My almost-perfect audio setup

[pawan_pullarwar]

My audio journey started with my first floorstanding speakers, the Polk Audio TSx 440T, which I bought in 2016. I was running them with a Denon AVR-520BT. A few days later, I added a Polk center and surround speakers as well.


After using them for many years, one day I listened to my friend’s Mercedes C-Class speakers—it was magical. When I came back home and listened to my Polks, I started disliking them completely.


Then someone suggested that the Denon receiver I was using didn’t have enough power to drive the Polks and that I needed a good two-channel amp. So I bought a Yamaha R-N602. It made a difference, but I was still missing that clean Mercedes-like sound.


I went to an AV store, listened to a few speakers, and liked the Emotiva T1+—they sounded much cleaner compared to the Polk 440T. So I brought the Emotiva T1+ home. From audio forums I learned that adding a power amp for demanding speakers can improve the sound, so I bought an Emotiva BasX A2 power amp along with a Yamaha WXC-50 streamer. Everything seemed good until one day my brother told me he wanted an audio setup for his home. His requirement was a speaker setup for movies, but also clean sound for music.


My brother and I visited an AV store for auditions. After listening to a few speakers, we liked the sound of the Sonus Faber Lumina 5. We listened to many songs for almost an hour and also played a movie from a mobile app to hear how it handled film sound, and we were very satisfied.


We wanted a few more auditions, so we went to another AV store and auditioned many speakers. We told the salesperson that we liked the Sonus Faber Lumina from the other store. He immediately said he had the Sonus Faber Venere S and arranged an audition. We liked them, and my brother bought the Sonus Faber Venere S, along with an Emotiva BasX A3 power amp and a Denon X4800H AV receiver. This receiver has pre-outs, which was the reason for buying it.


Back at home, I listened to my Emotiva T1+ and I started disliking them—even though they were just one year old. That day I tried many different settings in Roon, applying filters and everything. But the next day I called the AV store, bargained a bit, and bought the Sonus Faber Lumina V. After some Google searches I decided to buy a DAC; since I had already spent a lot on speakers, I chose the FiiO K11 R2R DAC and the SOtM sMS-200 Neo streamer.


For now, this setup feels just perfect, and I’m enjoying it.

 

[rwnano]

"jab aawey Santosh Dhann, aur sabb dhann dhool samaaan!"

 

[jravich]

My audio journey started with my first floorstanding speakers, the Polk Audio TSx 440T, which I bought in 2016. I was running them with a Denon AVR-520BT. A few days later, I added a Polk center and surround speakers as well.


After using them for many years, one day I listened to my friend’s Mercedes C-Class speakers—it was magical. When I came back home and listened to my Polks, I started disliking them completely.


Then someone suggested that the Denon receiver I was using didn’t have enough power to drive the Polks and that I needed a good two-channel amp. So I bought a Yamaha R-N602. It made a difference, but I was still missing that clean Mercedes-like sound.


I went to an AV store, listened to a few speakers, and liked the Emotiva T1+—they sounded much cleaner compared to the Polk 440T. So I brought the Emotiva T1+ home. From audio forums I learned that adding a power amp for demanding speakers can improve the sound, so I bought an Emotiva BasX A2 power amp along with a Yamaha WXC-50 streamer. Everything seemed good until one day my brother told me he wanted an audio setup for his home. His requirement was a speaker setup for movies, but also clean sound for music.


My brother and I visited an AV store for auditions. After listening to a few speakers, we liked the sound of the Sonus Faber Lumina 5. We listened to many songs for almost an hour and also played a movie from a mobile app to hear how it handled film sound, and we were very satisfied.


We wanted a few more auditions, so we went to another AV store and auditioned many speakers. We told the salesperson that we liked the Sonus Faber Lumina from the other store. He immediately said he had the Sonus Faber Venere S and arranged an audition. We liked them, and my brother bought the Sonus Faber Venere S, along with an Emotiva BasX A3 power amp and a Denon X4800H AV receiver. This receiver has pre-outs, which was the reason for buying it.


Back at home, I listened to my Emotiva T1+ and I started disliking them—even though they were just one year old. That day I tried many different settings in Roon, applying filters and everything. But the next day I called the AV store, bargained a bit, and bought the Sonus Faber Lumina V. After some Google searches I decided to buy a DAC; since I had already spent a lot on speakers, I chose the FiiO K11 R2R DAC and the SOtM sMS-200 Neo streamer.


For now, this setup feels just perfect, and I’m enjoying it.

Wonderful...

 

[square_wave]

What you’re hearing in a Mercedes C-Class is probably the Burmester 15-speaker setup. That system is designed with a lot of tuning to make the sound feel like it’s just “floating” around the cabin—very polished, spacious, and sophisticated. A two-channel system at home is a whole different experience. There, the focus is more on natural tone, balance across frequencies, and recreating the sense of a live band right in your room, with all the subtle details and dynamics. Both approaches have their own charm and purpose, so it’s best not to compare them directly.

 

[AP@1992]

Great that you are getting closer to what you like day by day.

However, a lot of wandering in this hobby is due to lack of guidance.

A two channel setup, a slightly expensive one, is a more focused approach. Not one system can cater to all kind is music. And eventually one gets bored with the sameness of sound however great that it.

Going forward, I would advise you to pick the kind of music you listen to the most and than understand what kind of setup can cater to it the most. From source to DAC to pre to power than to speakers, all can be chosen to cater to your music preferences.eg Full range vs crossover, tube vs SS, digital vs Analog, chip based vs R2R etc etc and so on.

In such a specialized hobby, finding a general setup to play all kinds of music perfectly is an illusion and you will eventually realise it after spending a lot of money. But once you understand your taste and you work in that direction, 2 chanel system is soul serving (assuming that you will ultimately lead to it)

2 chanel audio system is a journey in pursuit of good sound, which is always elusive and always evolving. Good luck.

 

[Nitin K]

My audio journey started with my first floorstanding speakers, the Polk Audio TSx 440T, which I bought in 2016. I was running them with a Denon AVR-520BT. A few days later, I added a Polk center and surround speakers as well.


After using them for many years, one day I listened to my friend’s Mercedes C-Class speakers—it was magical. When I came back home and listened to my Polks, I started disliking them completely.


Then someone suggested that the Denon receiver I was using didn’t have enough power to drive the Polks and that I needed a good two-channel amp. So I bought a Yamaha R-N602. It made a difference, but I was still missing that clean Mercedes-like sound.


I went to an AV store, listened to a few speakers, and liked the Emotiva T1+—they sounded much cleaner compared to the Polk 440T. So I brought the Emotiva T1+ home. From audio forums I learned that adding a power amp for demanding speakers can improve the sound, so I bought an Emotiva BasX A2 power amp along with a Yamaha WXC-50 streamer. Everything seemed good until one day my brother told me he wanted an audio setup for his home. His requirement was a speaker setup for movies, but also clean sound for music.


My brother and I visited an AV store for auditions. After listening to a few speakers, we liked the sound of the Sonus Faber Lumina 5. We listened to many songs for almost an hour and also played a movie from a mobile app to hear how it handled film sound, and we were very satisfied.


We wanted a few more auditions, so we went to another AV store and auditioned many speakers. We told the salesperson that we liked the Sonus Faber Lumina from the other store. He immediately said he had the Sonus Faber Venere S and arranged an audition. We liked them, and my brother bought the Sonus Faber Venere S, along with an Emotiva BasX A3 power amp and a Denon X4800H AV receiver. This receiver has pre-outs, which was the reason for buying it.


Back at home, I listened to my Emotiva T1+ and I started disliking them—even though they were just one year old. That day I tried many different settings in Roon, applying filters and everything. But the next day I called the AV store, bargained a bit, and bought the Sonus Faber Lumina V. After some Google searches I decided to buy a DAC; since I had already spent a lot on speakers, I chose the FiiO K11 R2R DAC and the SOtM sMS-200 Neo streamer.


For now, this setup feels just perfect, and I’m enjoying it.

My suggestion would be to enjoy your current system in totality and put a pause on hearing something new elsewhere.
Our tastes are ever evolving and human nature in general is always to yearn for something new. You will be spending constantly this way. Think that you got the best system for your money and stick with it for atleast 6 years or so if possible, the more the better.