[GumbyDammit223]

You're within the maximum 16.5' for USB 2.0 cables, but 12' is still far too long for my comfort level. RCA cords can run a couple hundred feet (I Googled that, so it must be true), therefore I'd put the Jil at the computer. I probably don't have to tell you, but use well-shielded cables, and keep appliances, motors, phones, radios, etc. away from those wires while you're ripping. Personally I'd still put the cables on the floor for a shorter run, and if anyone will be walking around the area I'd stuff them into rubber duct cord cover. Your local fire inspector would approve.

USB 2.0 will not work at lengths over 5 meters. By design.

Ok, thanks for confirming my suspicions. Now to make a few test rips and see how they sound.

 

[Delirious Lab]

So many KEF LS50's in this thread... Anyone use their big brother, the R300? They pack quite a punch in a larger room...

My next step is to sell my Marantz amp and replace it with a Schiit foursome - Mani, Mimby, Saga and Vidar.

 

[Trerit]

So many KEF LS50's in this thread... Anyone use their big brother, the R300? They pack quite a punch in a larger room...

My next step is to sell my Marantz amp and replace it with a Schiit foursome - Mani, Mimby, Saga and Vidar.

LS50's big brother is the reference 1.
R300 has more bass and is a little less refined.
In a larger room with a limited budget the r300 is cool. In a smaller room I'd go for the LS50.

 

[Delirious Lab]

I was trying to compare things within a comparable price range. The R300 is only about 60% more expensive than the LS50...

 

[kazsud]

I was trying to compare things within a comparable price range. The R300 is only about 60% more expensive than the LS50...

To me the R300 is a lot better. I auditioned both a year ago when I had my Rag.

 

[rlow]

To me the R300 is a lot better. I auditioned both a year ago when I had my Rag.

"Better" how? What specifically did you prefer over the LS50? I am not big fan LS50 fan myself, owned them for a number of months and found the treble to harsh/glary/steely for my musical tastes (rock/alternative, folk rock, some jazz blues).

 

[Left Channel]

So many KEF LS50's in this thread... Anyone use their big brother, the R300? They pack quite a punch in a larger room...

My next step is to sell my Marantz amp and replace it with a Schiit foursome - Mani, Mimby, Saga and Vidar.

LS50's big brother is the reference 1.
R300 has more bass and is a little less refined.
In a larger room with a limited budget the r300 is cool. In a smaller room I'd go for the LS50.

Can you define "larger room"? Both models are too large for my office, but I would place these in a space approximately 20' x 13'. I plan to audition them at a local dealer soon. I'm upgrading the ventilation and acoustics to turn a TV/gaming room into a serious listening space.

 

[Delirious Lab]

My room is about 25' x 15', and I have it all to myself for music listening (at least when we don't have guests sleeping over).

After a lot of moving around, the R300's are facing the length of the room, about 6' from the back wall and 7' apart, with a very slight toe-in (maybe 2 degrees). My wife thinks it's ugly as hell to place them 'in the middle of the room' as she would say, but this results in 1) better-controlled bass 2) a deeeep soundstage which I crave for orchestral music, 3) a stereo image that is very forgiving on the listening position (I like to have friends over to listen).

 

[kazsud]

"Better" how? What specifically did you prefer over the LS50? I am not big fan LS50 fan myself, owned them for a number of months and found the treble to harsh/glary/steely for my musical tastes (rock/alternative, folk rock, some jazz blues).

I felt the R300 sounded bigger and slightly better overall than the LS50 you could always estimate the perimeter of the soundstage.

 

[Delirious Lab]

The R300 does sound big, it has been compared to floorstanders by some. The bass is very fast and punchy thanks to that 6" woofer.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Hello, everyone.

I transitioned from (five figures worth of) headphones to loudspeakers this year.

Started out with JBL LSR305 active studio monitors and am now using Klipsch RP-250F passive floorstanding speakers and a Behringer KM750 power amp.

I'm in a humble bedroom and haven't bothered with EQ or room treatments (I'll get to that eventually), yet the sound I'm getting is vastly more realistic than any headphone I've heard. (And I've owned/heard a good percentage of the high-end ones. Read through my profile for details.)

In fact, in my experience, there isn't even a single category that headphones can compare in. (Except perhaps bass extension...which doesn't really matter since my speakers already give me all the bass in nearly all recordings even without a subwoofer.) Yes, headphones make certain details more apparent since the drivers are right next to your ears, but louder detail is not more detail in my book. I have yet to hear a single detail on a headphone that I don't also hear on the speakers, and in the latter case it's represented in the subtler, more natural way it should be rather than artificially emphasized. On the other hand, I'm hearing countless details on the speakers that I have never heard before on headphones, and every aspect of sound is better; sometimes shockingly so. (Even STAX, my favorite headphones, sound like cheap toys in comparison, though to be fair I have not owned high-end STAX.)

The only Schiit product I use at the moment is the SYS passive preamp / switcher, but I had a handful of others in the past.

As far as speakers go, I used the Fulla 2 as a DAC and/or preamp at first, then upgraded to the Modi Multibit. (And various non-Schiit DACs and DAC/amps. The best so far was the Chord 2Qute.) I also used a Wyrd at one point, but it only made a slight improvement.

The SYS sounds substantially more accurate than using (at least some) active electronics (such as the Fulla 2 and iFi micro iDSD) as preamps. (A notable exception is Chord DAC/amps, which are also digital preamps and don't color the sound when adjusting the volume. Their amplification is in the DAC's analog output stage and is cleaner than even the line outs of conventional DACs. They can directly drive sensitive passive speakers too!) This makes sense since the SYS (say that out loud...lol) doesn't have any electronics and is basically not altering the signal aside from attenuating it. A slight downside is the soft scratching sound it can occasionally make due to the cheap potentiometer. I don't mind since I rarely notice it.

Here's a photo I took when I owned the 2Qute, Modi Multibit, and Fulla 2 at the same time: https://cdn.head-fi.org/a/9996287.jpg

I actually downgraded to a $30 DAC (Behringer UCA202 audio interface) but am getting better sound than ever before (when I used high-end DACs) since I upgraded the speakers.

I'm mildly curious about the benefits a higher-end power amp could bring to the table. For example, what would the Vidar do that my current power amp can't? (The one I have has more power, so quality is the issue.) If someone can explain this in an objective technical sense, it would be appreciated. (My endgame is one of the upcoming Chord digital power amps, but those are expensive.)

Anyway, I'm going to focus on speaker upgrades before anything else. (My ultimate goal is to achieve the highest fidelity possible, but these things take time...)

Since some of you may be interested in this company, here are the speakers I'd like to get in the future. Owners and reviewers are going crazy over them, saying they outperform speakers many times the price, and the designer claims they're the most accurate and acoustically advanced speakers ever made.

http://www.tektondesign.com/about.html
http://www.tektondesign.com/pmd-studio-monitor.html
http://www.tektondesign.com/ulfberht-pmd-monitor.html
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tekton-design-speakers.832686

 

[rlow]

the designer claims they're the most accurate and acoustically advanced speakers ever made.

This my favorite part of your post. If you actually buy this marketing baloney, I've got some magic pixie dust to sell you for the rest of your gear too.

Honestly, his claims are so over the top ridiculous, I refuse to buy just on this basis. I've heard many good things about these speakers too, so it unfortunate they have to resort to this kind of hyperbole.

 

[Music Alchemist]

This my favorite part of your post. If you actually buy this marketing baloney, I've got some magic pixie dust for the rest of your gear too.

Honestly, his claims are so over the top ridiculous, I refuse to buy just on this basis. I've heard many good things about these speakers too, so it unfortunate they have to resort to this kind of hyperbole.

Eh, I don't care much about marketing when it comes to this. (Despite having years of professional marketing experience.) Audio-oriented companies like to claim they're the best, and I generally ignore that. I just found his claims noteworthy and something interesting on top of all the positive impressions out there. The only thing I care about is the sound.

 

[Mr Rick]

On the subject of speaker amplifiers, all the attributes of a headphone amplifier still apply. No need to rehash those.

As far as Tekton speakers and amplifiers are concerned, They are claimed to be very efficient, and also able to handle high power.

The only thing that has prevented me from trying a pair of Tektons is their physical size.

As with headphones, only your ears can tell you if a pair of speakers is right for you.

 

[Alcophone]

As far as Tekton speakers and amplifiers are concerned, They are claimed to be very efficient, and also able to handle high power.

I have seen claims that when actually measured, they aren't quite as efficient as advertised. Just something to watch out for.