Equipment lists?

[Single-Malt]

Hi all and thanks for all the advice so far.

 

I seem to have settled on an amp, now trying to make a list of possible speakers to match with a Cambridge EVO 150.

 

It's there any list or site I can use to sort list suitable hardware.

 

Say if I wanted to search for speaker models with 150W@8ohms in a price window?

 

Just curious how you all find suitable speakers?

[muon*]

Most folk suggest choosing speakers first (ones you like the sound of and will work well in your space), then amplification that will sound good to you and work well with those speakers.

 

Speaker specs don't work that way, you can have speakers that can handle up to 400w into 8ohms, but will sound great with 30 watts of power, then you have speakers that are difficult loads for an amp and require powerful high current amplification but the current requirements can only be known by looking at the lowest impedance they drop to across the frequency range, and the stated nominal impedance can be misleading..

Edited August 1, 2023 by muon*

[Nickelle]

Single Malt if you are looking for a dac streamer I just got my Eversolo, they are an excellent buy and I am sure it will keep you entertained for many years to come.

[Guest]

Consider looking locally made?

 

 

8 hours ago, Single-Malt said:

Just curious how you all find suitable speakers?

Choosing speakers is probably the hardest because it often comes down to personal preference after listening to a few.  And you will like speakers you cannot afford!  

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Nickelle said:

Single Malt if you are looking for a dac streamer I just got my Eversolo, they are an excellent buy and I am sure it will keep you entertained for many years to come.

He's looking for speakers, not a streamer. His amp of choice has a very fine streaming capability.

[Satanica]

It doesn't work like that, you are not only limited to speakers rated to withstand 150W@8ohms. With your new amp you can use it with practically any speaker. For example if you consider a speaker rated 300W@8ohms maximum or a speaker rated 300W@4ohms maximum you can use either wih this amplifier. If you consider a speaker rated 50W@8ohms maximum you can still use it with this amplifier, but you should be careful not to overdrive it (turn the volume up too high).

[Nickelle]

12 minutes ago, Hydrology said:

He's looking for speakers, not a streamer. His amp of choice has a very fine streaming capability.

Oh yes so it does, it looks a very good piece of hifi, as a sales person could you not advise,him of speaker choice then?

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Nickelle said:

Oh yes so it does, it looks a very good piece of hifi, as a sales person could you not advise,him of speaker choice then?

Yes I could - my advice is to seek out his nearest independent retailer who will guide him in terms of what will or won't work best with this amplifier. It's then the clients responsibility to decide which speakers fit his requirements for a number of reasons (sound quality, cosmetics, budget).

[POV]

@Single-Malt If you could provide some additional details regarding your room and likely speaker positioning, your music tastes, listening habits (long listening sessions or short, high volume or low volume etc) and your budget range that would really help.

 

As per the other thread, the CA EVO-150 will realistically be stable with the vast, vast majority of speakers on the market so it’s really about finding a speaker that floats your boat sonically and visually.  
 

I have direct experience with the EVO-150 and Dynaudio, KEF, Focal, VAF, Buchardt and Richter.   Of these my preference is Dynaudio but worth a listen to a range of brands. 
 

I would suggest a visit to Addicted to Audio and Audiotrends.  They both stock the EVO-150 and a range of different brands of speakers at different price points.

[Single-Malt]

Thank you all for the replies.

I'll try to address a few items at once

 

Currently window shopping before budget starts burning holes in pockets and I make hasty purchases.

 

As far as power ratings, yes I figured the wattage was a max rating for the speaker,  and lower volume will produce a lower output.  I was trying to match the resistance though.  

 

I do have some speakers from a 2000's technics all in one sound setup (SH-E750) but I'm under no illusion as to their level of awesomeness.

 

My room layout is likely to change a bit, about an average bedroom size area is what I have to work with. Probably 3x5

 

My musical tastes I probably had the pin down, I listen to everything from folk, classical, classic rock some heavier stuff, some acoustic, some electronic. So probably just general enough to make speaker choice hard as I'm not defined by a particular genre.

 

Hearing is decent but reduced upper register (thanks chemo)

 

Generally, I will have music on while I'm working, but we'll turn it up for dedicated listening sessions. The setup will be in my office.  Shelf or floor stand units would be possible.

 

I'm expecting about $2-2.5k for some starting speakers.

 

I'm not overly attached to brands, more attention given to features/performance for a given price point. KEF, Focal, PMC and Cambridge made my immediate list to try, but open to all options. Also happy to go locally made if that's the best fit.

 

AddictedtoAudio are definately on my "to visit" list. Aiming to talk to a few places to get a range of options and advice.

 

Thanks again for the advice

 

 

[Cloth Ears]

21 hours ago, Single-Malt said:

Thank you all for the replies.

I'll try to address a few items at once

 

Currently window shopping before budget starts burning holes in pockets and I make hasty purchases.

 

As far as power ratings, yes I figured the wattage was a max rating for the speaker,  and lower volume will produce a lower output.  I was trying to match the resistance though.  

 

I do have some speakers from a 2000's technics all in one sound setup (SH-E750) but I'm under no illusion as to their level of awesomeness.

 

My room layout is likely to change a bit, about an average bedroom size area is what I have to work with. Probably 3x5

 

My musical tastes I probably had the pin down, I listen to everything from folk, classical, classic rock some heavier stuff, some acoustic, some electronic. So probably just general enough to make speaker choice hard as I'm not defined by a particular genre.

 

Hearing is decent but reduced upper register (thanks chemo)

 

Generally, I will have music on while I'm working, but we'll turn it up for dedicated listening sessions. The setup will be in my office.  Shelf or floor stand units would be possible.

 

I'm expecting about $2-2.5k for some starting speakers.

 

I'm not overly attached to brands, more attention given to features/performance for a given price point. KEF, Focal, PMC and Cambridge made my immediate list to try, but open to all options. Also happy to go locally made if that's the best fit.

 

AddictedtoAudio are definately on my "to visit" list. Aiming to talk to a few places to get a range of options and advice.

 

Thanks again for the advice

 

 

Taking these into consideration, you might want to look at a 2.1 set-up. There are a number of 'bookshelf' speakers that play most of the music really well, but for electronic, heavy rock and some other genres, you would want to add a subwoofer to cater for your needs.

 

Taking as an example only, the KEF Q150 play quite nicely and pair well with their 10" subwoofer (Kube 10b). At Melbourne HiFi.

Or as another example, the Q-Acoustics 5020 and their QB-12 subwoofer should also match. At Addicted to Audio.

 

These fit into your budget (just) at retail - you might be able to find better by scouring the pages of the SN Classifieds. But these might be a couple to see if you like the sound they produce.

[Single-Malt]

Thanks all for some great recommendations to consider.

 

I'm going to shelve this discussion as an alternative  amp (and some speakers) may have presented itself.

 

Will see what pans out, but I'm still going to go and subject my ears to some of the recommendations for reference and learning purposes.

 

 

 

[POV]

23 hours ago, Single-Malt said:

I'm expecting about $2-2.5k for some starting speakers.

 

15 minutes ago, Single-Malt said:

I'm going to shelve this discussion as an alternative  amp (and some speakers) may have presented itself.

 

Fair enough, hope it works out for you.  If you do end up in that budget range I personally recommend Australian brand Richter:

 

Legend Series 6 Archives - Richter Audio

 

The series 6 Legends are really superb value, and I think that the Wizrd S6 is really hard to beat under $3k.  At the current sale price they are a stonking bargain in my view.

[Single-Malt]

Thanks POV, I think I saw those when browsing yesterday..

 

Who knows what the future might involve.

[blybo]

In an office desktop set up you will be looking for something like Kef LS50 Meta or LSX, plus a sub. I'm using the wireless LS50 in my living room with a sub and very happy, but feel they'd be overkill for my office where I use Audioengine actives, and a sub. I feel the LSX would fit better but then you wouldn't need an amp.

 

There's lots of tasty active options which would mean you wouldn't need an amp

 

Local speakers to try would be bookshelf models from Krix , VAF or Osborn. They may not have the super sexy modern cabinets that multinational brands have, but will be great bang for buck.

 

https://vaf.com.au/shop/ols/products/dc-2mkiii/v/DC-2MK-PR-JRR-OAK

 

https://www.osbornloudspeakers.com.au/eos

 

https://krix.com.au/acoustix-mk2/

 

Of course all 3 brands have better bookshelf models, but would break the $2.5k budget

Edited August 3, 2023 by blybo

[davewantsmoore]

On 2/8/2023 at 12:04 AM, Single-Malt said:

Just curious how you all find suitable speakers?

Choose speaker first, then choose an amplifier which will drive them well.