[antz123]

Hello,

I want some ideas for a cafe , it is a 800sq ft closed place .

Primary source I thought to be my laptop and music would be instrumental or classical .

I was thinking , of an amp that I could connect to my laptop, and bookshelf 2.0 speakers that I could connect.

I wished to get suggestions:
1) if the set up, that I am planning is fine
2) suggestions for amp and bookshelf speakers that are good for instrumental music.

My budget if I go for both is around 700$-800$ max, I won't be able to spend more.

Any suggestions are welcome

Thank you.

 

[antz123]

Any help or more information I need to add . please guide

 

[ergopower]

Hello,

I want some ideas for a cafe , it is a 800sq ft closed place .

Primary source I thought to be my laptop and music would be instrumental or classical .

I was thinking , of an amp that I could connect to my laptop, and bookshelf 2.0 speakers that I could connect.

I wished to get suggestions:
1) if the set up, that I am planning is fine
2) suggestions for amp and bookshelf speakers that are good for instrumental music.

My budget if I go for both is around 700$-800$ max, I won't be able to spend more.

Any suggestions are welcome

Thank you.

There are 2 ways you could do this.

1) as you describe, an amp & a pair of passive speakers. connect amp to laptop from headphone jack, connect speakers to amp with speaker wire. there are so, so many choices for amps & speakers, but you can easily get pretty good sound for your $700. where do you want to mount the speakers, what kind of size do you have in mind, etc.?

2) skip the amp and go with active speakers (amps are inside the speakers). active speakers will accept analog input from the headphone jack of the laptop; some will accept USB input if there is a DAC in the speaker. again, lots of choices and that kind of money should get you pretty good sound. again, where are you mounting? there are active speakers designed to be easily mounted for PA use, look at Parts Express, Guitar Center, Sweetwater, etc.

as to which is better, might come down to placement. when you say cafe, I'm imagining the 2 speakers quite some distance apart high up on the wall. if that's the case, separate amp & speakers is easier - amp can be located close to laptop, then you can run speaker wire whatever distance is required and route it however you want so that it's out of the way. with active speakers, most are designed to have input to one speaker and they supply a proprietary cable to connect to the other. the speaker with the input also needs to be plugged into a wall outlet for power. your speaker placement options are limited by these 2 requirements. PA-type speakers generally can be individually wired to the source, but then both will need to plug into a wall outlet

 

[antz123]

@ergopower

Thank you for the answer.

To start - I do think of corner mounting on a higher level. And thus you are totally correct in saying an Amp connected to source(Laptop) and wiring up to those speakers. Height where speakers might get places would be around 8 feet.


Size for speakers in my mind was maximum 2 foot in height. (upto 24 Inches). Anything bigger than those would be bit too much. Previously I was using Klipsch Pro Media 2.1, and they are tiny by comparison but they had great sound.

AudioEngine fail rate has been too high. and I wish to avoid them. Polk Audio, Swans, had some option though I am not sure which ones would be great. In regard to Amps which are small but do a decent work and have a good life I am quiet unaware. Any help would be really great

 

[ergopower]

Starting with the amp, Parts Express has a bunch of inexpensive ones that would be suitable. Here are 2 examples. The first one is stereo amp only, lots of power, all positive reviews. The second one is a little less power, but has a subwoofer output if you ever want that, and Bluetooth. Brand new product, so no reviews; but their Dayton Audio house-brand stuff generally has a very good reputation. Bluetooth could be cool, you or whoever is working could play whatever you want from your phone, although if customers realize it's Bluetooth they might be able to pair and play whatever they want. Probably small risk.

As for speakers, given your usage, dispersion is really important. They're up high, you're going to angle them somewhat downwards, but you're always going to to struggle getting decent sound to the tables along the wall the speakers are mounted on. These look really interesting, in that they're designed along the lines of PA arrays that need to have near-90 degree vertical dispersion. I have never heard these, but it's a clever design, and they come with basic mounting hardware. No bass to speak of, but any small speaker mounted some distance away like you need to do is going to be deficient. If you really want to have some bass, use the amp above with the 2.1 output and get a cheap 12" sub from Monoprice or Parts Express.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Hello,

I want some ideas for a cafe , it is a 800sq ft closed place .

Primary source I thought to be my laptop and music would be instrumental or classical .

I was thinking , of an amp that I could connect to my laptop, and bookshelf 2.0 speakers that I could connect.

I wished to get suggestions:
1) if the set up, that I am planning is fine
2) suggestions for amp and bookshelf speakers that are good for instrumental music.

My budget if I go for both is around 700$-800$ max, I won't be able to spend more.

Any suggestions are welcome

Thank you.

Connect the laptop via USB or hte laptop or your phone via BT to this...
https://www.parts-express.com/toppi...ier-with-usb-dac-and-bluetooth-40wpc--310-347

...then it drives this.
https://www.parts-express.com/dayto...kshelf-speaker-with-amt-tweeter-pair--300-651

Spend about $100 on good wall mounting hardware for the speakers that way vibration doesn't kill the bass. That might not seem necessary for what you're planning on playing but if you play orchestra for example it will help.

 

[antz123]

@ergopower

Thank you again for taking time to reply. I agree it has to be angled. And same time I just want to drive good music. While I was making my own shortlist this same Dayton Speakers I had shortlisted as well. Similarly tiny bit of freedom that BT connectivity of that amp gives is also awesome.

@ProtegeManiac

Toppings have good reputation for amp plus it too has BT in built I will check between Dayton or Topping and pick one. Thank you

Amps
https://www.parts-express.com/toppi...005c&cjevent=49973f60fca811e883ab00100a180514
or
https://www.parts-express.com/dayto...005c&cjevent=4e8048fcfca811e883ca00100a18050c

Speakers:
https://www.parts-express.com/pioneer-sp-bs22lr-4-andrew-jones-2-way-bookshelf-speaker-pair--250-656
https://www.polkaudio.com/products/s20e
https://tinyurl.com/yd7ezouh
https://tinyurl.com/y7kr2za7

Will see which give me local warranty, services if need be, and better prices.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Toppings have good reputation for amp plus it too has BT in built I will check between Dayton or Topping and pick one. Thank you

Amps
https://www.parts-express.com/toppi...005c&cjevent=49973f60fca811e883ab00100a180514
or
https://www.parts-express.com/dayto...005c&cjevent=4e8048fcfca811e883ca00100a18050c

I'd choose based on features since it isn't like comparing for example either of those to an extremely low noise, low distortion amp like a Pass F5 (in which case, if it was a reference system, I'd take the F5; anything less, like a an office desk, only absolutely crappy noise output will outweigh connectivity options on those).

The Topping has USB input to its DAC, that Dayton only has BT. If you plan on using it far from your source unit then it won't matter, but if you want to keep it close to you and your source unit to easily adjust the volume, having USB as a back up might be important.

The Topping only has a preamp output for a subwoofer, the Dayton has an actual third channel for a sub. That might seem like the Dayton ahs the advantage, but in terms of matching to a sub, it isn't. This is because most amps for home use have a built in amp in them anyway, and most don't even have high level inputs (ie the subs that take a signal from the speaker output on integrated amps back when only HT receivers had dedicated subwoofer preamps labelled "LFE" or "low freq effects" in surround sound terminology, ie, the ".1"). This means you have to get a passive subwoofer, which limits your choices among home audio subwoofers. On the flipside, it widens your choices if you can for example DIY the subwoofer to fit in a certain spot, including integrating the enclosure as part of another piece of furniture. Alternately, given the cafe setting, that means lots of food and beverage around, so you might consider a car audio subwoofer that comes in its own box. Given a car environment the driver and wood enclosures might be built to be more resilient to moisture and actual spills, save for how some are covered in carpet that can absorb spills, so if you go with the car sub route try to find a prebuilt or make one wrapped in leather (synthetic if you want it cheap).

Speakers:
https://www.parts-express.com/pioneer-sp-bs22lr-4-andrew-jones-2-way-bookshelf-speaker-pair--250-656
https://www.polkaudio.com/products/s20e
https://tinyurl.com/yd7ezouh
https://tinyurl.com/y7kr2za7

Will see which give me local warranty, services if need be, and better prices.

That depends on where you live.

If you live outside the US then Polk Audio is more likely to have a dealer in your city or at least the country vs international shipping with Parts Express.

If you're in the US you still have to ship to Parts Express, but any Best Buy/Magnolia or Fry's might have Polk Audio.

If product support was the most important thing, there's a reason why a lot of cafes use Bose.

 

[ergopower]

The Topping only has a preamp output for a subwoofer, the Dayton has an actual third channel for a sub. That might seem like the Dayton ahs the advantage, but in terms of matching to a sub, it isn't. This is because most amps for home use have a built in amp in them anyway, and most don't even have high level inputs (ie the subs that take a signal from the speaker output on integrated amps back when only HT receivers had dedicated subwoofer preamps labelled "LFE" or "low freq effects" in surround sound terminology, ie, the ".1"). This means you have to get a passive subwoofer, which limits your choices among home audio subwoofers.

Both the Monoprice & Parts Express 12" subs have high level inputs

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Both the Monoprice & Parts Express 12" subs have high level inputs

Perfectly usable but if it's about choosing between the two amps, it comes down to "alternate USB input and practically any home audio subwoofer" vs "no alternate digital input but can use a custom sub (if he's up for that)."

 

[antz123]

@ergopower @ProtegeManiac

Hello and you guys are awesome.

I already know someone who did DIY for Car woofer, so boxing, insulating sound, there are people who can help me on this project. So making my own one, on a later date, as an addition to current choices actually would give me flexibility. So Topping seems better alternate.

As for speakers Pioneer, Polk and Dayton I have found services near by. So probably have to check for more reviews. I am not from USA. Boss also have 301, and 151 Environmental series, though since my placement is indoors than outdoors, i can check with 301 or something rather.

Thank you again to you both.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I already know someone who did DIY for Car woofer, so boxing, insulating sound, there are people who can help me on this project. So making my own one, on a later date, as an addition to current choices actually would give me flexibility. So Topping seems better alternate.

If you're going to have a sub customized then the Dayton works better since it has a subwoofer amplifier built in. It's a 2.1 amp. You just run speaker wires from that specific Dayton to the subwoofer. If you use the Topping your custom sub now has to have its own amplifier you might as well buy a premade HT sub that has a built in sub than buy a dual 4ohm car sub to wire it into 8ohms and put it in a custom enclosure plus buy a subwoofer amp, and mono HT amps can get expensive. Even the Dayton plate amps are expensive if you buy them separate from the prebuilt subwoofers then add the cost of the subwoofer and the box design.

 

[antz123]

@ProtegeManiac

makes sense. Thank you for taking time out to help me