In doubt between Monitor Audio Bronze 2, Dali Zensor 3 and Q Acoustics Concept 20.

[bluedroog]

Do you listen elxclusivley to D&B ect? If so you may be better served aiming towards a speaker with that in mind. The speakers you list are all able performers but I think you might be better off going for a bedroom DJ type.

The speakers you list are up to about £350 on a quick google, given you need an amp too what can we assume you total budget it? I ask as I briefly owned a pair of KRK Rokit 10-3 active speakers which while perhaps not the best choice for many genres they are great party speakers.

They're pretty bulky but are three way with 10" bass drivers and can be had for about £800, all you'd need other than a source would be something like an inline attenuator for volume and you're good to go. I wouldn't recommend them for everyone but they could just be up your street. Although your room isn't huge with a bit of soft furnishing Ithink they'd get opn fine, I had mine in a fairly small room without major issue.

 

[insider9]

You have the onkyo a-9010 with dali zensor 3? Is there anything bad or less good with the setup?

I think ill go with it.

Yes I went with that setup as my first setup. Few hours of demo and I was really happy. If you're going for brand new components at that budget it will be difficult to beat.

Since you asked about pros and cons here goes.

Pros:
- very versatile dynamic sound that will suit almost all types of music (not classical though)
- Zensors can give a nice wide soundstage with a decent amount of detail (even bigger than you'll get out of Onkyo)
- both amp and speakers are rather neutral so will pair nicely with most if you were to upgrade in feature
- Zensors are lovely in terms of positioning, no toe is necessary as they so great firing straight ahead

Cons:
- more value in second hand market for the price of Onkyo you can get something like an Arcam A85 which is superior in every way. That's what I upgraded to.
- versatility of Zensors may mean that, if you listen to a particular kind of music more than a more "specialised" speaker will give you more. That's why I upgraded them already as I found myself that eventhough I like all kinds of music and yes I do listen to everything. I predominantly listen to jazz, blues, country and eventhough the Dalis will sound better with metal and hard rock than my current speakers. It's the more jazzy sound of my Roksans that will give me more listening pleasure. And occasional Machine Head blast will still sound ok though not as good as on Zensors

Hope this helps

 

[hybridauth_Google_100305019701768814103]

I listen mostly drum and bass and dance, but I enjoy coldplay and adele too. Wide spread music taste.

The only think I need is some great bass. Does this combo have great bass, like the full warm bass thats all around but not like shaking your organs around, for my small room?
I know I can't add a sub on the onkyo and I don't know enough about older second hand models to pick a great older one. Ill audition soon.

 

[rainsoothe]

I listen mostly drum and bass and dance, but I enjoy coldplay and adele too. Wide spread music taste.

The only think I need is some great bass. Does this combo have great bass, like the full warm bass thats all around but not like shaking your organs around, for my small room? I know I can't add a sub on the onkyo and I don't know enough about older second hand models to pick a great older one. Ill audition soon.

With your budget, you're way better off spending it on an active setup (think Yamaha HS7 or JBL LSR308, maybe Adam F7 if they fit budget) with a Behringer UCA202 if your laptop or PC is your source. These will easily sound better then any passive setup.

If you still want a passive setup, look at Nad C326BEE (which should now be cheaper, since it's being phased out). Plenty of power, and great sound.

 

[hybridauth_Google_100305019701768814103]

I'm also kind of an audiophile haha. I never looked at the active speakers. What is the difference with passives and what are the pros and cons (sorry, new to this all)?

Thanks for the reply though!

 

[torikoos]

I'm not convinced that at a lower budget , active speakers as such an improvement over passive.

(active have build in amplifiers, passive need a seperate amp).

Active amps are connected with a long RCA type lead instead of a traditional speaker cable, and will need a power supply socket near where they are placed. You often also need a pre-amp to which your sources connect , or you need sources with build in volume controls. The better (more expensive) ones have multiple amplifier sections build in, each dedicated for a seperate task such as one for the bass, and one for mid range etc. This eliminates conventional cross over filters but is expensive to do.

Therefore at a lower price level , go for a nice stereo amp (look on e-bay etc for a decent second hand, so you can get something a bit better than the Onkyo you are looking at), and a pair of speakers with good speaker wire.

Koos

 

[rainsoothe]

I'm not convinced that at a lower budget , active speakers as such an improvement over passive.

(active have build in amplifiers, passive need a seperate amp).

Active amps are connected with a long RCA type lead instead of a traditional speaker cable, and will need a power supply socket near where they are placed. You often also need a pre-amp to which your sources connect , or you need sources with build in volume controls. The better (more expensive) ones have multiple amplifier sections build in, each dedicated for a seperate task such as one for the bass, and one for mid range etc. This eliminates conventional cross over filters but is expensive to do.

Therefore at a lower price level , go for a nice stereo amp (look on e-bay etc for a decent second hand, so you can get something a bit better than the Onkyo you are looking at), and a pair of speakers with good speaker wire.

Koos

My pair of Yamaha HS80M beg to differ - in comparison, Wharfedale Diamond 220/Dali Zensor bass control and extension are laughable.

 

[gasolin]

You have the onkyo a-9010 with dali zensor 3? Is there anything bad or less good with the setup?

I think ill go with it.

Yes I went with that setup as my first setup. Few hours of demo and I was really happy. If you're going for brand new components at that budget it will be difficult to beat.

Since you asked about pros and cons here goes.

Pros: - very versatile dynamic sound that will suit almost all types of music (not classical though) - Zensors can give a nice wide soundstage with a decent amount of detail (even bigger than you'll get out of Onkyo) - both amp and speakers are rather neutral so will pair nicely with most if you were to upgrade in feature - Zensors are lovely in terms of positioning, no toe is necessary as they so great firing straight ahead

Cons: - more value in second hand market for the price of Onkyo you can get something like an Arcam A85 which is superior in every way. That's what I upgraded to. - versatility of Zensors may mean that, if you listen to a particular kind of music more than a more "specialised" speaker will give you more. That's why I upgraded them already as I found myself that eventhough I like all kinds of music and yes I do listen to everything. I predominantly listen to jazz, blues, country and eventhough the Dalis will sound better with metal and hard rock than my current speakers. It's the more jazzy sound of my Roksans that will give me more listening pleasure. And occasional Machine Head blast will still sound ok though not as good as on Zensors

Hope this helps

I do not find the zensor 3 to be neutral, the top can be a bit bright

Active speaker Yamaha HS8 i great, loud and lots of bass, no need for a subwoofer, but they are big

 

[hybridauth_Google_100305019701768814103]

What is a good, somewhat older amp with good punchy bass and connection for a sub (maybe for future upgrade) that is much better than the onkyo for the same price?

 

[torikoos]

What is a good, somewhat older amp with good punchy bass and connection for a sub (maybe for future upgrade) that is much better than the onkyo for the same price?

On an amp, then often you'll need to be looking at AV amps which have connections for multiple speakers incl (passive) subs, or a good stereo amp that has an additional set of 'pre amp outs' to go to an active sub. I'm not certain, but I think conventional stereo amps with a sub out are fairly rare, particularly at a lower price point.

Try (just a suggestion) looking for a Denon, Marantz or Yamaha AV amp/receiver. There's several on e-bay of a few years old, that might have everything + more you are looking for, that are not too expensive.

But again, I'd still go to a couple of hifi shops first to see what there is new that you can afford and what you like the looks and sound of. You might find a nice surprise or deal of a brand and model you had not thought of before.

 

[insider9]

What is a good, somewhat older amp with good punchy bass and connection for a sub (maybe for future upgrade) that is much better than the onkyo for the same price?

It's not an old one and might not have enough power but on my second system I'm using Onkyo Crn755. It's got a built in dac sub out as well as Spotify, dlna, usb playback and cd player and tuner can be operated via wifi (additional usb dongle) with an Android app.

Similar tonally from a9010 with slightly narrower soundstage but lots of goodies built in. Only downsides are just 22W per channel and no gapless playback.

 

[thewinelake.]

If you go to a shop next week that has the Dynaudio active speakers, take a listen - if only for research purposes. Many active speakers are a lot better than one expects, partly because if they're designed with care, the amp and drivers are optimised for each other. However, they do certainly lack the tweakability factor that most people getting into HiFi seem to like.