What Would I buy Today! Knowing what I Know Now
Vložit
- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- Wiim Pro amzn.to/43trOR3
Emotiva emotiva.com?aff=9
Fosi Audio V3 amzn.to/43BfUEK
Intro graphics by johnvilardi.com
Support the Channel! Shop on Amazon amzn.to/3W8vsgK
Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt
Join the best hifi community out there! / cheapaudioman
TRY ROON roonlabs.com/r/RTmYWdCP9kitqo...
Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF
Amazon Unlimited Music Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9
Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt
Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH
amzn.to/3GkNaop
CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K
apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P
massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5
Amazon Unlimited Music Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9
Tidal Deal bit.ly/3fQvNkq
www.patreon.com/cheapaudioman
High Res Music Streaming for FREE!!!!
Amazon Music Unlimited Free Trial amzn.to/3fiiMPC
Test Track Playlist:
music.amazon.com/user-playlis...
Satanic Panic Playlist:
music.amazon.com/user-playlis...
Leg Warmers Playlist
music.amazon.com/user-playlis...
cheapaudioman
If you click on this link and sign up for a free trial I will receive a small referral fee.
If you use any of my links to purchase products I will receive a small commission on the sale of that item. Won’t cost you any more to purchase with the link.
Recommended Streamer
WIIM Mini amzn.to/33CL99w
Bluesound Node shop-links.co/cgGiqJ2UFIO
Recommended Speaker List
Around $100 (These prices will fluctuate between $75 - $150)
Sony SSCS5 - Lively amzn.to/3pZNnGk
Neumi BS5 -Neutral amzn.to/3q0SR3B
Elac BS41 amzn.to/3SBmEgq
Around $200
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ - Crystal Clear and Punchy emotiva.com?aff=9
Jamo Concert howl.me/cf295uVQJA0
Elac Debut b5.2 - Neutral amzn.to/2WPNQxw
JBL Stage A130 - Neutral/Great All Arounder at $179 the best value amzn.to/3t7gOHe
Around $400
Emotiva B2+ emotiva.com?aff=9
Jamo C93ii Bit - Boosted on Top howl.me/cf295uVQJA0
Q Acoustics 3030i - Neutral with Punch - amzn.to/2OQkpLo
Around $500
SVS Prime bit.ly/2LozJgF
Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 bit.ly/2ZckoD9
Wharfedale Denton 80th amzn.to/3Sv8RIq
Around $600
Elac Uni-Fi UB5.2 - Neutral amzn.to/3s3srPG
Elac Debut Reference - Buttery but Detailed amzn.to/39bt6WC
Polk Reserve R100/200 howl.me/cf29UeQAWsD
Aperion Novus - Neutral and probably the best desktop speaker one can get $599 bit.ly/2Q1H9rW
Aperion Novus Open Box $449 bit.ly/3us8zGx
Wharfedale Diamonds Lush and Detailed amzn.to/3aBAso0 Come as singles
Recommended Amp List
Under $100
Aiyima A07 - Neutral and Full amzn.to/3g9YLNf
Fosi Audio V3 - Extremely Clean - Audiophile Sound (Best Amp under $250) amzn.to/3rhrpDL
Fosi Audio TB10D amzn.to/43cJtwh
Fosi Audio BT20a Pro amzn.to/3r8pgdH
Around $130
Aiyima T9 amzn.to/3F8eOb6
Around $250
SMSL DA-9 Balanced Amp amzn.to/34SdbLs
Around $400
Emotiva TA1 - DAC, Phono Stage, Pre Outs - Balanced and Tasty emotiva.com?aff=9
Recommended DACs
Geshelli Labs J2 geshelli.com/product/jnog2/
SMSL SU8s amzn.to/2SWTGiw
Denafrips Ares 2 www.denafrips.com/ares
Subs
Emotiva SE8 emotiva.com?aff=9
Emotiva SE12 emotiva.com?aff=9
SVS SB1000 Pro bit.ly/3scmwsc - Zábava
Wiim Pro amzn.to/43trOR3
Emotiva emotiva.com?aff=9
Fosi Audio V3 amzn.to/43BfUEK
Maybe those gadgets do the job, but Jesus, they are so ugly... 😊
NAD 316 BEE integrated amp 399.00 dollars
NAD C31 BEE CD PLAYER 349.00 dollars
Warfedale Denton 80th anniversary speakers 599.00 dollars
Pro - Ject Debut SB turntable 249.00 dollars unbelievable stereo system for 1596.00 dollars 💸
No love for the classic American duo burger and pizza?
HI I want to buy an budget DAC for my active speaker My question is, SMSL SU-1 and FiiO BR13 What is the best of these two DAC devices, what is the difference between them, and which DAC is better in terms of sound quality
Such a shame that you can't get any Emotiva speakers here in The Netherlands.
I think I will go for the Q Acoustics 5020 instead.
Schiit needs to finally release an all-in-one model and call it "The Sandwich"
Good one !
Haaaa!😂
Bahahahahaha
😅😂😂
this needs to happen, you definitely made the xmas card list of the marketing team.
Sorry if I keep saying this, but this video is a lifesaver! For someone like me who's trying to figure out my music style and put together a great sound system without breaking the bank, this video is perfect. I've looked everywhere online and watched tons of reviews, but hardly any recommended good options for different budgets - cheap, middle, and high-end. This video does just that, making it easier to mix and match based on what I can afford.
Glad it helped!
Wow! This is very helpful. I am profoundly grateful for your invaluable recommendations of high-quality, cost-effective components and systems that harmonize so well together. It's an absolute delight to learn and experiment with these resources. Your guidance has truly enriched my experience. Thank you immensely.
Even though it's the simple things in life that may often bring us the most joy, being able to explore life through varying choices and options can be a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing your wish lists with us! Great food for thought (or music for our ears).
Thank you Sir! You don't know how helpful this was for me. I just want people to tell an end to end system that works for them. Thank you for mentioning this in three layers of budgets!
While individual component recommendations are certainly beneficial, receiving comprehensive end-to-end system recommendations with these individual parts is truly invaluable. Thank you so much for your assistance.
My "Budget System": Paradigm Phantom v3 floor standing speakers off FBMP for $100. Arylic B50 receiver/amp for $150. Old speaker wire & banana plugs I found in the closet. The result? It's fantastic.
Love this vid. Thanks. I needed an up to date summary like this.
The advice I've been waiting for. This an amazing video with some great advice for us all. Thank you so much for pulling this all together into baseline systems with mix and match options. I think anyone starting out will be very happy with any of these setups. Thank you so much for bringing this all together, your time, and effort sharing this with us all. Stay well, Sir.
As soon as you get a real amp, you will dump the Fosi.
@@carlsitler9071real amp meaning ?
@@carlsitler9071 Get 2 of them and run them as "monoblocks" and then tell me how you feel about them. The result is truly impressive, especially with the Sparkos opp amps.
Great info. I learned I can use my turntables with the wiim pro. Awesome. Had the wiim for 2 months now. It’s so much fun. Thanks Randy.
I liked reading through the posts here. No right or wrong conclusions as we all respond to differences in presentation and how everything works in a particular room. Take that same equipment and place it somewhere else and it could sound different, better or worse than what one is accustomed to. Lots of variables.
In my journey, I bought a Yamaha 50 watt receiver, Paradigm 7se and Klipsch KG4 with a Vector Research CD player back in 1988 at a local shop among a bunch of other local shops, all of which have long since gone. Stereo Review was the magazine I read and word of mouth was both what I used.
Kept that system for many years, replacing the CD player with something or other first. Then picked up a Marantz 80 watt which was audibly much better than the Yamaha in 97. Kept that receiver for another 12 years. Replaced with an HK3490 which I used up to 2014. Along the way, I sold the KG4, bought them back, sold again, bought another pair, sold that. The SE7 was the last to go around 2007.
Note that I used Paradigm and Polk speakers stacked as I found Paradigm to have the low end and mids while Polk had accentuated upper mids and highs. That worked well for a time if not unsightly, two stand mounts stacked together like a floorstander. Went from the SE7 with Polk 5jr. By themselves, I found the Polk too bright but it helped the Paradigm.
Went with smaller Paradigm and Polk combos shrinking the stack. But wanted a smaller speaker that could give what the combo did and improve upon it. Tried many a small speaker. Sent many back. That started the upgrading in all areas.
So, the first buy can last many years before upgrading. So what is one inclined to upgrade to and how big of a jump should one take? That depends on identifying what you most respond to. Over the years I have found my preferences and what I can give up a bit to achieve those. In a nutshell, I really like depth and separation with good tonality/timbre, with well controlled sibilant notes and smoothness in the music while remaining airy enough for what I like adding spacial qualities I notice.
Second is detail, clarity/resolution but can give up a bit to keep what I feel is most important. In my experience, some higher end equipment can be too refined which truncates too much detail which I found odd, even if it had superior resolution. So, I can give up some, but there's a point where it becomes too noticeable and for me bothersome. A balance.
What I don't seem to need is too much bass (for me) but for some it is required. So while one can chase after a speaker that goes down to 30 Hz or so, it isn't a determining factor for me. Outright dynamics, punch, solidity of notes, among some others. Of course you need enough to support the rest of the frequency range, but it becomes an issue if it muddles things up the the scale. Hate loose, un-textured bass lines, graininess in the mids/treble and when notes/instruments/singers blend together. Don't want a wall of sound but a nice stage with locality and spacial cues.
So, back in 2014 I bought what I considered my dream system as to what I was willing to spend. I picked up a Hegel h160 (best amp compared to all others), Focal 807Ws (after combining 2 pairs of speakers over the years) it did the trick and eventually a Marantz CD6006 hooked up to a Topping D70s but the dac in the Hegel is really nice. The D70s adds some warmth and the internal dac of the Hegel better etched notes but still sounding smooth. They are both in the same league as to SQ, with some differences.
If I knew then what I knew now...well, equipment is always changing so some of it didn't exist as of yet but today, and for the last few years, I have used different equipment. First off, what I wanted was smaller, lighter equipment (I am getting older and wanting to downsize, everything) which presented some constraints. So, finding what I wanted both sonically and ergonomically wasn't an easy task.
What I finally found was a Keces E40 integrated and then I would have to match up speakers within its capabilities. So, I have Triangle Zeta Plaisir (old Color series and while giving less of what the Focal provides, has a softer voicing, laid backness which works really well for music and Ok for HT), Dali Opticon 1s and Martin Logan 15i recently purchased this year.
I bought the Opticon 1 at half off after trying the Menuet SE (always wanted a pair but found those too refined for my tastes), while the Opticon 1s do well enough where the Menuet excelled and retains the detail. I will use those for desktop.
Going back and forth between the Zetas and 15i required some adjustment as they are both very different yet having some of the qualities of my more upscale Focals. Comparatively, the Zetas are very musical with music while the 15i, still very good with music excels in HT. The 15i has more body, the Zetas more air and extension which I like with Piano notes. The 15i isn't worse, its different and after listening a while, I like what they do but it is an adjustment. They add more body but do not extend into the highs like a metal dome. Maybe it was ringing or distortion I had become accustomed to, not quite sure, but it is pleasant and I hear it with alot of speakers, as well as amps (Emotiva). It's just different as a real life Piano will present notes different than either, as well as all other speakers that are only attempting to "reproduce" the real thing. So go with what pleases you.
That's pretty much it. So, I still have the Hegel and Focals which I plan to sell not becasue these do anything wrong but becasue I am downsizing. I will continue to look at new offerings as I may consider separates down the road, but for now, today I have:
Main system:
Keces E40 - Marantz CD6006 - Aune X8 (with Sparkos upgrade and Aune linear PS) - Martin Logan 15i
and desktop will be
my second Keces E40 (I like these very much, noticeably better than a A07 btw) - Topping d70s - Dali Opticon 1s
Yes, the Hegel is a bit smoother, liquid and far more powerful but the difference isn't great on these speakers. So overkill for my current needs.
Down the road, if I were to upgrade, I have pondered a Billie amp among other integrated which may be a step up in SQ and power from the Keces, perhaps not my much but also separates. Amps on my radar are the new schiit Vidar II as well as a Jeff Roland Model 125.
I have looked at many other speakers. Elac Carinas, Dali Rubicon, Neat Petites, among other for something small that brings alot to the table. I almost pulled the trigger on the Neats but that would have been more $$$ and I really want a grill if for nothing else a bit of protection. Also looking at Falcon M10 but I want to hear before buying next time around. the Opticons cost me what the restocking fee was on the Menuets. But at least I found that just becasue something costs more, it may not be as satisfying to any individual. The Menuets, for what they did they did really well, but gave up something I couldn't.
So yes, Randy has his views, as well as everyone having theirs based on experience, needs, desires, budget, room, etc....
Starting out with ChiFi and budget speakers can still be satisfying and is an inexpensive way to begin. Buying used, especially receivers can be really, really inexpensive. That's the beginning of the journey but could be your end game too if you are satisfied, happy...you don't need to spend alot, but spend something you will.
Thank you!
Those are great lists.
I was watching some of your older stuff and you've really improved with your video quality and pacing. Really good work love the channel!
Thanks. Some of the older stuff is hard to watch
That Pro-Ject tube box S2 is badass! I love mine, for my Debut Carbon Evo with the Sumiko Ranier cartridge which is awesome! And that TT is great for upgradeability as well as best value for sound quality for the price. Going to a Cambridge CXA-81 with Elac Carina speakers which are the best Elac bookshelves at $1k, which are highly versatile with ALL genres of music! TV optic in to the CXA-81 for streaming and a rel t7x for one of the best subs for music out there. And yeah, it rocks as well as great for jazz and nuanced music.
Love it as usual Randy, thanks for another great vid!!! The journey has been fun but ya I would definitely do a couple things differently if I knew now what I did then, speaking of hifi only, don’t wanna open up to the things I should’ve done differently in any other aspect of life, let’s not go there…
I appreciate you Randy.
Putting together systems that sound good is what most audio file CZcams yapper is completely miss. You have to put together a system.
Talking forever about one component does not help You're guaranteed to waste money and time if you look at just one thing.
Good job I'm a fan thank you!
You have offered honest and valuable feedback. I'm not that old, but I really miss the old days when all manufacturers were building stackable audio gear with almost same dimensions. Now one is tall and thin, another one is deep and ... at the end nothing matches....each one is making their own standard (that are not even maintaing thruu incremental series)...
Great budget system for the garage or basement! Minus the vinyl of course...
Love the video idea...good job very entertaining...keep up the awesome work...❤
I was expecting you to pick a DIY speaker kit from CSS because I remember you were quite impressed with them.
Enjoyed the video very much!
Nice list Randy!
I own the Saga with a tube, but darn good in non tune mode too!
I have the original version of your recommended tube phono. Tried some upgraded tubes with it :)
I’m sure the S2 version is a big improvement!
I picked up a boutique, USA, made by hand affordable Lounge Audio phono pre amp ( LCR Gold with silver upgrade ) which frankly kills the aforementioned v1 tube pre.
And just I picked up the WiiM Pro with your link!
I swapped in a $40 glass 6’ toslink cable over the included cable - major improvement in clarity coherence and vibe :)
Thanks for all your good advices!!
Thanks Randy, i would say myself and a few others have probably been waiting a while for you to to make this video!
Great video premise and great recommendations. Thanks.
I bought the V3 with 48 volt power supply as a way to confirm that I need to move on from vintage equipment. I was surprised and impressed with the improvement over a 50 year old McIntosh amp. Gave me the confidence to purchase a Schiit Vidar 2 to power inefficient speakers. V3 now residing in my office. What a tremendous value. Also learned more about class D amps. In the words of Mr Spock “fascinating’”
There are some real jewels within the vintage HIFI era. I bought a Phase Linear system in 1977 and have had it ever since. But mainly I bought it because I heard Phase Linear was going to discontinue home stereo equipment. It's nice to own something almost impossible to buy today. I did have a new cap refresh in 2003 but other than that, this system literally rocks the house.
ikr? i am currently in the same boat. i was only ever considering old used hifi gear because it was affordable. and for speakers i would still stand by it but for electronics...at some point you just HAVE to accept the fact, its not 1980 anymore and electronics evolved and with each passing year it will also become harder and harder to find actualy good condition used gear because it wont be produced anymore and gets older and older. and i do notice that alot while browsing used gear online. 2-3 years ago it was way easier to find some cool deals and nowadays most of the stuff i see is actually... old electrical-junk... for the most part. do i really want to gamble on a used fat brick amp that heats up my room to 50 degrees in summer and pulls a bazillion watts from the wall while taking up huge amounts of space from 1980... if an actual up to date class d amp for 100-150 bucks, that i can put anywhere because its so small can do the same thing, prob even better and is way more future proof on top? i actually dont think so anymore. speakers have not really changed that much... but electronics? i think electronics in the last 10 years evolved more than they did in the last 100 years... some of the tech feels almost ancient by now. its such an AWESOME time to live in for hifi if you think about it. finally tech is evolving rapidly and you can get so much new cool stuff thats really affordable for everyone. some of the chifi stuff today, i think would of been expensive as hell a couple years ago.
My system is about $6k-$7k, I got the Topping Pre-90 / D90, Emotiva DR-2 Amp, Tekton Pendragon Towers, SVS SB-2000 SUB, Node-2i Streamer, and for my personal tastes of adding sparkle and bass to metal music, I added a BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer.
These are always fun videos Randy.
GREAT video. Just what I was looking for!
Really awesome video Randy, well done 👍
So I bought the JBL A130 to replace my ol alesis reference and with my sub they are lovely sound..it's a tough room high ceiling open to second floor balcony and a kitchen behind listening area but it works. Enjoyable listening and good on movies too ...cheers
This is a really good informative episode. Two thumbs up! 👍👍
If I started over: I would learn to be content. The biggest mistake I made was constantly looking up. As in academia, you will never arrive at the top.
True.
I have enteted the big amplifier world and cannot turn back lol! Love my current system and happy to have it! Good video!
I love your personality man! You should also let us know what coffee do you recommend for your videos.
Nice roundup i currently have the wiim pro, fosi v3, topping e50 with monitor audio silver 100 7g speakers and two diy l26roy 10" subs with passive radiators powered by plate amps. As for power to the units i run linear psus to both dac and streamer with a meanweell drp 48v 10a psu to the fosi amp. Money has been a big consideration but im really pleased with how everything gels. I never miss any detail in the music which is great! Seems it would be high mid tier on your scale! love the videos as usual btw!
Like the E50? I need a pre amp option for a vintage Sansui integrated. Also for remote cap
Thanks for this one, Randy. Have been getting confused at all of the recently reviewed options for my "budget" first set up, and you brought me right back home with the Wii Pro, V3, SMSL SU-1 core. Gonna skip the vinyl for now and may need to go a bit cheaper on speakers to start, but I think that modular vs integrated is more forward looking as I imagine that I will eventually upgrade everything.
For less expensive speakers look at the Sony SSCS5. They are a great speaker for the money and can be had cheap when they are on sale. They go on sale pretty often. Randy loves them as well and I'm surprised he didn't go with them for his budget setup.
@@ii1825 Thanks for the suggestion! Yep, those are definitely on my list. I missed them at $128 on Prime day but will keep an eye out for them to go down again.
I’m still surprised you would spend more on watches than on stereo equipment. Listening to music provides more enjoyment to me than wearing a watch but we all have to set our own priorities. Enjoy either way 😃👍
Some people who are (audio)gone round the bend, spend more for just interconnects that you spend for your top tier system. Great video, as usual.
I auditioned the iFi Zen Phono preamp for a few weeks along with a Cambridge Audio Alva Solo. At that time, they both cost the same. To me, it seemed that the Zen wasn't as powerful, and the build quality is not as robust as the Alva Solo. If it wasn't already running (left on all the time) it seemed to take a while to warm up and get up to level. In contrast, the Alva Solo was ready to go as soon as it clicked on, and it seemed to pair better with my cartridge (AT-VM540ML). Even though I kept the Zen because I took longer than the return period to test it, I'm using the Alva Solo as my daily driver.
You should do a vid on garage sale and thrift store system for cheap. My brother wanted a cheap system for his garage last month so he gave me 200 bucks and I hit the thrift stores and garage sales. I came back four hours later with a Denon 3806 with a working original remote for 50 bucks, 4 Polk monitor 7 that looked like crap but drivers were in great shape for 40 bucks. Found a 10 inch sub that is made from 3 different subs, has a huge amp and weighs 83 pounds, works fantastic for 30 bucks. Went to his house and dropped off the 200 pounds of gear and gave him his 80 bucks left over with a list of cables and connections he should get. Set it up the next weekend and brought over a old Dynaudio center channel I was using as a rear in my Crown vic. Sounds very good and his neighbors are not very happy.
The last sentence got me haha. Nice job!
I really enjoyed this video as it is relevant for me at this time. I want to revamp a 25 year old 3.1 system connected to a Samsung TV for TV sound and streaming mostly through Pandora and some BT from music on my iPhone. Some of the other streaming sources sound interesting. The room is our "great room" in an open floor plan - not that large (retirement home). I would like to go to a 2.1 system and here are my thoughts. I welcome all comments. For a streamer/DAC/preamp I was thinking of the Bluesound Node X. For a power amp, I like the Crown XLS 2502 (the incremental cost of going big is not that much and it will be the last power amp I buy). For L/R speakers I like the Emotiva B1+ and I like the SVS SB1000 Pro for a subwoofer. I don't need a turntable. I know these are all safe choices but that is why I like them. Comments please.
Great choices! Definitely agree on the Crown amps being a great choice-theyre powerful, sound phenomenal, are built to last and cost very little. Also agree you can't go wrong with an SVS sub-excellent performance and good quality, reputable brand.
On the other side of the coin, I don't think DACs are that important and almost anything sounds good and essentially indistinguishable from each other. Certainly not enough to matter with room acoustics and placement being far, far more important.
Speakers are 85%, the room and/or correction 10% and amps/dacs the last 5%. I like emotiva products but think they should be compared to at least 1 good soft dome speaker and 1 good metal dome tweeter design to see what you prefer.
Personally I lean towards soft dome 90% of the time from companies like wharfedale or dynaudio and also like a well tuned metal dome from focal or monitor audio. All that said I'd be shocked if Kali LP6, LP8 or IN5/8 and a decent $300 sub like Emotiva didn't outperform passives in most areas. Add in room correction and I'd put it up against anything passive double their price. The only tricky part is finding an affordable Preamp/reciever with LCR preouts for surround sound but for 2.1 it's easy to find a few from Topping and SMSL.
Now I wanna see your high end home theater
I have the Wiim mini (purchased just before the pro came out) and an SMSL SU-1. I was was considering a bluesound node before getting the Wiim so borrowed one. I think the wiim sounds better.
Haven't heard the Q Acoustics you recommend, but do like them as a brand. I have a separate 7.1 home cinema setup with 3010s all around, it sounds amazing. I tried a pair on my hifi, they lack bass, but this doesn't matter in the AV setup with a Sub.
Interesting choices - especially seeing which components made it into more than one system. One idea I'd love to see somebody play around with is to take one of the MiniDSP Flex processors and turn a pair of biwirable passive speakers into active ones, bypassing the internal crossovers, and implementing Dirac Live...
You are correct. For the 6k Randy spent, that’s a pretty weak system with no room correction or proper sub integration.
@@matthewfrazee3352 I don't think you'd even need to go that high. The MiniDSP Flex with Dirac is $694, then another $615 for the Emotiva Basx A4 (or just use a couple of the Fosi Audios). Then you just need the speakers, which could be anything between the $359 for the B2+ up to $1299 for a pair of Q Acoustic Concept 30, or even a pair of the CSS speaker kits (I wonder what they'd charge if you didn't want a crossover at all?). If you wanted to add a sub, you could choose a Flex Eight instead ($798), and that opens up the possibility of a pair of 3-way speakers, so you'd need the Emotiva Basx A6 instead, but it would still be fairly affordable in the grand scheme of things 🙂I haven't heard anything about the quality of the DACs onboard in the Flex products, but the 2-channel one has a version with digital outs, so you could even play around with other DACs as well, but that might start to get fairly pricey...
Thanks!
Hey, its been a couple months since I tuned in, looks like you have been working out. Keep it up. Get some
Amazing review, and great thoughts on budget set ups. One question I have, though, on the budget system, how do you connect the subwoofer?
Option #1
How can you connect the subwoofer to the setup?
Thanks
Each one with his/her own preferences, but my take is that if I ended up with the 5020s, with a budget of 5.5k, surely I'd have done something really wrong.
Thanks Randy
Just another thought is to consider bi-amping with a MiniDSP Flex with Dirac Live and the LRS Plus speakers with one or two subs. Two Fosi V3s would work for this. Prof. Jim
Modern reasonably priced components and say a vintage flagship speaker from the 80's -90's is your best route for good audio w/o breaking the bank.
Great Video. Could you please do a video on the Top Atmos Soundbars? Not many of us can run cables to the back of the room for surrounds and other speakers. Bose 900, Samsung q990b/c, Sonos Arc, etc.
This reminds me of the old radio shack catalogs. They were less good, better, and best.
I’m happy with my original component purchase of my Xduoo TA-30 and Kanto Tuk speakers. I just wished I looked past copper cables.
I have several systems and bought my first class d amp a few months ago , a fosi bt 20 AS and it sounds great , very impressive for 69 bucks
Nice options and great discussion video. I personally would get the best system you could afford to avoid the dreaded upgradeitis. Also don’t buy anything until you listen to it. Buy at least one thing from a Hifi store so you can listen to as much gear as possible without feeling like a freeloader. Don’t agree on buying the wiim at all as a good quality digital input is important. Would consider the new eversolo streamer over this. A vinyl based system is a big investment when you consider how many records you want buy and how expensive they are. Can get similar sound with a higher end system or a really good cd transport with a higher end R2R dac . CD’s and streaming are dirt cheap vs records.
Good call on some that emotiva amp pushing the q acoustic speakers.
You haven't done me wrong yet Randy. My new family room set up will be a Prime Day TV, optical out to a WIIM Pro, optical out of that to a Topping E50 DAC (for the remote), analog out of the DAC to the V3 driving a set of CSS Torii's. World's Best Cables where I can. I know it skips a sub but my wife hates the way the sub looks now and it's a slim line Samsung soundbar set. I'd never get a 12" sub past her.
This was a cool video man!
Would love a video in similar format for audiophile headphone/earbud end to end system as well 😊.Thank you Sir!
Hey Randy, greetings from a former squid who spent a year at the Sub Base Bangor TRF Nav Shop! I'm a long-time follower and 1st time commenter, but I had to say that I initially blew off this video because your recommendations weren't cool enough (or whatever) and ended up spending the last few weeks (and countless hours) trying to find the perfect "audiophile" integrated amp. However, after coming to w/i an inch of wasting $600 on a "budget" amp (which usually costs $1000 and was still looked down upon by many purists), I started getting really pissed off by how expensive everything was and decided to watch this video again. However, this time I became "red pilled" and finally realized how brilliant (and cheap) your recommendations are - especially considering future upgrades - so thank you!! Btw, I especially like your budget system for now, but I may add the Schiit Saga, etc. eventually.
See my above post, my $1350 system, it sunk my battle ship!
At the moment, I am listening to Ram Jam via a WIIM mini into an SMSL SU-1 into a Fosi Audio V3 with 48v 5A power supply into some JBL A170 towers, and it is AWESOME! I think you should review the A170s. They are a great match to the cheap chinese class D amps like the A07 and V3 - A nearly perfect two channel setup for very cheap money.
My main system is a CXN V2 -> CXA81 into Emotiva B1+ and an SE8 Sub.
I have a wiim mini and SMSL SU-1 too. Really happy with them.
I couldn't find a decent afordable DAC for ages. I had borrowed a couple that would have cost between £100 and £200 that sounded no better than an old £20 fiio taishan I had been using. Then I ordered the SMSL SU-1 unheard based on all the positive reviews. I wasn't disappointed.
I own the A170s and I love them
Way to go, Mr Cheapskate Audio Guy 😀
Nice vid! Im still debating between an Akitika vs a big Emotiva amp. I dont mind assembly, you still like your old Akitika? I think they have new descreet kits now which intrigues me
With the knowledge I have today. I would have stuck with my Yamaha RN803 receiver and B&O S80 speakers from 4 years back. I spent a lot of money trying Chifi to Vintage gear. I have so much gear I'm looking at right now.
Great setup
Great post I’ve been waiting for someone to do this you should expand to to surround with the Shiite surround oops too soon you did put it in. How about the same but with just powered speakers no amps
great idea for a show (I haven't watched it yet, going to make some coffee)
How about starting with an Emotiva MC1 and the SE8/12? And put in an amp and speakers that you can afford. With time a better amp and/or speakers can be added an the existing moved to surround, back, or height.
Wow, cool video but I can’t help but think how complicated all these different components are when there are much simpler options for listening these days.
187k boss! Great work.
Getting closer to the mark (200k) every day !!!
Yeah, he’s “rockin’ it” 😉
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️
Fantastic video. I would love to see a video that integrates hdmi eARC, so I can control volume (in one stage) on my 2 channel system hooked up to a TV. Also, I haven’t tried it yet-does the wiim pro have any delay sync issues (audio-video) when using it with CZcams/Prime/streaming-video? Thanks for a great channel!
Excellent topic!
Randy, I've watched a number of your videos (and am yes, subscribed) but unless I'm mistaken, I've not seen you talk about the merits of buying used. I think it's the only way to go. We all know how audio folk are constantly in search of the next thing and flipping gear, so there's great stuff out there for less. My desktop speakers are Merlin TSM-MMe, which was around $3.5K new......got in mint shape for 1/2 that. And they are very good sounding speakers.
Great set ups 👍
Mine, yes I have all of these , Wiim Pro, Topping E50 DAC ( in pre mode as to use it as a volume control) feeding my Xduoo 604 Headphone tube amp..and out to my Sen’s or my HiFiman headphones.
Take care 👍☕️🔥🍕
How does the E50 do as a pre amp and remote capability?? Think that’s the way I should go with a vintage setup
Wow. I don't know a single brand you mentioned. My kids moved out a few years ago. I'm just starting to want a nice stereo system again. When I last had time and interest in sound we were in the land of Sony/Kenwood/Yamaha receivers or maybe Marantz/Adcom/Macintosh for nice separates. I don't know if I'm ready for a slew of mismatched shapes, sizes, finishes. I'm so used to wanting a nice stacked system with matching woodgrain cabinets that become a focal point. Apparently, I have yet another rabbit hole to go down.......
best question ever asked? Kudos for thinking this way. after most of you audio reviewers who have done tons of reviews. You should have to at some point answer a question like this to sort of own up to your reviews and prove the were not just fluff :) I have ended my audio journey for now with a Modwright amp (kwa100) plus Modwright preamp (ls100) plus modwright phono amp and Italian speakers - Rosso Fiorentino Fiesole's bookies with REL sub's. my journey is over! but I still love reading reviews of good audio equipment..
I have a Fosi Audio V3 with the 48 volt power supply. I just auditioned my Elac Uni-Fi Bookshelfs with the V3. Very bad choice on my part, not enough power to drive the speakers properly. Get a 4 ohm 90 db or higher speaker for a desktop.
Two pairs of RP-600RP and a single RP-504C would make a great starter system. Same with two pairs of RP-160M and a single RP-450C. Paired with a Monolith 12” THX for the subwoofer.
Great episode! Can I ask a favor? Could you diagram what goes into what? I’m a newbie and need to see some pictures - with an an explanation or what each component does. Thanks!
I totally came here to ask this same thing. I want to use my PC as the source for all my audio and video, but it's hard to know which pieces he's talking about are relevant to my application. Having a diagram would help me know what I do and don't need. And while I'm here, it would be great to have an overview of what each piece of the system does/adds/provides and what you lose if you don't include a certain piece. This would help me know which things I can get one-at-a-time, versus what I need to get together. Also, what I'm listening for to see if any given piece is doing what I want.
I need to know that too! I'm a total newbie
did any of you ever get any advice/ info from anyone about connecting it all up?
Nope, not yet, but I also haven't dug very deeply, yet.
Sticking around the $1000 level, one could go with the Emotiva TA1, the B2+ speakers and the Wiim Mini… and a vintage turntable like, a Phillips 312 with an Ortofon 5m Cartridge… except, you can’t get… the B2+ anymore… or the B1+… (sigh)
This is exactly what I need! I wish I knew this 2 weeks ago before shelling out my $3000 😢. Anyways, I will follow your recommendation exactly for home theater system atleast. Thank you!
Great video. Now do a set of AVR systems.
Upper System I’d go with the Pioneer PLX-1000 with a Ortofon Blue 2M.
And for silver disc playback I’d search for a good used Oppo or Sony Blu-Ray player into the Geshelli J2 AKM.
My two cents.
Hi . I love my emotiva basx mr1. I couldn't believe how good it made my 18 year old Polk speakers sound. Compared to my older onkyo avr. Thanks darrell
Interesting, anything about the mr1 you aren't a fan of?
@gregjones2472 hi Greg
I've had it over a week now. The one thing that is Starting to annoy me is. I only stream my content from my Samsung tv so if I Pause what ever I'm watching or push play it will stop the audio from the earc and show no input. And when the show starts the video will be playing and it still won't have sound. Sometimes it doesn't do it but 9 times out of 10 it won't have audio. I'm going to call Damon from emotiva tomorrow about it. Other than that it's wonderful. And I love it. Hopefully it's something simple.. the 6 hight atmos speakers sound wonderful I only had 2 hight and 2 extra wide on my old onkyo tx-nr838 setup
Darrell
Hi Greg we figured out the audio glitch. When I Pause a show the arc return stops sending data to the mr1. I have a one connect box on my 5 year lod Samsung so that's probably the problem. I guess I'm shopping for a lg g3 lol.
The mr1 has great Dynamic sound. I love it compared to my older onkyo avr.
Darrell
Thanks for the very helpful video. For the budget system, where did you connect your subwoofer?
Only thing I'd change in that list is the speakers. Elac Debut Reference are too good to pass up.
Budget system could have easily included the Sony SSCS5 speakers. ~Nice video Randy! Thank you Shipmate!
Agreed! But only if on sale. At full retail I prefer the Emotivas. The B1+ is noticably better than the SSCS5.
Agreed! Definitely wait until they drop in price. I recently got another pair from Best Buy open box for $87.
That lokius is magical.
@cheapaudioman I wouldn't recommend any DAC that doesn't have a digital display showing the sample bitrate it is processing. That's such a basic thing and helps me immensely in troubleshooting devices that are unknowingly downsampling or for fact checking hd audio sources.
What would you add/do differently if you also wanted to listen with headphones? I wish Schiit made a Saga with a headphone amp like preamps of ye olden days. (Syn does stuff I don’t want/need.)
Awesome content Randy! I currently have the Wiim Pro on my wishlist for my little turntable and music listening setup. Currently using the bluetooth in my BT20A Pro when listening to Tidal, it "works" .. but it's not optimal 😅
true there are way too many factors i cant suggest everything, even i didnt write everything
its part of audio journey
Good video!
I saw that the pre-out on the Fosi is fixed, so that's a no-go for using it as a subwoofer output. Or is that not correct?
High end:
JBL Studio 698 $1,800
Emotiva XPA HC-1 (2 because they're mono) $1,800
Schiit Freya S $600
Wiim Pro $150
Technics SL1200 mk7 $1,100
Schiit Mani $150
Audio-Technica VM750SH $450
TOTAL $5,750
Budget Conscious:
Polk Audio Monitor 60 $380
Polk Audio PSW10 $160
Fosi Audio V3 $90
Wiim Pro $150
Audio-Technica AT LP120XUSB $350
TOTAL $1,130
In your first affordable set up - where/ how are you hooking up the subwoofer?
if you can stretch to 1500 Euro speakers, Dynaudio Evoke 10 are amazing.
It’s hard for me to consider to go from A/B amps to class D. I guess it’s the old school in me and age
Same here. And I'm not into "streaming" at all. And the Cheap Audio Man looooves to talk about his Wiim mini like it's the best thing since sliced bread! Aside from that, I still find his uploads very informative. 👍🏻
Well go get that class A/B amp soon. They're going to make them illegal .
50% efficient consumer electronics will be banned. They can't manage an "Energy Star" rating & just like window ACs next spring or OLED tv's in the EU the legislatures will make laws to satiate the Greenies.
Reggae, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
And don't forget your gas stoves!
Lol get the fm300a clone
Class D has changed exponentially over the last few years. You just have to find the right gear that gives you proper synergy.
Cheapaudioman wears a ballin Rolex DeepSea...sick!!!!
Hmmm I would prefer for under £($)3700ish (UK bias)
DAC £599 - Eversolo DAC-Z8
Head phone and pre AMP £599 - Singxer SA1 Class A
Streamer/Digital Transport £379 - JF MX-Pro -
Near field Active Monitors £350 - Adam T5V
Head Phones £500 Planar Magnet Hifiman Edition XS
Turntable £299 Pro-Ject T1 (Black)
Subwoofer £699 Focal Sub One woofer
= NIRVANA
I suspect, you can get this for even less if you shop around.
This is my setup minus the Pro-Ject T1 (that's on my shopping list :)