[mattlach]

Hey all,
 
So I am currently very happy with my Modi Multibit DAC feeding my Jotunheim amp for my headphone use (Sennheiser HD650 and Beyer DT770 Pro), but it's time for me to retire my old ****ty logitech desktop speakers, and I am getting stuck, because it turns out I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING when it comes to standalone speakers and amps.    In my 37 years on this planet, I have never owned a traditional stereo system with separate amps and speakers, so I am at a complete loss.
 
My original plan was to keep it cheap and go for bang for the buck.
 
Original Plan:
- Emotiva Airmotiv 4s powered monitors ($254 for the pair) - Hooked up via balanced cables to my pre-amp outs on my Jotunheim, using it as a pre-amp/volume control
- Dayton Audio 8" SUB-800 ($89) - Hooked up to single ended pre-amp outs on Jotunheim, again using the Jotunheim as the pre-amp/volume control
Total Price:  $343
 
Then maybe I thought, since I'm shopping anyway, I should up the power a little.  It's better to err on the large side, and keep the volume low, than wish you had gone higher down the road.   I'm in a small office today, but in the future, who knows?   And these things last a while.
 
Revised Plan:
- Emotiva Airmotiv 5s powered monitors ($339 for the pair) - Again, hooked up via balanced cables to my pre-amp outs on my Jotunheim, using it as a pre-amp/volume control
- Monoprice 9723 12" Sub ($108) - Again, hooked up to single ended pre-amp outs on Jotunheim, again using the Jotunheim as the pre-amp/volume control
Total Price:  $447
 
This setup seems to offer a tremendous amount of bang for the buck, with great quality.   Thing is - however - that a power amp and passive speakers, giving me more flexibility in the future, really appeals to me as well.
 
Question is, can I get anything that reaches the same performance and quality of my option above, with a standalone power amp and passive speakers?
 
I'd be willing to start with known bang for the buck speakers, like Dayton Audio B652 or B652-AIR, potentially upgrading later, but the thing is, I can't seem to find any amp priced this side of insane that is Class A or Class A/B, ~100Watt, takes balanced input, and is designed as a power amp only, taking volume control from a pre-amp, like the one in my Jotunheim.
 
Can I do something like this for under $500 including speakers, or is this just wishful thinking, and am I just better off sticking with the Emotiva plan above?
 
Much obliged,
Matt

 

[000zero]

I have the Emotiva 4s as my desktop speakers. They're in a closet so not much room to breathe but they sound good and very detailed. Remember with bookshelf speakers like those they will sound better with room to breathe but they are much better than any Logitech speakers you can get. Each of them having their own amp is nice also, I don't have to worry about having an amp that can power headphones and speakers.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
Original Plan:
- Emotiva Airmotiv 4s powered monitors ($254 for the pair) - Hooked up via balanced cables to my pre-amp outs on my Jotunheim, using it as a pre-amp/volume control
- Dayton Audio 8" SUB-800 ($89) - Hooked up to single ended pre-amp outs on Jotunheim, again using the Jotunheim as the pre-amp/volume control
Total Price:  $343
 
Then maybe I thought, since I'm shopping anyway, I should up the power a little.  It's better to err on the large side, and keep the volume low, than wish you had gone higher down the road.   I'm in a small office today, but in the future, who knows?   And these things last a while.
 
Revised Plan:
- Emotiva Airmotiv 5s powered monitors ($339 for the pair) - Again, hooked up via balanced cables to my pre-amp outs on my Jotunheim, using it as a pre-amp/volume control
- Monoprice 9723 12" Sub ($108) - Again, hooked up to single ended pre-amp outs on Jotunheim, again using the Jotunheim as the pre-amp/volume control
Total Price:  $447
 
This setup seems to offer a tremendous amount of bang for the buck, with great quality.   

 

I'd be more inclined to go with 5in if not 6in or 7in monitors (there are limits to this of course - the larger the midwoofers the earlier they roll off at the top end, so integration with the tweeter can be problematic) especially when you might move the set-up, even if it means delaying the sub purchase. Unless space is a real premium, the larger the mains are, the lower you can cut the sub to reduce how much more of the more easily localized frequencies are coming from the sub.

 

This isn't as much of a problem when you're sitting back 6ft away from the sub with the speakers set around 4ft away from the sub on either side but slightly closer to you, since from your seat but on a desktop system where you're sitting right there, just having the sub by your feet can already have a significantly longer path length, on top of its output possibly bouncing around under the table.

 

If you can find an 8in sub that can fit on the desk, same height as the 5in (or larger) monitors, that'd be worth considering too. Just watch out for the response - cheap and slim/compact case 8in subs tend to have just another 10hz or so vs a 6in monitor. Look around some more, note measurements, etc, and consider buying a better 8in that goes deeper than the SUB800 (if not get within 10hz of the roll off of the 12in) and can fit on the desk. Otherwise, go with the 12in.
 

 
Thing is - however - that a power amp and passive speakers, giving me more flexibility in the future, really appeals to me as well.
 
Question is, can I get anything that reaches the same performance and quality of my option above, with a standalone power amp and passive speakers?
 
I'd be willing to start with known bang for the buck speakers, like Dayton Audio B652 or B652-AIR, potentially upgrading later, but the thing is, I can't seem to find any amp priced this side of insane that is Class A or Class A/B, ~100Watt, takes balanced input, and is designed as a power amp only, taking volume control from a pre-amp, like the one in my Jotunheim.
 
Can I do something like this for under $500 including speakers, or is this just wishful thinking, and am I just better off sticking with the Emotiva plan above?

 

Not for the same amount of money. Integrated amps much less dedicated power amps, let alone one with balanced inputs, tend to cost a lot unless you get lucky and find a used unit for local pick up. The best you'd find would be an integrated amp with amp direct inputs (some old NADs or Rotels), but SE inputs only.

 

If you're sticking with that budget, chances are you'll end up with compromises somewhere that the monitors don't have to make. Like with the B652 AIR, as much as you're getting a non-dynamic driver tweeter design that inherently has a smoother response, the cabinet might not be as well made as the studio monitors. Add to that what amp you get - you either get a cheap amp that isn't as good at all as the 4ch architecture on studio monitors (ie each tweeter and each midwoofer gets their own amplifier channel with active crossovers applied), and even if you blow a lot of money on the best amp out there (barring matching it with a speaker you don't like), you also don't get the kind of control you can get with monitors. That 4ch architecture comes in handy since you can alter the gain balance on the tweeter amps vs the midwoofer amps, which is grat if you're sitting as close as you would and can reduce a bright response down to a more balanced sound (or warm if that's what you like). You can do the opposite when necessary also. On passive speakers you'd have to retool the passive crossover to do the same, and you'd have to solder and resolder between listening instead of just mixing it with a knob on the back.

 

I personally would still go with a really good amp and passive speakers if I'm spending a lot of money, but that's in-room rather than nearfield, and with speakers I probably have already listened to so any imbalance I can't bear will have to do with my room. Any other use case scenario I'm inclined to go with studio monitors.