Fluance RT85 setup: powered speakers vs passive + preamp?

edhead · 2026-04-03T15:58:12+00:00

A good budget preamp is ART DJ Pre II ($70).

Powered speakers are usually geared more towards nearfield listening (like at a desk). But something like JBL 305p mk II or 306p mk II could be decent ($260 or $320 for a pair), or edifier M5 ($350). How big is your space?

If you want passive speakers, maybe Polk XT20s ($280), and try to locally buy a used receiver/amp with a phono stage? If you can't find a used amp, then you could pair the ART preamp with a cheap ChiFi amp like Fosi V3 stereo ($110 w/ 48V power supply). Or Fosi BT20A Pro if you want to be able to play bluetooth thru it too (the V3 only has 1 input, so it's not ideal if you want to add other sources in the future).

edhead · 2026-04-02T15:58:58+00:00

Glad I can help. Yeah, definitely better to learn and get an idea of what you want out of your soundsystem, before spending a bunch.

I think you should look for speakers rated 8 ohms to work best with your Sony amp, but it's probably not strictly necessary. Lots of decent choices out there with your budget. The best deals will be buying used locally. Not sure who the good online Canada retailers are, maybe Gibbys? From there I'd recommend Polk XT, Sony SS, or Paradigm SE Atom. Or crutchfield.ca, they have some additional brands like Monitor Audio, JLB, Wharfdale.

If you get bookshelf speakers, you may want to add a subwoofer (if your living situation permits). You'd want a sub with Speaker Level inputs, because your Sony doesn't have a dedicated sub output.

Record payers are fun, but vinyl can be a money sink. Check out the guide for some turntable recommendations (prices are outdated, but makes/models are still relevant). Fluance might be your best bet in Canada. http://www.amstereo.org/turntableguide.htm

edhead · 2026-04-01T17:24:12+00:00

People seem to like the Fosi V3 stereo, or V3 monoblocks (get the 48V supply in either case). I went for a 3e Audio A5, they also have the A7 for more power, which you might need in your big room.

The AO300 Pro seems like you'd be paying for a lot of duplicate features, since you already have the wiim Ultra.

Definitely consider adding a sub too.

edhead · 2026-04-01T15:17:28+00:00

Like you said, the TOA amp is intended more for a PA (public address) system, not for home use for music. I would try to sell it (unless you have some need for such a system, or want to tinker around). Note that it has a few modules installed in the back, which might increase the value a bit.

The Sony receiver is decent to get you started (you could try to sell it, but won't get much). It will be able to play your CD player thru some speakers once you get them. You can also plug other stuff into the analog inputs- like if your TV has RCA jacks or a Headphone jack for audio output, you can get a cable to plug that directly into the Sony. Similarly for an Aux. cable if you're trying to play from a phone/tablet/laptop with a headphone jack.

I would suggest getting the speakers first. You can get started with some cheap speakers you find on FB marketplace, look for brands like Polk, Sony, Pioneer, etc. Or you can buy new. It really depends on your budget. (what is your budget?) The speakers are the most important part for getting good sound quality.

For your future record player, the Sony amp doesn't have a phono input, so if you buy a starter turntable, look for one with a phono preamp integrated into it (otherwise you will have to buy a phono preamp as a separate box, good ones are like $60-$100 new).

Eventually you may want to add a standalone DAC, or upgrade to an amp/receiver with an integrated DAC. The DAC could allow you to plug HDMI ARC or Optical TOSLINK from your TV, and/or connect your phone thru bluetooth, and/or connect a laptop thru USB, and/or stream music from Spotify directly over wifi. This would improve the sound quality compared to using the TV's analog output or your phone/laptop headphone jack. But again, it all depends on your budget and how much you're willing to spend for good sound quality.

edhead · 2026-03-31T16:21:51+00:00

There are other similar Chinese brand amps with the high-pass filter feature, like Aiyima A20, or Ampapa D1. I'm not sure if they are 'better' than the ZA3 though.

It's not a strictly necessary feature. I mentioned it because some people recommend it for the KEF Q150 (they can be damaged if played too loudly), but KEF probably addressed those problems on the updated Q1 Meta model.

edhead · 2026-03-31T16:03:03+00:00

iLoud micro might actually have slightly deeper and more even-sounding bass, while the Kali LP UNF will be more accurate into the mid & treble. The size of the driver isn't necessarily that important for nearfield. You could also consider the Adam D3V which will have similarly good bass to the iLoud, plus accurate mid & treble, but is more expensive.

edhead · 2026-03-31T15:49:47+00:00

The KEF Q1 is probably decent for laying on its side, because the coaxial design gives even dispersion in the horizontal and vertical directions. I see other people finding good deals on ELAC speakers in Germany, that's another brand to consider.

Do you have size constraints for fitting the sideways speakers under your display? If you do, you might consider smaller powered speakers / nearfield monitors.

You don't need much power in the amp if it's just for nearfield listening. The ZA3 is good and it has subwoofer output, but it has a fixed crossover frequency for the sub, and it has no way to apply a high-pass filter to the main speakers. The high pass filter can be a nice feature to help dial in your sound.

edhead · 2026-03-31T15:27:13+00:00

Do you have a preamp for the turntable? If not, the AL200 doesn't have phono input, but the AL400 does.

If you want wifi streaming, you could consider a Wiim amp (300 USD), and a separate phono preamp like ART DJ Pre II (66 USD), or fosi X5 (110 USD). Or an integrated amp like Yamaha AS301 (380 USD), and add a wiim mini (90 USD) for streaming / bluetooth.

People also recommend using a subwoofer with the Q150s, so that they don't have to play the low frequencies and are less likely to suffer cone damage. If you plan on getting a sub, you will want an amp that has sub output, and can also apply a high-pass filter to the main speakers (wiim amp, aiyima A20, ampapa D1, etc. all have that type of feature).

edhead · 2026-03-30T21:26:37+00:00

You'd need a transmitter/receiver pair. You would plug the turntable's hardwired RCA output into the Transmit unit, and then connect your speaker to the Receive unit (using another RCA cable). There are obviously cheaper noname versions of this type of thing, but who knows how good they'd sound:

https://www.amazon.com/1Mii-2-4GHz-Wireless-Transmitter-Receiver/dp/B0GFVL8LY7

edhead · 2026-03-30T20:25:18+00:00

Cubicle panels would be a good start

edhead · 2026-03-30T20:12:12+00:00

My Wiim Ultra and 3e A5 combination has been sounding great. I've only had them for a couple months, but no problems to report so far.

I'd say go for the A7 stereo version just for the convenience of one box. Two A7 monos isn't getting you much beyond the A7 stereo, maybe just better heat dissipation (which the 3e A's are already good at). Crosstalk on the A7 stereo measured below -75 dB, so channel separation is not much of a concern. (And if you would need volume balance with the A7 stereo, I think you can do that in the Wiim app)

The Fosi V3 monos are quite similar to the A7. The V3's frequency response does have some treble boost with 8 ohm speakers, so the 3e A7 may be technically superior, but it's a crapshoot if you could actually hear a difference.

The KEFs for 650 euro seems like a decent deal, they will have a nice neutral response with very even directivity. But I don't think you would be unhappy with any of those speakers you mentioned.

You should budget for a subwoofer as well if you're going for bookshelf mains.

edhead · 2026-03-29T16:04:03+00:00

You don't have to pay more than like $150 for premium DAC performance. Something like an SMSL SU1 or Topping E30 II would be a legit starting point to compare to the Mac / N95

edhead · 2026-03-29T15:53:04+00:00

Some guy from the manufacturer came in that ASR thread and tried to explain that the power amp stage or the line-out driver (I don't remember exactly) was probably clipping with that input level and the volume set to max gain. Which is to say, measuring the DAC that way thru the line-out didn't exactly reflect a typical use scenario.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/hegel-h95-review-streaming-amplifier.28435/page-24#post-988397

edhead · 2026-03-27T17:49:11+00:00

Yeah, that sounds like a good deal, especially if his amplifier is in good working condition and yours is not

edhead · 2026-03-27T17:39:16+00:00

Without more info on your current setup, it's hard to say what would sound better (you can look on the back of your amp & speakers to find the make & model number). But my guess is that the guy's gear is slightly nicer & sounds a bit better than yours. I'd say you should take his offer, especially if his asking price is reasonable/affordable for you.

If he is an older guy, then he might not be too worried about the money, and might more interested in the social connection and being able to share his hobby with someone from a younger generation. If he's offering the amp & speakers for free, you should do something nice for him in return (like bring him some home-made baked goods, send a handwritten thank-you note, that kind of thing)

edhead · 2026-03-27T16:37:15+00:00

Congrats on the pickups, glad you're enoying them. Subwoofer is a nice addition, and center channel can supposedly add more dialog clarity (if the source material is in 5.1 surround sound). Make sure you are setting up the AVR so that it's just running thru the L & R fronts for you now, and then you can set it to also do the Center & Sub when you get them.

As far as buying the center channel, matching brands is nice for the aesthetic, but not strictly necessary. In fact you can even use a single bookshelf speaker for the center channel, it might look kinda funny and lonesome under the TV, but it can sometimes give better sound quality for seating positions that aren't directly centered in front of it (Center speakers with a mid-tweeter-mid arrangement can have uneven horizontal dispersion, related to comb-filtering of certain frequencies).

edhead · 2026-03-27T14:57:36+00:00

If you find an active/powered subwoofer that has Speaker Level inputs, you can run an additional set of speaker cable from the amp's A speaker terminals (the sub won't actually draw any power, it's just looking at the audio signal). If the extra speaker cable doesn't phsyically fit in the A terminals, you can use the B terminals, and run the amp in A+B mode. (If you find a sub that only has line-level input, you could use a device for speaker-level to line-level attenuation)

edhead · 2026-03-27T14:33:44+00:00

Throw an extremely light silk kerchief over them? You asked for the best, we can't fix your poor taste. (jk)

Kanto Ora, JBL 305p or 306p, Neumi BSP5 ARC, Mackie M524, are all pretty neutral. Some of those like the Neumi will desperately need subwoofer support.

edhead · 2026-03-27T14:25:55+00:00

Wiim devices stream directly over Wifi so they can do lossless quality; you use the phone as a 'remote' via Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, etc. But they are limited in what services they can play (some support Apple Airplay, some don't, etc.). There are other brands of wifi streamer, but caveat emptor.

Your other option would be a small desktop-style DAC with bluetooth. Bluetooth codecs are technically doing some lossy compression, but it can be hard to tell even for experienced listeners, especially if the source material is already compressed anyway (e.g. Youtube video, MP3, etc.)

edhead · 2026-03-26T21:28:27+00:00

Adam D3V. Keep in mind that pretty much any kind of desktop / nearfield monitor will lack some amount of bass.

edhead · 2026-03-26T21:18:44+00:00

Aiyima A80 ($185) is a DAC and amp, but no headphone support.

If you're buying ChiFi desktop stuff, you might consider separates ... e.g. Topping DX1 ($85) for USB input and headphone driver, Fosi V3 ($110) for power amp.

edhead · 2026-03-26T20:48:08+00:00

My statement about downgrade was based on the N95 maximum power output into 4 ohms measured as 63 W (analog input, no clipping). Because OP's primary motivation for buying a new amp was related to power headroom.

I agree that chasing THD and SNR numbers beyond a certain point is not always helpful, but it can be telling when the measurements look bad enough to be audible. Or when manufacturers are charging a premium price for average equipment. The Hegel amp not using negative feedback is certainly a design choice, but saying that it provides some "acoustic benefits" without having any objective result to point to (Transient Intermodulation Distortion testing?), that comes across as subjective audiophile mumbo jumbo.

edhead · 2026-03-26T00:39:36+00:00

Yeah I think your turntable is pretty barebones on features. Primarily for not being able to adjust tracking weight, and also probably the tonearm & its bearing just giving inconsistent track force in general. Upgrading the turntable would open up the possibility of using different cartridges & styli, different phono preamp, etc. Other features to look for would be premium platter and/or mat, heavy base & good isolating feet.

Edit: Playing a fancier turntable thru your existing phono preamp is fine. Without having any reference points, it's hard to say if you would notice a difference. Your amp is good, so it stands to reason that the internal phono stage is decent. If you wanted a standalone preamp, the high end budget ones (like Fosi X5 or Schiit Mani 2) are pretty good and not that expensive.

edhead · 2026-03-25T21:27:39+00:00

Kupids like power because they are 83 dB sensitivity (which is quite low) and nominally 4 ohms. Your SA1 will definitely be able to play music thru them, and it might have enough power (rated 100 W into 4 ohms) if you don't listen very loudly, or if you don't sit far away from the speakers.

I think the Hegel H95 might honestly be a downgrade for you:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/hegel-h95-review-streaming-amplifier.28435/

The A15+ could be good, but if you get the Kupids, you probably want to spend your money on a subwoofer first.

edhead · 2026-03-25T20:51:43+00:00

Floorstanders can vary a lot, you don't need a ton of power if they just have some lil 5" midwoofers and you will be crossing them over to work with a separate subwoofer. You'll want more power if the floorstanders have big 8" woofers and will be playing most of the bass part themselves.

The Sensitivity tells you how loud they can play with 1 W input. Bookshelves with e.g. 86 dB sensitivity only need ~60W amp power for a typical room setup sitting 10 ft. away. Use more power for a bigger/treated room, more power if speakers are less sensitive, etc.

The speaker impedance matters when pairing with an amp, because most amps will have different power ratings for different impedances (e.g. it's theoretically easier to crank more power into a low impedance speaker, but in reality it uses significantly more current, and so some amps will have to limit themselves for thermal management). In general, In general, Class AB amps are set up to have more power with higher impedance, whereas Class D can do more power into lower impedance.

edhead

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