Need help in selecting speakers + amplifier for a small room

[M.F.]

Hi!
I need your help, gentlemen.

I want to organize a hi-Fi system in a small room (about 3 x 3 meters). At the moment, I select the main components: shelf speakers and an amplifier. Budget for them - $1300 approximately (so as not to spend the rest of the year in a doghouse).

I think it will be PSB Alpha P5 and something from NAD. And here the question arises: what will be more efficient and rational in these conditions - NAD C328 or NAD C 368? Or go even lower and buy something more traditional like C316BEE V. 2, C326BEE and the like? I don't know.. I can't listen in the salon or take the components home for a test.

A few words to clarify. I need a system that can produce detailed sound at low / medium volume in a very limited space. So that it is not flat, but lively, but also not tedious. I like the flesh and blood in music but not the blood from the ears. About genres.. There are many of them, including rock, Blues, rockabilly, ethnic and much more.. But the priority for all of them is high-quality transmission of vocals and natural instruments. Dynamics and rhythm are also important.

I hope I have clearly expressed my wishes, sorry for my English. By the way, if you have any ideas about other variations (other than PSB + NAD), I will also be interested in them. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[Al ears]

Your English is very good however, without knowing where you are and what other products you may have access to it could be a little difficult to advise.
Have you heard the PSB Alpha speakers or was it through reviews you decided on them?
What will be your source of music?
I take it NAD amplifiers are readily available and have seen reviews where the D3045 amp was used so they they seem to pair well with PSB.

 

[M.F.]

Your English is very good however, without knowing where you are and what other products you may have access to it could be a little difficult to advise.
Have you heard the PSB Alpha speakers or was it through reviews you decided on them?
What will be your source of music?
I take it NAD amplifiers are readily available and have seen reviews where the D3045 amp was used so they they seem to pair well with PSB.

Thank you for your quick response. I live in Russia, in the province, and the nearest salon in Moscow is 700 km away. But I can order the main part of hi-fi components from Russian dealers via the Internet, except for some brands. There are no problems with the assortment, in principle. The main sources are CD, LP (option for the future), PC too. Streaming services aren't that important, but I haven't tried them yet, to be honest. About alpha and NAD I judge by reviews and discussions with people who had practical experience with this equipment. PSB and NAD I was interested in. I think the nature of such a bundle will suit me.

 

[Al ears]

Thanks, having looked the NAD C328 would seem to have all your requirements and should be a very suitable pairing although, I must say, I have never heard this combination.

 

[M.F.]

Thanks, having looked the NAD C328 would seem to have all your requirements and should be a very suitable pairing although, I must say, I have never heard this combination.

According to the characteristics of 3045 and 328 should really be optimal for Alpha, but the reservations about them in reviews are confusing. For example, 3045 on this resource in the review was criticized for a lack of dynamic cheerfulness. C328 (which is essentially the same C328) is criticized by some for its flat sound and unintelligible tonal intonation. On the other hand, the C368 seems redundant for these speakers, but it seems to have a very good sound, including at low volume, which is important to me..

 

[Al ears]

According to the characteristics of 3045 and 328 should really be optimal for Alpha, but the reservations about them in reviews are confusing. For example, 3045 on this resource in the review was criticized for a lack of dynamic cheerfulness. C328 (which is essentially the same C328) is criticized by some for its flat sound and unintelligible tonal intonation. On the other hand, the C368 seems redundant for these speakers, but it seems to have a very good sound, including at low volume, which is important to me..

You should be aware that most reviews are only one man's opinion, you may not hear any such defects on your own home. The C368 is obviously much more expensive.

 

[kukulec]

Hi!
I need your help, gentlemen.

I want to organize a hi-Fi system in a small room (about 3 x 3 meters). At the moment, I select the main components: shelf speakers and an amplifier. Budget for them - $1300 approximately (so as not to spend the rest of the year in a doghouse).

I think it will be PSB Alpha P5 and something from NAD. And here the question arises: what will be more efficient and rational in these conditions - NAD C328 or NAD C 368? Or go even lower and buy something more traditional like C316BEE V. 2, C326BEE and the like? I don't know.. I can't listen in the salon or take the components home for a test.

A few words to clarify. I need a system that can produce detailed sound at low / medium volume in a very limited space. So that it is not flat, but lively, but also not tedious. I like the flesh and blood in music but not the blood from the ears. About genres.. There are many of them, including rock, Blues, rockabilly, ethnic and much more.. But the priority for all of them is high-quality transmission of vocals and natural instruments. Dynamics and rhythm are also important.

I hope I have clearly expressed my wishes, sorry for my English. By the way, if you have any ideas about other variations (other than PSB + NAD), I will also be interested in them. Thank you in advance for your help.

I see you really want to buy PSB Alpha P5, but if you have the possibility listen the Qacoustics 3030i. I got over 80 hours in them, and they are great. And I use them in a room of 12 sqm. regarding the amp, if you reallay want NAD, then I would go fo either 326 or more 356. They got much better (and more) bass.

 

[Al ears]

I see you really want to buy PSB Alpha P5, but if you have the possibility listen the Qacoustics 3030i. I got over 80 hours in them, and they are great. And I use them in a room of 12 sqm. regarding the amp, if you reallay want NAD, then I would go fo either 326 or more 356. They got much better (and more) bass.

Why would he want more bass than the PSB alpha in a small room? Or was it the fact he mentioned rock.....
Not sure how he would attach a computer to the 326 either

 

[kukulec]

Why would he want more bass than the PSB alpha in a small room? Or was it the fact he mentioned rock.....
Not sure how he would attach a computer to the 326 either

I understood it is a small room, but even then it can be insufficient. A cheap but good quality dac could do the job (topping, project, aq dragonfly).

 

[Al ears]

I understood it is a small room, but even then it can be insufficient. A cheap but good quality dac could do the job (topping, project, aq dragonfly).

You have a good point regards the DAC, I assumed he wanted an internal one

 

[M.F.]

Я вижу, что вы действительно хотите купить PSB Alpha P5, но если у вас есть возможность слушать Qacoustics 3030i. я получил более 80 часов в них, и они великолепны. И я использую их в номере площадью 12 кв. м. что касается усилителя, если вы действительно хотите NAD, то я бы пошел на 326 или более 356. Они стали намного лучше (и больше) басов.

Q acoustic speakers are not suitable for the design of the body. They are too deep. My limit is 240 mm. I have a difficult position: the speakers can only be placed on the sides of the corner computer table. On brackets or shelves, I don't know how yet.. They must rotate in a horizontal plane.

 

[M.F.]

You have a good point regards the DAC, I assumed he wanted an internal one

The internal DAC is good. But probably an external DAC will still not be superfluous for HiRes. NAD has traditionally ignored the USB-B in most models of amplifiers. I think a good option for the quality/price iFi Zen DAC.

 

[rainsoothe]

Q acoustic speakers are not suitable for the design of the body. They are too deep. My limit is 240 mm. I have a difficult position: the speakers can only be placed on the sides of the corner computer table. On brackets or shelves, I don't know how yet.. They must rotate in a horizontal plane.

Sorry to say, but I think that's one of the worst (if not THE worst) positions you could set speakers in. The corner + desk will introduce all kinds of reflections, and lack of bass will NOT be one of your problems - on the contrary, you will have too much of it. Probably, your best bet would be something like Neat Iota (expensive) or Dali Spektor 1 (or 2, maybe) for a cheaper option, powered by a Cambridge Audio AXA35 + yamaha wxad 10 if you need a streamer, or a Yamaha WXA50 for a streamer/amp/dac combo (only optical input, though).

Is getting a headphone system instead an option?

 

[daytona600]

KEF Lsx on desktop or wall brackets ( they are tiny )

..

.

 

[M.F.]

Извините, но я думаю, что это одна из худших (если не худших) позиций, в которых вы могли бы установить динамики. Угловой + стол введет все виды отражений, и отсутствие баса не будет одной из ваших проблем - напротив, у вас будет слишком много этого. Probably, your best bet would be something like Neat Iota (expensive) or Dali Spektor 1 (or 2, maybe) for a cheaper option, powered by a Cambridge Audio AXA35 + yamaha wxad 10 if you need a streamer, or a Yamaha WXA50 for a streamer/amp/dac combo (only optical input, though).

Is getting a headphone system instead an option?

You are right, this placement is not the most successful, but unfortunately there is no other option. To make it clear what and how, I made a picture that it might look like:

 

[rainsoothe]

Nice - actually, that's not as bad as I pictured it in my mind. I still stand by my recommendations, but the Kef LSX suggested above are also a great idea (probably even a better one), and seem to fall within your budget just nicely.

 

[M.F.]

Хорошо-на самом деле, это не так плохо, как я себе представлял. I still stand by my recommendations, but the Kef LSX suggested above are also a great idea (probably even a better one), and seem to fall within your budget just nicely.

These KEF are very nice. But there is one aspect - conceptual, so to speak. I would like to get experience with a more traditional Hi-Fi system. I'm 47 years old and I still haven't learned what Hi-Fi is in practice. An unforgivable omission.