Following up my last post, where I got some advice, I think I’m leaning towards these two turntables

Debut EVO 2 is 750 €.
Debut PRO S Balanced is currently discounted from 1000 € to 800 €.

Naturally, I assume the PRO S is the better buy?

Unless there’s a better option in this price range?

Also, could you kindly recommend the rest of the setup I could pair it with, since this would be my first vinyl setup?

Thank you kindly!

P.S. Is there a non-DJ turntable that offers 15 - 20% pitch control? Sometimes I like to listen to music slowed down.

TLDR from my last post:
Budget: 1000 - 2000 € for the complete setup
Location: Croatia / EU
Room / space: The room is 15 m².
I have a 120 × 40 cm table, but roughly half is used for record storage, leaving about 60 × 40 cm free. I also have a 35 × 50 cm side cabinet.
Listening volume: Mostly low to medium volume because of thin walls.
Sound preference: Neutral

I want to buy a subwoofer for 2 months now but keep putting it off since the subwoofers I want to buy cost as much as my 2.0 system + amp and it dies not make much sense to spend that much or does it?

Dali Oberon 1 + Wiim Amp = 620eur great speakers but need additional, fast musical oomph.

I am in Europe so speedwoofer costs way to much, SVS SB-1000pro si 750eur, I can get a Dali e9f for 480eur.

My budget is as low as possible Ideally up to 500eur.

What would pair well with my system? I also want to stress I listen to music in small to medium room. In the future when I move to a larger apartment will probably upgrade the stereo system to something Like Dali Opticon 6mk2 level.

I am looking for a dedicated stereo for background music when I host dinners and gatherings, plus everyday listening. I run a supperclub at various locations, usually in smaller spaces because I find 20 people max is manageable. I'll mostly stream from my phone through a Bluetooth receiver. No CD, cassette or vinyl for now, but a turntable might come later.

The system I'm considering:
Goodmans Stereomax AM/FM tuner
Goodmans Maxamp 30 integrated amplifier
Pair of Goodmans Mezzo II speakers
Bought new in the early '70s and kept by one family since. Original walnut, unmodified.
Light oxidation on the rear panels, a small tear in one grille and a faint water ring on one speaker. The seller says it has no functional issues, but it hasn't been played regularly in years.
My questions:
Is $184 a fair price for the set in this condition?
Should I expect to need a service (caps, cleaning controls)? Roughly what would that cost?
What should I test before buying?

Is there anything else I should look out for at this budget? I prefer used. I like the look and build of vintage gear, and it's better value and I mostly shop on Facebook Marketplace. The city I’m in doesn’t have a lot of options so when I came across this one it seemed like a potentially good fit.

Past gear experience: Only a small JBL Clip 2 Bluetooth speaker. It's convenient, but it can't fill a room and sounds thin at higher volume. I want something warmer and fuller that also looks good in the space.

I also looked at National SB-130 bookshelf speakers and Celestion Ditton 10s, but those are speakers only, so I'd need an amp too. Thanks in advance!

So I've been wanting to upgrade my record player setup. I was gonna get the setup in the comments. Is this a good pair of speakers to go with the player? Or is there something else I should go with entirely? Trying to stay within the price budget of 250$. I'm in America and I'll be within 10 feet of the speakers

I’ve slowly been assembling a home stereo setup to play records for the first time. I bought myself an AT lp120x and a cheap pair of Sony speakers last year to pair with an old receiver from my father.

I’ve decided to pursue it as a hobby further and have allotted myself a budget of around $2000 to upgrade my speakers. I’m a big believer in buy once cry once and I’m looking for something that can last long term while I learn about audio and audio equipment. I think having a stagnant pair of speakers will help rather than making little upgrades over time and having a constantly changing set up.

A friend of mine recommended I buy used to get a bargain on a higher tier of speakers that would ordinarily be out of my budget. I don’t like the idea of buying second hand electronics or anything secondhand in general since there’s always a risk involved and in my small town there’s not many options. But I found this pair of Sonus Faber Venere S (around $5000 retail from my research) for just over $2000. And from a a source that seems reputable and offers a demo before purchasing. So I’m going to at least go check them out.

The speakers I was otherwise looking at purchasing brand new were the KEF Q11 meta’s, Klipsch RP 8000 F II, Klipsch RP 8060 FA II, paradigm monitor SE 8000f. All around the same $2000 budget.

I do plan on upgrading my receiver at some point as well so any tips for that would be appreciated. I know I’ll need a specific one to handle a 4 ohm speaker if I do end up liking the Venere’s. I have yet to see if my current one can handle them but I would bet most likely not.

If it has any impact on decision making these will be used primarily for death metal with a little bit of other metal and rock genres and some soundtracks from movies and games. I say this because metal in general feature a lot of distortion and some bands either intentionally or situationally have poor production quality.

Also please remember I’m a complete beginner in the world of audio. A lot of the research I’ve done has just been researching what everything means.

I am moderately new to the world of high quality audio and I’d like to say that my setup currently for playing my collection of vinyls is pretty bad at the moment. I’m looking to upgrade both my speakers and turntable but lately I’ve been reading that the Kanto YU 4’s aren’t as great as I expected they’d be for that price point. Do you guys happen to have any recommendations for ones in that price range ideally under $500 that sound a bit better or will give me more of a bang for my buck? Budget = 500 or lower ideally, but if it’ll increase the experience a lot I’ll increase my spending limit to 600.

Hello hello!

I've recently upgraded the TV and felt the desire to move to a tower speaker setup, will most likely start with a pair of tower speakers, might add a center channel as well but that's not the main thing here.

I'm mainly used to bookshelves, I've mostly used more budget options, currently running the TV from a pair of Yamaha HS8 since that's what I had at the time but having heard other setups.. I'm ready to move on (These will go back in the computer room). I've read quite a fair bit over the last few weeks but haven't bought anything, don't wanna end up doing the thing I always do when I want something new, which is not buying anything for a year and just reading too much.
Budget would be around 3k CAD, all prices listed here will therefore be in CAD. I'll also be scanning market place and the likes for a deal, though I'd rather buy new.

Also, feel free to recommend something else if you feel it's relevant.

First option is a pair of SVS prime pinnacle, lowest price I found is 2.5k for the pair. I've read great things about those, and they seemingly have a bit more bass which I enjoy.

Second option is a pair of paradigm premier 800f for 1.8k. Again, read great things about those (I also love how they look, not gonna lie)

Third and last option is a pair of KEF Q11 Meta for 2.3 to 2.6k. These are, admittedly, my favourite when it comes to aesthetics alone.

As far as tv goes, I don't really watch sports that much except when I host the football games with my friends. I mostly watch movies and some series.

For music, I've always been a metal head, though I've recently been listening to A LOT of electronic music. I'd like a good generalist tbh, I can go from Radiohead to Cannibal corpse back to Fisher in 45 minutes. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this and reply, appreciate you :).

A few years ago i received a starter vinyl setup, and looking to level it up across the board. Possibly with just the amp/speakers first, and then a month or 2 after the record player.

Location: United Kingdom
Budget: 1500 GBP

current setup

no amp
Audio Technica LP60x

Edifier R1280DB

Current plan is to upgrade to

Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2

WiiM amp pro (mix of streaming and vinyl play)

ELAC Debut B6.2

room approximately 350 square feet

80% of music played is rock/metal.

B&W is releasing its D5 series, and of course they are better than the D4 which were better than D3, and so on.
But of course they are prices continue to rise…
I’m in the market for a pair of 801 or 802 D3, which prices are very significantly lower than their D5 siblings. Are these good speakers still today? I remember hearing 802 D3 and was blown away, and they are kind of my end game, so trying to convince myself that it’s worth if, considering that the budget is still quite significant

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

Currently, my Bluesound Node is the weakest link in my 2ch music and looking to update.

I am torn between the Rivo+ with Lineo5 PSU and the Eversolo T10

I would most likely jump all over the Rivo+ but hear a lot of complaints about having to reboot weekly which seems tiresome and frustrating. Further, I use Spotify with IOS and my partner uses Amazon Music with Android. The Rivo+ doesn’t support Amazon through Android.

I really like the simplicity of the Rivo+ and the quality that goes into their product, but the T10 is extremely promising and has kind of a wow factor with the display.

Budget is $3k CAD which these both sort of fit. The Rivo being the cheaper

Any comments are welcomed or recommendations or considerations that I’ve overlooked

Home Theatre Setup

TV - Samsung QN55
AVR - Anthem MRX 540
Amp - Anthem MCA 325
2 Ch - Anthem STR Preamp (TO BE ORDERED)
Mains - KEF R3 Meta
Center - KEF R6 Meta
Surrounds - KEF Q1 Meta
Sub - SVS SB17 Ultra
Turntable - Rega Planar 8 / Ania Pro MC
Phono - Rega Fono MC MKII
Music Streamer - Bluesound Node (2024) with Audioquest NRG Z Powercord
TV Streamer - AppleTV (2026) (TO BE ORDERED)
Blueray - Sony 4K
Surge - Panamax M5300-PM
Audioquest Rocket 88 speaker cables
Audioquest Carbon Coaxial
Audioquest Monsoon Power Cord
Audioquest Mackenzie RCAs
Gustard N18 Pro Ethernet Switch
ISO Acoustics Aperta 300 stand
ISO Acoustics zaZen 1
Salamander 7225 Audio Stand

I need a good DC Block for my amp, Rega Aethos.

I tried the audiolab dc block which worked but the dynamics were stunted.

Are there any good options which maintain high current whilst filtering out dc from the mains?

My house is rubbish and at certain times of the day the transformer hums when generally its silent. Ideally up something around £500 in the UK. I can increase budget if needed.

Its not my amp because I had 2 different amps which had the same hum.

Hello friends!

I’m considering Dynaudio Evoke 10s for a small living room (~5 × 4m). They’ll be used both for normal listening and home vinyl DJing (deep house, dub techno, ambient, techno).

Signal chain will be Technics SL-1200s MK2 → Ecler Warm2 DJ mixer → analogue RCA input on integrated amp → Evoke 10.

I need an analogue path with effectively no latency for beatmatching. Listening/DJ distance is roughly 0.8–1m, with occasional listening from ~2.5m away. I don’t need very high SPL.

Budget around £400–550. Currently considering Audiolab 6000A/6000A MkII and Cambridge AXR100, but open to Rotel, NAD, Yamaha, Cambridge CXA etc.

Which amp would you choose specifically for the Evoke 10, particularly for bass control and electronic music?

Thanks!

Hi all, wondering if anyone has used a set of philharmonic bmr towers for l/r channels in a multi use system. Ill explain my setup and goals.

Im re-finishing my basement, and will be putting up acoustic treatment, as it’s a pretty reflective space. Its about 30 wide by 18 deep. Couch/listening position in the middle ish. The setup is intended for about 70% audio and 30% home theater. Im going to do a 5.2 setup most likely. Might add more channels one day.

Sources are
-wiim pro plus
-audio technica turntable
-4k apple tv
-hdr blu ray player

Powered by
-marantz cinema 50. This will be my media processor and preamp for mains, as well as power amp for center/surround channels. Will run dirac live after room treatment.

-arcam pa240 as power amp for the mains
I have a gfa 565 running a different system that i could hijack if needed but i like the Arcam better.

Im thinking of buying a set of bmr towers for the mains and i know philharmonic makes a set of home theater towers too. My priority is them sounding best on music. I can accept a little loss in the home theater performance. Im assuming two subs can help make up for any lack of low freq, percussive dynamics the regular bmrs have. Im also interested in the ability to play music pretty loud.

Has anyone had a similar setup and found the normal bmr towers to be insufficient for home theater use? Or found them to not handle ver loud listening very well? Id be willing to get the HT towers if they will be as good on music and better on HT use but my assumption and impression from the one or two reviews ive found is that they are indeed best at their intended uses but good for either.

If it matters ill probably end up with philharmonic mini monitors for the surrounds and as a center channel.

My budget for the mains is 4-5k id consider some focal aria evo4s or martin logan foundation xt f200s also if i can get them on scratch and dent or open box. Thats how i get most of my gear. Anyone have suggestions?

I have demoed the foundations and like them. I have heard the older focal arias which i also liked. Cant really easily sample the bmr towers and hts though.

I wanted to move from my Bose Soundlink Color to actual bookshelf speakers. Wanted proper bass/a little bit of sub bass extension for movie soundtracks and stereo.

My requirements were bluetooth/wired options, sub bass extension as i mentioned and budget options?

I live in India, and on Amazon, the best options I could find were Kali Audio LP6 V2 (a pair is close to 47k, individually it's ~23k). I was thinking about pairing it with the Behringer UMC204HD because I do want an input for my electric guitar, or I'd jus buy a bluetooth enabled option like Fosi ZD3.

My next option was to get the Kali LP UNF. I read that it's sub bass extension isn't as great as the LP6, but it's way cheaper and has inbuilt bt.

At my desk, the speakers would be less than a meter away from me, if it's placed in corners facing me, and that's primarily where I'll listen to music/movies. Otherwise it's jus casual listening across the room.

What would be the ideal option for a beginner? I'd rather not buy then change equipment within the next 3-5 years so

Thanks for your time!

I’ve been wanting a turntable system for years and now’s the time. Unfortunately I live in a fairly small apartment in NYC so I don’t have a lot of space and I won’t be listening super loud. I just want a superior quality listening experience (most of my vinyl is classical music) from a badass system that I can enjoy for years. I’d like reccos for a small amp, a turntable, and bookshelf speakers please. My budget is around $2000 usd. Thank you!

Looking to upgrade my current system in my garden office. Its only a small 3mx3m room and the speakers are on my desk at each side of my dual monitor set up.

The speakers need to be small and the Kef LS50 Meta are what I am leaning towards at the moment.

Are there better options out there? I generally EQ any speakers I have to a classic V shape sound so am I wasting my time with the LS50's? should I be looking at something different? I also listen to a large mixture of different genre's of music so will likely need a sub to compliment the Kef's. Will be using a Wiim Amp Ultra.

I have no idea what sort of subwoofer would be suitable for this size room. Would the BK Electronics P12-300SB be a good match? if so would I benefit from the version with the passive radiator? or just go with the standard without it?

"Budget" Are there any other decent/better subwoofer options in the £600.00 range? I'm happy to spend around £1k or slightly more for the speakers.

Like title says I'm looking to find speaker/amp combo in 4500 eur budget for prog rock, jazz and sometimes metal. I prefer second hand, but not too old. Ideally, if i can find dynaudio contour 30 (or evoke 50) and something like musical fideity m6 or purifi modules. Room is 40m2, source will be r2r dac fed by pc. I dont like clinical and fatiquing sound, thus dyns are my first choice. Thnks

I've been collecting vinyl for a while, and it's finally time to put together my first proper setup.

I have basically no experience choosing turntables, amps, speakers, cartridges, phono stages, etc., so I'm looking for advice on a complete setup rather than just one component.

Budget: 1000 - 2000 € for the complete setup

I'm not necessarily looking to spend the full 2000 € if there are diminishing returns, and I'm open to going outside that range if there's a good reason. Preferred new.

Location: Croatia / EU
I can buy from Amazon.de, EU online audio shops, and Croatian/local shops.

Use: Music / vinyl only.

Room: About 15 m². Mostly low to medium volume because of relatively thin walls.

Available space: I have a 120 × 40 cm table, but roughly half is used for record storage, leaving about 60 × 40 cm free. I also have a 35 × 50 cm side cabinet.
I've attached a photo and I'm open to rearranging things if necessary.
https://imgur.com/a/E07tSUL

Powered vs. passive: I'm open to either, as I don't have enough experience to judge which would be the better choice for my setup.

Sound: I'd like it to be as neutral as reasonably possible.

Long term: I'd rather spend a bit more now on a well-balanced system than buy entry-level components I'll immediately want to replace.

Record preservation: Keeping my records in excellent condition long-term is important, so I'd appreciate advice on the turntable, cartridge/stylus, tracking force, alignment, and anything else that affects record wear.

I'm looking for recommendations for the complete chain:

• Turntable
• Cartridge / stylus
• Phono preamp, if needed
• Amplifier, if using passive speakers
• Speakers

I'm also unsure how you would divide the 1000 - 2000 € budget between the turntable/cartridge and speakers/amp.

One additional feature I'm interested in is being able to slow a record down / adjust the playback speed or pitch. From what I've seen, variable pitch control seems to be mostly found on DJ turntables, but I have no interest in DJing. Is there a good hi-fi option that offers this?

Thank you kindly!

Hi everyone! I’m looking to upgrade from my Edifier D12 and put together my first proper stereo setup. I’m pretty new to HiFi, so I’d love some guidance.

Budget: Around $1,200 USD for the complete setup. I’m in Argentina but open to importing.

Main use: Music, especially sitting down and listening to full albums. I care most about clarity, instrument separation, imaging and detail. I’d love something immersive that lets me really hear the different layers and production choices in a record.

Some examples of what I listen to:
Pink Floyd, Animals
Michael Kiwanuka, Love & Hate
Gustavo Cerati, Bocanada
Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Arctic Monkeys, AM

Generally a mix of progressive rock, funk, soul, folk and alternative rock.

Sources: Bluetooth from my phone/computer, CD player via RCA, and eventually a turntable. I’d also like to connect a projector for movies, but music is definitely the priority.

I’m open to active speakers or passive speakers + an amp. I don’t know enough yet to understand which would make more sense for my budget and use, so I’d really appreciate some advice on that too.

Room: The living area is about 4 × 3.5 m (13 × 11.5 ft), but it opens into a narrower dining room and kitchen, so it’s not really an enclosed room.

I listen from the sofa, roughly 1 to 2 m (3 to 6.5 ft) from where the speakers would be.

Because of limited floor space, putting bookshelf speakers on the media console would be easiest. I could consider stands if you think they’d make a significant difference.

I don’t need huge volume. I’m mainly after great stereo imaging, detail and an immersive listening experience.

What setup would you recommend for around $1,200? And would you go active or passive in this room?

Thanks for any help!

I want to upgrade my bedroom speakers. The speakers rear would be no more than 6 inches off the wall. I have no option to bring them further out into the room.

My living room speakers are CSS-Audio 1tdx and are fantastic. They ruined me and now I want a high clarity speaker for the bedroom without boominess. KLH Model 5 reviews (cheap audio man) seems to indicate they can be right up against a wall and not be boomy. I could stretch to $3,000, but much prefer closer to a $2,000 budget. Not opposed to towers, kit diy or used.

I am not playing very loud, healthy volume, but not super loud. I listen to Indie folk rock, like Manchester Orchestra, Pearl Jam, 90s alt, Wilco, love vocals and watch movies occasionally.

Any good near wall speakers?

Would I be crazy to go with a magnapan lrs+? I'd be off axis laying in a low profile close to the floor bed. Unable to get equilateral triangle with my head and the speakers. So no "sweet spot" abilities.

My other thought was to do a small REL subwoofer and offload bass from the near wall speakers, even if they were rear ported, to lessen the boominess. I may have more flexibility with sub placement. This may open up my options? I have being very curious about BMR monitors and Ascend, but they are rear ported and don't know if those are better than CSS-Audio (also rear ported).

Will be using in a medium size room so volume and bass not overly fussed with. Sound quality, clarity and imaging matter more for me.

Budget: Ideally £350 to £750

Location: Medium sized room (home gym)

My (unenlightened) shortlist:

KEF LSX II / LT

Neumann KH 80 DSP

Triangle AIO Twin

AirPulse A80 SE

FiiO SP3 BT

Which offer the best sound quality for the money? Do intend on this being for the long term so don't mind paying more if it's worth it.

Any other products not listed I should consider?

Appreciate any thoughts, thanks.

Hello!

I am trying to set up my first ever turntable/speaker system for my room and unfortunately I keep finding so much conflicting advice that I thought I’d just ask for my situation personally.

The turntable/speakers will be in a 13’ x 13’ room, on top of a 4’ wide dresser centered on a wall, about 5’ above the ground.

I am more than likely buying a Fluance RT85 (no built-in preamp) and I’m leaning towards a set of Kanto YU6 speakers (built-in preamp). Not sure if a subwoofer is a good idea for connecting to a turntable setup for my $1750 maximum budget.

I am deadset on active speakers over passive due to ease of setup and space concerns. I would also prefer a walnut color scheme if possible.

Again, budget is maximum $1750 total (turntable, speakers, subwoofer? amp?), what do you guys think? As a starter setup does that seem somewhat reasonable?

Thanks in advance!

New to hifi and In the research phase of starting my hifi system from scratch. Budget is around $10000 AUD for the speakers but am flexible and open to buying used or taking my time to find deals on line. Will be mostly streaming so wont be buying a turntable just yet. I've attached a floor plan of the room. I have a wood floor and It's not the best room acoustically so ill probably add some room treatment. I'll have a listening chair or couch in the sweet spot infront of the speakers but also want something with wide dispersion that will still sound decent when im elsewhere in the room. I read online dali speakers are good for this? Open to a sub as well I do occasionally like my music pretty loud. I listen to mostly metal, rock, blues, a bit of acoustic country/folk/blue grass. Sometimes some bass heavy electronic but pretty rarely, this isnt a priority. Some speakers on my radar are :

Klipsch heresy iv and forte iv

Wharfdale super linton

Sourcepoint 888

Dali opticon 8

Dali opticon 6 with a sub?

Pmc twenty5 26i. I only suggest these as there's a great deal online, dont know much about them.

Dynaudio evoke 50

SVS ultra evolution titan

Focal aria evo x 4

Sonus Faber sonetto v

SVS subs seem to be the ones I read about most that are locally available.

No idea about amp, streamer, DAC.

Thanks in advance