Scottweb Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 Recently picked up a pair of Kef LS50s paired with a Powernode 2i. I rent and have a small listening space, 5m long by 4m, combined lounge, kitchen. Listening position is a triangle of 1.5m between speakers to 2m seated. Music will always be played at a reasonable level as it’s an apartment. Room treatment would have to be removable with no damage. Music will only ever be streamed and TV connection via HDMI ARC (for TV duties and YouTube music) The Powernode was only going to be a temporary solution. Thinking I would move to the WIIM Ultra and a power amp or an integrated. The question for you all, given the above, what if anything will actually move the dial on the quality of my listening experience? I have spent way too much time down the rabbit hole of AB VS D amplifiers. I’m now at the point where I put the Sonos Beam back in and consider a headphone setup for music! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tone Malone Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 Good title for this post @Scottweb. I'm more at peace with this hobby now that I've given up going down rabbit holes for every variant that *might* give me an extra 1% in sound quality. A couple of thoughts which you might already have covered: - Using a lossless service like Qobuz or Tidal - If the speakers are on a shelf or entertainment unit, try some mini speaker stands like the IsoAcoustics. I was amazed at how much it cleaned up the bass. There are some cheaper options you can trial even just to see if there's a difference, I think some people even use halved squash balls 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Fi Whipped Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 So it sounds terrible? No mention of what that combo is and isn’t doing for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy8 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 On 03/08/2024 at 6:57 PM, Scottweb said: The Powernode was only going to be a temporary solution. Thinking I would move to the WIIM Ultra and a power amp or an integrated. I wouldn't dismiss the Powernode because it is an entry solution. And suggest continuing the path of a simple setup. You can upgrade to a NAD M10 V2 and add rear speakers for movies or go to the NAD M33. There are many other options as well, if you want to move away from the BlueSound App. On 03/08/2024 at 6:57 PM, Scottweb said: The question for you all, given the above, what if anything will actually move the dial on the quality of my listening experience? I have highlighted the key part. It is your listening experience which is the ultimate judge of what is good. Far too many people worry about the latest trend and chase the next upgrade. As long as it sounds good to your ears, that is all that matters... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottweb Posted August 6 Author Share Posted August 6 I picked up a $200 M&K 75 MKII from eBay as a suck it and see test for the neighbours and the room. 100Hz crossover at +3dB on the Sub. Even at my low listening level it's completely transformed the experience. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 @Scottweb love the tapered foam stands - homebrew? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass13 Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 (edited) 22 minutes ago, Steff said: love the tapered foam stands - homebrew? They look similar to mine on my PC speakers "Auralex MoPads Studio Monitor Isolation Pads" , there are different brands, got mine from store DJ. Edited August 6 by Bass13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottweb Posted August 7 Author Share Posted August 7 22 hours ago, Steff said: @Scottweb love the tapered foam stands - homebrew? No, just the cheapest option from Amazon. They were originally under Q Acoustics 3010i before the LS50s. Will probably go ISO stands next just to lift a bit more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantan Posted August 7 Share Posted August 7 On 03/08/2024 at 6:27 PM, Scottweb said: Music will only ever be streamed and TV connection via HDMI ARC (for TV duties and YouTube music) The Powernode was only going to be a temporary solution. Thinking I would move to the WIIM Ultra and a power amp or an integrated. The question for you all, given the above, what if anything will actually move the dial on the quality of my listening experience? Definitely upgrade the amplification. There are so many affordable and great sounding integrated amplifiers these days which have DAC and /or streaming capabilities . In point-of-fact,it is more common than not, to find built in streaming amplifiers on the market today. As has already been suggested isolating your speakers siting on a shelf will work wonders., It could actually be a good starting point to enhance sound quality. I can assure you that the LS 50's will sound orders of magnitude better if isolated from the shelf upon which they are paced, so IMO that would be an easy and effective starting point. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tone Malone Posted August 7 Share Posted August 7 One thing I would say about your speaker/amp combo is that the LS 50s have gained a reputation for needing a lot of current to truly sound their best. So if/when the time comes to upgrade the Powernode, look beyond the specified wattage and make sure the amp you get is known for driving tougher loads. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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