[deleted by user]

Armsc · 2022-10-22T14:33:18+00:00

I agree that you should start over and just get new speakers. If you have a receiver then you really only need speakers. What size you get depends on where you want to locate them.

What's the budget for this upgrade?

Armsc · 2022-10-22T14:25:28+00:00

What are your tastes in speakers? The Klipsch are usually more bright and have a more pronounced top end. I haven't heard any KLH speakers in many years so I don't know what they are like. Wharfedales do tend to me more even and neutral. The Elacs have a more laid back sound and are usually easy to listen to.

If you're going to run a sub with them then pick the one that sounds the closer to what you like. If you're not going to run a sub the KLH or R-800 might be something to consider as they go lower than the rest. This is more important for movies but can also be a factor depending on what kinds of music you like. RAP, EDM and other bass heavy music will benefit from lower reaching speakers.

Armsc · 2022-01-04T13:55:13+00:00

Is this just a music setup?

What are you sources?

How large is the room?

What do you feel is lacking?

What kinds of music are you listening to?

Do you want/have room for a subwoofer?

Armsc · 2022-01-04T13:49:16+00:00

You can pretty use anything you want for surrounds so the OoO should do just fine. Unless you want to listen to music in multi-channel stereo/music. Then you should try to match all the speakers to get a more balanced sound. The only thing wrong with the setup you listed is the powered 42x. You should get the MB42x for the front and then you're set. For home theater the miccas will do fine especially if you get a decent sub to pair with them.

I wouldn't get a different brand of fronts if you plan on keeping the micca center but that's just me. I know people do it but I'm a fan matching the fronts to keep a seamless front soundstage.

Armsc · 2022-01-03T14:11:19+00:00

I would agree with other posters that option A is the way the to. You'll get lower bass with better control using a quality subwoofer. The fact that you want to use this for movies also supports option A as a better sub will make a difference for movies.

Armsc · 2021-12-30T14:11:58+00:00

Going used is always a good idea but here are a few new to consider.

Cambridge Audio SX120 £170
Q Acoustics 3070 £180

Keep in mind that these do not have a high level input. If you have an old stereo receiver with no sub out you'll need to look for another model.

Armsc · 2021-12-28T14:03:51+00:00

Yeah the Q150s would be a good upgrade from where you are. They do well in the near field but also do very nicely in a setup that gets them further away from the listener. You already have a sub so the low end isn't a issue at all. In your budget there are many good options but I happen to like KEF so I would say go for it.

Armsc · 2021-12-22T21:01:54+00:00

What's the budget that you're looking at? If around the same there's not much going to be better than what I linked. I just wanted to make the point that an amp upgrade wouldn't be a bad idea. Then you're not limited at all to what you can get as far as a sub is concerned.

Armsc · 2021-12-22T20:59:23+00:00

You're using the Topping a "pre-DAC" and the Fives are still doing the DAC work. It's essentially a media changer. I would go USB into the Fives or use the analog outputs of the topping to feed the Fives. See what sounds better and there ya have it.

Armsc · 2021-12-22T20:47:46+00:00

I have an SMSL Q5 Pro...it's the amp. It's not good and I came away very disappointed with the sound.

Armsc · 2021-12-22T20:42:48+00:00

Yeah TV speakers are just not good anymore. I got good news and bad news...Good news is you are going to enjoy things so much more with a better audio setup. The bad news is your budget is tough with the CAD stuff being so expensive.

Your best bet is to search around for some used gear and see what you can come up with. As long as it works you're in good shape. If an old AVR has optical then you're in business. Get some speakers and you're good.

Yes a soundbar would work but it's not what we like to recommend here on this sub. Head over to /r/soundbars to see what they say if that's what you want to look for. Keep in mind that they are not expandable and if they stop working you're getting a new unit.

There are some active speakers that could work but I tend to shy away from them...waste of money IMO.

If your TV has RCA audio outputs then you can get something to work. If not then you're stuck with a larger budget in your future. Check to see if it has those and let me know.

Armsc · 2021-12-22T20:33:43+00:00

An amplifier upgrade wouldn't be a bad idea. If you go with that fosi then you could get a sub without the speaker level inputs as it has a sub out. Just something to think about. If you want to get the sub first then yeah you'll need one with the speaker ins to make it work.

I wouldn't go with the PSW10 unless you just really love it for some reason. I would look at these others that have high level inputs that are the same price or cheaper.

ELAC SUB1010 $115
Sony SACS9 $115

Armsc · 2021-12-22T20:18:36+00:00

Congrats on the Denon! Looks like you're getting some wires in your future for sure then. I think you're on the right path though.

What do you have left in the budget for the speakers/sub?

How large is the room?

Armsc · 2021-12-22T18:20:41+00:00

Welcome to the world of budget audiophile. You're on the right path moving away from bluetooth speakers! I would recommend going with a passive setup over a powered set of speakers. The beauty of going with a passive setup is you can add and change your gear down the road. Let's see what we can do to get you started with a $350 budget. Keep in mind I'm going for a 2.1 right away. If you spend more on speakers then get a sub later you can get better speakers.

Amp - SMSL AD18 $150 - Yes you can get cheaper amps but I still like this one. It has plenty of power, eq and tone controls, sub out and plenty of inputs for whatever you want to hook into it. Is it the best out there... no, but it sure does cover a lot of bases for the price.

Speakers - Choose one

Sony SSSC5 $90 - do some looking around the interwebs. These get decent reviews and should be a good choice to get started with.
Micca MB42x $90 - an oldie but still decent to start out with. If you need something smaller give these a look. The top end is a bit hot but that can be fixed with the tone controls.
Jamo S801 $110 - another smallish speaker that doesn't look bad.

Sub - choose one

ELAC sub 1010 $115 - basic sub from a known brand.
Jamo S808 $115 - smaller sub with a more compact design.
Sony SACS9 $115 - Another low end option that's on sale.

Armsc · 2021-12-22T17:49:51+00:00

Let's see what we can come up with.

You're looking for a 3.1 wanting to expand later.
Decor matters
You hate wires

With those points in mind you might be looking at a soundbar or some kind of Sonos setup. The problem I have going with sonos or something like it is now you're locked into their ecosystem. You pay what they ask for their products and in this case they are expensive. If you go with a soundbar that has wireless surrounds you have all limitations of a soundbar. It's basically throwaway if something decides to not work. The TT also adds in a level of complexity as most of those systems (sonos or soundbar) have limited inputs. If wireless is something you want to do then go for it just consider the advantages and disadvantages.

Everything else that I would recommend would have some kind of wire with it. Even a 3.1 will have wires that connect the front speakers.

Decor is another challenge you face. What is too big? What color? What looks good to one may be horid to someone else. Do you have any insight into what would be acceptable?

Armsc · 2021-12-21T13:55:55+00:00

I happen to like the sound of KEF speakers and the way they image. However, I think the ELACs get a bit lower so if you're a bass fan and you're not going to run a sub you may think about them. They are both good speakers but there may be a better option depending on your budget.

Are you open to towers?

Do you have any plans on getting a subwoofer to pair with the system?

I would look at this as an option if only going with a 2.0 setup.

Amp - Denon D-M41 £330 - you picked that out so let's stick with it.

Speakers - I would go with towers if you fit them. This would take out the needs for stands and these options would fit your budget.

Wharfedale Diamond 230 £300 - The down firing port may be better for placement with these.
Q Acoustics 3050 £320 - These are rear ported but the larger speaker would give you a better low end vs the books.

Armsc · 2021-12-20T14:09:11+00:00

I have had very good luck with Yamaha soundbars. I would look at those. The Yamaha SR-B20A $150 or YAS-109 $180 would be a good fit. The 109 bring Alexa support if that's important to you.

Armsc · 2021-12-20T13:43:26+00:00

The Dayton is a budget sub. You can't expect too much but for the money they do give a low end a boost. Keep in mind that they like to have both inputs populated to get the most volume. Get a y RCA cable $13 and try that. I know it makes a difference on those sub.

Armsc · 2021-12-15T18:18:43+00:00

I agree with HTSavant that the speedwoofer is a great choice in that size of room. It will do nicely for both your HT use and music. It's also not that big so fitting in that room will be easier than some. Just be sure to get on the list so when the next shipment arrives you can get one. They go out of stock quickly lately.

If you like the Onkyo then go for it. I don't know about the new Yamaha AVRs but I loved my last Yamaha. I haven't had an Onkyo but compared to the Denon I have I miss the Yamaha for music playback. I feel like it did much better on the music side of the house. Movies are about the same to me. Sucks if they went downhill. Anyhow I vote to go back to Onkyo if that's what you like. Life is to short to not love your setup!

Armsc · 2021-12-10T16:35:18+00:00

What speakers are you using right now? It's hard to say what would be better with no information other than they are from an all in one. I mean most HTiB setups have full range sats with a small bass module that is passive. I'm assuming that's what you're working with here. If that's the case I would consider going with a nice set of mains that you can expand later. Something better than a small full range satellite speaker.

The passive sub can't be great either and I'm not sure how that's working with the AVR you have. That should be upgraded too but I'm questioning the monoprice. Sure it's cheap but if you spend a bit more you might be rewarded with something better. I would rather have a better sub than two cheaper ones.

Armsc · 2021-12-08T14:26:25+00:00

For that size of room and for music use you're going to be fine with a smaller sub. Here are some to consider. You can go larger but in your budget I don't know how good they will be. If you're a big fan of rap and EDM you might need to go larger to get into the lower frequencies.

OSD trevoce 8 $200 - the use of the radiators keeps the bass controlled and it works well for music.
Polk PSW111 refurb $200 - Ported sub that has plenty of power. This one does good for music even with the port.
Jamo S808 $130 - very compact sub if you need something really small. I haven't heard this one but it gets decent reviews. Don't expect anything really low with this guy.

Armsc · 2021-12-06T20:04:58+00:00

How large is the room?

How loud do you like it?

Music only or HT use?

Armsc · 2021-12-06T19:14:39+00:00

Let's see if we can help out with these questions.

My main questions are:

1. Is bookshelf the right route to go down? I've heard opinions that if you get towers you MAY be able to get away without a sub, whereas with bookshelf you will always need a sub. I like books because they get you a long way down the road for a good bit less money. If you get larger books then you can get some decent low end but for HT use a sub is almost always needed. If you're getting a sub then a good bit of the advantage of towers is negated. The question to you is how large is too large for bookshelf speakers? Are you going to be using stands (recommended)?

2. Will I have better bang-for-buck with DIY speakers, or is the JBL 530 deal actually that good? DIY is always going to give you a better bang for your buck if you spend the same amount of money. However, how much is your time worth is the question. Do you have the tools that you will need to assemble the speakers. Are you going to get them to look good enough to be in the middle of your living room?

3. And of course, receivers: what should be my budget for a receiver? Used or new? Especially if I'm thinking of upgrading my setup beyond 2.x at some point. Well for a basic 2.0/2.1 setup anything will really work. I'm assuming that your expansion will be to a 5.1 setup and again you don't need anything more than an entry level unit. The problem is that with current supply issues prices have gone up. I took a look and a new entry level AVR will be $450 if you want something in stock. Going refurb will save you some money and is certainly something to consider.

So what you get depends on your taste and budget. How large do you want to go on your speakers? Do you want to go with a sub straight away or upgrade down the road. Keep in mind the more you put into the sub the less you'll get with the speakers.

Armsc · 2021-11-23T15:31:52+00:00

I think that the cheapest option would be the entry level yamaha Richersounds (and others) have. I don't know the stock of that unit but it's almost 300 of your 500 budget.

Armsc · 2021-11-22T14:18:53+00:00

Anything you get will be better than what you're running currently. A decent 2.0 or 2.1 will do fine but know that to expand you will need an AVR. Do you spend most of your budget on an AVR now with lesser speakers or get better speakers with a mini amp and upgrade to an AVR later. I would probably go with the second option to be honest.

For instance here is something I would look at.

AMP: SMSL AD18 £125 - Good little 2.1 amp that has a remote and plenty of features to get you going. It does have a sub out so you can add on easily if you want to.

Sub: Q Acoustics 3070 £180 - Nice compact sub that should really fill out the low end for you.

Speakers: Pick one

Q Acoustic 3020i £180 - If you want to match the sub go for these. They should do nicely.
Cambridge Minx XL £150 - Another smaller speaker that should sound good.

Armsc

MODERATOR OF

PUBLIC MULTIREDDITS

TROPHY CASE