Amp - speaker combo for refined thump a di thump.

[Broner]

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

Why do you think studio monitors don't make up for a pleasant hi-fi experience? I like to think that speakers that try to reproduce music as good and accurate as possible, is a good thing, but with terminology such as 'neutral and flat' it seems to be conceptualized as a bad thing. Weird.

 

[davedotco]

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

I am sorry but you have clearly never heard speakers of this type, obvious from your post.

These speakers can produce 111db spl over a bandwith that is substantially flat (-1.5db) from 35hz to 20khz. They are low distortion and neutral, they have to be for studio use, and have more 'presence' than any modern hi-fi equivilent of remotely comparable cost. Just £1200 remember.

At low levels they are remarkable clear and open, no hi-fi warmth, just real bass though they do need room to breath, which in this case would not be a problem.

 

[sublime]

I have heard this type of speaker, a friend runs a pair of studio monitors and I’v listened. As for more 'presence' than any modern hi-fi equivalent of remotely comparable cost - I doubt it - but I haven't heard the Mackies specifically. A floor-stander would be by far a better option in that sized room (just saying - I know the op has luggage issues)

Respectfully

 

[stevienut]

what u need are the Kef R series which are fantastic for bass heavy music but also a great all rounder,what a sound!!!

 

[Esra]

Also consider that prof. Monitors at this price could also have some noisefloor,amp,power supply e.x. which is acceppted usually and given.I wouldn´t like/accept that if i am in hifi and not only party.You can be lucky or make exchange till you get a pair which are quite.That should be possible.Chances in real hifi equipment are a lot greater that you get quite hardware even with budget hardware.

 

[Pyramus]

Dear Dave, I am very pleasantly surprised that you should imagine me having people around to "party". :dance: The large room we speak of is my living room which I share with my wife and 3 children (aged 6-13). Naturally I will at times want to turn it up, and there may even be the (very) occaisioanl party, but this will be rather more pedestrian than my warehouse days 25 years ago.I think most of my listening will be not be "loud", but might best sound full, capable with power in reserve. Can I compare it with an AMG SLK pottering along at 40?

Dear fellows. We may be now at a juncture. I have just broached the topic with my better half. Her take on it is that floorstanders (and the extra baggage) are preferable to me buying a new car. I see an opening. :bounce:

So, all change:

Suggestions please for floorstanding speakers - amp, for refined thumpatithump, with space for hifidelity and soundstage. Feeling morose over not buying a new car, yet optimistic in terms of music, let's up the combined budget to 2700 GBP. :cheers:

Pyramus

 

[Esra]

Take 2 Subs

 

[sublime]

You will be able to get yourself something very nice on that budget. I would definitely consider KEF R500/R700, have no idea what amp to use but I'm sure you'll get a wealth of exotic suggestions here - and don't give up on the car, timing is everything

 

[davedotco]

Dear Dave, I am very pleasantly surprised that you should imagine me having people around to "party". :dance: The large room we speak of is my living room which I share with my wife and 3 children (aged 6-13). Naturally I will at times want to turn it up, and there may even be the (very) occaisioanl party, but this will be rather more pedestrian than my warehouse days 25 years ago.I think most of my listening will be not be "loud", but might best sound full, capable with power in reserve. Can I compare it with an AMG SLK pottering along at 40?

Dear fellows. We may be now at a juncture. I have just broached the topic with my better half. Her take on it is that floorstanders (and the extra baggage) are preferable to me buying a new car. I see an opening. :bounce:

So, all change:

Suggestions please for floorstanding speakers - amp, for refined thumpatithump, with space for hifidelity and soundstage. Feeling morose over not buying a new car, yet optimistic in terms of music, let's up the combined budget to 2700 GBP. :cheers:

Pyramus

Appologies Pyramus, perhaps I took the...

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.

.....quote a little too much to heart, further appologies for the consequent thread drift..... :silenced:

If you are going for floorstanders try and keep the sensitivity of the speakers fairly high, it is a big space to fill and I would look to 90db/watt or better. Good amplifiers abound, with that sort of speaker around 100 wpc should be fine. No hard and fast rules, but be prepared to spend a little more on the amplifier than on the speakers.

What are your sources by the way?

 

[Vladimir]

I personally if it was for me I would buy this combo.

B&W 805S + Roksan Kandy K2 BT + B&W ASW 10CM

You only live once.

 

[Vladimir]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPBt--WlMJk

 

[davedotco]

I personally if it was for me I would buy this combo.

B&W 805S + Roksan Kandy K2 BT + B&W ASW 10CM

You only live once.

I love that album, Al Wilson singing 'On the road again', the spaced out jam that was 'Fried hockey boogie' etc.

 

[Pyramus]

Vladimir, this is utter madness. Yet I find myself dancing in front of my cat listening to the linked tune, therefore, prehaps madness is apart of this whole experience. BW all the way with Roksan? Why so?

 

[Vladimir]

Power and smooth sound that licks deep inside your soul bb! That's why. :dance:

Well you have to look for your sound, I found mine and thoroughly enjoy it. This thread is more of a mental preparation for your tour inside the shops and the final result will remain unknown untill it really happens. They will be ultimately YOUR toys.

Meanwhile enjoy the experience and feed on the nerve racking stress in the sleepless nights.

More speaker+amp suggestions please!

BTW I'd take every advice from Dave in consideration seriosly since he is by far more experienced than 99.99% of us here. I just like to pretend its my word against his on equal footing.

All good fun.

 

[Pyramus]

Thank you again Vladimir. It will find its end in the listening - of that I am sure.

Dave, I shall look into what you suggest - your advice has been solid. My source is the "fruit" laptiop with a Musicall fidelity DAC. This will need upgrading once i have my "warmth".I also have a lot of (classical) vinyl in storage in Vienna (grandpa) - along with a budget project record player. This will one day become a part of the equation - when I get more settled. I expect with a better turntable.

I am now thinking toys... big, floorstanding ones.... any ideas for a (doable in one afternoon at 7oaks or similiar) shortlist?

Should I be thinking pre and power? Or am I still too far away from that with 3K?

Vlad, thank you for your words. I am REALLY looking forward to finding my sound.

Pyramus.

 

[davedotco]

Thank you again Vladimir. It will find its end in the listening - of that I am sure.

Dave, I shall look into what you suggest - your advice has been solid. My source is the "fruit" laptiop with a Musicall fidelity DAC. This will need upgrading once i have my "warmth".I also have a lot of (classical) vinyl in storage in Vienna (grandpa) - along with a budget project record player. This will one day become a part of the equation - when I get more settled. I expect with a better turntable.

I am now thinking toys... big, floorstanding ones.... any ideas for a (doable in one afternoon at 7oaks or similiar) shortlist?

Should I be thinking pre and power? Or am I still too far away from that with 3K?

Vlad, thank you for your words. I am REALLY looking forward to finding my sound.

Pyramus.

Difficult this.

I do not much like inexpensive floor standing speakers and usually stear well clear. One cheap speaker I did rather like was the Q Acoustics 2050i.

I thought it pretty decent at modest cost (£400) but now there is a reworked and upgraded version, the Concept 40. I have not heard this, but the reports suggest it might be rather good. Just partner with a good integrated in the 100 wpc range, depends what you can find but less well known product such as Exposure, Leema, Electrocompaniet would normally be my choice.

Given your circumstances something a little more mainstream might be a safer bet.

 

[Pyramus]

Thank you Dave.

I think I can manage a budget verging on 3000 GBP for amp and speakers.I understand that one should spend more on the amp than the speakers and most on the source. However, I appear to be going for the luddite setup, which may be an inverted model of this.

When you say "mainstream" do you mean something like Sony, or like Pioneer, or like NAD, or like Naim?

I think I am going power mad at the moment... how about a pre-power combo for under 2K and then a pair of floorstanders for around 1K? Or am I better off with the integrated amps (such as Roksan Kandy) and a similiar kind of speaker? I supose the integrated makes more sense for lugging it around.

These look nice:

Quad 99 + Quad 909 - NAD 165 BEE + C275 BEE - Naim NAP 200 + Naim NAC 122X

Still enmoured of this though:

Roksan Kandy, Musical fidelityM3, Naim Nait 5si.

Dave, perhaps I am simply over-budgeting (an oxymoron?) for my hifi needs.

Subline: thanks for the well-wishing as regards the car. In retrospect, I actually do like walking, so I am preobably better off without a car. I see the hifi turning into my "ersatz" though.

Pyramus

 

[davedotco]

Thank you Dave.

I think I can manage a budget verging on 3000 GBP for amp and speakers.I understand that one should spend more on the amp than the speakers and most on the source. However, I appear to be going for the luddite setup, which may be an inverted model of this.

When you say "mainstream" do you mean something like Sony, or like Pioneer, or like NAD, or like Naim?

I think I am going power mad at the moment... how about a pre-power combo for under 2K and then a pair of floorstanders for around 1K? Or am I better off with the integrated amps (such as Roksan Kandy) and a similiar kind of speaker? I supose the integrated makes more sense for lugging it around.

These look nice:

Quad 99 + Quad 909 - NAD 165 BEE + C275 BEE - Naim NAP 200 + Naim NAC 122X

Still enmoured of this though:

Roksan Kandy, Musical fidelityM3, Naim Nait 5si.

Dave, perhaps I am simply over-budgeting (an oxymoron?) for my hifi needs.

Subline: thanks for the well-wishing as regards the car. In retrospect, I actually do like walking, so I am preobably better off without a car. I see the hifi turning into my "ersatz" though.

Pyramus

The big downside to pre-power combinations is that you are paying a lot of money for the casework. In many designs the case is by far the most expensive part of the amplifier and going pre-power is siimply adding to the cost. An integrated is generally better value at this price level.

Otherwise this is really about synergy, this is not an area that I have any great experience in, but the combination of Rotel and B&W is highly thought of, maybe the Rotel 1570 integrated and a pair of B&W CM8s would fit the bill? You would simply have to try these combinations and see what suits.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, my default setup at this price level is the AVI ADM9RS speakers with subwoofer, normally I would take these over any conventional floor stander and amplifier at comparable price because I feel that floor standers of this size need a lot of space, which you have. For this reason I have not really listened to them in earnest, hence my inability to suggest anything specific.

 

[pauln]

I understand that one should spend more on the amp than the speakers and most on the source.

Not true these days IMHO. Speakers most important and having enough watts from your amp to power them without clipping. Your laptop and dac will give you a more than adequate source; unless of course you believe in audiphoolery. If it were me with your tastes and situation, I'd follow DDC's advice and go for the best actives I could afford.

Some years ago I lived in a similarly sized place to yours; a warehouse conversion. The lounge was 30' x 30' x 10', also with parquet floors and two enormous windows; a very live sound, tempered by two huge squashy sofas, but easily filled with sound by a 50wpc Cyrus 2 amp and some Mission 700 speakers.

 

[steve_1979]

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

Everything you say screams big active monitors.

+1

I'd be considering the Event Opal's (if you don't mind the looks) or the AVI ADM9's partnered with the matching AVI 10" subwoofer.

 

[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.

+1

I made these recommendations when I thought the OP was likely to want to drive the system quite hard in a 'party style' situation. If this was the case and given the slightly increased budget I would go for a pair of these....

Event Opals, ugly as sin but a fine combination of room filling power and genuine refinement.

However the OP has suggested that is not the case and wants to look at conventional floor standers and amplification in the £2-3k region.

Not an area I have great experience in, can anyone offer any more specific combinations?

 

[steve_1979]

I made these recommendations when I thought the OP was likely to want to drive the system quite hard in a 'party style' situation. If this was the case and given the slightly increased budget I would go for a pair of these....

I immediately edited that post to include these. Perfect hifi speakers IMO even if they are unconventional looking.

 

[Pyramus]

Pauln, I remember those wonderful little boxes, a very good friend of mine had a pair, and I was fascinated by them.

Possibly a silly question, but what advantage do I have with actives? (Aside from the obviation of amp - and therefore mobility). I am guessing there is no remote control.

Pyramus

 

[Vladimir]

How about this freaking amazingly powerfull combination:

JBL LS80 + Harman/Kardon HK990

When I heard it and saw it in a dealers showroom I was blown away!

 

[matthewpiano]

Do HK even make the stereo amps any more? Certainly both the 990 and 980 have disappeared from their UK site.