Reddit mentions: The best speaker cables

Yeah it's crazy the little details we think are super important when getting into a hobby that seem to be pretty unimportant later on. I had a Lamy Safari as my first pen, but going into it I thought that the snap cap would be a huge issue. I thought it would be super loud or annoying to put on and off or something like that. Turns out it's not even a problem now that I've got the pen lol.

That pentel looks awesome! I really like the simple and classy look of it. That's a big reason I like the Lamy 2000. It looks like a black pen at first, but is much cooler once you really look at it.

Honestly with speakers, cheap stuff is a lot more fun that expensive stuff to me. I've got a pair of Quad Z-3 towers. Yeah, of course they sound good. If they cost that much and don't, there's a big problem. The thing I like about cheaper speakers is how they all have a very fun character. Once you're spending a lot of money, every speaker out there just tries to sound exactly the same. Cheaper speakers do different stuff though. There are some speakers that focus on midrange, so vocals sound really sweet and warm. There are some that focus on the top end, so you get every little detail up top. There are some that focus on dynamics, so you get that "front row of a concert" sorta feel. I like experimenting with all that stuff. It's just fun. And you don't have to spend a ton of money and get those KEFs to really get into it.

Just for fun, I'll build a cheap setup for you, so you'll know what to get in the future if you ever feel inclined haha.

The Micca MB42X are really the "go-to" starter speaker. They're one of the cheapest that sound decent. And, honestly, they sound really good.

SMSL SA50 to power them. That's on sale for the same price as the SA36 right now. They're the same thing, just this has more power. You don't need it, but you might as well have it haha.

Some speaker cable. You need to cut it and strip it to put it into the speakers. There are quite a few tutorials out there on it. It's pretty easy.

Cable to plug it in.

Boom, just like that you've got a sweet stereo speaker setup that will blow any single speaker out of the water, and easily impress anyone! It comes to around $150 with everything.

I'm not trying to talk you into anything, but I'm basically pointing out that you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get a respectable system.

While we're on this, another thing I like about hobbies is that anyone can be in it at any price range, and that's super cool to me. If someone only has money for a $15 Pilot fountain pen, who cares? That's awesome that they like fountain pens! They don't need to have a $200 fountain pen to be cool. Just anything is sweet. Same with speakers. You don't need a multi thousand dollar system to be "into audio" or whatever you'd call it. If you've got a setup that you like, at whatever price, that's sweet! I'm glad we both enjoy music.

EDIT: I put main points in bold so that people can skim through this and get the gist of what I'm saying here. Very long post, so I thought it would be merciful to do so.
 

Alrighty, this may be long so buckle up and get ready for a journey.
 

I don't consider myself a hardcore audiophile or an expert in turntables/records, so I did some research when I was first looking to purchase one. I was originally looking at a Crosley record player but was soon warned about how notoriously evil they are -- by the way, DO NOT GET A CROSLEY, THEY ARE TERRIBLE!!! They are notorious for putting too much pressure on vinyls with their needles and end up scratching, carving, and ruining perfectly good records (for reference, ideal tracking force is two grams while the Crosley applies five grams tracking force). The parts are cheap and outdated and the player itself is extremely unstable and will skip if there's any sort of vibrational disturbance nearby. It's not good at all.
 

That said, I want to make sure you know what exactly you're getting into right now. When you buy a turntable, there are other things you need to buy along with it to make it function correctly. I don't know whether you're planning to get a turntable just as a gift that only your SO will use or if it's something you both will use, but it's important nonetheless to know what exactly a turntable requires to work properly. See, when people buy a turntable, a lot of people don't realize that there are three things that are needed alongside it: a pre-amp; an amplifier; and speakers. Speakers is obvious, sure, and of course you'll need something to control the volume, but a lot of people I've talked to only thought about that kind of stuff after purchasing their turntable.
 

The reason why these things are important is because most turntables rely on an electrical current in order to transmit vinyl to audio, but the current the turntable generates on its own doesn't matter if there's nothing to turn that current into sound. Think of it like a secret code. The vinyl is the coded message, and the turntable is the tool that deciphers the code. It can't decipher the code without the correct key, though; a preamp is like the key. It takes that current the turntable generates and amplifies it so that the signal is strong enough to be decoded by the amplifier. The amplifier is what actually turns it into the sound format, and is how you control volume as well. The speakers project the deciphered sound that you get to hear and enjoy. If you only plan on buying a turntable, then you don't need to worry about these things. Otherwise, keep reading; I'm finally getting to the point so please bear with me after this terrible analogy. :P
 

It's a lot to take into consideration when buying a turntable; when I did my research, I found that the Audio Technica LP series was pretty reliable. It's not exactly ultra high-end, but it's a great starting point for beginning collectors. There are two ATLP record players, the 60 and the 120, and some other variants that I'm not really aware of. I personally use the 120 because I thought it was funny being able to mess with the pitch settings on it, and I like the extended options the 120 has over the 60. This is just a comparison between both the 60 and 120 below if you're interested in the Audio Technica LP series:
 

In Favor of the 120:

• the LP60 is a belt-drive turntable which means that you'll be replacing a belt in the turn table if it breaks, whereas the LP120 is direct drive and there's no broken belts to worry about replacing
  
  
• the stylus is also a better quality in the 120, but I don't know from experience whether this is true in comparison to the 60
  
  
• the 120 is also sturdier than the 60 as well
   
  
  In Favor of the 60:
  
  
• the LP60 is smaller and more portable than the 120, as the 120 is kind of bulky and heavy
  
  
• the LP60 is cheaper than the 120 (Amazon says that the 60 is about $100 while the 120 is about $300. I recommend the 60 as the best way to start listening to vinyl over the 120 as it's less of a financial commitment than the 120 is, especially if you turn out not to like records. not meaning to be negative but it's something to consider, as well
  
  
• the LP60 has less options, but the options on the 120 don't usually matter to people who are just getting into vinyl so that's more of a personal preference
   
  
  Something in the favor of both players, though: they both come with built-in preamps, so you won't have to worry about buying one of those. Some people don't like the sound quality of the built-in preamp, but I think it's fine and it really isn't something to worry about as a beginner. The amp and speakers matter a bit more.
   
  
  When I went to go find a good amp, I made the mistake of going to Best Buy. Never go to Best Buy. It's a nightmare. The guy I talked to about amplifiers promptly directed us to home sound systems that cost over $1,000 in price. I found one on Amazon for $39. Not only does it work with my turntable, it's also bluetooth so you can stream from your phone if you want to as well (I'll link it right here so you can see it). I only set the amplifier up to half volume and it fills the entire room. I thought it was a miracle how I was seeing all of these huge ass home systems and then I get this little tiny ant of an amplifier and it does just as well.
   
  
  Now, onto speakers. You should think about the speakers the same way as I described the amp. The biggest, most ultra high-end stuff is just not worth it when you're starting out. I use Micca MB42 Bookshelf Speakers, which are amazing (the link is here). It's also $60 on Amazon, so you'll be saving money there, too. Oh, and you'll need speaker wire, which is $11 on Amazon as well.
   
  
  The total amount of money I spent on my system was $400 (it's really $399 but I rounded up), including the Audio Technica LP120, the mini amp, and the bookshelf speakers. If you get the LP60, you'd only be spending $200 ($199 but again rounded up). My setup and recommendations aren't the most top-of-the-line stuff, sure, but this is all I can recommend to you as this is all I've ever really used. It sounds great and I wouldn't really change it for anything.
   
  
  I'm so sorry this is such a long read, but I went through a lot figuring this out the hard way. I got my turntable as a gift along with those speakers, but then found out that I also needed to buy an amp to actually be able to make my whole setup work, and it spawned a two week-long horror show of trying to figure out what kind of amp to get. I feel like getting a turntable or really anything on such a scale as this should be a momentous and memorable occasion to cherish forever, and shouldn't be tainted by having to go through the ringer just to get one missing piece of the puzzle. I am also a music lover and feel your first foray into vinyl shouldn't be associated with high costs but rather being able to experience it for the first time and marveling in its strangely magical quality. It's a great gesture, especially towards an SO.
   
  
  Now I might be over-exaggerating a bit throughout this whole thing, but I think what you're trying to do is very sweet and I thought it would be good to take it seriously. Also, reading long posts like this can be exhausting, so I thought it'd be easier to get through if I did over-exaggerate and make it a more interesting read. Thanks for reading, and I hope your SO appreciates the gift. :)

>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

Ok. SO, a couple points of note.

• This equipment, especially the subwoofer is VERY VERY undersized for the size of the space that you're talking about. That's a HUGE room. I just want you to know that up front so your hopes aren't too high with this. That said, this is free equipment and you'll probably LOVE it.
  
• That Receiver is/was a very nice receiver for its time, but it is now old and sliiiightly outdated. While the receiver will passthrough 4k resolution, it is not compatible with 4k/60fps, it will not pass through HDR/Dolby Vision/HLG. Again, I doubt this will be a problem for you, but I want to mention it.
  
  With all that out of the way, I will address your questions directly.
  
  ​
  
  > I have gone to sites like Crutchfield in an attempt to learn what cables I should use, and it seems the most recommended cables would be ones with 14 gauge, and banana ends (I think that’s the term). I have seen spools of 14gau wire on Amazon as well as banana ends that are DIY to put on the wire. Should I pick those up?
  
  
  Amazon. Just get oxygen-free 14-gauge Speaker Wire. Maybe even a 100' spool and a 50' Spool. It's not expensive, and it's great stuff. You can even go cheaper with the AmazonBasics brand. It isn't oxygen free pure copper blah blah blah but It's even cheaper at $16 vs $27 for 100'. Your call, you likely won't hear the difference. But I like the peace of mind for $11
  
  Personally, I really like banana plugs. It makes things SO much easier to hookup, move around, plug and un-plug, and ESPECIALLY really helps organize things in the back of the receiver. After trying several brands, MediaBridge is my absolutely favorite. Very easy to use and very secure. $26 will cover every speaker wire, both into the back of the speaker, and into the back of the receiver.
  
  ​
  
  > What about the subwoofer? Is there a different type of wire I’ll need for that? Can you buy PolkAudio power cables for that type of woofer? What should I expect to pay for cables?
  
  
  The subwoofer power cable is basically a generic PC power supply cable. Here is one on Amazon for $7 shipped, prime.
  
  ​
  
  For getting signal to the subwoofer, you need a single RCA male-to-male cable that will go from your receivers LFE pre-out, to the sub. So you'll need to buy a sub signal cable in whatever length you need to get from receiver to wherever you place your sub. In any case they are really affordable. I recommend AmazonBasics yet again. 25' cable for $10 here! They are pretty and very high build quality for the price.
  
  ​
  
  SO, to summarize you could have this all running for say $60 or so, plus whatever HDMI cables you need :)
  
  
  ​
  
  ​
  
  ​
  
  ​
  
  ​

Keep your current receiver, but make sure you find the YPAO calibration mic it came with. You'll need it to run room correction after you set everything up, important step.

Swap out your fronts, center, and subwoofer. You definitely want to match your center channel and your fronts. There are tons of options out there, and feel free to check your local craigslist I'm just going to put a solid example out there.

The HTD Level 3 Bookshelf speakers and Level 3 Center channel should run you $550ish after shipping. If you want the really nice looking finish on them then add like $50.

Throw in an HSU VTF-1 MK3 Subwoofer for $450 and you're at $1000. You can save as much money on the sub as you want, but it's an important part of the experience.

Good quality Speaker wire is cheap in the grand scheme of things. Surround speakers aren't as important(as you clearly know), but if you want to upgrade those tiny plastic sony speakers then these Sound Appeal speakers are pretty ideal. Front ported, easy to place, hang, etc. They're thin and competent speakers for the $60 a pair they run.

You're gonna need a receiver. Even if your TV does have speaker outputs the receiver is just gonna make everything easier, it'll sound better too! I live in the US so I need to convert...

Your budget is $1145

If you're completely new to this stuff, I can help lay down the basics.

A receiver is a device that 'receives' signals from audio sources, amplifies them, and sends the signal out to speakers. There are two channel receivers, which push audio to two speakers. Five channel receivers are for surround sound, and push sound to five speakers. Seven channel receivers allow for two extra surround speakers to a five channel setup. Right now, you're just looking for a stereo setup, so a two channel receiver will do the job.

This is how you set up a receiver.

On the back of a receiver, there should be a series of terminals or 'plugs', either HDMI, white and red rca jacks, or optical plugs. Next to them should be a term, something like 'DVD', 'CD', 'TV', or 'AUX'. This is to help distinguish the audio sources you are putting into the receiver. Plug your source into any one of the plugs, then turn the receiver on. On the front, there should be a dial or a button labeled "Source". This is used to select the audio source you plugged into the back. For example, if you plugged your source into 'CD', you would then find CD on the receiver display using the source button or dial. This is the jist of it. There are settings to adjust the bass, treble, balance, and other stuff on basically any receiver, so you can tune it to your liking.

Next up is setting up the speakers.

This next step requires some wire cutting, but it isn't difficult at all. I've done it with scissors. If you have ever seen stereo speakers before, you'll notice they don't have wires attached. They will have some red and black clips or screws on the back (Call them terminals). The receiver has these same things as well. Inside the terminals is bear metal, and this is where the signal is transferred. You will need to get some speaker wire and cut the tips off of each end, then attach one end to the receiver's terminals, and the other to the speaker's terminals. Speaker wire consists of two wires sealed together. One wire should have a mark along it or be colored differently, so you can make sure you match up the terminals correctly. (Black to black- Red to red) Do this for both the left and right speakers.

Most receivers can drive two pairs of speakers. (An A system and a B system.) So you will see two sets of black and red terminals. It doesn't matter which one you use, just make sure the speakers are connected to the same system, then select the system you want on the receiver.

If you're only wiring two speakers, it shouldn't be that much work at all. Ten minutes tops to get everything wired.

Now the fun part!

Choosing the system! I'm jealous as I didn't have this big a budget for my setup, you'll be in for quite the treat.

The Receiver

If I were you, I would buy a vintage receiver from the 70s. If you're into ease of access and all that I can understand, but vintage sound is really something else. It has a warm sound to it, and you usually have to pay maybe four times as much for a new receiver to get something similar. (They also look awesome.) Almost all of them have turntable amps too, so if you want to get into vinyl in the future you're basically set.

You can find them on Ebay. If you can, buy one locally off of Craigslist. Look for something by Sansui, Kenwood, Marantz, or Pioneer. Expect to pay $200-$500 for a good one.

You could also get a new one if you want bluetooth and a remote. Bear in mind it probably won't sound as good as the older stuff. Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer, and Sony are generally the cheaper of the bunch. Denon and Marantz tend to be higher quality.

I would strongly recommend buying vintage if you're not doing a home theater. You'll get diminishing returns paying the same amount for a modern receiver. You'll probably just get more channels and surround decoders which you aren't going to use anyways.

The Speakers

In this price range, I would look at these companies for speakers: PSB, KEF, Bowers and Wilkins, and Martin Logan to name a few. They make excellent products and I think their field fits snugly into your budget.

My recommendations:

PSB Imagine Bs. $880 pr (Ebay)

KEF q350 $650 pr

Martin Logan Motion 15 ~$350 ea

What I think you should do is let the speakers drive your budget. Choose a pair then use whatever you have left on the receiver.

​

If I were to suggest a full setup for you, I would get the PSB Imagine Bs and a Kenwood KR-6030 with some Amazon Basics wire. (I literally just slapped this together.)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-PSB-Imagine-B-Dark-Cherry/112709601866?hash=item1a3e040a4a:g:b-UAAOSwEVpboe5G:rk:2:pf:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/JUST-SERVICED-VINTAGE-KENWOOD-KR-6030-AM-FM-STEREO-RECEIVER-EXCELLENT-SHAPE/163318231169?hash=item2606867081:g:iNMAAOSwkwdbqqiF:rk:1:pf:

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-16-Gauge-Speaker-Wire-Feet/dp/B006LW0WDQ/ref=sr_1_3_acs_sk_pb_1_sl_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1539928099&sr=8-3-acs&keywords=speaker+wire

​

Happy hunting!

Receiver: Denon X3300 for $600 (huge sale, actually cheaper than getting a refurb model), it does everything you would likely want.

Subwoofer: Get a pretty good one for now, then spend big (sell this one or go dual) once you move. This one is $605 or this one for $550, unless you want to plug the ports to experience sealed ones in a while, the $550 one may be better actually. There is such a thing as too big for a room, not only will a huge monstrusity like the $1000 Rythmik FVX15 will actually sound bad in that small of a room (sound waves bouncing all other the place, that not even room treatment can really help, as the distance is too close) and the soundwaves will travel to neighbors much more easily.

So, let’s call that $1500 total just to account for miscellaneous stuff like speaker wire, banana plugs, subwoofer cable, any applicable tax for any component here, etc.

So, that leaves $2000 for a 2 towers and 1 center.


There are a lot of options (sorted by price, not that that's an indicator of quality):

____

• RBH/Emptek has their clearance sale, you can spend a lot less (30% off) and get some awesome sounding speakers if you don’t mind minor cosmetic imperfections. Here are the towers and center, use the bundle coupon for $70 off, this will total $661 vs the ~$1150 new price tag (can’t buy new, out of stock, maybe discontinued). They get great reviews. I got the bookshkeves for my computer setup, they are great, here are pics of the cosmetic imperfections of mine.
  
  ____
  
  
• HTD Level Three towers and center, if you get the more expensive finish, it will total around $1165. I have their old gen bookshkeves and center (no ribbon tweeter or waveguide, got them for cheap off Craigslist), they are fantastic.
  
  ____
  
• JBL Studio 580’s (on sale) and 235C, these will be decently more music focused. Total cost ~$1180.
  
  ____
  
  
• HSU CCB-8 3.0/LCR bookshelves, up to $1400 for the more expensive finish. If you want the HSU sub, you can save a bit by using their bundles (more expensive finish not available via this method.
  
  ____
  
• Wharfedale Diamond 250 and 220C for $1600 (4 color options), may be more music focused.
  
  ____
  
  
• KEF R100 bookshkeves (on sale) and R200C. Total cost ~$1800. If you don't mind white finish and refurb, they can be had for $1600, link to bookshelves and center.
  
  ____
  
  
• KEF Q900 new (on sale) with refurb Q600C (if you want the walnut finish, it'll be $50 more, no charge for tower finish). total cost ~$1800-$1850
  
  ___
  
  
• B&W 600 684 S2 and HTM61 S2 for $1900, these are heavily music focused, not that dynamic for movies.
  
  ____
  
  
• KEF LS50 3.0/LCR bookshelves, the L/R will be refurb with a new center, they are available in a white/blue finish as well, for the same price, link to refurb white/blue L/R (don't come with a free pair of headphones like the black/orange ones). Total cost ~$2000.
  
  ____
  
  So, you got some debating to do.
  
  Keep in mind some of these may have tax added on based on where you live and which company I linked to (for instance, I live in Florida, so no tax if I get the HTD's from them as they are in Texas (if I was in Texas them there would be tax), the B&W's are only via BestBuy so there will be tax. That's why I accounted for it a bit at the start.
  
  If you need any help about optimally setting up your speakers and sub in terms of placement, let me know.

Small space with a $320-350 budget? Here is what I would consider.

Package deal - Pioneer AVR and FS52 Floorstanders $310

• You'll get a Pioneer AVR (meh but should do fine for a 2.0/2.1 setup) and two FS52 floorstanders at a great price. This setup should not need a sub until you get a bigger place because you don't want to piss the neighbors off. Add in the some speaker wire $10 and HDMI cables $9 (see below) and you're good. This should should better than any bose setup or just about any setup for this price. This really is a good deal.
  
  Separates - if you know you're going to expand later consider a better AVR but it costs more and you step down to books vs floorstanders.
  
  AVR - Denon S510BT $230
  
  Speakers - Pioneer BS22 and wire bundle $100
  
  Misc - Speaker stands $40 and HDMI cables $10
  
  
• Skip the stands if you want but they will make a difference as you can get them wider than the TV stand and you can get them out from the wall a bit. Positioning really does help with the overall sound of a system.
  
  
• The BS22 are fairly large books so putting them on a TV stand can be tricky. I went with them because of the better bass response over the Miccas Destruct0 mentioned. If you know you're going to get a sub in the future consider the Miccas as I like them better with a system as the highs are better than the Pioneers. They just don't reach as deep which is an important factor if not using a sub.
  

College kid here, I'll try to help out.

It's generally recommended that you don't ever go for a HTIAB (home theater in a box) as they come with super shitty components and most often don't leave room to upgrade.

You'll get more flexibility and bang for your buck with bookshelves and a sub, but as you mentioned you only want a 2.0 for right now. If bass is really that important to you, I would actually recommend you get a pair of bookshelves now and invest in a sub later on. Towers are great but for a 2.0 setup you're going to want something smaller with better sound quality.

 

---

Bookshelves: used Polk Signature S15's

>Top listing is $165 for like new speakers; S15's run for $229/pair new.

This listing in particular says "Speakers only, nothing else is included" which is odd for them to mention because I don't think these speakers normally come with any accessories. Maybe he's talking about the manual which can easily be found online. But who needs manuals anyway?

 

Amp: SMSL SA-50

>Price fluctuates between $63 and $69. This listing is $63.

Puts out 50 wpc, will power pretty much any speaker you throw at it. I owned this myself and recommend it for a first setup. Just keep in mind you will have to upgrade to a surround receiver if you ever want to move past 2.1 in the future.

---

 


This puts you at $228 shipped. A bit above your absolute max of $200, but this is probably your best bet. You're also going to need to buy some speaker wire. It's only like $8.

So in total, this comes to $236 shipped. A bit above your budget, but it leaves you with some kickass bookshelves as well as the ability to add a sub in the future.

I'm rewriting my reply here to better fit your budget. Here are two possible configurations I would recommend from Ascend + Rythmik. I recommend these brands because I've gone through many speaker and subwoofer brands costing twice as much as these, which sound only half as good as Ascend and Rythmik.

2.1 Music Optimized System (but also great for home theater) - $2980:

• Ascend Sierra 2-EX Speakers Pair: $1500
  
• Generic Speaker Stand Pair: $50 - $100
  
• Rythmik F12 Subwoofer: $1000
  
• Denon AVR-S650H Receiver: $350
  
• Fancy speaker wires: $30
  
  This music-optimized configuration will give you an incredible music experience, very near the pinnacle of what is even possible: This will get you 80-90% of the way to the music sound quality of a configurations costing 10x as much.
  
  It will also be excellent for home theater, and without question will put any sound bar (at any price) to shame. The only reason the alternate configuration below is better for home theater is: it will go louder (you can play at 'reference' levels, matching the SPL of a real movie theater), and it does surround sound.
  
  Note that I personally have the above configuration (minus this particular Denon model), and can attest that it is absolutely incredible. It sounds 80-90% as good as a system with Ascend's flagship tower speakers (which I also have) for half the price.
  
  7.1 Home Theater Optimized System (but also great for music) - $2986:
  
  
• Ascend CMT-340SE Speakers Pair: $500
  
• [Optional:] Ascend TP-24 Stand Pair (designed for CMT-340): $180
  
• Ascend CMT-340SE Center Speaker: $300
  
• Ascend HTM-200SE Speakers (Two Pairs): $600
  
• Rythmik FVX15 Subwoofer: $1100
  
• Denon AVR-S750H Receiver: $450
  
• 100ft spool of 14 gauge speaker wire: $36
  
  This 7.1 surround configuration is optimized for home theater, but will still sound very satisfying for music in both stereo and surround modes. It should be able to reach "reference level" SPL (very loud) for movies in a medium room, and cover the entire audible frequency spectrum.
  
  There are many people who just have a stereo pair of CMT-240SE + a subwoofer, and rave about how much better they sound than speakers twice their cost.
  
  I would recommend going with the TP-24 stands to properly elevate the front LR speakers, since they were specifically designed for the CMT-340 mini-tower speakers (they look quite nice together), but it does bring the order over-budget to $3166. If your $3k limit is absolutely firm, I would recommend either (1) improvising your own stands, or (2) going for a 5.1 setup instead to save money (you can later buy more surrounds if you like).

Connections are pretty simple. HDMI from the receiver to the TV and all your HDMI devices are plugged into the receiver instead of the TV. Then you get speaker wire which will be a red and black wire and an subwoofer cable. The Denon x1#00h is a great receiver with the best room correction at it's price point and is highly recommend here. A lot of people recommend getting them at accessories4less refurbished for the cost savings. As for the subwoofer the recommended brands for a high quality subwoofer are SVS, HSU, PSA, Rythmic, or Monoprice's Monolith series which will cost you upwards of $400. The main reason to get one of these over lower end ones is they will play below 20hz which is the point where you will feel it but can't hear it. The svs pb1000 is a good starter one and is the one I got and it's amazing but with svs you do pay extra for their 45 day in home trial and 1 year upgrade program. Then I'd recommend getting bookshelf speakers as they are a better bang for buck and unless you need the extra volume towers produce bookshelves will be plenty, especially if you main focus is movies/tv/video games. With movies the two Speakers that will have the biggest impact are the center and the subwoofer so spending the most on those is where your money is best spent. Speakers unlike the subwoofer can be subjective so you might like a certain speaker but someone else might not so try to go to some audio stores where you can demo products. Also without a center channel if you're not sitting directly between the left and right the voices won't sound like they are coming from in between the speakers which is something a center channel fixes so assuming you can't afford to buy it now (without sacrificing quality of your other speakers) I'd recommend getting that soon after when you have funds. Just make sure you get the matching one to your left and right.

What's your budget?

Get a basic 5.0 system, then add a sub. This should be good value for music and movies. I'm partial to Denon/Marantz for their musical audio quality, but some other folks on this sub may know a cheaper receiver that still sounds good. The speakers are definitely the best bang for your buck, but you could get higher quality speakers for music if you did a 2.1 instead of surround sound. Based on the 4K TV, I'm assuming you're going to be watching movies/tv more than you listen to music.

• AV Receiver ($280): https://www.amazon.com/Denon-Audio-Component-Receiver-AVRS530BT/dp/B06XYD1RZ3/
  
  
• L, R, Surround L, Surround R (2 x $90): https://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B00E7H8GG2/
  
  
• Center Channel ($80): https://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-C-Channel-Speaker-Tweeter/dp/B00HHFBEK6/
  
  
• Speaker Wire ($11): https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-16-Gauge-Speaker-Wire-Feet/dp/B006LW0W5Y/
  
  Boom! Slightly overbudget but you get a good 5.0 surround sound, 4K/HDR compatible receiver, and you can throw in a BIC F12 subwoofer for $200 or a Polk PSW10 for $100 when you save the cash

I will probably get flak for doing this but here you go:

Sony SSB1000 ($55) These speakers are pretty good for how cheap they are. Much better than the Micca Covos.

SMSL-SA-50 ($68) I have this amp and it is awesome how much it puts out. I see the people all the time recommend the Lepai LP-2020 for cheap setups but ignore that amp. Get this one.

There you have it. Cheap setup that is entirely expandable. Get some Banana plugs and some cheap speaker wire.

Later on if you save your pennies you can buy something like the dayton sub for about 100 bucks and will fit nicely with that setup.

So, if you like the convenience of the Pill, but want more ooomph, I've gotta recommend the Logitech UE Boombox. It's been discontinued, but you can get new or practically new models on eBay for 70 bucks or so.

I've owned a lot of nice Bluetooth speakers, and some decent audio gear, and pound for pound nothing really touches the thing.

I would recommend heading up your local Goodwill or other thrift store for speakers and an old receiver. With a pretty minimal amount of footwork, you can grab something that probably cost $1000 back in the day for $100.

Skip Marantz as it's really over priced at this point, but brands like Realistic, Rotel, Sansui, and Pioneer are still affordable. They look cool as shit, and have a nice distinctive sound. You can probably get a low-end 20 or 30 W per channel Realistic off craigslist or at your local thrift shop for 30 bucks.

You can then get a nice set of Boston Acoustic or Polk audio speakers for another 50 bucks. Just make sure the foam around the subwoofers is fine, and that the tweeters aren't busted. Most people are happy to hook them up for you to listen to.

If you don't want to mess with older stuff, grab one of these :

ttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B017W13OR0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hg16xbX21C1NM

And a set of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E7H8GG2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Ih16xb227QN96

And two of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011LXUKE0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5j16xb4JV5NZ5

Alternatively, grab the amp and wires new, and then get the speakers used off eBay or Craigslist or whatever. Speakers lose value at an alarming rate, but at the sub-$100 price point you're not really risking much.

For reference, I got a set of B+W CM2 speakers for $90 off Craigslist. They were almost $1000 new 12 years ago.

I advocate using component bookshelves speakers with a mini amp unless space is at a big premium. They are better engineered, have better bang for your buck, and have a much cleaner sound.

You have the added bonus that the speakers are more flexible for other uses and, if you wanted to go from 2.0 to something else, it's a pretty easy upgrade, ala: you don't have to pitch the old system and get something new. I think you'd find a good 2.0 system to be much more impressive than a lot of the gamer sound systems out there.

Polk Audio T15 Bookshelf Speakers

Dayton Audio DTA-1 Digital Amplifier

Amazon Basics Speaker Cable

Another note: A system like this will sound way fuller without a boominess that you'd get from most gaming 2.1 sound systems. All of my friends that I have recommended go this route have loved it!

If you get him bookshelf speakers like the Q Acoustics suggestion, you'll probably need something to put them on, i.e. speaker stands, unless you've got an unusual amount of room on the stand next to that enormous TV. These can range from pretty affordable to unjustifiably expensive. Just find something that seems stable that you like the looks of. Speaker stands are something you can save a ton of money buying second hand without really having to worry about them being broken or abused, but you might not like gifting something used.

Oh, and if your house is entirely new to this speakers-and-amps thing, make sure you've got some speaker wire. Don't let anyone tell you you need to spend a lot on it. Stuff like this is just fine.

One other question you had was about wall mounting and sound quality--generally speaking nice bookshelves on stands will sound better than something you'd wall mount. In part because you'll have more control over how you place them in the room, and they'll be at ear-level like they should be. And in the case of the Q Acoustics (and many other speakers), there's a port on the back of the speaker that you definitely don't want pressed up against a wall. Basically they need a little room to "breathe".

Now, if he wanted actual IN-wall speakers (where you only see the grill), that's kind a specific and very different thing than what we tend to do around here.

What a great gift idea!

No worries, buddy. Happy to help. You don't need to worry about a preamp just yet, as your turntable has one built in. Just make sure you have the selector switch on the back of the unit set to "line" rather than "phono" and you're all set. As for connecting the speakers to the receiver, I managed to find a pic of the rear connections on the U310. It looks like they use spring clips to connect, so you're going to have to use bare wire.

First thing you'll need is a spool of speaker wire. I've had good luck with the Amazon Basics stuff, and it's about as cheap as decent wire gets. You'll need to strip a bit of the jacket off of each wire on each end. I do it by hand, but you might want to try a wire stripper if you're not comfortable free-handing things. Once you've exposed the bare wire, simply give each side a quick twist to secure them into separate threads and insert each thread into the back of the speaker, depressing the spring clip to allow the wire to fit into the hole and releasing it to bite down on the wire. As for the back of the amp, the procedure's the same if it has spring clips. If it has binding posts like the SMSL I linked earlier, you'll want to unscrew them a bit, wrap the bare wire around the exposed post, and tighten the post heads back down to create a nice, tight seal.

One word of warning on the off chance you've never done anything like this before. Remember to connect your positive (red) terminals on your speakers to your positive terminals on your amp, and your negative (black) to negative. The speaker wire makes that pretty easy, as one channel is marked with a little white line so you'll always know what's going where. Additionally, make sure your amp's left output is wired to your left speaker and the right to the right. Simple stuff, but it's easy to miss if this is your first time.

To build a system using the minimum recommendations from this sub, let's start with this diagram: http://i.imgur.com/Z8FMJ.png
DAC is optional, so is a subwoofer but I recommend one.

DAC: Behringer UCA202 $29.99 Link: http://amzn.com/B000KW2YEI

Amplifier: SMSL SA-50 $68.99 Link: http://amzn.com/B00F0H8TOC

Subwoofer: Dayton Audio SUB-800 $99.00 Link: http://amzn.com/B0063NU30K

Bookshelf Speakers: Micca MB42X $89.00 Link: http://amzn.com/B00E7H8GG2

Wire: 16-gauge Speaker Wire $8.00 Link: http://amzn.com/B006LW0WDQ

With DAC, this cable: Stereo Male to 2 RCA Male $5 Link: http://amzn.com/B00I0HPK6O

Without DAC, this cable: Monoprice 105597 3-Feet Premium Stereo Male to 2RCA Male $5 Link: http://amzn.com/B0094A1F3S

This is a great starter system, I would have loved to had something like this starting out.
All of these pieces can be upgraded, do your research. Look for sales etc. Good luck and have fun.

Unfortunately £100 is just around the lower limit of the very-entry level, not really mid-range if we're going to be honest.

The easy solution is M-audio AV-40s. They are 'powered monitors' so the amplifier is inside, all you have to do is feed them signal.

Alternatively, you could go for "passive" bookshelf loudspeakers and an amplifier. The advantage to this route is that you can upgrade the speakers or amp separately (edit: also each individual component is probably at least a bit better than the av40s, and if anything ever fails it can be replaced separately; it's just more flexible overall). There's some extra work involved but it's not difficult..

These Wharfedale 9.0 should be good for the price (the Diamond 9.1 were reviewed by Stereophile and they measure well for the price).

You'll need an amp, speaker wire, and some banana plugs are helpful. Oh, and probably a 3.5mm stereo to 2RCA cable to connect your 3.5mm source(s) to the amp.

How much better are either of these compared to tiny computer speakers like Logitech or Creative etc.? Much better.

Hi!

A friend of mine recently bought the Dayton B652-AIR, which sound phenomenal for the price. They're on sale right now for $50 from Parts Express. I haven't heard the basic B652, but the reviews seem to indicate that the AIR models are worth the extra money. They have a better crossover (internal circuitry) and an upgraded tweeter that's supposed to provide smoother treble and more clarity.

Second, you're going to need an amplifier to drive those speakers. Your previous system had a built-in amp. I recommend this little guy which is a barebones amplifier that produces nice clean sound and has a very small footprint and a reasonable price.

It won't amplify your headphones, though.

Something like this receiver would cover all your bases-- provide power to your speakers and your headphones as well.

If I were you, I'd just use an analog cable to attach my source (computer?) to the receiver.

Oh, and you'll need some speaker cable to connect the speakers to the receiver.

Amazon Basics (http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-16-Gauge-Speaker-Wire-Feet/dp/B006LW0W5Y/) and Monoprice (http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=102&cp_id=10239) make good, cheap speaker wire.

Good choice on the speaker. Those Chanes are amazing values: http://www.cnet.com/news/the-149-chane-a1rx-c-speaker-is-almost-too-good-to-be-true/ The tower version also won a shootout among $1000 speakers with some formidable opposition.

The next step down for subwoofers is the NXG BAS 500 (IMO the best subwoofer under $300): http://www.radioshack.com/nxg-nx-bas-500-12-500-watt-powered-subwoofer/55058551.html#.VIm1SjHF_T8 review here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/speaker-subwoofer-reviews/67178-nxg-nx-bas-500-subwoofer-review.html

However, they sell like hot cakes and they're out of stock everywhere (Radioshack and Amazon are out of them). No idea when they'll come back into stock.

A good option for less than $200 is the BIC F12 and will save you some money: http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M

You can get a 3.5m to dual rca male cable or 3.5mm to rca socket for easier splitting but need a rca male to male. Keep in mind to set your realtek driver to max power (differs for different drivers/software). Also a good motherboard is recommended like the modern alc1220 or even alc892-897). Ideally a high snr board (some low end boards are good like the msi tomahawk[except b450 ughh dont know why msi dumdbed it down:(] or mortar with high output for the codec they implemented by implementing good amps). You also need speaker wire or 2 premade speaker cable for sturdier and easier connection process

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!

Here's a fairly easy-to-read guide on speaker placement for home theater.

And here's an exhaustive resource on acoustic treatment from Ethan Winer. He is (I believe) one of the more serious experts in the audio community.

I love the look of the room and setup, but I agree with other people on swapping the lava lamp (as cool as it is), and the TV to help center the display between your speakers. Something about the low vaulted ceiling and basic but neat appearance of your system is pretty bitchin'. Nice stuff.

Also, about your cables... I say sell them for whatever somebody will pay and do yourself a favor.

Happy listening!

Active speakers have separate audio and power inputs. They each have a power cable going to the wall in addition to a cable going to the media device. They do not require an external amplifier.

Passive speakers only have one combined audio/power input. Most speakers are passive and require an external amplifier.

For a home theater setup, I have been recommending a 3.0 + receiver setup for years to my friends. My friend finally purchased a center channel and wishes he would have done it years ago.

Home theater receivers like this one are 4k HDR HDMI switches and amplifiers built into one. You would plug your media devices into your receiver and switch between them using the receiver instead of the TV. I do not recommend using an analog stereo amplifier in a home theater setup - buy a good current generation 5.1 receiver and you won't have to replace it unless it breaks or until HDMI goes away.

After picking up a receiver, you would need some speaker wire and then some passive speakers to pair with it (like OP). Connecting the speakers to your receiver is as simple as connecting red to red and connecting black to black.

Post script: Most media now is produced primarily with 5.1 mixing, meaning that the dialogue is engineered with the assumption that a dedicated center channel speaker is present. Your sound will be way more clear if you were to buy a receiver and stereo speakers compared to built-in TV speakers, but there is a massive massive difference once you are able to listen to the proper 5.1 sound mix when using stereo + center channel setup. Ever felt like you needed to turn up the sound to hear the talking and then turn it down once a chase/shooting scene started? That ends when the characters can talk through a center channel speaker.

As others have suggested, /r/zeos is a fantastic audio resource. I've been extremely happy with all the gear I've purchased from his recommendations.

You have already mentioned that size is a factor. In that case, I can recommend Denon SC-F109, which are almost the same size and about £10 more. Tried, tested and impressed. Never heard the QAcoustics so cannot say anything, but the Denon has a lot of fans in Germany apart from me.


Both of your amps are good enough for desktop use. Get the SA 50 if you also plan on using it for a small party.

The wire seems a bit expensive to me. For that price you could get 100 feet of speaker cable and banana plugs and attach them yourself. All you need is a wire stripper or a pocket knife. In fact, I don't even use banana plugs; they are only convenient if you plan to connect/disconnect speakers often. 12 AWG would be too thick for your purpose, 16 AWG (or even 18) is good enough. You could also save some money by buying per meter (or feet as you're in the UK!) from some sellers or check your local classifieds to see if someone wants to get rid of their extra speaker cable. Also, I can vouch for this 3.5mm to RCA cable. These are a little more expensive, but very well made and don't usually suffer from contact issues.

PS: Just wanted to add some more information about speaker dimensions. H x W x D mm

• Denon SC-F109 - 245 x 165 x 234
  
  
• Wharfedale Diamond 9.0 - 236 x 145 x 165
  
  
• Q Acoustics 2010i - 235 x 150 x 203
  
  So the Wharfedales really are the smallest of the lot, and the Denons the biggest but only in depth.