What is the BEST sounding pc speaker for a romantic, calm, instrumental and ballad music?

[Bleib]

The budget bomb seems to be Edifier mr3 according to Erin's review

 

[nxaxoxo352]

by pc speaker do you mean desktop speakers? If yes then Adam D3V.

If you can use stands then that opens a world of possibilities. Depends on what you want honestly, do you like a wide soundstage or accurate placement of instruments? Because both are nice and immersive and both make me happy.

For a small speaker, it's tough to beat the Genelec 8331A. Add a matching/calibrated sub and you have an excellent sounding system. You might think you don't need a sub until you try one. Low end is what gives body to audio. A Genelec 7050/7350 or 7060/7360 sub would complete the package.

An expensive setup but since money is no object here, this is endgame.

At first I wanted to just put it on the desk, but I feel like the stand is great too, and now I'm okay with that. And because of this, I'm fine now with a slightly larger speaker. For now, I'm thinking of buying the 8351B. I will absolutely add a woofer though, that's for sure but the issue now is, I don't know what woofer I should pair it with. After some short research, people say that it should be paired with the 7370A sub, but I've seen people also pair it with the W371A. Now, Idk if I need both or either one. Will it be overkill or too much? Idk.. But I pretty much confirmed that I want the 8351B as the speaker though!

If you're curious about what I'm going to use the speaker for. It is

• To be used with my desktop PC that I use for work. If I buy the 8351B. I will be using the stand and I have no issue with that. It probably looks nicer too with my desktop PC setup
• Will be using it to listen to some beautiful instrumental composition or some ballad or love song. I just love that kind of song. A beautiful, calming and relaxing song. Heck, I might also listen to a rain sound or nature sound with the speaker lol (Idk if people actually do this..) I'm not into mixing because it's not my forte. But I might see myself do it one day lol. Music has always been my passion!
• My wife loves reading, and there is a cosy section by the window for her to read, and there is like a bookshelf. So, I would love to utilise this speaker and woofer if she wants to listen to some nice background music. It will be nice for her.
• My room is not going to be super large but also not really small. It's just nice, spacious and comfortable.

So my decision now is to use the 8351B as a speaker and will surely pair it with a woofer, but I'm still not sure which. I just want it to sound the best in my room. I believe there will be an issue with "overkill" with the sound system. So I really need some advice from you guys. I appreciate all opinions, though!! So far the discussion here has been really nice

 

[raindance]

Pink speakers with green spots.

 

[ExT]

if accurate speakers are boring what made you go for an IN-5 lmao

The reason I went with the IN-5 because I wanted to try out 3 way monitors. While I wouldn’t say it’s better than the Genelec, or Newmann, but because I also bought the MiniDSP Flex (didn’t have it with other monitors) so I was able to make it work with my applications.

 

[Jiraya369]

At first I wanted to just put it on the desk, but I feel like the stand is great too, and now I'm okay with that. And because of this, I'm fine now with a slightly larger speaker. For now, I'm thinking of buying the 8351B. I will absolutely add a woofer though, that's for sure but the issue now is, I don't know what woofer I should pair it with. After some short research, people say that it should be paired with the 7370A sub, but I've seen people also pair it with the W371A. Now, Idk if I need both or either one. Will it be overkill or too much? Idk.. But I pretty much confirmed that I want the 8351B as the speaker though!

If you're curious about what I'm going to use the speaker for. It is

• To be used with my desktop PC that I use for work. If I buy the 8351B. I will be using the stand and I have no issue with that. It probably looks nicer too with my desktop PC setup
• Will be using it to listen to some beautiful instrumental composition or some ballad or love song. I just love that kind of song. A beautiful, calming and relaxing song. Heck, I might also listen to a rain sound or nature sound with the speaker lol (Idk if people actually do this..) I'm not into mixing because it's not my forte. But I might see myself do it one day lol. Music has always been my passion!
• My wife loves reading, and there is a cosy section by the window for her to read, and there is like a bookshelf. So, I would love to utilise this speaker and woofer if she wants to listen to some nice background music. It will be nice for her.
• My room is not going to be super large but also not really small. It's just nice, spacious and comfortable.

So my decision now is to use the 8351B as a speaker and will surely pair it with a woofer, but I'm still not sure which. I just want it to sound the best in my room. I believe there will be an issue with "overkill" with the sound system. So I really need some advice from you guys. I appreciate all opinions, though!! So far the discussion here has been really nice

8341 with 7370 subwoofer will be all the overkill you need.

Any more and you genuinely might not be able to fit in to your space I believe. But if you can fit in the 8351 then by all means go for it.

Keep in mind though, Genelecs have a somewhat narrow soundstage, so you won't be immersed in the sound. But the soundstage has DEPTH, everything is on the same plane and you can pick out instruments clearly. That's the trade-off, tight accurate but slightly narrow soundstage or WIDE soundstage where instruments are hard to figure out. If you want WIDE, the Philharmonic BMR will do that, thing gets absurdly wide.

Here's a visual representation of what i'm saying

You can basically draw a line on the red parts of the Genelec (A), that means it's a consistent sound but it's "only" 50 degrees in width. Whereas the Philharmonic (B) is far wider, reaching 90 degrees in width, but see how it goes up and down in width, meaning it's not going to be as consistent.

The philharmonic is a passive speaker so i guess it'll put it out of your list. But honestly if you like a deeply immersive sound, i personally can't think of much better than this. The Revel F328Be is the only one that seems to come close.

Anyways, I'm warning you again my friend, make sure to double check the dimensions of the speakers and your living space, they'll be bigger than you'd expect! And also see if you have someone strong to help you move and position all that or something, they're not light. I'm not old but i found it a pain positioning my more "compact" speakers LOL

 

[tineared]

At first I wanted to just put it on the desk, but I feel like the stand is great too, and now I'm okay with that. And because of this, I'm fine now with a slightly larger speaker. For now, I'm thinking of buying the 8351B. I will absolutely add a woofer though, that's for sure but the issue now is, I don't know what woofer I should pair it with. After some short research, people say that it should be paired with the 7370A sub, but I've seen people also pair it with the W371A. Now, Idk if I need both or either one. Will it be overkill or too much? Idk.. But I pretty much confirmed that I want the 8351B as the speaker though!

If you're curious about what I'm going to use the speaker for. It is

• To be used with my desktop PC that I use for work. If I buy the 8351B. I will be using the stand and I have no issue with that. It probably looks nicer too with my desktop PC setup
• Will be using it to listen to some beautiful instrumental composition or some ballad or love song. I just love that kind of song. A beautiful, calming and relaxing song. Heck, I might also listen to a rain sound or nature sound with the speaker lol (Idk if people actually do this..) I'm not into mixing because it's not my forte. But I might see myself do it one day lol. Music has always been my passion!
• My wife loves reading, and there is a cosy section by the window for her to read, and there is like a bookshelf. So, I would love to utilise this speaker and woofer if she wants to listen to some nice background music. It will be nice for her.
• My room is not going to be super large but also not really small. It's just nice, spacious and comfortable.

So my decision now is to use the 8351B as a speaker and will surely pair it with a woofer, but I'm still not sure which. I just want it to sound the best in my room. I believe there will be an issue with "overkill" with the sound system. So I really need some advice from you guys. I appreciate all opinions, though!! So far the discussion here has been really nice

For your application I think both the W7370A and the W371A subs are way overkill unless you intend to blast Metallica at 110dB. They are also very heavy and large.
I suggest the 7360A. It is still much more powerful than you need, but it's a more reasonable piece to integrate into your office.
I think you're going to have some fun

 

[kemmler3D]

Will it be overkill or too much?

Just for "relaxing / romantic" music in a desktop setting, maybe. They will sound wonderful but the 8351 is not just a speaker, it's one of the best you can get at its size at any price. You may find they are great with no sub.

 

[Mort]

Keep in mind though, Genelecs have a somewhat narrow soundstage, so you won't be immersed in the sound. But the soundstage has DEPTH, everything is on the same plane and you can pick out instruments clearly. That's the trade-off, tight accurate but slightly narrow soundstage or WIDE soundstage where instruments are hard to figure out. If you want WIDE, the Philharmonic BMR will do that, thing gets absurdly wide.

I really wish more people had the experience of both wide ribbon and narrow coaxial, especially with different music. Large rooms and acoustic music favor the wide, to my ear. Nearfield and electronic pop / rock the narrow coaxial is stronger.

Both are amazing but they sound really different. I decided recently to replace an 8351b with a BMR monitor because I want the different sound.

(The KEF/Ascend audio shootout was an approximate test but no one seemed to point that out. )

 

[nxaxoxo352]

8341 with 7370 subwoofer will be all the overkill you need.

Any more and you genuinely might not be able to fit in to your space I believe. But if you can fit in the 8351 then by all means go for it.

Keep in mind though, Genelecs have a somewhat narrow soundstage, so you won't be immersed in the sound. But the soundstage has DEPTH, everything is on the same plane and you can pick out instruments clearly. That's the trade-off, tight accurate but slightly narrow soundstage or WIDE soundstage where instruments are hard to figure out. If you want WIDE, the Philharmonic BMR will do that, thing gets absurdly wide.

Here's a visual representation of what i'm saying

View attachment 501139
You can basically draw a line on the red parts of the Genelec (A), that means it's a consistent sound but it's "only" 50 degrees in width. Whereas the Philharmonic (B) is far wider, reaching 90 degrees in width, but see how it goes up and down in width, meaning it's not going to be as consistent.

The philharmonic is a passive speaker so i guess it'll put it out of your list. But honestly if you like a deeply immersive sound, i personally can't think of much better than this. The Revel F328Be is the only one that seems to come close.

Anyways, I'm warning you again my friend, make sure to double check the dimensions of the speakers and your living space, they'll be bigger than you'd expect! And also see if you have someone strong to help you move and position all that or something, they're not light. I'm not old but i found it a pain positioning my more "compact" speakers LOL

This is honestly a wonderful reply from you. Thank you! Yes, now I think again, the "wideness" of the sound may play an important role in my situation. Regarding if it's active or passive. Now I'm thinking, maybe it doesn't matter. I just want it to sound the best in my situation. But still, I prefer active more because it might be hard for me to find a suitable amp for the passive speaker. I like it more if the company already put it inside so I know that's already the best for that speaker.

But Idk why, I really like Genelec speakers though. I may be wrong, but if it's not as wide as others, the other solution is to add more Genelec speakers, but I really think that's just crazy? ^^" (Or it's not..). So if I still want the Genelec, given that budget is not an issue:

• Should I set up a 4.1 or 5.1 system in my bedroom?
• If I wanna go with a surround setup, I really think I need a lower "The Ones" model now, it might be 8341/8431. Or it's wayyyy too overkill if I put the 8351 still. I don't know if it will be fine if I lower the volume though.

Again, thanks for your reply!!

For your application I think both the W7370A and the W371A subs are way overkill unless you intend to blast Metallica at 110dB. They are also very heavy and large.
I suggest the 7360A. It is still much more powerful than you need, but it's a more reasonable piece to integrate into your office.
I think you're going to have some fun

Thank you! Yes, I saw some members pair it with 7360A instead. I will put that into consideration. And no, I'm not going to blast some Metallica haha, even though I listen to metal music sometimes.

 

[Mort]

But Idk why, I really like Genelec speakers, though. I may be wrong, but if it's not as wide as others, the other solution is to add more Genelec speakers, but I really think that's just crazy? ^^" (Or it's not..). So if I still want the Genelec, given that budget is not an issue:

Wide directivity can't be reproduced by adding monitors. It's simply a different sound and of course hard to describe in words. It's very big, pleasant and reverberant. Genelecs are a little controlled and clear and immersive.

I own and listen to both wide and narrow directivity speakers on a regular basis in my home. I love both when done well.

You keep saying relaxing music, and so I think it's highly likely you would prefer wider directivity. It's excellent at creating an expanded wall of reverberant sound. A rainstorm sounds amazing with wide directivity.

Genelec is amazing, they are my main listening monitors but they don't have that reverberant characteristic.

 

[nxaxoxo352]

Wide directivity can't be reproduced by adding monitors. It's simply a different sound and of course hard to describe in words. It's very big, pleasant and reverberant. Genelecs are a little controlled and clear and immersive.

I own and listen to both wide and narrow directivity speakers on a regular basis in my home. I love both when done well.

You keep saying relaxing music, and so I think it's highly likely you would prefer wider directivity. It's excellent at creating an expanded wall of reverberant sound. A rainstorm sounds amazing with wide directivity.

Genelec is amazing, they are my main listening monitors but they don't have that reverberant characteristic.

Another nice reply with important prespective! I really thought adding more monitors could solve it. Yep, it's true, if I wanna use the speaker, most of it will be listening to relaxing music. And probably a lot of RnB too, actually. It's one of my favourite music genres to listen to as well! (I tell this because in RnB, we all know that the bass is fundamental, so it might affect the choice of speaker I should go to, but I'm sure Genelec is already excellent. I said this just in case! And the directivity may play role in this type of music)

Talking about reverberant, is it a nice idea to add an EQ to the speaker? Or is it much better to get a speaker that has a nice reverberant characteristic instead

 

[Jiraya369]

This is honestly a wonderful reply from you. Thank you! Yes, now I think again, the "wideness" of the sound may play an important role in my situation. Regarding if it's active or passive. Now I'm thinking, maybe it doesn't matter. I just want it to sound the best in my situation. But still, I prefer active more because it might be hard for me to find a suitable amp for the passive speaker. I like it more if the company already put it inside so I know that's already the best for that speaker.

But Idk why, I really like Genelec speakers though. I may be wrong, but if it's not as wide as others, the other solution is to add more Genelec speakers, but I really think that's just crazy? ^^" (Or it's not..). So if I still want the Genelec, given that budget is not an issue:

• Should I set up a 4.1 or 5.1 system in my bedroom?
• If I wanna go with a surround setup, I really think I need a lower "The Ones" model now, it might be 8341/8431. Or it's wayyyy too overkill if I put the 8351 still. I don't know if it will be fine if I lower the volume though.

Again, thanks for your reply!!


Thank you! Yes, I saw some members pair it with 7360A instead. I will put that into consideration. And no, I'm not going to blast some Metallica haha, even though I listen to metal music sometimes.

i'm sorry adding more speakers is NOT beneficial for stereo listening. Stereo uses 2 channels, left and right. More speakers are added for home theatre, for effects like something being behind your or around you. Unless you find suitable 5.1 or Dolby Atmos mix, songs are going to be in 2 channels. Only go for the surround sound setup if you're planning on listening it for home theater or something.

And it's actually not that hard finding a good amp. I use a Topping Mini300 for my Ascilab C6B. You just need to get an amp that is powerful enough and that's it. Nothing much else to worry about. If you get a subwoofer and have crossovers the load is taken off of the speakers further.

So let's say you got the BMR, then you can just get a Wiim Amp Ultra. For speaker cables I used the ones from World's Best Cables (WBC), I used banana plug ones cus that means i can just plug it inside like a normal cable, that's pretty much it. If you want to learn more about cables and what to look out for and WHY, check this article from Audioholics. Basically look at this table and get a cable that matches your distance and sensitivity needs and you're going to have a system that is scientifically speaking, perfect. They intentionally underplayed the distance so that some snobby audiophiles don't feel too bad

 

[nxaxoxo352]

i'm sorry adding more speakers is NOT beneficial for stereo listening. Stereo uses 2 channels, left and right. More speakers are added for home theatre, for effects like something being behind your or around you. Unless you find suitable 5.1 or Dolby Atmos mix, songs are going to be in 2 channels. Only go for the surround sound setup if you're planning on listening it for home theater or something.

And it's actually not that hard finding a good amp. I use a Topping Mini300 for my Ascilab C6B. You just need to get an amp that is powerful enough and that's it. Nothing much else to worry about. If you get a subwoofer and have crossovers the load is taken off of the speakers further.

So let's say you got the BMR, then you can just get a Wiim Amp Ultra. For speaker cables I used the ones from World's Best Cables (WBC), I used banana plug ones cus that means i can just plug it inside like a normal cable, that's pretty much it. If you want to learn more about cables and what to look out for and WHY, check this article from Audioholics. Basically look at this table and get a cable that matches your distance and sensitivity needs and you're going to have a system that is scientifically speaking, perfect. They intentionally underplayed the distance so that some snobby audiophiles don't feel too bad

View attachment 501219

I'll check it out. Thank you!! )

 

[bmc0]

i'm sorry adding more speakers is NOT beneficial for stereo listening.

It is if you use a good upmixer.

<pedant>Also, the stereo- in stereophonic technically means solid or three-dimensional, not two channels.</pedant>