@mceljo , I think you make a fantastic conclusion about the end game is appreciating a more realistic sound. I disagree with this forum being "elite". The recommendation I made of Paradigm PW600 includes, the speakers, the amps, a streamers, the dac, the preamp, and room correction software plus a calibrated microphone on sale at 50% off, $600 all in. You plug it in, download the app, run the calibration and BAM, enjoy. If you have an additional source like a CDP or turntable, plug it in. If the OP needs a sub for the big room it has a sub out too. This is as simple as it comes, hardly elite.
Starting from scratch in a large room
I am hoping to set up my first hi-fi system, but I have some room/equipment constraints and would appreciate some advice.
I am looking at an all-in-one amp and passive speakers. Right now, I am leaning toward a Naim Uniti Nova and KEF R3 speakers. I am a total novice and open to suggestions on both the amp and speakers, however, I do think an all-in-one like the Nova is the right direction for simplicity and space considerations. Other speakers I have considered are the Focal Aria 906 and BW 706 S2. I listen mostly to modern/classic rock, mixed with a little bit of everything, exclusively through streaming (preferably AirPlay).
The challenge is that I have a very large room, but I can’t use floor speakers or standmounts--the speakers will likely have to be on the built-in bookshelves, on a shelf that is 24" deep (it's not really a shelf, more like a wooden countertop on top of a closed cabinet). The room is 33’ x 18’ with 11-foot ceilings. I’ll be listening from either 13 feet or 25 feet. There are rugs covering most of the wood floors, heavy drapes on one of the long walls, and large canvas paintings hung on drywall on the other long wall. I understand I have some pretty major room limitations, but I'd like to have something that sounds as good as possible for around $10-15K. I've read somewhere around here that having two subs might help compensate for the smaller speakers. This is our living room/kitchen area, so I am limited in how many, if any, "treatments" I can make to improve the listening conditions. Would some kind of base between the speaker and countertop make a difference? Thanks very much.
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@kota1 - I didn't read through all of the suggestions and it sounds like yours is likely a very reasonable option. I also wasn't trying to imply that "elite" automatically means "elitist" or "snobby", but I think it's important for people looking for more entry level advice to understand that this forum has a lot of members that have will spend more on a single cable than they may be willing to spend on their entire system. I'm even in that category and have an amazing system by any normal standard. |
Perhaps it was mentioned, and I missed it, but I would be tempted to try Listening at a closer range than usual. I can't hardly think of a worse situation than trying fil a large room without an incredible amount of room interaction. I did have a large room once that because of its shape perhaps, provided astonishingly great audio. Don't ask me why. So I guess that in certain circumstances it may be possible, but a regular long rectangular room seems doomed from the start. |
this thread definitely has a lot of "amazing" suggestions and explains why audiophiles are ridiculed. The dude wants good sound, from a good looking system. He doesn't want Doc Brown crawling on the floor finding imperfections that affect the sound. Some of you need to read the room. But of course it's not the just this thread, more often than not, these posts are full of comments where xy just keeps repeating the same points, same brands, with seemingly no connection to the question. |
@kota1, Those are some good recommendations. I couldn’t agree with you more about the need to include room correction from the start. And it may be a bit much to expect us to research all the components others mention. So, for the record, The Buchardt I150 includes Hypex NCORE amplification, separate linear power supplies, a Sabre ES 9028 PRO DAC, and a full set of connectivity options. …. and most noteably, a very well implemented quad-core DSP that includes advanced room correction and smart subwoofer integration among other features. I personally own Paradigm Personas, etc., but remain highly impressed with the feature list and system synergies that Bouchardt seems to offer for the OP, as well as being a great value proposition. |
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