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New audiophile: Need help selecting speakers


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I've loved music my whole life, but I'm a new audiophile.

 

I recently got a decent pair of headphones, a headphone amp, and an ODAC. I'm very happy with that set up, but now I can't bear to listen to my crummy PC speakers. I think they were around $30 and they are utter garbage.

 

So I'm looking to upgrade. I have $500 to spend on active computer speakers or passive bookshelf speakers and a receiver.

 

I am considering the Swan M200MKIII, but a lot of people seem to think getting passive speakers and a receiver is a better way to go. Unfortunately I have no idea where to begin in the search for good passive speakers or a receiver.

 

I listen to a wide range or rock music and like a balanced sound. I live on the third floor of an apartment with sensitive neighbors so a really bass heavy setup isn't such a good idea, although a setup where I could add a subwoofer should my living situation change wouldn't be a terrible idea.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is all very new to me. Thanks!

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For my nearfield (desktop computer) system I'm using the Audioengine N22 as a pre-amp (it's an integrated amp, i.e., a receiver minus the radio, and can be used as a pre-amp if you already have an amp or active speakers), and I've heard nice things about the Audioengine active speakers. The speakers I'm using are Wharfedale Diamonds I got on sale years ago at Amazon. Don't know if Amazon still sells them, but that's one place you might look that folks might not usually think of to see if they have any attractive deals on bookshelf speakers.

 

Just a couple of ideas, there are lots of other brands and places to shop.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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For about the same money, with very few exceptions a passive speaker with crossovers and a receiver will never beat a true active speaker (one with an active crossover and separate amplifiers for each driver).

To add to the list of already good suggestions, including the Swan, I would add:

Paradigm Shift A2

Dynaudio BM series (if you get them on sale or used)

Emotiva Airmotive

If you can wait and stretch your budget the new KEF X300A looks to be one of the best active speakers for under $1000 dollars.

PJH

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My son's dorm-room setup is an Audioquest Dragonfly feeding Audioengine A2s. It's pretty remarkable for a total of $450 (if you can live with the fact that it rolls off sharply below about 65 Hz), and the added bonus is that the DAC section of the Dragonfly is a really good headphone amp/DAC. I'm almost certain that after listening to the Dragonfly, you will quickly lose interest in your ODAC.

Office: MacBook Pro - Audirvana Plus - Resonessence Concero - Cavailli Liquid Carbon - Sennheiser HD 800.

Travel/Portable: iPhone 7 or iPad Pro - AudioQuest Dragonfly Red - Audeze SINE or Noble Savant

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A NAD BEE316 at $300 and a set of PSB Alpha B1s at around $279 is just slightly over your budget, and sounds great when driven from a PC. Add in a $249 Audioquest DragonFly and you have a hot entry level system, albeit well over your budget.

 

So try this on for size:

Qinpu A3 Integrated Amp or an AudioEngine-N22 amp. Either one for $199.

 

Combine with a pair of Pioneer SP-BS41 speakers at $139,

 

Then if you can make a little bit of a stretch, add in an AudioQuest DragonFly at $249.

 

There are other combinations as good, one big upgrade would be to move up to PSB Alpha B1 speakers or the like. But this is a neat system very close to your budget! :)

 

-Paul

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat DAC.

Robert A. Heinlein

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Hi Splorfus....welcome to CA.

 

First thing to consider is your desk...top. Is this where the speakers will be placed?...Is the desk up against a wall?....all of these things and other will determine what speaker type would work best in regards to bass, dispersion patterns,etc.

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fwiw,just upgraded from swan m200mkii to a pair of paradigm A2's ($560 crutchfield) about a month ago and am still in awe of the sound quality from lower bass extension to mids and highs in my 10x10 computer room. used them by themselves for first few days and was very impressed with the low end extension.then hooked up my hsu stf-2 sub and some van halen and was floored with the sound coming from this system

main system; mac mini/mac os mountain lion/bel canto usb/cambridge audio dac magic/creek destiny intregrated/reference 3a mm de cappo i/svs pb-12-nsd/dh labs cables and wires/denon ah-d2000

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I wouldn't go for passive speakers!

Mac Mini with JRMC26 or Audirvana  / Raspberry4B_4GB(GentooPlayer_LMS) / Raspberry Rpi3B+: Allo DigiOne(GentooPlayer) - M2Tech Evo DAC Two Plus/iPurifier2 - Schiit Vali 2 - Densen DM20pre/30pwr amps - Spendor SP2/3E, Sennheiser HD600 & HD25Aluminum - Audeze Sine

Cables: Vovox, DIY, Furutech. 

Portable sources: iPad, DELL Laptop with JRiver MC26

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. . . .

 

So I'm looking to upgrade. I have $500 to spend on active computer speakers or passive bookshelf speakers and a receiver.

 

. . . .

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is all very new to me. Thanks!

 

 

Hi Splorfus

 

Welcome to audiophile and welcome to CA.

 

This is a great hobby, but one that can be very costly if you are not careful.

My personal strategies to get way more bang for the buck:

 

- Only quantum leap your equipment, no little incremental improvements.

- Be patient

- Buy second hand if at all possible

- Buy professional gear rather than audiophile

- Be patient

 

Most important of all, start auditioning equipment.

You need to find your personal preferences.

- Do you like detailed, clinical reproduction or more rounded/tube like sound.

- Do you like linear reproduction, or say bass heavy.

Remember, there is no right or wrong here!

 

Example: I prefer very detailed, clinical, linear reproduction, some feel overwhelmed or stressed.

 

 

 

In my mind USD 500 is too little to buy anything of value from new, so you could:

 

- Save up and get a pair of worth while professional active speakers

- Start looking for good second hand pro active speakers

 

 

I would bat for a set of Genelec 8020 and then add a 5040 active sub later on (USD 1000 + 700 - Vintage King Audio)

This is astounding near field sound quality for the price - if the detailed, precise sound is to your preference.

Alternatively try to find a good second hand deal, perhaps on AudiogoN - The High-end Audio Community

 

 

Anyway, good luck and have fun

Promise Pegasus2 R6 12TB -> Thunderbolt2 ->
MacBook Pro M1 Pro -> Motu 8D -> AES/EBU ->
Main: Genelec 5 x 8260A + 2 x 8250 + 2 x 8330 + 7271A sub
Boat: Genelec 8010 + 5040 sub

Hifiman Sundara, Sennheiser PXC 550 II
Blog: “Confessions of a DigiPhile”

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This may seem trite, but you really need to go out and listen to some, better yet, a lot. Of all components, speakers are the most subjective and personal. All speakers are flawed, especially at the lower price range that you listed. You need to decide what are the most compelling attributes you require, and tick those boxes first and foremost. Buying anything without hearing it first is a crap shoot, and the only thing for sure in audio is someone disagree with you.

 

Buy used if you can as well, and let someone else take the first hit. Of all things, speakers last the longest and change the least with time. If you do not like them and buy right, you can resell them and loose little more than shipping.

Forrest:

Win10 i9 9900KS/GTX1060 HQPlayer4>Win10 NAA

DSD>Pavel's DSC2.6>Bent Audio TAP>

Parasound JC1>"Naked" Quad ESL63/Tannoy PS350B subs<100Hz

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I have $500 to spend on active computer speakers or passive bookshelf speakers and a receiver.

 

I've had Audioengine A5 powered speakers for about 5 years and like them very much. When I'm listening to music through them, I'm enjoying the music and not thinking about the speakers. The current A5+ model is $ 400 / pair.

 

One of these days I'll buy active monitors that cost $ 1500-2000 / pair to replace the A5s but I'm not in a hurry and I don't feel deprived in the meantime.

 

Bill

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Why not?

 

I was meaning that to be a bit of a comical reply to the fellow who said he would not buy passive speakers, but since I was replying on an iPhone, I missed the quote.

 

Seriously though? I think amps and DACs and speakers and cables are all very important to the sound, and don't think you get the same quality in a $500 pair of active speakers as you can get with separates. I know DigiPete for one disagrees with that, but I have yet to hear a pair of powered speakers that have the same sweetness and sound as passives. Notice how I am gently keeping that generic and not bringing in brand names to this? :)

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat DAC.

Robert A. Heinlein

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In regards to passives vs actives......obviously from a production cost point, a mfgr would have to reduce costs on drivers to spend on amplifier modules and the elimination of passive crossover components would help offset amp costs. But there's no room for generalizations where performance is concerned. Hi volume mfgrs such as Mackie can offer a pretty darn good active monitor for $500 pr as compared to low production passives. We did an extensive breakdown and measurements of a particular Behringer low price point active monitor and found them to be a remarkably good value surpassing some active systems more than twice their price. This particular monitor is also offered in a passive model and it too acceled in every way measurable.

 

As an example of pre owned availability, there's a pair of Genelecs 8030A's in mint condition over at musicians friend for less than $800 for the pair.

 

If I were at the OPs price point and looking active, I would not hesitate to look at pre owned studio monitors. People in the

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. . I think amps and DACs and speakers and cables are all very important to the sound, and don't think you get the same quality in a $500 pair of active speakers as you can get with separates.

I know DigiPete for one disagrees with that, but I have yet to hear a pair of powered speakers that have the same sweetness and sound as passives. . . .

 

Paul, you are mistaken.

I don't think you get any quality in a pair of USD 500 active speakers (new price).

Or in separates for that matter.

I may yet stand to be corrected.

 

Thats why I reccomended Splorfus to save up or buying second hand.

 

I prefer as little coloration as possible, and actives generally provide this at at lower price tag due to the technical architecture.

Here I assume active x-overs and bi-amping. The latter sets a minimum price that I put around USD 1000/pair.

As for preference of sound coloration or not, that is still a personal preference.

 

PS. I am a self confessed Genelec fanboy, and I think they set a very high sound quality standard for the price.

I have no doubt that other brands can offer great value for money, so feel free to use the Genelecs as a starting point.

Promise Pegasus2 R6 12TB -> Thunderbolt2 ->
MacBook Pro M1 Pro -> Motu 8D -> AES/EBU ->
Main: Genelec 5 x 8260A + 2 x 8250 + 2 x 8330 + 7271A sub
Boat: Genelec 8010 + 5040 sub

Hifiman Sundara, Sennheiser PXC 550 II
Blog: “Confessions of a DigiPhile”

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Reading this thread, a lot of the responses remind me of the thought that you get other people the gifts you would like, more than the one they would like. This is why my wife has almost without exception bought me clothes for gifts, though I think I already have enough, and would much prefer something like a gift certificate for ebooks on Amazon; and why, the year I bought my wife a Nintendo gaming system, I was told to take it right back and exchange it for money she could go out and spend on clothes. :-)

 

Many of us are telling Splorfus what *our* minimum budgets would be for speakers and amplification. He was pretty clear, though, about what his budget was. So let's try to concentrate on recommending the best sounding stuff within his budget, rather than on what we'd get with what we'd be willing to spend.

 

One additional idea I had with regard to budget speakers is that there are some very economical Pioneer bookshelf speakers designed by the same guy who does the TADs. They might be worth checking out. Used speakers are also a nice idea, though of course you have to be careful the drivers, surrounds, etc., are intact and undamaged.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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For $500 a pair I would consider the Behringer B1031A active monitors. Surely beat the hell out of your old PC speakers, are in budget, are bi-amped with active crossover (unless I'm mistaken), and don't look hifi-ugly.

 

Behringer B1031A - Thomann UK Cyberstore

 

Cheers,

Peter

Home: Apple Macbook Pro 17" --Mini-Toslink--> Cambridge Audio DacMagic --XLR--> 2x Genelec 8020B

Work: Apple Macbook Pro 15" --USB--> Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 --1/4\"--> Superlux HD668B / 2x Genelec 6010A

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to budget speakers is that there are some very economical Pioneer bookshelf speakers designed by the same guy who does the TADs. They might be worth checking out.

 

Those would be the little Pioneers I recommended earlier. They are very amazing speakers for an incredibly low price.

 

Paul

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat DAC.

Robert A. Heinlein

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Like the OP, I've recently embarked on an audiophile journey. My current setup is Mac mini to Audioengine D1 DAC though USB to Emotiva Airmotiv 5 through RCA.

 

 

Overall, the sound is very good for such an entry-level setup. (Personally, I think the DAC is the weak link and am looking seriously at the Benchmark DAC2 HGC and connecting it to the Emotivas through the balanced outputs. I'd also like to try getting my speakers off the bookcase and mounted on stands.)

 

 

The Emotivas really shine with electronic music and do a good job with jazz (modern and mid 20th century). Classical music sounds a bit thin, although the sound is well reproduced for the components I have. The times that I've listened to more rock-oriented music have been enjoyable. Again, the music sounds detailed and creates a decent sound stage. Both the high-and mid-ranges are enjoyable, and the bass is fairly well detailed withough overwhelming the music (and inviting my neighbours to come ask me to turn down the music!). Also, the sound is definitely better hearing it straight on in front of the speakers (so a noticeable sweet spot) with some music, although, again, the Emotivas really fill up the space with electronic music.

 

 

The final word is that, despite my questions about the DAC, I think the Emotivas are a solid buy for a pair of active speakers costing under $500.

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

Andy

 

 

___________________

 

 

Every minute of every hour of every day you are making the world, just as you are making yourself, and you might as well do it with generosity and kindness and style. -- Rebecca Solnit

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Reading this thread, a lot of the responses remind me of the thought that you get other people the gifts you would like, more than the one they would like. Many of us are telling Splorfus what *our* minimum budgets would be for speakers and amplification. He was pretty clear, though, about what his budget was. So let's try to concentrate on recommending the best sounding stuff within his budget, rather than on what we'd get with what we'd be willing to spend.

 

Good point. The knee-jerk reaction is to simply recommend that the person seeking advice simply purchase the same product that you purchased, regardless of whether it meets the requesting parties stated needs. I have been guilty of this myself.

Speaker Room: Lumin U1X | Lampizator Pacific 2 | Viva Linea | Constellation Inspiration Stereo 1.0 | FinkTeam Kim | Revel subs  

Office Headphone System: Lumin U1X | Lampizator Golden Gate 3 | Viva Egoista | Abyss AB1266 Phi TC 

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I have Audioengine A5+ speakers and I can testify the sound is outstanding in my home office...for less than US$500. I paid CDA$379 for the pair of bamboo A5+'s. I have owned Magnepan, Paradigm, PSB and Totem speakers costing up to US$2K along with expensive seperates. The A5+'s are an outstanding bargain-I now so enjoy listening to the music and not my stereo.

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Hi Splorfus....welcome to CA.

 

First thing to consider is your desk...top. Is this where the speakers will be placed?...Is the desk up against a wall?....all of these things and other will determine what speaker type would work best in regards to bass, dispersion patterns,etc.

 

The desk is against a half wall. About a foot above my desk the wall stops and opens up into the kitchen. The speakers will be placed on my desk top. I don't mind getting foam speaker pads to set them on if they help.

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Thanks for the posts everyone.

 

It sounds like the Audioengines are more popular than the Swans and that Behringer and Genelec make some decent options.

 

With so many suggestions it sounds like the best way for me to start is to head down to a stereo store and start listening to things.

 

If anyone knows of any particularly good stores in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'd be happy to check them out (otherwise I'll just randomly pick ones off Yelp.)

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