Hi,
I've got an old Arcam A65+ Amp sitting gathering dust. So I'll be sorting a streamer out (Wiim Pro Plus) soon and I'm trying to choose some speakers.
They can be stand mount or floorstanders (though i prefer the look of the latter). Looks are important as the GF needs to be onboard.
I'm going to audition as 2nd hand pair of B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition this weekend.
Also considering the KEF Q550 and Q Acoustic 5040.
I do like a nice sweet and detailed midrange. I'm not a bass junkie.
Any thoughts on the pairings would be appreciated. Or any other suggestions too.
Thanks
I know the QA 3050i partner very well with Arcam as I've had that pairing recently.
Very alive and fresh sounding and fill the room very well.
Imo punch they well above their weight hence their various accolades.
At the time I also demoed the 5040 and a few others back to back at richer sounds and both me and the guy there agreed although sounding slightly different the 3050i sounded as good to us both presenting a bargain to me.
After a pair of old mission speakers blew in a somewhat vintage second hifi so the QA's were moved over as the replacements (which sound amazing via a pioneer a400) better in some regards.
It ment I then needed to look into suitable replacements for my main hifi and after many demoes including the B&W 603 S2 with my personal preference in mind, I found the fyne audio f502s near the top of the list of favourite speakers I've ever heard connected to the Arcam sa30 and Arcam radias.
With their vicerale punch and fission ensuing pleasure's everytime they go loud with quality all across the range to boot its what I came home with.
Not too much bass but it is there so maybe not the best match.
Speakers are a very personal thing after all they are primary to the amp in creating the main differences to the sound you will hear given the anciliries are decent.
I also demoed the wharfdale diamond evo 4.4s etc and a few of the other main contenders on top and none came close to the way the fynes throw music at you (if you like that kinda thing).
They were a nice suprise.
You may want to see my thread
Well I managed to get to richer sounds and another and demo a few different speakers including the said Fyne audio 501 and wharfdale 4.4 Evo.
I even tried a few amps aswell😀
I used my Acram sa30 for reference and an Acram radia amongst a few others.
In the view of keeping to the thread topic I wont go further with my opinions on other amps to rule out bad partnering.
I can only give my personal opinion within my preferences.
As you know speakers are a very personal thing.
I use reviews and advice as a ballpark to separate the seed from the chaff first then demo the shortlist.
Everything is of course "IMO" so please do not take offence.
I find it easier to almost write a disclaimer first.
Everything is of course"to my ears" and I don't want to be writing IMO after every sentence.
(Plus I like you guys, I would not force my view nor willingly cause offence)
The wharfdales that interested me the most came first.
The first thing I noticed was the drivers seeming much smaller than advertised.
It seems they too now use the circumference of the driver surround to boast a larger size.
They are 4.74 inches ( about 5" including actual integral driver surround) the rest is a surrounding aesthetic fascia.
So not the 6.5" specified size.
Once music commenced after the guy in richer sounds after recommended the fyne audio over them that is 🤷♀️ I was totally surprised by a lack luster sound.
I thought it was actually a set up issue, that much I found myself checking everything quickly before adjusting the volume and source.
Sitting back again I just knew within a minute they weren't for me despite my head telling me
"Hey they won stuff and are wharfdales they must be good 😂"
There just wasn't any excitement or urgency in anything.
I didn't find them directional because of the AMT tweeter nor fatiguing as assumed by another poster, quite the opposite.
They were very laid back as one or two reviewer's picked up on.
Not in the type of manner best suited to a low volume listening more akin to my father's type of listening preferences but rather in itself lifeless.
I won't go on as I'm genuinely not wanting to cause offence with those who like them.
Suffice to say alongside the floor staff (the ones that like hifi) I found the best polysemous word for them in my opinion is "dull" 🤔 within my personal preferences.
Second came the Bowers & Wilkinson 603 S3
To stay away from the usual elongated marmite wax lyrical style we've all come to know from magazine reviews etc, which all use the same words in a different order via a lazy fashion of getting through an entire page before describing the actual attributes.
To use key words.
I found them very detailed, bass rich with much much clarity.
Something ever there that would appeal to nearly everyone, I found nothing really wrong with anything
If playing it safe an ideal speaker to have indeed.
They are what I've always expected from B&W's and that's an air of quality that's immediately apparent.
They were a much better sounding speaker than the aforementioned wharfdales but are a tad more expensive to boot.
I couldn't see them disappointing anyone but I always look for something to stand out rather than blend in so decided against.
Next the fyne audio f501
Within a minute of the lumineers "stubborn love" an innate smile spread from ear to ear.
The music felt alive with all vicerale excitement i could cope with.
It made me think how much im in love with the lumineers music.
The speakers had me "hearing" the music once again instead of just analysing the sound.
I found myself enjoying the same music tracks (in the interest of fairness) exponentially more.
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
Everything I personally like was there.
Intoxicating Power and drive, so engaging beyond the other two prior mentioned speakers.
They are a very commanding speaker.
I thought that was enough and my decision was made.
At this point I'd heard enough until I saw the fyne audio F502 were on offer.
In they rolled on a trolley dolly nearly 4ft of them with the spikes on.
I sat back and admired the imposing look as the squeaky wheels we all know from the supermarkets moved them into place.
Being a DJ I've had many huge and still have an older pair of Mackie's in the loft (where they can stay) that dont carry such a domineering look.
High power monitors/PA's aren't "usually" good for anything but loud.
They can be very flat.
(There's a few exceptions)
I've had many and never considered them to be as good as their hifi equivalent.
The fyne audio f502 speakers had me sat in awe so much so that I'd forgotten about the two pairs of stand mounts I'd heard prior all together
I still can't remember what they were 😂
The 502's are Absolute behemoth's.
They were very similar to the 501 with everything I liked so much and more.
So much more depth and attack.
A much fuller lower end bass out of the 8" drivers but in a very quick and controlled manner.
They reminded me of an older favourite pair of mission 763i's of yesteryear that were very bass rich.
Coincidentally I like them that much they languish in a cupboard awaiting repair.
Everything was so fresh sounding with exceptional dynamics irrespective of the small room size in comparison to the speakers.
The "small" demo room at richer sounds is almost the same width as my bedroom come listening room although not as long.
I liked the fyne audio 501 so much I thought they were not able to be bettered within my set parameters.
That little 501 floorstander is an absolute hoot.
A joy to listen to.
I Switched to the track that was the end for the mission mx3's thus causing this whole scenario, The clash "lost in the supermarket"
I dialed it up to 52 on the Arcam after being somewhat egged on by the richer sounds salesman which to people who've heard one will tell confirm is very loud and the absolute limit for some smaller speakers and sat back.
It seems Arcam didn't over state their wattage unlike the Roksan k3 it replaced.
My limbic system was flooded.
I felt genuine "frisson" as I do regularly when music is loud with a quality sound.
The hairs on the back of my neck were stood up on end.
Absolutely what I was looking for without comprise.
I assumed it not possible at this price to get so much.
I read the backstory to the relatively new fyne audio formation suffice to say it shows that alongside their time at tannoy being of heavy influence they have added their own (iso) flare pardon the pun.
I can't describe how good these speakers sound as you might not have the same preference in sound or be even near.
Someone's bright might be somewhat shrill to another.
Another's leaning to warmer sounding speakers could sound too rolled off to different listener.
I can say I liked the fyne audio 502 that much I purchased them.
In terms of speakers I demoed I've forgotten the two stand mounts heard.
I know I relegated them quickly not finding what I was looking for in either.
I also demoed a few other floorstanders and amps but don't want to bore you any further with my attempts to explain what I thought of some the speakers I've demoed.
Suffice to say it isn't a review I'm trying to put forth just a friendly impression of what I think personally.
I couldn't get to demo some of the suggestions made as they were either to far afield or not stocked at all with the vendors I am willing to purchase from.
My partner did take a few photos as I was to impressed with both the fyne audio 501 and 502 to think beyond what I was hearing
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