Amp - speaker combo for refined thump a di thump.

[Vladimir]

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."

Aww. I didn't catch that suitcase thing. Oh well then it is a clear winner >>> B&W CM1 + Roksan Kandy K2 BT.

 

[plastic penguin]

Damn and I was sure I'd read that wrong , PP recommending a xr3i boy racer amp , this time he is not pushing what he likes Vlad' >) btw the M3 is 600 quid these days

James

Never said there was anything wrong with a boy racer...

 

[Native_bon]

If you must have Bass scale & control look no futher than Boston Acoustics M340. If compact then it has to be the r300s kefs

 

[CnoEvil]

Aww. I didn't catch that suitcase thing.

Apology accepted. :twisted:

 

[JamesMellor]

No offense PP , it just struck me as I know from your previous posts you dont normally rate NAD amps , and it wasn't a "just buy what I have " post , no baised boxes ticked , must be good advise

James

 

[Vladimir]

Those BAs don't fit a suitcase. Any other smuggling technique to recommend?

As for amp I'm thinking a thick boxy Onkyo...

 

[Vladimir]

Aww. I didn't catch that suitcase thing.

Apology accepted. :twisted:

Apology where apology due.

 

[JamesMellor]

Valdimir ,

You never saw my GF trying to pack , those are hand luggague for a w/end away

James

 

[lindsayt]

Have you heard AVI bookshelf speakers? Mine are in a 15 x 27 room with a wood floor and a glass wall - no lack of bass even without the sub. So might suit the OP quite well with the sub added, just my opinion of course.

I've heard AVI bookshelf speakers. For hip hop music they have a woeful lack of bass, made most noticeable by a lack of bass impact.

I am not the only the person in the world that thinks that AVI bookshelves are quite ordinary sounding speakers. Here's what a golden eared listener had to say about them:

I couldn't believe it when I first heard the original ADM9's. They are without doubt the most boring flat unmusical pile of ***** I have ever listened to, and believe me I have heard some serious piles of *****.

 

[matthewpiano]

Oh jeez, is this going to be another thread which turns into a series of exchanges about AVI speakers or 'you should buy what I have because it is so great'?

I hope not, as that won't help the OP.

I agree with PP's suggestions for what its worth.

 

[lindsayt]

Thank you CnoEvil. These seem like very interesting choices. and not anything I had previously considered.What enamours you of the MF?

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.

Pyramus

This is an oxymoron.

 

[davedotco]

More drivers than Formula 1......... :rofl:

Given the room size and budget the full AVI system will come closest to what the OP is asking for, the power and scale developed by that system will put pretty much anything else in the price range to shame.
It doesn't just go loud, it does so whilst maintaining dynamics and has a great sense of scale, don't let the modest size of the speakers fool you, they sound anything but small.
Bit over budget (by the time you add stands etc), though you do get a nice remote control dac pre-amp to make up for that. Delivered for just £2050 in europe, bit more elsewhere.

If it has to go on the plane then given the room size you are kind of in trouble.

 

[davedotco]

Thank you CnoEvil. These seem like very interesting choices. and not anything I had previously considered.What enamours you of the MF?

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.

Pyramus

This is an oxymoron.

Not entirely, if you throw enough money at it it could be done, though not to your taste obviously.

 

[JamesMellor]

I'm reading it as it only has go on a plane once , I'm often wrong

James

 

[Vladimir]

I have 2000 pounds, one suitcase to fit the gear in and it should fill a 18x40 room with powerfull and delicious sound, including trip hop. Recommend speakers and amp. Go!

Hahahaha!

Best joke thread ever!

 

[BillDay66]

I couldn't believe it when I first heard the original ADM9's. They are without doubt the most boring flat unmusical pile of ***** I have ever listened to, and believe me I have heard some serious piles of *****.

In which fine publication can I read more of this erudite reviewers musings? ...

 

[plastic penguin]

No offense PP , it just struck me as I know from your previous posts you dont normally rate NAD amps , and it wasn't a "just buy what I have " post , no baised boxes ticked , must be good advise

James

I quite like Nads in the right circumstances, but if it were my money Nad wouldn't be the top of my list.

 

[Pyramus]

Thank you everybody for your postings.I am quite overwhelmed by the great response.

I have a little leeway with the "suitcase" issue: lots of children, so a larger baggage allowance (mostly taken up by Marmite, HP sauce, PG Tips, etc.) I shall imprint the importance of daddy's HiFi on the clan and the need to sacrifice space. Having said that, I am not sure I can stretch to floorstanders; they really are big and heavy.

Yes, the room is very big, and at the moment I have one end set up as a listening area, but ultimately would like to place the speakers in such a way as to play down the length of the room - and fill it!

Please excuse my lack of knowledge on the subject; I really don't want to waste people's time and maybe my situational limitations are too much for any reasonable solution. I was hoping the Hifi market could "do" this, and I am seeing from the postings that this may be very obvious matter of price. Is a 2000 budget not enough? What would I have to strech to to get compact power that is still Hi Fidelity?

I am not so much into the idea of active speakers: for no reason other than a boyish affectation for an amp.

Can I have my cake and eat it? Are we talking diamond studded cake?

Pyramus

 

[Al ears]

Pyramus, you say going expat but not where. As most of the problems posted seem to revolve around speakers of sufficient size / quality to fill your room surely you should be concentrating on an amplifier purchase.

There cannot be that many places in the world where it is not possible to import / buy the speakers locally, why do you need to get them in the UK? The cost of the excess baggage weight must surely outweigh (pun intended) the extra costs you may have to pay by getting the speakers at the other end, so to speak. 🙂

 

[Pyramus]

Hello Al ears. Thank you for this.

I am in on the sunny shores of the Caspian sea. Unfortunately much of what we take for granted is nascent here. Western goods are inflated in price and rare (although there is a Bose dealership here).

The pun has its merits. I just took a look, and BA WorldTraveller charges 34 and 77 GBP for the first and second extra bags resepctively. It is worth a think about - although one additional factor is the "need for a quick exit" thinking that accompanies life in a ... how can I put it ... developing (and strongly led) political context. Thouogh mostly unlikely, If push comes to shove, I would like to be able to stick it all in a couple of suitcases.

What say you to the big NAD375BEE? It looks plenty powerful, and aside from WH seems to have done pretty well.

Yet there remains the speaker conundrum. If FS then what? Are there any standmounts to field such power?

 

[Vladimir]

B&W CM1 + Roksan Kandy K2 BT is a combination that yields power, delicacy, richness, smooth and non-fateaguing sound. I have yet to hear such small speakers that perform as good as the CM1.

 

[Pyramus]

Thank you Vladimir.

The Roksan does indeed appear to be a wonderful allrounder - I suppose that may be what I am after. I gather the sound is tremendous, how happy are you with the syling?

Speakers, how about KEF LS 50 or the B&W 685 S2? or even the MA RX Silver RX 2? Any expereince of these?

Pyramus

 

[matthewpiano]

B&W CM1 + Roksan Kandy K2 BT is a combination that yields power, delicacy, richness, smooth and non-fateaguing sound. I have yet to hear such small speakers that perform as good as the CM1.

Whereas I thought the CM1s were pretty horrid when I tried them. Just goes to show how we all react differently to things and why auditioning is so important.

I believe that a new CM-series is not far off.

 

[matthewpiano]

Seems Roksan K3 is even closer... http://www.whathifi.com/news/roksan-outs-new-k3-range-of-hi-fi-separates

 

[Vladimir]

The Roksan Kandy K2 BT is completely uninterested what kind of speakers it is driving, it just pushes everything you plug in to its max with efortless ease. I've even driven Acoustic Research compression speakers with 12" woofers and 4ohms impedance nominal, droping down as low as 2.8 ohms.

The design of the amp is Art Deco and I prefer the silver fascia. I am a graphic designer by profession and I have a more open minded taste in industrial design than most. Big fan of Bang & Olufsen's Jacob Jensen, for example.

Your sound signature and preference will come from the speakers. Monitor Audio will have more exciting sound in the upper frequencies than B&W but less tremendous bass. ATC SCM 11 may also be a good choice with a powerfull amp, as well as the suggested KEF R300.

However, Dynaudio Focus 110 will be one of the speakers I would seriosly look up to match the power of the Roksan.