Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

@Dylanfan253 its been a long long time since I heard that combo. Here’s a comment from a former owner. You’ll want to listen before you buy.


C26 was my first Mac preamp, bought it new some 45 years ago and used it with 2105, I thought that it was the sexiest looking component on my shelf, those green lights in the dark are just something else.

Well, sex or whatever, it did not pass my expectations, I had to trade it for a C28 soon thereafter as it had too much audible hiss. The hiss level will become an issue with higher efficiency speakers and particularly if you listen to classical, for highly compressed pop/rock I would say a C26 would be just fine.
 
@HiFi Guy thank you for all the extra info it’s one of the many reasons I love this forum and all the people who are a part of it. I’m going to have to wait until Monday for the bank to be open anyway before I can make the purchase so I’ll do more lurking for reviews and what not, I don’t expect it to be an end game but I would like to live with it for a couple years minimum but I listen almost exclusively to records and often times classical so that specific review is concerning in regards to the pre amp
 
After selling a whole lot on Discogs and getting my property tax rebate, it's finally time for me to upgrade my Bookshelf speakers.

I've been using Edifier 1280ts for years which I know are inexpensive but were amazing bang for their buck and while living in the city there was no reason to get something more powerful (not to mention it would have been obnoxious to my neighbors). They were actually recommended by my local shop owner down there and haven't regretted them at all.

I have had my eyes on the Audioengine HD6s for awhile. They look beautiful and the reviews are really solid but I notice Edifier now has the S2000MKIII released earlier this year that also look beautiful, have great reviews (though not many yet), and are literally half the price. Edifier has won me over with bang for buck so Its tempting to go with them instead but it seems like Edifier really promotes these more with electronics like TVs, Computers, bluetooth streaming, etc without a mention of Turntables, while I know Audioengines are targeted for that. Anyone have any opinions on these especially with turntables? Or HD6 owners with opinions of those?
I think the big thing that has me maybe still leaning toward the HD6 is the analog amp as opposed to digital...any opinions on this?

Notes: I have a Uturn Orbit special edition in walnut so one of the big appeals is how well these both complement them. To say my wife is not a huge fan of how much room my Vinyl collection takes up is a huge understatement, so it's important to at least keep a nice looking aesthetic, since that is important to her.

Also one reason why I'm only looking at powered speakers. An Amp with Active speakers is unfortunately not an option for multiple reasons, primarily for the sake of my marriage. Same with a subwoofer. I have a much bigger place now but it's still a townhouse so I don't exactly have a huge living room to fill up, and I'm not exactly an audiophile. I know this is usually peoples first response when people ask opinions on powered speakers, and I get it, but its just unfortunately not an option for me.
 
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What's your budget looking like?

Also, there are compact, pleasingly designed integrated amplifiers that wouldn't blow up your aesthetic. The PSAudio Sprout 100 is very small and even has walnut accents, and an amp + passives would end up costing you less and allowing more flexibility down the line.

Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to punt on active speakers. I haven't done too much research on that front.
 
kvetcha said:
What's your budget looking like?

Also, there are compact, pleasingly designed integrated amplifiers that wouldn't blow up your aesthetic. The PSAudio Sprout 100 is very small and even has walnut accents, and an amp + passives would end up costing you less and allowing more flexibility down the line.

Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to punt on active speakers. I haven't done too much research on that front.
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I’d 100% agree with this, is a much better bet in the long term, something like the sprout (or the Marantz HD-AMP1 with it’s similar wooden accents) is good looking and compact and gives much more flexibility for speakers and additional inputs/upgrades down the line.
 
kvetcha said:
What's your budget looking like?

Also, there are compact, pleasingly designed integrated amplifiers that wouldn't blow up your aesthetic. The PSAudio Sprout 100 is very small and even has walnut accents, and an amp + passives would end up costing you less and allowing more flexibility down the line.

Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to punt on active speakers. I haven't done too much research on that front.
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Joe Mac said:
I’d 100% agree with this, is a much better bet in the long term, something like the sprout (or the Marantz HD-AMP1 with it’s similar wooden accents) is good looking and compact and gives much more flexibility for speakers and additional inputs/upgrades down the line.
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Thanks. My budget is about $800, though if I can go below that it would be ideal.

Those two amps look beautiful and I would love to get one, but as I mentioned above, there are multiple reasons it's just not going to happen.
 
wynn72 said:
Thanks. My budget is about $800, though if I can go below that it would be ideal.

Those two amps look beautiful and I would love to get one, but as I mentioned above, there are multiple reasons it's just not going to happen.
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Haha fair enough, I think we were both hoping that the fact that both are quite a bit smaller and better looking than a traditional hi-fi seperate might make them less obtrusive, more in keeping with your design aesthetic, and easier to fit into the space. The benefits are worth it. That said fitting either and speakers into your budget probably isn’t happening either. I honestly don’t know enough about active speakers to give you too much of a take, they’re a concept I tend to ignore to be honest. Hope someone else is able to help you out!
 
kvetcha said:
What's your budget looking like?

Also, there are compact, pleasingly designed integrated amplifiers that wouldn't blow up your aesthetic. The PSAudio Sprout 100 is very small and even has walnut accents, and an amp + passives would end up costing you less and allowing more flexibility down the line.

Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to punt on active speakers. I haven't done too much research on that front.
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That sprout is really beautiful and simple though. This is one of the reasons I wanted to avoid amp recommendations at all. I have a real spending problem and a bit of OCD that I am self aware of. I know at least if I buy a new pair of powered speakers I'm set for years and can't constantly fiddle, upgrade, and add on like I would with an Amp setup.

That, plus the aforementioned space thing. Every new thing I add to our house means a (much deserved) explanation to my wife. We're not in an apartment anymore but we are in a New York Townhouse.
 
wynn72 said:
That sprout is really beautiful and simple though. This is one of the reasons I wanted to avoid amp recommendations at all. I have a real spending problem and a bit of OCD that I am self aware of. I know at least if I buy a new pair of powered speakers I'm set for years and can't constantly fiddle, upgrade, and add on like I would with an Amp setup.

That, plus the aforementioned space thing. Every new thing I add to our house means a (much deserved) explanation to my wife. We're not in an apartment anymore but we are in a New York Townhouse.
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If you can get them in the US maybe have a look at the Dali Zensor 1 AX. They reviewed really well on what-hifi they look to be roughly in your budget and Dali makes really nice speakers, my dad has a set of the passive zensor 1’s attached to a marantz all in one CD player and they sound fantastic for what they are! I’d actually recommend the passive ones to anyone who was looking for a speaker in their price range too.
 
Joe Mac said:
Haha fair enough, I think we were both hoping that the fact that both are quite a bit smaller and better looking than a traditional hi-fi seperate might make them less obtrusive, more in keeping with your design aesthetic, and easier to fit into the space. The benefits are worth it. That said fitting either and speakers into your budget probably isn’t happening either. I honestly don’t know enough about active speakers to give you too much of a take, they’re a concept I tend to ignore to be honest. Hope someone else is able to help you out!
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Fair. And the reason I'm asking on here is because I know theres folks here who do know better. As mentioned this is not my area of expertise for me by any means and while I'm good at researching my purchases thoroughly I know people who have done it before and are coming from a more practical perspective than an online reviewer may be good to ask.

I was honestly the most hesitant to ask online because I knew the immediate response would be "Get an amp and passive speakers instead!" (And there's obviously a reason for that. But admittedly I didnt know about Amps so unobtrusive and small.
My budget isnt necessarily set at $800 because of money concerns, it's more because paying more than that for one pair of powered speakers seems unnecessary when there are a couple I liked well below that. If I did give in and get an Amp like the sprout I'd definitely be open to going higher to get speakers as well. Just may need to let it sit for a bit because I've had it in my mind that I was going to upgrade to better Active speakers for awhile now.
 
wynn72 said:
Fair. And the reason I'm asking on here is because I know theres folks here who do know better. As mentioned this is not my area of expertise for me by any means and while I'm good at researching my purchase thoroughly I know people who have done it before and are coming from a more practical perspective than an online reviewer may be good to ask.

I was honestly the most hesitant to ask online because I knew the immediate response would be "Get an amp and passive speakers instead!" (And there's obviously a reason for that. But admittedly I didnt know about Amps so unobtrusive and small.
My budget isnt necessarily set at $800 because of money concerns, it's more because paying more than that for one pair of powered speakers seems unnecessary when there are a couple I liked well below that. If I did give in and get an Amp like the sprout I'd definitely be open to going higher to get speakers as well. Just may need to let it sit for a bit because I've had it in my mind that I was going to upgrade to better Active speakers for awhile now.
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I think it’s definitely worth having a think about doing a few measurements and deciding what suits your space and budget best. You’re not a million miles off too if you wanted one of those smaller amps, an extra $200ish would give a bit more breathing space to get an amp like one of those and a set of decent speakers. Let it marinate in your mind and arm yourself with all the facts and then look to make a decision that’s best for you.
 
wynn72 said:
If I did give in and get an Amp like the sprout I'd definitely be open to going higher to get speakers as well. Just may need to let it sit for a bit because I've had it in my mind that I was going to upgrade to better Active speakers for awhile now.
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Obviously it's important to spend wisely, so sleeping on it is definitely a good idea.

Used gear is always an option, as well. Most of my system is pre-owned!
 
Joe Mac said:
I think it’s definitely worth having a think about doing a few measurements and deciding what suits your space and budget best. You’re not a million miles off too if you wanted one of those smaller amps, an extra $200ish would give a bit more breathing space to get an amp like one of those and a set of decent speakers. Let it marinate in your mind and arm yourself with all the facts and then look to make a decision that’s best for you.
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Yeah, I'm thinking you're right. I'm not necessarily in a rush to upgrade either, just finally have a justifiable amount of extra funds right now, so I can definitely let it sit a bit and do some looking at active speakers as well before pulling the trigger on anything. Thanks
 
wynn72 said:
Thanks. My budget is about $800, though if I can go below that it would be ideal.

Those two amps look beautiful and I would love to get one, but as I mentioned above, there are multiple reasons it's just not going to happen.
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Demos from MD are basically new, I've had no issues. I have the CD & DAC from this line and they're beautiful and beautifully built. $599 and 60 day return policy ;)
www.musicdirect.com

Marantz - HD-AMP1 Integrated Amp/DAC **DEMO** | Shop Music Direct

www.musicdirect.com
 
AnthonyI said:
Demos from MD are basically new, I've had no issues. I have the CD & DAC from this line and they're beautiful and beautifully built. $599 and 60 day return policy ;)
www.musicdirect.com

Marantz - HD-AMP1 Integrated Amp/DAC **DEMO** | Shop Music Direct

www.musicdirect.com
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Yeah if I end up caving and going the Amp route, it'll be that or the Sprout. I just love that Sprout's design so much.

And my wife refuses to learn new tech household tech (very frustrating on my part as she is her company's CRM integration manager so is very very tech saavy). If she ever wanted to use that though, it's simplicity makes it perfect.
 
@HiFi Guy the McIntosh guy stopped responding. Decided to scratch my itch for new electronics with an Adcom GFA- 545 II. I purchased it on Reverb from someone who had it “upgraded” at big sky audio in 2012. Will use with my NAD integrated as the preamp.
 
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