Upgrading to an entry-level audiophile setup - Advice

Interesting read, not that I understood anything. Hence why I just buy the all in one surround sound system, normally the same brand as the tv.
 
Update
Some in here were right (you buggers)
I ended up going down rabbit holes I dare not wish to speak about - the audio space is big and terrifying

I ended up spending a bit more on a better amp, so that I could upgrade my speaker later on

Bought the following
WiiM AMP
Polk MXT15 ( great reviews and on amazon as well crutchfield ) they will be my starting kit.

Next upgrade would be an external DAC to pair up with the WiiM so that I can add in my headphones into the mix.

Room treatment will be part of the process
There’s some serious echo going on and i’d like to bring that down to 50% at a minimum for now. (Walls identified for treatment)
 
ViciousClone said:
Update
Some in here were right (you buggers)
I ended up going down rabbit holes I dare not wish to speak about - the audio space is big and terrifying

I ended up spending a bit more on a better amp, so that I could upgrade my speaker later on

Bought the following
WiiM AMP
Polk MXT15 ( great reviews and on amazon as well crutchfield ) they will be my starting kit.

Next upgrade would be an external DAC to pair up with the WiiM so that I can add in my headphones into the mix.

Room treatment will be part of the process
There’s some serious echo going on and i’d like to bring that down to 50% at a minimum for now. (Walls identified for treatment)
Click to expand...

We’ve used these guys to do some work in our offices with great results.

genesisacoustics.co.za

Genesis Acoustics | Soundproofing & Acoustic Products | Store

Visit Genesis Acoustics for a professional range of soundproofing and acoustic products. From soundproofing to sound absorption materials, find solutions to all your sound & noise problems in one place.
genesisacoustics.co.za genesisacoustics.co.za

But a good/quick/easy hack potentially if you have none is putting down a thick loose carpet.
 
SauRoNZA said:
We’ve used these guys to do some work in our offices with great results.

genesisacoustics.co.za

Genesis Acoustics | Soundproofing & Acoustic Products | Store

Visit Genesis Acoustics for a professional range of soundproofing and acoustic products. From soundproofing to sound absorption materials, find solutions to all your sound & noise problems in one place.
genesisacoustics.co.za genesisacoustics.co.za

But a good/quick/easy hack potentially if you have none is putting down a thick loose carpet.
Click to expand...
The carpet being washed on Saturday actually made me more aware of the echo haha
Sunday morning, with the carpet back in place it was less noticeable, buuut now I hear the smallest echo in the room and i do fear it’s those untreated walls which have nothing on them
 
ViciousClone said:
The carpet being washed on Saturday actually made me more aware of the echo haha
Sunday morning, with the carpet back in place it was less noticeable, buuut now I hear the smallest echo in the room and i do fear it’s those untreated walls which have nothing on them
Click to expand...
You can have prints bolckmounted to hang on the walls. Fill the back with a layer of 'doggie blanket' cheaply acquired from PEP. Hang those behind you listening position. If echoes persist, start doing the same on side walls near the speakers. There is a tipping point where the sound will lose its 'liveliness'. Then you've overdone the treatment. You can also put a bookshelf behind your listening position. The unevenness will help with echoes.
 
Geez, such a big soundscape for someone sitting in an office chair in front of a few monitors?
Overkill much?
I bet your next thread will be looking for better and bigger monitors to match your sound setup? lol :ROFL:
 
ViciousClone said:
Update
Some in here were right (you buggers)
I ended up going down rabbit holes I dare not wish to speak about - the audio space is big and terrifying

I ended up spending a bit more on a better amp, so that I could upgrade my speaker later on

Bought the following
WiiM AMP
Polk MXT15 ( great reviews and on amazon as well crutchfield ) they will be my starting kit.

Next upgrade would be an external DAC to pair up with the WiiM so that I can add in my headphones into the mix.

Room treatment will be part of the process
There’s some serious echo going on and i’d like to bring that down to 50% at a minimum for now. (Walls identified for treatment)
Click to expand...
Bruh, be careful of that slope. It's slippery.

I started with a stereo-only setup maybe 12 or so years ago. My purchases and upgrades since day one have been 99% second-hand items.
I started with a Nad C320 amp and Monitor Audio Bx-5 floorstanders. Then changed to a set of B&W 683 S1 floorstanders and changed the amp to a Valve Audio Exclame 150. Added an SVS Sub somewhere along the line. Then changed the speakers to a set of Bentley Acoustics FS150 floorstanders.

Then I upgraded the amp to a Valve Audio Predator. I then changed the speakers to a set of B&W 804 Diamond floorstanders. And I changed the sub to a 15" Wharfedale.

I have been using a Wiim Mini since they launched and have now changed to a Wiim Pro +.
Using an iFi Zen One Signature DAC. Also using a Topping P50 Linear Power Supply for the DAC and the Wiim.
Had some Audioquest Rocket 11 speaker cables and changed that to a set of Cardas.

Over the years I also put together systems for the holiday homes and for my fathers house.

So there are still a few NAD amplifiers in use at different places and a set of Monitor Audio RX6 speakers.
The only thing I have sold throughout this whole time was the Exclame amp. That was to make the sting in my wallet hurt a bit less when I got the Predator.

As I upgraded I moved components to holiday homes, home office, home cinema, etc.
Next up is a setup in my room. I have the system my dad had now with me and it needs a spot.

So ja, upgradetitus is real.

I think I am done for now. I really need to start throwing money at treating my main setup room. As you can see it is a lot of glass and stuff.

The pics are current.

1744617592454.png

1744617622314.png

1744617685141.png


1744617812291.png
 
ViciousClone said:
Forgot to ask, i'm guessing 14 or 16 gauge 100% copper speaker cables should suffice just fine?
Click to expand...
Some people on a budget also use mains wiring for this. This is outside the audiophile paradigm, but it works.

One possibility is to take medium duty ripcord, which is typically 16 to 14 AWG. If you twist together and solder the ends of a single length then you will have the equivalent of a 13 AWG wire. This works fairly well on speakers.
 
Pax said:
100%. Although we all like to believe cables make a difference, some say it makes no difference. I could hear differences (maybe I imagined it though) between cables on systems in excess of R500k only. Lesser systems....nothing, nada. It is no biggie as long as you use some decent cabling. The volts & amps they must handle are rather low.
Click to expand...
At one stage I ran a comparison between two brands of speaker cables, with one of them promising to be an upgrade. This was on a pair of Linn LK240 amps with off-board power supplies driving Linn Keilidh speakers. After a while of this the results were getting confusing. I then realized that turning the amps on and off for cable changes was cycling their temperatures. Their running temperatures were making more of a difference than the cables. After updating the test process it was possible to evaluate the cables alone. I liked to think there was a slight difference, but this was open to debate.
 
Since it seems you use your PC/laptop as the source, you could complicate matters by running Equalizer APO (Windows only, I think...) with Peace. Apart from being able to equalize stuff into infinity, you can use EQ APO as a crossover to allow you to use multiple amps and driver combinations.
 
SeRpEnT said:
Geez, such a big soundscape for someone sitting in an office chair in front of a few monitors?
Overkill much?
I bet your next thread will be looking for better and bigger monitors to match your sound setup? lol :ROFL:
Click to expand...
Haha imagine that!!!
Goes and deletes his forum regarding monitor upgrades
 
Progenix Oj101 said:
Unless you're sitting with your nose smudging the screen, I really can't imaging there's much separation though?
Click to expand...
Well, haha, I was advised by the great Internet of People, to move the Edifiers to the sweet spot and have them aligned to your ears (Or close as possible). That's what I did :D
 
garyc said:
Some people on a budget also use mains wiring for this. This is outside the audiophile paradigm, but it works.

One possibility is to take medium duty ripcord, which is typically 16 to 14 AWG. If you twist together and solder the ends of a single length then you will have the equivalent of a 13 AWG wire. This works fairly well on speakers.
Click to expand...

That makes no sense when you consider mains wiring is pretty much the same price or even more expensive than decent unbranded oxygen free speaker cabling.
 
Temp; tested that everything works.
And oh boyyyy, what a difference
The music sounds so open and clear compared to the edifiers.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    296.4 KB · Views: 37
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X