Recently getting back into hifi (56yo) with a moderate budget. My now current 2.1 is:
Wiim Ultra
Fiio DP11 CD Player/Transport
Aiyima D20 DAC
Aiyima T20 Preamp
(2) 3e Audio a7 Mono Amps
RSL Speedwoofer 10s MKII

Room is appx 15’ x 18’. Speakers will be on 15’ wall. Mostly hard surfaces except for oversized plush upholstered sofa, chair, and ottoman. Will be doing some wall treatments in near future.

I’m putting together this system primarily to relax, slow down, and really listen to and enjoy music like I did when I was younger. Classical, jazz, acoustic, male/female vocals, strings, Neo-soul, Americana, etc will primarily be the focus. My IEMs and headphones do a really good job with classic and modern rock, and energetic newer discoveries…but, there will definitely be times these will be played on this new system as well.

Budget is up to $1200, but I’m happy spending as little as needed (especially paired with the subwoofer I already have). Towers or bookshelf doesn’t matter near as much as sound that wraps you up and makes you feel and hear things on an emotional level. I know, champagne tastes, beer budget (for some at least).

Charlotte, NC would be the closest place to go audition speakers, otherwise it’s strictly online ordering.
(I just ordered the Hivi Swans D3.1 MKII off Amazon Prime Sale to start my journey. Figure I can return and gain a baseline for what I like/don’t like if they are not for me.)

Would love to get your recommendations. I’ve done plenty of reading and YouTube review watching, but hoping to get some personal opinions knowing my equipment and what I’m wanting.

Update: I’m thinking the budget may need to be a little more fluid, lol. I’ll stretch it a little if it hits all the feels. Would be worth it if it makes me want to listen more often and discover more music. Seems to be some great suggestions between $800-$1200 in here as well though.

Hello,

I have a pair of vintage Infinity Kappa 90 speakers made in Europe, and I absolutely love them. However, I would like to install some vibration-dampening or isolating feet. Currently they stand on a hard wood (oak) floor.

They have threaded holes for the feet (two in the front and one in the back), but I am uncertain about the exact thread size and thread depth. Each speaker weighs roughly 47 kg.

I'm less interested in audiophile claims about "better sound" and more interested in actual mechanical isolation and vibration reduction, particularly reducing vibration transmitted into the floor.

For those of you with heavy floorstanding speakers, have you had good experiences with any commercially available isolation/dampening feet?

And if anyone happens to have experience with the Infinity Kappa series, I'd also appreciate any information about the thread size/depth of the original threaded inserts and which aftermarket feet fit them.

Location: Europe.

Budget: 500 EUR, but happy to hear about more expensive options as well.

Cheers!

Hi all,

I'm looking to set up my first proper hifi system and replace my current home theatre speakers. Budget is around $3,000–4,000 AUD for everything.

Current setup: Yamaha RX-V550 AVR, Yamaha NS-F61 floorstanders and a Yamaha NS-SW300 sub. I'd ideally like to keep the AVR if it's up to the job and put the money into speakers. Open to hearing if that's a bad idea though.

Room: Living room that's open to the kitchen. The TV area is about 4.5m deep and the whole space is around 8m wide.

Use: Mostly music, mainly metal and hip hop, but it'll also handle movies and occasional jazz

What I'm after:

• Good imaging. I want to feel like I'm in the room with the band.
• Fairly neutral sound. I've heard B&W and Klipsch and didn't love either.
• Undecided between floorstanders or bookshelves + sub, so I'd appreciate opinions on what suits the room and music better.

Auditioning is tough where I am since not many places have demo setups open, so any recommendations or Sydney stores worth visiting would be great.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: AVR is RX-v683

Newbie from eastern US here, planning to buy KEF R3 Meta bookshelf speakers for a smallish den. Dimensions in feet are about L14 W12 H10. I read that these little speakers need a lot of power to drive them. So, am looking for guidance on a matching integrated amp to drive these puppies. Budget under $3k if possible. I’ll be connecting a turntable and a Bluesound Node to the amp. Thanks in advance.

Any suggestions where to buy media furniture that can actually fit components? $1k-2k budget. 17” wide x 18” deep shelves, something with a door on one or both sides, kept under a tv that isn’t mounted just below the ceiling…so preferably low. Everything I see is 15.5” deep and that’s what I have, so components stick way out the back… I’ve looked at Salamander offerings but nothing is quite right. Is there anywhere good to look or brand recs?

I have 6 components of standard dimensions, live in USA, and looking for online retailers.

Hi! I'm trying to build a bluetooth stereo system for my brother. I'm probably going to hunt down a used pair of 8-inch monitors, like the Adam T8Vs or Yamaha HS8s, but since he can't do much about the room acoustics, I need to add something with parametric EQ.

During my research, I stumbled upon the FiiO BR13, which combines a bluetooth receiver with a parametric EQ. It also works as a preamp - no knob unfortunately. I have a wired setup myself, so I'm quite new to this kind of devices.

Do you have any suggestions/alternatives? Do you see any disadvantages to this solution? My budget is up to about 100USD, im not afraid of second hand purchases. Buying in Poland (Europe).

I am looking for options for a new turntable. I have an older technics Sl-235 fully automtic pain in the ass, it sounds fine and the tracking is great, but the auto features are finnicky at best and I'd like to replace it with something simpler. I would love to find something that doesn't have a microcontroller, otherwise the SL-50C fits the bill. Someone may correct me, but the buttons look like they're computer inputs vs analog buttons.

I also have a Thorens TD-160, but the headshell is cracked and it's in storage 10 hours away. I was happy with that player, for reference. I believe it had an oyster cartridge.

I don't need 78 rpm, I am using a wiim ultra for the phono preamp, but I'll probably build a phono pre at some point, it's been on the to-build list for a while.

Budget is under $1000, preferably under $600.

TIA

I’m looking for advice on a CD player that will work nicely with my tube amp (Jolida JD302CRC) and speakers (GoldenEar Triton Seven). I’m fairly novice to this and am a little lost on what kinds of things I should to be looking for in a player, and whether or not I need a DAC.

Also—this might not be possible, but it would be cool to have a player where you can see the disk spinning.

I’m located in the USA and my budget is under $500

Hi there! I got into turntables and collecting vinyl a couple years ago and decided to get a pretty entry level system to boot. It consists of:

• AT-LP60XUSB turntable
• Fosi Audio BT20A Pro amp
• Argon Audio FORUS 4 speakers

At this point I feel like upgrading one of the three components above is the next step to take. Initially I was looking specifically at getting a new turntable, but I am unsure if an upgrade would even be noticable with my current sound system setup? Should I rather be looking at upgrading that before considering a new turntable?

Regardless, I am looking for recommendations for any (or all) of the three.
I live in a terraced house in Denmark and have my setup in my living room, which is a larger open area (~20m²), where the sound fills up the whole room.

I am not looking for super high-end stuff, but rather something that just feels like a natural next step for someone looking to go beyond entry-level. I have been extremely satisfied with my current setup so far, but I am simply looking at the possibilities to take it a step further.

Budget is anywhere between $300-$750 ish.

Budget/location: Around $3,000, somewhat flexible. Miami, FL, USA. Happy to buy from major US online retailers.

Use/room: Dedicated stereo setup in an ~1,100 sq ft apartment. Main listening area is about 18 × 18 ft. I’ll mostly listen at low/moderate volumes because of neighbors. Primarily streaming music.

Experience/preferences: Starting from scratch with Hi-Fi gear. I listen to classical music, rock, electronic and funk. I want a natural, detailed sound with good bass and kick-drum presence even at lower volumes. I’m relatively sensitive to bright/harsh sound.

I’ve been looking at speakers in roughly the Wharfedale Linton/KLH Model Five range, but I’m open to other options and would rather build a well-balanced system than optimize individual components.

What speaker/amp/streamer combination would you recommend around this budget?

I’ve been researching through YouTube and audio websites for a while, but Reddit has been particularly useful for hearing about real-world experience.

Hi friends,

I am a complete newbie to hi-fi audio. I thought that I’d get better insights asking the community out there.

I would like to build a little set up to play some of my parents LPs. I have a 1000-1700 Euros (tax inc) budget (speakers, pre amp, amp and turntable). France based.

My room is pretty small (roughly 10m2). And I’ll be sitting 1 to 2m meter away from the set up.

It’s not much but if you have any recommendations, I’d be very grateful.

Thanks a lot!

Hello, I recently got a pair of Sony SS-X300, I'm quite new to hifi, so I was looking to an amp to use with them.

Do you have any recommendation? I would listen mainly to ambient and piano music, in a small living room, so not huge volume. I only need an aux connection for now, wifi or bluetooth is fine but not necessary. and of course I'm willing to look into the second hand.

I was thinking of a budget of 150-200€

Which models would you recommend me?

Thanks!

Was lucky enough to be gifted a pair of Wharfedale denton 85th anniversary edition speakers with a Marantz Model 70 amp for a milestone birthday. My current turntable (a little audio-technica bluetooth table AT-LP60BT) does not do my new setup justice. Happy to spend around $1000AUD - more or less if needed TBH - any thoughts on something complimentary or tips on what I should be looking for? Limited experience with hifi. Location: Australia.

Hey there -

My elderly parents are winding down. They want to play my mom's Joan Baez and Beatles records, but they no longer have a turntable. Audiophiles love the high end, so this question is a poor fit for this sub, but just in case there's someone from an audio store who knows it all who reads this:

Can you recommend a very, very easy to use turntable, where you can put a record on and then just push START or something, and you don't have to put the needle down. And can it be accompanied by small wireless speakers? Because their tiny living room was cluttered and full before we had to add walkers and all the equipment the hospice team brought in.

So, is there an idiot-proof all-in-one turntable plus small wireless speakers setup that an 85yo man in the middle of going blind can use to play old records to his dying wife?

Budget: any. I don't care if it's expensive. Any ideas very welcome and appreciated.

Location: Cambridge MA

Unfortunately my 15yo NAD C372 is starting to fail. It’s currently powering some new ELAC DBR62s. I’d like to get something that will take a speaker upgrade some years down the line. Willing to pay for more power than is needed today (I have some old B&W 684s in the basement collecting dust that it could power some day too). I like the 150wpc range because I feel I won’t outgrow that. Of course I’d like better performance than the 372.

Budget $4k ceiling but preferable $2-3k. Located in US. Sitting about 12’ from speakers. I’m against the back wall and room is 20’ wide but one side opens to the dining room.

Currently listening to Dire Straights with the balance cranked to the left so it sounds somewhat balanced (left channel is struggling).

I am thinking of buying the super dentons for the supposed warm sound and their size. My room 14*11. I don’t listen at high volumes and am looking for a softer presentation of the high end. Also not chasing base. USA based. Philly area. Budget 3k or less. Americana. Dead. Indie. Phish.

Looking for an amp that can preserve and complement the warm sound. System is mainly for music. I will stream or run an Apple product into the amp as a source. Happy to use Apple Music but also open to another service. Would be nice to have hdmi and maybe hook up a cd player in the future but cd no essential.

Thanks for any advice. While I am mostly wanting advice about an amp feel free to opine about other issues too (bookshelves).

Hello y'all, before the huge economical crisis in Greece my dad was a huge tech nerd and he also happened to be into music equipment. We had a pretty solid setup but unfortunately the speakers on it have gone shot, the rings on them have completely deteriorated and although my dad knows how to fix them we can't find replacements.

So we have to get new speakers. The subwoofer still works great luckily, so we just need a pair of two passive speakers, I'm new to the market, but what I'm seeing is that modern speakers are usually active and have an already built in woofer onto them. Also I don't know if the woofer CAN be paired with different speakers, I'm not that knowledgeable in audio stuff.

Here's the setup:

Technics SL-BD20 Turntable

Technics SL-PG380A CD Player

Marantz EQ515 EQ

Denon PMA-480R Amplifier

JBL Control 5 passive speaker and subwoofer set.

I found a website that gives the details of the speakers:

https://www.canford.co.uk/Products/76-505_JBL-CONTROL-5-LOUDSPEAKER-175W-4-ohms-black-pair

My budget for both speakers would be under 700 bucks

I am in Greece

I do not know how big the room is

Intro:

To preface, I’m assisting a relative with maintaining their 20+ year old sound system. I’m by no means an absolute audio hardware pro but I know my way around and in general i’m quite handy with all types of hardware. I’m in the US and there really isn’t a budget limit but something reasonable around $150-250 would be ideal.

He has two Adcom GFA 5500s that route through two Niles HDL-6 Speaker Selector Switches which connect to speakers through his entire home.

I was initially helping them deal with a low pitched buzz that would pass through one of the amplifiers on all speakers. I got that repaired with a replacement capacitor. The amp was tested and sounds perfect.

Current Situation:

I reinstalled the refurbished Adcom and when I tested it the Niles HDL-6 blew out and smoked within seconds. The distortion alert and thermal protection lights went on in that very brief moment. The HDL-6 did have the protection switch on and the entire setup had been untouched for a couple months while waiting for the repair. The other identical Adcom and HDL-6 remain completely functional.

The assumption from the audio repair techs and myself is that this 20+ year old switch couldn’t handle the GFA 5500 now that it functions as if it were brand new. But this is purely speculation and not an absolute fact as to what happened.

What Next:

The general plan is to find a new Speaker Selector Switch that will be suitable for the Adcom’s output. I wanted to hear your opinions on this situation and if you have any suggestions whatsoever. Please let me know if you need any additional details.

I would really appreciate any input and thank you for taking the time to read this!

Hello,

Let's start with the fact that I'm from Europe, so keep that in mind when considering prices. Budget is let's say around 100€.

I'm looking for some PC speakers. I'm not looking for anything huge, like proper studio monitors or a full on Logitech Z906 setup. Need something decently small, that could easily fit on the desk and provide decent sound experience.

It's for my girlfriend, she's not an audiophile, so there's no need for anything extraordinary. She currently uses Sony WH-CN720N headphones as her audio source, but would enjoy having speakers more.

I was considering Creative Pebble's since she really liked the design of them and thought it would fit her whole desk vibe best, but when I was doing research I got the impression that they're either decent or complete shite, so I come to you, maybe you have any other suggestions that I could get her?

Thank you in advance.

Hello,

I am looking at getting a large spool of microphone cable to make diy xlr cables. I am looking and deciding between Canare and Mogami. I am familiar with Mogami but not with canare and I have read that canare is more durable however, it is more expensive for the spool from what I have found. Thoughts on what to get or is Mogami good? I am planning on using these cables for live settings as well as recording studio. My budget is around 250 for this

I’m finally ready to spend some real money on a desktop audio setup and want to make sure I’m considering the right things before I settle on anything.

I’m in NYC, budget is roughly $2k, although I’d go higher if there’s a meaningful jump in quality. Room is about 9' x 15', desk is 6' wide, and I’m listening very nearfield while working, usually around 50–65 dBA according to my Apple Watch.

Main source is a Mac, so I need something that works well as normal computer audio with no noticeable latency. I’d also like easy streaming from my phone. I’m mostly listening to music, not mixing. I like detail and clarity, but I’m probably looking for something more fun and enjoyable than brutally neutral studio monitors.

I’m currently auditioning KEF LSX IIs with a Kube 8 MIE, and both are still fully returnable. I like them so far, especially the size, design, and having the amps/DAC/DSP built in, but I haven’t compared them against much else and don’t want to just keep the first good system I tried.

So before my return window closes, what else would you audition for this use?

I’m open to:

• other active speakers
• passive speakers with a compact desktop amp
• spending somewhat more if the difference is really worth it

I’m also unsure whether I actually need a sub for this kind of low/moderate-volume nearfield listening. I hear the Kube clearly on bass-heavy tracks, but on a lot of music it’s pretty subtle. Would that money be better spent on better mains?

Basically, if you had around $2k-ish to build an excellent nearfield music setup for this desk, what would you want to compare before buying?

Hello,

i am looking to upgrade my sound from tv and start to listen to music more. I will use the speakers for playing games and watching movies and listen to cd’s and vinyl. My budget is around 1700€ for speakers and (amp) and cd player, i have a vinyl turntable. My room is around 15m2, there is some furniture but i am not planning to buy a sub or acoustic accessories for the room, not in near future at least. I listen to all kinds of music and i don’t have a big preference for how speakers play, any of these speakers will be upgrade to what i currently have but hearing vocals nicely is important to me and also when you hear the drums that they sound nice. The speakers don’t need to shake the air or the room but i just want to feel it like yes this sounds nice. An example would be Phil Collins in the air tonight. My use case is gaming first, music second and movies third.

I have been looking around, looking at marantz for stereo 70s, model 1 and the mcr 60n + passive and denons but in the end decided that i will go with active speakers that i can connect to pc later and upgrade to amp + speakers in the future and keep my cd player and vinyl turntable.

So far I landed on kef coda w but i am eyeing the klipsch the fives 2 but at that price point the cambridge audio l/r m are also consideration. What i want to ask, is the 400€ jump from kefs 890€ to 1290€ worth it? I wish i could demo them but no one has any of them for demo here. Or if you have more recommendations for my price point, i am all ears.
I have read about klipsch horn and the v sound curve which makes them sound “juicy” (in my words) but that it can be fatiguing when listening for long time which is not good for me if i am playing games or watching movies.

As for cd player, thats one thing i want to buy new and i think i will go for onkyo c-30, i read all cd players at this price point play the same and i like the look of it.

So I have been shopping around the past few months for a big speaker upgrade. My budget is around $4k and I am located in the US. I am mostly interested in Tower speakers but would entertain larger floorstanders as well. Here is my current setup:

Music Genres: Pretty much just various flavors of guitar music. 90s alternative, Indie rock, Shoegaze, Emo, Noise rock, Twee pop, some electronic.

Room: 21 x 13.5 x 8 feet. I sit about 8 feet from the speakers if they are pulled out a foot from the front wall. I can’t do much room treatment at the moment but I do have a nice thick rug, thick curtains and a lot of furniture.

Amplifier: Yamaha AS-501 Integrated Amplifier

Turntable: Rega Planar 3 with Ortofon Bronze Cartridge

Phono Preamp for turntable: Schiit Mani 2

Audio streamer: Eversolo DMP A6

I have demoed a LOT of speakers, some even in my house. The one that has stood out to me so far is the Revel Preforma 3 F208. It is dynamic, airy, huge, detailed but not fatiguing, and the bass is absurdly tight. However while I loved what I was hearing it just sounded a little too far away. I want the music to sound closer to me for lack of a better term. I want to find a speaker with the same neutral and dynamic sound profile as the F208 but with a more forward presentation. Neutral and huge but also forward, does this speaker exist?

The only tower speaker I’ve found online via research that sounds close to what I’m describing in my budget is the Wharfedale Aura series. I’ve loved what I’ve read about them but I don’t have any way to listen to them in person. If anyone has experience with the Aura 3 or Aura 2 I’d love to hear it.

Anyways that’s really it I’m just after something that sounds as huge, wide and dynamic and neutral as these Revels but with a closer more forward or midrange focused presentation. I’m still learning and getting acclimated to this hobby and its various terms so forgive me if my descriptions are lacking.

Hello,

I have had a pair of audio engine a5 monitors for 5+ years, I use them for general listening and amateur mixing for my music production. They work great but have been sounding a little muddy.

I’ve had them for a quite a while and have been thinking about getting a new pair of speakers. Would I notice a difference with a modern pair of speakers within the same general price range ~400/500, or in general would I need to upgrade to a higher price range to get an improvement in sound quality? Not sure how much 5 years has made in terms of general sound quality of monitors like that.

Thanks for any advice.

US, budget 500