esanthosh
Well-Known Member
Long post. Sorry for that 
TL;DR: Moving from IEMs, Do not have luxury of space. Would Active monitors fit my need? If yes, which models?
Background:
Complete n00b when it comes to speakers.
Own - a somewhat decent HT with Marantz SR6006 -> Wharf 10.X (10.6, 10CS, 10DFS, 150SW) that suits my purpose (AVR upgraded from SR5004 last year, Speakers the same as the ~ last 3 yrs).
Owned - Audire IO2 with Topping TP20, then Emotiva USP-1 + UPA-2 for about an year before selling.
Marantz + Wharf was a blind buy. I did audition with IO2, but at that time, I did not know my sound preferences well enough and never achieved the optimum synergy for IO2.
Due to the power shortage that existed back then AND the fact that I was deriving more pleasure and better results buying IEMs, I switched completely to portable audio post selling the speaker setup. While I never tried $1000+ IEMs or top of the line customs, it was a satisfying experience exploring IEMs ranging from Rs. 400 to $400. Given the small storage space requirement, I have experimented with lot of portable sources as well (DAPs and Amps). I like the idea of trying out various signatures without cleaning out my bank balance.
Why am I considering moving to Speakers?
Of late, I am growing tired of sticking things inside my ear, especially those deep fitting ones like Etymotic. My ears are not as forgiving as before, mostly because I do lot of comparisons and inserting and removing IEMs frequently is not nice on the ears. After a tedious week of listening to IEMs, I need to keep them off for a couple of weeks before feeling alright.
Secondly, I feel the need to keep my ears open and available (elderly people and frequent hospital visits). Isolating myself with IEMs is a bit difficult unless I do it very late at night after everybody is asleep - tiring myself in the process.
I briefly tried Airplay from my iPad 3 (FLACPlayer), but was dissatisfied with the results (say a $10 IEM). I also tried iPad -> CCK -> NuForce Impulse USB Cable -> DacMini CX -> AVR (CD: Input, Pure Direct mode) which was much better. But, I feel that the combo had more bass than desired, obscuring the mid range a bit and the clarity is not what I can live with (more like a $30-50 IEM). The only combo that was mildly entertaining (like a good $80-100) was QLS QA350 Mod v2: Coax -> Audioquest VDM-A Cable -> DacMini CX -> AVR (PureDirect). It was nice with most tracks, but started losing my interest once I tried Symphonies (less mid-bass and less warmth in the mid range, slightly recessed vocals, but better resolution and clarity, less sibilant, better treble). My listening volume at 15' was around 70 SPL with peak at 82 (not sure how accurate it is, but to give you a rough idea).
I thought about getting back to speakers, but...
Questions
TL;DR: Moving from IEMs, Do not have luxury of space. Would Active monitors fit my need? If yes, which models?
Background:
Complete n00b when it comes to speakers.
Own - a somewhat decent HT with Marantz SR6006 -> Wharf 10.X (10.6, 10CS, 10DFS, 150SW) that suits my purpose (AVR upgraded from SR5004 last year, Speakers the same as the ~ last 3 yrs).
Owned - Audire IO2 with Topping TP20, then Emotiva USP-1 + UPA-2 for about an year before selling.
Marantz + Wharf was a blind buy. I did audition with IO2, but at that time, I did not know my sound preferences well enough and never achieved the optimum synergy for IO2.
Due to the power shortage that existed back then AND the fact that I was deriving more pleasure and better results buying IEMs, I switched completely to portable audio post selling the speaker setup. While I never tried $1000+ IEMs or top of the line customs, it was a satisfying experience exploring IEMs ranging from Rs. 400 to $400. Given the small storage space requirement, I have experimented with lot of portable sources as well (DAPs and Amps). I like the idea of trying out various signatures without cleaning out my bank balance.
Why am I considering moving to Speakers?
Of late, I am growing tired of sticking things inside my ear, especially those deep fitting ones like Etymotic. My ears are not as forgiving as before, mostly because I do lot of comparisons and inserting and removing IEMs frequently is not nice on the ears. After a tedious week of listening to IEMs, I need to keep them off for a couple of weeks before feeling alright.
Secondly, I feel the need to keep my ears open and available (elderly people and frequent hospital visits). Isolating myself with IEMs is a bit difficult unless I do it very late at night after everybody is asleep - tiring myself in the process.
I briefly tried Airplay from my iPad 3 (FLACPlayer), but was dissatisfied with the results (say a $10 IEM). I also tried iPad -> CCK -> NuForce Impulse USB Cable -> DacMini CX -> AVR (CD: Input, Pure Direct mode) which was much better. But, I feel that the combo had more bass than desired, obscuring the mid range a bit and the clarity is not what I can live with (more like a $30-50 IEM). The only combo that was mildly entertaining (like a good $80-100) was QLS QA350 Mod v2: Coax -> Audioquest VDM-A Cable -> DacMini CX -> AVR (PureDirect). It was nice with most tracks, but started losing my interest once I tried Symphonies (less mid-bass and less warmth in the mid range, slightly recessed vocals, but better resolution and clarity, less sibilant, better treble). My listening volume at 15' was around 70 SPL with peak at 82 (not sure how accurate it is, but to give you a rough idea).
I thought about getting back to speakers, but...
- Space is at a premium. Do not have dedicated room.
- Cannot blast Opeth at full volume in the dead of the night. Akerfeldt's growls are not the same as people talking in Japanese/Korean when using HT. The truce and harmony with neighbours could be broken.
- I am used to the variety and the convenience IEMs offer. I cannot possibly get such variety in the speaker world unless I want to clean out my bank account.
- Unlike IEMs in which final signature is mostly limited to Source and IEM followed by amps, there are too many variables in Speakers including room, my listening position, reflections etc.,. I'd like to keep things simple and not worry much about upgrading this or that all the time.
Questions
- Am I right in thinking that the variables come down in the case of actives (as in number of separate boxes)?
- Considering I do not have the luxury of keeping 3-4 different setups, something which has the least coloration and good transparency should do better. In this context, would Active Monitors with near field listening serve my purpose?
- I'd reckon room would still be a factor. But, is it that huge a factor compared to FS? Does room correction using software work OK in that case? Since this is not a dedicated room, do not want to fill it with panels and foams.
- I do not want to spend too much now as I want to first experience what they are over a period of time. My budget is about 30-50K and can be stretched a bit if it brings better performance. Based on my IEM experience, I may be settling in for a budget/mid-tier, which is fine with me.
- Would I always need a Sub to go with the Active Monitors? I prefer a cleaner, quicker bass with some quantity than anything boosted. Of course, I like the < 50Hz range from IEMs, but not sure if I should expect that from tiny monitors.
- Music wise, I listen to lot of Prog Rock/Metal and am just getting a little into Jazz/Classical. Bass-heavy music and Vocals are more infrequent. Not sure how this translates to speakers - I am more particular about sound signature than the genres I play, something to do with my view that IEMs are different colored glasses looking at the same object. More fan of a detailed, balanced signature - adequate bass, clear and detailed mid range, good treble, decently sized sound stage with good imaging. If such a speaker is available in the range, would gladly take it. If it can only be found in 1L+ range, I'd settle for something lighter on the pocket in the 10-30K range and will upgrade later on.
- What brands and models to consider - Genelec / Adam Audio / Rokit? I like the tiny looks of the Genelec. How are the Swans compared to these brands?
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