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What is your favorite system for an Office or a Secondary System

Hello everyone, we just put out a fantastic little audio system that is the perfect kind of thing for an office, or a secondary system or for getting a newbie into high end audio.

The system we put out sounds amazing, Is is the Quad VA One a 12 watt tube amp, with usb dac $1,600

http://quad-hifi.co.uk/product-detail.php?pid=41 plus a pair of the Quad S2 monitors a $1,000.00 pair of monitors with a superb ribbon tweeter, that are really impressive, see Ken Mcalf review in this months Stereophile. He loved em so we decided to try a pair.
Quad S-2 loudspeaker | Stereophile.com
https://www.stereophile.com/content/quad-s-2-loudspeaker

This entire system minus cables is $2,600.00 and you can even stream via Apt X bluetooth or usb input from a computer.

So with that in mind, what geat secondary systems that would be perfect for a newbie, that you have heard that offer much of what a great much more expensive does at a fraction of the price?

We would start with the KEF LS 50 wireless as a perfect example, the Quad VA 1/S1 combo.

What other kinds of systems would you guys recommend and like to talk about?

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
128x128audiotroy
mattmiller's avatar
mattmiller
1,479 posts
 
KEF LS50W's with a Aurender source! EPIC is all ill say about the sound.
mountainsong's avatar
mountainsong
418 posts
 
KEF wireless. Second to none.
singsaint
1 posts
 
First time poster so I can speak as a newbie. When I hear “secondary system”, “office”, and “newbie”, I’m thinking small and reasonably priced. I just put a second system in my office a couple of weeks ago. I’m using a Parasound Zamp v.3 with their Zpre2, to go along with a pair of Klipsch KG 3.5s. I know, Klipsch is a love/hate thing, but the Parasound equipment does a very nice job of rounding out the high end. Bought the equipment used for a total of $600 (and $200 of that was shipping costs!). Going simple on the players with a Sonos Connect and an Oppo DV-981HD.

I got a chance to listen to a Quad VA One driving a pair of Ryan R610s, very impressive little integrated!
sdake's avatar
sdake
4 posts
 
For a high end office system (I know, not entirely the OPs question) with only digital:
Leben 300CSX ampifier (~4k)
DCS network bridge with Roon support (~4750 + $500 for lifetime roon + 20$/mo for Tidal lossless) - alternatively I am a fan of the affordable Oppo USP 205 which also offers a roon implementation) (~1300 direct)
KEF LS 50 wired speakers (wireless?  Z U G) (~1500)
Choose your dac wisely :) - I use a LM 205 - which works well (~1800) however I am planning to change it around.

If you want analog as well (and don't mind nosebleeds):
Feickert Blackbird (~10k)
Kuzma 4 point 11" or 14" (11" is a little more flexible on cartridge selection to reduce resonant frequencies as the mass is less - 14" is well, 14" of glory :) (~6k or ~10k)
Nagra VPS with MC and MM cart loads with VFS (10k)
cartridge selection is a personal choice, but can't go wrong with an MC cartridge from Ortofon (500-2k).  If you really want to bust the budget, EMT VM (~5k)
garagesale
5 posts
 
@singsaint, i actually really love the parasound/klipsch combo myself. highly under rated for a casual background music system.

i just put a small system in my kitchen where I tend to spend a lot of time. rather simply, its a Bluesound Power Node $800 retail with some leftover M&K 950's and a M&K SB8 from an older system. I think it sounds phenomenal for what I need it to do. retail for everything would be less $3500 for sure, and for when I have company over, its rather ridiculous the SPL I can get. 

In my office, I have my old set of Parasound Halo P3/A23 combo running a pair of Martin Logan Scenario's with a Sunfire TrueSub JR.  
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