Living audio set-up

1. Think long, future flexibility, options, desirable future additions now.

2. efficient speakers: sensitivity 1w/1m: 90 db or more.

IF you can find efficient speakers you love, THEN it will reduce your power needs. That will reduce: cost, size, heat; and increase: equipment choices, placement options.

AND, critically, with all those advantages: enable trying TUBE equipment.

3. bi-amp speakers capability, limits your choices, but increases your future flexibility.

4. sub(s) now or in the future. Video: 1 sub can add some dinosaur stomp. Music: I recommend a stereo pair of subs, no ports, front facing located adjacent to the mains, so fundamentals and their overtones can establish directionality. 

5. speaker placement flexibility. I advocate steady placement with easy movement, i.e. felt feet, plastic slip sheets, or wheels (if so, 3 wheels with anti-tipping corner blocks). Find ideal placement and ideal toe-in for you alone, and adjust toe-in for 2 listeners to get both a wider center and retain some l/r imaging

6. Buy, Keep, Return/Exchange Speakers. 

Any speaker, the very best, is designed for an imaginary space, and any speaker might sound great, good, or down right lousy in your space.

If you cannot listen first, find a seller with several viable options in your budget that will allow an evaluation, refund or exchange.

7. Existing Equipment, Better Equipment Later, according to the long range plan.

You can use your existing equipment to ascertain the new speakers sound in YOUR space, then later you change to better equipment so those speakers can reveal more of the source.

Hi,first off I would recommend an all in one solution with built in DAC & Headphone INSTEAD of seperate power amp/pre amp.
 Hegel,SimAudio or Quad Vena2 would be at the top of my list..
 As for speakers you need a general idea what type of tone you want.I value an organic tone with ZERO tendency towards brightness..I do NOT like ANYTHING with metal drivers & prefer Silk dome tweeters & natural(Dali,Sonus Faber) or polymer(Harbeth,Dynaudio) materials..
 Don't spend crazy on cables,look at gently used cables,you'll get more for your $ often getting up to 50% off retail value..
 READ READ READ,learn about the different types of tone reproduced by different components..Good luck!

Oh, thanks for your responses. What do you think of Hegel H190 Integrated Amplifier/DAC? And which speakers would be a good match?

Thanks,

I have heard the Hegel 590 driving Harbeth M40.2 speakers & the sound was pretty amazing but then together they retail for about $25,000.00..All my research says Hegel is a top choice with well rounded sound not favoring any particular sound trait..The 190 is a little pricey unless you find gently used so maybe look a little farther down the line like the new H120 or H95,you save some $ that can go for better speakers & do not lose anything but a small amount of power you probably don't need...
 As for speakers how big is your listening room?How far away from back & side walls can speakers be placed?Is the room hard sounding(lots of glass,hardwood floors etc.)over damped(heavy drapes,big soft furniture,thick carpet) or a balanced combination?What kinds of music do you listen to & about how loud?

Hey thanks. My listening room is about 20x10 ft. The speakers don't have any restriction to be placed. The room has a lot of glass (many big widows). And I prefer to listen to jazz and classical and at a medium volume.

Thanks,

Lots of Glass: Side Walls?

Full Height Draperies or THICK Textured Fabric Vertical Blinds.

Not long runs, several sections so you can close some sections totally, some partially, leave some open.

The Vertical Blinds, you tilt the blinds so the sound absorbing, non-reflecting strips face the speakers, thus allowing light and vision at the reverse angle. Heavy, thus buy good quality tracks.

Now: the other side? Even if no windows, think thru if you need opposing treatment so the reflections/lack of reflections are equal.

Hint: you can wait, buy big heavy canvas drop cloths, use them as temp shields to decide what you want to do for real, i.e. spend real money on.

Pretty good size room & hard.IMO a good floorstanding 3 way is the way to go here + they would be a bit more efficient,making better use of power.In your room I would absolutely not get anything that has a tendency to be brighter sounding like Triangle or pretty much anything with all metal drivers..Even something like Dynaudio might tend towards brightness in your room..
 My $ would probably go for something from Sonus Faber or in your room the Wharfedale Linton & the Harbeth Compact 7ES-3/ XD might be good options...

What about the Sonus Faber Sonetto III?

Or even the Sonetto II?

^^^ IMO they might come off as a bit bass shy,smallish cabinet & drivers..I heard the Lumina V recently driven by a Creek EVO50 & I have to say they have the wonderful,rich yet detailed sound SF has always had a reputation for...

Or the Harbeth P3ESR XD?

Small will work if you compact your listening area,ie:set up system on the short wall & sit a little closer.I would also at least throw a rug down & curtains over the closest windows..

Yep, uderstood. So I was thinking in going with the Hegel H95 and Harbeth PSESR XD

I read somewhere the owner/designer/builder of Harbeth LOVES Hegel & uses them exclusively to demo his speakers..I would imagine the combination would be highly musical,tonally colorful & easily enjoyable..Don't forget decent stands & give everything you get time to break in,usually a good 50 hours gets you close,most gear showing minimal changes out to 500 hours..JMOYMMV,best of luck & don't forget an update when you have it all sorted out..