Looking for a new sound system...

[aels747]

Hi guys, I have no idea whats good and whats not good. I hoped that someone here could give me a hand. I'm building a new music room soon, but I want to keep it small. A couple metres each way. I need a new system around £800/$1200 thats got great quality of sound(ofc) and also is really loud. I really do like to play my music pretty loud, so hopefully something that plays well at loud volumes. And ideas? Many Thanks!

[cjf]

I thnk your best bet would be to browse on over to Audiogon.com and see what you can find on the Used market where you can get the most bang for your buck.

 

If it were me I would look for a pair of Klipsch Chorus II's or similar which has a very high efficiency (100+) and lots of cubic inches in terms of woofer size. If can acquire something like that then you won't need much amplification to drive them into the 110db range.

 

My guesstimate would be half of your budget would be blown after the speaker purchase which leaves the other half on an "all in one" Integrated amp of some flavor. This would include a Preamp/ DAC and Amp in one chassis.

 

No doubt the price limitation suggested will limit your options so I would go used market for sure.

[17629]

Given your description on what you expect from your system, it may not be a bad idea to get a pair of powered studio monitors. They're designed to play loud and clean. Then just get a USB dac like an AQ Dragonfly. There's plenty of choices within your budget. guitarcenter.com has a large selection.

[Johan]

A pair of studio monitors could indeed do the job, I would also consider the KEF X300A's with sub out mod, they have an integrated USB DAC, volume control, and do not distort when opening the volume to 100%. Add a sub and you have a really very nice full range active and minimalistic system. Save some money to add Dirac Live as a future upgrade.

[master]

Studio monitors are a good recommendation, I'd start with Genelec, even used ones.

 

JBL Studio 530 is an excellent buy especially for what it costs, and they go pretty loud too, and will still leave you with $$$ for the rest like a decent DAC, cables, etc.

 

If you can up the budget by a little also consider the Naim Mu-So, its pretty much a one box solution.

[hacopeo]

you can up the budget by a little also consider the Naim Mu-So, its pretty much a one box solution.

[17629]

"If it were me I would look for a pair of Klipsch Chorus II's or similar which has a very high efficiency (100+) and lots of cubic inches in terms of woofer size. If can acquire something like that then you won't need much amplification to drive them into the 110db range."

 

That's not always true. Large drivers still need to be controlled properly in order to sound right. Room size needs to be considered as well. A good example of what I'm talking about is the sound system in a night club. The speakers they use are very efficient, but they still use very powerful amps to drive them.

[cjf]

"If it were me I would look for a pair of Klipsch Chorus II's or similar which has a very high efficiency (100+) and lots of cubic inches in terms of woofer size. If can acquire something like that then you won't need much amplification to drive them into the 110db range."

 

That's not always true. Large drivers still need to be controlled properly in order to sound right. Room size needs to be considered as well. A good example of what I'm talking about is the sound system in a night club. The speakers they use are very efficient, but they still use very powerful amps to drive them.

 

Sure, having more power would be great but the OP said the whole system budget was only $1200. I used to own a set of the speakers I recommended being driven by a small 60w Adcom stereo amp that could chase you out of a 24x15' room with the SPL levels it could generate due the speakers having a 102db efficiency. Also, lets not forget all those folks running very large Wilson speakers (Alexandria's) with tiny SET Amps putting out no more than 32w on a good day.

 

I made an assumption that the OP couldn’t possibly expect to not deal with certain sacrifices in the final sound given the budget they are working with.

[17629]

Sure, having more power would be great but the OP said the whole system budget was only $1200. I used to own a set of the speakers I recommended being driven by a small 60w Adcom stereo amp that could chase you out of a 24x15' room with the SPL levels it could generate due the speakers having a 102db efficiency. Also, lets not forget all those folks running very large Wilson speakers (Alexandria's) with tiny SET Amps putting out no more than 32w on a good day.

 

I made an assumption that the OP couldn’t possibly expect to not deal with certain sacrifices in the final sound given the budget they are working with.

 

 

I was going by what the OP was asking for.

 

"I need a new system around £800/$1200 thats got great quality of sound(ofc) and also is really loud. I really do like to play my music pretty loud, so hopefully something that plays well at loud volumes."

 

He uses the word loud 3x in 2 sentences. Lets also not forget all the Wilson owners who use amps like Krell and Levinson on those same speakers. And in much greater numbers than SET's. Although, its funny that you mention 32 watt tube amps on Wilson's. I use a 32 watt/channel tube amp on mine. (My amp is PP so I guess I'm cheating a bit.)

 

Powered studio monitors usually play really loud, but even if the OP were to use separate amps, you can pick up a pro amp like QSC, or similar, for a few hundred dollars new that puts out a great deal of power. Not the last word for an audiophile, but its pretty clean and gets the job done. In this particular case, it seems like the right option for the OP.

[semente]

I'd look into a pair of Cerwin Vegas powered by Behringer amplification.

 

R

[Nikko1960]

Hi there

 

Your profile doesn't say where you're located but I'm assuming it's in the UK since you quote your budget in GBP first. If so, you could do a lot worse than having a chat with my dealer, Alain Abensur (see: Choice Hi-fi UK - High End Audio Equipment - Choice HiFi (Home Page)). He's also profiled in the current issue of this rag: Issue #136 - June 2016 | Hi-Fi+

 

Good luck.

 

Nikko