[MindBreak]

Thank you again! That amp looks very interesting, though a bit on a small side. Also, if I can be picky, they have all the colours, apart from black. All my gear, TV, desk, furniture in my room is black Even the walls are dark grey, because I work with colour, I have everything in neutral colours.

Nevertheless, I will also check it out during my research.

That DAC looks very interesting indeed. It will be the first thing I check.


Yes, I need to do proper research first before ordering anything.



If I was to build this new (better) stereo system, I would probably prefer to buy everything together. Even if I do get good tower speakers first, I wouldn't really have a way to test them properly with my current system. No point connecting them to the receiver. I don't think it would drive them properly. Only option would be to hook them up to my Emotiva amp. It was meant to be a speaker amp in the first place, but it's modifier to output speaker power to headphone amp. However, it's not really a 'high-end' amp. So again, I would be double guessing myself if this is how the speakers meant to sound, or not. I could check if they work or not of course, but I would still wonder if this is the sound I should be getting or not.

If you go for a Bifrost 2/64 you will need a separate preamp for your mono blocks. Both Emotiva and Schiit Audio have decent solutions for that though. You can also check out some of the Schiit Audio amps to compare against the Emotiva offerings https://www.schiit.com/products/vidar2
400 watts in mono block mode.

 

[msing539]

For R2R dacs, look at the Gustard R26, Denafrips Pontus, I use the Sonnet Morpheus.

I've not owned but looked into the Aqua La Voce. Plus the multibit dacs mentioned.

For warm headphones, I like my closed back Denons. The D7200 is the bassy one. Open back, I would look into the Quad ERA-1. If you want to spend less, the Sash Tres is an excellent headphone.

And then if you want to go into flagships, I love the Meze Elite. Another one on my list to own is the Final D8000 Pro.

But yeah, I would personally do a headphone or speakers first and the dac after.

 

[HiFiRebel]

Thank you all! So many products to review! I will be at it for days

 

[pbui44]

Just to extend your comparison period, you also have the option of keeping your Topping E30 as a DAC or even upgrading to different ESS DAC.

If you choose to continue using the E30 and have a headphone amp as a pre-amp with volume control for your monoblocks, then check out the smsl h300 amp (you can also use the Topping A30 Pro that I previously mentioned for the same exact purpose) here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/H300-Amplifier-Headphone-High-Power-Distortion-Black/dp/B0C779BFYZ/

Also, there is the Earman ST-Amp as an all-in-one unit with a ES6098 DAC chip and analog in/outs in RCA and 4.4mm balanced mode that only comes in silver, but will most likely be on your desktop anyways:

https://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/earmen-st-amp-fully-balanced-dac-headphone-amp-preamp.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Balanced-Headphone-Adapter-Silver-Plated/dp/B07WTQ9M9B/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Balanced-Headphone-Adapter-Silver-Plated/dp/B09VFBWRDY/

https://www.headfonia.com/earmen-st-amp-review/

Either way, have fun and do give us updates on what you decided to get for your room!

 

[HiFiRebel]

Just to extend your comparison period, you also have the option of keeping your Topping E30 as a DAC or even upgrading to different ESS DAC.

If you choose to continue using the E30 and have a headphone amp as a pre-amp with volume control for your monoblocks, then check out the smsl h300 amp (you can also use the Topping A30 Pro that I previously mentioned for the same exact purpose) here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/H300-Amplifier-Headphone-High-Power-Distortion-Black/dp/B0C779BFYZ/

Also, there is the Earman ST-Amp as an all-in-one unit with a ES6098 DAC chip and analog in/outs in RCA and 4.4mm balanced mode that only comes in silver, but will most likely be on your desktop anyways:

https://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/earmen-st-amp-fully-balanced-dac-headphone-amp-preamp.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Balanced-Headphone-Adapter-Silver-Plated/dp/B07WTQ9M9B/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Balanced-Headphone-Adapter-Silver-Plated/dp/B09VFBWRDY/

https://www.headfonia.com/earmen-st-amp-review/

Either way, have fun and do give us updates on what you decided to get for your room!

Thank you! Your help is very much appreciated!

One correction though. My DAC is Topping D50. It's just a DAC, and is very basic in features. I would probably have to get a better DAC + preamp for my new stereo speaker setup. This DAC doesn't even have a remote controller. It's OK for desktop use, like I'm using it now, but will not be a good solution for a speaker setup.

After a day of researching my head is full of ideas, but I'm far from finished. I have so many other products and avenues I want to review and explore, but in general, I think my next step will be to invest in a good pair of speakers and a powerful amp to drive them (plus DAC/preamp combo). I am also thinking that it doesn't have to be anything super high fidelity. I bet even an Emotiva amp like I linked to would blow my mind.

I'm not sure about their tower speakers I linked to though, because they are HUGE. They don't look so big on product images, but after watching a couple of reviews, I'm not sure. I keep thinking that if I decide to sell them in future, it would be a real pain in the butt to find a buyer for speakers the size of buildings.

When it comes to the units themselves (amp+ pre-amp/dac), I think I would prefer to have them from the same manufacturer. Purely for aesthetic reasons. Buy a new shelf and use it all purely as a stereo speaker listening station.

I have a very basic question to all. I think I would like to add a subwoofer in future to the speaker setup (if I go that route). I take something like this would be a good option:
https://emotiva.com/collections/pre-amps/products/basx-pt2-stereo-preamp-dac-tuner

It has a dedicated sub out output, also a low pass filter.

OR

buy a 3 channel amp, like this one for example
https://emotiva.com/collections/amps/products/xpa-3-gen3
and use the third channel as sub output?

Back to work and research

 

[MindBreak]

Thank you! Your help is very much appreciated!

One correction though. My DAC is Topping D50. It's just a DAC, and is very basic in features. I would probably have to get a better DAC + preamp for my new stereo speaker setup. This DAC doesn't even have a remote controller. It's OK for desktop use, like I'm using it now, but will not be a good solution for a speaker setup.

After a day of researching my head is full of ideas, but I'm far from finished. I have so many other products and avenues I want to review and explore, but in general, I think my next step will be to invest in a good pair of speakers and a powerful amp to drive them (plus DAC/preamp combo). I am also thinking that it doesn't have to be anything super high fidelity. I bet even an Emotiva amp like I linked to would blow my mind.

I'm not sure about their tower speakers I linked to though, because they are HUGE. They don't look so big on product images, but after watching a couple of reviews, I'm not sure. I keep thinking that if I decide to sell them in future, it would be a real pain in the butt to find a buyer for speakers the size of buildings.

When it comes to the units themselves (amp+ pre-amp/dac), I think I would prefer to have them from the same manufacturer. Purely for aesthetic reasons. Buy a new shelf and use it all purely as a stereo speaker listening station.

I have a very basic question to all. I think I would like to add a subwoofer in future to the speaker setup (if I go that route). I take something like this would be a good option:
https://emotiva.com/collections/pre-amps/products/basx-pt2-stereo-preamp-dac-tuner

It has a dedicated sub out output, also a low pass filter.

OR

buy a 3 channel amp, like this one for example
https://emotiva.com/collections/amps/products/xpa-3-gen3
and use the third channel as sub output?

Back to work and research

The 3 channel amp would require you to have a preamp/processor capable of controlling 2.1+ channels. The other option is to get a sub that can receive a signal from speaker taps (you can run wire from the same taps that power your speakers), or have an RCA/XLR passthrough to allow you to run the signal through the sub first and it will control the low/high pass filters. It all depends on what sub you pick.

 

[HiFiRebel]

The 3 channel amp would require you to have a preamp/processor capable of controlling 2.1+ channels. The other option is to get a sub that can receive a signal from speaker taps (you can run wire from the same taps that power your speakers), or have an RCA/XLR passthrough to allow you to run the signal through the sub first and it will control the low/high pass filters. It all depends on what sub you pick.

Thank you!

OK, so if I understand correctly, there is no need to buy a 3 channel amp. I can buy a 2 channel poweramp instead and get a DAC/pre-amp with a dedicated subwoofer output. That way when I decide to buy a sub, I will have a dedicated output for it. The other option will be to buy a sub that can be fed signal from speakers.

I doubt I will be able to buy a good sub at the same time as other pieces of equipment, but as long as I have an option to connect one later, I'm happy. Thank you!

 

[HiFiRebel]

Here is my newest idea

I'm going to leave my desktop setup as is for the time being. I'm going to concentrate on a new stereo system. I plan to buy a powerful power amp to achieve that mythical 'headroom' and also for some street credit points I'm keeping the Emotiva amp in reserve on my list for the time being and am looking through various classifieds to see what I can get second hand. There are plenty around, so the choice is quite big. I want something that looks powerful, is powerful and clean. I want one that I will keep for many years without need for upgrading, hence the power requirement. Something in a region of Emotiva power (300w pc @ 8Ohms). I wouldn't mind if it was a bit on a warmer side too. I'm looking for something in region of EUR/£/$ 500 - 2000. The choice is almost too big and I'm having a hard time picking one. Especially that my knowledge is quite limited, so I need to do research on each one that comes up. It takes forever.

Then I'll pair it with a set of good speakers. Nothing 'high end'. I can't afford speakers for 10-20k. So I'll be looking for something in the same budget as the amp (maybe a tiny bit less 500-1500). Again, I want them to look good (be black same as all my other gear) and play good. There are plenty to chose from on the second hand market, so again, it takes forever to find ones I like, are within budget and are not too far away. I know most of you will say to spend more on speakers than amp, but I'm pretty sure I will want to upgrade speakers in future. The amp, I want to be a powerhouse that will stay here for a very long time.

When it comes to DAC, I plan to use my existing receiver as DAC + pre-amp for the time being. I came up with that idea last night and I'm quite proud of it I will connect my laptop to it and that way have access to all my music via Plexamp and Foobar (all of my misic is on my NAS). That gives me more money to play around with amp+speakers combo. Later I will add a dedicated DAC and keep using receiver as pre-amp... or buy a DAC + preamp.

So this is my plan. I spent a couple of hours looking through classifieds last night and today, while working, I'll be looking for reviews. I started the search with power amp. Probably wrong way around, as many people advise to buy speakers first, but I plan to buy an amp that can drive pretty much most speakers anyway.

 

[HiFiRebel]

I'm trying to calculate the power of speakers I need for my space. The dimensions are 7.2m x 3.6m, height is 2.7m. It's not a perfect rectangle though, the ceiling goes down on both ends of the room (roof slope). Anyway, I was looking for a calculator I could put the measurements in and it would give me the speaker wattage I need, but I'm having a hard time. How do I calculate how powerful speakers do I need?

 

[HiFiRebel]

.