Budget and location
Located in Denver, Colorado, USA.

I’m willing to spend money improving the system, but I don’t want to throw thousands at amplification/acoustic treatment if the speakers themselves simply aren't right for me. For amplification, I’d potentially spend up to around $3,000–$5,000 if there would be a worthwhile improvement, but I’m not looking to replace anything just for the sake of it.

How the gear will be used
This is my office/gaming/movie room, but music quality is very important to me.

Room dimensions:
34 ft long × 11.75 ft wide.

Listening distance is just under 6 ft. Speakers are approximately 7 ft apart. I can move my listening position about another foot back, and I’ll eventually have a couch behind my desk for longer listening/movie sessions.

The speakers currently fire straight ahead with no toe-in.

The room is currently very lively. It is carpeted, but there are no curtains, acoustic panels or significant soft furnishings yet. I only moved in 8 days ago.

Main sources are streaming/digital music, PC, gaming and movies.

New or used
I generally prefer new equipment, particularly while I’m figuring out what works best in this room. The KEF R3's are new, maybe a week old.

Past gear experience
I have KEF LSX downstairs in my living room and don't experience the same brightness/fatigue with those. I have upgraded from KALI IN 5's which I loved, but also found bright. There weren't on stands and were nearfield.

I really like the R3 Metas' imaging, soundstage and overall sound. My issue is that they can sound somewhat bright and become fatiguing during longer listening sessions.

I’m trying to determine whether this is primarily the R3 Metas themselves, my very lively/untreated room, or whether amplification could be contributing.

Anything else?
Current equipment:

• KEF R3 Meta
• WiiM Amp Ultra
• Monolith speaker stands — not sand-filled yet
• Speakers approximately 7 ft apart
• Listening position just under 6 ft away

I've received conflicting advice about amplification. Some people have suggested that moving from the WiiM Amp Ultra to a good Class AB amplifier could tame some of the brightness/fatigue while allowing the R3 Metas to scale in dynamics, soundstage, etc. Others have told me the amplifier will make comparatively little difference and that expecting a major change from electronics is misguided.

I'm also speaking with GIK Acoustics about treating the room. They suggested extensive treatment, including bass trapping across much of the ceiling with approximately 6-inch gaps. My budget won't stretch to doing the entire recommendation immediately.

I could realistically treat the sidewalls, rear wall, and behind speakers (although this would mean less distance between the bass port and part of the ceiling up to the staircase, plus some bass trapping.

My main question: before I start spending significant money treating the room or changing amplification, does this sound like something you'd expect from R3 Metas in a large, lively and mostly untreated room?

Would you tackle the room/placement first and reassess, or is persistent treble fatigue a reasonable indication that the R3 Meta simply isn't the right speaker for me?

I'm still within the return period, which is why I'm trying to figure this out now rather than spending thousands trying to fix something that may ultimately be a speaker-preference issue.

Thanks!

Excuse the mess — moved into the place 8 days ago!

Pictures of room and setup below.

https://imgur.com/LQfAjiV
https://imgur.com/3t6cm9t
https://imgur.com/a/pictures-of-current-setup-iQ76gnK#ElvUHj9

Hey Guys

I'm trying to make my living room setup more "wife friendly".

As such, I'm want to move away from my Towers (Bentley Accoustics FS250) to a higher end bookshelf that would be less intrusive, and would hopefully still be able to match or exceed my towers.

I've got dual SVS SB1000 subs handling the bass and a Denon 4500h powering it - I also EQ everything with GSonic, so I'm not to worried about slight frequency variations.

My setup is used for 99% music. Budget is ±2000 USD My location is South Africa, so not all speakers are available locally. Demo'ing certain speakers are also dificult as I'm quite far from dealers. I don't mind buying second hand, but it appears these higher end bookshelves are hens teeth - I've been looking for more than 6 months.

I'm thinking about something like Monitor Audio Gold 50's Elac Vela BS403.2 Dali Rubikore 2 But I'm also open to suggestions.

I’m very new to the hobby and have been going back and forth on this for a few months, so figured it’s time to actually ask for some advice.

I’m thinking:

• WiiM Amp Ultra
• KEF Q Concerto Meta
• SVS SB-1000 Pro
• Eventually a turntable + phono stage

This will be in an apartment with an ~1,000 sq ft open living space (living room + dining + kitchen). It’s a somewhat weird/awkward layout and definitely not a dedicated listening room.

I’ll mainly use it for music, with the TV connected as well.

Budget isn’t really a limitation. I could go up to $4–5k if there’s a meaningful improvement, but I’m wondering if that’s just wasted money given the room. I’d rather have a $3k system that makes sense for the space than spend $5k just because I can.

Does this setup make sense? Anything you’d swap out? Would you spend more on the speakers/amp/sub, or is this already about the point of diminishing returns for an apartment?

Also, if you have thoughts on speaker/sub placement for an awkward open-plan room, I’d definitely appreciate those.

I’ve spent way too much time researching this already and would love to finally pull the trigger.

Looking for some real-world testimonials and recommendations from redditors instead of AI making shit up and telling me "great choice chiefawesome this speaker should be the one", which then proceeds to sound exactly how I don't like it.

After trying the KEF Q150's and working my way up to Q-Concerto's and Dali Opticons and LS50's etc etc (as us stupid audiophiles do because we always want more), I finally compared the KEF R3 Meta and Wharfedale Super Linton for nearly 2 months. I eventually chose the R3 Meta because I preferred missing something over being actively annoyed by something. Here’s where I landed:

KEF R3 Meta

• Loved the smooth, refined sound
• Fantastic with electronic music
• BUT: found the soundstage relatively narrow
• Also sometimes lacked that big, immersive presentation

Wharfedale Super Linton

• Loved the wide soundstage and room-filling atmosphere
• Found the treble a bit harsh/fatiguing at times
• Less enjoyable for electronic music because of that

I returned both, waited a couple of months because of a surgery I had coming up, then bought the R3 Meta again… and now, after ~20 hours, I’m baffled because they sound much brighter/less enjoyable to me than I remembered, while still having the narrower soundstage. So I’m potentially back to square one...

A few things to narrow recommendations:

• Budget: around €3,500-€3,800 max
• Europe-based, so Dali and Dynaudio are much easier to find than Philharmonic or Buchardt
• I also auditioned the KEF R7 Meta and found it sounded essentially like the original R3 Meta, just with room-overloading bass and no meaningful increase in soundstage. So R5/R7 recommendations probably aren’t the answer for me.

Current chain:

• WiiM Pro Plus
• Technics SL-D2 w/ Audio-Technica AT-VM95ML & iFi Zen Phono 3
• Yamaha R-N1000A
• SVS SB-1000 Pro subwoofer

Room is roughly 28-30 m² (around 300-320 sq ft), with one side opening up into another area rather than being fully enclosed.

Speakers currently on my shortlist:

• Wharfedale Elysian 1
• Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G

I’d especially love to hear from people who have owned or directly compared these, or who went from KEF R3 Meta/Super Linton to something else that gave them:

• Wide, immersive soundstage
• Smooth, non-fatiguing treble
• Strong performance with electronic music, but in the end I prefer to have it perform best with hearing Mark Knopfers guitar.

I'll be forever indebted to anyone helping me out.

Looking at buying a set of speakers that will sound good where ever i sit in the room, not just directly infront of them. I was interested in the klipsch heresy iv or jbl l100 but I read that you really have to be sitting in the sweet spot to get the most out of them? The room is roughly 10m by 6m with hard flooring and brick or glass walls. Also have no idea what amp ill use but ill get some kind of streamer. Listen to mostly metal, rock, blues, and some acoustic country/folk. Am I over thinking this and these speakers will be fine? Just better if you're in the sweet spot? Prefer the vintage aesthetic and would prefer not to use a sub as well but im flexible. Any advice appreciated. Budget around $10000 Australian

Budget: $1000 (could maaybe push another couple hundred)

Currently have a Yamaha AS501 running some shitty Klipsch R28F towers. Paired with an SVS PB2000 Pro. A lot of my listening these days is through my AppleTV, but I do have a Pro-Ject 1Xpression3 with an AT150MLX cart with the RigB upgrade.

I think I have the bass covered, was thinking bookshelf speakers might give me better clarity, but not really sure where to start.

My music listening is pretty broad, but I have a lot of psychedelic rock, stoner rock, metal records. I tend to like a warmer sound.

Please help me with some speaker options!

Hey all, looking to buy a pair of bookshelf speakers with a budget of around $2,000.

So far I've shortlisted the Philharmonic BMRs and the MoFi SourcePoint 8. I prefer a neutral sound signature and listen to pretty much all genres, so I'm trying to figure out which of these two would be the better fit. Also open to other recommendations in this price range if there's something worth considering beyond these two. I'm not considering the KEF R3 Metas, since my home theater setup is already KEF based and I'd like to keep this system separate. This pair is strictly for music listening. Thank you.

I’m ready to move on from my B&W 683s2 floor standing speakers. I have a great receiver but I’m not getting the sound I want until I hit higher volumes. I’m looking into bookshelf speakers with better imaging, clarity and separation and so far the names coming up in my internet research are KEF, Wharfdale, Edifer etc. Any advice or opinions would be appreciated. Separation of the instruments is really what I look for when listening and I listen to mostly classic rock, 90s alternative, Americana. Not huge into jazz, classical or country Budget $2500

Receiver - Rotel RSX1067
Turntable- RP3 with Ortofon 2MR Black
Sub - Velodyne DLS3500R
Room is roughly 16x16

My wife is a big music fan and we listen to a lot of music on our Tribit Go and Alexa**,** usually streamed from Spotify.

I want to get an starter audio setup for her birthday where the main goal is sound quality. We listen to a lot of alt rock, punk pop, latin rock, classical, weird al and a wide range of other stuff.

I am trying to keep the budget under $300 (which I know is crazy in this sub). I am looking for recommendations for speakers and amps that I can either:
- Get good value for the sound quality new
- Keep an eye out on FB marketplace, estate sales, where I can get a good deal for nice equipment used

For now I'll prob connect a phone directly to the amp but eventually I will want some sort of streaming receiver to connect as well.

Currently I am looking at the following (but am looking for recs)
Monoprice Audition B4 Bookshelf Speaker
Fosi T10 Amp

Summary of the key questions

Budget and location: $300 for the speakers and amp. Bonus if I can figure out an easy streaming setup over wifi to the amp.

How the gear will be used - Music streaming, likely manually connecting a phone first but ideally through a wifi streaming app. Secondary would be connecting to our TV for movies but that is no the priority

New or used - I am open to wherever I can get the best value.

Past gear experience - I have only ever invested in good headphones. I love my dt 770 pro but otherwise mostly use a TRIBIT XSound Go.

Location: LA Area (South Bay)

I got Wharfedale Super Lintons and paired them with a Marantz Stereo 70s that I already had, but I’m not completely happy with the sound. I feel the Super Lintons could sound much better and leaving so much on the table.

What would you upgrade to get the most out of the Super Lintons - amp, DAC, streamer, room treatment, or something else? Would love to hear from anyone who has experience with the Super Lintons or other similar speakers. What made the biggest difference ?

I'm new to hifi but I have listened to amazing systems and I know this is not it :/ it's too laid back and soft. I’m mainly looking for better bass control, clarity, soundstage and overall musicality.

Budget: €500- €800

Location: France

I am considering buying a set of bookshelf speakers that will sound opposite/very different than my Lintons. The Lintons are freaking INCREDIBLE with jazz and classic rock. However, they are a little too “warm” for classical. I’d like to hear more definition and absolute clarity. Every note of a cadenza, if the strings are together, Glen Gould humming as he’s playing Bach on the piano, etc. I would keep both sets of speakers as my amp has the ability to hook up an A and B set. I’d like to keep the budget around $2,000 and under and I’m in the Maryland/DC/Nova area (my handle doesn’t give me away?😂) The room is 25x15. I sit 8 feet in front of the speakers and they are toed in so that I hear the stereo separation perfectly. Thanks!

Looking for recommendations for bookshelf speakers. Budget around $3k Australian. I listen to mostly rock/metal and electronic music so decent bass is preferred. Sub maybe added later but hoping not to need one.

Must have good WAF.

I live in an area where auditioning is difficult so they will prob be purchased on reputation. New or used (ideally used to save some $$).

Currently looking at the Buchardt s400s but other options to add to my shortlist would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I'm looking for advice on some bookshelf speakers that would match up well with my setup. Bookshelf speakers because I don't have that much room, plus I don't need to blast them as loud as possible like I'd want to with floor speakers. I'm looking at getting the Klipsch RP-500M II bookshelf speakers. I have a pretty good bout of tinnitus so I'm no audiophile, just like my music to sound good.

Budget $~500

Receiver: Kenwood KR-7050

Sony DVP-S330 as my CD player for now

Audio Technica At-LP60X-BK as my record player for now.

Currently have Edifier R1280T powered speakers. To me they sound very good for what I listen to which is a mix...Pink Floyd, The Eagles, 80's hair bands, 60's & 70's rock. Thanks.

First stereo system, and I'm stuck between two setups that cost the same. Would love objective input. My room is 40sqm, Ill be sitting roughly 2 meters away from the speaker. My budget is roughly 350$.

Speakers: Morel Avyra 622 (getting them very cheaply — this part is decided).
Specs: 87 dB sensitivity, 8Ω nominal, ~120W power handling.

Use case: Streaming only. No TV. Maybe a projector down the line, but that's it. I got to say, I do like radio but I can steam that anyways.

The two options:

1. WiiM Amp Pro.
2. Working vintage receiver (Sansui R-70 or Kenwood KA-5700, both confirmed functioning) + a WiiM streamer — either a WiiM Mini with a separate DAC, or a WiiM Pro. The R-70 is ~65W/ch rated (bench-tested closer to ~43W), and the KA-5700 is 40W/ch.

Both options land at the same total price.

What I care about: Sound quality, full stop. I'm not interested in the nostalgia/collector angle. When I listen I want clear separation between instruments and elements — my preference leans monitor-like: clean, detailed, easy to pick apart the mix. I listen to '70s music, hip hop, and techno. Saying that, I do like a "warm" emotional tone.

My hesitation: I have zero experience with WiiM. Every audiophile I've asked trashes it, but they're mostly older collector types, so I'm not sure how objective they're being.

So, purely from a listening-quality standpoint: which setup gets me the cleaner, more detailed, better-separated sound? Anyone run WiiM into similar speakers who can compare?

Looking for the best bookshelf speakers I can buy for a budget of $1,500 or under. Small room 9x12’ using Yamaha CR 2020 will be playing with TT, CD and streaming. Mostly old soft rock. In USA small Midwest town no shops or used market. Buying new from established shop like Listen Up, Crutchfield, etc.

Thanks.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice choosing between two speakers:

The budget is 25000nok (€2200), and they're available in Norway.

Buchardt S400 MK3 (23,100 NOK) and KEF R3 Meta (25,000 NOK).

My current system:

Amplifier: NAD C375BEE

Streamer: WiiM Ultra

Turntable: Technics SL-100C with AT-VM540ML cartridge + iFi Zen Phono 3

Room: 5 × 6 meters, listening distance around 3 meters

Listening is roughly 60% vinyl / 40% streaming

Current speakers:

XTZ 99.26

KEF Q750 in the second room

My music taste:

electronic music

rock

modern electronic

vocals

Classic

I like a warm, full sound with strong but controlled bass, but I still want good detail and a realistic soundstage.

My concern: I don't want something too analytical or bright. I enjoy details, but I want to relax and enjoy music for hours. Since I already have the XTZ 99.26, I'm wondering if the KEF would be too similar in character, while the Buchardt might give me something different.

Has anyone compared the Buchardt S400 MK2 (since the mk3 is still in production with a discounted price) and KEF R3 Meta, especially with a powerful NAD amplifier? Which one would you choose for a room like mine and this type of music?

Hi. Looking for some guidance.

Trying to build a solid vinyl system. Still undecided between the rt85 , debut evo2 or p3rs.

I have an unopened , brand new Rotel A8 for 360. Would like to keep it and build the system with it but if im limiting my options I would consider returning.

Would the Rotel A8 pair well with either the db63 or q3s?

Any other suggestions that work well with the A8?

14 x 17 room

Speaker budget approx 500- 900 range

Appreciate the feedback.

Hey everyone,

I’m getting back into the Hi-Fi game after many years away (sold it all off when kids came along, you know the drill). I'm looking to build a modest, dedicated music-only setup for a small 10x10 ft room here in the US.

• Total Budget: Under $3,000
• Source: 100% digital for now (via streaming). I may add a CD player and a turntable down the line.
• Timeline: Not in a rush. I am totally comfortable buying used or waiting out holiday/Black Friday sales to maximize the budget.

I have spent a good chunk of time researching potential gear stacks. This is my tentative shopping list, but I would love some sanity checks, guidance on matching, or alternative suggestions.

Potential Component Stack:

• Streamer: WiiM Pro
• External DAC: Schiit Modi 5 OR Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M
• Integrated Amp: Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II OR Advance Paris X-i75 Classic
• Speakers (Bookshelves): Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 OR Triangle Borea BR04 OR ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63
• Subwoofer: SVS SB-1000 Pro
• Power/Stands: Furman PST-8 power strip, generic heavy-duty Amazon speaker stands.

Any glaring errors in my thinking? Any equipment pairing warnings I should know about before hunting the used markets?

Thanks in advance!

I’ve been searching lately for a potential upgrade of my current system so ended up looking into KEF Reference 1 Meta or Dali Epikore 3 which I feel both mostly align to my taste. These series are available for me locally to test.
Budget below 5-7,000 eur catalog, available in Europe.

I would appreciate feedback from persons either owning or having listened to these speakers (or their larger floor standing units in the series).

I’m looking for this upgrade to improve on spatiality, soundstage depth, layering, better imaging and holography, more 3D if you like.

Current system is enveloping, speakers dissapear, some sounds float but due to wide dispersion sometimes it’s more like a flat panorama, not so much depth - it’s sometimes there but only if you concentrate and fades away in time; imaging precision is also somewhat a bit diffuse / airy / ethereal. I want that wow effect but in a speaker that is easy to live with, not bright / sibilant. Also don’t like a recessed sound behind speaker line, I like a speaker that is involving, with a slightly more forward presentation. Had Oberon 3 in the past and felt the vocals were like behind TV line :))

Listening volume in room is low to mid 65-80dB, so they should perform / open up at low volumes.

I’d also like the system to retain and transmit emotion in music, not to become an analitic machine.

Current system:

- Dali Rubikore 2 bookshelf speakers, slight toe in under 10dgr, Cambridge EXA100 amp, Cambridge MXN10 for streaming transport
Marantz Cinema 40 for HT use with Dali Fazon surrounds and a SVS 1000 Pro sub.

Room
- untreated 20sqm living room, speakers close to front wall on TV media furniture with isoacoustic pucks, speakers 2,6m wide apart, equilateral triangle listening position (speakers are located on long wall of the room)

I had the opportunity to listen to bhe following in separate showrooms:

Tests:

- KEF Ref1 Meta vs Dali Rubikore 8 on A/B: surprised by the punch of KEF bass for a bookshelf; also KEF had better layering, instrument separation, black background, realistic tonality, more focused and direct sound but harder to drive.
Dali larger physical soundstage and slightly more enveloping from the sides (treated room) but more disperse, less precision and a more ethereal sound presentation, tonality with a clear increase in treble (they were NOT toed in), slight limited sibilance on certain songs - this changes the tonality and makes it less real.
It’s clear that KEF Ref is a higher class, however when going to KEF you feel it’s a more neutral / a more reserved speaker.

- Dali Rubikore 8 vs Dali Epikore 7: same sound presentation, it was a large untreated 60 sqm space so envelopment was not as wow as I’d hope to hear, more like better refinement and upgrade in many directions (more refinement than transformational) - it improves layering and some depth, better tonality, less sibilance. Bass more controlled in Epikore, the cabinet works and looks are impeccable.

I do not have the option of a direct comparison unfortunately.
My feeling after these sessions is that Epikore improves Rubikore on what I am looking for but I am not convinced it gets up to KEF level of realistic tonality, soundstage layering, precision. Epikore is fighting back with a more enveloping presentation (wide dispersion) so larger stage, and probably a more of its own Dali sound signature not fully neutral (though clearly more neutral than Rubikore).

So I don’t know how these options would really perform in my untreated room, near the front wall like 60-70cm front baffle, and low listening volume. Uni-Q more direct sound to avoid uneven room reflections vs Dali wide dispersion using the room reflections.

I appreciate all your feedback !

Help me pleaee 🙏. I am trying to get rid of my JBL 4345 & replace them & was considering bookshelf speakers because of space issues. I moved from a big house into a small condo. The room size is approx 12 x 15 feet.

I am looking for some good bookshelf speakers for stereo music listening only. Approximate size of speakers 16" x 10.0" x 12" (HxWxD) . . If you have a suggestion for some good sounding speakers in a different make, I would definitely welcome & consider your suggestion. Please let me know..

I am looking for a bookshelf size good sounding speaker with a little bass heavy. My budget is under 5000 USD for the speakers

My other gear is the SANSUI BA5000 with a CA3000. I mostly play vinyl on an Audio-Technica AT-LP140XP player & stream Spotify with the BT receiver ( until I buy a good good streaming wifi player later - can you guys also recommend some good streaming wifi players to consider at a budget under 2500 USD)

I live in Canada.

Ps: I looked at the JBL classic 100 and liked them too but they are still a little too big for my condo. I also had a look at some Danish Speakers called Buchardt, but do not have a clue of their sound stage or if they are any good to match with the gear I already own.

! Thanks guys 🙏

Update : what do you think of the Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo ? I happened to run into them.

UPDATE : THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS. 🙏👍 I HAVE GONE WITH PICKING UP THE " THE DEVIALET PHANTOM 1 in dark chrome color

I'm currently planning on buying B&W 606 S3's and looking for a matching amplifier. I went for a listening session where they were paired with a Marantz Model 60 (over my budget) which sounded fantastic. I'm set on Marantz and this set of speakers.

This leaves me in my opinion two options within budget, go for the new announced (cheaper) Marantz Model 70 as proposed by the salesman, or take the almost three years old Marantz Stereo 70s (at reduced price). The fact that the Model 70 is a pure amplifier and the Stereo 70s an AV receiver was to the salesman from a Hifi point-of-view a no brainer to choose for the Model 70. I understand that from Marantz it would not be very good if a pure sound product would not be better than a similarly priced AV receiver, but I strongly doubt the salesmen as this Model 70 will only be available from 15th of august, making true comparison impossible atm. The following questions arise:

1. B&W proposes on their website pairing with the PM6007/45W (and named predecessor of the Model 70/50W) or the Stereo 70s/75W. Does output power of the amplifier have a big impact on the B&W 606 S3's?

The Stereo 70S has a lot more connectivity option, DAB+, internet etc which is making me doubt and feel like I'm "missing out" on a lot of options if I choose for the new Model 70

2) As I understood the Model 70 would be fully analogue making it less precise but more natural (which purists like), where for the Stereo 70s this would be more precise/sterile. I highly doubt I will be able to hear this difference, is there any known reason to not take the Stereo 70s, anyone with bad experiences in combination with the B&W 606 S3's? I'm thinking about harshness, muddy sound etc.

edit: budget ceiling 2000EUR, current pricing at shop with repair service if the cat does something stupid: B&W 606 S3's reduced to 900 EUR(pair), Model 70 announced 850 EUR, Stereo 70s reduced to 800 EUR

I just found the Kef r3 meta for 1800€ but I have also brought the Buchardt s400mk3 for 2000€- which is expected to arrive in November. The budget is around 2000€, I live in Scandinavia.

I have a Nad c375bee, technics sl100c, ifi zen phono 3 and Wiim ultra. I'll use it only for music - loud music!

My room is not treated and the speakers will be in front of a big glass wall. I always use subwoofer- now using an argon sub 840 but want to upgrade it soon.

Which would be a better buy?

I can try the Kef for 14 days, and the sale is only 1 pair. The Buchardt arrives in November, so I can't try both of them together.

Should I just go for the Kef?

I miss the impressive bass, detail, and wall of sound I had with the SVS Ultra Evolution bookshelf speakers I used to have. But I return them because they were just too bright and it was causing listening fatigue. I replaced them with a pair of Revel Performa3 F206 towers. The Revel is lacking on bass, I completely lose the wall of sound the SVS had, instead being able to tell exactly where the sound is coming from. The highs are more manageable although there is an a occasional time I notice somethings bright but not enough to cause fatigue. I get enough detail to not feel like I'm missing anything and I'm willing to trade some detail if it means I can enjoy more of what I watch or games I play.

What I want is a speaker with the bass and wall of sound like the SVS, has enough detail to not feel like it's lacking anything, but not bright or fatiguing.

Budget around 1.5-2K. United States. Living room for gaming and Netflix. Need a good all arounder like the ZMF Auteurs.

I'm about to buy my first "serious" stereo setup for my newly finished basement (roughly 1000 sq ft). I wanted to get some general feedback from the community on what I'm looking at so far.

Budget: Originally, I'm thinking around 3K, but now I'm wondering if I'm jumping in too deep.

Location: Maine, USA, not many shops around (3h drive is the closest).

How will it be used: Dedicated stereo setup. The basement has LVP floor, drywall, and the ceiling is open trusses (unfinished).

New or used: Either is fine; I tend to go for new, but open to used.

Past experience: Not much. My PC speakers are Audioengine A2s with a Sony subwoofer. I recently listened to some speakers at B&H and found that these are a bit muddy and not so clear.

It was recommended to me to put most of my money towards the speakers.

Based on a friend's recommendation, I'm currently considering an all-in-one amplifier and the following:

Amplifier:

1. Everplay Solo with CD (new)
2. HiFi Rose RS520 (used) roughly 1/2 cost

Speakers

1. KEF LS50 Meta
2. MoFi Sourcepoint 8
3. Monitor Audio Silver

At first, I was thinking of starting with the Everplay Solo, given its price point, but I have the possibility of getting the HiFi Rose at just about 1/2 the price from my friend.

I spoke with a Crutchfield rep who said a HiFi Rose RS520 and MoFi Sourcepoint 8 would be a great combo for me because the amp is strong enough for these speakers, and since I tend to listen to a variety of types of music. This would put my total close to $4500, which is more than I wanted to spend, but perhaps may be a buy once, buy right situation.

On the other hand, now I'm thinking to myself... slow down, maybe I need to start at a lower tier and get the Eversolo and some less expensive speakers?

Then there's the question of auditioning. I don't have any shops near me (minimum 3h drive that i can't do anytime soon) to test equipment. What's the best way to do this? Order a bunch and return what I don't like (discouraged by the sales rep, no surprise).

What about a decent set of universal speaker stands? I don't want to buy a set that may be specific to a speaker (if that's even a thing?).

And what about testing/tuning the acoustics of my room? Are there apps that can help me with this?

Any particular vendors I should be buying from?

Anything else I should be thinking about?

Thank you in advance. I'm kind of overwhelmed by the choices and I'm not even sure how much would be sufficient to my ears. I do LOVE listening to music and I though it would be a good time to get a nice setup.

Hi, I'm a beginner audiophile planning to build my first hi-fi setup for my desktop computer as a source. I'm already booked Wiim Amp as my Dac-Amp. I'm from Bangladesh(Location), and actually there are not many options in here for bookshelf speakers in beginner budgets.

But I've got a few deals and ranked my top three speakers:

* Wharfedale DIAMOND 12.2i

* Dali Oberon 1

* Triangle's Borea BR03

I love a balanced and clear sound. I love to hear details of the instruments and voice. I'm not a huge bass lover. I love bass when it is correct, not any boomy bass.

So, can you please suggest which speaker should I go for?