The PWR-222 should arrive this month; very excited to hear them with my new Spatial Raven preamp and the JA Perspectives!
Suggestions for an all in one integrated with source built in
I'm looking to upgrade an old setup that I've had for many years. It lives in a seldom used (by me) vacation home so doesn't see a lot of action. But when I do use it, I tend to immerse myself in it for days at a time. I will have more opportunities to get out there in the upcoming years so I want to upgrade what I have.
The current system was assembled over 10 years ago using an April Music Aura Note V2 and a set of Wharfedale Jade 3 monitors. It's a delightful system for the price, but technology has advanced and I think I can do better now. Also my budget is much larger than it was back then.
I have a perhaps irrational interest in sticking with an all in one setup like this. Not sure why that is. Maybe I can be talked out of it, but I would like to explore what else exists on the market before I consider abandoning this form factor. It looks like a lot more integrated amps have onboard DACs so maybe this is not the limitation it used to be.
I don't play a lot of CDs any longer so a good streaming solution must be involved. Any new device is likely to have this covered. Don't care if it has a display or not, but a remote is required, I don't like just using my phone for that.
The speakers will be replaced with another set of monitors as well. I intend to try out some of the usual suspects like B&W 805 D4, Focal Sopra and Kanta series, KEF Reference 1 Meta, maybe some Harbeth and Spendor too. Might try some more adventurous brands if I can get my hands on demo units easily. Bottom line, I won't be using anything extremely difficult to drive, nor anything ultra sensitive.
A few ideas I had include the NAD M33 v2, Hifi Rose RS520, and the Naim Uniti Nova. What else should I take a look at?
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Months later, I'm still working on this upgrade. I finally had some time to spend listening to speaker options and managed to knock out a bunch of contenders, although I was surprised at how good most of them actually were. Discounting a bad fit for a particular room, it seems that most speakers in the $5k+ range are at least fairly good if not great. Here are my notes if anyone is interested. KEF Reference 1 Meta: Great starting point, these did a lot really well and I could probably be happy with them. They lacked dynamics and perceived impact though, also tone felt just a bit off, almost artificial in some ways. Borresen C1: Beautiful and fast, with excellent detail and imaging. Tone was a little too thin for my liking. And the price seemed higher than the sound could justify, as good as it was. Mon Acoustic PlatiMon mkII: Contender! These hit the balance just right between detail and full body tone. Really dynamic with excellent resolution. Highly impressive. Franco Serblin Goldberg: Another contender, stunning midrange, excellent balance, also look like pieces of fine art on speaker stands. B&W 805 D4: Surprisingly competent, very enjoyable all around performer with no weak spots but also didn't quite stand out enough. A safe bet, enjoyable if not the best. I actually liked these significantly more than the KEF which was surprising as in the past it was always KEF>B&W. Price feels high for what this is, I could probably get a nice discount from a dealer though. Piega Coax 411 g2: Somewhat similar to the Borressen in sound, beautiful immediacy. Great with acoustic performances. If I planned on using a subwoofer these would be a compelling option, lacking impact and richness on their own though. Marten Oscar Duo: Among the most musical sets I auditioned, these get my toes tapping. Lacking a bit of realism and top end air which kept them one step down from the best I heard. I bet the higher Marten models are excellent. Gauder Akustic Berlina RC3: Another really good one that just didn't stand out enough. I've enjoyed the big Gauder speakers over the years, these had some of the same magic but I would argue not enough. Joseph Audio Pulsar 2 Graphene: Quite possibly my favorite of the bunch. Almost jaw droppingly huge presentation, also very well rounded, these just sound like real music. I need to hear these one more time along with the Franco Serblin and Mon Acoustics to see which of the three is the winner. But I am leaning towards the Pulsar.
Also still researching all in one units to pair with whichever set of speakers I end up with. Right now the ones that appeal most are the Molo Mola Kula with integrated DAC card, the Thrax Ares MK2, and the Gato Audio suggested above by @kirkwallace . We'll see what I come up with. I imagine any of these three, mixed with any of my three top speaker choices above, would be a massive improvement over the modest current system. |
Great process and progress, @996turbo911 ! Please keep us posted as you finalize the speaker choice and as you try out those amp/streamer/dac units. (If you end up liking the Gato DIA 400S NPM over (or at least as much as) the other 2, with the $ savings you could go for the Perspectives instead of the Pulsars ….) |
@kirkwallace Thank you, I will periodically update as I continue the (slow) journey. I'm also in the middle of building a third system in my regular home (I know, ridiculous), and that has been getting more of my attention lately. But this vacation home upgrade is long overdue so I should focus on that as well. I could go for the Perspectives if there was a worthwhile benefit, the money is not a huge deal. But I'm concerned about them overpowering the relatively small space where this system resides. It's a sort of side room off the main living room, connected but basically isolated, and only about 12x16 in size with a low ceiling. So it doesn't take much to overpower the space, particularly on the low end. |
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