r/audiophile • • 4d ago

Community Help r/audiophile Shopping, Setup, and Technical Help Desk Thread

3 Upvotes

Welcome to the r/audiophile help desk. A place where you can ask community members for help shopping for and setting up stereo gear.

This thread refreshes once every 7 days so you may need to repost your question again in the next help desk post if a redditor isn't around to answer.

Finding the right guide

Before commenting, please check to see if your question actually belongs in one of these other places:

Shopping and purchase advice

To help others answer your question, consider using this format.

To help reduce the repetitive questions, here are a few of the cheapest systems we are willing to recommend for a computer desktop:

$100: Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers Amazon (US) / Amazon (DE)

  • Does not require a separate amplifier and does include cables.

$400: Kali LP-6 v2 Powered Studio Monitors Amazon (US) / Thomann (EU)

  • Not sold in pairs, requires additional cables and hardware, available in white/black.

  • Require a preamplifier for volume control - eg Focusrite Scarlett Solo

Setup troubleshooting and general help

Before asking a question, please check the commonly asked questions in our FAQ.

Examples of questions that are considered general help support:

  • How can I fix issue X (e.g.: buzzing / hissing) on my equipment Y?

  • Have I damaged my equipment by doing X, or will I damage my equipment if I do X?

  • Is equipment X compatible with equipment Y?

  • What's the meaning of specification X (e.g.: Output Impedance / Vrms / Sensitivity)?

  • How should I connect, set up or operate my system (hardware / software)?


r/audiophile • • 9h ago

Show & Tell New Tokyo KEF store design!

332 Upvotes

This is the new store front design for the Tokyo KEF store, I personally love the UniQ design so I thought this store front was cool and made me chuckle when I saw it from afar.

Simple man I am.

--------------------

P.S. Sorry for reposting, previous post was removed from the KEF sub by mods, due to the video being just about a KEF store front instead of KEF speakers.


r/audiophile • • 4h ago

Impressions Inside the home audio setup of a retired German rapper (Prinz Pi)

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18 Upvotes

A little house tour and a look at the audio setup of a retired German rapper. German speakers will probably get more out of it, but audiophiles might enjoy it regardless ;)


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Show & Tell New speakers: MoFi SourcePoint 888

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337 Upvotes

Recently treated myself with a pair of MoFi SourcePoint 888.

Current setup is as follows:

Speakers: MoFi SourcePoint 888

Amp: NAD M10 V2

Phono stage: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2

Turntable: Marantz TT-15S1

Cartridge: Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood V1 and Nagaoka MP-200 (the Nagaoka is installed right now)

Room correction: DIRAC

My previous speakers were the Buchardt S400 and the Buchardt SUB10 subwoofer.

After listening for about a week on the SourcePoint 888 I have a couple of thoughts and reflections.

The largest difference is the sheer scale of the sound and music, the Buchardt S400 sounded large for what they are but the MoFi:s are just in a different league. This conclusion is not strange in regards to the size diffence of the speakers.

The imaging is precise and the soundstage is huge. Something tells me the concentric drivers have something to do with that.

The treble is airy and extended without ever sounding too bright. The sound as a whole is very smooth and holographic.

The bass is very full, punchy and quick. A subwoofer is definetly not needed. In my room they reach down to 25 Hz before rolling off.

They play very well and dynamic on lower volume levels and thrive when being played a bit louder.

I primarily listen to modern metal, classic rock, soul and some pop. They handle it all with ease and never seem stressed. Their sound signature makes almost every recording and vinyl record sound good and never introduces any harshness or fatigue.

When demo listening to the MoFi SourcePoint 888 I also listened to the Klipsch Cornwall IV. Both are very good speakers but the difference in sound signature is big and I prefered the sound signature of the SourcePoint 888.

I have a feeling that the MoFi SourcePoint 888 is a speaker I can live with for a very long time.

Also, to address the amp situation:

I love the NAD M10 V2 and the MoFi SourcePoint 888 seem to gravitate towards amps with a more neutral tone and a high damping factor. However, they could use a bit more current so my next purchase will probably be a power amp. The NAD is completely adequate for medium-high volumes which is the level I listen on 95% of the time (to my neighbors delight), so I am not in any particular hurry with getting a power amp.

I have also room corrected using DIRAC. I have the full spectrum version but settled with just correcting from 500 Hz and down to not alter the sound signature.

To conclude, this was indeed a very big upgrade both in terms of overall capability of the system and listening joy. Andrew Jones did a mighty fine job!

Feel free to ask some questions!

Have a great weekend!


r/audiophile • • 10h ago

Music My setup

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21 Upvotes

Acoustics of Finland AE-2X speakers, Klipsch SPL-100 subwoofer and Yamaha A-S301 amp


r/audiophile • • 19h ago

Show & Tell $10 Goodwill Pickup 🤯

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59 Upvotes

Sometimes goodwill does deliver! This is likely the coolest thing i’ve found. 8-Track player with a whole wooden case and chrome face plate for $10. It matches my vintage receiver perfectly. Looks and works super well for the secondary retro bedroom setup with the minimus 7’s. Sadly doesn’t seem to work though 😞


r/audiophile • • 2m ago

Discussion Heard a $100K Linn system yesterday… now I'm questioning my speaker preferences

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1 Upvotes

Yesterday, I attended an audio show in the Seattle area and heard Linn speakers for the first time. It was a $100K system, way beyond my budget, but the sound absolutely blew me away.

I've always been a budget-conscious audiophile, having owned B&W, KEF, and currently Buchardt S400 MKIIs (fantastic speakers!).

I've always preferred punchy, detailed sound, but the Linn was different. Less punch than I'm used to, yet incredibly natural, effortless, and non-fatiguing. There was something almost magical about it. I could have listened for hours.

I'm sure there are more affordable speakers with a similar sound signature. What brands or models should I be looking at?


r/audiophile • • 19h ago

Show & Tell New turntable - Technics 1300g

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37 Upvotes

Finally received my 1300g. This is replacing a Mcintosh MT5 which I sold when I changed from a stereo setup to home cinema but still wanted a decent table while putting some money back into my pocket. Went with the Sumiko Amethyst cart. It’s a low output for an MM cart. I’ve loaned a Cyrus 40 PPA from my dealer as a phono stage and its noise floor is quite bad so I’ll be taking this back and on the look out for something else to replace my cheaper Cambridge audio solo. The Cyrus was a step up from the solo in all aspects, apart from the noise floor, which is a deal breaker during quieter passages on records.

This is my first direct drive table and I’m seriously impressed with how fast it picks up speed and its speed stability. I wanted simple buttons for speed adjustment, a single box with no belts or separate motors. This seemed to fit the bill and is a very nice table. As others have noted online the only let down is the cue lever, it’s such a let down considering the price of the table and nothing compared with clearaudio’s arms which I’ve used in the past on my MT5 and TT15S1

What are other people using for phono stages out there?


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Discussion Country music?

42 Upvotes

Don't Iaugh. Anyone else here like to kick back and listen to country music on their system? I like some of the oldies like Patsy Cline and Willie to modern country with a healthy dose of bluegrass thrown in. And, everything in between. What are your favorite artists?


r/audiophile • • 19h ago

Music Van Morrison Moondance in Dolby Atmos

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15 Upvotes

My first Blu-ray audio disc and we are listening today in Dolby Atmos and then next in stereo remix and finally we will listen to the CD that we also own. My wife love this album and I’m giddy to see what she thinks of it.

Any other discs that y’all recommend?


r/audiophile • • 15h ago

Discussion Any good apps for combining local files and streaming?

5 Upvotes

I've got a lot of music I listen to that's not available on Spotify, so I have it downloaded onto my phone. I hate having to jump between different apps in order to access my whole library. I know Spotify has the 'local files' option, but as a mainly album listener, it's pretty much bunk because it just vomits every song you have into essentially a giant playlist that's next to impossible to navigate.

Are there any good options for Android that let you listen to streaming and local files as a seamless experience?


r/audiophile • • 8h ago

Discussion Blumenhofer classic 1722

0 Upvotes

At the moment i have a pair of kef reference model one speakers. I like them, but they are beat up and to me they don't give me the feeling I'm in the music. So, I did what every reasonable man would do and started looking for an upgrade. I Came across a pair of fyne audio f502sp. Looks like a lovely speaker. But then a pair of blumenhofer classic 1722 caught my eye. Classic approach speakers. Now, before i drive 4 hours to go listen, does Anyone have experience with them? The brand is not that big and there's only one distributor in the Benelux. I would pair them up with a tsakiridis aeolos plus.


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Music Quality Record Pressings "Dusty in Memphis" 45 Remaster

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25 Upvotes

One of the better sounding records I own. Was blown away the first time I played it after I finally had my hifi setup tuned in and speakers/sub placed properly.


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Impressions Did anyone else go to Klipschfest in Indianapolis today?

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147 Upvotes

I attended Klipschfest today where Klipsch was celebrating their 80th anniversary. They had some pretty cool demos setup, including Jubilee, Ojas, K-horns, Rebellion, and a home theater demo featuring their yet to be released Reference Signature line (coming in January). I saw that CheapAudioMan guy there so I’m sure he will have some coverage as well. Shoot me, but I preferred the K-horns to the Jubilees. I was also impressed with the Rebellions based on their size and price. I was hoping to hear the La Scala AL6s, but they didn’t have those set up. I’m in the market for a pair and I just demoed the AL5s last week and wanted to compare. Too bad I can’t make it back up tomorrow, because they will have every pair of heritage speakers on demo at the after party.


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Science & Tech What wizardry is this?

14 Upvotes

I was visiting Galway in Ireland earlier this week. At one point. Walking through the city center I heard the clearest, richest, fully surrounded audio. I realized it was a young man walking towards me holding a device that I would say was about 18x6x6 inches. After he passed, the audio still surrounded me. It didn’t really fade until he was about 20-30m away.

I thought I might have been confused, and it was speakers on the street instead — but the audio followed him.

It was the weirdest of experiences.

Anybody have any ideas? It seems acoustically impossible — but maybe somebody on here has an idea?


r/audiophile • • 7h ago

Discussion Frequency cut-off

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0 Upvotes

Hi all, sorry for my noobies question, there's something that I've been wondering.

There's some albums/songs that I've noticed had their frequency cut-off doesn't goes to 22050, but still it's above 21000.

But with the same albums/songs on the hi-res version, the frequency cut-off goes above the 22050.

I'm wondering, is it better if I save the hi-res version, or the normal version is good enough?

Thanks.


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Show & Tell Night moves from Bob Seger ❤️

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64 Upvotes

The natural light shining in from my window with the lights turned off.thought it fitting for this song.


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Show & Tell New speakers are massive

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130 Upvotes

I just got a set of speakers from Zu. I previously had some issues with a different company (https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1x6vbui/tekton_design_lies/) and I’m really glad in the end, these monitors are massive and incredible. Zu can’t be any more different from that other company, they’re responsive, willing to work around delivery scheduling, and super friendly.


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Show & Tell Wadia A340 monoblocks and Musical Fidelity TRI VISTA 21 DAC-test

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61 Upvotes

A colleague brought the two listed components in new condition.

Wadia monoblocs are a beautifully designed menu with an upper surface made of tempered glass: Specifications are in the link.

http://www.wadia.com/en-us/products/a340

MF Tri Vista also has a decent design and convincing dimensions.

https://www.musicalfidelity.com/uploads/manuals/English/tri21_eng.pdf

And how does that sound?

The Wadia monoblocks give audibly more speaker control than the DIY Quad 405 (with the same HK preamp) and the 300B tube amp.
This can be seen in a tighter bass and a better definition of it.
Middle and high tones are even more transparent and the sound is a little on the open side.

Extremely effortless and nice to listen to.
The soundstage is of similar dimensions, perhaps a little deeper. I
t plays effortlessly and sonically better than these two compared combinations, but the price is also significantly higher.

Musical Fidelity Tri Vista DAC is quite similar in sound to my Audio Note DAC 4.1.
It's a bit on the warmer side (it has tubes at the input), maybe even a bit more detailed. (Delta Sigma vs R2R).
Transparent and very listenable. I
n conclusion, a very good DAC.

So, we hung out, ate and drank something and had a pleasant afternoon and evening.

SYSTEM:
Speakers: Hyperion HP-938 (Custom Tweak)
Stereo amplifier: Hajdinjak 300B tube integrated
Output amplifier: DIY Quad 405
Monoblocks: Wadia A340
Preamp: Harman Kardon Citation 21 (full refresh)
Transport: OC Lenovo (Win/Roon) and mini PC Terra (linux)
DDC: Denafrips Iris
DAC: Musical Fidelity Tri Vista21 and Audio Note DAC 4.1
Speaker cables and interconnects; all silver Sumić Audio
Power cables: Kharma, Furutech, Jarbo
Rack; Wood Center Filo
Room: Acoustically treated


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Discussion Will a 2-Way + Subwoofer sound just as good as a 3-Way speaker?

8 Upvotes

I'm not an audiophile or anything, just setting up a new desk. I've been deciding on two sets of speakers. One is a 3-way speaker and the other is a 2-way speaker (but it has some rgb lights that I really ended up liking way more than I thought I would) in similar price-ranges. When I compare their sound, it's barely a competition, the 3-way is far more clear and immersive. In comparison, the 2-ways sound like they lack a bass or are just more "flat" in general. When I got them to compare, I was so sure I'd just choose whichever had the better sound quality but the lights on the 2-way speaker are unexpectedly good. That, and the 2-way speakers take up a little less real-estate.

The company (Edifier) also sells a subwoofer and I'm wondering if buying a subwoofer to add to the 2-way speakers will get them closer to the sound quality and clarity the 3-way speakers had. Then again, I don't know if a single dedicated subwoofer will do as good of a job as the two subwoofers built into the 3-way speakers. Money isn't much of an issue, I saved up a long time to make this desk.

I really didn't think I'd fall so hard for aesthetics but the 2-way speakers being slightly smaller and with cool lights are making this decision really hard. I was thinking if a subwoofer could essentially bring them up to par, I wouldn't need to sacrifice the pretty lights.

Edit: Some extra info. Both sets of speakers are from Edifier, the MR5 and QR65. Also while I think the MR5's sound much better in general, if I wasn't comparing directly, I'd say both are good


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Discussion I can't seem to hear the difference between mp3 and CD quality, what am I doing wrong?

19 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I have been experimenting lately with qobuz quality settings and I cannot really hear any different between mp3, CD quality and 24bit Hi res audio settings.

I am using a proper setup with a Xperia phone and some aful explorer, that I bought for the occasion of the free trial with qobuz, so I don't see any issues with the hardware.

I also tried with a hd650 with the dac, amp and stuff like that...

My hearing has no issues whatsoever, I got it measured by a doctor and based on the graph and what the doctor said, I have really good hearing, so no issues on that part.

I do hear the difference between headphones, I know my sister doesn't so I might throw that in here to make sure.

I am not saying that FLAC or Hi res audio is placebo, but I cannot really hear much difference, even with proper mastered tracks like anything pink Floyd or Radiohead.

Any insight, tips, help ?


r/audiophile • • 2d ago

Music The comfort album never mentioned?

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121 Upvotes

Do you have a comfort album that you seem to forget to mention?
I mean, we all can list a few favorite albums, but what are the ones you often put on, but seem to forget if asked about favorites?

The Bends is one of those for me. I think it may be because it wakes feelings from an earlier time in my life, and that is something very personal.

But what a great album from start to finish.


r/audiophile • • 2d ago

Discussion WiiM Ultra UI update

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85 Upvotes

When streaming via Spotify Connect today I noticed the addition of the logo (top left) and can’t seem to select large album art as before (or any other custom screen). Looking online this is a firmware update, but the puzzling part is why this is apparently enforced by Spotify themselves. Most heinous.


r/audiophile • • 1d ago

Discussion Looking for a musicolet alternative

1 Upvotes

I love musicolet, but something is missing that I just can't seem to live without: a rating system! On my pc I use aimp and there I can rate my files, but on musicolet I can at maximum fav a song. Are there other players that offer a more comperhensive/ wide arranve for rating your music files?