will give up a turntable.
The 6xx is on its way to me, and I have left to invest in an amplifier and dac.
Naturally Modios + Asgard 3 seem to me to be a step up from modi / magni stack.

I will read more, learn more from you, and slowly I will move on to purchasing speakers for the living room with some amplifier and streamer (can TV be used as a streamer for Tidal via toslink?).
 
OP
Bling Guy McSqueezy
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I own the jbl 306mkii and wouldn't recommend them if you are listening at 4 to 5 meters. Most budget studio monitors compromise overall output to meet their price point, which is a smart compromise for near field listening.
Hi mate, do you have them on desk as computer speakers?
 
OP
Bling Guy McSqueezy
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Yah well the guy is clearly new to the hobby, has limited funds, and is English as second language. Let's be nice.

The original post has too many questions and assumptions though.

My advice...

No turntable unless there is a big vinyl collection that is part of the father son bonding.

Get something portable to drive the headphones. My current rig for hd600s is the hidizs s9 pro. Sounds great. Is cheap.

For speakers, start looking at the sweetchaos threads for both active and passive as a jumping off point.

The short answer is that krk studio monitors are not likely the best choice for your home listening environment. Also they are ugly in my opinion.
Respect your effort to help
 

sweetchaos

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For speakers, start looking at the sweetchaos threads for both active and passive as a jumping off point.
Thanks for the shout-out.

Here they are:

This will save OP a lot of time trying to figure out the options for a given price point.
 

ZolaIII

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Yamaha R-N803 power amplifier and steamer with phono input stage some 800$ (currently inflated but you should find it for that price new) . Speakers JBL L100 Classic currently 2200$ a peace new also inflated should be around 2000$.
Think those will be good at 5 m distance and you certainly won't need subs.
That's a blast from the past system with a tuch of vintage look (while it cost's with it cost's). Of course if those are available in Israel.
Not much into turntables (anymore) so I leave that for someone else to recommend.
 

Moonhead

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For speakers Maybe look at Kali LP6v2 ro IN8v2.
 

GD Fan

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One lesson I keep learning the hard way (over and over) is to spend twice as much time researching your purchase decisions as you think you need to.
 

Joe Smith

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So many options, both with new equipment and used. I'm a proud mid-fi guy, I see nothing wrong with the term, but it applies more to budget than to sound quality. I have a lot of complete systems in the house and various rooms, and none of them is over $1000 in cost, including speakers, amp/preamp, cd, tape, phono and simple DAC.

My advice: don't give up on vinyl if that's part of the experience you want to have. Decent, cheap modern phono can be had simply with one of the AT120xUSB turntables for about $230 US, paired with a decent cartridge, such as the ATvm95ml (microline stylus model), about $170 US - though the AT120s does come with a 95e cartridge, which is quite usable. Or a vintage table with a decent cartridge that has auto-return. You'll need an integrated amp that has phono, or a separate phono pre, and again, a ton of choices there for $200 or less. (The AT120 has an internal pre, but I don't use that and don't recommend it unless budget is really an issue.) In my office system, I use a rebuilt Marantz 2216 and its internal phono pre is lovely. A rebuilt/recapped vintage integrated amp or receiver is another way to go, depending on where you live.

Some audio folks would disdain the AT120 tables, but I think they are a fine value, modeled as they are on the classic Technics Sl-1200 series. Decent build, sturdy, attractive, no motor noise, nice DC operation, etc. The lower level tables in the AT line are, yeah, not much, but the AT120s are a completely OK way to go if you want a reliable table, can live without auto-return and aren't ready to "bet the farm" on vinyl - or where vinyl is realistically only going to be 25% of what you listen to, etc.

Spend as much on speakers as your budget will allow, but there are excellent vintage and modern speakers at all price ranges. So much depends on your listening style, musical taste, and the room. On the vintage side, I love ADS speakers above all others in my rotation. On the modern side, lots of excellent choices, I personally like the ELAC and KEF sound.

I like Schiit equipment and outlook, but only use the entry level ones for my headphone setup. The higher range ones are perfectly fine pieces to use with speaker setups. Apart from some scratchy pots, I like Schiit and have had good dealings with them.

Happy assembling!
 
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Pugsly

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You want real advice but still use a stupid term like "mid-fi"? Seriously?

Altho I suppose a combo of vinyl and headphones could well qualify as mid-fi now that I think about it. Wouldn't want to, but..
Wow. Unless I missed something, that came across as unnecessarily rude given the tone of OP's question.

@Bling Guy McSqueezy there are quite a few factors that need to be specified. What is your listening space, what do you want to pay for the entire system, and, particularly assuming your budget is not unlimited, what do you prioritize (e.g. SPL, low frequency response of speakers for techno or chamber music, etc.)?
As to a record player/vinyl. A wood fire is less objectively effective than a modern furnace, but someone is not 'wrong' or 'stupid' for enjoying a fire pit (lthough if anyone tries to tell you that the wood fire will warm you better than a furnace because that method of creating heat is more organic, you should have serious questions.) Similarly, anyone who claims that vinyl magically preserves more of the real music because real music is not 1s and 0s is talking nonsense. In terms of accuracy of reproduction, longevity, consistency, noise floor, etc., a CD or high re- digital source is measurably superior. Nonetheless, the best system is the one that gives you the most enjoyment, and if you and your Dad would have a better time/experience listening to some old vinyl records because, e.g., you like the ritual, or find the pops/etc of the medium adds to the experience, then don't let anyone dissuade you or tell you that you are wrong. I myself would not consider spending $800 on an objectively inferior source over and against spending more on recordings or 'better' speakers - but what 'better' means is up to you, and depending on your budget and priorities, ymmv..
 

Putter

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I have to admit the term 'Mid-Fi' makes me cringe. It's a term that was/is used by people who have spent a lot of money on their systems and implies that anything less costly is a compromised system.

While not as informed about modern equipment, there is a ton of vintage equipment floating around and the amps and receivers generally have phono inputs. It's hard to be specific, but Yamaha, Denon, Marantz, Onkyo among others have good reputations. As far as speakers go, my understanding is that Morel speakers are/were made in Israel and some bargains can be found. Vintage turntables from Technics, Pioneer, Yamaha among others, preferably direct drive are very reliable.
 

Pugsly

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I have to admit the term 'Mid-Fi' makes me cringe. It's a term that was/is used by people who have spent a lot of money on their systems and implies that anything less costly is a compromised system.

While not as informed about modern equipment, there is a ton of vintage equipment floating around and the amps and receivers generally have phono inputs. It's hard to be specific, but Yamaha, Denon, Marantz, Onkyo among others have good reputations. As far as speakers go, my understanding is that Morel speakers are/were made in Israel and some bargains can be found. Vintage turntables from Technics, Pioneer, Yamaha among others, preferably direct drive are very reliable.
I appreciate why the term 'Mid-fi' evokes strong feelings. Your explanation, however, especially if directed at OP in a friendly manner that suggests that using it causes you to cringe and then explaining why it is problematic - namely because it falsely suggest that only the most expensive equipment is capable of producing accurate sound-reproduction – communicates this point in a useful manner to someone who just joined the forum and opens by claiming that they respect the advice of people here and wants to learn. Chrispy's post, by contrast, came across to me as unnecessarily harsh and insulting, and moreover did not explain why they responded in this manner in such a way as to inform or educate OP. I admitted that I could be 'missing something' (say if there were other/earlier exchanges that warranted such a response) and I know that sometimes we post things without recognizing how it could sound to others, as a joking tone, etc. is not easily communicated in writing, so I am not accusing Chrispy of anything, just mentioning how it could come across. Presumably we want to encourage rational discussion and learning, not feed into the image of objectivists as just a different kind of closed-minded elitist snobs.
We already have people like this guy, who knowingly or not, are walking parodies of objectivism and serve to justify dismissing us as 'measurebators', etc...
 
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