coroner26
Novice Member
Hey guys,
I'd need some help with picking the right combination of speakers, amp & dac. The setup would be used for music and the source is going to be a PC. The only digital outputs from the PC are USB and HDMI. The price for all should be less than 1000€ but I can stretch by a few hundred more if it's worth it. Below are lists of stuff I found but please feel free to recommend anything else and I'll check it out.
The room is small, 3.5m x 2.5m (around 11ft x 8ft), height 2.6m (8.5ft) and I use it as an office and for my hobbies. There's a limitation on the speaker size I can place on the left-hand side due to a wall. I also can't shift everything more to the right because of a drawer unit which is in the middle of the table. The other reason is that I'd like to keep as much free space on the right-hand side of the table as possible (electronics DIY zone). I'm providing here 3D modelled scenes rather than real pictures because the reality is not quite like this yet (there's currently no space between the wall and the monitors on the left but I'll be shifting everything to the right to make space for the left speaker).
SPEAKERS
As you can see from the pictures above, I am not limited by the height of the speakers but I am limited in the other two dimensions. I rotated the speakers so they face my ears. The largest I can accommodate are for example w:17cm (6.7"), d:26cm (10.2") (that's the size on the pictures). If the speaker is wider then it needs to be shorter, so like w:19cm (7.5"), d:24cm (9.4").
I went through quite a few threads here and elsewhere and I created a list of most recommended speakers but as I said, feel free to recommend any others too. I checked their dimensions and whether I can actually buy them in my country (Slovakia) or in Czech Republic. If it's really worth it I can also order from Amazon.de.
These are the ones that I am able to buy and which would also fit:
SUBWOOFER
I don't seem to have many options for a sub under 500€, at least not from those that are regularly recommended in the threads.
The SVS SB-1000 Pro is above the price I'd like to spend on a sub but I added it because if I buy it, I'll replace my existing QB12 which I use in my 5.1 HT setup (QA 3030i+7000LRi+QB12) with it and use QB12 as my office sub. Although somebody mentioned that he used QB12 in a small room and it was just too big for it and that a smaller woofer-sized sub was performing better.
AMP
I originally wanted to buy AVR Sony STR-DH590 for 250€ but that is not available anymore. It's price also went up to 350€ now and it's supposed to be available in 02/2022 (doubt it).
Either the amp or the dac should act as a Bluetooth transmitter since I own Momentum 3 headphones (supports AAC, aptX, and aptX LL).
I was also looking into chi-fi ones like SMSL AO200 or SA300 but first, I can only buy it from amazon.de and second I am not too convinced about them (especially due to some negative reviews on amazon).
From the list above I am inclining to either PMA-60 or AVR-660H because they have Bluetooth and USB/HDMI inputs so I wouldn't need a DAC. A plus for the AVR is that it has Audyssey and a proper bass management. Btw. I also have that MultiEq Audyssey app which I used to calibrate my HT system (Denon X2600). I think it noticeably helped the sub.
DAC
Again, not many can be found "locally".
ACTIVE SPEAKERS
At some point I also started to look into active speakers. But I was put off by the mention of hiss coming out of them which I'd be not ok with. I think it's only Kali and Adam where I read that the hiss is not that obvious. I still think a combination of passive speakers and amp/avr is more flexible in terms of future updates. Here's a list nonetheless:
Finally, here are lists of things that I saw being recommended but are either not available in my country, too big or too pricey.
Thank you
I'd need some help with picking the right combination of speakers, amp & dac. The setup would be used for music and the source is going to be a PC. The only digital outputs from the PC are USB and HDMI. The price for all should be less than 1000€ but I can stretch by a few hundred more if it's worth it. Below are lists of stuff I found but please feel free to recommend anything else and I'll check it out.
The room is small, 3.5m x 2.5m (around 11ft x 8ft), height 2.6m (8.5ft) and I use it as an office and for my hobbies. There's a limitation on the speaker size I can place on the left-hand side due to a wall. I also can't shift everything more to the right because of a drawer unit which is in the middle of the table. The other reason is that I'd like to keep as much free space on the right-hand side of the table as possible (electronics DIY zone). I'm providing here 3D modelled scenes rather than real pictures because the reality is not quite like this yet (there's currently no space between the wall and the monitors on the left but I'll be shifting everything to the right to make space for the left speaker).
SPEAKERS
As you can see from the pictures above, I am not limited by the height of the speakers but I am limited in the other two dimensions. I rotated the speakers so they face my ears. The largest I can accommodate are for example w:17cm (6.7"), d:26cm (10.2") (that's the size on the pictures). If the speaker is wider then it needs to be shorter, so like w:19cm (7.5"), d:24cm (9.4").
I went through quite a few threads here and elsewhere and I created a list of most recommended speakers but as I said, feel free to recommend any others too. I checked their dimensions and whether I can actually buy them in my country (Slovakia) or in Czech Republic. If it's really worth it I can also order from Amazon.de.
These are the ones that I am able to buy and which would also fit:
Passive Speakers | Frequency range | Woofer size | H x W x D | Sensitivity | Price / pair | Bass Reflex | |
Polk Audio Signature S10E | 67 Hz - 40 kHz | 4" | 21 x 14 x 16 | 87 dB | 155€ | back | can be placed near wall |
Cambridge Audio Minx Min 22 | 120 Hz - 20 kHz | 2.25" | 15 x 8 x 9 | 88 dB | 200€ | n/a | |
Q Acoustics 3010i | 65 Hz - 30 kHz | 4" | 25 x 15 x 25 | 86 dB | 210€ | back | |
Fyne Audio F300 | 54 Hz - 28 kHz | 5" | 25 x 16 x 21 | 87 dB | 214€ | back | |
Polk Audio Signature S15E | 50 Hz - 40 kHz | 5.25" | 30 x 19 x 24 | 88 dB | 230€ | back | can be placed near wall |
PSB Alpha P3 | 57 Hz - 21 kHz (+-3dB) | 4" | 22 x 13 x 17 | 86 dB | 250€ | back | |
Cambridge Minx XL | 50 Hz - 22 kHz | 5.25" | 22 x 16 x 24 | 87 dB | 250€ | back | |
Dali Spector 2 | 54 Hz - 26 kHz | 5.25" | 29 x 17 x 24 | 84.5 dB | 260€ | back | can be placed near wall |
Elac Debut B5.2 | 46 Hz - 35 kHz | 5.25" | 34 x 18 x 24 | 86 dB | 320€ | front | |
DALI Oberon 1 | 51 Hz - 26 kHz | 5.25" | 27 x 16 x 24 | 86 dB | 350€ | back | can be placed near wall |
Monitor Audio Bronze 50 | 40 Hz - 30 kHz | 5.5" | 28 x 17 x 26 | 85 dB | 370€ | back | |
DALI Fazon Mikro | 95 Hz - 25 kHz | 4" | 20 x 11 x 10 | 84 dB | 400€ | n/a | can be placed near wall |
PSB Alpha P5 | 55 Hz - 21 kHz (+-3dB) | 4" | 29 x 17 x 24 | 88 dB | 400€ | back | |
Klipsch R-51M | 62 Hz - 21 kHz | 5.25" | 34 x 18 x 22 | 93 dB | 540€ | back |
SUBWOOFER
I don't seem to have many options for a sub under 500€, at least not from those that are regularly recommended in the threads.
Subwoofers | Frequency range | Woofer size | Price | |
Klipsch R-12SW | 29 Hz - 120 Hz | 12" | 310€ | |
Polk Audio HTS 10 | 25 Hz - 180 Hz | 10 " | 315€ | reliability? |
Polk Audio HTS 12 | 22 Hz - 180 Hz | 12 " | 380€ | reliability? |
Cambridge Audio Minx X301 | 31 Hz (-6dB) - 200 Hz | 8" subwoofer + 8" passive radiator | 400€ | |
SVS SB-1000 Pro | 20 Hz - 270 Hz | 12" | 640€ |
The SVS SB-1000 Pro is above the price I'd like to spend on a sub but I added it because if I buy it, I'll replace my existing QB12 which I use in my 5.1 HT setup (QA 3030i+7000LRi+QB12) with it and use QB12 as my office sub. Although somebody mentioned that he used QB12 in a small room and it was just too big for it and that a smaller woofer-sized sub was performing better.
AMP
I originally wanted to buy AVR Sony STR-DH590 for 250€ but that is not available anymore. It's price also went up to 350€ now and it's supposed to be available in 02/2022 (doubt it).
Either the amp or the dac should act as a Bluetooth transmitter since I own Momentum 3 headphones (supports AAC, aptX, and aptX LL).
Amplifiers/AVRs | Price | Inputs |
Denon PMA-600NE | 400€ | BLE, Optical, RCA, RCA (Phono), Jack (3,5 mm) / Sub Out |
Cambridge Audio AXR85 | 470€ | BLE, RCA, RCA (Phono), Jack (3,5 mm) / Sub Out |
Yamaha WXA-50 | 500€ | USB, Optical, RCA, LAN / Sub Out |
Denon PMA-60 | 510€ | BLE, USB, Coax RCA / Sub Out |
Denon AVR-S660H | 550€ | RCA, HDMI, BLE, Optical / Sub Out |
I was also looking into chi-fi ones like SMSL AO200 or SA300 but first, I can only buy it from amazon.de and second I am not too convinced about them (especially due to some negative reviews on amazon).
From the list above I am inclining to either PMA-60 or AVR-660H because they have Bluetooth and USB/HDMI inputs so I wouldn't need a DAC. A plus for the AVR is that it has Audyssey and a proper bass management. Btw. I also have that MultiEq Audyssey app which I used to calibrate my HT system (Denon X2600). I think it noticeably helped the sub.
DAC
Again, not many can be found "locally".
DACs | Price | Inputs | Outputs | |
Topping D10s | 110€ | USB, optical, coax | RCA | |
Topping E30 | 156€ | USB, Coax, Optical | RCA | harsh sound? |
iFi ZEN DAC V2 (+Headphones amp) | 180€ | USB, RCA, Pentaconn | RCA, Dual Balanced |
ACTIVE SPEAKERS
At some point I also started to look into active speakers. But I was put off by the mention of hiss coming out of them which I'd be not ok with. I think it's only Kali and Adam where I read that the hiss is not that obvious. I still think a combination of passive speakers and amp/avr is more flexible in terms of future updates. Here's a list nonetheless:
Active speakers | Frequency range | Woofer size | H x W x D | Price | Inputs |
Presonus Eris E4.5 BT | 70 Hz - 20 kHz | 4.5" | 24 x 16 x 18 | 230€ | Bluetooth, Balanced Jack 6.3 mm TRS (2 x), Jack Stereo 3.5 mm (1 x), RCA (2 x) |
JBL 305P MkII | 49 Hz – 20 kHz (+-3dB) | 5" | 30x 19 x 23 | 260€ | Balanced |
Klipsch R-41PM | 76 Hz – 21 kHz | 4" | 29 x 15 x 22 | 420€ | USB, Phono / RCA, optical, AUX In 3,5mm jack |
Klipsch R-51PM | 68 Hz - 21 kHz | 5,25" | 34 x 18 x 23 | 540€ | USB, Optical, RCA, RCA (Phono), Jack (3,5 mm) / SubOut |
Kali Audio IN-5 | 39 Hz - 25 kHz | 5" | 38 x 28 x 21 | 700€ | RCA - Cinch, 6,3 mm Jack a XLR |
Adam A5X | 50 Hz - 50 kHz | 5.5" | 28 x 17 x 22 | 700€ | RCA, XLR |
Finally, here are lists of things that I saw being recommended but are either not available in my country, too big or too pricey.
Passive speakers - not available / above price range / too big | H x W x D | Price / pair |
Elac Debut Reference DBR62 | 36 x 20 x 28 | 480€ |
Wharfedale diamond 10.2 | 36 x 22 x 30 | 360€ |
Wharfedale Evo 4.1 | 600€ | |
Revel M16s | 1 200€ | |
Triangle Borea BR03 | 21 x 31 x 28 | 390€ |
Jamo S 803 | 35 x 19 x 25 | 260€ |
SVS Prime Bookshelf | 35 x 20 x 26 | 550€ |
Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 | 35 x 16 x 30 | 600€ |
Bowers & Wilkins 607 | 30 x 17 x 21 | 526€ |
Aperion Audio Novus | ||
Ascend 200SE | ||
Emotiva B1+ | ||
NHT SuperOne 2.1 | ||
Ascend Sierra 1 | ||
NHT SuperZero | ||
RSL CG3 | ||
Monoprice Monolith MM-3 | ||
Elac Debut Reference 6.2 |
Subwoofers not available |
BK subs |
Monolith by Monoprice 10in |
Rythmik L12 |
RSL Speedwoofer |
HSU VTF-2 MK5 |
Bic F12 |
Emotiva BasX S8 |
Emotiva Airmotiv SE12 |
DACs not available |
SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK2 |
Schiit Modi 3 |
Active speakers - not available / above price range / too big |
Kali LP-6 2nd Gen |
Kanto YU4 |
Audioengine HD3 |
Monoprice DT-4BT |
Audioengine A2+ |
Tannoy Gold 7 |
Thank you
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