[BenAdamson]

Hi, I'd like to put together a speaker system for my laptop (Thinkpad Edge E520 with Conexant 20671 audio). Ideally, I'd like to spend around £150, but I am able to slightly add to this if it would result in a significant quality jump. My budget includes amp, speakers and a DAC. I've researched a few speakers; powered (audioengine A2, m-audio studiophile av40) and non-powered (wharfedale diamond 9.1, q acoustics 2010i).
 
I realise that to get the best out of my speakers, I need to buy an external DAC (USB?), but don't really know anything about which products are good at my price range. It seems that something like the Nuforce Icon-2 would be perfect for my needs, as it has a USB DAC, amplifier, connections for speakers and headphones, and inputs for my laptop, xbox and sansa clip+. However, it is ~£310, way over my budget. The Lepai Tripath TA2020 seems like a pretty good amp, and at only £20 is very cheap. However, I would still need a DAC.
 
Is there any chance of me getting a decent audio setup within my small budget? I would like it to be upgradeable in the future if possible, however this isn't my main priority.

 

[AlexP]

Are you willing to buy used? If so, you can get a perfectly decent audio setup for £150.
Some people might disagree with me on this, but don't worry too much about the DAC at this price range - just get a Behringer UCA202 or 222 for £20. It's a USB DAC that measures quite well and is pretty straightforward to use (check the nwavguy review).
About speakers and amp, keep checking Gumtree and eBay (mostly local "pickup only" auctions, you get less competition on those and you can go listen to what you're trying to buy in person).
You can usually find a set of B&W DM601 speakers for slightly less than £100, and they're much better than either the A2s or the Diamonds. And if you're patient, you can probably find a nice 70s-80s-90s amp in good condition for another £20 to 30. Spend another £10 or so on cables and you're set.

 

[BenAdamson]

Good advice, though I can't seem to find a set of DM601s on ebay for under ~£140, are they worth it, and are there any other decent speakers you could recommend? I found a Cambridge Audio A5 amp for £50 on gumtree locally, however I'm not sure if it would actually be any better than a Lepai Tripath TA2020 amplifier, which is only £20 new.
 
I think the UCA202 amp sould be perfect for my needs, does it act as an external 'sound card', taking bit-perfect audio straight from the HDD, bypassing the internal soundcard? Also, is it well paired with the tripath TA2020 amp? I'll be playing FLAC files using Foobar2000.

 

[AlexP]

A preliminary note: all my advice is about building an actual stereo setup with your laptop as a source. If by "a speaker system for my laptop" you mean that you will have your pair of speakers on your table, next to your laptop (and very close to you), it might be indeed better to get near-field monitors. (I'd suggest active, but I'm not familiar with active near-field monitors in this price range).
 
 
That said, looking at eBay completed listings, I see some local pickups for DM601 under £100. Delivered most go closer to £150, but these were popular speakers - a lot of people have them, and if you are patient and check eBay and Gumtree you should find a pair (preferably S2 or S3, not S1) around £100.
They definitely are worth it, although to some extent it depends on personal preference... At your budget however, they'll certainly outlive both your amplifier and your DAC and in my opinion they're an excellent purchase.
You could also be on the lookout for Quad 11L speakers - again, similar prices for a quality pair of speakers. I've heard both but on different occasions so take this with a grain of salt, but I prefer the B&Ws. Also, keep looking on Gumtree - it can be a goldmine. When you see a pair of speakers advertised around your price point, look them up for reviews and check typical eBay prices. If it's a good price, go listen to them and decide. Be careful of floor-standers if your room is smallish - it's very hard to control the bass boom in such cases.
 
About the DAC, yeah - it's recognised as an external sound card. No proprietary drivers so really easy to setup, works perfectly well with Foobar. It doesn't support 24/96 playback, but at your budget don't worry about this. If you have an iPad it works with it as well.
 
About the amp, I've never heard a tripath amp and I'm not familiar with the TA2020, but at £20 new it's not a great risk so why not? Even if you get it, keep looking on Gumtree for cheap vintage amps - occasionally you can find nice-sounding and awesome-looking 70s Japanese amps for ridiculous prices (£10 - 20) - and compare them to the TA2020 to see what sound you prefer.
British amps generally go for more, although you can generally get an A5 for less than £50, even on eBay. Haven't heard the A5 so can't comment on it.

 

[BenAdamson]

Thanks for the fantastic replies; yes I will be using these speakers on my desk, so they will be close to me, though I could just as easily put them on the shelf above my desk, having them further apart. My desk is against a wall, which might affect the 'boominess' of them. I've placed a couple of bids on the DM601s on ebay, but those auctions will end in about a week's time so I'll have to wait & see.
 
I think I have the following options:
 

DAC	Price	Amp	Price	Speaker	Price	Total
Behringer UCA202	£26.99	Integrated	-	Audioengine A2	£142.00	£168.99
Behringer UCA202	£26.99	Integrated	-	M-Audio Studiophile AV40	£80.62	£107.61
Behringer UCA202	£26.99	Lepai Tripath	£18.29	Wharfedale Diamond 9.1	£99.95	£145.23
Behringer UCA202	£26.99	Lepai Tripath	£18.29	Q Acoustics 2010i	£108.00	£153.28
Behringer UCA202	£26.99	Lepai Tripath	£18.29	B&W DM601 (Used)	£120.00	£165.28

 
From what you've said, the last option seems to be the best, though I'm still a little confused if I should be going for active, near-field monitors or not. 
 
Cheers,
Ben

 

[Szadzik]

Get a cheap USB interface and spend the rest on a pair of active speakers.

 

[BenAdamson]

Quote:

Get a cheap USB interface and spend the rest on a pair of active speakers.

So you're saying go with the A2 or AV40 build above? Are the A2s significantly better than the AV40s?

 

[AlexP]

You're right to be confused - active vs. passive is a big discussion. Active speakers can be great because there's no need for amp matching, and when buying new, for a given budget they're usually the better choice. I myself have a pair of Tannoy Reveal 6D and they were better than any of the similar priced amp+passive speaker combinations that I heard before buying them.
 
When buying used, however, I think it's much easier to find very good passive speakers compared to active ones. I've listened to the AV40s quite a lot (not the A2s though) and there's absolutely no comparison to the 601s... The B&Ws are in a different league, even with a low-end amp.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by BenAdamson /img/forum/go_quote.gif
From what you've said, the last option seems to be the best, though I'm still a little confused if I should be going for active, near-field monitors or not. 
 
Cheers,
Ben

 

 

[Szadzik]

 
Quote:

So you're saying go with the A2 or AV40 build above? Are the A2s significantly better than the AV40s?

Not recommending any specific pair of speakers, just saying not to care about the source when you do not have much money for the whole setup. You will get better results with a so-so source and good speakers than good source and so-so speakers, my 2c and YMMV.
 

 

[BenAdamson]

Are the DM601s actually suitable for going on a desk either side of a laptop though? Are they monitors or 'lounge' speakers? I have found a used set of Audioengine A2s for £100, which seems like a fantastic deal - should I get those while they're on offer, or should I try for the DM601s (which end after the A2 set ends)?

 

[AlexP]

I don't really know. A quick Google search shows that people mention that they're great as near-field monitors, but it depends on the size of your desk as well - I imagine the A2 are much smaller, check the DM601 measurements and see if they fit on your desk. They're bookshelf speakers, not monitors. (Many good monitors are larger than them though).
I'm not sure about A2 prices, if it's a good price go for it I guess! 120 pounds is not a good price for DM601s - I got mine for 80 a year ago and since then I've seen more than a couple of them get sold for similar prices.
 
Quote:

Are the DM601s actually suitable for going on a desk either side of a laptop though? Are they monitors or 'lounge' speakers? I have found a used set of Audioengine A2s for £100, which seems like a fantastic deal - should I get those while they're on offer, or should I try for the DM601s (which end after the A2 set ends)?

 

 

[Mauricio]

Fostex PM0.4n ($200)
Active, biamplified monitors
 
Forget passive or powered
 
 

 

[BenAdamson]

UPDATE: I have successfully bought the DM601 S2 speakers on ebay for £94, pretty good deal. I will be collecting them over the weekend, and have also ordered the UCA202 & Lepai Tripath amp.

 

[BenAdamson]

Ahrgh now that I've bought them & am waiting for them to be delivered, I've come across a sudden realisation- What if the amp isn't matched to the speakers? From the specification lists of the speakers (DM601 S2):
 
[size=small]Frequency Response: 52Hz - 20kHz ± 3dB on reference axis [/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small]Frequency Range: -6dB at 43Hz and 30kHz [/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small]Sensitivity: 90dB spl (2.83V 1m) [/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small]Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms (minimum 4.3 ohms) [/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small]Power Handling: 25 - 120W into 8 ohms on unclipped program [/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small]Dispersion: Within 2dB of response on reference axis[/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small]<1% 60Hz - 20kHz (90dB spl, 1m) [/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small]Max. recommended cable impedance: 0.1 ohms [/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small]Crossover frequency: 4kHz[/size]
 
and the specification of the amp (Lepai Tripath TA2020):
 
P.M.P.O: 2 x 180W 
R.M.S: 2 x 20W
Input power: 12V 6A DC
Input sensitivity: 200mv
Input impedance: 47k
Frequency response: 20Hz - 20kHz
Speaker impedance: 4 - 8ohm
Minimum THD: <0.05%
Signal noise / ratio: >100db

 
Will this amp drive these speakers well? Are they well matched electronically, and should I be aware of any dangers using this amp with these speakers, i.e. could clipping occur?

 

[BenAdamson]

...anybody?