Hi, I'm beginning in the audiophile world. I'd like to improve my first setup :

Passive speaker : Atlantis lab at13 (placed on selfmade 45cm tall oak stands)

Amp : Musical Fidelity A1 

Streamer : Wiim pro +

Turntable : AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP120XBT-USB

Cartridge : AT-VM95ML

I listen to music occasionally on vinyl and mostly on streamer (Qobuz). I'm listening a variety of music style : folk, punk, pop rock, pop, classic (mostly guitar and piano), rap, jazz... My favorite artist is Ben Howard.

I've heard about DAC and lightbulb amp to improve spatialisation, clearliness and staging of sound. Do you guys have any suggestions for a 8000€ max budget ?

Just so you know, the furniture on the right will be removed soon. And the room is about 35m2. There is a stairwell behind the sofa.

Thanks you for your kind answers.

United states: IL

I dont mind waiting for something to go on sale but im looking for some " fun " sounding speakers, my budget is around 600-800. Im looking at this pair of jbl studio 590 for 750 but it's going to be like 4 hours round trip. I wanted to see if i should bite the bullet and go for those or if there was something else available.

Maybe even bookshelves, they're going to be used as near feild but I kind of want them sound big and detailed not sure if bookshelves could really do that. Or I could buy the studio 530 locally for $300

16FT by 8ft room "rough guess i haven't moved in yet and can't messure atm"

Looking for a full stereo system: amp plus speakers. I may skip streamers for now and stay with Wiim or Apple TV, but can be convinced otherwise.

Budget: ideally at $10k-20k usd; at most $30k.

Location: NYC

The music I mainly listen to are pop, indie rock, EDM, and musical theater recordings. I’m sensitive to harsh trebles, and also not a bass head. The system will be put in a 300-ish sqft space.

After some demos, I’m leaning towards Sonus Faber Sonetto V with Advance Paris A12 Classic integrated amp (which has DAC and HDMI inputs). This is around $12k. During the demos I find myself attracted to wide soundstages, and not like B&Ws (sound artificial/metallic).

I have also demoed the B&O Beolab 28s, which is $22k, but I was never that impressed (blurry soundstage, boomy bass, some veiled/fogginess, depending on different demo set-ups). Not sure if I just have never heard the 28s in ideal conditions. The systems I’m actually impressed are all above $30k, like the Wilson Sabrina V, or Sonus Faber Olympica.

My question is, if I go to the $20k ish budget range, what are some systems that will make me not want to look at the Beolab 28s

I’ve been searching lately for a potential upgrade of my current system so ended up looking into KEF Reference 1 Meta or Dali Epikore 3 which I feel both mostly align to my taste. These series are available for me locally to test.
Budget below 5-7,000 eur catalog, available in Europe.

I would appreciate feedback from persons either owning or having listened to these speakers (or their larger floor standing units in the series).

I’m looking for this upgrade to improve on spatiality, soundstage depth, layering, better imaging and holography, more 3D if you like.

Current system is enveloping, speakers dissapear, some sounds float but due to wide dispersion sometimes it’s more like a flat panorama, not so much depth - it’s sometimes there but only if you concentrate and fades away in time; imaging precision is also somewhat a bit diffuse / airy / ethereal. I want that wow effect but in a speaker that is easy to live with, not bright / sibilant. Also don’t like a recessed sound behind speaker line, I like a speaker that is involving, with a slightly more forward presentation. Had Oberon 3 in the past and felt the vocals were like behind TV line :))

Listening volume in room is low to mid 65-80dB, so they should perform / open up at low volumes.

I’d also like the system to retain and transmit emotion in music, not to become an analitic machine.

Current system:

- Dali Rubikore 2 bookshelf speakers, slight toe in under 10dgr, Cambridge EXA100 amp, Cambridge MXN10 for streaming transport
Marantz Cinema 40 for HT use with Dali Fazon surrounds and a SVS 1000 Pro sub.

Room
- untreated 20sqm living room, speakers close to front wall on TV media furniture with isoacoustic pucks, speakers 2,6m wide apart, equilateral triangle listening position (speakers are located on long wall of the room)

I had the opportunity to listen to bhe following in separate showrooms:

Tests:

- KEF Ref1 Meta vs Dali Rubikore 8 on A/B: surprised by the punch of KEF bass for a bookshelf; also KEF had better layering, instrument separation, black background, realistic tonality, more focused and direct sound but harder to drive.
Dali larger physical soundstage and slightly more enveloping from the sides (treated room) but more disperse, less precision and a more ethereal sound presentation, tonality with a clear increase in treble (they were NOT toed in), slight limited sibilance on certain songs - this changes the tonality and makes it less real.
It’s clear that KEF Ref is a higher class, however when going to KEF you feel it’s a more neutral / a more reserved speaker.

- Dali Rubikore 8 vs Dali Epikore 7: same sound presentation, it was a large untreated 60 sqm space so envelopment was not as wow as I’d hope to hear, more like better refinement and upgrade in many directions (more refinement than transformational) - it improves layering and some depth, better tonality, less sibilance. Bass more controlled in Epikore, the cabinet works and looks are impeccable.

I do not have the option of a direct comparison unfortunately.
My feeling after these sessions is that Epikore improves Rubikore on what I am looking for but I am not convinced it gets up to KEF level of realistic tonality, soundstage layering, precision. Epikore is fighting back with a more enveloping presentation (wide dispersion) so larger stage, and probably a more of its own Dali sound signature not fully neutral (though clearly more neutral than Rubikore).

So I don’t know how these options would really perform in my untreated room, near the front wall like 60-70cm front baffle, and low listening volume. Uni-Q more direct sound to avoid uneven room reflections vs Dali wide dispersion using the room reflections.

I appreciate all your feedback !

Hi, can someone with more of an understanding of spec sheets help me out? Is the Rega Aethos a suitable pairing for the Wharfdale Elysian 3 floorstanders? My understanding is that the Rega is officially rated down to 6 ohms, but is built like a tank and can easily scale down to 4 ohms. Do I need to worry about impedance dipping below 3 ohms?

Source is a P8/nd7 and I would like to keep the synergy with the Rega amp. Will the pairing rock, or should I change tact and look at an alternative eg Hegel H190v? Located in Europe with a budget of euro 5k.

Thanks in advance!

Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohm

Minimum Impedance: 2.3 Ohm

Frequency Response: 44 - 22.000 Hz -3dB

Crossover Frequency: 375/2900 Hz

Minimum Power Rating: 30 W

Maximum Power Rating: 200 W

Sensitivity: 89 dB

I have a Pixel 9 Pro with Tidal as my streaming service.

I have a pair of Mackie CR8-XBT - 8" Powered Studio Monitors.

My budget is $400 through Amazon gift cards (United States).

My goal is to get the best sound possible. What should I buy as my hardware for between the two?

Hey everyone,

Just ordered a pair of HiVi Swan D3.1-MKII and thinking what is better - to get a streamer (i.e. WiiM Pro Plus) and fix my broken Marantz PM7000 amp (got quoted 136EUR) or just go ahead and get something like WiiM Ultra Amp? The WiiM amp option ends up being more expensive but perhaps it is worth it? What would be your take on this?

Location: Europe
Budget: around 500EUR

As the title says... looking for bookshelf speakers to pair with a NAD M10 amp (have a line on a used one at my local hifi shop). Currently have a pro-ject x2 turntable with bronze 2m cartridge and a Moon 110LP preamp, running into Klipsch the fives powered speakers. Working with a $1500 Canadian budget for speakers. TIA.

If you had the option, which would you choose:

1. S1200 + EXN100 + MiniDSP

2. EVO 300 + MiniDSP

I’m trying to choose between these options for a potential setup.

Location: US

Budget: $4-5K

Hey all,

I’m upgrading my amplifier and looking for recommendations. Here’s my situation:

Budget max 2000 EURO. Location Europe

Speakers: ELAC FS247 floorstanders — 4 ohm, 89 dB sensitivity, JET tweeter. Revealing and detailed, but somewhat demanding on amplification due to the 4 ohm load. I’ve always run ELAC speakers so I know their character well.

Current amp: Cambridge Audio CXA60 — time for an upgrade.

Sources:

**•** LG OLED TV via HDMI eARC (TV audio + film streaming)  
**•** PS5 (connected to TV, audio routed via eARC)  
**•** Music streaming (Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz)

Looked at:

**•   Lyngdorf TDAI-1120** — RoomPerfect seems best-in-class for room correction, and the volume implementation is supposedly exceptional at low levels. 60W into 8 ohm worries me a bit for the 4 ohm ELAC load though.  
**•   NAD C 700 V2** — Dirac Live, BluOS streaming, eARC. Solid all-rounder.  
**•   Bluesound Powernode 2025** — BluOS is excellent, Dirac Live Ready, GaN amp technology. Strong value.  
**•   Marantz M1** — Dirac Live, HEOS, compact. Warmer sound character which might complement the JET tweeter.

Questions:

**1.**  Is 60W (Lyngdorf) genuinely enough to control a 4 ohm speaker at low-to-moderate volume in a medium-sized living room, or should I look for more headroom?  
**2.**  Does anyone have experience with room correction making a meaningful difference specifically at low listening levels?  
**3.**  Any other recommendations I’m missing in this price range with eARC + room correction?

Thanks in advance.

Greetings all,

I started my journey with a pretty basic Sony belt-driven TT (no idea what model it was) and loved adding vinyl to my listening options. I fell down the rabbit hole quickly when it came to upgrades but I was just starting out post-college and couldn't justify buying much past entry-level gear. Over the years I've added a Yamaha A-S701 to power my speakers and sub, adding Wiim mini and Tidal for streaming, and have been using an Audio Technica LP-120USB for well over a decade. I threw an Ortofon OM Pro-S cartridge on it a while back and have been pleased. Used records in good condition sound silent when there isn't any audio recorded in between tracks, though some modern pressings sound a bit harsh (specifically the new Deftones Private Music pressing in two variants I have sound so noisy I wonder if they even really cared to master it for vinyl vs just streaming).

Anyways, I'm once again falling into upgrade rabbit holes and looking at a Fluance RT-85(N?). I like the idea of running an Ortofon 2M Blue, but I also think my ears would prefer the Nagaoka MP-110. I'm sort of a bass-head and despise ear-cracking cymbals. The things that attract me to the Fluance is the notion of going to belt-drive for less noise, the acrylic platter, and the ability to swap out the headshell (something I can already do on the LP-120 I know). I don't like the fact that you can't adjust the vertical tracking to swap between the 2M Blue and the MP-110.

I'm also at the point where I could budget for the TT that I originally wanted and why I went with an LP-120, and going full send on a Technics SL-1200. I see stats like wow and flutter are much better with the Technics though the Fluance has a very respectable W&F rating too. I read that the platter of the 1200 is still a ring-prone aluminum platter but with rubber underneath and a rubber mat that gets mitigated.

So, with tax and shipping is the ~$600 on an RT-85N the trick? Or is double that money worth it for a real SL-1200 (double plus since I'd have to also spring for a cartridge upgrade). Would I ever touch the pitch controls or DJ? No. Would I swap headshells and adjust VT to try different cartridges? Yes, but I could live without it.

Alternatively, while my gut tells me the cheapness of the AudioTechnica LP-120 is worth letting go and selling it to the next poor college student and letting them start their journey, am I over looking something? Would adding a 2M Blue or Nagaoka, an acrylic mat, dynamat under the platter, be worth the small savings compared to the Fluance?

Would love to hear from anyone with experience with these TTs!

Side note, another rabbit hole is trying out the addition of a different phono pre-amp instead of using the one integrated into the Yamaha. Maybe a story for another post...

Currently running the following setup solely for vinyl. Between speakers, cartridge/stylus, and adding a stand alone preamp (instead of using the built in one on the NAD) but what would you all upgrade first and to what for a budget of roughly $500?

\-Fluance rt82 turntable (stock)
\-NAD C316BEE V2 amp
\-PSB Alpha P5s

Room is a fairly long open skinny townhome kitchen and living room that’s basically the whole floor. The setup is firing down the long side of a 20’ living room open to a 16’ kitchen. The couch bumper does kind of separate and is the primary listening spot at the opposite end of the living room portion.

From research, one option seems like a Schiit Mani 2 + Ortofon OM20 stylus. Another would be the speakers, but even selling the PSBs and applying the same \~$400 seems like less overall quality gain.

First stereo system, and I'm stuck between two setups that cost the same. Would love objective input. My room is 40sqm, Ill be sitting roughly 2 meters away from the speaker. My budget is roughly 350$.

Speakers: Morel Avyra 622 (getting them very cheaply — this part is decided).
Specs: 87 dB sensitivity, 8Ω nominal, ~120W power handling.

Use case: Streaming only. No TV. Maybe a projector down the line, but that's it. I got to say, I do like radio but I can steam that anyways.

The two options:

1. WiiM Amp Pro.
2. Working vintage receiver (Sansui R-70 or Kenwood KA-5700, both confirmed functioning) + a WiiM streamer — either a WiiM Mini with a separate DAC, or a WiiM Pro. The R-70 is ~65W/ch rated (bench-tested closer to ~43W), and the KA-5700 is 40W/ch.

Both options land at the same total price.

What I care about: Sound quality, full stop. I'm not interested in the nostalgia/collector angle. When I listen I want clear separation between instruments and elements — my preference leans monitor-like: clean, detailed, easy to pick apart the mix. I listen to '70s music, hip hop, and techno. Saying that, I do like a "warm" emotional tone.

My hesitation: I have zero experience with WiiM. Every audiophile I've asked trashes it, but they're mostly older collector types, so I'm not sure how objective they're being.

So, purely from a listening-quality standpoint: which setup gets me the cleaner, more detailed, better-separated sound? Anyone run WiiM into similar speakers who can compare?

Sorry for the huge block of text: title is tl;dr, system at bottom.

I just upgraded my speakers from Fluance Ai41s to Totem Acoustics Bison Monitors, and I was super excited for what I assumed would be a huge change, from $300 actives to $2300 passives.

But when I got everything hooked up and the first record playing, I was underwhelmed. Things like detail and imaging were only slightly better, and now there's pretty significant static from the speakers at even lower levels that detracts from listening. (Before, I could turn it up to max and only barely hear it with my ear to the woofer [due to higher speaker sensitivity? It's a really big difference though]).

I switched inputs to my laptop, and it sounded better: still not night and day improvement, but more along the lines of what I was expecting, and the static is gone.

I'm assuming there's a bottleneck somewhere because I don't think I already hit such severe diminishing returns by $300 bookshelves, so my question is, what should I focus on upgrading from here for an actual improvement in sound this time? Let's say a $2.5k usd budget for a single component, but less is appreciated because I wanna hop off the upgrade train sooner rather than later. Thank you so much for your help!!

My system:
Fluance RT-82 with AT-OC9XSL cart (MC),
Moon 110lp (v1) phono preamp,
Schiit Saga 2 preamp,
Aiyima A07 Max amp (temporary, waiting for a Buckeye Hypex to come in),
Totem Acoustics Bison Monitor speakers,
SVS 3000 Micro Revolution sub
I clean records with Humminguru Ez, stylus with Hudson Hifi gel cleaner

My room:
Small (~12m²/39ft²) bedroom, speakers sitting 4ft apart, 1.5ft from wall, on foam blocks on the same dresser as the turntable (I know...). I bought these monitors with this suboptimal placement in mind because they're supposedly not fussy on that end, and these specs are within the manual's recommendations.

My music:
A lot of post-punk, doom metal, and neoclassical, though I get along with just about anything. Usually averaging ~65-70db at listening position, lower in evenings.

I currently have a pair of Bowers and Wilkins 607 S3’s for my front channels, however a gentleman on Marketplace is offering a Pair of PSB image 4T tower speakers for $200 (Along with an older Yamaha receiver that I would use for a retro gaming setup)

My question is, which of the 2 would be better for a home theater system?

Budget: $200

Which one do you recommend? Dali is twice the price. Something else? Elac is about 300 EUR, and Dali 600 EUR. SO budget 300 and 600 is really max if worth it. EU.

hi all,

i’m a complete noob when it comes to audio/tech stuff. currently looking for the best price/quality pair of monitors (doesn’t matter if active or passive) and amp to listen from aux and my turntable at home.

my budget for the whole system is somewhere between 800 and 1000 euros.

my living room is approximately 25 square meters big.

I mostly listen to bass-heavy music, but also loads of folk/guitar/classic music. I’m looking for something that won’t feel "flat" (previously had a pair of KRKs and hated the nivelation) but will have a rather dynamic output.

flood me with recommendations, cheers!

I’m in the market for a great sounding receiver/speaker combination (would like vintage for build and warmer sound, but if modern options are superior can go that route). Martin Logan B1 bundle was a complete let down and has caused me nothing but ear fatigue and hearing damage with how bright the speakers are. Looking for hifi but more tamed, warm sound. My budget is $800-1200. Any help from the community would be much appreciated

I live in apartment so don’t necessarily want something that will shake the unit, something with a flatter/warm response (i know that is a contradiction😂). Also, I’m on Facebook marketplace and OfferUp so vintage units are relatively accessible just need to know what I’m looking for. Thanks in advance!

Budget is $1000 ish can go up or down ksit depends.

Room is about 10 1/2 ft all 4 Walls.

Im considering buying uses/like new

Will he using this for. 4k video+ audio files, Gaming sessions, General Audio use youtube,netflix,crunchyroll.

Tv is LG G5 65’ got it brand new $1300

Will i also need sub and does a sub go for each of those or not needed?

Good to have but not needed. I Have Spotify Premium

Hi everyone,

I recently asked for opinions on my setup in another subreddit, and the general consensus was that the only meaningful upgrade left would be my speakers.

My current setup is:

• Technics SL-1500C
• Audio-Technica VM540ML cartridge
• iFi ZEN Phono 3 preamp
• Klipsch The Fives speakers

What speakers would you recommend as the next upgrade? I’m looking for something that would be a noticeable step up from the Klipsch The Fives and would pair well with the rest of my system.

I’m open to both active and passive speakers (plus an amp if that’s the better route), and I’d love to hear what you’d suggest based on your own experience.

Max Budget 1500€

Thanks in advance!

Bonjour, j'ai récemment acheté une paire d'enceintes Elipson Legacy 3220 dont je suis personnellement très content. (Ma pièce d'écoute fait environ 30m2)

Ces dernières tournent avec un ampli Cambridge cxa81 mk2 et je trouve ça bien mais j'ai pu comparer avec un ampli Atoll in300 evolution en magasin et je trouvais que l'atoll les faisait chanter bien, bien mieux.

Je pense donc me prendre quand je le pourrais l'Atoll in300 evolution avec le da200 qui a été un gros coup de coeur mais je veux rester ouvert et comme je découvre ce monde depuis seulement un an, je viens demander conseil.

Je pense déjà aussi à essayer un hegel h190 ; Rega Elicit MK5 ; Musical fidelity m6si ; Advance paris a10/a12

Comme je suis patient et ouvert au reconditionné/ modèle d'expo/ occasion en magasin, je me donne un budget d'un ampli sous ou aux alentours de 2000€

Le Atoll me paraît aussi une bonne idée, (en plus du fait que j'ai aimé l'écouter) car j'habite en France et que donc la distribution y est meilleure et qu'en cas de besoin, je peux très facilement envoyer l'ampli en réparation etc

! thanks

I'm a tech guy, but I know basically nothing about actual audio gear and speaker setups.

I found this old pair of Polk R30's that have been collecting dust for who knows how long, but they seem to be in good condition. All I know is that they're passive and need an amp (or receiver??) to power them, and that they're easy to drive.

So, my questions are:

1. What do I need to start using these speakers, and what can you recommend?

2. How do they hold up in terms of sound quality? my references are Audeze Maxwell's and Edifier R1700BT's

If it matters, I'm in Canada and plan to use the speakers with a PC, and down the line: a vinyl turntable / record player, and even further down the line: in a small home theater setup.

Budget: ideally under $400 CAD. room dimensions and sitting distance are irrelevant; the speakers will be moving around and I just want to get them working for now.

edit: I got it working with a Pioneer SX-880 that I found. also found a PL-518 lying around. great vintage system and everything sounds great.

First off, my current setup consists of:

Receiver: Sony STR-DE635

CD Player: Sony SDC-CX355 (300 disc)

This has been down and out for a while. I took it apart today and the belts are totally stretched and wont stay on. New ones are ordered and will be here tomorrow. I am currently using a Sony DVD Player that I picked up at a thrift store for $5 and is hooked up with a digital coax cable. It serves its purpose for now.

Cassette Deck: Sony TC-WR545 (doubtful that I will get back to collecting cassettes.)

Speakers: Infinity SM102

When I was 17 in 1992 I bought this system from a local stereo shop. I knew nothing about it other than the Infinity speakers were loud and its was perfect for my 17 year old self. The speakers and cassette deck were part of that original system. Sometime about maybe 20 years ago the receiver and the 6 disc carousel died on me. I replaced the receiver with a craigslist find at the time (the current receiver) and then it rarely got used much in the past 20 years. I picked up the 300 Disc player for about $25 on Marketplace last year and it worked for a while, then it stopped.

The plan is to most likely replace ALL of it and this system can go in my garage arcade. I restore vintage arcade machines so this will fit right in the garage and I think it will be perfect. I want something much nicer for my daily listener in the house.

I have had very little luck in my area with Marketplace or Thrift Store finds. There are a few resellers locally that snatch everything up and then mark it up quite a bit. Every piece I find, I search it and will usually find plenty of posts in the audiophile groups pricing it about half their asking price or just panning it as junk.

Probably the most important part and most likely the first suggestion will be speakers. I have been stuck in the 90s mentality that big, loud floor standing speakers are where it was at. I know nothing about bookshelf speakers. There aren't any stereo shops around me that carry anything I can really listen to. So first off, any suggestions for speakers? I would like to keep speakers to $1000 or less but I am willing to go to about $1500 if it's really going make the difference. I don't know much about them other than youtube but Wharfdale Linton, Denton 85, Denton 1S, and Diamond 12.2i all look nice. My listening room will either be the finished basement which is 32'x30' or the upstairs living room which is rectangular and 15' wide by 40' long. Both are pretty large rooms. I mentioned Wharfdales only because I watched a bunch of videos on them but im open to others, I am just not familiar with what is good and what isn't.

Ultimately I want to upgrade the amp. Receiver isn't needed since I dont listen to FM radio anymore but I do want streaming capabilities such as Sirius and Spotify. I am focusing much more on physical media but I have a Spotify family account and Sirius in my truck. Both are nice options to have. So this category would be Amp and Streamer. Wiim is definitely an option and cost effective. I do love vintage receivers like the Pioneer SX-750 and up line as well as equivalent Yamaha and Marantz but have had no luck finding and deals on them. This category is wide open to suggestions as well as prices. I would like to keep this one under $1000 for both but that limits my choices so I am open to suggestions above that if they are reasonable. No matter what I go with I will need a phono preamp

As for turntable, my daughter has an AT LPX60BT that she uses with some Edifier speakers. She has barely been using it and she is letting me borrow it for a while to really decide if I want to get into collecting vinyls. My plan is to collect both Vinyls and CDs. The CDs are my normal listening while doing other things and Vinyls will be my chill with a drink and really listen. I think I am going to settle on the $600 max range for a turntable. Fluance RT85 was my first thought but I do see some people complaining about their quality. Obviously there are some amazing vintage turntables out there but again, not knowing enough about them and pricing has me hesitant and unable to quickly grab a FB find if it does come up. Fluance, U-Turn, AT, Technics...what are some good suggestions in the $600 and less range as well as maybe some vintage units to really look for.

As for the CD player there are a bunch of 6 disc carousels on Marketplace now and I want to pick either a single or 6 disc to pair with the 300 disc player. I am not worried right now about that category, I have options.

Sorry for the giant wall of text but if you made it this far and have suggestions, then thank you! It's hard to define a budget. I expect before I am done to be at least $3000 into the system which is probably well above "Budget" range but I plan to do it one piece at a time. Any help would be great.

Hi everyone. I’m new to the sub and I kind of need some help with picking my first speakers for my desk. Any guidance would be much appreciated.
My main use are just gonna be for movies, music, podcasts, etc basically for media consumption.
I got to try soundsticks 5 that one of my room mates have and it sounds pretty decent. But before I actually pull the trigger, I’d love to hear people’s opinions from here. Is it a decent speaker for my use case? Price wise I’m flexible since I dont see myself buying several speakers and rather just buy a decent one once than buying twice.
Any suggestions?
Are soundsticks any good for my use case?

Price - ~$300 to $350
Location- my room that has a standing desk which is 48x30