Alternative Speaker Considerations.

[admin_exported]

In one of the rooms l've gone down the pc/dac (HRT Music Streamer ll) amp (Denon) speakers route & at present use a pair of KEF Coda speakers. Sound through via Spotify premium is good however, as the Kef's are fairly sensitive (91db) the top end can be a little strained at medium to higher volumes.

l need a small speaker 30-40cms tall, which will be placed 5 or so cms from the wall; with the second hand market budget of approx' £200.

Thoughts gratefully received.

 

[Anonymous]

Morning,

How about MA BX2's as new if you could stretch the budget a little?

or pick a pair of older BR2's (which I own)? As they're front ported they should fit in with your positioning. The MA's dont mind being driven hard so you should'nt have a problem at higher volume levels.

A sweet sounding (and looking speaker) IMO. Happy hunting.

Nick

 

[Anonymous]

The Rega rs1's would be a good bet..

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you both for the response.

Anyone with experience of the Dali Lektor 2's?

 

[Singslinger]

Yes, I used them with my Naim Uniti for a while - very good value for money.Crisp, detailed treble and plenty of detail.

 

[the record spot]

If your speakers sound "strained" at higher volumes, with a 91db sensitivity, what on earth is the power output of the amp? 0.05w?! A typical amp, even at 25wpc, should be able to do a decent job, at normal listening levels with that speaker rating. How hard are you driving them? With a 91db rating, you should get some change out of a decent amp, but the more power the better. Have a look at upgrding your amp if the Codas are toiling. Simply changing one speaker for another (with a possibly reduced sensitivity therein) will only serve to shift the problem not cure it. The amplifier, I suspect, is the issue here, not the KEF.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, l get your point & perhaps "strained" wasn't the correct word to use.

The amp is a 22wpc M33 receiver & has, as you indicate, enough to drive the Kef's.

Perhaps a more accurate description of the issue is, since the music streamer has been in situ, there seems to be more mid & top end detail; that the Kef's are strugling to convay without sounding a little harsh (strained)

l don't drive the Kef's hard, though as the volume increases, the issue is more profound.

l get the reference to the amp however, l feel that something like either the Rega RS1 (90db) or Dali Lektor 2 (86db), will give me a better up lift than a change of amp.

Opinion?

 

[the record spot]

IMO change the amp first - for digital, the amp's the key driver for me. Makes a massive difference (or can do). If you're limited to budget, get a Sansui AU-217 - plenty out there at times - and spend about £50 max on it. Got one before the 717 and it's easily on a par with the likes of Audio Analogue's Puccini SE. Mine cost me £33 delivered, the Puccini new was around £900. The Sansui's more musical too. If that doesn't appeal, NAD 340s and 350s are ten a penny and you should land one for less than £100 easily. I'd suggest the Dalis with your existing amp will only struggle given the reduced sensitivity.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the response.

Yes, l agree that generally the more power at your disposal the better; l'll consider your opinion/advice carefully before doing anything.

 

[Anonymous]

Well following the advice (thank you record spot) l've just dug out an old amp, a Yamaha A-550, which gives about 40-50wpc as l remember. Connected it all up & after a warm up, it seems to have cured the top end harshness, hence it must have something to do with the loss of control with the Denon amp.

Will keep in mind the Sansui.