Step 1: WiiM Amp - howl.me/clzbSEeyLR3 Step 2: Stands - howl.me/clGPMsmm5fe Step 3: Subwoofer ELAC SUB1010 - amzn.to/3uLaNGU Step 4a: Speaker Cable - howl.me/clGPQEsxUBU (x2) Step 4b: Subwoofer Cable - howl.me/clGPVYRA5S2 Step 5: Speakers: 🔈 Neumi BS5 - amzn.to/3OO8ppl 🔉 Polk XT20 - howl.me/ch05CVegtkY 🔊 KEF Q150 - howl.me/chErfTFc1On Purchases through these links can earn me a small commission - at no additional cost to you - and help me continue to provide the community with free content and reviews. It is very much appreciated.
These types of videos are so much! For my money ($1022 to be exact): I'm buying a pair of self-powered Kanto TUK's refurbished Amazon and an SVS SB1000 Pro refurbished also on Amazon. (Yes, I cheated😅)
I don't typically chime in online when people are asking for system recommendations, but I've guided a few friends, family and co-workers over the years. I typically point out active or powered speakers because they often want something easy to use, that won't dominate a room and isn't too expensive. Most people love music but it's only a small percentage of us that fall in love with the gear and system building/tweaking, lol. I've given away a lot of gear to friends and family, and not because I've got it to spend but because I like doing it and their response when they experience it in their home is priceless!
Yeah, it’s definitely awesome. When you are able to introduce people to what a good stereo system could sound like. Especially when it’s on a reasonable budget.
I absolutely love budget audio. There's just something so fun about cobbling together misfit components and it still sounding fantastic. I think its especially fun when everything is purchased on the used market, but i know that not everyone has accessed to a good pool of used stuff.
Great video! I've helped some friends with budget systems. Going 2.1 instead of a sound bar and getting some hifi as a result. You bringing measurements and EQ to the table in this space is next level. Huge value.
Grabbed those Polk's for $130 out the door open box special out the door. Hope they get lots of hours of happiness for my daughter. Powering them with a Emotiva TA 1. Used Boston acoustic sub for $90. Her twin brother is running Harmon Kardon AVR, paid around $125 Qacoustics 3030i's paid $350 Klipsch 120sw for around $300. Love it when there friends hear one of their budget systems and are in awe. Sound bars suck.
In this price category, I always suggest the SMSL D6 DAC, and two JBL 308P monitors. They are basically flat down to 45hz, balanced output, Bluetooth and optical so you can hook up to your TV and use your phone, and if you want to add a streamer, the Wiim mini is like 80-90 bucks. The monitors are adjustable for boundary conditions with high and low frequency trim switches. AND you get a remote control for volume control from the listening position!
One of your best videos Erin! If only more reviewers were brave enough to promote the reality that budget allocation should be weighted as much as possible to the speakers and the ability to EQ for room modes. And you didn’t even emphasise the fact that the Wiim amp includes one of the best streamers on the market. Outstanding value!
Thanks. I was targeting this video toward the newcomers of the hobby and didn't want to lose them by making a 30 minute "how to" video on subwoofer setup (which would take much longer and extremely more understanding about room acoustics than a newcomer is going to have at this point). I'll likely make a follow up video for discussing those kind of things later. But for now I just wanted to answer a question I've been asked for the last ~4 years. :D
@@ErinsAudioCorner that would be a great follow up video. I’d also like to see a similar video to this one but with budget up to $5000 😎 Some newbies have plenty of $$$$
Thank you! I took your advice, bought the components (went with the kef speakers and ELAC sub but got the 12” version). It brought tears to my eyes. No hyperbole here, seriously. Can’t wait for my stands to get here so I can finish the setup process and eq for the room. I hadn’t realized how much the quality of sound had slipped over time and this is so inexpensive! Some may not think so, but the sound I’m getting out of this combo is blowing my mind!
Just what I needed. Most informative video I’ve watched regarding putting together a budget system. Finally I have some confidence to drop 1k. Thank you
Awesome video. I just bought OpenSound Meter for the iPad. Dual FFT and you can use cheap mics or even the built-in mic. It has internal loop back. You can even see live phase traces and impulse responses. That can really help with placement and phase integration of your subs. You don’t have to spend a ton to start playing with EQ.
Hi Erin! This kind of video is what I need! I hope in your future speaker reviews, you will always include at least 3 PEQ points suggestion.. That will greatly help us people who are not that knowledgeable enough on calibrating our speakers.. Thank you!
Perfect timing. Yesterday my son in law inquires about their first system ... he was eying eyeing a House of Marley Bluetooth turntable, Bluetooth mini speaker turn-key combo. I suggested building a system around a receiver, a pair of KEF Q-150, and a sub. I hadn't considered the WiiM ... so, perfect timing. That may be better, easier. Thinking. Nice. The included contouring info is great, a huge value to so many prospective buyers ... taming the aberrant Klippel verified characteristics ... step by step. Great stuff Erin. Anyone can pay Wilson to come in and set up a million dollar two channel system! But getting acceptably great sound at rock bottom budgets is challenging. This video should explode, it's of such quality, high value; Buy this, do this, enjoy. Fantastic
Thanks, man. My videos rarely do extremely well but I’m hopeful it reaches the right people who are interested in this topic. Trying to make the “barrier of entry” much easier.
I use "Audio Tool" on Android for it's quick but detailed real time analyzer. I think it's different then the one you showed but same idea. Anyway, Dayton Audio makes a cheap but decent 'calibrated' mic (iMM-6) that works great with Audio Tool. That mic is on sale right now for $22 at parts express. The Audio Tool app with the (iMM-6) together is a very capable analyzer package for pocket change pricing. If anyone requires a USB-C mic, Dayton Audio makes the (iMM-6C) but it's double the cost of the (iMM-6). Just some food for thought. Cheers 🍻
You can never ignore off-axis response. Not unless you're listening outdoors or an anechoic chamber. The reflected sound always makes it way back to you. And, for this reason, the reflected sound could arguably be *more important* than the direct sound.
@@ErinsAudioCorner it's overwhelming trying to pick out 5.1 or 5.1.2 for a 12 x 18 x 8 room. I've heard good sound bars including with subs and surrounds, but wanted to dive into full on separates. There's so much info and sooo many options though I may just settle on a soundbar solution.
A good video and good information. Glad to see someone talking about EQ, even if at the level of basic tone controls. This is how we always got by on a budget. It's damn near impossible to do it without. I ended up getting a used mini PC and a used AVR with 120wpc/8Ohm and an external DAC for about the same as the wiim. I knew I would want more power and more comprehensive bass management. When I started in audio, underpowered amps and speakers were frustrating to 'just get by' with, like a constant tease or what amounts to the 'blue balls' of audio. One can still listen quietly on a powerful system but not the other way around. Anymore, I tell anyone who claims to be serious about music, even if they don't realize it yet, to buy much more power than they can use, even if this means buying used. Most bookshelf speakers are just too inefficient to be taken seriously in these lower power designs. Head room is so understated these days, the benefits of which are no less true than they ever were. In spite of the efficiencies of class D, we still aren't getting something for nothing.
I just got the Neumi BS5 speakers yesterday after getting home from Costco to return the Klipsch version of the Jamo 803's. Hooked them up to listen right away. Everything you said objectively is accurate! Imagine that! You saved another lost soul from unnecessary ear abuse. Here's the best part. Every time I would play music through the KD-51M's my wife had no interest in them and just tolerated it, I guess. I hooked up the Neumi's and they drew her right out of the kitchen and sat with me to enjoy them! I didnt ask her or say anything. They are wife approved. She also thought they looked cool! I am still happy and in shock. Cant wait to hook up the Elac 1010 Subwoofer sitting here and set the crossover they way you told me. 100-120hz. Those Jamo's sucked!
I’m a low volume, lower budget guy but the tuning with DSP part was really helpful. I’d rather focus on maximizing my existing system before buying new equipment. Great stuff again! I settled on a pair of DBR62s after the Q150 vs DBR62 trials. I’m constrained to placing close to rear wall and the Elacs sounded better in that position as well as looking nicer.
I got my Q150s when they were on sale @ $300. Not sure I would pull the trigger at their full price. I really like them, but they seem to go on sale a few times a year.
Great stuff. The only issue is that you need to have data from a Klippel FR for the particular speaker you want to correct with the DSP. I wonder if pro-woofer speaker designs may be better solutions if you have access to DSP and a Sub as they can excel in areas that can't be fixed by a DSP/Sub (efficiency, compression and distortion). It would also be interesting to see if the DSPs in AVRs could be used for such frequency correction as this is a much more common device used by the masses. Take a speaker that has good distortion characteristics above the crossover to the sub, but has less than optimal FR. Run the speaker with your Klippel as a baseline. Then, let the AVR DSPs "correct" the room FR (Dirac, Audessey, YPAO...). Report your in-room subjective opinion after the "correction". Then test the speakers with your Klippel feeding the DSP "corrected" electrical signal and see what the DSPs did to the Klippel response. That would be cool.
Well I have a pair of Polk XT20 for a couple of years now and I was pretty satisfied with their performance when I stumbled upon this and a couple of other Erin's videos about the XT20s. Then I decided to apply an EQ as recommended by the graphs provided and the difference after the correction made those speakers shine even more. Previously I was getting those resonances on 300 Hz and 750-900Hz and I could not tell what exactly was going wrong (especially on high volumes). Now it all makes sense. The high freq boost on these speakers wasn't bothering me much because my hearing is somewhat degraded up there. When all those 3 bands got tamed by the EQ everything came in its right place. I also turned down a little of 130Hz and removed some booming.
I would love to see this format of video for desktop setups with both active and passive speakers. People spend a lot of time at computers now. I know I'm not the only one looking for good desktop sound options beyond powered studio monitors.
Had 2 ELAC 1020s bought at best but at a ridiculous discount. Never could get them to dial in, even using Elacs app, replaced with a single SVS 3000 micro pro, which is amazing in my room,which has carpeting and measures 21x15
Excellent video that should be revisited and updated every few years. I love your audio reviews. You give me exactly the information I'm looking for without have to decipher biases.
Good video. A basic question however. I know that a flat response is often referred to as "accurate" but I don't know that accurate is better for any given situation. How do you know that "flat" is the best for speakers ?
When you have the time, I encourage you to watch this video. This is discussion one research into understanding what we generally prefer to hear out of a speaker. th-cam.com/video/zrpUDuUtxPM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MBI-pAd4TjuuVYPY
When someone uses the word "accurate" it's time to find someone else whi knows what they're talking about. Accurate doesn't describe anything, accurate to what?
Just a quick note from across the pond. I know the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1s are $450 in the US, but they’re only £250 over here, which makes them an absolute steal, and an almost perfect match. That makes these and the WiiM Amp a total of £550, add a sub of your choice.
Amazing. I need a bedroom setup for my vacation home and this is great. Previously I’ve made my own streamer using a raspberry pi, allo digi one hat, and kadas tone board out to a fosi or Sony or whatever amp. This wiim amp thing just seems insane. I use a wiim mini in my dad’s garage system just I didn’t have to make him a raspberry pi allo digi one and it works great but I still had to buy the dac and amp. This wiim amp thing is genius for budget small room oriented systems or for less than audiophile needed sound.
I forget what sale it was, but that C912 sub you tested at $229 went down to 150, and it struck me how insane of a deal that was, considering its performance. Do you know of any subs in that 300ish dollar range that could individually compete with 2 C912s? Or is buying 2 mid subwoofers to equal one better subwoofer just a flawed idea in the first place?
@ErinsAudioCorner I wish that was made clearer but thats great news! Thanks for clearing that up Erin. I wonder how it compares to the SMSL A300 which also has a fixed 50hz HPF that can be toggled on/off. It seems the WiiM Amp has better bass management.
Even before seeing this video, I've done something similar just by watching your reviews. I’m using wiim amp (€369 new) elac dbr62 (€350 new) b&w asw610 (€300 used). I would love to see how you would eq the dbr62 with 3 bands just how you did with the speakers chosen in this video 😃
It’s thoughtful of you to make a video on budget systems. I’ve spent years building different systems and swapping out old gear for new gear and it’s always a quest to find the best synergy. It’s a hobby that’s keeps on giving and surprising. I’m sure your video will help someone who’s just starting out in this hobby find a foot hold to build on. Cheers 🍻
I have a question that isn’t related to this video… Is there a computer speaker system that has a 10" or 12" subwoofer system that you'd recommend? I have a Klipsch system with the 2 satellite speakers & the 8" subwoofer, but I’ve blown the subwoofer on both of the systems that I’ve bought. I’m looking for a slightly larger woofer so it won’t get blown.
The Q150s and a pair of elac subs would be interesting... Raise the xo a bit to take even more load off the wiim and coax drivers and that system would be epic.
elac b6.2 (tweeter grills taken off) is a better option, right ? when you listen to a good test track like Allan Taylor - Beat Hotel, you can hear that the drivers provide better immeasureable detail - due to this the 3D imaging form is perceived as complete (this has nothing to do with off-axis uniformity or wall reflections, it's just about the resolution of the drivers).
Thank you, Erin. Excellent video. I appreciate this very much. I still don't understand eaqulization and measuring that well. I need to watch some more instructional videos. I am going to try the q 150 set up with your eq plots.
Hello, I bought in januari my wiim amp with the sonus faber lumina1 as my first hifi set. Order last week the sonus faber gravis1 subwoofer for more bass. M.k Netherlands
For inexpensive speaker port plugs I've used 2" (or appropriate size for the port) square black foam window insulation without adhesive and trimmed the corners with a sharp razor blade to make an octagon shape. Works great for budget speakers with problematic ports which aren't designed great and have problems like chuffing etc. Erin - why the Neumi BS5 instead of the Silk 4? The latter seemed overall better baseline. Based on your review, the only major reason I can think of is because of the limited medium-high SPL capability of the Silk 4, but a crossed over subwoofer should help with that. The Silk 4 might not be great for high volume in a medium-large 18x14x9 room (2200 cubic feet) , but for rooms around 1500 cubic feet (12x14x9) I would think they'd be ok.
Great video! Thanks for the info 🙌🏼 A question: are speaker stands a must? I see all kinds of information on which types to buy and the ones to avoid… I’m so confused 😅. Are they way better than just using foam pads under?
What about WiiM preamp with some active pro speakers?? I bet that will have better price/performance. And looking at these pretty ugly speakers you don’t loose much aesthetics going with pro speakers
Most pro Audio speakers in this price and size class have pretty aggressive limiters. Which means you lose output as you increase the volume. And that makes it even harder to match with a proper subwoofer. I wouldn’t use them myself for that reason. That’s why I don’t typically recommend them anymore.
@@vitalii1372This is what I do - Wiim preamp, passed through a Art Cleanbox Pro, to a pair of LP-6 v2 speakers and a DIY sub. I route the unbalanced in to balanced out on the Cleanbox, and then split the signal - one goes straight to the LP-6s, and the other path loops back via the Cleanbox balanced in, back to unbalanced out to my sub. That way, I can play with gain between the sub and stereo pair.
A great idea to show us the WiiM Amp. What do you think about KEF Q350 regarding the Q150 of this video? Do you have data for Q350 or plans to review it?
Erin, if your budget is a little higher than the Q150, what speaker would you recommend? I have tried the Elac UB52 but found them too dull/boring, triangle Bro 3 the midrange was so so and treble a bit bright, SSCS5 liked midrange but too bright/harsh, RSL CG25 just a nightmare to EQ and tweeter sounded bad to my ears (like piped in white noise when cymbals hit). Monolith 465ts for movie theater but so so for music. Emotiva BasX A2M amp with WiiM pro and su-1 dac. Have a sub but can’t hook up until I get preamp. Just getting frustrated with string of disappointing speakers. I have good hearing and am learning thin sounding overly bright speakers sound bad to me, but so do speakers that are veiled and muddy. Half way to giving up on this hobby tbh because everything is so disappointing.
Maybe Wharfedale diamond? Though also not perfect. Perhaps you can increase the budget and try Ascend Sierra, or Philharmonic mini monitors or similar. Also do consider what your room may be like. Many times there are problems if it's very reflective. Maybe try and look at measurements of speakers you tried and correlates it to what you heard (on and off axis response; in room response)
@@RennieAshThanks, I was actually looking at the Wharfdale EVO 4.1 but was afraid the AMT might be too bright. Seems like from reviews it is not. I have a lot of books and bookshelves in the room and a PVC type floor in half the room (weight room/office), very little hard surface flooring for sound waves to bounce off. The big downside is that I have the speakers on an actual bookshelf close to the wall, so that is probably my biggest issue. I did notice that going from an SMSL class D amp to a traditional A/B amp helped a lot.
You just gave me an idea on how to use the wiiamp. I have wired for ceiling speakers in my kitchen and was looking at blue sound and other options but this is far more budget friendly for that application as I see it does have music streaming built in.
Nice analysis and rationale, Erin! Since you made the video, RSL has released the 10e sub, which seems way better than the Elac 10 for $100 more. I wonder if you would agree. More importantly, I wonder if you are planning a review of the RSL10e. Thanks!
Elac BS41's on sale at about $140 would be ok also above the Neumi's. The BS41's will need the benefit of a little EQ from the app, but decent results are obtainable.
Why are the kef150 at 500 dollars??? They have been 349 on Amazon for over a year now. As you said in this video. Anyways 3 weeks ago I paired the kef q150 with wiim amp and it sounds amazing . I have the q150 on speaker stands and 6ft apart , I do use the port plugs because they are a little close to the walls . Overall very good setup for 650.00 without the stands . It would be very hard to beat this setup for the same price. Also with the wiim amp and the Q150 I’m not getting any brightness at all . And I’m very sensitive to bright speakers I always go with neutral or warm and I think the kef q150 is more on the warm side.
Great video, i think this will be helpful to a lot of people.. especially the phone/bass measuring. I do hope we start seeing more products with PEQ function in the future. I've tried Minidsp's & Minidsp Dirac products but my favorite device for digital content listening has been a RME dac due to its PEQ functions. Same with SVS subs. There are subjectively better dacs & subs but i always rotate back to those products due to the eq functions.
The Monolith by Monoprice Audition B4 are on sale for $49 each right now. I haven’t heard them yet but the B5’s have pretty good reviews. The B5’s are on sale for $69 each right now too. Those might be good options for a setup like this.
Hi Erin! I purchased several speakers to audition and I'm having a hard time deciding on which pair to keep. I'm listening in the very near field as desktop speakers. The speakers in question are the Nuemi BS5 and the SVS Prime Bookshelf. I've heard rave reviews on the SVS Primes and looking at the data, one would think that's the clear winner. The build seems solid and they do sound good. However, when comparing to the Neumi, I can't help but think that the BS5's sound warmer and overall more neutral vs the Primes which to me sound a bit bright even when toed out. Would REALLY like to know what you think about that comparison. I know they're vastly different in price but seem to have similar dispersion. The Primes are probably broken in considering they're from SVS Outlet. The BS5's were purchased new from Amazon and I played roughly 15 hours of varying music. I'm using probably not a great DAC, Fosi BT30D, but it's what I have for now on budget.
Right!? I mean this is the first time I've ever auditioned an SVS speaker but I felt those highs were a bit hot. Of course I could EQ but that's not the point. Why does a cheap speaker sound better to my non-educated ears and brain?@@crazyprayingmantis5596
A Polk PSW-10 would work well too, as an alternate sub, and much cheaper than $200, if you can catch a good Amazon sale, around $159., and also, the Polk PSW-10 is front ported...
@@pfslik I actually use a PSW-10 on the sub out from a Yamaha BR-20A soundbar via the hdmi arc connection to an LG flatscreen smartTV in a small den. Also have a $75 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Disk player hooked into the TV also. Nice and cheap, but does the job nicely. I prefer my CD listening on a stereo from another room, but for concert footage, you tube, audio/video streaming music and movies, and such, the soundbar/sub combo is more than adequate. I'm not an HT purist or 25 Hz fanatic, so all was good enough. Setup was easy and convenient with the front ported sub, but took a few beats to get the levels and EQ dialed in, but all minor challenges. My decision to go with the Polk was decided by a 10" sub shootout Erin did a few years ago. I had also considered the Elac 10" sub, but it wasn't available when I was in purchasing mode.
What I don't understand is if you use the wiim for bass management or a blue sound for that matter, what do you do with the physical controls for volume and crossover on the subwoofer? Do you set them at zero?
There are level controls on the WiiM. But, I'd recommend maxing out the input on the subwoofer and using the WiiM to dial that down. That way if you find you want more from time to time you can just increase it from the app.
Thanks for the video. Finding a good price to performance solution is invaluable. I have been trying to find a good blend that would result in me liking my SVS Ultra Bookshelves with sub more than I like LR JBL Studio 590's. I am trying to figure out how to describe what is in the JBL towers that I like better. I haven't been able to get a similar result with bookshelf and sub. Maybe I just like mid and low bass better than sub bass. I like sub bass once in a while but, for me, it tends to interfere with the punchy bass that I prefer. Could it be that a good practice would be to have the sub far away from the mains ? This is for music considerations, not theater. I got hooked on the sound of big tower usage without Subs. To give an idea.. I also have RP-8000f II which a few have wished for them to produce more bass. Feeding them with a Sansui 2000 with its low wattage spec, I am able to get more than enough bass. 18 by 14 foot room with berber carpet in the basement. No room treatment what so ever.
Hey, Erin, our favorite audio facts deliverer! Recently heard DB62 and UBR62 speakers, unfortunately there was no chance to try DBR62, which was planned. Now picking my first stereo system. Please give your thoughts for choosing between KEF's Q150 and ELAC's DBR62, while choosing between Wiim Amp and Aiyima A70 amp with some DAC. My concern is that wiim is not sufficient to unfold/reveal elacs potential, but I plan to use it all in my ~20 square meters living room (~215 square feet). Please ask me provide more info, if needed. Interested in heavy/prog metal with vocals and melodic synths at first, but ABBA, Dire S., M. Jackson, Infected Mushroom and much more too :P. Appreciate your work, you're the best!
Great video and lots of helpful info. Question on the WIIM amp: Obviously you have the 4 bands of PEQ and a variable low pass filter for the sub, but does it allow you to high pass the mains when using a sub? This is a feature rarely available from any budget amp or preamp and would be a huge selling point for the WIIM amp if it actually possesses this functionality. Thanks!
To me, "killer sound" is the primary room where music (and likely movies) are listened to. I agreed with your takeaways from the WiiM amp review, so I find its recommendation here surprising. I would point to the WiiM amp as a good secondary room option or desktop option for someone who is already a few steps into the audiophile waters, just as you did in your review, and would not tax it with a room aimed at killer sound. The Yamaha A-S301 is an entry-level integrated that doesn't pack the features of the WiiM amp, but it's a proven device with reliable, consistent power and absolutely no weirdness to speak of. This to me seems more important than the WiiM amp's equalization options and streaming options when placed in a primary room. I would trust the A-S301 to hit the peaks desired for a larger space and hold up well over long-term use with a dependable warranty, with minimal frustration. A great option for a beginner getting their toes wet. Stretching a bit, the Arcam S10 seems to be locked in at $500 for its unofficial clearance EOL, and will blow the doors off of basically anything at that price point. It also will extract better low-end performance from just about any speaker. Who knows how long it'll sell for that price I guess? I know you're a kick-drum guy, but dropping $500 for the Arcam, $400 for the Elac Debut B6.2s (which are currently bundled with speaker stands!) and $50 on decent speaker wire is how I'd start anyone willing to hit the $1000 point who is attaching it to a TV anyway. That's a great start that is totally usable out of the box, but has room to add more functionality and/or more performance via a subwoofer. The $700 price point would be totally doable with the A-S301 I mentioned + the KEFs, though I'd probably still do the Debut B6.2s because of that stand deal.
I see four options now: 1. USB to optical converter 2. USB DAC connecting through RCA to WiiM Amp, e.g. S.M.S.L. SU-1 3. USB headphone DAC/amp that has an optical / line-out 4. AUX to RCA cable
Great video, thanks! Would like to have similar recommendation (+price tiers) with active studio monitors + DAC. For nearfield listening with lowish volume dont really need a sub. Will equalization still be a big deal in that case? (Still waiting your Kali LP unf review!)
Great, Great video on how to simply correct most of the issues with these inexpensive speakers, but especially on how to correct bass issues with just a phone! Some other objective reviewers will probably lose their sh1t if they see the correct bass with phone part. However, simple, honest methods like this that work 'good enough' are what most who into audio are looking for anyways. Thank you very much for this video, it was worth the wait!
No doubt. The room dominates below around 500Hz for most rooms. So by 300Hz or so a phone is plenty effective to basic EQ measurements. When I tune my own system I use my phone for bass. No sense in breaking out the laptop and multi-mic array for basic things like this. 👍
I have some eq'd Edifiers MR4 and curiously, they seem quite bassy in my bedroom. I use so many bands on that sucker lol I use either Peace GUI and Equalizer APO or my Qudelix5k dacamp's software
I think they're great bang for buck desktop speakers, I don't like the stepped volume though, it goes from soft to too loud in one step, needs more smooth graduall volume control but they're my recommendation for a small setup or desktop on a budget.
It’s a good speaker. I initially had a list of five speakers, but whittled it down to just these three. That particular speaker was on the original list.
I like the IDEA of the WiiM Amp, but the price seems crazy to me for the lack of power. Even though it'd be a little more complicated I'd go with something like an Arylic BP50 preamp into a Fosi V3 amp. Way more power for half the price.
FWIW ... the Wiim Amp uses the same TPA3255 Class-D chip as the V3 and Za3, TB10d, A07, A07 Pro, A07 Max... and a couple of dozen others. The power and general characteristics between them is essentially identical. If Erin reviews a few of them he's going to be reporting almost carbon copy graphs and results. The Wiim Amp is no better and no worse than the rest of them.
I havent tried the kef q150 but had the q350 along with the first version ls50 and ls50 meta and i liked the q350 better (no sub needed for me), maybe the ls50 if your a nearfield critical low level listener other than that the q350 was more enjoyable, deeper and could get much louder if wanted. So id be curious to try the q150, i dont see many other options to where you could beat the q350 ive had for that type of money, very good speakers.
Step 1: WiiM Amp - howl.me/clzbSEeyLR3
Step 2: Stands - howl.me/clGPMsmm5fe
Step 3: Subwoofer ELAC SUB1010 - amzn.to/3uLaNGU
Step 4a: Speaker Cable - howl.me/clGPQEsxUBU (x2)
Step 4b: Subwoofer Cable - howl.me/clGPVYRA5S2
Step 5: Speakers:
🔈 Neumi BS5 - amzn.to/3OO8ppl
🔉 Polk XT20 - howl.me/ch05CVegtkY
🔊 KEF Q150 - howl.me/chErfTFc1On
Purchases through these links can earn me a small commission - at no additional cost to you - and help me continue to provide the community with free content and reviews. It is very much appreciated.
These types of videos are so much!
For my money ($1022 to be exact):
I'm buying a pair of self-powered Kanto TUK's refurbished Amazon and an SVS SB1000 Pro refurbished also on Amazon. (Yes, I cheated😅)
I don't typically chime in online when people are asking for system recommendations, but I've guided a few friends, family and co-workers over the years. I typically point out active or powered speakers because they often want something easy to use, that won't dominate a room and isn't too expensive. Most people love music but it's only a small percentage of us that fall in love with the gear and system building/tweaking, lol. I've given away a lot of gear to friends and family, and not because I've got it to spend but because I like doing it and their response when they experience it in their home is priceless!
Yeah, it’s definitely awesome. When you are able to introduce people to what a good stereo system could sound like. Especially when it’s on a reasonable budget.
I absolutely love budget audio. There's just something so fun about cobbling together misfit components and it still sounding fantastic. I think its especially fun when everything is purchased on the used market, but i know that not everyone has accessed to a good pool of used stuff.
Great video! I've helped some friends with budget systems. Going 2.1 instead of a sound bar and getting some hifi as a result. You bringing measurements and EQ to the table in this space is next level. Huge value.
Thanks!
Grabbed those Polk's for $130 out the door open box special out the door. Hope they get lots of hours of happiness for my daughter. Powering them with a Emotiva TA 1. Used Boston acoustic sub for $90. Her twin brother is running Harmon Kardon AVR, paid around $125 Qacoustics 3030i's paid $350 Klipsch 120sw for around $300. Love it when there friends hear one of their budget systems and are in awe. Sound bars suck.
In this price category, I always suggest the SMSL D6 DAC, and two JBL 308P monitors. They are basically flat down to 45hz, balanced output, Bluetooth and optical so you can hook up to your TV and use your phone, and if you want to add a streamer, the Wiim mini is like 80-90 bucks. The monitors are adjustable for boundary conditions with high and low frequency trim switches. AND you get a remote control for volume control from the listening position!
One of your best videos Erin!
If only more reviewers were brave enough to promote the reality that budget allocation should be weighted as much as possible to the speakers and the ability to EQ for room modes.
And you didn’t even emphasise the fact that the Wiim amp includes one of the best streamers on the market. Outstanding value!
Thanks. I was targeting this video toward the newcomers of the hobby and didn't want to lose them by making a 30 minute "how to" video on subwoofer setup (which would take much longer and extremely more understanding about room acoustics than a newcomer is going to have at this point). I'll likely make a follow up video for discussing those kind of things later. But for now I just wanted to answer a question I've been asked for the last ~4 years. :D
@@ErinsAudioCorner that would be a great follow up video. I’d also like to see a similar video to this one but with budget up to $5000 😎
Some newbies have plenty of $$$$
Thank you! I took your advice, bought the components (went with the kef speakers and ELAC sub but got the 12” version). It brought tears to my eyes. No hyperbole here, seriously. Can’t wait for my stands to get here so I can finish the setup process and eq for the room. I hadn’t realized how much the quality of sound had slipped over time and this is so inexpensive! Some may not think so, but the sound I’m getting out of this combo is blowing my mind!
This is the masterpiece we needed to evangelize newbies in hi-fi. Great!!!
Just what I needed.
Most informative video I’ve watched regarding putting together a budget system.
Finally I have some confidence to drop 1k.
Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome video. I just bought OpenSound Meter for the iPad. Dual FFT and you can use cheap mics or even the built-in mic. It has internal loop back. You can even see live phase traces and impulse responses. That can really help with placement and phase integration of your subs. You don’t have to spend a ton to start playing with EQ.
Hi Erin! This kind of video is what I need! I hope in your future speaker reviews, you will always include at least 3 PEQ points suggestion.. That will greatly help us people who are not that knowledgeable enough on calibrating our speakers.. Thank you!
Perfect timing.
Yesterday my son in law inquires about their first system ... he was eying eyeing a House of Marley Bluetooth turntable, Bluetooth mini speaker turn-key combo.
I suggested building a system around a receiver, a pair of KEF Q-150, and a sub.
I hadn't considered the WiiM ... so, perfect timing. That may be better, easier. Thinking. Nice.
The included contouring info is great, a huge value to so many prospective buyers ... taming the aberrant Klippel verified characteristics ... step by step. Great stuff Erin.
Anyone can pay Wilson to come in and set up a million dollar two channel system!
But getting acceptably great sound at rock bottom budgets is challenging.
This video should explode, it's of such quality, high value;
Buy this, do this, enjoy.
Fantastic
Thanks, man. My videos rarely do extremely well but I’m hopeful it reaches the right people who are interested in this topic. Trying to make the “barrier of entry” much easier.
I use "Audio Tool" on Android for it's quick but detailed real time analyzer. I think it's different then the one you showed but same idea. Anyway, Dayton Audio makes a cheap but decent 'calibrated' mic (iMM-6) that works great with Audio Tool. That mic is on sale right now for $22 at parts express. The Audio Tool app with the (iMM-6) together is a very capable analyzer package for pocket change pricing. If anyone requires a USB-C mic, Dayton Audio makes the (iMM-6C) but it's double the cost of the (iMM-6). Just some food for thought.
Cheers 🍻
Thank you for this!🙂
Cheers for this info very helpful
What i really need is a video like this but for general home theater recommendations, and completely ignoring off axis concerns, just solely for MLP
You can never ignore off-axis response. Not unless you're listening outdoors or an anechoic chamber. The reflected sound always makes it way back to you. And, for this reason, the reflected sound could arguably be *more important* than the direct sound.
@@ErinsAudioCorner damn I've got a lot to learn lol
@@ErinsAudioCorner it's overwhelming trying to pick out 5.1 or 5.1.2 for a 12 x 18 x 8 room. I've heard good sound bars including with subs and surrounds, but wanted to dive into full on separates. There's so much info and sooo many options though I may just settle on a soundbar solution.
A good video and good information. Glad to see someone talking about EQ, even if at the level of basic tone controls. This is how we always got by on a budget. It's damn near impossible to do it without.
I ended up getting a used mini PC and a used AVR with 120wpc/8Ohm and an external DAC for about the same as the wiim. I knew I would want more power and more comprehensive bass management. When I started in audio, underpowered amps and speakers were frustrating to 'just get by' with, like a constant tease or what amounts to the 'blue balls' of audio. One can still listen quietly on a powerful system but not the other way around. Anymore, I tell anyone who claims to be serious about music, even if they don't realize it yet, to buy much more power than they can use, even if this means buying used.
Most bookshelf speakers are just too inefficient to be taken seriously in these lower power designs. Head room is so understated these days, the benefits of which are no less true than they ever were. In spite of the efficiencies of class D, we still aren't getting something for nothing.
Thanks. 😎
Great video. I feel like this brings all your strengths together . Love it.
Thank you so much!
I just got the Neumi BS5 speakers yesterday after getting home from Costco to return the Klipsch version of the Jamo 803's. Hooked them up to listen right away. Everything you said objectively is accurate! Imagine that! You saved another lost soul from unnecessary ear abuse. Here's the best part. Every time I would play music through the KD-51M's my wife had no interest in them and just tolerated it, I guess. I hooked up the Neumi's and they drew her right out of the kitchen and sat with me to enjoy them! I didnt ask her or say anything. They are wife approved. She also thought they looked cool! I am still happy and in shock. Cant wait to hook up the Elac 1010 Subwoofer sitting here and set the crossover they way you told me. 100-120hz. Those Jamo's sucked!
Helpful video.
Awesome that WiiM has since increased the number of bands for parametric eq from 4 to 10.
The Emotiva B1+ is still probably my favorite budget speaker. Along with the Monolilth line from Monoprice.
Emotiva B1+ is phased out, We will wait for Erin to test new Xb2, the only bookshelf by Emotiva now
I’m a low volume, lower budget guy but the tuning with DSP part was really helpful. I’d rather focus on maximizing my existing system before buying new equipment. Great stuff again!
I settled on a pair of DBR62s after the Q150 vs DBR62 trials. I’m constrained to placing close to rear wall and the Elacs sounded better in that position as well as looking nicer.
I got my Q150s when they were on sale @ $300. Not sure I would pull the trigger at their full price. I really like them, but they seem to go on sale a few times a year.
the KEF Q150 are $350/pair right now, saving $250! great video
Nice!
Great stuff. The only issue is that you need to have data from a Klippel FR for the particular speaker you want to correct with the DSP. I wonder if pro-woofer speaker designs may be better solutions if you have access to DSP and a Sub as they can excel in areas that can't be fixed by a DSP/Sub (efficiency, compression and distortion). It would also be interesting to see if the DSPs in AVRs could be used for such frequency correction as this is a much more common device used by the masses. Take a speaker that has good distortion characteristics above the crossover to the sub, but has less than optimal FR. Run the speaker with your Klippel as a baseline. Then, let the AVR DSPs "correct" the room FR (Dirac, Audessey, YPAO...). Report your in-room subjective opinion after the "correction". Then test the speakers with your Klippel feeding the DSP "corrected" electrical signal and see what the DSPs did to the Klippel response. That would be cool.
Well I have a pair of Polk XT20 for a couple of years now and I was pretty satisfied with their performance when I stumbled upon this and a couple of other Erin's videos about the XT20s. Then I decided to apply an EQ as recommended by the graphs provided and the difference after the correction made those speakers shine even more.
Previously I was getting those resonances on 300 Hz and 750-900Hz and I could not tell what exactly was going wrong (especially on high volumes). Now it all makes sense. The high freq boost on these speakers wasn't bothering me much because my hearing is somewhat degraded up there. When all those 3 bands got tamed by the EQ everything came in its right place. I also turned down a little of 130Hz and removed some booming.
That's awesome to hear!
Didn't know about the cellphone hack, very cool. Have a large room mode in my office - can't wait to try it out.
I would love to see this format of video for desktop setups with both active and passive speakers. People spend a lot of time at computers now. I know I'm not the only one looking for good desktop sound options beyond powered studio monitors.
Probably a silly question: Can we skimp on the amp using an active speaker that has a sub out?
Wiim Amp now has 10 bands of PEQ!
Here in the UK I cannot find the Elac sub for sale, what would be an alternative that's available in the UK? Thanks!
Had 2 ELAC 1020s bought at best but at a ridiculous discount. Never could get them to dial in, even using Elacs app, replaced with a single SVS 3000 micro pro, which is amazing in my room,which has carpeting and measures 21x15
Excellent video that should be revisited and updated every few years. I love your audio reviews. You give me exactly the information I'm looking for without have to decipher biases.
Looks like you have 10 band EQ access on the Wiim app now, which seems like a pretty nice addition!
This is a perfect video for starters! I have forwarded it to 2 friends, very curious what comes out of it.
Thanks for sharing!
Good video. A basic question however. I know that a flat response is often referred to as "accurate" but I don't know that accurate is better for any given situation. How do you know that "flat" is the best for speakers ?
When you have the time, I encourage you to watch this video. This is discussion one research into understanding what we generally prefer to hear out of a speaker.
th-cam.com/video/zrpUDuUtxPM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MBI-pAd4TjuuVYPY
When someone uses the word "accurate" it's time to find someone else whi knows what they're talking about.
Accurate doesn't describe anything, accurate to what?
Just a quick note from across the pond. I know the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1s are $450 in the US, but they’re only £250 over here, which makes them an absolute steal, and an almost perfect match.
That makes these and the WiiM Amp a total of £550, add a sub of your choice.
Amazing. I need a bedroom setup for my vacation home and this is great. Previously I’ve made my own streamer using a raspberry pi, allo digi one hat, and kadas tone board out to a fosi or Sony or whatever amp. This wiim amp thing just seems insane. I use a wiim mini in my dad’s garage system just I didn’t have to make him a raspberry pi allo digi one and it works great but I still had to buy the dac and amp. This wiim amp thing is genius for budget small room oriented systems or for less than audiophile needed sound.
I forget what sale it was, but that C912 sub you tested at $229 went down to 150, and it struck me how insane of a deal that was, considering its performance. Do you know of any subs in that 300ish dollar range that could individually compete with 2 C912s? Or is buying 2 mid subwoofers to equal one better subwoofer just a flawed idea in the first place?
Does the WiiM Amp have a HPF? I couldn't find anything in their documentation
It does. When the subwoofer out is enabled it high passes the mains at the selected crossover frequency.
@ErinsAudioCorner I wish that was made clearer but thats great news! Thanks for clearing that up Erin. I wonder how it compares to the SMSL A300 which also has a fixed 50hz HPF that can be toggled on/off. It seems the WiiM Amp has better bass management.
@@marcgallant5270 I discussed it in my WiiM Amp review.
Even before seeing this video, I've done something similar just by watching your reviews. I’m using wiim amp (€369 new) elac dbr62 (€350 new) b&w asw610 (€300 used). I would love to see how you would eq the dbr62 with 3 bands just how you did with the speakers chosen in this video 😃
any alternative subwoofers? the sub1010 isnt available in my country
This is probably my fav video you've made. Good stuff thank you.
Wow, thanks!
It’s thoughtful of you to make a video on budget systems.
I’ve spent years building different systems and swapping out old gear for new gear and it’s always a quest to find the best synergy.
It’s a hobby that’s keeps on giving and surprising.
I’m sure your video will help someone who’s just starting out in this hobby find a foot hold to build on. Cheers 🍻
I have a question that isn’t related to this video… Is there a computer speaker system that has a 10" or 12" subwoofer system that you'd recommend? I have a Klipsch system with the 2 satellite speakers & the 8" subwoofer, but I’ve blown the subwoofer on both of the systems that I’ve bought. I’m looking for a slightly larger woofer so it won’t get blown.
Is the Kef q150 a better buy than the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 or the Elac DBR62? Thanks!
The Q150s and a pair of elac subs would be interesting... Raise the xo a bit to take even more load off the wiim and coax drivers and that system would be epic.
elac b6.2 (tweeter grills taken off) is a better option, right ? when you listen to a good test track like Allan Taylor - Beat Hotel, you can hear that the drivers provide better immeasureable detail - due to this the 3D imaging form is perceived as complete (this has nothing to do with off-axis uniformity or wall reflections, it's just about the resolution of the drivers).
Thank you, Erin. Excellent video. I appreciate this very much. I still don't understand eaqulization and measuring that well. I need to watch some more instructional videos. I am going to try the q 150 set up with your eq plots.
Hello,
I bought in januari my wiim amp with the sonus faber lumina1 as my first hifi set. Order last week the sonus faber gravis1 subwoofer for more bass.
M.k
Netherlands
For inexpensive speaker port plugs I've used 2" (or appropriate size for the port) square black foam window insulation without adhesive and trimmed the corners with a sharp razor blade to make an octagon shape. Works great for budget speakers with problematic ports which aren't designed great and have problems like chuffing etc.
Erin - why the Neumi BS5 instead of the Silk 4? The latter seemed overall better baseline. Based on your review, the only major reason I can think of is because of the limited medium-high SPL capability of the Silk 4, but a crossed over subwoofer should help with that. The Silk 4 might not be great for high volume in a medium-large 18x14x9 room (2200 cubic feet) , but for rooms around 1500 cubic feet (12x14x9) I would think they'd be ok.
Surely you can buy foam cylinder somewhere?
I use a bundle of drinking straws, they don't completely plug the port but they slow the flow
Great video! Thanks for the info 🙌🏼
A question: are speaker stands a must? I see all kinds of information on which types to buy and the ones to avoid… I’m so confused 😅. Are they way better than just using foam pads under?
What about WiiM preamp with some active pro speakers?? I bet that will have better price/performance. And looking at these pretty ugly speakers you don’t loose much aesthetics going with pro speakers
Ah. WiiM preamp doesn’t have sub out (
Most pro Audio speakers in this price and size class have pretty aggressive limiters. Which means you lose output as you increase the volume. And that makes it even harder to match with a proper subwoofer. I wouldn’t use them myself for that reason. That’s why I don’t typically recommend them anymore.
@@vitalii1372This is what I do - Wiim preamp, passed through a Art Cleanbox Pro, to a pair of LP-6 v2 speakers and a DIY sub. I route the unbalanced in to balanced out on the Cleanbox, and then split the signal - one goes straight to the LP-6s, and the other path loops back via the Cleanbox balanced in, back to unbalanced out to my sub. That way, I can play with gain between the sub and stereo pair.
A great idea to show us the WiiM Amp. What do you think about KEF Q350 regarding the Q150 of this video? Do you have data for Q350 or plans to review it?
I was planning to get the BS5P but it's out of stock now. Do you have any similar price recommendations for speakers with built in amps under $200?
Thank you so much for this video!
Do you think it might work to use the KEF Q350 instead of the Q150? Or would the Wiim Amp run short of power?
Erin, if your budget is a little higher than the Q150, what speaker would you recommend? I have tried the Elac UB52 but found them too dull/boring, triangle Bro 3 the midrange was so so and treble a bit bright, SSCS5 liked midrange but too bright/harsh, RSL CG25 just a nightmare to EQ and tweeter sounded bad to my ears (like piped in white noise when cymbals hit). Monolith 465ts for movie theater but so so for music. Emotiva BasX A2M amp with WiiM pro and su-1 dac. Have a sub but can’t hook up until I get preamp. Just getting frustrated with string of disappointing speakers. I have good hearing and am learning thin sounding overly bright speakers sound bad to me, but so do speakers that are veiled and muddy. Half way to giving up on this hobby tbh because everything is so disappointing.
Maybe Wharfedale diamond? Though also not perfect.
Perhaps you can increase the budget and try Ascend Sierra, or Philharmonic mini monitors or similar.
Also do consider what your room may be like. Many times there are problems if it's very reflective.
Maybe try and look at measurements of speakers you tried and correlates it to what you heard (on and off axis response; in room response)
@@RennieAshThanks, I was actually looking at the Wharfdale EVO 4.1 but was afraid the AMT might be too bright. Seems like from reviews it is not. I have a lot of books and bookshelves in the room and a PVC type floor in half the room (weight room/office), very little hard surface flooring for sound waves to bounce off. The big downside is that I have the speakers on an actual bookshelf close to the wall, so that is probably my biggest issue. I did notice that going from an SMSL class D amp to a traditional A/B amp helped a lot.
I like this content but can you explain HOW to EQ? I think the freq and gain are self explanatory, but what is the filter and Q and how do they work?
You just gave me an idea on how to use the wiiamp. I have wired for ceiling speakers in my kitchen and was looking at blue sound and other options but this is far more budget friendly for that application as I see it does have music streaming built in.
Nice analysis and rationale, Erin! Since you made the video, RSL has released the 10e sub, which seems way better than the Elac 10 for $100 more. I wonder if you would agree. More importantly, I wonder if you are planning a review of the RSL10e.
Thanks!
Elac BS41's on sale at about $140 would be ok also above the Neumi's. The BS41's will need the benefit of a little EQ from the app, but decent results are obtainable.
I have the q150 too. It sounds better than it measures.
Peachtree M25X - Triangle BR02 CONNECT - Kanto TUK - ARGON AUDIO FORTE A5 MK2 - Transparent One Encore Plus are my favorite dekstop speakers. :)
What about the SVS Prime Bookshelf Speakers vs the KEF Q150 ??
Hi Erin, how it's possible these Chip amplifiers to consume so little electrical power while they produce so much musical watts?
Why are the kef150 at 500 dollars??? They have been 349 on Amazon for over a year now. As you said in this video. Anyways 3 weeks ago I paired the kef q150 with wiim amp and it sounds amazing . I have the q150 on speaker stands and 6ft apart , I do use the port plugs because they are a little close to the walls . Overall very good setup for 650.00 without the stands . It would be very hard to beat this setup for the same price. Also with the wiim amp and the Q150 I’m not getting any brightness at all . And I’m very sensitive to bright speakers I always go with neutral or warm and I think the kef q150 is more on the warm side.
I discussed this in the video. The MSRP is $500. They go back and forth between the sale price and the MSRP multiple times a year.
@@ErinsAudioCorner I understand I never seen them for 500.00
This was so helpful. I'm pulling my hair out with reviews of everything (Complete Newbie).
Thank you...
Great video!
Just one question; any reason why you didn’t include the wharfedale 12 series as an option?
Great video, i think this will be helpful to a lot of people.. especially the phone/bass measuring. I do hope we start seeing more products with PEQ function in the future. I've tried Minidsp's & Minidsp Dirac products but my favorite device for digital content listening has been a RME dac due to its PEQ functions. Same with SVS subs. There are subjectively better dacs & subs but i always rotate back to those products due to the eq functions.
The Monolith by Monoprice Audition B4 are on sale for $49 each right now. I haven’t heard them yet but the B5’s have pretty good reviews. The B5’s are on sale for $69 each right now too. Those might be good options for a setup like this.
Hi Erin! I purchased several speakers to audition and I'm having a hard time deciding on which pair to keep. I'm listening in the very near field as desktop speakers. The speakers in question are the Nuemi BS5 and the SVS Prime Bookshelf. I've heard rave reviews on the SVS Primes and looking at the data, one would think that's the clear winner. The build seems solid and they do sound good. However, when comparing to the Neumi, I can't help but think that the BS5's sound warmer and overall more neutral vs the Primes which to me sound a bit bright even when toed out. Would REALLY like to know what you think about that comparison. I know they're vastly different in price but seem to have similar dispersion. The Primes are probably broken in considering they're from SVS Outlet. The BS5's were purchased new from Amazon and I played roughly 15 hours of varying music. I'm using probably not a great DAC, Fosi BT30D, but it's what I have for now on budget.
I've never liked the highs on svs speakers
Right!? I mean this is the first time I've ever auditioned an SVS speaker but I felt those highs were a bit hot. Of course I could EQ but that's not the point. Why does a cheap speaker sound better to my non-educated ears and brain?@@crazyprayingmantis5596
A Polk PSW-10 would work well too, as an alternate sub, and much cheaper than $200, if you can catch a good Amazon sale, around $159.,
and also, the Polk PSW-10 is front ported...
I agree. Alot of people poopoo on the polk sub but I think they are great for music. Not so much for movies.
@@pfslik I actually use a PSW-10 on the sub out from a Yamaha BR-20A soundbar via the hdmi arc connection to an LG flatscreen smartTV in a small den. Also have a $75 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Disk player hooked into the TV also. Nice and cheap, but does the job nicely.
I prefer my CD listening
on a stereo from another room, but for concert footage, you tube, audio/video streaming music and movies, and such, the soundbar/sub combo is more than adequate.
I'm not an HT purist or
25 Hz fanatic, so all was good enough. Setup was easy and convenient with the front ported sub, but took a few beats to get the levels and EQ dialed in, but all minor challenges. My decision to go with the Polk was decided by a 10" sub shootout Erin did a few years ago. I had also considered the Elac
10" sub, but it wasn't available when I was in purchasing mode.
Have you tried the House Curve app? I will have to try the Audio Tools app. Thx
How does the Wiim amp go with the Elac DBR62?
What I don't understand is if you use the wiim for bass management or a blue sound for that matter, what do you do with the physical controls for volume and crossover on the subwoofer? Do you set them at zero?
There are level controls on the WiiM. But, I'd recommend maxing out the input on the subwoofer and using the WiiM to dial that down. That way if you find you want more from time to time you can just increase it from the app.
Can you suggest a LR for my denon 1800h avr ?
Nice idea for a vídeo! I hope you do more like this. Maybe an affordable version and a midfi one.
Good idea. Maybe I will.
Thanks for the video. Finding a good price to performance solution is invaluable. I have been trying to find a good blend that would result in me liking my SVS Ultra Bookshelves with sub more than I like LR JBL Studio 590's. I am trying to figure out how to describe what is in the JBL towers that I like better. I haven't been able to get a similar result with bookshelf and sub.
Maybe I just like mid and low bass better than sub bass. I like sub bass once in a while but, for me, it tends to interfere with the punchy bass that I prefer.
Could it be that a good practice would be to have the sub far away from the mains ?
This is for music considerations, not theater. I got hooked on the sound of big tower usage without Subs.
To give an idea.. I also have RP-8000f II which a few have wished for them to produce more bass. Feeding them with a Sansui 2000 with its low wattage spec, I am able to get more than enough bass. 18 by 14 foot room with berber carpet in the basement. No room treatment what so ever.
Hey, Erin, our favorite audio facts deliverer! Recently heard DB62 and UBR62 speakers, unfortunately there was no chance to try DBR62, which was planned. Now picking my first stereo system. Please give your thoughts for choosing between KEF's Q150 and ELAC's DBR62, while choosing between Wiim Amp and Aiyima A70 amp with some DAC. My concern is that wiim is not sufficient to unfold/reveal elacs potential, but I plan to use it all in my ~20 square meters living room (~215 square feet). Please ask me provide more info, if needed. Interested in heavy/prog metal with vocals and melodic synths at first, but ABBA, Dire S., M. Jackson, Infected Mushroom and much more too :P. Appreciate your work, you're the best!
Great video and lots of helpful info. Question on the WIIM amp: Obviously you have the 4 bands of PEQ and a variable low pass filter for the sub, but does it allow you to high pass the mains when using a sub? This is a feature rarely available from any budget amp or preamp and would be a huge selling point for the WIIM amp if it actually possesses this functionality.
Thanks!
The crossover is for both the mains and the subwoofer out. I believe it uses LR4 crossovers but I’d have to double check.
Awesome; that's what I was hoping you would say; hah. Thanks for the fast reply!@@ErinsAudioCorner
Long time coming! Love your recommendations
The hair and beard are looking fabulous by the way 😂
Haha. Thanks, bro. I probably could use a shave.
An additional digital coaxial input would have been nice on this amp.
To me, "killer sound" is the primary room where music (and likely movies) are listened to. I agreed with your takeaways from the WiiM amp review, so I find its recommendation here surprising. I would point to the WiiM amp as a good secondary room option or desktop option for someone who is already a few steps into the audiophile waters, just as you did in your review, and would not tax it with a room aimed at killer sound.
The Yamaha A-S301 is an entry-level integrated that doesn't pack the features of the WiiM amp, but it's a proven device with reliable, consistent power and absolutely no weirdness to speak of. This to me seems more important than the WiiM amp's equalization options and streaming options when placed in a primary room. I would trust the A-S301 to hit the peaks desired for a larger space and hold up well over long-term use with a dependable warranty, with minimal frustration. A great option for a beginner getting their toes wet.
Stretching a bit, the Arcam S10 seems to be locked in at $500 for its unofficial clearance EOL, and will blow the doors off of basically anything at that price point. It also will extract better low-end performance from just about any speaker. Who knows how long it'll sell for that price I guess?
I know you're a kick-drum guy, but dropping $500 for the Arcam, $400 for the Elac Debut B6.2s (which are currently bundled with speaker stands!) and $50 on decent speaker wire is how I'd start anyone willing to hit the $1000 point who is attaching it to a TV anyway. That's a great start that is totally usable out of the box, but has room to add more functionality and/or more performance via a subwoofer.
The $700 price point would be totally doable with the A-S301 I mentioned + the KEFs, though I'd probably still do the Debut B6.2s because of that stand deal.
I want to use this setup for my Desktop PC. How do I connect the PC to the WiiM Amp?
I see four options now:
1. USB to optical converter
2. USB DAC connecting through RCA to WiiM Amp, e.g. S.M.S.L. SU-1
3. USB headphone DAC/amp that has an optical / line-out
4. AUX to RCA cable
Why not buy a Khali audio lp6?
How about the Genelec 8010s with your sub?
Only issue with the WiiM Amp is channel separation.
Awesome advice to get value on the cheap!
Great video, thanks!
Would like to have similar recommendation (+price tiers) with active studio monitors + DAC. For nearfield listening with lowish volume dont really need a sub. Will equalization still be a big deal in that case? (Still waiting your Kali LP unf review!)
Great suggestion!
Delivering the goods like always
Thanks. 😊
Great, Great video on how to simply correct most of the issues with these inexpensive speakers, but especially on how to correct bass issues with just a phone!
Some other objective reviewers will probably lose their sh1t if they see the correct bass with phone part.
However, simple, honest methods like this that work 'good enough' are what most who into audio are looking for anyways.
Thank you very much for this video, it was worth the wait!
No doubt. The room dominates below around 500Hz for most rooms. So by 300Hz or so a phone is plenty effective to basic EQ measurements. When I tune my own system I use my phone for bass. No sense in breaking out the laptop and multi-mic array for basic things like this. 👍
An excellent FYI video. Period.
What kind of camera are you using ?
Sony a6300
@@ErinsAudioCorner thanks, the video looks excellent
thanks! I also use a Sony 24mm G Master lens which helps.
@@ErinsAudioCorner almost looks 3D ish like your being pulled out of the room
Great guidance on how to put together the killer budget audio setup!
I have some eq'd Edifiers MR4 and curiously, they seem quite bassy in my bedroom. I use so many bands on that sucker lol
I use either Peace GUI and Equalizer APO or my Qudelix5k dacamp's software
I think they're great bang for buck desktop speakers, I don't like the stepped volume though, it goes from soft to too loud in one step, needs more smooth graduall volume control but they're my recommendation for a small setup or desktop on a budget.
What about the Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 bookshelf speakers a $238/pair
It’s a good speaker. I initially had a list of five speakers, but whittled it down to just these three. That particular speaker was on the original list.
That makes sense. Can't include them all. Any update on if Emotiva will be sending you their new speakers to review.?
Not yet.
I like the IDEA of the WiiM Amp, but the price seems crazy to me for the lack of power. Even though it'd be a little more complicated I'd go with something like an Arylic BP50 preamp into a Fosi V3 amp. Way more power for half the price.
How good is the Arylic? I seem to recall it had a pretty poor DAC, no?
FWIW ... the Wiim Amp uses the same TPA3255 Class-D chip as the V3 and Za3, TB10d, A07, A07 Pro, A07 Max... and a couple of dozen others. The power and general characteristics between them is essentially identical. If Erin reviews a few of them he's going to be reporting almost carbon copy graphs and results.
The Wiim Amp is no better and no worse than the rest of them.
I would add the Monolith THX satellites as a budget for a small room, of course with a sub. Great recommendations!
Center Speaker?
Awesome video erin, the Neumi BS5 has been an awesome desktop speakers. Recently picked up a used Polk ES15 for 130, can’t wait to listen to those
Very nice!
I havent tried the kef q150 but had the q350 along with the first version ls50 and ls50 meta and i liked the q350 better (no sub needed for me), maybe the ls50 if your a nearfield critical low level listener other than that the q350 was more enjoyable, deeper and could get much louder if wanted. So id be curious to try the q150, i dont see many other options to where you could beat the q350 ive had for that type of money, very good speakers.
What about the RP600M? Could it be a good candidate to be included too?
Yeah.
@@ErinsAudioCorner
Also the Elac Debut speakers.