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New speakers and integrated amplifier

IronW

Andrew
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So I was finally able to scrape together enough cash for a long overdue stereo upgrade. I've been using a pair of Gemini GSM3200 professional speakers, because when I was younger and dumber it was all about volume. I powered them with an Onkyo stereo receiver and had a Cerwin Vega powered sub. The amp in the sub went bad a year or two ago.

The tricky part is that my old stereo is downstairs, where I rarely am, and I wanted everything upstairs, but there just isn't room for tower speakers. After much measuring and discussions of rearranging with my wife, I resigned myself to the fact that towers simply weren't an option.

So the search for audiophile level bookshelf speakers began. I narrowed it down to Bower and Wilkins 606 or 706, or Golden Ear Aon 2 or BRX. The 706s or BRXs wouldn't have allowed room in the budget for a powered sub, so I was thinking the cheaper 606 or Aon 2 would be what I'd end up with. My local audio store carries both brands so I headed down to see if they had some I could listen to, or see if they had other recommendations. I told him what I was looking for in a stereo and which models I was thinking about. The last model I mentioned was the BRXs and this guy just about melted. He had their demo pair at home for a couple months and did NOT want to give them back, he just raved about them. He turned on a pair for me and I heard why he had such a high opinion of them.

I ended up buying a Yamaha A-S501 integrated amplifier and a pair of Golden Ear BRX speakers.
20200620_103203.jpg

These speakers sound phenomenal! They have pretty good bass extension so I probably won't need a subwoofer. Crystal clear, full, rich sound. This upgrade was LONG overdue and I'm very pleased.
 
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Awesome speakers! But you ought to get those puppies down to ear level (specifically tweeter height at ear level) to really hear them sing and to produce the best imaging possible.

If you REALLY want to go next level, angle them inward to create an equilateral triangle with the back of your head at optimal listening position being the 3rd point.


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IronW

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Awesome speakers! But you ought to get those puppies down to ear level (specifically tweeter height at ear level) to really hear them sing and to produce the best imaging possible.

If you REALLY want to go next level, angle them inward to create an equilateral triangle with the back of your head at optimal listening position being the 3rd point.


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I didn't want them mounted high like that but space is rather limited in my living room. The choice was to build that shelf and put the speakers high like I did, or mount the TV high and set the speakers on the TV stand. I know it's not ideal placement but fortunately these speakers still project such a 3d sound that it still sounds quite good.

Maybe when my 18 year old moves out I can setup a proper listening room in his old bedroom. But I think the wife would rather have a guest room so I'll probably not get to do that until the 10 year old is gone too.
 
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Why not reposition them at a more proper placing for a short time for a listen and see if you hear the difference and then decide if it's worth rethinking the placement?
 

IronW

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Why not reposition them at a more proper placing for a short time for a listen and see if you hear the difference and then decide if it's worth rethinking the placement?
I can most definitely hear a difference with them lower, however it really isn't an option. The tv would have to go just over a foot higher, which would be too high, and the tv gets used more and by everyone in the family.

One thing I'm thinking I may do to provide a better sound stage is to angle the speakers down. I could shim them a bit, or build a stand, to point them directly towards listening level on the couch.
 
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I can most definitely hear a difference with them lower, however it really isn't an option. The tv would have to go just over a foot higher, which would be too high, and the tv gets used more and by everyone in the family.

One thing I'm thinking I may do to provide a better sound stage is to angle the speakers down. I could shim them a bit, or build a stand, to point them directly towards listening level on the couch.
Foam speaker wedges would help aim tweeters to ear level plus provide the added benefit of mechanically decoupling the speakers from the shelf (both to help reduce vibrations and frequency application due to sympathetic resonance).

Easily found on Amazon and cheap ones do just as good a job as the fancy expensive ones.


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IronW

Andrew
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Foam speaker wedges would help aim tweeters to ear level plus provide the added benefit of mechanically decoupling the speakers from the shelf (both to help reduce vibrations and frequency application due to sympathetic resonance).

Easily found on Amazon and cheap ones do just as good a job as the fancy expensive ones.


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Great suggestion, they arrived today.
20200624_193341.jpg
There's a very noticeable positive change in the sound while sitting on the couch. It's a great compromise and I doubt I'll be able to get it dialed in any better.
 
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Great suggestion, they arrived today.
View attachment 151004
There's a very noticeable positive change in the sound while sitting on the couch. It's a great compromise and I doubt I'll be able to get it dialed in any better.
Awesome dude! And when later in life you are able to get those lower it’ll be like having another round of upgrade!


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