Question New listening room - help with equipment selection - active v's passive??

John Fulwood

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Feb 8, 2021
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Experts out there, please help!
I'm decorating a room, 4.5m x 5m and 3.6m high. It has a large bay window.
I'm in two (probably more than that actually) minds with which way to go with respect to speakers and amplification.
1. On the one hand I've been considering the Cambridge Audio 851N streamer straight into a pair of Acoustic Energy 1 Active speakers through the balanced cable outputs.
2. On the other, sticking with the 851N into a 851W power amp to drive a pair of passive speakers - speakers (with stands) to cost in the region of £1500 tops. Any suggestions, been thinking of Wharfedale Lintons etc.??
Placement would be in the bay window, which is 3m wide, probably seek to position speakers 0.5m in on each side, by 1.3m deep, the listening position would be 3m away.
I'm not wedded to any particular solution just yet, so any suggestion in the cost ballpark of £3.5-4k for streamer based solution would be appreciated??
 
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Up to. you weather you change or not I'm not going to tell you to do that, but here are some options for the budget.

For a budget of 3-4k id certainly, look at the active Butchart audio a 500s they be top of my list as they have inbuilt room correction and it sounds like you might need it

Or having said that id also look at the musical fidelity M6SI/500 model with the lintons 3.6k the MS would really make the lintons sing!. It has a really nice inbuilt dac that you could plonk a mac mini into with the leftover money for the perfect streamer.

Or or you could go the other way with some nice really easy to drive speaker like some Klipsch heresy 4's (or the 3s if you can find them still) and nice low powered Sugden a21 and a blue sound/dac and computer. Though a bit over budget but very special indeed and would last a lifetime, very much an end game system, this and musical fidelity based system.

The actives are somewhat more subject to digital shortcomings in regards to longevity. But that's a choice you have to make.

Hopefully, that will give you some options to get excited about mull over.
 
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John Fulwood

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Nice one millennia_one.
I do like the idea of the Butchart speakers, but also the idea of owning a hand built Sugden amp (never even crossed my mind) - this is going to be very difficult, so thanks for throwing in the curve balls, it's appreciated.
A friend of mine has 4 Quad II amps, he has not used them for years, but doesn't seem to be taking the hint that I would get them out and run them. I've never heard them play, but they remain a possibility, just partnering them with a pre-amp and suitable speakers remains a puzzle for me?
 

muljao

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I think the acoustic active speakers might be lost in a not unsubstantial sized room considering the height. Maybe I'm wrong. If it was me I'd look at the dali calisto active floor standers or maybe the dali obleron 7c with bluos hub. Also the dynaudios xeo 30 (maybe even the 20)spring to mind. I haven't heard these particular setups but anything I've heard from either brand has been impressive.

The obleron would come in at half your budget, but that doesn't mean it's not good enough
 
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I think the acoustic active speakers might be lost in a not unsubstantial sized room considering the height. Maybe I'm wrong. If it was me I'd look at the dali calisto active floor standers or maybe the dali obleron 7c with bluos hub. Also the dynaudios xeo 30 (maybe even the 20)spring to mind. I haven't heard these particular setups but anything I've heard from either brand has been impressive.

The obleron would come in at half your budget, but that doesn't mean it's not good enough

Good point! but a500 have a bigger brother as well but that's a good suggest too
 
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Nice one millennia_one.
I do like the idea of the Butchart speakers, but also the idea of owning a hand built Sugden amp (never even crossed my mind) - this is going to be very difficult, so thanks for throwing in the curve balls, it's appreciated.
A friend of mine has 4 Quad II amps, he has not used them for years, but doesn't seem to be taking the hint that I would get them out and run them. I've never heard them play, but they remain a possibility, just partnering them with a pre-amp and suitable speakers remains a puzzle for me?

You're very welcome.

The speakers are hand-built to its a system that could certainly be cherished and handed down.
Report back in the future when you have time, always nice to know what people went for in the end.

Edit: sorry I couldn't direct you on the quad side of things i've never heard them or any quad gear for the matter. Though id probably start in quads own staple of speakers and go from there.

Forgot to mention Schitt audio has some nice offerings as well that might be worth a look. again work well with the Klipsch Heritage line
 
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John Fulwood

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Geez - now I've started looking at Schitt audio stuff, which has just made me think again!?!?
And Maljao, thanks for the suggestions, I can see some scope creep taking place if I'm not careful!
 
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