The realization that my desktop is my primary system...Please help me make it better!

[mad_matt]

First-time caller, long-time listener!

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I invest most of my time and money improving my "big system" in the living room, yet I spend 90% listening to the system in my small home office.

My current office system consists of the following:

• Macbook Pro - Source is primarily streaming Tidal or Amazon Music, but I do use the external CD drive occasionally
• Schiit Modius - USB in from MBP, XLR out to Mangius, and RCA out to Vali 2 for headphones (rarely used)
• Schiit Magnius - Preamp connected to NAD Amps
• NAD 2100 (x2) - Old school NAD amps with around 150 wpc bridged
• ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 - Speakers
• Emotiva SE8 - Subwoofer

Because everyone loves pictures!

I am decidedly not in love with my Elac UB52 speakers. They are dull on the top end, missing the sparkle and detail I love. I don't have any grips with their mids or base, but it could be that I don't know what great sounds like. I think this is where I could realize the most significant improvement by upgrading.

My desk is tight, but there is enough room to accommodate bigger speakers. I have also pulled my desk away from the wall to get the backs of the speakers about 9 inches away from the walls. I had JBL 305P MkII previously; they sounded so good but would distort at higher volumes, and I had the NADs sitting unused in the basement, so I wanted to give passive speakers a go. The Revel M16's and the Ascend Acoustics Sierra 1 V2 are getting much love here; maybe they would be good options.

My budget is $1k; what would you upgrade next and why?

 

[mad_matt]

If I posted this to the wrong sub-form, please let me know.

 

[DVDdoug]

They are dull on the top end, missing the sparkle and detail I love. I don't have any grips with their mids or base,

The weaknesses/differences are almost always the speakers! (And acoustics.)

Have you tried just boosting the highs?

My desk is tight, but there is enough room to accommodate bigger speakers. I have also pulled my desk away from the wall to get the backs of the speakers about 9 inches away from the walls

Would the "soundstage" bother you if the speakers were hanging on the wall above, and pointed down at you? (That kind of thing doesn't bother me and my rear speakers in my home theater system are large "floor standers" hanging near the ceiling above the couch.)

 

[Weeb Labs]

With that budget, you are within reach of the Neumann KH80 DSP, which is extremely well behaved.

 

[nerdemoji]

Room correction.

room correction




might I suggest room correction.

 

[Weeb Labs]

Room correction.

room correction




might I suggest room correction.

Always very helpful but it will not unfudge the UB52's directivity.

 

[nerdemoji]

Always very helpful but it will not unfudge the UB52's directivity.

Then a coaxial design like KEF Q150 (great for desktop setups), seal ‘‘em and get a minidsp 2x4 and active crossover sub.

 

[DanielT]

Here's a nice solution that Ppataki did. Okay, maybe not everyone's cup of tea in fixing a pair of DIY speakers, but apart from that, I think he managed it well.

Ppataki was asked in the thread if he made any off-axes measurements, to which he said:

To be honest, no
I listen on-axis only and in one position only so I am focusing on optimizing the on-axis response only
I am sure the off-axis would look really bad, I can hear that when I move my head but that is totally normal for full range drivers of this size and I have no issues with that
The big advantage (for me it is an advantage) of this heavy beaming is that reflections are close to none (can be seen very clearly on the impulse response curve of full range drivers when measured in-room)
It may be worth thinking about, as far as listening to your destop solution is concerned.

SB Acoustics SB20FRPC30-8 based desktop project

Last year I did a project based on Markaudio CHR120 drivers in my home office Then this year when I did my rear speaker project using the SB20FRPC30-8 drivers I really got astonished by these drivers so I have decided to replace my CHR120 desktop system with the SBs I already have the SB...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[mad_matt]

Have you tried just boosting the highs?

Not yet. My current setup has no tone controls, but I have debated picking up an EQ like the Schiit Lokius.

Is there a good digital EQ option that would work with my OS and alter the signal being passed to the DAC?

 

[Weeb Labs]

Not yet. My current setup has no tone controls, but I have debated picking up an EQ like the Schiit Lokius.

Is there a good digital EQ option that would work with my OS and alter the signal being passed to the DAC?

SoundSource is excellent in conjunction with REW or ARC (if automatic correction is preferred).
Audio Hijack and Element are also good candidates.
Dirac Live is somewhat more expensive but possibly the best performing option. In my experience, its filter calculation is very similar to that of ARC.

 

[mad_matt]

Would the "soundstage" bother you if the speakers were hanging on the wall above, and pointed down at you? (That kind of thing doesn't bother me and my rear speakers in my home theater system are large "floor standers" hanging near the ceiling above the couch.)

In my current set up I feel like I sit in "the bobble" of optimum sound. If I shift too far forward or back, I can hear a change in the sound. Honestly, visually, I don't care where the speakers live, as long as it gets me that good, good sound. All of that said, in my 10' x 9' office, I don't have a lot of room to situate my desk, which is much different from where it lives now.

 

[mad_matt]

With that budget, you are within reach of the Neumann KH80 DSP, which is extremely well behaved.

Oh, I have never heard of the Neumann KH80 DSP before. I will start looking into them.

 

[mad_matt]

Room correction.

room correction




might I suggest room correction.

I need to get smart on this and start addressing it head on, but its not as sexy as new gear.

 

[mad_matt]

SoundSource is excellent in conjunction with REW or ARC (if automatic correction is preferred).
Audio Hijack and Element are also good candidates.
Dirac Live is somewhat more expensive but possibly the best performing option. In my experience, its filter calculation is very similar to that of ARC.

OK, this sounds really cool. I love the idea of an auto-correction option, that is more plug-and-play in nature. What is the relationship between SoundSource and ARC?

 

[Weeb Labs]

OK, this sounds really cool. I love the idea of an auto-correction option, that is more plug-and-play in nature. What is the relationship between SoundSource and ARC?

SoundSource functions as an AU plugin host (among many other things) and ARC is an AU plugin.

 

[mad_matt]

Then a coaxial design like KEF Q150 (great for desktop setups), seal ‘‘em and get a minidsp 2x4 and active crossover sub.

Would the KEF Q150 be more of a lateral upgrade? I would prefer to make a solid jump up in performance.

I'm still trying to understand the nuances of the scoring but the Q150's have a PS of 4.9, whereas the UB52's have a PS of 5.6.

 

[mad_matt]

Here's a nice solution that Ppataki did. Okay, maybe not everyone's cup of tea in fixing a pair of DIY speakers, but apart from that, I think he managed it well.

Ppataki was asked in the thread if he made any off-axes measurements, to which he said:

To be honest, no
I listen on-axis only and in one position only so I am focusing on optimizing the on-axis response only
I am sure the off-axis would look really bad, I can hear that when I move my head but that is totally normal for full range drivers of this size and I have no issues with that
The big advantage (for me it is an advantage) of this heavy beaming is that reflections are close to none (can be seen very clearly on the impulse response curve of full range drivers when measured in-room)
It may be worth thinking about, as far as listening to your destop solution is concerned.

View attachment 334062View attachment 334063

SB Acoustics SB20FRPC30-8 based desktop project

Last year I did a project based on Markaudio CHR120 drivers in my home office Then this year when I did my rear speaker project using the SB20FRPC30-8 drivers I really got astonished by these drivers so I have decided to replace my CHR120 desktop system with the SBs I already have the SB...

audiosciencereview.com

Im totally into the idea of DIY speakers. In fact, I have been seriously debating on building something from CSS, GR Research or Madisound for my next speaker.

 

[617]

For desktop use I would 100% recommend an active monitor. Inexpensive options include Kali, Swissonic, JBL 30* series and Adam. More costly recommendations are Neumann, JBL 7** series, Adam and Genelec.

Connect directly to a DAC with a volume control and a headphone amp.

All the active monitor brands offer some kind of room correction. In most cases, it is the ability to set dipswitches to set the bass level, treble level, and sometimes to compensate for desk reflections. More advanced models have a microphone based correction system.

The biggest improvement I made to my desktop audio was adding a good subwoofer. I have the level set relatively high because it sounds good at low levels that way. For this, an audio interface with more than one set of outputs is desirable - I have a MOTU m4 which I love, but there are other options.

 

[GD Fan]

Two considerations:

1. What type of FR curve do you prefer? A flat / Harman curve is the consensus view here. But your initial post suggests perhaps that's not your preference?

2. Consider getting the speakers up off the desk with the tweeter at ear level. Not only is that optimal positioning, it will also help reduce bounce off the desk being so close to the speakers.

And a question: What sort of SPL do you like to listen at? The sense I got is you like to (at least occasionally) go loud...!

 

[RickyC34]

I love the 305's! They are hooked to the Xbox and LS50's to the pc for YouTube/ Music. I'm admittedly a Kef fan boy but the LS50's really have some magic. If you feel like your top end is rolled of, they would certainly scratch that itch. A bit thin without a sub but if you can blend the sub I think it's an option worth considering.