Upgrade my HiFi, looking for suggestion

[nadav1ktz]

Hi all,
I’m looking for some suggestions on an upgrade.
I have a 10 SQM acoustic room with Kef LS50 powered by Rega Brio just for music listening.
I want to upgrade it. Budget about $10K.

I thought about Monitor Audio G6 Gold 500 + Roksan Caspian 4G (the streaming version with the BluOS) or LS60 Wireless.
Someone told me the Monitor Audio will be too big to the room.

What do you think, does someone have any suggestion?
I’m mainly listening to electronic music and hip hop but sometimes find myself listening to rock, live music and other genres.

Thanks in advance for any help 🙂

 

[JoelSim]

So the room is just slightly bigger than 3m x 3m?

 

[RTHerringbone]

Hmm. An upgrade to spend about 5x the value of what you currently have? How does that come about?

 

[nadav1ktz]

So the room is just slightly bigger than 3m x 3m?

It’s 3.5x2.9

 

[nadav1ktz]

Hmm. An upgrade to spend about 5x the value of what you currently have? How does that come about?

Job promotion 😜

 

[RTHerringbone]

Job promotion 😜

What is your current source? You mention already decent amp and speakers and it sounds like you only stream music? What do you currently use to do that?

Unless anything is clearly missing sonically, I'd just get yourself a decent streamer to use with what you already have and save yourself a bundle.

 

[nopiano]

An advantage of the active KEF LS60 you mention, is the adjustment to account for placement closer to walls or corners than is ideal. It will have a similar ‘flavour’ to the current LS50 because KEFs are essentially neutral, but it will have much greater headroom in the bass.

The neatness in a modest space would appeal to me too. See if you can audition some. If you don’t have other source components like CD Players or turntables then that’s all you’ll need, apart from a tablet or phone to use as a remote.

 

[nadav1ktz]

What is your current source? You mention already decent amp and speakers and it sounds like you only stream music? What do you currently use to do that?

Unless anything is clearly missing sonically, I'd just get yourself a decent streamer to use with what you already have and save yourself a bundle.

I’m streaming with Tidal, the current setup sounds great, but after few years I want an exciting upgrade.

 

[daytona600]

Kii SEVEN , ATC SCM20ASL , PSI Audio A25-M ,Genelec 8361 AW , Quested V3110 , HEDD Type 30

 

[Fandango Andy]

Hi all,
I’m looking for some suggestions on an upgrade.
I have a 10 SQM acoustic room with Kef LS50 powered by Rega Brio just for music listening.
I want to upgrade it. Budget about $10K.

I thought about Monitor Audio G6 Gold 500 + Roksan Caspian 4G (the streaming version with the BluOS) or LS60 Wireless.
Someone told me the Monitor Audio will be too big to the room.

What do you think, does someone have any suggestion?
I’m mainly listening to electronic music and hip hop but sometimes find myself listening to rock, live music and other genres.

Thanks in advance for any help 🙂

You really need to audition speakers to see how they sound in your room, and to your ears.

You may be pushing it a little with those speakers in your room, manufacturers guidelines suggest the loudspeakers should be positioned approximately 1.8 to 3 m apart, a minimum of 91cm from the side walls, and 30-61 cm from the rear wall. You may get away with less depending on how well the room is treated. you will only know by listening.

Is the electronic music you listen to particularly bass heavy? If so, a pair of standmounts and an active sub may suit your needs and environment better.

 

[nadav1ktz]

You really need to audition speakers to see how they sound in your room, and to your ears.

You may be pushing it a little with those speakers in your room, manufacturers guidelines suggest the loudspeakers should be positioned approximately 1.8 to 3 m apart, a minimum of 91cm from the side walls, and 30-61 cm from the rear wall. You may get away with less depending on how well the room is treated. you will only know by listening.

Is the electronic music you listen to particularly bass heavy? If so, a pair of standmounts and an active sub may suit your needs and environment better.

I can follow this guidelines within my room footprint.
It’s not bass heavy, more med-high. Today I don’t have a sub alongside the LS50 and bass is not missing for my ears.

I will go listen to speakers before buy them, but want to optimize my time spent on this.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

brio WIL NOT drive LS50's to their capability.
thee LS50 is mis-sold as a semi-budget speaker [pricing] but is a top tier performer when juiced up to the max with a dollop of current.
the LS50 will be fine with a better amplifier selection.
what about a HEGEL or an ATOLL amplifier ? Lots of current from both and will wake up the LS50.
have a look at Hegel H400 and/or Atoll IN400. with a 10k budget leaves room for speakers in the future, but the H400 into the LS50's will jump start them !

however, with such a healthy budget I'd suggest critical and not unfair to demand home auditioning of all equipment before commitment.


[side note; wish I hadn't mentioned thee H400 as now looking and considering a strategy to get one].....

 

[RTHerringbone]

I’m streaming with Tidal, the current setup sounds great, but after few years I want an exciting upgrade.

But how is music from TIDAL reaching the speakers? You mention an amp and speakers, but no streamer to receive the data from TIDAL? Unless you have the Active LS50s which won't need an amp, but if you have those, why have the Brio?

I'm just confused about what you actually have at the moment 🙂

 

[skinnypuppy71]

I just purchased a Electrocompaniet eci6 mkii......and all is can say is get one on your audition list.....it's a absolute game changer in my system......the control, soundstage width and depth is absolutely astounding.....my little Neat petite classics are now performing on a different level from my previous amps, eg, Exposure 31010s2d, Primaluna Dialogue premium hp, Electrocompaniet's own ECI80D......lots of people seem to think a amplifier that is able to drive speakers is all that's needed to get max performance, it simply isn't the case.
I believe a good dumb amplifier is the best way to go about putting together a great system for the longer term and build the rest of the system round that, by dumb amplifier, I mean a amplifier with no other features, it just amplifies the signal, no phono stage, no dac. etc etc
I'd also get a demo of those ATC scm20 asl actives that were mentioned above.....although they're meant to be ruthlessly transparent with recordings and your Source will need to be very very good.

 

[Revolutions]

If you like the Brio, maybe demo the new Elex?

 

[matthewpianist]

You can get more out of your LS50s with an amp upgrade, I agree. The Brio is a great budget amplifier, but it's abilities are often over-stated. You wouldn't have to spend a huge amount to get much more out of the KEFs - a Musical Fidelity M3si or higher would do a much better job.

 

[JoelSim]

It’s 3.5x2.9

My room is about double the size of yours and I've moved to standmounts from floorstanders and they fit my room sonically far better. Even my 18y old son has said this who loved the sound from the floorstanders previously too.

And as you say I don't think you need a sub in a room that's so small.

My suggestion would be to avoid rear ported and also avoid standmounts that need plenty of space (for instance Dynaudio Special 40 types).

If I were you the speakers I'd be looking at initially would include:

Sonus Faber Sonetto 2 G2 (I have these)
Epos ES-7n
Dali Rubikore 2
Amphion Argon 3
Acoustic Energy AE1
ATC SCM19
Spendor 4/5 Classic
PMC Prophecy 1

Amps:

Leema Tucana 2 (I have this)
Primare i35
Roksan Caspian 4G
Audiolab 9000a
Exposure 2510
Kinki Studio EX-M1+

Streamers:

Cambridge Audio EXN100 (I have this)
Audiolab 9000n
Eversolo DMP-A8

 

[Entrigo]

As others have said, I'd look at a good amp first, to drive those KEF better and see how you feel about it. I haven't listened to the Roksan, though it should be able to give you much more oomph. Another option would be go up the Rega chain - your budget would definitely stretch to an Aethos - or a Naim Supernait 3. All these should give you the same drive of the Brio but with significantly more refinement. And you would then have money left to buy a dedicated streamer.

 

[RJW232]

You could try partnering the LS50's with a Hegel amplifier. H190v or the new H150. I've heard several demo's with this combination and the Hegels seem to get the most out of the LS50's.

 

[Entrigo]

You could try partnering the LS50's with a Hegel amplifier. H190v or the new H150. I've heard several demo's with this combination and the Hegels seem to get the most out of the LS50's.

How do Hegel sound? I was looking at them a while ago but read they are quite on the "cold" side (I am a sucker for a touch of colouration haha)

 

[RoA]

The only Hegel I owned was the H95.

Its neutral to a point. No colouration meaning it doesn't seem to impose itself on the sound. Good sounds good, bad ... . Speaker agnostic so it sounds the same with difficult loads as it does with easier ones.

A good amplifier for speakers with low inherent damping which can sound 'loose' with amplifier with high output impedance/low damping factor.

 

[nadav1ktz]

brio WIL NOT drive LS50's to their capability.
thee LS50 is mis-sold as a semi-budget speaker [pricing] but is a top tier performer when juiced up to the max with a dollop of current.
the LS50 will be fine with a better amplifier selection.
what about a HEGEL or an ATOLL amplifier ? Lots of current from both and will wake up the LS50.
have a look at Hegel H400 and/or Atoll IN400. with a 10k budget leaves room for speakers in the future, but the H400 into the LS50's will jump start them !

however, with such a healthy budget I'd suggest critical and not unfair to demand home auditioning of all equipment before commitment.


[side note; wish I hadn't mentioned thee H400 as now looking and considering a strategy to get one].....

Thanks for that idea. I do have some plan for the LS50, move them to the living room with Hegel H120. You are speaking on H400 and I think to myself if it won’t be to much for the LS50

 

[nadav1ktz]

But how is music from TIDAL reaching the speakers? You mention an amp and speakers, but no streamer to receive the data from TIDAL? Unless you have the Active LS50s which won't need an amp, but if you have those, why have the Brio?

I'm just confused about what you actually have at the moment 🙂

Today I stream Tidal through Yamaha MusicCast.
For the next setup, Caspian 4G is also have BluOS integrated.

 

[nadav1ktz]

My room is about double the size of yours and I've moved to standmounts from floorstanders and they fit my room sonically far better. Even my 18y old son has said this who loved the sound from the floorstanders previously too.

And as you say I don't think you need a sub in a room that's so small.

My suggestion would be to avoid rear ported and also avoid standmounts that need plenty of space (for instance Dynaudio Special 40 types).

If I were you the speakers I'd be looking at initially would include:

Sonus Faber Sonetto 2 G2 (I have these)
Epos ES-7n
Dali Rubikore 2
Amphion Argon 3
Acoustic Energy AE1
ATC SCM19
Spendor 4/5 Classic
PMC Prophecy 1

Amps:

Leema Tucana 2 (I have this)
Primare i35
Roksan Caspian 4G
Audiolab 9000a
Exposure 2510
Kinki Studio EX-M1+

Streamers:

Cambridge Audio EXN100 (I have this)
Audiolab 9000n
Eversolo DMP-A8

Thanks for the detailed feedback.
Do you think a dedicated streamer is worth the spent or take an integrated amp could be better (for example, the Caspian 4G have an option with integrated streamer)?

 

[JoelSim]

Thanks for the detailed feedback.
Do you think a dedicated streamer is worth the spent or take an integrated amp could be better (for example, the Caspian 4G have an option with integrated streamer)?

I have no idea as I've not used Roksan's streaming system, but personally I really like my EXN100, it gives a wonderful 3D soundstage, and I pair it with an amp that's just an amp.

Other people may have different opinions.