Amp - speaker combo for refined thump a di thump.

[Pyramus]

Vladimir. I feel a leaning now twoards the Kandy.

I was hoping you might have something positive to say about the styling - an arts man myself, I do lean towards the beautiful tather than the bulk.

I shall look up the Dynaudio and eschew the Monitors. Perhaps the B&W too. All seem very exciting.

Perhaps I may still find my Thispie to whiper through the wall. ;-)

Many, many thanks.

Pyramus.

 

[Pyramus]

Phew!

OK, further steps: I need to listen and book some time to hear the combinations of gear that has been suggested. Thank you all for your help in putting together a shortlist; a huge advantage in narrowing things down.

Amplification: Musical Fidelity M3, Roksan Kandy, Naim Nait 5si

Speakers: Dynaudio Excite X16, KEF LS 50, B&W CM5.

One (hopefully final question), where on earth can I book a listening session where they are likely to have all the above under one roof? (I shall be in London - Nottingham - Cornwall over the summer).

Thank you Thank you thank you!

Pyramus

 

[CnoEvil]

Speakers: Dynaudio Excite X16, KEF LS 50, B&W CM5.

Kef R300 (probably has the biggest scale / impact of the speakers on your list)

 

[Esra]

My favourite Combo out of your selection would be Roksan Kandy with Kef LS50 :rockout:

 

[Vladimir]

My favourite Combo out of your selection would be Roksan Kandy with Kef LS50 :rockout:

Just to weigh in.

He will need a sub with the LS50. Frequency response (±3dB) 79Hz - 28kHz.

R300 go deeper and have higher output by few dB.

 

[Pyramus]

You guys are simply legend. I would never have known. Many thanks.

So... same as above, but audition R300 instead of the LS 50.

Any ideas where?

 

[Vladimir]

Sevenoaks Sound & Vision

144-148 Grays Inn Road,

London - Central,

WC1X 8AX

Amplifiers: http://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk/c/hi-fi-audio_amplifiers_integrated-amplifiers

Roksan, Cyrus, NAD, MF, Marantz, Yamaha, Audiolab.

Speakers: http://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk/c/hi-fi-audio_speakers_bookshelf-speakers

B&W, KEF, MA, PSB, Q Acoustics

 

[Vladimir]

Also in Nottingham:

http://www.richersounds.com

http://www.superfi.co.uk

 

[Esra]

My favourite Combo out of your selection would be Roksan Kandy with Kef LS50 :rockout:

Just to weigh in.

He will need a sub with the LS50. Frequency response (±3dB) 79Hz - 28kHz.

R300 go deeper and have higher output by few dB.

Depends,I would demo both anyway if he can.Could imagine LS50 bass to be sufficient for most times properly driven like with a Kandy.My choice would be LS50 for sure out of this selection even if it needs a sub later,something like Jamo Sub660,or SVS SB 1000, B&W ASW 608 to name few cheaper ones should do it better than R300 while being more flexible with speaker pos. and room modes.

 

[Pyramus]

I just had a "panic" thought as I was listening to a nice mix... what happens if the bass doesn't come out with a HiFi system? I mean, I don't want to listen to mixes all the time, but when I do, I want i "proper job - d'rekly" and all that.

Tone controls... not really the done thing I imagine.

Sub woofer. On standy, and switched on for those nice bassy tunes?

Methings, the latter may be the one.

Any ideas?

Pyramus

 

[Pyramus]

For example, when I work, I listen to deep-house - nothing that engages with cognition too much. Then, when relaxin, its blues, jazz, rock, etc. Perhaps the sub is the way forward, or simply a dial on the amp?

 

[davedotco]

I just had a "panic" thought as I was listening to a nice mix... what happens if the bass doesn't come out with a HiFi system? I mean, I don't want to listen to mixes all the time, but when I do, I want i "proper job - d'rekly" and all that.

Tone controls... not really the done thing I imagine.

Sub woofer. On standy, and switched on for those nice bassy tunes?

Methings, the latter may be the one.

Any ideas?

Pyramus

If you at all serious about this then you really need to think again.

Given the size of your room you are going have real issues of loudness and punch with any of the suggestions above, subwoofer or not.

What you need is a pair of these....

Massive output courtesy of 150watt bass and 100watt high frequency amplifiers, 8.5 inch bass divers and rear mounted ABR, just £1200 from London dealers Studiospares. Just add your choice of dac/preamp, no subwoofer needed.

Read this.

 

[Vladimir]

Best to use an active subwoofer. Plenty of controls on the back.

http://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk/c/rel-audio

http://rel.net/products/serie-t/t-5/

http://rel.net/products/serie-t/t-zero/

 

[Thompsonuxb]

To the OP - try auditioning the Yamaha as500 an 85w/pc amp - going cheap in the UK under £200 pounds at Richer Sound now.

One reviewer made a solid point about it saying if it cost twice as much it would sell better in that its price does it no favours - (budget just shouts at you).

speaker's, well I'd see what you can find where you live - but the Dali Zensor 5 is a small floorstander that can kick a bit.

try auditioning the package

You do not need to spend big money for thumpity thump

 

[Pyramus]

Davedotco, very tempting - portable, clear, powerful - no doubt tough too. Though this looks to me more of a DJ set up - the elegance of a HiFi still appeals strongly to me.

Thompsonuxb: I hear you, but thing is, I am looking for big thumpadithump, that will then deliver soundstage and movement on blues, rock, and plenty of instrumental and vocal pieces. This is a large part of the conundrum of this entire thread:

1. Big sound for trip-hop and house

2. Refinement for blues and instrument and voice

3. Ease of transport of gear

4. Fill a very big high room

Vladimir and Esra. Yes, I think this may be the case. Invest in a sub, then no need to find earth-shattering bookshelf speakers or tone controls on an amp.

Drawing it together, this could look like:

Roksan Kandy, KEF LS 50, B&W 608: brings in at just under 2K - right?

Question is, what will that sound like? Demo time (sadly not for another 6 weeks at least)... ears ears ears.

Pyramus

 

[davedotco]

Davedotco, very tempting - portable, clear, powerful - no doubt tough too. Though this looks to me more of a DJ set up - the elegance of a HiFi still appeals strongly to me.

Thompsonuxb: I hear you, but thing is, I am looking for big thumpadithump, that will then deliver soundstage and movement on blues, rock, and plenty of instrumental and vocal pieces. This is a large part of the conundrum of this entire thread:

1. Big sound for trip-hop and house

2. Refinement for blues and instrument and voice

3. Ease of transport of gear

4. Fill a very big high room

Vladimir and Esra. Yes, I think this may be the case. Invest in a sub, then no need to find earth-shattering bookshelf speakers or tone controls on an amp.

Drawing it together, this could look like:

Roksan Kandy, KEF LS 50, B&W 608: brings in at just under 2K - right?

Question is, what will that sound like? Demo time (sadly not for another 6 weeks at least)... ears ears ears.

Pyramus

Everything you say screams big active monitors.

The hi-fi options you mention will just fall apart if you try and party with them in a room the size that you have. The Mackies I suggest are bruisers sure enough but they are considered good enough for studio monitoring, outstanding for their price range. Did you read the Sound on Sound link I gave you?

They are reasonably nicely finished too, piano black cabinets etc, but they will need stands. It is your money and your choice of course but my personal opinion is that the amp/speaker combinations refered to above will be hopelessly out of their depth trying to produce a big sound in that room, particularly if you get a few friends round.

 

[sublime]

you really need to get some floorstanders to get the 'thump a di thump' you're looking for in such a big room

 

[the record spot]

See the excellent recommendation Plastic Penguin made. Focal or MA floorstanders and gutsy NAD amp. Plenty of alternatives for the money.

I don't care what the OP likes. We are here to push what we like.

No matter what we like, it has to conform to this:"I cannot try anhthing at home, as I have to pack it a suitcase and check it at the airport. This also affects the size (especially of speaker). I suppose I am looking for compact, but powerful and delicious."

In which case I wouldn't buy anything at all. A complete non starter. I'd leave it a few weeks and do some homework on the options.

 

[Esra]

Davedotco, very tempting - portable, clear, powerful - no doubt tough too. Though this looks to me more of a DJ set up - the elegance of a HiFi still appeals strongly to me.

Thompsonuxb: I hear you, but thing is, I am looking for big thumpadithump, that will then deliver soundstage and movement on blues, rock, and plenty of instrumental and vocal pieces. This is a large part of the conundrum of this entire thread:

1. Big sound for trip-hop and house

2. Refinement for blues and instrument and voice

3. Ease of transport of gear

4. Fill a very big high room

Vladimir and Esra. Yes, I think this may be the case. Invest in a sub, then no need to find earth-shattering bookshelf speakers or tone controls on an amp.

Drawing it together, this could look like:

Roksan Kandy, KEF LS 50, B&W 608: brings in at just under 2K - right?

Question is, what will that sound like? Demo time (sadly not for another 6 weeks at least)... ears ears ears.

Pyramus

As long as you don´t plan club levels that should be a nice sounding System also looking like hifi and certainly loud enough for most people.

If you are flexible with your selection and really want to push it I would consider the recommened Mackies as they also look quite nice for monitors.Also saving money.

 

[Pyramus]

Thanks for this.

This is indeed a very attractive proposal. I have just done a weight comparison and the Mackies come in at 15kg. That is a deal less than any combination of HiFi componentry.

But seriously davedotco, can I listen to non-dance music on them too? I mean "really" listen.

Pyramus

I also found this comment somewhat ironic from TechRadar - sounds too HiFi - LOL!!!

MusicRadar Rating 4.5 / 5 stars Pros
Solid build. Improved bottom end.
Cons
Perhaps a tad too hi-fi?
Verdict
Another Mackie workhorse, well designed, solidly built and only a mild tendency to sound too hi-fi.

 

[Vladimir]

Everything you say screams big active monitors.

The hi-fi options you mention will just fall apart if you try and party with them in a room the size that you have. The Mackies I suggest are bruisers sure enough but they are considered good enough for studio monitoring, outstanding for their price range. Did you read the Sound on Sound link I gave you?

They are reasonably nicely finished too, piano black cabinets etc, but they will need stands. It is your money and your choice of course but my personal opinion is that the amp/speaker combinations refered to above will be hopelessly out of their depth trying to produce a big sound in that room, particularly if you get a few friends round.

If the OP is 23 years old bachelor, producing hip-hop in his bedroom studio, those Mackies would fit him perfectly.

 

[sublime]

The Mackies are targeted at people who run some kind of studio, not really a pleasant hi-fi experience, more of a neutral, flat kind of thing. Also very small and wouldn't fill a room of the size the op stated. Yes, they'll go loud but they'll lack presence and atmosphere

 

[davedotco]

The issue really revolves around the OP's desire to use the system to 'party'. If he is serious, then given the roomsize, the bass content of a lot of moderm music, a conventional hi-fi system is going to be lost in that room.

To try and give an idea of the scale of the issue is quite difficult. Back in the day I used to have a pair of 15 inch JBL studio monitors driven by Crown DC300A amplifiers that I used for house parties. I used them a number of times in a shop that had a room 40 x 25 ft with highish ceilings, they had to work pretty hard to fill that space when full of people having a good time.

The JBLs had a sensitivity of around 95db/watt, the DC300A had a rated power comparable to the Roksan at about 170watts. Now, the Kef LE50 have a sensitivity in the mid 80s (db/watt), a difference of around 10db,so in order to match the output of the JBL you would need an amplifier with 10db more power.

No problem, just buy an amp that is 10db up on the power of the Roksan, 1,700watts per channel should do it....... :rockout:

 

[Vladimir]

Dynaudio Focus 110A

http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/28/dynaudio-releases-active-focus-110-a-speakers/

Unlike the near-field optimized MC 15, which is ideal for desktop use, the Focus 110 A is optimized for normal rooms and true audiophile applications. With its integrated power amplifier and advanced Dynaudio driver technology, the multipurpose Focus 110 A serves as the ideal loudspeaker for a wide range of high-end audio/video and music systems.

However, no provision for a sub and I'm not sure if they will fill the room sufficiently without a sub.

 

[Vladimir]

Dave, I don't remember the OP asking for party speakers. :? He just wants versatile bookshelf speakers that will not lack in the electronic genres of music, especially in the bass department. Music sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsvBiXxGYUc

IMO the KEF LS50 are the worst possible choice to meet this criteria but with a subwoofer they may be a satisfactory combo.