[Vargulf]

Hey all my earlier post went dead, I have a decent laptop and a Fiio E17. I just want some advice on speakers, I waded through the terminology and reviews and ordered AT esw9's but I'm finding speakers are a whole other ball game. Can I use my Fiios DAC to avoid the lappys sound card and with a loose budget of 500AUD what speakers and sub should I be looking at. What other accessories might I need ( i.e a amp as the e17 one is only for headphones?)
 
I listen to pretty much everything from As Cities Burn, Brand New- type heavyness, to my preference of folk, indie, blues and classical...
 
Cheers for any advice folks...

 

[Vargulf]

...Oh by the way I prefer crisp sound to dominant bass and if the speakers wernt near field and could be integarated into a bigger better system later when I had more money that would be friggin sweet.

 

[Fatnslow]

Hi, I am new here and I am an audiophile newbie.  Vargulf, I am not trying to hijack your thread, but I figure I post here since I am looking for a similar setup and perhaps we could both benefit from it. 
 
I am also looking for a similar setup and did a little bit of research.  I found the following recommendations from various sites and I wanted to see what the head-fi peeps think about it.
 
Setup 1:  KRK RP6 G2 (x2) with KRK RP 10 S sub (used sub due to cost)
http://www.frontendaudio.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=2977
 
Setup 2:  NHT SuperZero 2.0 (x2) with their Super 8 sub ($550 total; new)
http://www.nhthifi.com/Bookshelf-speaker-SuperZero-2-0
 
Setup 3:  Tannoy 601A (x2) with Tannoy TS10 Subwoofer (used sub due to cost)
 
I also know these are passive speakers and I plan on pairing them up to NwAvGuy's O2 Amp + ODAC that is rumored to be coming out in April.  I am hoping that JDS Labs will be putting it all together for < $200. 
 
Due to cost, I plan on spreading the cost over 3 months by getting the Amp/DAC first, then the speakers, then the sub last.
 
Lastly, most of the music I listen to is power metal (Zandelle, Rhapsody of Fire, Angra, etc) but it does consist of rock, techno, dance, and some OST's. 
 
I look forward to any advice

 

[gryph0n]

 
Quote:

 What other accessories might I need ( i.e a amp as the e17 one is only for headphones?)
 

You can continue to use the Fiio DAC for speakers if it has a line-out. However it's amp is meant for headphones, and not for speakers. If you look at the specifications for the amp, it's output will be in the range of milliwatts, while speakers usually need 10+ watts.
 
If you go with passive speakers, you'll have to also get a speaker amp separately. This is the path most audiophiles prefer because it allows more flexibility in upgrading. Eg. Wharfedales, Usher, etc.
 
If you go with active speakers, the speakers will have an inbuilt speaker amp, however you cannot change the built-in amp. Usually these are transparent speakers used for monitoring. Eg M-Audio AV-40, AudioEngine 2/5, etc.

 

[Vargulf]

Ok great. Thanks for the advice now I know how to get started. A newbe can get lost in line in, line out coaxial, nearfield, passive, 5.1s etc. Especially when you all start hitting the abbreviations
So option 1 is def for me, passive speakers, sub, amp and Fiio L7 to give me LOD. Lol 500 isn't going to go a long way. Will any cabling I need come with the gear or is there still additional things I will need.

When I get time ill check out your three set ups fatnslow.
Cheers for the help gryph0n.