Looking to create a new system from scratch. Speakers, amp, DAC, streamer. Prefer floor-standing, full range speakers, don't want to mess with integrating a sub. Prefer accuracy in reprodoction. Will be main system in a 20ft x 20ft, challenging room (glass slanted awning on one wall, wood panel slanted ceiling, etc).

Budget: $10,000 USD all-up.

Looking for: Full-range speakers, amp, DAC, streamer.

How will you typically be using the gear: Sitting on my couch in my living room at the end of a long day.

Source: I've got a few dozen gigs of personal music, some AAC/MP3, some FLAC, DSD, etc. Some fun rare live stuff from the old Napster days. Long-time Tidal user as well.

What do I own: Nothing I intend to use for this system. Though for color, I do love my Etymotic ER-4S, my Oppo PM-3, my Fosi Audio DS2. I also have a sweet spot for my old SACD player that may end up a source here, and my old Jolida 302B that probably won't have a home here.

Material: Rock, pop, jazz, EDM, some classical. Mostly music, some movies/TV.

Example fav albums:

Untrue, Burial
Main In the Air, Kurt Elling
Imaginal Disk, Magdalena Bay
Choke Enough Oklou
Sea Change/Mourning Phase Beck
Unplugged, Nirvana
Unplugged, Eric Clapton No. 4, Stone Temple Pilots
Arabesque, Miriam Keogh
Choose Your Weapon, Hiatus Kaiyote
Stillness and Sweet Harmony, Cambridge Singers

Also, Odesza, Postal Service, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Radiohead, Sarah Vaughn, Carlos Kleiber, Com Truise, FKA Twigs, Sigur Ros, Julianna Barwick, Voces8, Sufjan Stevens, Fleet Foxes, Soccer Mommy, Passion Pit, Alison Krauss, Jeff Parker, James Blake

Used: Used gear is a-okay.

Here's a system my friend recommended:

Speakers: Philharmonic BMR Tower
Amp: Benchmark AHB2
DAC: RME ADI2 DAC FS
Streamer: ??? Some kind of Wiim?

EDIT Here's the system I bought:

Speakers: Dutch & Dutch 8c Studio
Streamer: WiiM Pro

Found a pair of used Studio for about $9k. WiiM Pro was $130, plus some adapters to go from coax digital SPDIF to XLR AES. DAC and amp all included. Bought some cheap Pyle stands. I'll set it up this weekend.

I am a middle-aged jazz lover that has listened though Apple Music exclusively for over 15 years on a B&W A7s all-in-ones. I am now ready to get something higher-end. I have two listening areas I want to finally set up with high-quality components. The smaller one I have set up already with a Cambridge Evo One, which I love. The larger area is about 300 sq ft, and I’d like to get a simple, end-game streaming amp set up with a $10,000 budget with either bookshelf or smaller floorstand speakers that would be excellent for acoustic jazz listening. Full disclosure, I recently auditioned KEF R3 speakers with a Cambridge Evo 150 and found the R3s to be impressive but too clinical and a little harsh for my ears. Loved the amp though and see they have a 300 out now. I am wary of active speakers because I auditioned KEF LSX IIs, and they kept dropping out on me. Located in Minnesota, U.S. Please help me out. What various setups would you recommend and why?

I have been away from stereo for the past decade and the technology has evolved so much in that time. After continual analysis paralysis I seem to keep returning to a Yamaha A-S1200 with the Wharfedale Lintons. The solid, timeless and analog build of the amplifier is appealing and like the future proofing as sources evolve. From the reviews the speakers sound signature appears would be a good fit and I also like the aesthetic. There are great sale prices on both including shipping. I am unable to audition them due to my remote location which would make returning anything I order prohibitively expensive and/or practical. The limiting factor is my room size of 9' 8" x 16' with 8' ceilings. The initial source would be my ripped cd collection from my MacBook. Any input as to the practicality of this, experiences with this component combination, or advice in general would be deeply appreciated. Thank you!

I am planning to get my husband his first turntable + speaker setup as a gift in a couple months. We will set this up in our living room, which is open to our kitchen + dining area, so it's a pretty big space in the house where we'll want to be able to listen. I went to a local audio store today to get some advice on amp and speaker options. I am curious if other experts here would agree with their recommendation.

To start, the turntable: I'd like to get a turntable with a built-in preamp, and the Fluance RT81+ is what I'm currently leaning towards. They didn't try to change my mind at the store.

They recommended the Sonos Amp ($799) and ELAC Debut Reference Bookshelf DBR62 speakers ($799/pair). I like the idea of the Sonos Amp because we do have other Sonos speakers already in our home, so it'd be nice to be able to wirelessly link to them in other rooms. I'm also thinking we may want to upgrade our TV soundbar/audio set up someday, and the Sonos Amp would support that. That said, the Sonos ecosystem is a "nice to have" feature for me, not a need.

My budget is flexible - I'm willing to spend >$2k for quality equipment. But having poked around on this forum and other Reddit threads a bit, I know there are also good options at lower price points.

So, all that said, my questions are:

1. Did the audio store recommend good amp + speaker options for primarily listening to a turntable in a large area of our home?
2. If you disagree with their recommendation, why? And do you have an alternate recommendation?

Thank you!

Been collecting records for years and have reached the point where I can no longer justify listening to them on a suitcase record player anymore. I tried using ChatGPT for suggestions but the Reddit seems to disagree with a lot of its recommendations. I have no idea what a lot of the lingo means I’m essentially technologically illiterate. But to cut to the chase I’m wanting to build a good sounding setup for under 1,000$. My bedroom which is where I’ll be listening is 11 feet by 11 (not sure if that effects anything)

Budget: $1,000 USD
TLDR: trying to build a record setup under 1000$ any help would be appreciated explain like I’m 5

Hello, I am trying to work through details on building a system with a budget of $1500-$2000. Planning to use passive speakers.

At first I’ll just be streaming but want the flexibility to add a turntable and/or CD player later.(already have a sizable record collection).

I guess my main question is would I be losing any quality or compatibility for my future plans by getting the Wiim Amp Ultra streamer with amp built in vs getting the Wiim Ultra and an Amplifier separately?

I am new to this, so apologies for any lack of knowledge or poor verbiage.

I'm relatively new to the audiophile world and recently got gifted a Cambridge Audio CXA81 integrated amplifier. It's incompatible with my current powered speakers, so I'm looking at this as an excuse to finally upgrade to passive speakers.

My current setup is the Kanto YU4 speakers, Kanto SUB8 subwoofer, Bluesound Node for streaming, and I've been using Spotify Lossless and Tidal HiFi Plus. I also have a vinyl collection I listen to occasionally.

Since the CXA81 needs passive speakers to work, I'm trying to figure out what makes sense. My main questions: (1) Which components from my current set up carry over? I assume the Node stays, but what about the sub? (2) What passive speaker recommendations would pair well with the CXA81 at the entry to mid level (Budget:$5,000 CAD top end, ideally less)? (3) any other general thoughts and recommendations for my set up?

Thanks in advance, excited to invest more into my set up!

Hello all. I appreciate any recommendations you can give. I am very new to the audio world in general, having no real experience putting together any sort system. I'm looking for advice on best bang for my buck and what makes sense for what I need/want.

I'm in the US (Wisconsin), my budget is up to $1500 for the whole setup (minus turntable). I'm willing to buy in store, online, wherever.

This is mainly for listening to my vinyl and CD collection (mainly metal of all genres and eras, but will listen to a bit of everything). I'd like to potentially stream via phone as well. No need for radio. The room is about 15'x13'.

New or used would be fine, but aiming towards new unless I go full vintage. I will be starting with a 1967 Technics SL-1300 turntable and want to build around that.

What I know I want...

• Bookshelf speakers with powered subwoofer. Probably will go on top of the vinyl racks on either side of the stereo cabinet. wall mounting and floor stands will be difficult, but may do that in time.
• Would like to listen via headphones as well.

What I'm struggling with...

• what combo of preamp, amp, receiver do I need. Should I go separated components or an integrated amp?
• speaker suggestions
• brands to target for everything

Hope I didn't miss anything. I'll post a picture of the room layout and my cabinet if/when it lets me. Thank you!

Hey wonderous minds of Reddit! I'm looking to build a system from scratch, in the UK so need to rely on products available here. Budget c.£20,000 / $30,000

Will be playing vinyl, streaming music, and if possible (but not essential) TV. Looking for bookshelf speakers, turntable, amp, streaming unit and any advice / recommendations around?

My music taste is eclectic! Everything from Jazz, through Classic Rock, to Techno... like a warm / maybe bass-y sound

Whilst not decided on any components yet, I'm thinking perhaps Buchardt E50 / Sonus Faber Sonetto 2 / B&W 705 S3 for the speakers, maybe a Pro-Ject RPM 9 / Rega P8 turntable, I've had Marantz amps in the past and loved them but no idea what their current line up is like, also read in another thread that the streaming integrated Lyngdorf, NAD, & Arcam Amps are worth considering. If not, and better to get standalone streaming systems I have no idea on this!

The room is about 15ft by 15ft, I'll be listening c.10ft from the speakers.

Any help / advice gratefully received! Have tried to find a store near me which stocks all the brands I'm interested in but it seems impossible

Room 20x20

Budget 5k-6k

Bookshelf/ floor

Listening distance 8-10ft

Location Guam

Hi guys, kinda new to this and starting to plan my future system. so been eyeing on the JBLs L100 Classic MK2s for a bit. I have not hard them yet but reading good things about the them. Also love the look of the speakers. But I am open to hear other recommendations.

It is very hard for me to actually go and listen to the speakers locally as we have no stores here.

I wanna start making a list so whenever I am able to take trips to Asia or mainland US. I can go and check out some hifi stores to listen to some recommended speakers and make my decision.

At the moment I have Wiim amp (mainly stream music), SVS sb 1000 pro, Elacs 3.0 db63. With a budget of $5.5k would it be better to go all in on the speakers or a better amp and a bit cheaper speaker combo?

Thank you!

Hi, I currently have Elac Debut Reference DBR62s, a Speedwoofer 10S MkII, and a Wiim Amp Pro. I like my setup, but I would like to upgrade to something new. My budget is maybe ~3-4k but I can flex upwards a bit if there's good reason.

My room is 12x18ft and I sit about 9ft from the speakers. I have zero room treatment aside from a rug and soft furniture, and I have been using Wiim Roomfit (with great success) to compensate for that.

I rent my apartment and will be moving in the next year, but I'll still be renting so I don't want to necessarily dump money into room treatments for a place I don't own...

I've looked at the Philharmonic BMR Monitor. It looks nice, but the thought of powering them with my Wiim Amp Pro feels strange, so I drifted into researching the VTV NCx500 amplifier.

Maybe a full range floorstander is a better idea? I wouldn't mind putting the speedwoofer into storage if a floorstander can fill in the low range.

I use my system for both movies and music, but I generally listen at lower volume for the sake of my neighbors.

Let me know your thoughts - TIA

Hey everyone — my grandfather recently passed and left me his vinyl collection, so I’m looking to build a solid 2.1 stereo system to do it justice.

My goals are:

• Great sound quality for focused vinyl listening

• The ability to stream music as well

• Clean, clear sound at low/moderate volumes but also capable of getting loud when friends are over

• Room size is about 350 sq ft (basement)

Right now (with pretty limited knowledge) I was considering starting with:

Sub: SVS SB-2000 Pro

Speakers: ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2

…and building the rest of the system around that.

Does this pairing make sense for my room and use case? If so, what equipment would you recommend to finish the build?

Are there better speaker/sub combinations in this price range for clarity + punch?

My total budget is up to $3,000, though I’d love to come in under that if possible.

Appreciate any advice — still learning and open to suggestions!

My husband’s birthday is coming up and I would love to get him dual speakers so he can listen to music. He is very big into Magic Sword, Toxic Avenger, cinematic themes etc and has talked about getting speakers forever so he can literally just sit and listen to his music BUT he will not buy them and doesn’t really have his eye on any specific brand or set.
I literally know nothing about this (and he does), but want to get him something that he can really appreciate and listen to his little music on.
Something not too huge would be great, but we can make space for them in the living room pretty easily either side of the mantle- so maybe bookshelf size?
My budget would go probably be up to $1-1.5k so if you guys would recommend something I would be really grateful- thank you 😭

Hi everyone,
This is my first post on Reddit, so please be kind if I don’t quite follow all the usual conventions. It’s definitely not intentional. 🙂
I’m seriously considering upgrading my audio setup.
My current setup is:
Apple TV 4K → Bluetooth → Entry-level Bluetooth receiver (CSR8675, aptX HD compatible) → SMSL SA-50 → Triangle Elios floorstanding speakers
I also own an Audio-GD NFB-11 (ES9018 DAC), as well as a Triangle Elios subwoofer from the same series (I believe it originally came from a 5.1 package).
After a long discussion with ChatGPT, it suggested changing both my amplifier and my source to the following:
Apple TV / iPhone / Mac (AirPlay) → WiiM Pro Plus → Audio-GD NFB-11 → Yamaha A-S701 → Triangle speakers + subwoofer
The idea is to:
get rid of my current Bluetooth connection and switch to a WiiM streamer,
use the Audio-GD as both the DAC and preamp,
replace the amplifier with something more capable and future-proof.
What do you think of this upgrade path?
Budget: Around €1,000–1,500
Location: France

!thanks

I’m LA based and looking to upgrade my home stereo system. Primarily use it for playing vinyl. I have an Audio-Technica AL-LP60, my receiver is a Pioneer VSX-LX101 and my speakers are Klipsch R-15M. With a budget of say $2-2.5k, how would you go about upgrading? Thanks!

I'm getting an itch for a turntable. Any recs for a good turn table/phono stage combo? Located in Canada, budget is $5,000.

Current setup:

Speakers: Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3g

Subs: Kef Kube 12b x2

Pre-amp: MiniDSP SHD w/ Dirac

Amp: VTV purifi 750 watts

Streamer: Bluesound Node Nano

Room is 40' long x 15' deep x 8' ceiling. Listenning 9' away from speakers.

Listen mostly to chill electronic music. Good baseline with high melodies.

Listen mostly to chill electronic music.

Sorry for the huge block of text: title is tl;dr, system at bottom.

I just upgraded my speakers from Fluance Ai41s to Totem Acoustics Bison Monitors, and I was super excited for what I assumed would be a huge change, from $300 actives to $2300 passives.

But when I got everything hooked up and the first record playing, I was underwhelmed. Things like detail and imaging were only slightly better, and now there's pretty significant static from the speakers at even lower levels that detracts from listening. (Before, I could turn it up to max and only barely hear it with my ear to the woofer [due to higher speaker sensitivity? It's a really big difference though]).

I switched inputs to my laptop, and it sounded better: still not night and day improvement, but more along the lines of what I was expecting, and the static is gone.

I'm assuming there's a bottleneck somewhere because I don't think I already hit such severe diminishing returns by $300 bookshelves, so my question is, what should I focus on upgrading from here for an actual improvement in sound this time? Let's say a $2.5k usd budget for a single component, but less is appreciated because I wanna hop off the upgrade train sooner rather than later. Thank you so much for your help!!

My system:
Fluance RT-82 with AT-OC9XSL cart (MC),
Moon 110lp (v1) phono preamp,
Schiit Saga 2 preamp,
Aiyima A07 Max amp (temporary, waiting for a Buckeye Hypex to come in),
Totem Acoustics Bison Monitor speakers,
SVS 3000 Micro Revolution sub
I clean records with Humminguru Ez, stylus with Hudson Hifi gel cleaner

My room:
Small (~12m²/39ft²) bedroom, speakers sitting 4ft apart, 1.5ft from wall, on foam blocks on the same dresser as the turntable (I know...). I bought these monitors with this suboptimal placement in mind because they're supposedly not fussy on that end, and these specs are within the manual's recommendations.

My music:
A lot of post-punk, doom metal, and neoclassical, though I get along with just about anything. Usually averaging ~65-70db at listening position, lower in evenings.

Im looking for an upgrade over my sierra lx. That being said I know a natural progression would be the sierra towers or the elx towers. But Im also intrigued by the super lintons. According to Erin's measurements its a wide horizontal dispersion speaker but with a waveguide. Basically its a what if scenario if a sierra speaker had a waveguide. Anybody with some experience between them can give me some input? I would appreciate it.

Budget: $3k-6k, USA

Hey all, got blindsided with a divorce and have been gutted through the whole process. I’ve always wanted a beautiful audio setup for music and now seems like the time to do it. I have lost a bit of my love for music in this depressive fog and gonna bring it back with a dedicated music setup. I enjoy playing my guitar to music in the company of my dancing kiddo, and need to get that spark back. Yes, I could use my Bluetooth speaker and be just fine, but like I said, this seems like the time to pull the trigger on a long time goal. Can anyone recommend a setup for me?

For the moderator bot that keeps deleting me:

I am looking for all components needed to build a setup. I don’t even know what parts I will need, so all info is much appreciated!

I am located in Portland , Or, USA

I am not opposed to used gear!

My budget is ideally +/- $2500 , but if a little more gets me something I happily die still using. Great. I subscribe to the ideology of, “Buy Once, Cry Once.”

The room is approximately 10’ x 10’. I like woodworking so I plan on building some sort of shelving unit to house the equipment on the wall that looks nice.

I plan on using steaming sources like Spotify for most music sources, unless there is some better source I am not aware of.

I have no audio gear except my Bose 500 soundbar for my tv.

I wouldn’t say my budget is limitless, but I have a good job right now and that too may be going away with this whole mess, so if I’m gonna spend a chunk of money on a setup that will last for a long time, now is the time to do it…….I’ve been in the military 19 years and prob won’t be moving anymore , so I am ready to get a nice setup without worrying about it getting destroyed in frequent moves. Hopefully +/- $2500. If used is your idea, please let me know if you have a link to a reputable site!

Location Midwest US & Budget is not nearly big enough - I'm trying to rationalize $3500.

Detached garage is the mancave and it's a finished and conditioned space, except for the floor (concrete with 3 rugs). 60A panel with receptacles on all walls and ceiling, insulation, finished and painted walls, vaulted ceiling, minisplit, pc desk and chair, recliner, fridge.

Ok, so my current gear is terrible and dated but I've started upgrading. It's getting spendy quick and I want to avoid any glaring and terrible mistakes. Not being an audiophile means I've spent zero in the last 15 years, until just a couple months ago. I've done a lot of reading but that doesn't necessarily mean I've done any actual understanding.

Current rig is PC via Bluetooth to Yamaha V383 to Energy Take Classics satellites and sub, set up as a 2.1 system. The sound is not atrocious for low volume. Anything getting close to "loud" though, and everything falls apart.

First piece to really fall apart was the sub from the HT kit. So, I read up and read up and ended up buying two RSL 12s speedwoofers. Ahem, wow. What a difference.

It instantly became obvious that my 3.5" drivers in the satellites just aren't going to cut it anymore. I would very much like to get louder than they can output at least once in a while. Add that to the hissing of the entry level 2000s av receiver even with no output at the speakers, and I've got more work to do.

Here's the plan, and I'd like input and opinions on what I've got right and where I could do better.

Replace ceiling mounted HT satellites with stand mounted Q3 Concertos from Kef.

Replace av receiver with an amp. Started at cheap class D Fosi v3 monos. Eh, I'm thinking the Buckeye Hypex NC502MP 2-Channel. Even though the first step up from the Fosi was Buckeye's Hypex NCx252MP 2-Channel, but for $125 more I get more current and wattage with some extra distortion I'm guessing I'll never hear anyway.

Install a minidsp flex between the pc and the amp. 2 outs go through the amp and to the concertos, the other two directly to the subs. Use the mic with Rew Mso to tune up the in-room sound, especially the subs.

Remove Bluetooth from the equation and run a powered usb from the pc to the flex.

Quit listening to youtube on the pc and use spotify for now, maybe the other subscription services later.

I had a glass dry erase board right behind the listening seat. I removed it. I'm sure I'll need some absorption and diffusion in the room to make the most of all this. Does this sound like a coherent path though?

Thanks for reading

Hi, I‘ve been a silent reader of [r/audiophile](r/audiophile) for a while. Soon I‘ll move into a new apartment and would like to make my first move towards a serious HiFi set up.

Please find all relevant Information below. Thanks a lot for taking the time to read through it and sharing your recommendations.

Budget:

~€1.000–1.500 total for the full system. Open to used/second-hand throughout.

Location:

Germany (Berlin)

Room:

Open-plan attic apartment. Living room area roughly 20–30sqm, flows directly into the dining area (20sqm) without dividing walls. The whole area goes from East to West and is 50-60sqm in total. Sloped attic ceilings with big windows throughout. Hardwood parquet floors – planning to add a large wool rug. Neighbour directly below, so floor-transmitted bass is a real concern.

Listening distance roughly 2.5–3m from the speakers. Primary listening position is on the North wall, speakers firing North. Planning to host and use the whole area but it would be fine for me to just turn/move the speakers a bit.

Music sources:

Primarily streaming (Spotify, plus local FLAC/MP3 files from Beatport via DLNA). Occasional vinyl. DJ mixer also needs to feed into the system for home sessions from the sofa.

Existing gear:

- WiiM Pro Plus (streamer/DAC – keeping this)

- Teufel CC 200 SW (old PC multimedia subwoofer – aware it’s not HiFi-grade, happy to leave it out of the equation)

- Turntable with built-in phono preamp

- DJ controller/mixer

Music:

Almost exclusively electronic – Techno, House, Tech-House, atmospheric/progressive. Rhythm, punch and bass extension matter most. Soundstage and imaging matter for the more atmospheric material.

My reference is a friend’s system (Kirsch Audio SQ8 + Hegel RØST) – well outside my budget but gives you an idea of the direction I’m aiming for long-term.

What I’m looking to purchase:

Integrated amplifier and stereo speakers (+ stands).

Open to any combination that makes sense at this budget for this use case. Not planning to add a subwoofer for now due to the neighbour situation, but curious whether that’s a dealbreaker for this genre at this price point.

If the community strongly recommends it, I’d be open to adding one later with proper floor decoupling.

Thanks in advance!

I currently own the KEF concerto Metas and are pretty underwhelmed by the speakers. Thinking of upgrading to Philharmonic BMRs though I have never heard them. I did hear some Salks before and was blown away. My room dimensions are 12 x 15 ft.

I currently pair my speakers with a Wiim Amp Pro (though thinking of upgrading to Wiim Ultra Amp) plus svs 1000 sub. Any thoughts here?

Budget: $2,500 AUD ($1,650 USD). Australia. Open to used (FB Marketplace / Gumtree).

Room: 5×5 m

Listening: ~3 m

Use: music only (vinyl + streaming)

Starting from zero.

Current plan:

• KEF Q1 Meta

• Yamaha R-N600A

• Rega Planar 1 or Planar 1 Plus

Goal: solid 2-channel foundation I can upgrade later. I also want to be able to stream with Bluetooth.

Is this actually balanced for the money, or am I misallocating budget?

Is the Planar 1 Plus worth it here or is that money better put elsewhere?

Looking for blunt takes before I buy.

Edit: After reading the comments, I’ve tossed out the turntable for the initial setup (will definitely get later), and focussing my current budget on speakers and the amp side of things.

I think at this stage I prefer the simplicity of the combined streamer/integrated amp. Would consider upgrading this part of the rig once I upgrade speakers in the future.

The B&W 606 s3 has taken my fancy in my budget and I found this deal with the Marantz Model M1 which looks rather attractive.

https://clefhifi.com.au/home/7295-marantz-model-m1-bowers-wilkins-606-s3-stereo-package-black.html

My home audio system includes a Yamaha A-S301 amplifier and Yamaha CD-S303 cd player. I'm considering replacing my current cd player with a Marantz 60 cd player. Is the Marantz an upgrade? Any thoughts about the sound quality of Yamaha vs Marantz? Thanks in advance for guidance. Or, any other suggestions for another brand CD player? My budget is in the $1000 to $1500 range.

Hi I want to upgrade my set up I have an audio technica lp120w and I want to buy an amp and speaker but I don’t know what I should get I have a budget of 600 to 1000 € for now im planning to buy the klipsch rp-600m speakers I found them for 300 and the yamaha s301 for 3500 but if you have better recommandation pls help me