If budget was no limit which are the very best pair of stereo speakers that have a maximum height of 27cm and a maximum width of 21cm? They will be linked to a Sonos Connect Amp I currently have connected a pair of Arcam Muso and a Kef HTB sub but the sub will stay the same for now but might be upgraded at a later date. I listen to acoustic, country, pop and rock. The speakers will be in a wooden hifi cabinet so my assumption is sealed cabinet or front ported speakers might give the best results? Thanks for your help.
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When should you upgrade your hi-fi? How to control ‘upgradeitis’
Very Best Speakers (max Height 27cm & Width 21cm) for Sonos Connect Amp?
- Thread starter SJCT99
- Start date
SJCT99 said:
Given the amplifier and the planned setup this is a meaningless question.
The best speakers will be the ones that react best to the poor positioning in the cabinet. Generally the less bass the better.
Neat Iota's perhaps? Designed for shelf mounting so might work, won't go very loud though.
BigH
Well-known member
I would not bother if you stick them away in a cabinet, I would look at wall mounting or some other solution first then find some speakers that will work like the Neat Iotas.
Not so meaningless longer term as I will upgrade the amp and to something like an Arcam A19 and swap to a sonos connect with it. The hifi cabinet is better than you might think and with suitable speakers it will work well. Someone said to check out Q Acoustics Concept 20 would anyone else think they are worth a trip to demo?
The_Lhc
Well-known member
I would think that having a height limit of 27cm is going to rule out most speakers....But how about something a bit different like MA Apex 10s? I've got their (much) cheaper Vectors on the end of a Sonos amp and they sound pretty good for what they are. With a sub in the mix as well that could be an option worth considering.
I would think that having a height limit of 27cm is going to rule out most speakers....But how about something a bit different like MA Apex 10s? I've got their (much) cheaper Vectors on the end of a Sonos amp and they sound pretty good for what they are. With a sub in the mix as well that could be an option worth considering.
Roth Audio OLI RA1 would seem to do the trick at 23.1cm high.
There's a review here: http://andreweverard.com/
Note that this post is merely meant as impartial advice and as such, I hope isn't against house rules.
It's just that we have a speaker that fits this gentleman's requirements.
:dance:
There's a review here: http://andreweverard.com/
Note that this post is merely meant as impartial advice and as such, I hope isn't against house rules.
It's just that we have a speaker that fits this gentleman's requirements.
:dance:
The_Lhc said:
Absolutely nothing when paired with a suitable pair of speakers.
The OP asks for the 'very best' pair of small stereo speakers, I would not pair it with, say, LS50, baby Harbeths or any of the LS3/5A derivatives, let alone some of the more exotic minatures.
With all due respect to Sonos, the Connect Amp was not meant for speakers of this type.
SpursGator
Well-known member
davedotco said:
Yeah, that's right. I was thinking about ProAc Tablettes or Spendor SA1s (which turn out to be too tall). But using these with a Sonos Connect amp doesn't make any sense at all.
Using budget speakers with an amazing amp usually yields great results - the speakers simply sound better than they did before. Using a budget amp with high-end speakers is often a disaster. Great speakers (usually) need to be driven by a great amp to get the best out of them. Truly great speakers, even if your electronics can drive them, will often just give you great insight into how mediocre your electronics are.
I firmly believe that a great system starts with the amplification. If you buy speakers that work well with the Sonos, and then upgrade the amp (hopefully to something better than the Arcam, no offense intended but it isn't THAT much better than the Sonos), you are going to want different speakers.
So either upgrade the amp, and buy the very best speakers for it, or buy the very best speakers for the Sonos. And for that I would probably look at Roth RA1s or Boston A25s.
The_Lhc
Well-known member
davedotco said:
With all due respect to you, you haven't answered my question. What EXACTLY is wrong with the Connect:Amp that it can't be paired with speakers like that? I don't want wishy-washy "oh, it wasn't meant for speakers like this", that's just unfounded snobbery, I want hard and fast reasons why they won't work together. Thank you.
Not usable with a CONNECT AMP.
But can be connected from the analog outs of the CONNECT, the active AVI DM5 are stunning little speakers.
But can be connected from the analog outs of the CONNECT, the active AVI DM5 are stunning little speakers.
plastic penguin
Well-known member
The_Lhc
Well-known member
plastic penguin said:
Well, I bought the original soundtrack recordings of both Mary Poppins AND The Sound of Music on original Mono pressing at the weekend for just 50p each! Immaculate condition, the Sound of Music even had it's storybook insert still with it! You can never have enough Julie!
The_Lhc said:
I have some experience with Sonos, mainly as an installer (a company I worked for had an install division) and many years as both a dealer and enthusiast.
My experience tells me that high performance, often difficult to drive small speakers, will not be effectively driven by a 50 watt amplifier such as that in the Connect amp. Just one example, the ATC SCM7 is close to the size required by the OP but has a sensitivity of just 83-84dB. There is no way that any 50 watt amplifier could drive those speakers to their potential.
I am confident that, despite not having heard every possible combination with the Connect amp, that this is a reasonable judgement call. If I really needed to know "exactly" what the capabilities of this amplifier are I would do the dem and find out.
If you are really that concerned that my judgement is 'off' then do the dem yourself, I am quite comfortable using my experience of amp/speaker matching to make that call.
plastic penguin
Well-known member
The_Lhc said:
Our local theatre did their own small production of Sound of Music. They made sure that all parents sang along. Hate audience participation musicals. |(
Back on topic: neat Iotas or any sealed boxed speaker should do the trick. But rather than slinging them in a cabinet I'd prefer to use wall brackets.
plastic penguin said:
Was taken by the first Mrs DDC to see the Rocky Horror Show in the Kings Road.
The one and only time I have ever worn make-up....... :shame:
matt49
Well-known member
davedotco said:
I'm taking my main amp off to a demo this afternoon, and it only took a minute to slot a CONNECT:AMP in in its place driving the Sonus fabers.
Does the CONNECT:AMP sound completely awful? No.
Does it sound as good as the other amp? No.
In comparison the CONNECT:AMP is rather 'woolly', with less definition, a lack of dynamics, voices sound a bit thin, and the noise floor is higher. When I turn the volume up to (for me) normal listening levels, it sounds like there's a bit of distortion.
Needless to say, only my opinion.
Matt
I'm with Plastic Penguin.
Far better to wall mount the speakers.
Did I mention that the OLI RA1 include speaker brackets in the box ?
Far better to wall mount the speakers.
Did I mention that the OLI RA1 include speaker brackets in the box ?
plastic penguin
Well-known member
davedotco said:
Of course it is. :twisted:
A few years ago my Niece and her friend thought it prudent to dress me like a comedy tart. I had to drive 30 miles from Sussex to mid-Surrey in a frock, tennis balls for boobs and tons of make-up. The scary thing was it suited me. :hand:
plastic penguin said:
I agree, such experiences can be traumatic......
I even managed to remain makeup free in the heyday of Blitz, "Brickies in eyeliner", may be acceptable, even encouraged, but sound engineers in makeup, not on!
You could try the Dali Lektor 1. Small well made and sound excellent. Also front ported so more suitable for a cabinet.
SpursGator
Well-known member
The_Lhc said:
This question is flame bait.
The Sonos Connect costs £279, and the Connect:Amp, which is the same thing with an amp, costs £399.
So the answer to your question is, nothing is wrong with it - it is a nice little £120 amp that has pretty good sound for the price.
The implication behind your question and subsequent baiting is that anyone who suggests that this £120 amp might not a good choice to drive £1500 speakers is just being a snob. The magazine which is our host would disagree. Most of the posters on here disagree and most have put their money where their ears are. Most people who have ever upgraded an amp would disagree.
What you are doing is called 'trolling.' Sort of like going on a football club forum and making posts supporting their big rival. You want someone to take the bait. And when no one did, you repeated the question.
And ok, maybe this is your opinion, that a Sonos will drive high-end speakers as well as any 50W per channel amp, and you have a right to express it. But you are simply wrong (or perhaps have damaged ears). The Sonos amps sound pretty decent, but even entry-level amps from the likes of Cambridge and NAD blow them out of the water, with ANY speakers. The OP was intimating that he might consider buying some very expensive speakers to drive with his Sonos. Anyone with even the most basic knowledge of hifi knows that's a mistake and we're trying to tell him. Why troll that kind of a thread?
I have, sitting next to me, a 50WPC Naim and a 120WPC NAD. On every speaker I have ever tested, over a range of sensitivities and characters, the Naim blows away the NAD - the only speaker for which it was even close was the ProAc Studio 100 (which worked beautifully with the NAD). It isn't all about watts and sensitivity - amps matter. A lot. It isn't snobbery, it's using your ears (for like, 6 seconds).
What's wrong with the Sonos? Well, compared to almost any dedicated hifi amp on the market, it SUCKS, especially with grown-up speakers. The Sonos is something I would buy for my mother, not an audiophile who wants to drive money-no-object speakers. Is that the answer you were looking for? Are you happy now that one of the snobs on this snobby forum took your flame bait?
The_Lhc
Well-known member
SpursGator said:
No, it's a question. All I ever hear is that the Connect:Amp isn't good enough for this speaker or that speaker. Nobody EVER explains why. Now they have, albeit rather minimally, I'm content with the answer, just. I would still like some more detailed technical explanation, if anyone can give it to me.
And that is exactly my point, the Connect:Amp is 55W, so what makes it a "bad" amplifier, compared to your Naim (for example)? I don't know the answer to that, I'm not a technical person, that's why I ask the question, are you going to answer it (I'm guessing not because I don't think you know the answer, much like most people on here. I do know there ARE people here that CAN answer the question satisfactorily, hopefully one of those will chip in at some point)?
I'm pretty sure it is a dedicated hifi amp, it has no other purpose that I'm aware of.
"grown-up speakers"? Nothing snobbish or condescending about that comment then I guess?
I think you need to wind your ******* neck in, I'm just asking a technical question, which, to date, hasn't received much of a technical answer (even now). If nobody can give me a GOOD reason why the Connect:Amp doesn't work with those kind of speakers then what other conclusion am I to draw other than the one I already have?
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