Desktop setup upgrade

[catonas]

My current desktop setup consists of a Denon Da 300 usb dac, a Denon m39 dab amplifier and a pair of Q acoustics 2010i speakers. Since i am not very fond of the clinical and detailed sound of studio monitors, do you think that a pair of Q acoustics bt3 active speakers would consist an upgrade over the combination of m39 with the 2010i's?

 

[JoelSim]

Yes they are very good speakers. For something smaller there is also the Nocs NS2 v2 which are only 16cm tall and sound good.

 

[unsleepable]

I really like the BT3. But I think they have the same drivers as your 2010i. And they are powered rather than active.

Is there anything that you don't like about the sound of your Denon?

 

[davedotco]

BT3s are a rather nice, plug and play setup but I can't really see how they would improve on your current setup.

Your dismissal of active monitors does leave you rather at a loss, the vfm of, say, the Yamaha HS5 at less than £250 is simply not matched by any hi-fi type speakers that I know of, genuine active systems from 'hi-fi' companies are far more expensive.

You could look at the Audio Engine A5+, another powered design, which gives more of a 'hi-fi' sound, but they are pretty big for the desktop, so I guess you are left looking at one of the small Denon or Pioneer amps from Richers with, say, a pair of Dali Zensor 1, though again, this is more of a sideways move than any great improvement.

If you don't need the facilities of the DA300, you could sell that too and look at the Kef X300 (£600) but that would be a shame as I am guessing that is quite new and rather good.

So.....*unknw*

 

[catonas]

I really like the BT3. But I think they have the same drivers as your 2010i. And they are powered rather than active.

Is there anything that you don't like about the sound of your Denon?

I get the feeling that Denon is not powerful enough. I need to turn up the volume to 20or 25 out of 50 in order to get a decent amount of sound through the 2010i's. And as far as the 2010i's are concerned, i find the tremble to be a little recessed. I know that this applies to Q acoustics speakers in general, and i am wondering if BT3 are different in this respect. I am accustomed to dali zensor 1 with a yamaha s500 amplifier, and this combo emphasizes the tremble section a lot more. In any case, i want to thank both you, JoelSim and davedotco for your useful suggestions.

 

[davedotco]

I really like the BT3. But I think they have the same drivers as your 2010i. And they are powered rather than active.

Is there anything that you don't like about the sound of your Denon?

I get the feeling that Denon is not powerful enough. I need to turn up the volume to 20or 25 out of 50 in order to get a decent amount of sound through the 2010i's. And as far as the 2010i's are concerned, i find the tremble to be a little recessed. I know that this applies to Q acoustics speakers in general, and i am wondering if BT3 are different in this respect. I am accustomed to dali zensor 1 with a yamaha s500 amplifier, and this combo emphasizes the tremble section a lot more. In any case, i want to thank both you, JoelSim and davedotco for your useful suggestions.

The amplifier section is not in the same class as the stand alone PMA520 (currently £119) and this plus a pair of Zensor 1s would probably your best option if you go down the conventional route.

It is pretty difficult to see what else you can do for around £300-350, unless you go secondhand.

I know you said you didn't like the pro monitor idea but, if it were my money and I had your dac, I would go for these......

A shade under £390pr, sometimes a bit cheaper if you shop around.

Comfortably the most accurate speakers in their class though hard to come to terms with for some hi-fi users. The midband clarity and lack of bass 'bloom' and false 'warmth' may come as a shock, but the power, punch and presence, at any volume level is addictive. Going back to budget hi-fi speakers after these is like sticking your head under a pillow.

 

[unsleepable]

I am not sure about loudness. They just have + and - buttons, so I don't know how loud I usually drive them. They are at least loud enough for me because I've never felt I wanted them to go louder. Something nice is that they don't feel constrained when I raise the volume, and fill the room much better than I would have expected from speakers of this size—although placement also counts for this.

I wouldn't worry much about the volume setting of your Denon, only about whether it plays loud enough for you without distorting.

As for the sound, I find them tonally even—I think it's part of what makes them so pleasant. I don't find the treble recessed at all, but these speakers don't pretend to be the most detailed ones either. If you think yours are lacking in the high frequencies, maybe it's the doing of the amplifier.

What I'd recommend you to consider is the functionality. If you can listen to the BT3 and like how they sound, but don't need so much the functionality they offer, there is also the option of trying to find an amplifier that you like better.