Wharfedale 12.2 v Kali lp6

[digicam10]

Hi ASR, been lurking over the last week and finally think I’ve come to some sort of conclusion. Hopefully this is the right discussion group?

I’ve been weighing up what the best performing speaker setup I can afford within around 600-700 aud. Currently I’m quite set on running wharfedale 12.2’s with a loxjie a30, with the sales atm it comes in around $800 so pushing my budget quite a bit, although it seems like it’s worth it. My alternate options were JBL 305p/306p or Kali lp6’s. I’m aiming to run them as a near field desktop setup and also with my tv for music and also games/movies

I also use beyerdynamic 990 pros (250ohms) which is why I was leaning towards using the a30. My pc does run the headphones quite well anyway if I go an alternate route.

Just after some critique/advice regarding my decisioning

Thank you!

 

[AnalogSteph]

I'm guessing you know that a multi-use setup is always going to be a compromise.

Did you price out the cost for the entire setup in each case? A basic audio interface like a Minifuse 1 or Scarlett Solo would easily run you another 149 AUD... going the Behringer HD400 route would approximately halve the total cost for "the rest", but it's still something to keep in mind. Same goes for the stand situation.

The headphone out on the A30 seems to be comparable to a basic audio interface or somewhat better onboard audio, so it's mostly a wash in that regard.

The Wharfedales at 8.2 kg each are likely to have the most inert build of the bunch. How their crossover stacks up to nearfield use is another matter... the 12.1s seemed to fare reasonably OK here. I say if you can maintain a 0.8 m listening distance it'll probably be alright. Directivity mismatch is obviously not going to be any better in the larger 12.2s, I guess that's why crossover was pushed down to 2.0 kHz in this model. The tweeter in the 12.1s was measurably breaking a bit of a sweat at the low end already (no wonder with no waveguide in sight). Mind you, level handling at the bottom end is rather more critical in practice.

The passive solution along with the LP6 V2 should have the lowest hiss levels, the JBLs won't be dead silent in nearfield.

In the end I don't think you'll be sorely disappointed either way. Every option has its pros and cons.

 

[digicam10]

I probably should’ve given a little more context, I wouldn’t be recording any music with this set up, its more-so strictly for listening to music and movies which will sometimes be near field but largely listening from 2 metres away. My reasoning for the 12.2s was due to the reach of the bass without needing a sub, seemingly from what I’ve read (borderline have audio fatigue at this point haha) the kali’s don't have as good extension?

As for the a30 I’d likely scrap it then seeing as the onboard audio on my mobo is sufficient enough (used it for the last 2 years anyway).

In that case, is a seperate amp and dac cheaper with greater performance than an integrated amp/dac? Would you be able to recommend any?

Thank you heaps for the advice

 

[AnalogSteph]

I probably should’ve given a little more context, I wouldn’t be recording any music with this set up, its more-so strictly for listening to music and movies which will sometimes be near field but largely listening from 2 metres away.

I figured about as much.

My reasoning for the 12.2s was due to the reach of the bass without needing a sub, seemingly from what I’ve read (borderline have audio fatigue at this point haha) the kali’s don't have as good extension?

With data only for the smaller 12.1 and the LP-6v2, it's a bit hard to compare but I'd say bass handling may be similar (bass response even is a hair deeper in the Kali). Wharfedale's midwoofer cleans up a lot towards the midrange though, while Kali's (and JBL's) ones exhibit rather nasty motor-related distortion around 1 kHz. I can't imagine midrange IMD at high levels is particularly pretty. Not a surprise there, really - the Kalis are a substantially more complex product at a similar price, so they invariably have to cut some corners on parts quality.

As for the a30 I’d likely scrap it then seeing as the onboard audio on my mobo is sufficient enough (used it for the last 2 years anyway).

I mean, it's mostly a speaker amp (+ DAC) with the added bonus of also being able to run headphones acceptably. There has been worse in times gone by. For what it costs, I see no reason to complain. If you have the space, checking the used market for a decent integrated amp or (AV) receiver may be another option.

If you ever feel like fancier headphone driving, you can still buy a headphone amp or combo DAC/amp later.

 

[digicam10]

@AnalogSteph Sorry to continue pestering you but I came across a pair of polk es20 at seemingly bargain price ($479aud) would I be better suited switching to them and spending money on a better amp + dac than the Wharfedales?

The polks seem to have been reviewed quite well here with better results when eq’d. Assuming the 12.2’s are a bit better than the 12.1s is it safe to presume the polk es20 at that price is a bargain? I’ll hopefully be able to find some in store to compare them

Really appreciate your help

 

[AnalogSteph]

Probably not very much in it. Polk may be slightly better if the cabinet resonance can be tamed on the DIY route.

 

[Palladium]

I have tried 1st gen LSR305, IK Micros, SX-60, Diamond 210, 8.2 and 12.2 for my L-shaped living room and the 12.2 was far away the best one for my 2 meter listening distance.

Again, YMMV.