[nyjets28]

I've been pretty content with my current speaker setup for some time and haven't really been staying current with much stuff here on HF but I'm planning on upgrading my computer and along with that also my speaker set up soon.
 
Currently I have PICO DAC --> Gilmore lite (as my HP amp) --> Fiio E9 (via the loop out on the Gilmore lite) --> A2
 
I'm using the E9 to control the volume of the speaker so I don't have to reach behind the A2 everytime to adjust the volume. And I was looking at getting the KRK Rokits but I have no idea how I'm going to connect everything. I'm open to getting rid of one or all of my current pieces (PICO, Gilmore lite, and the E9) to make sure i can separately control the volume for my headphones and speakers. 
 
Can anyone offer any help please? 

 

[StratocasterMan]

You need a sub. You need more speakers! More power! KRK Rokits would be great, but you need a sub too! (And it's not as expensive as you might think.)
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/630229/and-you-thought-audioengine-a2-was-good-lol-heres-my-near-field-monster-desktop-rig-for-less-than-200

 

[kid vic]

^^^^^^ NO
 
Get something like the Behringer Mon800 and run your PICO into it, your the TRS out and your headphone out of either the included jack or Gilmore.
 
OR get the Focusrite Saffire 6 and toss your Pico.

 

[nyjets28]

oh i forgot to mention i already have a velodyne sub connected to the whole system thru my A2's sub. i guess i could also just get A5's and keep everything else the way it is. it would save me some hassle. 

 

[StratocasterMan]

Quote:

^^^^^^ NO
 
Get something like the Behringer Mon800 and run your PICO into it, your the TRS out and your headphone out of either the included jack or Gilmore.
 
OR get the Focusrite Saffire 6 and toss your Pico.

 
Do you speak English?

 

[cel4145]

So are you wanting to run 4 speakers and sub? Or are you replacing the A2s with the Rockits? 

 

[nyjets28]

planning on replacing the A2 with the rockits and keeping the sub hopefully. 

 

[cel4145]

Then if your Velodyne sub has left/righ rca inputs, then you just split the signal coming from the E9 and send l/r rcas to the sub and l/4 rcas to the the speakers. Adjust the volume on the speakers and the sub once to balance them out, and I would think you would be fine. 
 
Have you looked at the back of the Rokkits to see what kind of connections they have? 

 

[nyjets28]

so the krk rokits have a rca unbalanced or trs or xlr balanced inputs. hmm so it looks like if i go with the krk rokits, i would actually be adjusting the volume of both the speakers and the sub. i like the current set up b/c i never have to adjust the sub. i 'm quite satisfied with the level on my sub and i just adjust the volume of the speakers. thanks for the help cel4145. 

 

[nyjets28]

wow! i just read about the xonar essence one and now i'm wondering if that might be the perfect pairing with the rokits. it has a separate volume control for my phones and a separate volume control for my speakers and has the xlr outputs and rca outputs. the only thing i'm wondering is if i can connect the rokits via xlr and my sub via rca simultaneously and then just balance the speakers and sub once and go from there. that way i can also get rid of excess parts and in-betweens. 
 
does anyone know if this is possible? particularly connecting both the sub and speakers to the rca and xlr, respectively. thanks!

 

[cel4145]

Why not just get an HT receiver that has decent headphone output and passive speakers? If you are rebuilding your computer, I'm guessing you would get a decent graphics card that has HDMI out. Then you just run digital via HDMI to the receiver. That also gives you active bass management to better integrate your sub with the speakers, not to mention being a device which you could repurpose for other audio setups down the road. Or expand your computer setup to 3.1, 4.1, or 5.1. 

 

[nyjets28]

hah! very interesting..never crossed my mind to do that. now something else to consider hmmm..

 

[cel4145]

For less than the cost of the Asus One and the Rokkits, you could get some excellent speakers and a receiver. For instance, Kef is closing out the iQ30 bookshelves because they have a new model out. 

 

[nyjets28]

haha ok after looking around a bit more i've decided on going with a reciever and passive. it'll clean up a lot of clutter while also providing me some flexibility. thanks! cel4145..now on to choosing what i want

 

[nyjets28]

any recommendations or maybe some of the better "brands" when looking at receivers? i honestly don't know where to start. obviously i'd prefer to be a bit more frugal with my receiver so i can invest a bit more into speakers as long as the receiver is up to the task of powering my speakers and my phones well.