Upgrading speakers, compatibility, and other suggestions.

[Robert94]

Yesterday I posted about a turntable setup but I think I've changed my mind on that for several reasons, so here's the new plan...

Current setup
Music played in FLAC from my laptop via RCA to AUX input on a Cambridge Audio azur 340a amplifier. My speakers are Q-acoustic 2020i's (which I recommend for anyone on a budget as you can get them for ~£120 now the new version (3020) has come out). I'm just using a 2 channel system at the moment as I'm limited for space and place the speakers on my desk.

Current Plan
Tomorrow I'm planning on going to my local audio dealer and testing out some new speakers to replace the 2020i's. I've really enjoyed the 2020i's so I thought that if I'm going to improve them I may as well try and do so substantially (ideally these would be the last 'bookshelf/standmount' speakers I buy before I move onto floor standers ext.

My budget is anywhere between £300-£500 ($460-$766). Currently my favoured speakers from doing a bit of reading are B&W 685 S2, I also absolutely love the aesthetics of Monitor Audio Bronze 2 - but it's all about quality/value for money. Do you, the reader, have any other suggested speakers within this price range that you think are worth testing? Also I'm assuming there shouldn't be any compatibility issues as the B&W 685 S2's recommend 25W to 100W amp and mine produces 40W per channel. What makes an amp and particular set of speakers incompatible (generally)?

Is there a significant difference between placing a speaker on a desk surface and using a speaker stand? (I'm sure there is a difference but I've never personally had stands)

Other improvement suggestions for the future beyond speakers?
I know this is a very nooby question but what is the primary role of a DAC, what does it achieve, and in what situation is it best suited? I know it stands for Digital Audio Converter and converts 1's and 0's to analogue, but what does that achieve?

Any opinions on adding a subwoofer to the system?

Thanks!

 

[KenM10759]

Any reason you shouldn't just wait and save a little longer and go directly to the floor standing speakers that you seem to believe you'll get to eventually anyhow?

My situation is that I had recently found the budget to upgrade my 26 year old Hafler 200 bookshelf speakers to something newer and better. I'd settled on KEF R300 so went to my local dealer to hear them against the equivalent B&W and a couple others. When the dealer had no R300 to demo, I heard the R500 instead and got thinking about the fact that I (also) envisioned getting modest floor standing speakers at some point. The floor standers I would buy would always be something without booming bass because I will ALWAYS prefer a powered subwoofer to do the LF duties.

My dealer made it easy for me to skip the interim level bookshelf by offering me the "demonstrator" R500 floor standing for the list price of new R300 bookshelf. And I could not be happier!

The 40w amp you have now will drive any new speaker you have just fine, though it will limit the volumes you can achieve. My son had been using a Harmon Kardon HK440i (my old unit) to drive KEF Q300's that are about the same rating as those B&W 685 S2 and it was fine for up to "fairly loud." He found a 55w HK550i and things are a little louder now and he's happier.

 

[Robert94]

Nice, thanks for the information. I'll look into getting a subwoofer as a potential subsequent upgrade following this one.

Any reason you shouldn't just wait and save a little longer and go directly to the floor standing speakers that you seem to believe you'll get to eventually anyhow?

Well at the moment I'm a university student so I have my speakers on my desk in my room which is space limiting. I also imagine I'll be house sharing for the next few years so I don't envisage having a spacious audio room for at least a few years or so.

 

[fmw]

The subwoofer will have more impact on the system than everything else combined so yes it is recommended. Smaller speakers perform quite well when they are supported by a subwoofer.

 

[Dr. Bob]

I have been a fan of the bookshelf/subwoofer plan since my own student days. If you get towers, you still need a sub to get real bass, so why pay the extra for the towers? (Unless you really want to crank up the volume - that's when you want towers.)

Speakers: I've heard good things about Ascend Sierra-1s. I love my Paradigm Signature S1s, but in your price range you would be in the Reference series - I haven't heard them. I loved the sound of the Monitor Silvers a friend has - I expect the Bronze would be good, too.

I listened to some B&Ws when I was speaker shopping a year ago - they didn't impress me. YMMV.

 

[KenM10759]

I love having floorstanding speakers for the first time, after 35+ years of stand mount/bookshelf. Something about it not going to get knocked off the stand is nice even though that never happened to me (that I know of) despite having kids and cats. Mine go deep enough for most music (in stereo) that I can shut off the sub for "purer" sound, happily.

Could the whole speaker get knocked over? Perhaps, but that would take quite a good shove.

 

[herbu]

ideally these would be the last 'bookshelf/standmount' speakers I buy before I move onto floor standers

Why?
What do you expect towers to give you that bookshelves don't? More bass? How much do you expect to pay for your towers one day?

 

[herbu]

Why?
What do you expect towers to give you that bookshelves don't? More bass? How much do you expect to pay for your towers one day?

Robert, let me expand on this a bit...
I'm using these for side and rear surrounds...

They cost $1k each, and received this award:

Their frequency response is: (+/- 3dB) 45-20,000 Hz

Now look at these:

They cost $195 a pair.
Their frequency response is: 48 Hz - 20kHz (+/- 3db)

The difference is about half a note. Neither is low enough for the gut shaking rumble of thunder or earthquakes or monster stomps. A sub woofer is still needed.

Thus my question about what you expect from towers and how much you expect to spend. Clearly, $1k each is not enough to preclude the need for a sub.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have bought 4 of the bookshelves for $400 and saved myself $3600.

 

[KenM10759]

I've found that my floor standing speakers take up the same floor space and actually less width up top than my old bookshelf speakers on stands.

Yes, both benefit from a subwoofer, though the towers do have a distinctively richer sound than the bookshelf speakers of the same model line (KEF R300 vs R500) and for me it was still worth the expense.

The OP cannot choose between the two at this time, but I assume you could. I don't believe the comparison between your $4000 worth of speakers and those $195/pair speakers begins nor ends with a stated frequency response range, but if it works for you I'll give you $2K for the 4 you have and you'll still save $1600.

 

[herbu]

I don't believe the comparison between your $4000 worth of speakers and those $195/pair speakers begins nor ends with a stated frequency response range, but if it works for you I'll give you $2K for the 4 you have and you'll still save $1600.

The OP intimated his goal was towers as an improvement over bookshelves. My point was that he should really examine his reasons, and not assume towers would be better.

As for my Aperions, I may take you up on it. I have the 4 towers and the Verus Grand Center. Not currently using the Center. Considering getting 4x AAs, mounting them on the walls for surrounds, and seeing what the difference is. The towers are indeed "better" speakers, but room geometry forces me to put them in undesirable locations. Would be interesting to see how much different the AAs in proper locations compare.

 

[fmw]

I think the more important point is that the tower speakers and the bookshelf speakers will sound different from each other, with or without a subwoofer. Whether one sounds "better" than another is an issue of preference. But certainly they will sound different from one another.

I have speaker systems similar to the towers shown above with a MTM configuration for midrange and high frequencies. I also have a pair of book shelf speakers from the same manufacturer with the same tweeter and midrange driver. They sound very different from one another. If one uses a subwoofer - as they should with either type of speaker - the bass will not be the issue. The issue will be the rest of the frequencies.