(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best bookshelf speakers

First of all, stay away from sonos. They sound like garbage.

Now that that is out of the way, we've got some discussing to do.

If you want the ease of Sonos, but good sound, a pair of KEF LSX is what you want. slightly over budget, but there isn't really anything else in your budget. 'All in one' stuff like that isn't very popular, and is pretty hard to find. KEF makes some of the only stuff like that, that actually sounds decent. Honestly, they sound really nice. I like them a lot, especially for all that they can do.

If you'd rather make a 'custom' setup with bluetooth, a receiver and a pair of bookshelf speakers will be great. Will they be better than those KEFs? Yeah, but a lot of people don't want to deal with the 'hassle' that comes with setting up a system (it really is pretty easy though. put stuff where you want it and run wires). Also, it won't particularly be loads better than the KEFs.

Here's the receiver you want. It has everything you could ever need. Don't worry that it's 'too many channels'. 2 channel receivers usually don't have as many options. This one has bluetooth, airplay, wifi for streaming, etc.

With that, you'll want two speakers. I prefer bookshelf speakers. You get more for your money with them. To expand on that a bit, bookshelf speakers are usually cheaper than tower speakers for what you get. Neither bookshelf speakers or tower speakers can go all the way down, and you'll get some help from a sub with either. For example, you can get a pair of 'budget' tower speakers for around $1000, or you can step up and get a pair of bookshelf speakers that are the next 'tier' in a line, so you'll get better sound.

This is where you have options to make (not like you didn't before, but now you really do). After that receiver, you have around $700. There are two options. The first is to get a pair of bookshelf speakers. The second is to get a pair of bookshelf speakers and a sub. I would prefer just the bookshelf speakers, because you can get something much better (the 'cheapest' sub I would get is around $400) and you can add the sub in later.

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Here are your bookshelf speaker options:

I really like Ascend Acoustics Sierras. They've got a really smooth response, that's pleasurable to listen to. The Dark Cherry color is beautiful by the way.

These KEFs are really nice as well. They have a less 'smooth' presentation and more of a 'detailed' presentation. They're accurate and revealing. Loads of fun to listen to IMO. (They make a bigger version as well, but they aren't any better, and they're more expensive. Too much to get into now, but I'd avoid them).

Now, I'm going to put this pair in here, but I've never heard them. Philharmonic Mini Monitor. I can't comment on them too much, but I can speculate as well as tell you what I've heard from reviews. These are supposed to be very nice. Ribbon tweeters are very 'open' and 'airy' sounding. It's hard to explain, but it makes the sound feel very transparent. Again, hard to explain. The ribbon tweeter they use is a spectacular ribbon tweeter, so I'm sure it sounds great. They'll have tons of detail but will never sound sharp or anything.

Bowers and Wilkins 607 are a very good option. The way their system works is this: The higher the first number, the better series (607, 707 are the same size but with different drivers). The lower the last number, the bigger the speaker (607 is the smallest, 606 is bigger, etc - I have no idea why it is backwards). We were discussing earlier with towers vs bookshelves and I feel this is a good time to explain. You can get a pair of 600 series towers for $1800. However, you can get a pair of 700 series bookshelves for the exact same price, therefore get better sound quality for the same money, if you're okay with having a bookshelf. Anyways, sorry about the side tangent. I think that the 607s are very good speakers (I bought a pair for my friend the other day but he said he couldn't accept them so I returned them :( - fair enough though). They are very fun and sweet sounding speakers. I like them a lot. They also hit to a decent frequency for their size. If WAF is a concern (wife acceptance factor) I feel like these are a very safe bet. They're also in your budget.

Alright, those are some of the best options. If you'll be doing a lot of music listening, I'd pick the Sierras or the B&W because they sound very sweet and they're fun to listen to. If you're doing a lot more tv/movie stuff, the detail of the KEFs or the Philharmonics will be great for vocals.

Also, if you do any of these, you probably won't feel like you need a sub, but it might be nice. This one is the one to get.

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Here are your bookshelf and subwoofer combos. You'll want this sub as well. It's the least expensive sub I feel good about recommending at this price point.

HSU also makes speakers. I don't know much about them, but I can speculate (mine show up monday). Horns are fun and dynamic, but also provide great vocals in my experience. These would be good for a tv/movie setup rather than a music setup, probably.

Here's another pair of horn speakers. Klipsch makes good tv/movie stuff.

These other Ascend Acoustic speakers are also very good. Not as good as the sierras, but they have a similar smoothness to them. Very good speaker for the budget.

These elacs are what you want if you'll be putting them directly against the wall. They have a front port that won't be choked off if you do that. Also, they are a very warm sounding speaker. I like them a lot.

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Whoops, looks like I shot myself in the foot with this one. I told you not to get towers. There is one pair of towers that I would recommend.

Tekton Mini Lore. I've never heard them, but look up reviews. Extremely sensitive, meaning they have awesome dynamics and sound effortless. Also, they get low enough where you won't need a sub. They get lower than a decent amount of subs actually.

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"But Poly, what would you do?

I'm glad you asked.

If I wanted something 'easy' and 'no fuss' the KEF LSX are the way to go.

If I want something for music and I can't fit towers, Sierras are what I would get.

If I want something for TV/Movies, the KEF Q150 is what I would get. Vocals on those things are crazy good.

If I could fit towers, the Tektons are what I would get. Unfortunately I haven't heard them, so I cant 100% tell you that they're perfect, but look up any review and you'll get the idea.

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How does this all look?

Hooly shit, my dude

4-6k is super overkill

A super beast boss of a PC could cost you up to 1-2k, VR setup maximum 1k, and other peripherals will probably total 200-500.

The thing is, that's if you're going for the "maximum ultimate gamer" setup. You can do it for way cheaper; I got a decent setup for less than 1k total.

That said, I'm going to give you some good advice to help get you started.

--------------

First, the PC.

Use the resources available to you at /r/buildapc or buy your own prebuilt. When going on this search, know the following:

• Unlike on consoles, your experience on PC is highly customizable; with better components, you can have better-looking and smoother-playing games.
  
  
• Different games require different amounts of "power" to run, and newer games always require more power than older ones.
  
  
• The hardware pricing for PCs is pretty close to the hardware pricing for consoles; in other words, spending a console amount of money on a PC will deliver a console-like experience on comparable games. That's good enough for a lot of people.
  
  
• Building a PC will be slightly cheaper than buying a pre-built PC with the same components, but the tradeoff is that you have to do your own setup and troubleshooting.
  
  
• Many PC gamers on reddit choose to go on the high end and spend thousands on their rigs, but that doesn't mean you have to; depending on the game, you can have a dandy time on a $300 laptop.
  
  
• In terms of specs, the most important component for your gaming experience when building / buying a gaming PC is the graphics card. Don't go too overboard with it; supporting components are also important, but the graphics card is typically where you can get the most bang-for-buck.
  
  
• Whatever else you choose, definitely get an NVME SSD. It will change your fucking life.
  
  Expect to spend around $600 - $1000 for a "basic" gaming PC, and around $2000 for a maxed-out top-tier PC.
  
  -----------------
  
  Next, the peripherals. You will need the following:
  
  
• A monitor
  
  
• A mouse and mousepad
  
  
• A keyboard
  
  
• A headset and/or speakers + microphone
  
  You can use a PS4 controller with your PC via bluetooth, a dongle, or a wire.
  
  You also mentioned that you wanted a VR headset, so I'll cover that as well.
  
  -------
  
  The Monitor
  
  The three most important features of a monitor are its resolution, panel type, and refresh rate.
  
  
• A higher resolution will make a higher-detail visual image to look at while gaming, but will require more horsepower from your PC
  
  
• A higher refresh rate will make for smoother motion during gaming, but will also require more horsepower from your PC.
  
  
• The panel type will determine the responsiveness and color depth of your monitor. TN sacrifices color for responsiveness, IPS sacrifices responsiveness for color, and VA is in-between.
  
  Most monitors are 1080p (shorthand for 1920x1080) resolution, with 60Hz refresh rate. This is just fine for gaming, and it's probably what your ACER monitor is. If you choose to upgrade, I highly recommend prioritizing a refresh rate upgrade; for gaming, upgrading to a 120Hz, 144Hz, or 240Hz refresh rate will blow your fucking mind, even at the same resolution (1920x1080).
  
  Here's a helpful site with suggestions on how to pick out a monitor and what monitors to buy. /r/buildapc also has a monitor buying guide.
  
  -------
  
  The Mouse
  
  Selecting a gaming mouse is very personal; it's like selecting a weapon of choice with which to smite your enemies, and there isn't really much that makes any gaming mouse "better" than any other. Even wireless gaming mice have become responsive enough to be just as good as wired.
  
  I recommend Logitech G Series mice, and if you want, here's a gaming mouse reviewer's top 40 picks to sift through, with some advice on how to choose the right one.
  
  Do buy a proper gaming mouse, though; they're relatively cheap, and it makes a huge difference to your experience.
  
  Use a mousepad, but any mousepad is fine. SteelSeries makes "premium gaming mousepads", if you're after that, but they perform no better than your $5 bargain bin mousepad with a cat on it.
  
  ------
  
  The Keyboard
  
  You'll be fine using whatever keyboard you have; it makes the smallest difference to your gaming experience out of any of the peripherals.
  
  However, if you want the best of the best, you can get a proper "gaming keyboard" with mechanical switches. Head over to /r/MechanicalKeyboards/ to go pick one out.
  
  ---------
  
  The Audio
  
  You're pretty much on your own for this one.
  
  Some good brands for headsets are Logitech, Corsair, and Razer, but beyond that I have no idea how to pick one.
  
  For speakers, I have no idea what's good. I use M-Audio AV32 speakers, and they work well for me, but there's a whole world of speakers to choose from.
  
  Regardless of what you choose or even if you use your own gear, make sure you have a microphone; it makes a huge difference playing multiplayer games, and you did mention you want to play with your friends.
  
  ----------------
  
  The Headset
  
  Here are the major options to choose from:
  
  Oculus Rift S ($400)
  
  Pros:
  
  
• Cheapest
  
  
• No "base stations" required
  
  Cons:
  
  
• Owned by Facebook
  
  
• Minimum VR experience
  
  HTC Vive ($500) (or its associated upgrades)
  
  Pros:
  
  
• Better tracking, audio, and visuals than the Rift
  
  Cons:
  
  
• Requires "base stations"
  
  Valve Index ($1000)
  
  Pros:
  
  
• Top VR experience with best tracking, audio, and visuals
  
  
• Uses the best controllers (you can actually buy these controllers on their own for use with the Vive)
  
  
• Produced by Valve, who also produces SteamVR, which is the primary software backend for most VR games
  
  Cons:
  
  
• Most expensive
  
  
• Requires "base stations"
  
  I recommend the HTC Vive; in my opinion, it strikes the best balance between price and experience.
  
  --------------
  
  Hope all this helps!
  
  In the future, I recommend /r/buildapc and /r/pcgaming for these types of questions; they'll be better-equipped to point you in the right direction.

>They sound good but I feel like the mids can be slightly muffled and the highs aren't particularly sharp and clear. The lower mids and bass are great though.
>
>I'd be willing to spend up to $400.

I recommend passive speakers and an amp or receiver:

For the best value, first look used for less cost then the following options, or get one part used and the other new.

Receiver/Amp: Refurbished with a 1 year manufacturer warranty.

• Stereo: ONKYO TX-8220 $135, or ONKYO TX-8140 $200.
  
• AV If also ever using with a TV even with just 2 speakers, 4K HDMI switching, high pass crossover for your speakers if ever adding a subwoofer. DENON AVR-S640H 5.2 $200, Audyssey Multi EQ room correction EQ speaker setup and HEOS wireless networking and smartphone app. Also has a built in phono stage/preamp phono input you can start out with and then add a better external later.
  
  Speakers: Speaker recommendations from AverageJoeAudiophile and r/HTBuyingGuide.
  
  Internet Manufacturer Direct can be a good bang for the buck with 30 day in home trials so you can try 2 or 3 pairs.
  
  
• 5.25" Emotiva Airmotive B1 $230. Folded ribbon high-frequency transducers.
  
• 5.25" Wavecrest Audio HVL-1, and order on sale at Ascend $80 each + shipping, budget Ascends. Front ported. Neutral sound with a linear frequency response. Great mids which many speakers lack. To me, comparable to KEF Q100s. As with most bookshelf speakers, best with a subwoofer.
  
• 6.5" Ascend CBM-170s $300 + $30 shipping. Neutral sound with a linear frequency response. I have these for their great mids which many speakers in the price range lack.
  
• 6.5" HSU HB-1 MK2 $280 + $60 shipping. Have a good low end if not getting a subwoofer at all or right away.
  
  On sale:
  
  
• 5.25" Infinity Reference 152 $140 refurbished, originally $350 MSRP or Boston A25 $150 bogo.
  
• 6.5" $200 a pair, JBL Studio 230 refurbished or Boston A26 bogo.
  
• 6.5" Klipsch RP-160M $340.
  
  Towers on sale:
  
  
• Pioneer FS52 $150 pair (note the long massdrop ship time).
  
• JBL Studio 270 $260 pair.
  
• Boston A250 $225 pair bogo.
  
  DIY speakers, build your own: Add around $50+ for tools and supplies. Kits includes pre-cut cabinets. Glue, solder, paint, assemble. Comparable to built speakers costing twice as much
  
  
• C-Notes $100 are a great starter DIY speaker.
  
  Speaker wire: Pure Copper Oxygen Free 16 Gauge Speaker Wire 50 ft. and self adjusting wire strippers, optional banana plugs to add. Or already with banana plugs, Micca or DFWCableConnection.
  
  Speaker stands: Dayton Audio SSMB24, Monoprice Glass or Monolith by Monoprice and Audio Advisor where most are also available at Amazon.
  
  Subwoofer:
  
  
• 10" Infinity SUB R10 Reference Series $399 $140 flash sale ends in 1 day.
  
  If going with powered speakers:
  
  
• Fluance Ai40 5" $170 on sale.
  
• Fluance Ai60 6.5" $300 adds a bit more low end, subwoofer out port, optical and USB inputs.
  
  Guides:
  
  Home Audio: Intro to home stereo systems • Zeos Tutorials, Diagrams and Videos • Guide to Home Audio • AverageJoeAudiophile's Guides • r/BudgetAudiophile
  
  Speaker Positioning: Speaker Placement for Stereo Music Listening • How to position your speakers for great sound

You'll need a record player, wether that is by means of free or purchase, you most likely need an amp also, and speakers.
I would recommend the Audio Technica AtLp60. It's cheap at 100 bucks but gets the job done. Next get an amp. For both of these, look to Amazon. Pick up a used or open box Sony Strdh190. If you don't have one, get an Amazon card, use the gift card to help defray the cost. You could get a beans new amp for less that 100. I recommend this one cause it has a phono input. The AT60 I recommend has a preamp I believe, so you'll actually want to hook it up to input 1. But, this allows you to upgrade your turntable if you come across something better at a thrift store or from a friend later. Not all turntables have preamps, if they don't, hook it to the phono input. If they do, line 1.
If you choose to get into cassettes or CD, you also have inputs for those decks as you come across them cheap.
Speakers. With this setup, you'll want speakers that can handle the newer power levels of a modern amp. 100watts. 6 or 8 ohms. Something like a pair of Klipsch bookshelf speakers. The RM 15 I believe is a affordable, new, good sounding speaker. Or some Polks of the same power.
All this, and your set. This isn't going to be everyone's setup, but it gets you started, listenable sound, and upgradable. All this can be had relatively affordable. 100 for the turntable, 125 for the speakers, and less than 150 for the amp if you buy it new. Until you understand more about turntables, avoid used is my suggestion, buy affordable new, nothing to do but follow the instructions.

Sony STRDH190 2-ch Stereo Receiver with Phono Inputs & Bluetooth https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078WFDR8D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hgWnDb8R2HGM2


Audio-Technica ATLP60 Fully Automatic Stereo Belt Drive Turntable - (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008872SIO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hhWnDbN5KDF61


Polk Audio TSi100 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair, Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00192KF12/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CiWnDb6W6STNP


Klipsch R-15M Bookshelf Speaker (Pair) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LMF41IY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WjWnDbS7BKBQS


These are all direct to Amazon links. Look in the used sections to get a deal on some of these and save a few bucks.
Someone mentioned it already also. Do this to love the music. Don't collect records to collect records, it's a rabbit hole of money. Just but the bands you like. Listen to an album online before you buy it to see if you'll like it if you don't know who they are. About the elusive 1dollar bin at the record store. Those records may or may not be in great shape, and do you REALLY care about polkas greatest hits from 1963? All your dad or uncles what they listen to and look for some of those records to rock out to.
Good luck. Hope this helps.

PS, my prices mentioned and names of equipment were approximate, go with what's in the links.

yeah that's fair, space is always a factor. can you ballpark the rough dimensions of how much room you have? obviously the most compact solution is computer speakers, but like you said, you want something with better sound. there's smaller monitors, like these, so maybe these would fit better (there's also a 3" woofer variant, which is a bit cheaper and smaller). generally, Amazon reviews are quite truthful, so I'd buy based on that (plus secondary research) and get the best speaker that fits your space and budget

>how's [Edifier's] build quality

if I'm being 100% honest, I have no clue about that pair. a few years ago, I found a small (i.e. I think a 3" woofer) pair of Edifiers at good will. I tried them for a few hours, just to see if they were even worth keeping and they sounded good for what they were. but what I was most impressed with was their weight. most small speakers are light, but these ones seemed like pretty heavy. so at some point, Edifiers were built well. I have no idea if they still are, but the reviews are good

sorry I can't give you a more in depth answer or any proof to back up my claims, but hopefully I've given you enough info to find your way

Need advice for a PC Setup
I’m a fan of great sounding music, but by no means would I consider myself an audiophile. I’m a bit out of the loop when it comes to making an informed decision about new gear to accompany a recent PC build I just put together. I have a budget of $500.00 but am willing to step that up to $1,000.00 if the improvement in sound quality is worth the extra money.

From what I’ve read, it looks like active monitors suit my needs best. I have found a set of KEF X300A for $550.00 which look pretty good to me and have been reviewed quite well; however it looks like I won’t be able to run a sub with them. I do listen to pretty bass heavy music but I live in a condo that requires I keep the thumping bass to a minimum. Do any of you have experience with the KEF X300A’s? Alternatives that look like they might also suit my needs are the Vanatoo T1’s and the Audioengine A5+ which both appear to be well reviewed and have outputs for a sub woofer.

Any help or product recommendations would be much appreciated.

My second question is in regards to speaker placement. I ‘m running a three monitor setup which makes speaker placement a bit awkward as two of the monitors are right in the ideal placement. Do any of you have experience with this issue? Again any recommendations would be appreciated.

Here are some thoughts.

1. BA is right that you were probably looking at some stereo receivers. You need to find a 5.1+ channel AVR to really give you the option to hook up 5 speakers.
   
   
2. If you just have to have a 5.1 system straight away that Yamaha set will get you up and going. Realize that it's a slight step up from a HTiB speaker set. They are two way speakers and it is a powered sub but they are very small and require the sub to do a good bit of work. My friend had that set and while it did work he was very surprised at what an upgrade did for his system.
   
   
3. I'll also agree with BA that going with less speakers is the way to go. You won't be able to really get the effect of a surround system in a small bedroom. Ok, maybe if you actually put the speakers in the correct locations...but I think you'd be better off going with a nicer 2.0. If you get good speakers now you won't have to upgrade as quick. This will save you money in the long run.
   
   Here is what I would look at if I were you.
   
   AVR - Denon S510BT refurb $170 - Basic 5.1 AVR that is 4k compatible. This should give you some room to grow as it has 3 4k HDMI inputs and 5 total.
   
   Speakers - Pick one
   
   

• Cambridge Audio SX50 $140 - These speakers are on sale so don't think too much. They are smaller speakers so bass will be on the light side but that will be fixed when you get a sub later down the road.
  
  
• BIC DV62 $120 - These are larger speakers so make sure that you have room. The large size will give you plenty of bass until you can get a sub. You might not even need a sub depending on what you like to listen and what the room sounds like.
  
  
• Micca MB42XC $80ea - Yep two centers turned on their ends. These will sound surprisingly good and should give you a decent amount of bass due to the larger size cab.
  
  
• Pioneer BS-22 $130 - These have a softer tweeter sound but you should be able to adjust the setting to compensate for it. They actually do pretty well on the low end but these are also a decent sized speaker.
  
  
  If you wanted a 2.1 I would look at this setup. BIC DV32 $55, Dayton Sub 1000 $120 & a sub cable $10-15

In that case I'll always recommend just a good pair of bookshelf speakers and an amp. Here is a comment I gave to someone else recently about my recommendations.

So looking at this I assume your total Budget is about £300. If I were you, I'd recommend trying to up that budget just a little bit, to maybe £350. It'll open up another realm of possibilities. In the £350 budget, I'll always recommend a Yamaha A-S301, as it is arguably one of the best amps in the price range. If you're really settled on either the Onkyo or the Marantz, I would easily recommend the Marantz. In my experience with those two amps, the Marantz has a slightly richer sound. I'll admit I listened to the Marantz PM6005 not the PM5005, however tonally there is no difference between the two, just a difference in power supply.

There is always however the choice of buying second hand. This is an excellent way to get higher quality equipment at a lower price. This takes me nicely to my recommendation for speakers. Really, with very little contest in the price range, the Cambridge Audio S-30's reign supreme, at least in my opinion and many others. The problem is they're discontinued, so you'll have to find them on eBay. If you really want to settle for brand new speakers though, those Polk speakers look alright. I've never heard them myself, but the reviews look good, and the massive sale right now would suggest they'd be a good grab. Other possibilities you might not have considered are the Wharfedale Diamond 220's in Black or in Rosewood. These are excellent for the price, and they look really nice too! The Dali Zensor 1's are often recommended, though I've never listened to them myself, I've heard some excellent things. My final recommendation for speakers are of course the Q Acoustics 2020i. They are remarkably good for the price, and aren't too fussy about power supplying. All of the speakers I've mentioned thus far however will be able to be powered by the Yamaha A-S301.

Those are about all the recommendations I can think of, but if you're really settled on your current speakers and between those two amps, I'd say get the Marantz.

If you have any questions just send me a reply :)

Your need for acoustic panelling will largely depend on the furnishings of the room. If the room is mainly hard surfaces, with no carpet and with solid furniture, you might look into dampening. For your budget, however, you're really only looking at adding a thick rug rather than full-on room treatment options.

Basic advice: to play music from your computer you need a DAC, an amplifier (including a pre-amplifier) and speakers.

Computers have DAC's built in to their headphone outputs, but they tend to be of poor quality resulting in poor sound quality. Integrated amplifiers include a preamplifier built in, and tend to represent the best bang for buck.

For your budget, I recommend spending a decent amount on speakers, and only as much as you have to on the other components. Get a DAC like the HiFimeDIY Sabre USB DAC ($42), the Schiit Modi ($99), or the ODAC ($145). Amplifiers vary quite a lot with price and availability depending on where you are, but you might look out for the Marantz PM6005, the Rotel RA-10, the Onkyo A-9010, the Yamaha A-S300, or the NAD 326BEE or D3020. Note that some of these have built in DACs, so you might like to spend the extra and get a PM6005 (for example) and then you won't have to worry about getting a DAC.

That leaves about $400-700 for speakers, depending on how much you spend on your amp and how much you decide to budget. You can either go floor-standing speakers, or buy stand-mounted (aka "bookshelf") speakers. This is up to your personal preference. At your price point you tend (as a very general rule only) to get better mids and highs from stand-mounters, but better bass from floor-standers. Floor-standers include the KEF Q500 ($550), the Monitor Audio Bronze Series 5 ($314) and 6 ($424), the Wharfedale Diamond 230 ($699), or the Q Acoustics 3050 ($799). Stand-mounters include the KEF Q100 ($424) or Q300 ($649), the Monitor Audio Bronze 2 ($378), the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 ($249), or the [Q Acoustics Concept 20] (https://www.amazon.com/Acoustics-Concept-Bookshelf-Speakers-Anniversary/dp/B01I46G1VI/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1484025379&sr=1-5&keywords=q+acoustics) ($430). There are many, many more speakers, and they make by far the greatest difference to the sound you will hear, so I strongly recommend you go to a bricks and mortar store and listen for yourself before deciding on a set. Remember that if you buy stand-mounters you will also need to buy stands to put them on.

You will also need cables to connect your computer to your DAC, your DAC to your amp, and your amp to your speakers. MonoPrice cables are good value. Avoid buying overpriced cables from HiFi retailers as these tend to be incredibly high margin items. Getting decent banana plugs on the speaker cables (if you can in your country) will make plugging and unplugging the speakers a whole lot easier.

Good luck and please let me know how you get on!

Difficult, especially for that money. I would suggest a Headphone/DAC/PreAmp. The USB could feed the DAC which would drive the Headphones, but also the Pre-Amp outs. Though I don't know of any specific brand, I know there are many of these out there.

But that means you wil have to have come active Speakers for non-Headphone listening. The Pair I most often recommend are the Mackie MR5 but they run about $130 EACH. Though there are KRK Rokit RP5 at a similar price, and other brands as well.

Perhaps something like this, though I don't know all the details on the device -

https://www.amazon.com/SMSL-V2-Headphone-Amplifier-Decoder/dp/B00WSKUZIM

It has Audio Line Outs, so I assume it also acts as a pre-amp.

Actually, the SMSL AD18 looks pretty good. It has Amps built in so you could use it with passive speakers -

https://www.amazon.com/SMSL-AD18-Bluetooth-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B01MY96MKC

The Power on these tend to be over rated, but it should still have very good power for near-field listening.

For passive speakers, the Yamaha NS-6490 are probably good in a room in general, but a bit big and less good for Desktop listening. Excellent speakers for the money if they are not going to be on a desktop.

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-NS-6490-Bookshelf-Speakers-Finish/dp/B00018Q4GA

The Yamaha RS202 Receiver ($150), physically bit larger, but it has 100/ch, AM/FM, and Bluetooth. Though no digital Inputs. Still for $100 you can get the Audioquest Dragonfly USB DAC.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_022RS202/Yamaha-R-S202.html?tp=47041

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_703DGNFLYB/AudioQuest-DragonFly-Black-v1-5.html

In smaller speakers, I think they very good sounding Q Acoustic 3020 sound very tight but with modest bass. Still good for Desktop though. Here is a video review/demo of the 3020 (~$280/pr).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgfLYK7Fyes

https://www.amazon.com/Acoustics-3020-Bookshelf-Speakers-Graphite/dp/B00TR7I1EY

First of all, before I give suggestions, let me just say it's definitely possible to find something better than what I'm recommending for less money if you go vintage or scour craigslist. However I don't have the knowledge to really help you with vintage gear. I know it takes time, patience, possibly repairs & finding parts, etc. Plus you need to know what you're looking for. And if you don't live in a huge city with tons of quality vintage hi-fi stuff on craigslist or floating around in goodwill stores, it could be a while. So if you want to go that route, maybe somebody around here could take a look at your local craiglist or something and help you out.

So with that being said, if you want to go new/newish, this is the exact lineup I bought for my first setup recently. It's all going to fall into the category of entry level/minimum for "audiophile" so it won't absolutely blow your mind, then again looking at your current situation maybe it will lol:


Project Debut Carbon DC (usually a $400 table, available for $300) here

You will see a lot of people recommend Project, Rega and U-Turn as the best entry level "audiophile" style tables. I am not a man of means so it worked for me. The DC is the upgraded version of the Debut Carbon with a better, quieter power source. Comes with an adjustable counterweight and anti-skate, which your LP60 does not have and the absence of which can cause damage to your records. Furthermore you can upgrade the stylus, the platter, I think the tonearm (?) down the road if you wish, when more money becomes available. It comes with an Ortofon 2M Red which is a solid budget cartridge.

Audioengine A5+ - lightly used $319

Very good powered speakers for the money, so you wouldn't have to spend money on a receiver/amp at this time. I've been thoroughly impressed with them.

Project Phono Box S lightly used - $161.50

Phono stage. Could maybe find one for cheaper that would be just as good, I don't know a ton about phono stages. Remember to set the gain to match your TT when you get it.


Total: $780

I know you said your budget maxed at $600, maybe wait another paycheck or 2 or find a different cheaper phono stage and/or downgrade the A5+ speakers to A2's which are bookshelf speakers if you're ok with that.

There are a lot of options out there, this is just what I ended up going with recently and I'm very satisfied. I've already upgraded the platter on the TT to an acrylic one, and will prob upgrade the cartridge next christmas as a gift to myself, thinking maybe the 2M Bronze. But this will absolutely serve and give you a huge increase in performance from day 1.

well i was using some logitech 5.1 (surround sound) speakers which i sold for £40 on ebay to go towards my new speajkers. Richer sounds are a great shop imo and they always give you help and advice so i would look at the speakers there .

I got the Monitor Audio MR1s and there is so much difference between my old ones, crisper highs/treble and over all clearer sound, its very hard to explain how they sound better but trust me.

Types of speakers:
There are mainly 2 types, powered and non-powered.

Powered: They have a built in amp and plug into a wall socket for power and then go straight into your PC, they are easy to set up but some people like to have a separate amp (im also new to this so im not to sure why)

Non-Powered: They are just speakers and on there own cant produce sound as they dont have any power, which is where the amp/amplifier comes in. The amp just gives the speakers power so that they are able to produce sound and connect to a PC ect.

the bigger the speakers the bigger the amp needs to be to give it enough power.

I would go to richer sounds if you have one near you and ask for a demo for some speakers around £100 if you can and im sure you will notice a difference. Also watch some videos about audio and why some speakers are better than others.
Im also very new to this, i got my first pair 2 weeks ago.

These are some good powered speakers that will probs beat cheaper multimedia ones on the cheap:

M-Audio AV32

M-Audio AV42

Mackie CR4

These are some good non powered speakers and amps on the cheap:

MORDAUNT SHORT M20 AND SMSL SA-36A

Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 AND SMSL SA-36A

BTW the amp ive chosen will power them on a desk but might not be great for a big room.

Hope this helps :)

So since I did a lot of searching prior to purchase but couldn't find anything - to anyone else considering using the Ikea Fredde desk and the X34 together, the the monitor stand just barely doesn't fit on the raised shelf and so I had to screw a small metal plate to the back to accommodate the rear foot of the stand. It's a fine solution and I can't see the plate during regular use so it's seamless.

I'm super happy with the monitor besides some minor bleed in the corners but UNF I just can't get over that colour accuracy and encompassing view! With this addition to my setup I feel like I'm at max level, i.e. can't "level up" (at least not very far), with regards to my audio/video setup.

Anyone with a nice ultrawide monitor shouldn't skimp out on audio too! I see a lot of ascension posts featuring $100 Logitech speakers, which are fine but you can improve on audio as much as video! To anyone looking for an excellent performance to value ratio mid-fi 2.1 audio solution to complement their ultrawide I can't recommend this combo highly enough: Audioengine A5+ bookshelf speakers + S8 subwoofer.

EDIT: Forgot about headphones! My point still stands, don't be afraid to spend more for a better experience! I love my Philips Fidelio X2 for both gaming and movies. If you're in the market for some cans head on over to /r/headphones and ask for purchasing advice in the sticky.

You have many many options! I would lurk around the sub for a while to get some ideas. The suggestions that come to mind:

For speakers, going from lowest to highest price, I'd check out the Micca MB42x's, the Fluance SX6's, and the ELAC B5's.

The SMSL SA50 is a nice budget amp but (if you have the space for it) a used receiver is the best bang for your buck and will likely be more powerful.

I have the MB42x's. They're quite capable and will do just fine for me for some time. Just remember that there are so many options out there. Do your best to find the right setup for you.

Just to get started, I'd check out Zoes' 2.0 Desktop Suggestions list from his suggestions sub. His influence as a youtuber is a bit of a controversial topic on this sub but I'd say he has some good suggestions. Good luck and have fun!

Edit: I should also mention that it's always useful to demo equipment if you can. Hit up a local audio shops and demo some gear if you have the time.

So I'm brand new to the home audio world in general, but for the last couple of years I've been dreaming about starting a record collection and buying a decent stereo setup. Decent here means $1-2k budget tops.

I'm finally settled into a new job and I'm starting to think It's time to make this happen. I'm looking for recommendations for each piece: turntable, amp (integrated or power + pre), and bookshelf speakers to go in my living room. Probably a DAC at some point so I can listen to some of my digital media.

The only thing I am really firm about is a tube amplifier. I honestly just love the aesthetics and the warm sound... I know that my budget won't give me the best equipment, but I can upgrade down the road.

Here's some of the equipment I've been looking at:

turntable

Speakers

Struggling on the amp, but I'm thinking something like this

I'm honestly shooting in the dark here and going mostly off of reviews. Any and all help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Amp

NAD 3020 V2 ($399) has:

• Phono pre-amp
  
• Optical-in for your movies
  
• Subwoofer out
  
  Turntable
  
  U-Turn Audio ($309) have gotten good reviews from the few people I know that have picked one up. They look nice and do their job.
  
  Speakers
  
  This is way trickier and way more personal, I personally have had very good luck with used gear from Swans, Canton, Mirage, Chario and JBL that I would have never been able to afford new and have been very happy with. The only speakers I've gotten brand new recently were the Elac B6 and I enjoyed them too.
  
  Some options with the rest of your budget ~$500
  
  Wharfedale Denton 80th (~$500) Absolutely beautiful, review well, I only had a brief listen in person so can't entirely vouch but I liked what I heard
  
  Elac UB5 (~$400) Very nice bookshelf, the concentric set up for the mid range and tweeter is nice and slick and fits a 3 way design into a bookshelf footprint nicely.
  
  Monitor Audio Bronze 2 (~$500) Again, lovely design, enjoyed them when I auditioned them but ended up going with some used Cantons that time.

I would say that the Klipsch is a lot better and worth the extra $216, but then again, you would also need an amp and that would cost you a lot more. You just need to really determine if you want to go the passive route and have the ability to upgrade more down the road or get a simple powered system that will work just fine for what you need and sounds great, but not have the ability to upgrade components.

​

Here a few good options in either category though that would fit your budget:

​

Passive Setup:

Speakers:

Fluance Signature - $269 CAD

Polk S20 - $350 CAD

Elac Debut B6.2 - $343 CAD

Elac Uni-Fi UB5 - $522 CAD (Considered to be just as good as the Klipsch RP-150M)

Klipsch RP-150M - $289 US (plus shipping and taxes to Canada [$unknown])

SVS Prime - $629 CAD (Can’t tell if this listing is for a pair)

Amps:

SMSL AD18 - $174 CAD

Yamaha RX-V385 - $279 CAD

Denon AVR-S540BT - $377 CAD

​

Powered Setup:

Fluance Ai40 - $225 CAD

Fluance Ai60 - $403 CAD

Edifier S2000 Pro - $500 CAD

Vanatoo Transparent Zero - $359 US (plus shipping and taxes to Canada [$unknown])

​

Studio Monitor Setup:

Monitors:

JBL 305P MKII - $440 CAD

Interfaces:

Behringer UMC202HD - $104 CAD

Focusrite Solo 3rd Gen - $159 CAD

Steinberg UR22MKII - $180 CAD

​

The studio monitor setup is one of my favorites. The JBL’s sound amazing on a desktop, but I would not get one without an audio interface with balanced inputs to help reduce noise.

Well basically a set up is puzzle you can build up over time. Planar 2 is a solid table that you wouldn't need to upgrade for years, don't know if it comes with a cover though. It is a solid table built around delivering the best sound from the cartridge to the amp. Now one big part of how your records will sound is the cart, the one the planar 2 comes with is totally fine for start but you will want to upgrade it pretty soon. I would recommend you to take a look at this Pro-ject Debut Carbon Esprit. Mainly because it is more bang for the buck imo (electronic speed switch and speed control, carbon arm, acrylic platter and a way better cartridge), but that is totally an opinion.

Now for the rest of the set up I would suggest buying the preamp separate. For example this Cambridge phono preamp is a solid starting point. There are two reasons for this, you can easily switch it to a new one down the line and you can get some money back for it.

The second one is that you can start by getting powered speakers, for example these Audio engine A5+ and down the line upgrade to an amp and bookshelf speakers. Powered speakers are a totally valid option nowadays and these will give a detailed sound with the table. They are also way easier to get your cash back when moving forward.

What I linked up there is a pretty solid setup focusing in sound for a pretty rough 1000 when done trough amazon.

Sorry for all the questions.. really appreciate your answers, you've given me more detail than anybody I've talked to at the audio/video stores I go into. Can I buy you a beer somehow? :)

I have one final question I think... my wife chose a TV Stand/Media Console to house all this stuff, and I only have 5.67" of height for the center speaker, so unfortunately that rules out the Dayton Audio set, as well as the Pioneer set I brought up earlier.

So I'm looking at one of two options, first this Micca setup:

Micca MB42X for Front L/R and Rear L/R
Micca MB42X-C for Center (5.3 inches tall, fits my needs)
~$330 CAD for the set of 5 speakers, not bad!
https://www.amazon.ca/Micca-MB42X-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B00HHFBEK6

(Instead of the MB42X, maybe the RB42? https://www.amazon.ca/Micca-RB42-Reference-Bookshelf-Speaker/dp/B07JC416LG/ Seems better reviewed, would add $120 to the price to do those front and back, or just $60 more to do those in the front and still have MB42X in the rear)

(Another option is just to get 5 MB42X-C's?... Or 3 for the front and 2 MB42X at rear)

or this Polk setup.. only other decently priced one I found with a small center.. but this center is much smaller than the Micca:

Polk Audio TL2 for Center
https://www.amazon.ca/Polk-Audio-Speaker-Center-Channel/dp/B0043M667M
Polk T15 for Front L/R and Rear L/R
https://www.amazon.ca/Polk-Audio-T15-Bookshelf-7-25-Inch/dp/B002RJLHB8
~$458 CAD for the set of 5 speakers

(Another option is the T300 set for $150/pair. Shaves $40 off the overall price, not sure if there's much difference there. https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/polk-audio-polk-audio-t300-100-watt-bookshelf-speakers-pair-t300/10166613 )

I'm not a big fan of the look of the TL2 Bookshelf speakers.. so went for the T15/T300 instead.

Curious if you have any opinions about which to pick.. I'm leaning towards the Micca because they fill the shelves better and the reviews online seem to be decent, and the tiny TL2 center from Polk is... tiny.

To pair with all this I have a Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer.. which gets alot of hate around here but seems more than powerful enough for my needs. Got it last night and hooked it up and I'm running it at about 10% on the gain dial and it's more than enough for what I need.. will probably piss off my neighbours (semi-detached home) even at that level.

Again, thanks for your help, really appreciate folks like you that take the time to answer threads and help people out with their questions.

EDIT: All the above said.. after listening to a dozen reviews or so on the Micca line-up.. I think I'm leaning towards either:

1. RB-42 front and back, and MB42X-C center (really just because I can't get the RB-42C in Canada). This sounds like I'd have alot more bass in the RB-42, but they are weak at high volumes. Filling a large room like I'll have these in would be difficult, although most of the time I'm sitting fairly close to the speakers when watching TV, this would only be an issue while listening to music in the room somewhere other than the couch infront of it.
   
   
2. MB42X-C x 5 all around. More power and higher sensitivity and they seem to keep their clean sound at higher volumes. Less bass per speaker.. but I have the sub in the setup so hopefully that helps fill that gap (even though it's a PSW10).
   
   Long post, sorry... rambling a little as I go back and forth between options.

1. No, unless you plan to SLI or use a lot of expansion cards, don't worry. mATX boards are just as capable as their bigger bros.
   
   
2. Memory speed only seems to have a real impact in situations where you are CPU bound (i.e. CPU is at max/near max usage).
   
   Digital Foundry did a test with an i3 6100 (overclocked I believe to around 4.2GHz) where memory speeds great enter than the DDR4 default of 2133 did actually make a difference. Not a huge one, but noticeable. If you want me to link it, just ask and I'll go find it.
   
   For the most part, RAM speed with a CPU that is not bound (i.e. 'Bottlenecked,' though I hesitate to use the term) won't make much difference. It is, however, considered helpful in PC's that are doing heavy CPU work regularly. It is definitely useful then!
   
   
3. Get a 120/250GB SSD, install the OS and some large open world games on it, and then chuck everything else on the HDD. SSDs nowadays are very reliable. JUST DON'T DEFRAG THEM.
   
   
4. Generally mid ATX tower cases can fit all standard Mobo sizes. ATX/Mini ATX/Micro ATX. I'm unsure about them fitting the E-ATX boards usually needed for LGA 2011 CPUs. As for a good silent case, the NZXT H440 is one I know to be good. There are others, but it's once I've had personal experience of using. It's not so good for ventilation however, so make sure it's got plenty of intake and exhaust.
   
   
5. Tbh, if you're going to use an i7, I thoroughly recommend you take the plunge and go for the full fat 6700k. As for coolers, the H440 can take pretty much all of the fattest air coolers out there (Noctua DH15, Cryorig R1 Ultimate, etc).
   
   If you're really set on a locked i7, then you can simply use the stock cooler. It won't look so good however, so maybe just pick up a basic 212 Evo? Will keep things very cool indeed.
   
   
6. I'm not your man for monitors I'm afraid! I'm sure there are, but others will know more than me.
   
   
7. Oddly enough, someone the other day on PCMR was kind enough to recommend me a good pair of speakers after my monitor ones died on me. Will link them below:
   
   There you go!

LSR305's would be the default suggestion, but it'd already be stretching your budget. Plus I can't find a European site that sells them without marking them up even more. The best option I can find for you is the Wharfedale Diamond 220 paired with a SMSL SA-50. If you could verify that the prices aren't wildly out of budget that'd be great, not sure how accurate my side is.

Here's a review I pulled from a forum if you're interested.

>The bass that is present is quite clean but the lower mids can seem a bit muddy at times. But a good plus on the bass is the down firing port makes it very easy to place these in a room and the extension is nice, not as good as the SuperOne’s but very close.

>The imaging and soundstage on these are wonderful and there’s also a bit of treble roll off and tilt towards the bass.

>What I noticed about both Wharfedales is they have a bit of a thicker sound than the rest of the speakers, not sure exactly how to explain it but they carry a bit of weight/body to their sound that most other speakers don’t have and just about all of the other speakers sound thing when quickly A/B’ing them except for the Elac B6’s.

>These sound a bit warm.


Pros:

• Quality mid-bass kick
  
• Down firing bass makes these easy to place
  
  Cons:
  
  
• The lower mids get a bit muddy
  
• Can get a bit hot at times on snares and female vocals
  

I would love to!
 
For the amp I am using the SMSL Q5 Pro as linked by /u/Hercusleaze and I am very happy with it. I bought it especially for the optical input and remote control to use with my xbox alongside my PC. A very good feature is a dedicated sub out, really makes adding a sub simple.
 
If you dont need all the fancy DAC built in I would highly recommend the SMSL SA36A, SA50, or SA98 depending on the power you want (this depends on how loud you want to get and what your speakers need).
 
For speakers I am using a pair of Micca MB42X-C in 2.0, although I got them for half off. Most people recommend Micca MB42X, a very solid all rounder at a good entry price. I set my brother with the Fluance SX-6 speakers, and he is really happy with them although they are bass heavy.
 
These options are solid entry level gear, and for myself I havent needed/felt like upgrading further. If you are looking for something a bit higher end I would suggest checking out the /r/Zeos guide lists or make a dedicated thread!

nobody has explained their recommendations.

you don't get good volume on dialog because of crappy channel mixing from your TV.

that's not a dig on your specific TV... all TV's suck at this. in fact, most receivers suck at mixing down from 5.1/7.1 to stereo.

for any content generated in surround, something like 95% of the dialog volume is mixed to the center channel.

if you're listening on a pair of stereo speakers, you get to hear what the TV thinks is best, in terms of balancing the volumes between the channels.

folks here are recommending receivers that would give you 5.1 channel audio, and then also suggesting three speakers.

the three speakers are your Front L+R, and the all important center speaker.

receivers do a moderately good job of mixing all the surround channels to just the Front L+Rs, and if you have the center speaker, it will still get all of that delicious dialog.

your budget is a little tight, but doable.

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/yamrxv379bl/yamaha-rx-v379-5.1-ch-x-70-watts-bluetooth-a/v-receiver/1.html $150

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009IUIV4A/ $60 for your front L+R pair

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HH2GINM/ $50 for your center channel

-

check out your sound settings for anything called "normalization" or "equalization".

this will cap the maximum volume difference between the audio channels. so in effect it will reduce the loud parts, and bring up the volume on the quiet parts. this may be sufficient for you to like what you hear, or be sufficient for you to just get some nicer speakers and be quite satisfied.

if the "equalization" setting fixes the quiet/loud problem, but you just want more oomph, i would recommend

eris 4.5's https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GP56OYA/ $180

or

fluance ai40's https://www.amazon.com/Fluance-Bookshelf-Amplifier-Turntable-Bluetooth/dp/B07CLDGXX1/ $200

both are self-powered, and need nothing other than a cable to connect them to your Tv.

i have eris e3.5's and they are simply great.

i have fluance floor speakers, and they're also great, so i would expect good performance on the ai40's.

ai40's come with more features - a bluetooth input option, and a remote to control the volume, source.

But why? Those are great if you don't have an amp or receiver but you have a perfectly good amp in that old Denon. Your $150 will go further if you buy the best passive speaker possible.

At $150 there are some good passive speaker options.

Polk Audio Monitor 40 Series II are a good choice and shouldn't sound thin without a subwoofer. $104 on Newegg right now. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290202

JBL Arena B17 https://www.amazon.com/JBL-Arena-B17-Black-Bookshelf/dp/B072MYY7KD/

BIC DV62si https://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-DV62si-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00006JPDI/

Tube amps are great if...

a) You like the way they sound (I dont) and
b) You understand their limitations like power output

You can likely get away with 7 watts of pure tube power but I would definitely look for some efficient (90 db/watt at least) speakers. Im not sure what sound signature you prefer (ie; warm, accurate, forward, etc) but there are definitely good options for 500$ out there.

I would go with these

https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RP-160M-Bookshelf-Speaker-Ebony/dp/B00RNZ6COS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1493666588&sr=8-4&keywords=klipsch+reference+premiere

but I love Klipsch, and especially the new Reference premier line. I think they would pair really well with a tube amp. Plus, these should be plenty loud with such low wattage. There are many good options at that price though.

I think you are on the right path with your selections. The amp would be fine for any small to medium sized room listening.

I haven't yet heard them myself, but the measurements that Fluance release look OK, but very artifially flat looking due to the huge Y axis 50dbs would be more of a standard range, not the 120dbs that they are using.

I don't think the Teac's will ever come down in price again. That seemed like a one time event form what I can tell. But they are very good, I enjoy my pair a lot. Though construction quality is lacking when compared to other items in the price range.

My suggestion would be to look at the Infinity Primus line. The most well known and commonly reviewed of the bunch, and hit killer sale prices at least 1/3 of the year. Though currently out of stock, this whole line is very good for the money and I think you would be very happy with them.

For subs all the Dayton's are good for the money. I would get the biggest one that is in your budget and fits in your space.

Not sure why you would want the l/r and the center, other than it's a good deal. Are you hoping to fill it out to 5.1 eventually?

I've never heard Fluance, but the go-to recommendations around here are one of these two Pioneer speakers, or the Miccas. Search this sub to look for reviews (and double check the model numbers if you're interested. I'm doing this from memory). If you get the Pioneers you should be able to afford the subwoofer that goes with it. Also, you can usually find a Polk sub like this one on sale.

There are better options, I'm sure, but these get a lot of recommendations for budget systems. I have a brother in law with the Pioneers and no sub and he's pretty happy.

As for hooking it up, you just need a 3.5mm to RCA jack cable like this one. Also, if your receiver has an s/pdif input you could go from the sound card to the receiver that way. If you use the first cable, the sound card will be decoding the digital into analog. If you use the s/pdif cable, your receiver will do the decoding. Depending on the DACs in the card and receiver, one might be better than the other.

First of all, thank you for a such a detailed post! You provided great insight and appreciate that.

Now - To be perfectly honest, I don't know too much about bipoles and dipoles to comfortably experiment with them. But I will try to educate myself further and research before I purchase the front 3 speakers. Do you have any floorstanding tower speaker recommendation for these?

The set up for the seating is simply 2 rows of 4 seats each, the rear seating row is slightly elevated on a step.

The media room in question is wired for a 7.1 set up (2 at the back wallmounted, 2 at the sides wallmounted, 2 at the front floorstanding, and the center speaker and sub in the middle front).

You suggested that I use 2 subs, but the room is only wired for 1 sub at the front. Would a larger subwoofer be a suitable substitute for two smaller ones? If so, do you have any recommendations that would work well in tandem with my receiver? Also, thanks for the video reference on the sub placement!

All wiring in the room is 14 gauge. I will look into the banana plugs, they look easy and convenient and i'll certainly pick up a couple of those when this is all said and done.

What do you think of this set up /u/homeboi808 ? I have to ask because you seem very knowledgeable in all this!

Receiver: Denon AVR-X3300W

Subwoofer: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-R-12SW-12-Inch-Front-Firing-Subwoofer/dp/B00MJ1YR8Y/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=X61GNYGX8Z19KA6JEN9B

Front Towers: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-R-26F-Floorstanding-Speaker-Each/dp/B00LMDYM6W/ref=pd_sim_23_19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8E24TMRWR6S9TGCZ6W1R

Center: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RP-250C-Center-Channel-Speaker/dp/B00S4HA4GQ/ref=pd_lpo_23_tr_t_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CW0N9DRTVFS8G4NZGHW9

Side Surround: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RP-250S-Surround-Speaker-Each/dp/B00S4HE1QA

Back-Surround: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RP-150M-Bookshelf-Speaker-Ebony/dp/B00RXHEIHE

If youre wondering, I prefer Klispch because I get a little 5% family discount on their products from my cousin. I would really appreciate your input!

I'm the thrifty kinda guy.

Refurbished Denon receiver, 2 Micca bookshelves, a Micca center channel, and a Bic America subwoofer. About 700 bucks total. Sounds good enough for me. I know much better is out there but it's hard to justify the costs.

My Sennheiser HD598SE's are great ($150), and I have a FiiO E10K ($75) that they plug into at work, and at home I just plug them in directly since the onboard soundcard isn't too bad surprisingly on my motherboard. I have a Sony SRS-X5 bluetooth speaker plugged into the back of it as well. I have those cheap-ass sony ANC headphones (20 bucks at the time I bought them) and they get the job done at a cheap price for planes and for the AC unit blasting in my office (I know... killing me, 80db of white noise all day long).

I have a friend from work that spent 50,000 bucks on his setup. It sounds great, and it's worth it, but I couldn't spend that much on it.

I'm more of a headphone kinda guy. My next upgrade would probably be going all out on headphones. A pair of Sennheiser HD800's probably. That's in the far future, I got stuff I want to do around the house first.

These are my workout earbuds

They are a great value.

Yeah so don't even go by digital vs vinyl. Not a straight comparison since they're mastered differently.

Now, if the record playing through your KLH speakers isn't much better than a bluetooth speaker, then I'd say it's time for new speakers. I know JBL can make great stuff but a pair of bookshelf speakers shouldn't be worse than a BT speaker. Since you've already got a receiver, going with some new passive bookshelf speakers will be a bit more affordable. Something like Klipsch's R-14M's for $150 or the bigger R-15M's for about $172 would sound pretty good. Or you can go with the powered version (it's usually around $350 so wait for a better price) and ditch the receiver for a more compact rig. The powered R-15PM's have a built-in phono preamp, optical input, bluetooth, and AUX input with a remote for volume and source switching. It also has a port for a sub in case you feel like adding one in the future.

Also, have you considered using a headphone amp for personal listening? Grab a Schiit Magni for $99 and pair it with a nice set of ATHM50's or DT 770's.

At that level of budget, you simply don't have a lot of wiggle room. You'd be pretty much limited to stereo (2.0), and you'd likely have to get the most budget of budget speakers (probably Dayton B452's).

A better compromise may be a decent pair of powered speakers like the Fluance Ai40, Edifier R1280DB or Micca PB42X. Another option would be to get a mini amp like the Dayton DTA-2.1BT2 and pair it with passive bookshelfs like Micca RB42's or MB42X's.

There are other audio "solutions" out there, but nothing that we would suggest in good faith around here. My honest advise is to wait and save up for a more robust budget so you can invest in quality stuff that will last you longer.

For a small, but nice setup I'd look for a nice pair of vintage bookshelf speakers or invest in a new pair of bookshelf speakers. Something like these Polks. Polks generally excel at mid range and high range definition. They would be very portable and not so bassy or large as to draw a lot of attention. Then, when you get space for a bigger system you could add a sub, some bigger fronts, and use these for rear surrounds. If that's too much money, Pioneer is my second goto for small, clear, cheap bookshelf speakers. They haven't changed what they do in decades, but they haven't needed to either! Good luck!

That's a pretty good budget actually. Personally, I'd recommend these speakers (unless you can find a nice old set at a tag sale or something):

Fluance SX6 High Definition Two-way Bookshelf Loudspeakers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00067OS0A/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_1RDgub0W483CF

I have the black ones and love them. Great for a stereo setup, enough bass for me although a subwoofer wouldn't hurt it's not needed IMO.

Receiver wise, there's plenty of options on eBay, Craigslist or amazon. I recently picked up an old Marantz for $120 that just needed new feet and some cleaning up, runs perfectly. I used to have an old pioneer sx too that I ended up giving to my girlfriend, cost me $70 and worked great. Realistically a really nice system can definitely be had for the amount you want to spend. My .02 is to get something that's going to sound good to you for as little as possible and then spend the rest getting records you'll enjoy listening to.

The sidebar has great information too if you haven't looked at it but ultimately everyone is different and prefers certain brands, etc.

Hey guys, my old set of Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speakers just died. I've been out of the loop on speaker technology for a while so I need some advice. I don't do production and I only play games and listen to music, but I do enjoy good quality sound. I also enjoy bass but I could never use the Klipsch at full capacity or it would blow out my eardrums lol. These speakers would be on a desktop, and I'd say my budget is $200 but I'll splurge a little more if the product is worth a premium.

That said, it seems like another set of Promedia's or the Logitech Z623 are the popular gamer choices, but then I looked deeper and saw that some users recommend powered speakers instead.

I'm not really sure where to start with those, but below are some recommendations based on what I've researched. How could I compare these speakers apples to apples? I'm a noob when it comes to audio knowledge.

M-Audio AV42 (Couldn't find AV40 in stock):

https://us.amazon.com/M-Audio-Reference-Speakers-Professional-Immersive/dp/B00X741TB0/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

M-Audio BX5 D3

https://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-BX5-D3-Production-Recording/dp/B01J66YEU0/ref=pd_sbs_147_img_0/132-9931273-2241557?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01J66YEU0&pd_rd_r=a50dceed-5410-46e7-b3cb-7bc6bdce1686&pd_rd_w=01y28&pd_rd_wg=BjCZY&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=Q2B9PDF9JMV364Q4W38E&psc=1&refRID=Q2B9PDF9JMV364Q4W38E

PreSonus Eris E4.5

https://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-BX5-D3-Production-Recording/dp/B01J66YEU0/ref=pd_sbs_147_img_0/132-9931273-2241557?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01J66YEU0&pd_rd_r=a50dceed-5410-46e7-b3cb-7bc6bdce1686&pd_rd_w=01y28&pd_rd_wg=BjCZY&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=Q2B9PDF9JMV364Q4W38E&psc=1&refRID=Q2B9PDF9JMV364Q4W38E

What you can expect for x budget really depends on who you ask. I'd say for 500€ you can get a very respectable system given that you're sticking to digital and don't expect a sub that'll dig down to 20hz. BTW you can't really put together a diagram until you know exactly what components you're getting. Your diagram doesn't work for this reason. You have a DAC there but that receiver already has a DAC built in so it may be redundant. The speakers shown there also wouldn't work since they are self-powered and thus don't need an amplifier.

My knowledge and experience with European pricing is pretty limited, and almost completely exclusive to two channel setups there. Here is a realistic example of a well-rounded system with my limited knowledge of what you can get over there (AKA I wandered around the German Amazon site):

Pioneer VSX-330 at 220€

A pair of Wharfedale Diamond 220 speakers at 250€.

Some speaker wire for 15€.

Adding 300€ to your budget would benefit you sure. You can go for a better receiver maybe with better room correction and probably add a decent subwoofer. You're living in an apartment and mostly listening to metal though, so I'd say maybe a pair of tower speakers or very large bookshelf speakers would be a better direction with the extra money.

> not very interested in super quality sound
>
> i do want really clear dialogue
>
> casual movie fan who wants clear dialogue
>
> I'd be willing to buy speakers

It's not so much about being 'enough'. Dialog is probably the most important aspect of sound. Our ears are tuned to human speech more than any other sound, and therefore our ears can detect distortion and poor sound the easiest. If you want good dialog, get good speakers. Typical soundbars are usually not good speakers. They're made to be small, simple, 'cute', and make the manufacturers lots of money (cheap to build and stamp out, easy to sell for much more than they're worth). They only need to be a step up from crappy tv speakers to be noticed, which is easy.

What does your tv use for audio output? A set of powered bookshelves is really easy to set up with only one more wire to connect compared to a soundbar.

Something like these Klipsch or these Edifier are a good ideas. There are many more options, so don't get hung up on those two.

​

Hello fellow LP120 owner!

Your new turntable comes with a built in preamp, but you still need an amp to amplify the line level audio. Records necessitate a preamp, as the audio level is quite low compared to other sources, (i.e. CD player, iPod). In addition to boosting the audio signal to something your amp can work with, the preamp also applies RIAA equalization which more or less adds back in the low end.

Some of the older amps out there have a specific PHONO input, which is designed to do the same thing a preamp does. Almost all of the new amps on the market have gotten rid of these inputs, as "no one listens to vinyl anymore". You don't need one with a PHONO input though, you just need a good 2-channel amp to power your speakers.

If you don't want to spend much, the Lepai LP 2020 is probably the best bang for your buck. I'm using it right now with these Pioneer bookshelf speakers (very similar to yours) and they sound great. I don't have a recommendation for anything more powerful, but you won't really need anything more powerful unless you go with bigger speakers down the road. Don't forget to grab some speaker wire to wire it all up.

Have fun!

Awesome! That would be perfect. Thank you again for your help. It seems like I might not be able to get the Polk S20 speakers because the buyer isn't responding yet. So just in case, I think I found another really nice deal. All for just $200 he's selling...

Pioneer VSX-521-K
https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-VSX-521-K-Receiver-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B004M8RPAY

Pair of Pioneer FS51 Floorstanding Speakers
https://www.amazon.com/pioneer-sp-fs51-lr-floorstanding-loudspeakers-discontinued/dp/b004h1m4no

Pair of Pioneer BS21 Bookshelf Speakers
https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS21-LR-80-Watts-2-Way-Speakers/dp/B004MEWZE4

Pioneer SP-C21 Center-Channel Speaker
https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C21-Speaker-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B004MF4S0M/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

That also leaves me enough money to buy a subwoofer like the Dayton SUB-1200. But the receiver is a different model then the one you suggested. I'm not sure if it's still good. Would that be enough to drive all those speakers adequately?

In your opinion, do you think that would be a nice sounding setup for movies and music?

I personally use the Sony MDR7506 as they're pretty much a standard for basic monitoring. Crisp, detailed high end, tight punchy base. Comfortable for hours on end and if you take decent care of them they should last years with the only wear and tear being the earcup material flaking off a bit. They're definitely made for desk-use as they have a very long coiled non-detachable cable.:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

There's also the Sony MDRV6, which are very similar, but apparently have a little more low-end.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRV6-Studio-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00001WRSJ
__

As far as speakers go, I've been using the Audioengine A5+ for a few years now and have been very satisfied. Great sound and more power than I'll ever be able to use in my small apartment. They look nice too (I got a good deal on the white ones). They are powered speakers (opposed to the A5) and thus don't require a separate amp. They also come with a small remote for volume/mute:

http://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-Active-2-Way-Speakers-Black/dp/B005OA3BSY

For a DAC I use the Audioengine D1 plugged in through USB, which gives me higher quality audio and a convenient headphone out and volume knob:

http://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-D1-24-bit-Digital-to-Analog-Converter/dp/B006IPH5H2/

Gibby's electronics sells refurbished/bstock receivers and you can get the s540bt for $200 cad there. Usually you want to put as much of your budget towards speakers as possible but I think getting that receiver is a good investment towards the future. Ideally you would try to get some used stuff but may not be possible where you are. One strategy I've seen is let's say your end goal is a 5.1 surround sound system you buy the side surround speakers first and use them as your left and right then when you can afford to you buy new (better quality) left, right and matching center and move the original stuff to your sides which helps keep initial costs down while not wasting money.

Fluance is a Canadian company and offers good bang for buck speakers. Although their cheapest speaker looks to be $175 cad. Other stuff I saw on Amazon was Dayton b652-air and Monoprice bookshelf speaker with upgrade picks being Pioneer SP-BS22, Sony Core SS-CS5, or Fluance SX6. If it were me I'd probably go for the pioneer speakers since they are the closest to your price point while still being good.

Edit: just noticed you would go $500 this advice is for keeping close to $300

its gonna be hard to get floor standers in your range.

i would recommend speakers like these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045NCB32/

their normal price is $140 but the sometimes go on sale on amazon like they are now.

which have decent bass but by no means can cover the range of a good subwoofer. most should find it adequate however. you will need stands.

you can add a subwoofer later on if need be.

a Denon Receiver like a 1613 should fit well.

on an Android, download an app called Bubble UPnP (or many other DLNA/UPnP apps out there) and it can play to any DLNA certified device including most new receivers. i can attest to it working well with denon and marantz. however there is a caveat; this will only work with music files on the phone, not streamed files like pandora or spotify or etc.

if you dont want to use stands, basically the only decent floor standers in your range are gonna be something like these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H1M4NO/

which are decent, and will have more bass, but otherwise not as good as those infinity's.

i forgot to mention, the receiver needs to connect to your home router to work with UPnP, it does not have a direct connection to the phone.

For the price, I think the Pyle 8 channel amp that somebody posted is a great choice. Here's and Amazon link, a little cheaper than B&H. Seems to have good reviews, although I really doubt it's 1000w/ch. Probably something like ~150RMS. Pyle's okay, and GREAT when you consider the price. I've got a few stupid-cheap Pyle amps and speakers here and there and they're fine. Cool thing about that amp is that you could break the zones into different audio sources if you want.
I'd pair it with these - you might not even need a woofer.
When you set the system up listen carefully for clipping/distortion and label your nominal operating level and your 'ABSOLUTELY DO NOT GO LOUDER THAN THIS' level in big bright labels.
If you do end up getting a sub I second /r/CashKeyboard's recommendation to go with an active (aka Powered) sub, and remember placement is important for getting the most out of it.

I too have this receiver and pretty sure santa (the wife) got me these speakers
Can't vouch for them yet but I will after Christmas!

Also for $125 that seems like an excellent price for the Receiver. Last week I bought the same receiver for $140 (and that was after talking him down.) But to be fair the one I scored is in immaculate condition so I'm happy. Hopefully you'll be happy too.

Loudspeakers come in two forms, active (or powered) speakers, which have an amplifier built in, and passive, which needs an external amplifier.

I'm suggesting a passive speaker, because it provides a clear update path.

Either way, here is what I found:

NAD 304 and C444 tuner, $100. This is an absolute steal!. I have owned that amp, and it stands its ground well against modern amps and its contemporaries up to double its original price amps up to twice the new price (I paid something like $420 in 1994).

I've also owned a different NAD tuner, and they too perform solidly, and make radio a pleasurable experience, provided you give it a decent antenna. If you don't plan on listening to radio, I'm pretty sure you can craigslist the radio itself for $25-35.

The selection of speakers in your area was relatively poor (meaning that among what I found in your price bracket, I wouldn't want to own any of them), so I'm going to suggest new speakers

• Pioneer BS-21, 62 USD
  
• Dayton B652's, as also suggested by ZeosPantera
  
  For future upgrades, the speakers would be the natural place to look, when I owned the NAD 304, it was quite happy driving floor standing speakers then priced at 4500 NOK (with the exchange rate at the time, that was 650 USD).
  
  

We're gonna need your budget in order to help. But A 2.1 setup is definitley the way to go to upgrade ehar you have. Sell those. They are very popular. If you want strictly a computer speaker setup, a 2 channel amp is probably fine. My bestbuy has a really weak bookshelf speaker selection, but you probably at least have the pioneer andrew jones speakers. They are well reviewed. If you have a nice discount they might be a good idea. Also a simple rule is the bigger they are, the louder and lower they get.

/r/zeos has a good 2.1 guide and /r/budgetaudiophile has great extensive speaker recommendation list. If you want to really rock, the pioneers may not be ideal.


These yamaha are massive bangers to blow your face off.

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-NS-6490-Bookshelf-Speakers-Finish/dp/B00018Q4GA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421977443&sr=8-3&keywords=yamaha+speakers

2 of these would be good too. Smaller.

http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Primus-Two-way-Bookshelf-Satellite/dp/B0045NCB32/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421977463&sr=8-2&keywords=infinity+primus



Smsl amp http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-TDA7492-Integrated-Tripath-Amplifier/dp/B00F0H8TOC

Sub http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0015A8Y5M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1421962220&sr=8-1


But read through the the zeos guide and the sidebars.

Hello! I'm looking to pick up an entry level receiver and either floorstanding or bookshelf speakers + stands. I'm hoping to spend $500 total or less, but could go up to $700 total for a significant improvement.

I'm not very knowledgeable about the space, so currently eyeing a few of the basic Klipsch bookshelf speakers since I know they're decent and look nice. I'm even considering springing for these piano black ones since they look great and could be somewhat of an accent piece. I know that's trading form for what could be used to purchase better function, but I admit I do care a lot about the look of the speakers. Those piano black ones would leave almost no budget left for a decent receiver, stands (considering these), wires, etc. though.

I'll be using the system with my TV at about 6 feet away from the couch and should have about 6-10" of room behind the speakers. Not ideal unfortunately, but my apartment space is limited. Would a front ported speaker like this one help at all? From what I've read, it seems the bass would still be a problem.

I'll mostly be using it for gaming, movies, and music, but no genres in particular. I plan on connecting my ps4 and TV via the optical digital out port to minimize any potential input lag from running HDMI through the receiver while gaming.

I currently have a shitty system that is not salvageable, so will be starting fresh and plan to buy new. I'm living in NYC, though I'm guessing online will be cheaper in my case. Open to any and all recommendations or advice! Thank you!

Have you ever heard a pair of Klipsch speakers? Reason I ask is that they can be fatiguingly bright, especially when not using any room correction that might tame them down a bit. I had a pair of unpowered R-14 that I only listened to for about 15 minutes before returning them to Amazon.

I would recommend considering something like the Micca RB42 which have been highly praised to the point of consistently selling out as soon as they come into stock. Review.

You should keep an eye on this auction for Jamo C103 which are originally $1600/pair and sound incredible down to 45hz. Review If these end up around your price range, try and snag them.

Third option: Jamo C93 on ebay. Same tweeter as above, smaller woofer, will still fill a family room. Review.

You might be wanting to stay away from a home theater receiver which I can understand for space, but going with powered speakers really does limit your options. I would entertain looking at a smaller amp like the AD18 that includes bluetooth connectivity and optical for your TV.

EDIT: Would actually recommend playing your music off your TV => optical instead of bluetooth. Spotify connect/airplay is great and then other people can change the song using the TV remote.

There is a lot of contention in the audiophile community about whether any quality amplifier sounds different from another. I've done much research and I've found that there are only accurate and innacurate amplifiers as well as weak vs powerful(able to handle strong electrical loads). In fact any receiver company worth its salt, Onkyo, Sony, Panasonic, Marantz will produce audibly similar amps. People recommend vintage products purport that for some reason new designs for amps are worse, bad sounding, or inaccurate. I've owned vintage amps; they are easier to repair and will last along time. They sound good but they also sound 'different' and to me that most likely means inaccurate. With every improvement in science and computing over the last 20 years, I don't believe we have produced worse or less accurate sounding electronics. Maybe accuracy is not what everyone desires.



For a general consumer I would recommend a digital receiver from a reputable company
Now this is BIFL. So I will give that recommendation:



Surround Sound:
http://bryston.com/9bsst_m.html
20 year warranty. Costs arm and leg.

http://us.marantz.com/us/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=AVSeparates&SubCatId=0&ProductId=AV7005
3 year warranty. Home theater moves fast so youll probably end up replacing it anyways.

Just stereo:
http://bryston.com/b60_m.html

---------------


My recommendation for a setup that would last you a long time would be:

The cheapest receiver you can find with Audyssey MultiEq(the best sound correction technology on the market):
http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-1612-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B004U403WM

It is important to follow this guide when setting up MultiEq:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14456895

FYI: The maker of Infinity speakers, Harman International, is an incredibly well respected professional audio company. They know what they are doing.

For Front LR
2x
http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Primus-Two-way-Floorstanding-Speaker/dp/B0044D178S

Center(turn it on its side and angle it to you):
1x http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Primus-Two-way-Bookshelf-Satellite/dp/B0045NCB32/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1318744500&sr=1-1


Surrounds:
http://emotiva.com/erd1.shtm


Subwoofer(I would get two and put one in the back center of the room and one in the center front):
http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/Bic-Acoustech-Platinum-Series-PL-200-Subwoofer/5070689/product.html

I have research if you doubt me or have questions. If you need something more in budget I can tailor the recommendation.

I would go the passive route with a dedicated amp. It'll be easier to expand to 5.1 later. For your initial budget, try something like this.

• Denon 5.1 receiver, $150: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavre300/denon-avr-e300-5.1-3d-networking-receiver-airplay/1.html
  
  
• Dayton SUB 1200, $109: http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1200-12-120-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-629
  
  Now if you want to go after the full 5.1 immediately, you can almost afford it right now, and this is an excellent option in its price range: http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-PK52FS-5-0-Theater-Speaker/dp/B00IRH0QMA
  
  
  If you want to build up to an audibly better system down the line, you can just go with a pair of bookshelf speakers currently and upgrade later down the line. Some nice options that would fill out the rest of your budget:
  
  
  
• Wharfdale Diamond 10.1 http://www.amazon.com/Wharfedale-DIA101-CHR-WHARFEDALE-DIAMOND-CHERRY/dp/B0079XG53W
  
  
• Chane A1rx: http://www.chanemusiccinema.com/chane-loudspeakers/A1rx-c
  
  
• Ascend CBM-170: http://ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cbm170/cbm170.html
  
  
• Definitive Technology SM45: http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Technology-SM45-Bookshelf-Speaker/dp/B005XXMMG4
  
  
• Hsu HB1: http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/hb-1.html
  
  
• Boston M25: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/bosm25b/boston-acoustics-m25-2-way-5-1/4-bookshelf-speaker-black-each/1.html
  
  
• HTD Level 3: http://www.htd.com/Products/level-three-speakers/Level-THREE-Bookshelf-Speakers
  
  
• Dali Zensor 1: http://www.amazon.com/DALI-ZENSOR-Bookshelf-Speaker-Black/dp/B0057X5KF0

I'm not terribly familiar with the Canadian market being a yank and all but based on what I can find with a quick search I'd do this:

Receiver $330: https://www.amazon.ca/Yamaha-RX-V379BL-5-1-Channel-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B00XL2702K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463418043&sr=8-1&keywords=surround+receiver

L/R speakers $179: https://www.amazon.ca/Fluance-SX6-BK-Definition-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers-Black/dp/B00IEDL8EM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1463418420&sr=8-4&keywords=fluance+speakers

Center channel $105: https://www.amazon.ca/Fluance-Definition-Two-way-Surround-Systems-Black/dp/B00Y34U4D2/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1463418420&sr=8-21&keywords=fluance+speakers

Subwoofer $170: https://www.amazon.ca/Polk-Audio-10-Inch-Monitor-Subwoofer/dp/B0002KVQBA/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1463418520&sr=1-3&keywords=subwoofer

Normally I don't recommend Polk subwoofers but your pricing up there is so mangled this would appear to be the best budget option. You might be able to save a few bucks by going directly to Fluance since they are a Canadian company, either way they come with a lifetime warranty and are excellent budget options - better than the Pioneer Andrew Jones lineup.

I'm a noobie. The only speaker system I've had before is a [Logitech z623 Computer speakers] (https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/speaker-system-z623?crid=47) which was satisfactory until the subwoofer started rattling at high volumes and one of the speakers stopped working. I want to get a full set-up so I've been learning everything I can. I want a good set up for house parties, generally playing rap and electronic music. My budget is $250-500.
Willing to buy used, just always paranoid I'll buy something in bad shape.

These are the parts that I am currently contemplating buying:

Speakers -- I can't decide between tower or bookshelf. I have read that bookshelf speakers can be a better bang for your buck, so I would love some suggestions. Speakers are suppose to be the most important part of the set up so I've tried to pick out decent options, but very willing to go cheap if there are any good deals.

Bookshelf option:

• Fluance SX6W High Definition Two-Way Bookshelf Loudspeakers $150
  
  
• Yamaha NS-6490 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers $130
  
  Craigslist for Bookshelf
  
  Tower options:
  
  
• Polk Audio Monitor70 Series II Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Black) Single $276 for pair
  
  or the cheaper version
  
  
• Polk Audio Monitor 60 Series II Floorstanding $190 for pair
  
  or dirt cheap option
  
  
• Dayton Audio T652 Dual 6-1/2" 2-Way Tower Speaker Pair $119 pair
  
  Craiglist for Towers
  
  
• Someone is currently offering B&W (Bower & Wilkins) DM-630 Large Tower Speakers for $275 -- Worth?
  
  Subwoofer:
  
  
  
• Polk Audio PSW10 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer Found this for $73, usually $110.
  This product seemed to be at a great price for its quality, so for now I think this is what I'm gonna get but very open to suggestions.
  
  
• Martin Logan Dynamo 300 $200. This is probably too pricey for me, but is suppose to be the best in its class.
  
  
• Dayton Audio SUB-1200 12" 120 Watt Powered Subwoofer $150. I've thought about going with a 12" considering I listen to a lot of rap and electronic.
  
  Craigslist for Subwoofers
  
  
  Still doing research on DAC's, Amps and Receivers, probably just gonna go with a receiver for simplicity's sake.
  
  EDIT: Wait can I just get these JBL LSR305 Professional Studio Monitor with the built in amps and then just have to buy a DAC? or would I still need a receiver if I wanted to add a subwoofer?

My recommendation is do NOT get a sound bar! You can get much better sound for the money and bars are notoriously bad, even the higher end versions. If you can spend up to $500, I would get a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze 2's. For $200 less, you can pick up some KEFQ100s (I use the Q500s for gaming personally). These are both passive speakers meaning you will need an audio visual receiver to power them, but you can pick one of those up very cheap on craigslist. If you do not have an amp/avr to power these, I would get these:

Speakers: https://www.amazon.com/KEF-Q100-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers-Black/dp/B0047K3X1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511213706&sr=8-1&keywords=q100

AVR:https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V381BL-Receiver-Black/dp/B01BY7YOAY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1511213787&sr=1-1&keywords=rx-v381

If you already have an amp/avr *or can get one for free/cheap on craigslist, I would get these:https://www.amazon.com/Monitor-Audio-Bronze-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B002LPTH92/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1511213758&sr=1-3&keywords=bronze+2


Both of these options are highly regarded in the audiophile world and receive great reviews by reputable audiophile groups like WhatHiFi. The best part is if you decide to upgrade your sound system or want to use them for something else, they will be great stereo speakers that you can use somewhere else in your house. If you buy a soundbar it's use is limited and it provides very low quality imaging.

If your budget is really $1500 then by the time you buy the TV, furniture, cables, etc. you'll only have around $500 left for audio. At that price range a proper 5.1 setup is definitely out. Here is what I would consider:

• Entry-level refurbished Denon receiver for $180 and some decent bookshelf speakers like the $300 KEF Q100 for a decent 2.0 setup. You could add a subwoofer later for more bass and/or buy a center & surrounds to get 5.1.
  
• Forget the receiver entirely and get a pair of good powered speakers like the $400 Audioengine A5+. These speakers have their own built-in amplifier so you don't need any more equipment (can just plug them into the TV) but the downside is there isn't really any way to expand the setup if you decide you want something better in a year or two, you have to start over.
  
• You could also look into a sound bar, they are not at all liked on this sub but they honestly are not that bad. The advantage of a soundbar is you get a proper center channel so for TV and movies the dialog might be a little better, and some of them have decent "virtual" surround sound. E.g. something like this $420 Vizio which actually includes wireless rear speakers. Soundbars have the same problem as a powered 2.0 setup in that they are not expandable.

Don't buy those speakers. They're absolutely terrible for the price.

If you'd like active monitors (which is a perfectly good alternative) I suggest getting a pair of Emotiva Airmotiv 6s if you're in the US.

Otherwise you'll need a receiver. In that case, if you're positive you'll be adding a subwoofer, you have two alternatives: either a multichannel amp (even if you're going to use it in stereo) that has bass management such as this or a stereo receiver like this to which you'll add an active crossover (or possibly a miniDSP) when you do get the sub.
In the first case scenario you'll have enough to for a pair of Emotiva B1s, Elac B6 or Wharfedale Diamond 220s. If you go for the Onkyo for now, you'll have a higher budget for the speakers allowing you to reach for a pair of KEF Q100s or DALI Zensor 3.

And don't buy a turntable if you don't already have a collection. Forcibly "getting LP records" is a silly hipster thing. It's an outdated medium with a multitude of inherent flaws.

Alright, so I'm just starting to get into speakers/audiophile type stuff and I'm a complete novice to the whole thing, so hang with me. I just want to get a decent setup for a decent price so I found these BIC America dv62si's on Amazon for around $75 (including shipping!) so I was pretty psyched on that.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00006JPDI/ref=gp_aw_ybh_l_1?pi=SL500_SR419%2C500&refRID=0GR9EGR0QVEKMW5PNBHN

It said they recommend an amp that pushes 10-150 watts, so I just bought a cheap Lepai lP-2020A+ but people say that they really only push like 10w per channel because of they power adapter? I think they fixed it though because mine looks different than all the old reviews that say this, but then again i'm really not sure and I don't really know. I just don't want to underpower the speakers just because I'm on a budget. Here's a pic of the one that came with mine - http://imgur.com/QaddeUp

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0049P6OTI/ref=gp_aw_ybh_l_7?pi=SL500_SR500%2C208&refRID=0GR9EGR0QVEKMW5PNBHN

Also I have a 2 Sony SA-W2500 sub woofers given to me. I was wondering if there was anyway to include one into this setup? It plugs into the wall and I think that I can just wire it through its in-out ports on the back and it would power itself? Would this sound any good in this setup? Also my room size is 12x9 ft

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000OL3QTW/ref=gp_aw_ybh_l_2?pi=SL500_SR200%2C200&refRID=0GR9EGR0QVEKMW5PNBHN

Thanks a lot :)

Budget: Around $500-$700

I barely know anything about speakers so bear with me. I want two speakers that I can have on my desk next to my pc screen (as pc speakers). I'm planning on using them for gaming, music and movies. I only want 2 speakers for now but I plan to upgrade to a 5.1 home theater system later on.

I've been looking at the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-160M. Is there an (affordable) amplifier (& dac) that can power the speakers? (If the amplifier could support a 5.1 system that would be great too).

Thanks in advance for answers :)

I can find only fragments of the other thread you're referring to, but the TS-to-RCA cable is legit. It's not an adapter or coupler or anything like that. It certainly won't be the best connection option, but again, it works (it wouldn't damage the audio interface or the speaker), and it would cost far less than a pair of new monitors.

I looked at those speakers you have (or had). They're these? Those are more like bookshelf speakers, not active studio monitors. And $400 for the pair? You can do better than that for less money.

The JBL 305P monitors are another popular choice. They cost $150 each, and taxes/shipping could push the cost of the pair past your $300 budget. But both the Presonus and JBL monitors are fine choices.

Since you are getting a sub, you could crossover the speakers at 80hz. The Monitor Audio Bronze 2 would work quite well: https://www.amazon.com/Monitor-Audio-Bronze-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B002LPTH92 $372

Bronze Center $224 https://www.amazon.com/Monitor-Audio-Bronze-Center-Speaker/dp/B000GJEUP6

Unless you have researched it and are positive you want go with dipole/bipole speakers, I would go with the Monitor Bronze 1 $300 https://www.amazon.com/Monitor-Audio-Bronze-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00XW02HB0/

You can do much better for the sub. Get the Rythmik LV12F for $600

Total: $1500, and you get a better subwoofer.

Denon X1500H receiver for $300. If you want to jump up, you could look at the Denon 3000 series (not sure what the best deal is there).

For that budget here is what I would recommend:
Denon X-1500H - Stepping up to the X series gets you Audyssey XT room correction which is the 2nd best available. IMO this is a big step up.

Klipsch RP-150m - This is where most of the subreddit is divided. I personally think the Klipsch RP are some of the best value home theater speakers available and this particular pair is discounted for being outgoing and a less popular color.

BIC PL-200 II - This is my least favorite of the 3 pieces picked and IMO if you can budget enough to step up to the entry HSU, Rythmik or SVS, I'd rather go down that route. This is not to say that the BIC sub is bad but it would definitely be the first on the list to get upgraded when funds allow.

If you decide to save up or stick to your budget, stepping up to a receiver that can do full atmos or getting better or different sounding speakers are an option but it can get confusing fast. I'll let others come up with their recommendations and you can decide.

Official:
https://audioengineusa.com/shop/poweredspeakers/a5-plus-classic-speakers/


Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-Active-2-Way-Speakers-Black/dp/B005OA3BSY


AudioEngine have a GREAT reputation. These are the A5+. This is of course just a suggestion but I have a pair for my office and they're wonderful bookshelf speakers.

You should know, that's a pretty nice turntable, everyone's financial situation is a little different, but I wouldn't cut corners on the speakers.

budget: looking to spend $300 or less but no firm budget. it would be hard to convince me to go above $500 for any one part, but if that's what i need, so be it


looking for: whatever i need for headphones+speakers for gaming and music. i have already purchased some 58Xs and i'm looking to buy some speakers and whatever else i need. i can't tell if i need an amp for those or not...sounds like I don't need one but it would help? as for speakers, i'm not sure what to buy. i'm looking at polk S15 and klipsch rp-150M. i don't know how to tell good speakers from bad ones; i don't know what i'm looking for


what i own: i have only used some simple sony earbuds and some caca razer headset + sony z313 speakers. those are all just 3.5mm. i don't know what i would need to buy for a more advanced setup


source: i'll be playing it off my computer or, rarely, my phone


material: mostly gaming. wide range of music from metal to EDM to sometimes baroque or rap.


willing to buy used? yes but i live in a small town


other comments: do i need an amp? how do i decide which to get? i heard there are different ones for speakers and headphones; do i need a hybrid amp?

i can use near-field or mid-field ranges


thanks a lot in advance!

Yep it's the same receiver. Accessories4Less is pretty much just an awesome store. It's a solid receiver. Can't really go wrong there for your first setup. You could pair it with these Micca MB42X's for $89, or go for these Fluance SX6-BK bookshelves at $130. Both are solid recommendations, and you won't go wrong with either choice - just pick which suits your budget best.