Planning a new desktop 2.1 setup, and there are 2 routes I’m considering and i thought it would make a good discussion.
The first is to get a pair of good monitors, like the genelec 8330a with a genelec SAM sub. Use an interface like the topping u9 to keep everything digital, and also get a stack to power headphones.
The second route is to get a dac/headphone amp/discrete power amp stack and get a pair of speakers, like the ls50 meta/r3 and some decent sub (would a topping LA90 discrete power these?)
With the first route, you get accurate monitors with built in room correction. But many people don’t like monitors for casual listening, and you are kind of locked into that ecosystem.
The second route gives more flexibility to change or upgrade later, and a sound signature many people seem to like. But you lose the easy built in room correction and easy integration some monitor ecosystems have.
What route would you go with and why?
i would think outside the box a bit, get something that has dsp, volume control and digital output. that way you can hook up anything from passive speakers to active, digital or analog. just add dac and amps as needed.
i have personal experience with minidsp shd studio. but minidsp has a wide range or products.
when you have something like minidsp those are small in size and have many channels, so you get better dsp to integrate subwoofer, you can even run passive subwoofers and make them “active” way better than normal subwoofers. and then you can high pass the main speakers and time delay them to match, and do not buy porterted or passive radiator speakers, sealed has the least drawbacks and the most sound quality.
and you do not need a microphone to do eq or a proprietary software, just REW, tone generator and ears.
win win for this solution.
You aren’t wrong but as someone with all those gadgets… I just don’t use them beyond the initial DIRAC setup.
That’s a personal thing I’m sure. But accurate sound is fine for me and I don’t bother with making it different.