I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Usher Dancer Mini-X that I’d put right up there sonically with JA and QLN monitors at a big discount, plus they’re flat-out gorgeous and employ their top diamond DMD tweeter that’s the same as the one used in their top $28k flagship speakers yet cost only $3990/pr. That they can do this I believe is because Usher is one of the few speaker manufacturers that make their own drivers in house. Plus they’re front ported so placement isn’t as much of a potential issue as a rear-ported design. These could be the perfect premium desktop speaker and save you thousands of $$$ you could put toward a preamp, and BTW I agree the Bel Canto punches way above its weight as a transparent and neutral pre. Personally, I’d be all over these in your application, but that’s me and just another option for you to ponder. Read reviews of other speakers in their Dancer line and you’ll see superlatives and high value mentioned in every one. Usher undeservedly flies way under the radar in the US IMHO. BTW, if you join the Sound Approach email list you’ll get 10% off, which is significant.
https://soundapproach.com/usher-dancer-mini-x-bookshelf-speakers-pair.html
Passive speakers for desktop
I haven't found any good articles or experiences online about having passive speakers on a desktop. Currently that's my space where I can kind of go crazy when it comes to audio gear without having to get wife approval. However, being on a desk means there's obviously limitations.
So far I've used cheap stuff like logitech, bose, creative, audioengine, etc. Then I got some Paradigm Atoms and Onix Ref 1's back in college. Next upgrade was the Dynaudio Focus 110's which were pretty great when it comes to the sound that came out of that small speaker. I currently own the SB Acoustic ARA which bring everything up a notch. I'm borrowing my friend's BMRs and the presentation is very different. It throws a wide soundstage with a little softer imaging compared to the ARA but it could be due to the width limitation between the speakers.
Does anyone have any recommendations for what I can upgrade to? It seems like having passive speakers on a desk is quite niche. Most people who go deeper into a desk setup tend to go active but I'd like to stay passive.
Current setup - Audiobyte Hydra Z - PS Audio DSD - Bel Canto Pre3 - AVA DVA M225 - SB Acoustic ARA
Some options I came across were the Qln Prestige One and Borresson Z1. I'm hoping to stay under the $10k range for my last pair of speakers in this setup.
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- 28 posts total
- 28 posts total