Starting from scratch

[NoBose]

Hello audioholics, trying to build a tiny price but decent sounding system.

Yamaha R-S500BL Stereo Receiver + JBL LSR305 + Polk Audio PSW10

This is where i am at last. i am not confident about the power handling by the LSR305's and also will the polk need an amp? my music choice is a lot of coldplay, queen and pink floyd, little dylan some classical cello music. Any suggestion is welcome, and only thing irreplaceable among the three is the JBL - which I have already bought.

Thank you in advance. Happy listening.

 

[killdozzer]

Welcome and let me just tell you, you'll probably get far with that nick.

It is also important to know your listening room dimensions and whether you'll be using this mostly for music or movies as well? Also, what is roughly your budget?

 

[NoBose]

Welcome and let me just tell you, you'll probably get far with that nick.

It is also important to know your listening room dimensions and whether you'll be using this mostly for music or movies as well? Also, what is roughly your budget?

Hello, the room is 15x15 foot. The system will be exclusively for music. I started with a 500, now I can stretch it to a maximum of 750$.

 

[killdozzer]

Hello, the room is 15x15 foot. The system will be exclusively for music. I started with a 500, now I can stretch it to a maximum of 750$.

OK. Just to make it clear, this is up to 750$ for an AVR and a sub?

 

[NoBose]

OK. Just to make it clear, this is up to 750$ for an AVR and a sub?

Yes.

 

[killdozzer]

I have to admit your choice is somewhat strange. You'll end up with 3 active speakers and an extra amp in your stereo receiver. It is good to have a decent amp section, but you won't need yours until you go for another set of speakers. Since you said you already own JBL's, perhaps you could look for a preamp or a network player...

 

[KEW]

The Yamaha R-S500 and the JBL lsr305 are not compatible. The Yamaha does not have preamp outputs!
The LSR305's are great speakers, but have their own amps. The Yamaha is not a bad stereo receiver, but the only output it has is after the signal has been amplified.

What sources do you plan to use?
CD player? phono? Streaming? (if so, through what?).
Do you plan to connect it to your TV?

 

[KEW]

I also would aviod the Polk sub.
Here is a review of budget subs from Brent Butterworth (one of few professional reviewers I expect some honesty out of!)
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-budget-subwoofer/

In our tests, the Polk PSW110 didn’t have much punch or power for its size; the smaller, less-expensive Polk PSW111 is more impressive.

Geoff and I both liked the Polk PSW111 just about as much as we liked the Pioneer SW-8MK2, but the PSW111’s price is substantially higher. However, the PSW111 is slightly more compact and much nicer looking, with radiused corners and an attractive black matte finish. So if you want a small sub and your significant other balks at the rather tacky look of the Pioneer, the PSW111 would be a good buy.

This is probably your least expensive option in a mainstream Stereo receiver with pre-out connections:
https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/pionsxn30/pioneer-elite-sx-n30-2-ch-x-85-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html

 

[agarwalro]

The JBL305 are a good start into quality audio. Here is a relatively inexpensive preamp/DAC that can be used with them,
http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2

The Polk sub is absolutely going to ruin the fun. Get this one instead,
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090602&p_id=9723&seq=1&format=2

 

[yepimonfire]

The JBL305 are a good start into quality audio. Here is a relatively inexpensive preamp/DAC that can be used with them,
http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2

The Polk sub is absolutely going to ruin the fun. Get this one instead,
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090602&p_id=9723&seq=1&format=2

Add the Dayton sub 1200 to that list. For around $140 shipped, you can get an accurate bass response down to 25hz.

Personally, if I were building a music only system, I’d still use an avr. 2ch stereo sucks in my opinion, and Floyd Toole has done a lot of research on the flaws inherent with it. The ability to use something like Prologic II or Dolby surround to achieve a minimum of 3.1 vastly improves the listening experience. Not only that, but an avr offers active bass management and room correction. A used avr with multichannel preouts would be perfect for this. Is there truly no way to return the jbl? There are better options.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NoBose]

The Yamaha R-S500 and the JBL lsr305 are not compatible. The Yamaha does not have preamp outputs!
The LSR305's are great speakers, but have their own amps. The Yamaha is not a bad stereo receiver, but the only output it has is after the signal has been amplified.

What sources do you plan to use?
CD player? phono? Streaming? (if so, through what?).
Do you plan to connect it to your TV?

many thanks for the info. the way i listen to music is the picture. i do own a fiio X1 hi-res player. you can see I'm only a beginner. i thought a stereo receiver can give many options when it comes to input. and it is entirely for my small room.

SO, my understanding is that the JBL lsr305 has built in amps and it needs only may be a good dac? and if i am to buy a good avr, there are better options than the JBL lsr305's. is that correct?

 

[NoBose]

I also would aviod the Polk sub.
Here is a review of budget subs from Brent Butterworth (one of few professional reviewers I expect some honesty out of!)
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-budget-subwoofer/



This is probably your least expensive option in a mainstream Stereo receiver with pre-out connections:
https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/pionsxn30/pioneer-elite-sx-n30-2-ch-x-85-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html

thank you, the polk is out of the equation. monoprice, can give it a go.

 

[NoBose]

The JBL305 are a good start into quality audio. Here is a relatively inexpensive preamp/DAC that can be used with them,
http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2

The Polk sub is absolutely going to ruin the fun. Get this one instead,
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090602&p_id=9723&seq=1&format=2

thank you, the schiit fulla-2 seems a nice product. if am to go for it, that will be the only thing i need. isn't so.? will that be enough? i would really like the subwoofer added.

 

[NoBose]

Add the Dayton sub 1200 to that list. For around $140 shipped, you can get an accurate bass response down to 25hz.

Personally, if I were building a music only system, I’d still use an avr. 2ch stereo sucks in my opinion, and Floyd Toole has done a lot of research on the flaws inherent with it. The ability to use something like Prologic II or Dolby surround to achieve a minimum of 3.1 vastly improves the listening experience. Not only that, but an avr offers active bass management and room correction. A used avr with multichannel preouts would be perfect for this. Is there truly no way to return the jbl? There are better options.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

thank you for the sub, and note on pro logic II. you should take a look at this link, thanks to KEW.

https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...-x-85-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html

 

[everettT]

Add the Dayton sub 1200 to that list. For around $140 shipped, you can get an accurate bass response down to 25hz.

Personally, if I were building a music only system, I’d still use an avr. 2ch stereo sucks in my opinion, and Floyd Toole has done a lot of research on the flaws inherent with it. The ability to use something like Prologic II or Dolby surround to achieve a minimum of 3.1 vastly improves the listening experience. Not only that, but an avr offers active bass management and room correction. A used avr with multichannel preouts would be perfect for this. Is there truly no way to return the jbl? There are better options.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you read the linked article from KEW, the monoprice 12, did better than the sub 1500 from Dayton for everything but max output from 20 to 30hz and only buy a little. And for $99

 

[agarwalro]

Add the Dayton sub 1200 to that list. For around $140 shipped, you can get an accurate bass response down to 25hz.

I used to recommend the Dayton Sub 1200 as my go-to budget pick. Since this review, I've been suggesting the Monoprice 12" sub. The Monoprice 12" hits on par with the Dayton Sub 1500!

 

[agarwalro]

I also would aviod the Polk sub.
Here is a review of budget subs from Brent Butterworth (one of few professional reviewers I expect some honesty out of!)
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-budget-subwoofer/

I didn't see you linked this review long before me!

This is probably your least expensive option in a mainstream Stereo receiver with pre-out connections:
https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/pionsxn30/pioneer-elite-sx-n30-2-ch-x-85-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html

For $299 the OP might as well get a 7.1 AVR . Better everything and plenty of room to expand.

 

[agarwalro]

thank you, the schiit fulla-2 seems a nice product. if am to go for it, that will be the only thing i need. isn't so.? will that be enough? i would really like the subwoofer added.

Yes, it will be enough to add the sub by splitting the variable out from Schiit using this cable,

and two of this cable,

 

[agarwalro]

thank you for the sub, and note on pro logic II. you should take a look at this link, thanks to KEW.

https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...-x-85-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html

If you end up going the stereo receiver or AVR route, drop the JBL305 in lieu of these,

http://www.philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html

 

[lovinthehd]

I'd also prefer an avr with bass management over most of the two channel receivers or integrated amps in the lower price range, can't think of one for $300 that would compete with this https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/intdtr304/integra-dtr-30.4-7.2-ch-x-100-watts-thx-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html. It has pre-outs and could also work with active speakers like the JBLs.