Another HiFi Listening Room help request

I used to DJ similar music 20 years ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long), but played around at a couple of clubs in Philadelphia. I also produced electronic music, not on a label, but for myself, and now many years down the road I run a hifi business. Hopefully the guidance I provide will help. 

First. I do feel a hifi system can do the trick, but it’s important to discern the physical differences. PA systems are typically on stands as it accommodates people standing up. They may not sound the best but most club music is most satisfying if it feels like it’s coming from ear level or above, so that should factor into the tower speakers you consider. You’re right in wanting something with wider dispersion so that you’re not locked into a sweet spot. Typically some JBL offerings come to mind, but I would encourage you to look at Legacy Focus SE. They are very tall floorstanders that sound incredible in the sweet spot and very, very good elsewhere in the room.

The challenge, though, is you room is quite big, and you will need the right electronics to properly control these speakers. Do you plan to play at club levels (>90-95db) or more like medium-loud listening levels (80-85db)? If the former, investing in the proper electronics will ensure that you don’t fry the speakers if you accidentally clip the amp from scratching. With your room, I’d be looking at 300 watts per channel at 8 ohms, or 500 watts at 4 ohm.

Look at SVS for subs. They are great performers for their price and easy to integrate with your system. 

Again, with the size of your room posing challenges to fill with sound, it will be hard to achieve the quality and durability you seek in new equipment with $15K. But if played right, $15K in the used market can get you very far. Hifishark.com is a great aggregator site for finding used equipment online, but it is important to protect yourself from scammers and only deal with people who have received strong positive feedback. I understand this is daunting as you’re not experienced with gear or system setup, but you’re embarking on the right path by doing your research and asking the community.

I believe a home audio will provide what your want, dance studio and private listening. Seems private listening is greater priority. 

Some thoughts:

Likely taller speakers that are not difficult to drive and can play loud are in order. 

I would think DJing is hard on a turntable/cartridge. Possibly will need one for that purpose only. Another for private listening. 

Possibly consider a SCHIIT Loki  inserted into a tape monitor loop for DJing. Could provide  greater 'drive' for those occasions. 

Find the speakers 1st then the appropriate amp to drive them. 

Check out GIK Acoustics regarding room treatment. 

Find the speakers 1st then the appropriate amp to drive them. 

Alternatively find powered speakers.
Genelecs are one example that comes to mind and they also play loud.

But they would eat up the majority of the budget… But you do not need amps then.

The Dutch-n-Dutch is likley not enough in that room.
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/dutch_dutch_8c/

And with either you want some subwoofers, just like with passive speakers.

Very interesting set of requirements! Prosound ruggedness and functionality and value combined with high-end audio sound quality... imo that can be done with high quality prosound drivers and attention to system design, especially regarding the radiation patterns.

Most high-end home audio systems have wide radiation patterns but they are not even up and down the spectrum, such that the tonal balance is considerably worse at longer distances where the reverberant field dominates the spectral balance. Prosound drivers tend to have better radiation pattern control because focusing the sound where it’s wanted is cost-effective for PA systems, but their sound quality in the ’sweet spot" is usually poor compared to high-end home audio. And of course output capability and ruggedness and portability favor prosound speakers.

Ime it is more cost-effective to start with high-quality prosound drivers and get them to sound like high-end home audio, than it is to start with high-end home audio drivers and get them to have the radiation pattern characteristics and output capability and durability of good prosound gear.

Imo what you want can be done, but offhand I do not know of an off-the-shelf product which targets your specific application. Even home audio speakers with prosound drivers (which is what I do) have a lot of money going into the cabinet finish which is probably not cost-effective for your application.

Some years back I made a speaker called the "Multi-Role Loudspeaker", or MRL (pronounced "Merle"), which was aimed at situations similar to yours, though not as high-output as what you need. I ended up only selling a few pairs, but they are at work in applications like home and commercial recording studios, providing support for a touring choir, and amplification for an electric piano, with some of them also serving as home audio speakers in between gigs. Some of my bass guitar cabs are also used for home audio, but would fall short of your DJ-ing requirement. So imo it can theoretically be done.

Duke

manufacturer

First, congrats on getting here and off Reddit. Second, Duke is being way too modest here so I’m gonna step in and recommend his “Swarm” subwoofer system that your needs/tastes are just crying out for. Next, Spatial Audio speakers are dipole speakers that use pro audio drivers so it’s both an audiophile and pro speaker that’d give you the best of both worlds. To reduce complexity and expense I’d recommend a Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 integrated amp that includes their excellent room correction software that’ll help make the whole shebang sound its best with very little work/effort on your part (between the Swarm and room correction you may find much less need for room treatments). All the gear is linked below and comes in right around $15k and I have no doubt will blow you (and your guests) away. Anyway, that’s what I’d do given your room, needs, and tastes FWIW. Best of luck, and congrats on your new place and what I’m sure will be a fantastic listening room.

https://www.audiokinesis.com/the-swarm-subwoofer-system-1.html

https://www.spatialaudiolab.com/mseries

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1417

Thank you for the mention @soix but my Swarm subwoofer system would be inadequate for this application.  IF home audio subwoofers are going to be used, Hsu Research comes to mind as offering a LOT of SPL-per-dollar. The room size AND DJ-ing use both put a premium on output capability.

However IF portability for DJ-ing in other locations is also a requirement, that complicates things. Vehicle size and load-in/load-out practicality would also be considerations.

Imo.

Duke

Look for a good used pair of JBL 4435’s they have been in my two channel home audio system since 1983. You can also actively bi-amp them if you choose to do so. With that said I have no experience with DJ-ing. Hope that helps. See the review below:

Mike

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/jbl-4435-finally-in-the-house.584523/

http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/specs/pro-speakers/1984-4430-35.htm

@audiokinesis Hi Duke! Been a long time!

I thought you had a larger (magnum?) version of the Swarm coming out for larger rooms.
 

Meanwhile, I am happily enjoying the Swarm in my system!!

Great thread, a pleasure to read, just what this forum is good at.

@hleeid, the Magnums are sold by my colleague James Romeyn, as he lives near the cabinet shop that builds the enclosures. But I think a set would eat up too much of @bionicgiblets33’s budget.

Speakerhardware.com sells subwoofer kits that I designed, so if a bit of DIY is on the menu, that may be a way to get more bang for the buck. The enclosures are plywood so they could be given a utilitarian finish with corner protectors, making them more transportation-friendly, and the Ciare woofer which is offered as an option is a prosound woofer.

Duke