Help putting a system together

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Hero, Dec 7, 2018.

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  1. Hero

    Hero Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Hello, I am trying to put a nice system together for 1500 or less. I am considering the Yamaha a-s501 with Wharfedale Diamond 240 speakers. I prefer a warm full sound. I do not like when you have harsh/bright treble and thumping bass with buried mids. I listen to a bit of everything but rock n' roll, new wave and metal are my favorite genres. Any opinions or input would be appreciated. I would like to point out that the Wharfedale's are 4 ohm speakers. Thank you!
     
  2. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Does your budget need to include a turntable, CD player, DAC, etc., or just the amp and speakers?

    Another pair of speakers to consider are the Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary, which are currently discounted for the holidays to $399/pr at Music Direct. (The typical price is $499, originally discounted from $1000.) These speakers perfectly match what you are describing.

    I have a set and absolutely love them. In fact, when I bought a pair of (used) Spendor SP3/1R2's (typical new retail price: $3195), the difference in performance vs. the Dentons wasn't as dramatic as you might expect. The Dentons even have real wood veneer!

    I have the Dentons paired in a second system with a gently used Rega Brio-R (pre-2017 version), which can be found on the used market for $400-500, and that is a remarkably good amp - made in the UK, not China! - for not a lot of money. It also has a killer phono stage too! The Brio-R has a rather warm/fulsome character that I think you might like.

    Throw in a pair of stands and some cables, and you could have a very nice system for a little over a grand.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2018
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  3. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile

    Location:
    nowhere
    What you are describing in sound is a tube amplifier. A Yaqin MC-13S wil drive the Whafedale 4 ohm speakers and costs about $650 shipped. The Yaqin is not a cheaply built amp and has great reviews on Amazon. You need a phono stage if you have a TT with the tube amp. Your speakers are good and IMO the Wharfedale Denton are not an upgrade from your speakers.
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2018
  4. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vermont
    If you’re not attached to tower speakers check out the Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1.

    Sierra-1 Bamboo Loudspeaker

    They’re designed and built in the US, currently on sale ($720/pair), and the bass response is just about as deep as the 240s you’re considering. They post the measurements for their speakers on the website. The frequency response is incredibly neutral, and I think would agree very much with the sound you’re after.

    I have the Sierra-2, and they’re outstanding. I drive them with an NAD C 316BEE ($400) and use a Schiit Modi 3 DAC ($100). I think this combo would be superior to the Yamaha. Keep in mind NAD’s power ratings are very conservative. 40 watts has been plenty for me in my 12x12x9 room.

    All in after tax and shipping you’d still have enough leftover for some decent speaker cables and interconnects from blue jeans cable.
     
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  5. Hero

    Hero Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Thank you all for the suggestions. I will look at them. The budget is for the amp and speakers.
     
  6. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    If you should look at a rega brio r amp, listen for buzzing/humming. If it does, don't buy ;)
     
  7. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vermont
    If a DAC isn’t needed, and you’re willing to go a bit over budget you can get a Sierra-2 b stock for $1,158 plus $36 shipping and the NAD for $399. That would put you right under $1,600 before tax.

    The Sierra-2 is just as neutral as the Sierra-1 but has a much better tweeter and woofer. Very detailed but without ever being harsh or bright. I am also sensitive to treble and have never been bothered by the Sierra-2, even at high volumes.
     
  8. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    The Yamaha seems like a very nice piece, though a perusal of the manual shows no capability to highpass the internal amp. This means if you ever want to PROPERLY connect a subwoofer it is not possible with this piece. Also, what sources are you listening to? For instance, a friend listens 99% to Apple Music, so I told him he should really find a piece with Airplay built-in for simplification and cleanness.

    On the speaker front, I haven't heard those Wharfedales but loved the Reva 4's sound and appearance. If you can stretch your budget-or get some inexpensive Craigslist receiver to tide you over for a while, here they are
    Wharfedale Reva 4 (Piano Deep Rosewood)
    or the smaller Reva 3...the woofers are smaller, but still, an amazing deal.
    Wharfedale Reva 3 (Piano Black)
     
  9. Hero

    Hero Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Hi, what do you mean by properly connect a sub. Are you saying only using the power/amp in the sub? Also, any opinions on the Onkyo A-9150 and would it have enough power for the speakers I chose? I see many positive reviews for it.
     
  10. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vermont
    Regarding the amp, It all depends on how large your room is, how far away you sit from your speakers and how loud you like to listen.

    You can use this free calculator to figure that out:

    Stage Accompany

    The 240s have a sensitivity of 89dB. If you sit 3m away from your speakers, that 30w Onkyo amp can deliver peaks of 94dB which is pretty loud.

    That said, in the $500 range, I would lean towards the Yamaha you first mentioned or an NAD C 326BEE over the Onkyo. If it were me and I didn’t need a built-in DAC, I’d go with the NAD.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2018
  11. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vermont
    I also think it’s worth mentioning that in this price range you’ll likely get a better bang for your buck with bookshelves compared to towers. But again, it’s personal preference. If you value imaging, soundstage and mid/high frequency reproduction, I’d lean towards bookshelves. If you value slam and punch or just prefer a floorstannding speaker, then I’d go for the towers.
     
  12. Hero

    Hero Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I'm considering some bookshelfs but the advantage of them for me would be size, convenience and price. Thing is most bookshelfs can't really be used on a bookshelf if they have ports on the back. They could also vibrate everything on the shelf/desk. I would probably need stands so it's the same size as a floor standing speaker really. I'm no expert but I also don't know how a single 5-6 inch woofer can compare to several in a much larger cabinet and I would like to go without a sub if possible. I just don't like having speakers everywhere. I also grew up with those big rack stereos everywhere and I'm kind of into floor standing speakers for that reason.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2018
  13. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vermont
    You’re right, I would definitely recommend putting bookshelf speakers on stands. Sanus makes a nice, all-steel stand for $160/pair. I use them:

    Sanus SF26 Speaker Stands (Black)

    My point is that when it comes to the cost/performance ratio of a tower vs a bookshelf, the tower has to spend more money on a larger cabinet and 3 or 4 woofers compared to a bookshelf’s smaller cabinet and single woofer. That means more money can be spent on higher quality drivers and more time refining the crossover, etc.

    When it comes to bass response, the towers you’re considering don’t go much lower than the 2 bookshelf speakers I recommended. I’m not an engineer either, but cabinet volume and woofer diameter are only part of what gives a speaker it’s low frequency extension.

    The tower make have a bit more punch in the low end if that’s what you’re looking for, but they won’t necessarily produce lower frequencies.

    For what it’s worth, I feel no need for a sub with my Sierra-2 speakers. I can feel the bass in my chest when I turn them up loudly enough. My mom was visiting a couple months ago, and after listening for a while she looked around the room and asked where the subwoofer was. She’s no audiophile, but she’s always had a decent stereo and was blown away when I told her there was no subwoofer.

    Like I said before, if you want a tower, go for it, but I think you’ll get better performance by going with a bookshelf speaker in this price range. If very deep bass is what you’re after, I think you’ll want a subwoofer regardless of whether you go with a tower or a bookshelf. I don’t know of any speaker in this price range that can go down below 30Hz.

    Internet direct manufacturers will likely get you an even better price/performance ratio due to not spending an insane amount of money on marketing, distributors, etc. Ascend Acoustics, Philharmonic Audio, Salk, Buchardt Audio are just a few that offer an outstanding price/performance ratio. I would strongly suggest looking into some of those companies for a <$1,000 pair of speaker whether it be a tower or a bookshelf.

    Good luck! Let us know what you decide to go with.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2018
  14. Hero

    Hero Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Has anyone heard the Monitor Audio Bronze 6 speakers or have any opinion on them?
     
  15. KevinG

    KevinG Well-Known Member

    Location:
    The Woodlands, TX
    I had a Rega Brio-R (pre- and Post-2017) and had no buzzing in either amp. I used it in my office system and it was a very fine amp plus for the price the phono stage was excellent.
     
  16. Imli

    Imli Member

    Location:
    Nagaland
    Hello @Hero I just resistered to this site few hours back..... I got a tower speaker from my uncle and I don't know how to revive this 3 feet tower speaker as I'm not fimilar with sound systems....how to I power this speaker (Philips) and bring it back to life( I wanna used it as my Pc speaker)
     
  17. Hero

    Hero Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Hello again, I have purchased Wharfedale diamond 10.7 speakers. They are sitting here in the box and I am deciding on an amp. I am looking at the Marantz PM7005, Cambridge CXA80 and NAD C 368. I am leaning more toward either the Marantz or Cambridge at the moment because I have heard mixed things about the phono stage in the NAD and it doesn't have a USB DAC.

    CXA80 has more power and looks nice. I'm confident I will like the sound but slightly concerned that it will have a brighter sound (similar to a Yamaha) that could wear me out. It's more expensive and I still need to buy a phono stage and bluetooth attachment. I do have an ART DJ Pre II I can use for a while. Another concern is the build quality and reliability of this amp based on the reviews.

    The Marantz has everything I need right now except for bluetooth and it's cheaper. I'm confident that I will like the sound. It doesn't have subwoofer or A/B speaker outputs which could be an issue down the road but I don't need them right now. My main concern with the Marantz is that it wouldn't have enough power.

    Any input would be appreciated. Thanks again!
     
  18. mark_j

    mark_j Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I have an NAD 316bee and a Marantz PM8005. They're both great. I'd buy either one again with confidence. The PM7005 is only slightly less powerful than the PM8005 and I never need more power into a pair of 85db sensitive KEF LS50s.
     
  19. Hero

    Hero Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Okay I decided to try the cxa80 paired with wharfedale 10.7 towers. Unfortunately this set up sounds absolutely awful. It’s so bad that I may just return everything and drop the idea altogether. I have no clue how such expensive equipment can produce such bad sounding music. A 200 dollar LG shelf system from best buy would be more enjoyable out of the box.
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2019
  20. ukrules

    ukrules Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kentucky
    Don't give up! Let's start with some key info. What is your room like? What are your source components? What recordings are being used to demo?
     
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  21. Ironclaw

    Ironclaw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado
    I think you’d like those Zu Dirty Weekend speakers. You’d probably have to save a bit more for a good amp to pair with it - Steve also recommends the 316bee. Check out the Zu on YouTube:

     
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  22. Jon1969

    Jon1969 I Like Beer

    Location:
    Illinois, USA
    This is what I did for many reasons such as sound quality, cost, reviews, and USA made:

    Schiit Vidar Amp 699.00
    Schiit Saga Preamp 349.00
    Schiit Modi 3 DAC 99.00
    Schiit Loki EQ 149.00
    Human 81 Speakers 540.00 (or many of the fine 500.00 bookshelf speakers)

    Total 1836.00 + shipping which is reasonable with these folks.

    1588.00 without the Loki EQ and Modi DAC.

    These items in my listening environment sound great. I have had no problems with any of the equipment.


    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2019
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  23. Fedot L

    Fedot L Forum Resident

    Hello!

    I ask sometimes in forums to find and indicate me a listener who likes not a “full” but defective sound, who likes harsh treble and thumping bass with buried mids. But in vain.

    So, your requests are curious.

    To obtain “full” sound with no harsh treble and thumping bass with buried mids, equip your system with high quality components, inserting NO audible distortions (including the lowest possible THD and rather high damping factor), well matching between them, use a very reasonable graphic equalization, and use all this without overload.

    The “Yamaha a-s501” is one of integrateds possessing a good output power, very good THD and excellent damping factor for the actual integrateds market. And the photo of its rear panel indicates its normal work with ONE PAIR of 4 Ohms LSs (not two!) and two pairs of 8 Ohms LSs in parallel.

    I used to test and thoroughly audition one of predecessors of the “Yamaha a-s501”, the “Yamaha AX-397”, with similar parameters, less power (60 W) and, to tell the truth, lower THD (“CD, etc. to SP OUT (20 Hz to 20 kHz, 42.5 W, 8 Ω) ............................. 0.009% or less”). In case of high quality sound material, absolutely clear, “transparent” sound, with no audible distortions.

    By the way, the “Yamaha AX-397” has the internal monitoring function, nowadays practically absent.

    The “Wharfedale Diamond 240”s manifest medium sensitivity and not “titleholder” “deep bass” potential with its 165 mm woofers, but the latter (typical for a great mass of “market” LSs models) might be reasonably (not severely boosted) corrected by means of “25…30 Hz” and “40…60 Hz” sliders of a good quality graphic equalizer.

    For not so vast and not extremely muffled rooms, and not strongly “boosted” extreme low frequencies meaning an EQ, the output power of the “Yamaha a-s501” may suffice.

    A simple principle that works for me for many years.
     
  24. drseid

    drseid Active Member

    Location:
    DFW
    Consider Outlaw Audio's RR2160. I have one and am very pleased with the sound of this amp. The built in phono served me well as well until going for a separate phono stage. I have mine paired with Martin Logan Motion 40's and Outlaws own BLSv2 Books Shelves.
     
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  25. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    Check out this thread on KLH speakers.

    Return of KLH Speakers

    One of the member's did a in-store review and the review can be found in this post.

    These speakers are $399/ea. and might work out very well for you.

    I made some comments about them in the following post.

    [​IMG]
     
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