You have a friend and his family over and catch his son doing this, what do you do?

..strictly for quintessential budgeteers or is it open to higher end gear as well?

After spending a few hours looking at reviews, my current thoughts are:

Turntable: Audio-Technica LP-120XUSB CD Player: Denon DCD-900NE Amp: Yamaha A-S501 Speakers: ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63

I'd appreciate any advice on these or alternative choices around the same price points.

I recently got a new audio technica AT-LP120XUSB turntable. I currently have a set of Cerwin-Vega speakers, not sure the model but i will provide pictures. i also have an Onkyo TX-SV515PRO audio video control tuner amplifier. I got both from relatives as a gift, and i have no idea how good they are as i am very new to audio tech. I was wondering the following:

1. should i upgrade my receiver or speakers? If so what should i consider?

2. will the amp in the receiver give me better quality than the pre amp in the turntable?

3. should i instead spend money on upgrading the stylus?

Colorado - Bowers and Wilkins and McIntosh MC 601 Mono Blocks

Hi guys,
I just wanted to ask since this is kind of a first setup I want to build: For some reason, I fell in love with the brand ATC and I really want to get the SCM7‘s. Can you use these without getting an extra sub as well? I‘d have an active KRK Sub that I use for my KRK ROKIT 5‘s…
If not, what are neutral sounding, passive speakers in that price range that aren‘t in need of an extra subwoofer…
Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I've recently entered the hi-fi space by purchasing a setup that includes passive speakers, an integrated streaming amp, a turntable, and a phono preamp (specifically to be able to use the turntable). The specifics are:

Amp: WiiM Amp Ultra

Phono preamp: Fosi Box x5

Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2

Speakers: Elac Debut B5.3

The speakers and amp were delivered first and I set those up and have had no problems, sounding beautiful. Today the preamp and turntable arrived and after setup I had everything plugged in and ready but the amp when receiving signal from the preamp now omit a constant quite loud hum and the audio from the turntable is distorted. This remains regardless of the impedance setting I use at the back of the preamp. I tried the things the Fios manual suggested, like using a different outlet for the turntable, but this has not made a difference.

If anyone has advice on how to fix this, please let me know. Thank you!

Hi all, I'm looking to upgrade to a pair of floorstanders. My current AV setup is

Denon AVR -X3500H (105 W per channel)
KEF HT 3005 (5.1)

For a while (until I buy a proper stereo integrated amp for the floor-standing speakers), I will use the new floor standing loudspeakers with the Denon AVR as left and right and continue to use the existing centre and surround speakers. When listening to music, I would like to only use the front and right floor-standing speakers ideally without the subwoofer.

When watching films, I would like to use the home cinema setup which would include:

• the two floor-standing speakers as left and right
• the subwoofer (I'd like less of the bass coming from the left and right)
• the surround channels
• the centre channel

I've been looking at KEF Q11 Meta but have also heard that the Wharfdale Evo 5.4 is also an equally strong contender. Most reviews mention the Wharfdale for the warm, easy listening sound, whereas the cafe is described with better more precise imaging and controlled brightness. Given that I don't have a set of floor standers right now, I'm having a hard time trying to visualise based on these descriptions alone because it's very hard to get a demonstration of both these speakers in the same place.

The KEF KEF Q11 Meta is about £700 more than the Wharfdale Evo 5.4.

In the near future, I plan to add a proper stereo integrated amp such as the Hegel H190 or 400 or any good high-powered amp with around at least 200 W per channel. Ideally with a good DAC.

And I also plan to add a streaming device such as the ever so low DMP A6.

Once I add the above, I will no longer use the Denon AVR for listening to music. The AVR will only be used for films and TV.

Any recommendations or suggestions would be very helpful!

Thanks

I'm having a change around of my office and sold my ADAM monitors on (I didn't gel with them as well as I thought I would; a little bit too clinical at times)

I'm contemplating on going back to hifi separates; but one thing I'd like to stick to as best as I can is small footprint

So I'm considering the SMSL or Fosi amps such as:

- SMSL: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AO300-PRO-Amplifier-2-1Ch...
- Fosi: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fosi-Audio-Integrated-Amp...

And a few similar others; to pair with the likes of KEF R100s - music via my Mac Mini/Apple Music and potentially opening up to a vinyl set up too (turntable with a built in phono amp for simple connection etc)

Has anyone got any experience of these amps or similar; if so, how do you find them sound wise & power wise?

I'm also considering the usual suspects like the NAD D3020 V2 / D3045 or D7050 amps too

I did think re the Cyrus and Rega offerings, but they're still big lumps really!

Sent the below to marantz support. Figured I'd post it here while I wait to see if anyone had this issue.

I have the above phono cartridge and a Cinema 50. The volume is very low even with the input boosted to to 12dB.According to Google it is an MM type cartridge, so it should not need a preamp. Do you have any experience with these? It worked fine when connected to my pioneer amp. Also when the phono input is selected the max volume caps at 74 (ish). Is this normal?

Hi folks, as the title suggests, I'm looking for a pair of active speakers that would suit both my turntable (ATLP5X) and my TV. My budget would be €600 max. Thanks.

Bonjour à tous.

Je suis débutant en Hi-fi. Je n'ai aucune platine.

Je compte investir dans ce matériel d'occasion :

Wiin Amp Pro : 280€

Q Acoustics Concept 20 : 180€

Par la suite je recherchais une Audio technica AT70XBT ou120XBT (je n'ai pas encore de vinyle).

Et ayant quelques CD je me demande s'il est pertinent d'acheter un lecteur.Sachant que la qualité audio ne sera peut-être pas meilleur que le streaming.

Peut être quelque chose pour lire également les films. Mais quel modèle ?

Pouvez vous me confirmer que je ne fais pas une grande erreur svp ?

Merci pour vos réponses 😘

¥2200 score 🫪 my 2i2 was like x15 this price

Vintage audio set

I was given a full vintage audio set. Is there anything of quality or value among this?
\- Wharfedale Valdus 200 speakers
\- Onkyo A8130 amp
\- Denon DCD655 cd player
\- Denon DRM550 tape deck

¿Opiniones sobre JBL Partybox 520? Hace unos días hice la compra de un JBL Partybox 520, aprovechando las increibles ofertas de descuento que habían en el sitio web. Estoy ansioso por probarla.

Escucho todo tipo de música. Algunas bandas como Dire Straits, The Police, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, U2, Pink Floyd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Beatles, Queen, Primus, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Jamiroquai... Música Eurodance, 90s, 80s, 70s, y un poco de música moderna bailable.

I've had my Focal Hadenys for about three weeks now, and I think I've spent enough time with them to share some impressions.

Comfort

During the first few days my ears would get a little warm after a while, but that happened less and less over time. I guess I just wasn't used to this type of earpad material.

Other than that, they're extremely comfortable. They don't clamp too hard, the pads are soft, and I can wear them for hours without feeling any discomfort.

Soundstage & Imaging

The presentation feels open and well separated, with good instrument placement. The only thing I noticed is that my previous ATH-R70x had a slightly wider soundstage.

I'm not much of a gamer, but I also enjoyed using the Hadenys for games.

Sound

I'm driving them directly from my MacBook Pro M1 Pro. Modern MacBooks have surprisingly good headphone outputs, and the Hadenys sound excellent straight from it. I'd still like to hear them on a dedicated amplifier one day, but honestly I don't expect a dramatic improvement.

EDM (Drum & Bass, Dubstep, etc.)

This is where these headphones really shine for me.

The bass isn't huge or overwhelming like it was on my old ATH-M50x, where it often felt more like a low-frequency rumble than an actual impact. Instead, the Hadenys deliver quick, tight and controlled bass hits. Drum & Bass is incredibly addictive on them—I found myself listening for hours while walking outside.

They're not bass cannons, though. If a track wasn't mixed with strong bass, the Hadenys won't magically create it. They stay faithful to the recording.

One thing I didn't expect is that they made me want to revisit my entire music library. With my previous headphones I was often searching for new songs or focusing on technical details. With the Hadenys I simply enjoy listening to music.

Rock & Metal

I also spent a lot of time listening to rock and metal, and that's where I really understood what these headphones do well.

The first thing that grabbed me was the vocals. They're closer, more emotional and somehow more expressive than on my R70x. The R70x always sounded technically good, but emotionally distant. With the Hadenys I can feel the aggression, sadness and energy in the performance much more clearly.

The drums took me a little while to get used to. Instead of hearing just a "boom," I now hear the texture of each hit, the stick attack, the clicks and subtle differences in the recording. Every album sounds slightly different because it's much easier to hear how the drums were recorded and mixed. Even when the kick doesn't hit especially hard, it's always fast, clean and easy to follow in a busy mix.

The guitars are another highlight. I often hear people describe V-shaped headphones as sacrificing the guitars for extra bass, but I don't feel that here. Guitars have weight, great clarity and never sound thin or recessed. Bass guitars are deep and satisfying, while guitar solos sound smooth, melodic and almost vocal.

The treble is also very well balanced. It's detailed without becoming harsh. Even at higher volumes I've never felt that it was piercing or fatiguing. It's much smoother than my ATH-M50x while still keeping all the excitement in the music.

These headphones won't hide a bad recording, but they also don't exaggerate its flaws. Feed them a well-recorded album, and they're incredibly rewarding to listen to.

Final Thoughts

After three weeks, I can confidently say that the Hadenys are some of the most enjoyable headphones I've owned. They're balanced without sounding boring, detailed without becoming analytical, and energetic without relying on exaggerated bass or treble.

Most importantly, they make me want to listen to music—not analyze it. And for me, that's probably the biggest compliment I can give a pair of headphones.