I ordered the WIIM AMP on Christmas Eve, whilst at a bar with my gf. It was 500SEK (~$50) discounted on Amazon and I just said to her: "Now the SONOS Beam can move to our apartment in Spain, I'm hooking my extra speakers up in the living room..." (The Beam is hers) Because of the versitality of this little amp regarding streaming services and since it has HDMI ARC I can stove it away and still control the volume with the TV remote! Wonderful! Can't wait to hook it up tonight. Thanks Mr Audioman for this GOTY video, stay safe and keep enjoying music!
I must start and say I enjoy watching your videos, I find them interesting and humorous. My Denton receiver stopped working what to do next? I thought of you. What should I buy ? you have the answer ! the whim amp I researched it for what you said I know will be an owner of one in a few days. thank you cheap audio man. 🎉
Hi Randy, I enjoy your content, and today, I hooked up an SMSL PS100, which I would not have known about without your recommendation. Works well in a secondary TV viewing area using an older TV (but has ARC) and an 20 year old receiver. Thank you!
Bought the wiim pro plus based on your recommendation. Love It! I use the wiim android app but easy for wife to just stream from her iPad. Amazing device.
I got the fives for double that price when they first came out in 2020. I didn’t really like them at first fir that price point. I needed to connect them to a tone control to get the sound right. 2 years after I got them they dropped to 50% retail price and updated the app that now lets you EQ them.
@@GPN005 Didn't say that I bought them new...I saw them on the used market and I searched for a review and found this video. This video helped me make a decision :)
So, my morning today went like this: Got my new SMSL SU-1 in the mail. Unpacked it and hooked it up. Started listening to it. Being impressed. Then this video showed up in my stream and I thought; maybe he mentiones my new little dac. And there it is. Thak you for a great video and really happy with my new dac.
I've been exploring the DAC/amp market and watching your vids diligently. I got myself an Aiyama T9 pro for Xmas, and am blown away. So in the pursuit of cheap high res solutions I ordered some Sony's per your recommendation. I'm hoping to create a high res solution at minimal expense for a new generation of people who have never heard high res and only know music on the radio or thru Spotify
I want thank you so much. My Sony ss cs5 speakers arrived and are incredible. Powered by a Aiyima T9 with qobuz/phone bloothtouth as source they sound awesome.
Great review. Do you ever review outdoor speakers? I know, sitting by the pool is not the best acoustic environment. Currently, we use a JBL Bluetooth speaker. I would like a more permanent setup. mounting speakers under the pergola and maybe using one or two of those ~100 amps. Any guidance would be great.
For the money, how would you rank the Concept 5020 versus: • Philharmonic Ceramic Mini & True Mini • Wharfedale 12.2 • Quad S2 Looking for least fickle wrt room placement, most holographic, best instrument separation. Usage: small room, mostly Jazz, hip hop, female vocals (no movies)
Hey Randy love your work. Can you please get Fosi to send you the 48v. GaN power supply and put it up against the regular 48v power supply that they offer with the Fosi ZA3? Keen to see the differences! Cheers from Melbourne Australia
Been getting into this hobby and this channel has been very helpful. Found a pair of Klipsch RP-500M for 299 so looking forward to hooking them up. Picking them up after work on Tuesday.
Great video! Im looking for advice 🙃. Ive got a Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB and my dads old Sony receiver (cd, cassette and phono) but im looking to upgrade to the polk signature elite es15 or Elac debut 2.0 b5.2 . Im looking for a receiver? Amp? Thing? To connect my turntable (has preamp) and new speakers to. I also need bluetooth so i can listen to music from phone when im not using my turntable. What should i buy? Hopefully under $300 usd. Thanks for the help! 😅
Thanks for sharing info. I was wondering if Aiyima T9 PRO can drive Totem Accoustic Model One? (Specifications Frequency Response: 40 Hz - 20 kHz ± 3 dB Recommended Power: 30 - 150 W Woofer: 2 x 5.5″ / 13.97 cm with 3″ / 7.62 cm vented voice coil design Tweeter: 1″ / 2.54 cm alloy dome (low resonance frequency with double magnet) Impedance: 4 ohms Sensitivity: 87 dB Thanks again
I don't know how the KEF R3 Meta could be left of this list. Objectively the best measuring bookshelf of all time under $3k, punches way above it's pricepoint. Audibly distortion free at reference levels in full range has never been done at this price. The performance is flirting with the KEF Reference 1 $10k "non meta" speakers from a measurements point of view. The speaker has taken the audioworld by storm, AudioScienceReviews (ASR) has been drooling over it's performance and near perfect measurements all year. All the KEF haters even love the speakers.... How could you miss this Randall? I know hating on KEF's prices it kind of your "thing" but they released a unicorn product that's unrivaled on paper/scientifically under 3K.
Of course, I need your dulcet tones in the background, imparting your sonic wisdom and great advice on this Boxing Day. What better present could I wish for, other than some good FOMO therapy? Thank you for another year of great times and tunes . All the very best for another year of sonic fulfillment and thanks for inviting us along on this journey of exciting discovery.
I'm a bit overwhelmed by all these thing. Can someone help me a bit out with all the receiver, amp etc stuff? I would love to buy a fluance rt85 and a pair of elac dbr62 or Klipsch rp600m but I dont know wish amp would be the best here. I want my fluance, tv and maybe smartphone to connect with the speakers. Can someone provide a more or less cheap option for the start?
About to have to replace my old audio receiver which has a nice loudness option. Low volume with nice, enhanced bass/treble. I have it paired up with an EQ. An EQ alone will not make up for the lost gain. These flatline new receivers are abysmal from my view. Overkill volume needed to get back the loss of not having a good loudness feature for low volumes. The Yamaha receivers with a loudness dial, from my understanding it only lowers signal strength, does not actually boost the signal. Odd that was not mentioned in his past review. Question, does anyone know of a newly made receiver line that has a loudness feature that boosts the signal? Seems repair maybe my only option. Buying used vintage electronics is a gamble. Much thanks
Hi I'm a new listener to your channel & I really enjoy your content. I was given a pair of Klipsch R-51M Speakers & Klipsch 12 r12SW Subwoofer 400 for charismas but my only issue is I have nothing to drive this setup & don"t know where to start. I have a couple hundred of dollars whats my best bet to get this system going ? I want to upgrade in future want asd much power as possible & want Bluetooth capability for a nice size room 30x30 ? any help would be appreciated
Got my daughter a Fluance rt81 for Christmas for her new house. She has a pair of edifier powered speakers. If I got her a wiim pro plus, how would it hook up to her turntable and those powered speakers …or would it?
Love my Schiit Syn. Sounds better with the Modi and I’m sure would scale nicely with better DACs. Using it with Emotiva monoblocks and KEF R11 Metas with Genelec surrounds. Having a hard time justifying upgrading but I really just bought the Syn because my receiver died. That was 8 months ago and everything I’ve compared it to so far just doesn’t upgrade the sound enough to justify the cost.
It's an interesting device, but for twice its price I got a Marantz Cinema 70s. That has 7 channels of amplification built in, and real surround decoding of all the current standards. If I want to spend more on amplification, well, it has full 7.1 preouts so I can run it as a pure processor should I so desire. The Syn doesn't make a lot of sense to me, it's inferior for surround and you still need to spend money on amplifiers to even bring it up to sort of parity (yet not since it doesn't properly decode digital surround) with an entry level Marantz receiver.
@@SGTOldSchool96 Yeah. In my case I had enough amplification and a Modi on hand and I saw it as a stop gap measure. I think I paid $250 for it at the time. Can’t remember for sure. I A/B’d the built in DAC and Modi and decided I liked the Modi between my streamer and the Syn a little better. It’s similar to going back to prologic since it doesn’t have discrete center or surround channels. Having said that, I ordered a Monolith processor and tried out a friend’s receiver and spent several months dialing in PEQ and Dirac. For most of my trial period I kept coming back to the Syn sounding better with two channel music and didn’t miss the discrete surround channels as much as I thought I would. As I was running out of time on the Monolith trial period and I had learned a lot about calibration, I still felt like it was only slightly better than the Syn and the receiver was worse. It was a tough call but I sent both back and decided to wait to see if Emotiva or Monoprice (or someone else) would come out with an updated processor. In the time since I’ve looked at the Marantz 70s and I’m thinking that may make a lot of sense for me because I could then get a really nice integrated with HT Bypass for my 2 channel enjoyment and have a decent system for 7 channels. I think that may be the way to go for me at this point and if a processor that I like does arrive in the next couple of years then I could add additional channels at that time. But, while I’m still on the fence with several things, the Syn works and I’ll probably pass it down to my college age son when I make a decision. It’s just sort of fun and I’ve enjoyed it. Definitely not an end game device.
I found my own winner. a Schiit SYS passive preamp for $54. This little thing is amazing so smooth and natural sounding. I got it for temporary listening when my preamp crapped out. No regrets. I can listen for hours.
Tekton has horrible customer service based on my personal experience in reaching out to the owner via email and calling their customer service phone number directly. Which completely turned me off from buying them when I was highly interested initially. But customer service is a big deal to me and they left me with an impression that if I bought from them I would be left high and dry if I ever ran into issues with their products. If they care so little about a potential customer how would they act after I already bought from them and they have less interest in my needs since I already gave them my money. Sad but true sales people always care less after you bought compared to when you are a potential buyer.
If you care to know the details essentially I emailed the owner first letting him know my situation and interest in his products and wanted to talk to him about his recommendations and he first replied showing interest in helping me out and asked when I would have time to talk and I replied within hours letting him know some good times for a call and gave him my number and I didn’t hear any kind of response email or phone for a week so I called his customer service and left a message with someone since he had stepped out of the office and never heard back from anyone on that side since. That situation happened months ago. So I gave up on those products due to that ghosting.
I dont really get the myriad of components ie how they are supposed to be used. Right now I have two listening environments. 1) At my desk with my computer playing audio. I go from headphone out to a headphone tube amp (because my headphones need more power). Thats it. PC/Headphone Amp/Headphones 2) Home stereo. I have a Yamaha A4A receiver that supposedly does all kinds of streaming, and I have an android OS TV that also does all kinds of streaming. Receiver->Speakers. thats it. When or why do I need a DAC, Preamp, Streamer, etc? I feel like I am doing something wrong, because I cant figure out why I would need any of these devices. Can you propose to me what else I would need and why? EDIT: Only thing I feel like I am lacking is power for the KEF LS50 Meta L/R speakers for stereo listening. I would like a few more DB. I only listen to stereo music a few times a month. The rest of the time, the receiver is handling surround sound for the movie experience.
you missed "smsl ao300" bananas tv amp. arc input. i use deezer app on my tv into amp, into jamo s803's. kills my friends sonos soundbar which cost him £1000. next im getting wharfedale 12.2,s cheap here in uk. love your channel. well done mukka.
So I have a old school tuner and amp is there anything that I can buy to use Bluetooth headphones with it maybe something that would plug into the headphone jack that will send the signal to wireless headphones?
Hey Randy!! I just took advantage of a bespoke post "end of year" promo and ordered the U-Turn Orbit Theory for $565, down from $1099! Can't wait for it to arrive! I also am thinking of ordering a J2 with Sparkos OA upgrade. Thanks for all the killer recommendations!
I got some great gear in 2023... A topping DX3 Pro+, an Aiyima A07 and scored some Sennheiser HD520 from 1985! My sound is so good now, only trouble is the Aiyima A07 runs very hot so on hot days can't pump the volume quite as much without it cutting out briefly.
No Sith Audio Intro? 😢. Got a Wiim Pro Plus for Christmas from the wife to replace the old Chromecast Audio. Like being able to collect several sources of streaming together in one app and a volunteer remote. Love it. This purchase is directly from your feedback.
When I finally get around to pulling the trigger, I too will be replacing a Chrome Audio puck that I output via SPIFD to an integrated amp with an older ESS Sabre ES9018K2M chip (streaming Spotify Premium). Wondering if the Wiim PP will gain me a lot. Does the Wiim app let you control streaming or do you still use your streaming service app? Thanks
@@eddents Wiim has an app to control the music service. I use Tidal and TuneIn. Both are in the Wiim app. Also, don't get rid of the Chromecast Audio puck. They are a great value!! Use in another place around the house or sell on second hand market. Always demand for these great little pucks.
@@eddents Spotify sends me over to their own app. It's listed in the Wiim app, but still seems me to Spotify App directly. Maybe that's just my phone?? Not sure.
Just purchased a Wiim Amp / streamer (now back in stock) & a pair of HECO Aurora 300’s. Anyone have any suggestions about what to add next? I’m not into vynl.
Okay. It is statistically impossible to have a 3 6 9 Air-King and a DeepSea and not be a watch nerd. To quote Tyler Durden, "Look, you don't want to get into this. It becomes . . . an addiction." I don't know how bad it is yet after only watching a few videos. But I have suspicions.
Hi! I'm planning on buying the Wiim Amp and hook it up to a pair of Elac Debut B5.2 speakers. Is the Wiim amp capable of driving those speakers with good quality?
Well update the whim amp is unavailable. Amazon can’t get it Crestfield can’t get it. I’m willing to make a deal $ you have one would you sell it to me??😂
Had a salesman from The Music Room (no showroom 👎) highly recommend the Q Acoustic 5020's, but you're glowing review "I can't recommend them more" sealed the deal. Thanks!
@scottmuhlbaier1945 I would tend to agree. Got a smoking deal on a Naim Uniti Atom, works great, aesthetics were just fine, and about half of retail. Hmm sold!
Yep... in my case a $5,000 Cary 5ch amp that won a slew of awards for about $1200-- a great amp never really goes out of style. As with me, now as a repeat customer all you have to do now is write them and say hey what's the best price you can do on whatever you're looking at.. and they will work with you:)
So I was about to pull the trigger on a fully kitted wood J2S but now I see they have a new DAC called Dayzee coming out. Should I wait and see what then new one is like?
I suppose you should wait if you can afford it. I assume the Dayzee will be significantly more expensive than the J2. Also prepare to wait even more than you would for a J2S.
Any opinions on what one needs to spend or get to see an improvement over the internal DAC on a WIIM Pro? Is the SMSL SU1 a step up or does one need to move up to the Geshelli to see any real improvement?
honestly, if i had a wiim pro i might just use that and put it to better speakers. i dont think the audible difference will be that big. i have the su1 wich is currently hooked to my 10 years old avr because i will soon replace the avr with an amp and therefor, i need a a dac. the difference between the su1 and my 10 year old denon is tiny, it sounds better but i could live with the denons internal dac sounds just as well. my 2 cents: buy a dac because you need a dac. dont just buy a dac because you feel like upgrading a dac you allready have. that money is better placed in speakers
Isn't there a DAC built in to AV receivers (mine is a Denon X4700H). And if so, why should we buy a separate DAC? Will it sound significantly different?
There are DAC's in basically everything these days. Generally speaking in my opinion a DAC is a DAC. The only way you can make a DAC sound different is if you intentionally warp how it decodes... it's supposed to be a utility, an transparent conversion of digital to analog, and a pretty well understood science. A pure DAC to me as audiophile gear is pretty much snake oil. Obviously you need a DAC, but the notion that, say, a receiver manufacturer would intentionally put a crappy DAC in their cheaper receiver for instance is ludicrous. Now, certainly there are cases where getting a DAC makes sense - for instance, my FiiO headphone amplifier is actually an amplifier and DAC, but the part I care most about there is the amplifier. The DAC in it just makes it convenient to plug into my computer with USB, so the built-in DAC in it can act like a second sound card.
A 100-200 USD should probably sound better for music yeah. Some of the 4700 have an inferior DAC because of a fire at the AKM factory, and the replacement is not really rock solid
Regarding the Fosi ZA3: Maybe it's been answered already and I haven't found it, but very basically: What's the purpose of running theZA3 as monoblocks if the output power rating only goes up 10% or 20%? Shouldn't the power output almost double in bridge mode? In other words: What's the advantage of buying two and running them in mono mode when the power output is essentially the same? Is this really only meant for people with 2 ohm speakers?
I deleted my previous comment so I could provide better clarity on the Fosi ZA3. It was tested on a dyno amp on another channel with the provided 48v 5a power supply 8ohms 94w & 97w @ 1% distortion Mono 8ohms 106w @ 1% distortion 4ohms stereo 177w & 174w @ 1% distortion 4ohms Mono 193w @ 1% distortion. With such little improvement in mono, this amp is a major disappointment in that regard. In stereo with the 12v trigger, it's a better value.
Greta stuff as always. Does anyone know of a traditional Integrated amp like the rotel, at the same price, with that sound signature, that also has tone controls or even loudness?
Look for the Yamaha RN600, the Magnat MR750, the Marantz NR1200 and may be the pricier (than the Rotel A11, that is) Denon PMA900. On the cheaper spectrum the TEAC A-R650MKII, the NAD C 326BEE, the Cambridge Audio AXR100D and the Yamaha AS501.
@@Yiannis2112 I used to have a Yamaha from the RN-series, with built in streaming etc. Great amp, but does not have a really warm signature. However with that Variable loudness you can really tweak the sound. I regret selling it that is for sure
@@simonh9806 You'll have to read reviews of all those amps, wherever you find them online. To check each ones signature. Yes, Yamaha tends to be on the bright side of neutral, as Marantz, Denon and Cambridge are on its warm side. The Cambridge may be more dynamic than the other two and the Denon being the closest to neutral and thus the Rotel. I assume Magnat's 750 is warm sounding too, due to its tube preamp section. Nad's 326 is an old model and I think its close to Rotel's signature. The Teac is also old, difficult to find and a bit bright.
Someone please help, im audio illiterate... I want to play my tidal from my phone. Linton/Q50 speakers> eversolo A6 and job done? Or is it... Speaker> amp> anything else? > dac> cable to connect phone to into dac Its all confusing me lol
I have had a chance (with freind) to test Wiim PRO with two systems. VERY DISSAPOINTED.! It robs the speakers and amps ( ss and tube amp) of tit's presentation especially in bas and mids, shrinks the soundstage and made music soul less - for instance acoustic guitar strings just "plinks", without a body, and chamber of guitar also has no body and resonance. Just emphasize edges of notes without substance. Cheap, "chipsy crispy clean"sound. Ok, maybe great for those who thinks that chips is a true potato taste .
@@Astro-ck6mh WiiM's internal DAC or Wiim as a stramaer/DAC connected to amp-s. Horrible to my ears. If the signal went form Wiim used just as a streamer via another DAC or DSP it was better.
A follow up on my last comment ( UA-cam has eaten my last comment even though I made it 2 minutes ago) please don't be put of by the auna brand, I was dubious but I gave them a punt was was blown away
DL200 is objectively better than many DACs for several thousand dollars.. increase in price doesn't help a lot of the designs.. It should for instance objectively beat the VMV D2R DAC which costs about 1000 dollars rather easily. DL200 performance is likely similar to D6s.
@@ChrisStoneinator Don't need to, objectively all I've seen measure worse and only tend to live on through marketing BS which is all too common in this business.. DACs are so good nothing new needs to happen there apart from maybe some features like EQ, room correction, better remotes etc.. Loudspeakers, rooms etc however are lagging, as well as....recordings which overall are rather poor quality
I ordered the WIIM AMP on Christmas Eve, whilst at a bar with my gf. It was 500SEK (~$50) discounted on Amazon and I just said to her: "Now the SONOS Beam can move to our apartment in Spain, I'm hooking my extra speakers up in the living room..." (The Beam is hers) Because of the versitality of this little amp regarding streaming services and since it has HDMI ARC I can stove it away and still control the volume with the TV remote! Wonderful! Can't wait to hook it up tonight. Thanks Mr Audioman for this GOTY video, stay safe and keep enjoying music!
Sonos is the new Bose.
I must start and say I enjoy watching your videos, I find them interesting and humorous.
My Denton receiver stopped working what to do next?
I thought of you.
What should I buy ?
you have the answer !
the whim amp
I researched it for what you said I know will be an owner of one in a few days. thank you cheap audio man. 🎉
Watching this video on April first.
"No intros...", starts with an intro... Well played Sir, well played.
Hi Randy, I enjoy your content, and today, I hooked up an SMSL PS100, which I would not have known about without your recommendation. Works well in a secondary TV viewing area using an older TV (but has ARC) and an 20 year old receiver. Thank you!
Bought the wiim pro plus based on your recommendation. Love It! I use the wiim android app but easy for wife to just stream from her iPad. Amazing device.
Great stuff and yes always entertaining my friend. Keep on doing your thing and best to ya in 2024!
I have the Klipsch Fives on my desk right now. They are fantastic, especially on sale. I paid $475 on Amazon.
I got the fives for double that price when they first came out in 2020. I didn’t really like them at first fir that price point. I needed to connect them to a tone control to get the sound right. 2 years after I got them they dropped to 50% retail price and updated the app that now lets you EQ them.
Thank you for the HECO Aurora 300 recommendation. I grabbed them today and I love them \m/
Where/how did you get these, link is dead and searching they don't even seem available via the exclusive dealer, only the 200 series?
@@GPN005 Didn't say that I bought them new...I saw them on the used market and I searched for a review and found this video. This video helped me make a decision :)
So, my morning today went like this: Got my new SMSL SU-1 in the mail. Unpacked it and hooked it up. Started listening to it. Being impressed. Then this video showed up in my stream and I thought; maybe he mentiones my new little dac. And there it is. Thak you for a great video and really happy with my new dac.
I've been exploring the DAC/amp market and watching your vids diligently. I got myself an Aiyama T9 pro for Xmas, and am blown away. So in the pursuit of cheap high res solutions I ordered some Sony's per your recommendation. I'm hoping to create a high res solution at minimal expense for a new generation of people who have never heard high res and only know music on the radio or thru Spotify
I’m surprised KEF wasn’t mentioned in any of the price categories. I just love their sound.
That makes one of you!
Anything of value to say?
The tangent Amster BT II is a great inexpensive integrated amp. It has Bluetooth and DAC. A best buy.
I want thank you so much. My Sony ss cs5 speakers arrived and are incredible. Powered by a Aiyima T9 with qobuz/phone bloothtouth as source they sound awesome.
You give a lot of stuff away... Can I be your friend? 🤣
Great review. Do you ever review outdoor speakers? I know, sitting by the pool is not the best acoustic environment. Currently, we use a JBL Bluetooth speaker. I would like a more permanent setup. mounting speakers under the pergola and maybe using one or two of those ~100 amps. Any guidance would be great.
Great information ! What gear are U in ? They say gearheads like it in overdrive ! Thank U .
For the money, how would you rank the Concept 5020 versus:
• Philharmonic Ceramic Mini & True Mini
• Wharfedale 12.2
• Quad S2
Looking for least fickle wrt room placement, most holographic, best instrument separation.
Usage: small room, mostly Jazz, hip hop, female vocals (no movies)
Definitely gonna be a fun one
Hey Randy love your work. Can you please get Fosi to send you the 48v. GaN power supply and put it up against the regular 48v power supply that they offer with the Fosi ZA3? Keen to see the differences! Cheers from Melbourne Australia
Great compilation for the year. Thanks Randy.
Hope you and the CAM Fam are having an awesome holidays and will have a great new year.
Thanks for the Christmas Eve show caring about your followers. Hope you have the greatest new year ever
Been getting into this hobby and this channel has been very helpful. Found a pair of Klipsch RP-500M for 299 so looking forward to hooking them up. Picking them up after work on Tuesday.
Nice wrap up and good background noise while I get a little work done in a very quiet office, thanks Randy!
Grabbed some coffee watched the vid, went to amazon to order the wiim Amp and no dice. Hope they don’t jack the price up when they restock.
Great video! Im looking for advice 🙃. Ive got a Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB and my dads old Sony receiver (cd, cassette and phono) but im looking to upgrade to the polk signature elite es15 or Elac debut 2.0 b5.2 . Im looking for a receiver? Amp? Thing? To connect my turntable (has preamp) and new speakers to. I also need bluetooth so i can listen to music from phone when im not using my turntable. What should i buy? Hopefully under $300 usd. Thanks for the help! 😅
Like your watch!
I have bought a couple pieces of chi-fi sadly both crapped out one ayiama one smsl I liked the ayiama it was sweet for about two months buyer beware!
Thanks for sharing info. I was wondering if Aiyima T9 PRO can drive Totem Accoustic Model One? (Specifications
Frequency Response: 40 Hz - 20 kHz ± 3 dB
Recommended Power: 30 - 150 W
Woofer: 2 x 5.5″ / 13.97 cm with 3″ / 7.62 cm vented voice coil design
Tweeter: 1″ / 2.54 cm alloy dome (low resonance frequency with double magnet)
Impedance: 4 ohms
Sensitivity: 87 dB
Thanks again
Fun video Randy! Nice wrap up for 2023.
Hiya Mr CAM!!! Great year fo sho!
I hope you and your family had a great Christmas.
Same to you!
I don't know how the KEF R3 Meta could be left of this list. Objectively the best measuring bookshelf of all time under $3k, punches way above it's pricepoint. Audibly distortion free at reference levels in full range has never been done at this price. The performance is flirting with the KEF Reference 1 $10k "non meta" speakers from a measurements point of view.
The speaker has taken the audioworld by storm, AudioScienceReviews (ASR) has been drooling over it's performance and near perfect measurements all year. All the KEF haters even love the speakers.... How could you miss this Randall? I know hating on KEF's prices it kind of your "thing" but they released a unicorn product that's unrivaled on paper/scientifically under 3K.
Of course, I need your dulcet tones in the background, imparting your sonic wisdom and great advice on this Boxing Day. What better present could I wish for, other than some good FOMO therapy? Thank you for another year of great times and tunes . All the very best for another year of sonic fulfillment and thanks for inviting us along on this journey of exciting discovery.
I'm a bit overwhelmed by all these thing. Can someone help me a bit out with all the receiver, amp etc stuff? I would love to buy a fluance rt85 and a pair of elac dbr62 or Klipsch rp600m but I dont know wish amp would be the best here.
I want my fluance, tv and maybe smartphone to connect with the speakers.
Can someone provide a more or less cheap option for the start?
About to have to replace my old audio receiver which has a nice loudness option. Low volume with nice, enhanced bass/treble. I have it paired up with an EQ. An EQ alone will not make up for the lost gain. These flatline new receivers are abysmal from my view. Overkill volume needed to get back the loss of not having a good loudness feature for low volumes. The Yamaha receivers with a loudness dial, from my understanding it only lowers signal strength, does not actually boost the signal. Odd that was not mentioned in his past review. Question, does anyone know of a newly made receiver line that has a loudness feature that boosts the signal? Seems repair maybe my only option. Buying used vintage electronics is a gamble. Much thanks
Just brewed a cup of Peets Colombia, with a touch of light cream, good for some Randy.
Great video. Love the SMSL SU-1. Any recommendations for a phono preamp that performs higher than it's price would suggests. Thanks.
Nice watches mate!
Would still love to see a best amp (just amp) list in the future if you ever get around to it. Thanks for all the reviews.
Lol he just put that vid out 3 days ago. Gotta change that notification setting so you don't miss stuff
damn , good year to have some money in your pocket esp speakerwise, that ain't me, can barely afford batteries for my blood pressure monitor
Hi I'm a new listener to your channel & I really enjoy your content. I was given a pair of Klipsch R-51M Speakers & Klipsch 12 r12SW Subwoofer 400 for charismas but my only issue is I have nothing to drive this setup & don"t know where to start. I have a couple hundred of dollars whats my best bet to get this system going ? I want to upgrade in future want asd much power as possible & want Bluetooth capability for a nice size room 30x30 ? any help would be appreciated
Got my daughter a Fluance rt81 for Christmas for her new house. She has a pair of edifier powered speakers. If I got her a wiim pro plus, how would it hook up to her turntable and those powered speakers …or would it?
Love my Schiit Syn. Sounds better with the Modi and I’m sure would scale nicely with better DACs. Using it with Emotiva monoblocks and KEF R11 Metas with Genelec surrounds. Having a hard time justifying upgrading but I really just bought the Syn because my receiver died. That was 8 months ago and everything I’ve compared it to so far just doesn’t upgrade the sound enough to justify the cost.
It's an interesting device, but for twice its price I got a Marantz Cinema 70s. That has 7 channels of amplification built in, and real surround decoding of all the current standards. If I want to spend more on amplification, well, it has full 7.1 preouts so I can run it as a pure processor should I so desire. The Syn doesn't make a lot of sense to me, it's inferior for surround and you still need to spend money on amplifiers to even bring it up to sort of parity (yet not since it doesn't properly decode digital surround) with an entry level Marantz receiver.
@@KimmoJaskariyeah, I don’t get the idea behind the Syn.
@@SGTOldSchool96 Yeah. In my case I had enough amplification and a Modi on hand and I saw it as a stop gap measure. I think I paid $250 for it at the time. Can’t remember for sure. I A/B’d the built in DAC and Modi and decided I liked the Modi between my streamer and the Syn a little better. It’s similar to going back to prologic since it doesn’t have discrete center or surround channels. Having said that, I ordered a Monolith processor and tried out a friend’s receiver and spent several months dialing in PEQ and Dirac. For most of my trial period I kept coming back to the Syn sounding better with two channel music and didn’t miss the discrete surround channels as much as I thought I would. As I was running out of time on the Monolith trial period and I had learned a lot about calibration, I still felt like it was only slightly better than the Syn and the receiver was worse. It was a tough call but I sent both back and decided to wait to see if Emotiva or Monoprice (or someone else) would come out with an updated processor. In the time since I’ve looked at the Marantz 70s and I’m thinking that may make a lot of sense for me because I could then get a really nice integrated with HT Bypass for my 2 channel enjoyment and have a decent system for 7 channels. I think that may be the way to go for me at this point and if a processor that I like does arrive in the next couple of years then I could add additional channels at that time. But, while I’m still on the fence with several things, the Syn works and I’ll probably pass it down to my college age son when I make a decision. It’s just sort of fun and I’ve enjoyed it. Definitely not an end game device.
How about best turntables of the year?
Do a subwoofer review comparing cheap subwoofers please 🙏
Please compare to Emotiva Big Ego + Dac
Can u try out the smsl ao300 I’m between getting the al200 or ao300. I would love to hear a comparison video
Timestamps would be nice. Happy holidays cam!
Thank you for being honest, CAM.
Is he?
@@YuengsNwings I don’t know.
I found my own winner. a Schiit SYS passive preamp for $54. This little thing is amazing so smooth and natural sounding. I got it for temporary listening when my preamp crapped out. No regrets. I can listen for hours.
Can you request some Tekton Design speakers for review?
Tekton has horrible customer service based on my personal experience in reaching out to the owner via email and calling their customer service phone number directly. Which completely turned me off from buying them when I was highly interested initially. But customer service is a big deal to me and they left me with an impression that if I bought from them I would be left high and dry if I ever ran into issues with their products. If they care so little about a potential customer how would they act after I already bought from them and they have less interest in my needs since I already gave them my money. Sad but true sales people always care less after you bought compared to when you are a potential buyer.
If you care to know the details essentially I emailed the owner first letting him know my situation and interest in his products and wanted to talk to him about his recommendations and he first replied showing interest in helping me out and asked when I would have time to talk and I replied within hours letting him know some good times for a call and gave him my number and I didn’t hear any kind of response email or phone for a week so I called his customer service and left a message with someone since he had stepped out of the office and never heard back from anyone on that side since. That situation happened months ago. So I gave up on those products due to that ghosting.
I dont really get the myriad of components ie how they are supposed to be used. Right now I have two listening environments.
1) At my desk with my computer playing audio. I go from headphone out to a headphone tube amp (because my headphones need more power). Thats it. PC/Headphone Amp/Headphones
2) Home stereo. I have a Yamaha A4A receiver that supposedly does all kinds of streaming, and I have an android OS TV that also does all kinds of streaming. Receiver->Speakers. thats it.
When or why do I need a DAC, Preamp, Streamer, etc? I feel like I am doing something wrong, because I cant figure out why I would need any of these devices. Can you propose to me what else I would need and why?
EDIT: Only thing I feel like I am lacking is power for the KEF LS50 Meta L/R speakers for stereo listening. I would like a few more DB. I only listen to stereo music a few times a month. The rest of the time, the receiver is handling surround sound for the movie experience.
Quick question, what are the best budget amp to pair with the smsl su-1?
You missed it.... Grab a cup of coffee and let's talk about... Right, yeah.. No intro today.
I guess randy mentioned no sponsors and intros
you missed "smsl ao300" bananas tv amp. arc input. i use deezer app on my tv into amp, into jamo s803's. kills my friends sonos soundbar which cost him £1000. next im getting wharfedale 12.2,s cheap here in uk. love your channel. well done mukka.
beware the dark at the cat inn. the ghost of billy pitt. always go in the daytime.
No mention of any Sith Audio products?
HECO Aurora 300 are $314 a pair right now on Amazon !!!!!!!
How does Toppings LA90 discrete compare as power amps?
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So I have a old school tuner and amp is there anything that I can buy to use Bluetooth headphones with it maybe something that would plug into the headphone jack that will send the signal to wireless headphones?
Hey Randy!!
I just took advantage of a bespoke post "end of year" promo and ordered the U-Turn Orbit Theory for $565, down from $1099! Can't wait for it to arrive! I also am thinking of ordering a J2 with Sparkos OA upgrade. Thanks for all the killer recommendations!
I got some great gear in 2023... A topping DX3 Pro+, an Aiyima A07 and scored some Sennheiser HD520 from 1985! My sound is so good now, only trouble is the Aiyima A07 runs very hot so on hot days can't pump the volume quite as much without it cutting out briefly.
No Sith Audio Intro? 😢. Got a Wiim Pro Plus for Christmas from the wife to replace the old Chromecast Audio. Like being able to collect several sources of streaming together in one app and a volunteer remote. Love it. This purchase is directly from your feedback.
When I finally get around to pulling the trigger, I too will be replacing a Chrome Audio puck that I output via SPIFD to an integrated amp with an older ESS Sabre ES9018K2M chip (streaming Spotify Premium). Wondering if the Wiim PP will gain me a lot. Does the Wiim app let you control streaming or do you still use your streaming service app? Thanks
@@eddents Wiim has an app to control the music service. I use Tidal and TuneIn. Both are in the Wiim app.
Also, don't get rid of the Chromecast Audio puck. They are a great value!! Use in another place around the house or sell on second hand market. Always demand for these great little pucks.
@@eddents Spotify sends me over to their own app. It's listed in the Wiim app, but still seems me to Spotify App directly. Maybe that's just my phone?? Not sure.
I have the Wiim pro plus, and the app (IPhone) does indeed let you control the streaming and choose the services right from the app.
@@annihilus23464 Thanks for the info!
Just purchased a Wiim Amp / streamer (now back in stock) & a pair of HECO Aurora 300’s. Anyone have any suggestions about what to add next? I’m not into vynl.
I love my Wiim Pro Plus! Thanks Randy
Hey Randy! Hope you had a great Christmas! How's that new PS5? Did you get some great games for it?
Okay. It is statistically impossible to have a 3 6 9 Air-King and a DeepSea and not be a watch nerd. To quote Tyler Durden, "Look, you don't want to get into this. It becomes . . . an addiction." I don't know how bad it is yet after only watching a few videos. But I have suspicions.
Not sure why, but your audio is really low on some videos and is fine on others. Have you listened to some of your older videos?
where can i get a rockopus without 3d p[rinting one ?
Randy, that’s a cool notched sweatshirt of 2023! Seriously, what brand is it?
1 category is missing THE BEST CD PLAYER OF THE YEAR.
Probably Randy's past recommendation - the Emotiva CD player.
@@amazoidal 👍
Hiya Mr CAM!!!
Hi! I'm planning on buying the Wiim Amp and hook it up to a pair of Elac Debut B5.2 speakers. Is the Wiim amp capable of driving those speakers with good quality?
Why don't you like tubes? I just bought some nos tubes for my Freya+ and it's like going up 2 or 3 levels of great sonic bliss.
Well update the whim amp is unavailable. Amazon can’t get it Crestfield can’t get it. I’m willing to make a deal $ you have one would you sell it to me??😂
Had a salesman from The Music Room (no showroom 👎) highly recommend the Q Acoustic 5020's, but you're glowing review "I can't recommend them more" sealed the deal. Thanks!
That's a great place to find used equipment... surprisingly good brands. I picked up a great multi-channel Cary amp from them last month
@scottmuhlbaier1945 I would tend to agree. Got a smoking deal on a Naim Uniti Atom, works great, aesthetics were just fine, and about half of retail. Hmm sold!
Yep... in my case a $5,000 Cary 5ch amp that won a slew of awards for about $1200-- a great amp never really goes out of style. As with me, now as a repeat customer all you have to do now is write them and say hey what's the best price you can do on whatever you're looking at.. and they will work with you:)
So I was about to pull the trigger on a fully kitted wood J2S but now I see they have a new DAC called Dayzee coming out. Should I wait and see what then new one is like?
I think the dayzee is a j2 with extra inputs and/or outputs?
I suppose you should wait if you can afford it. I assume the Dayzee will be significantly more expensive than the J2. Also prepare to wait even more than you would for a J2S.
Heco Aurora 300 was $314 last I checked
Any opinions on what one needs to spend or get to see an improvement over the internal DAC on a WIIM Pro? Is the SMSL SU1 a step up or does one need to move up to the Geshelli to see any real improvement?
The SU1 is a step up for cheap. It uses the AK4493 chip.
The M300se would be a nice improvement.
honestly, if i had a wiim pro i might just use that and put it to better speakers. i dont think the audible difference will be that big. i have the su1 wich is currently hooked to my 10 years old avr because i will soon replace the avr with an amp and therefor, i need a a dac. the difference between the su1 and my 10 year old denon is tiny, it sounds better but i could live with the denons internal dac sounds just as well. my 2 cents: buy a dac because you need a dac. dont just buy a dac because you feel like upgrading a dac you allready have. that money is better placed in speakers
@MuTSoftLight thanks. My speakers are great so I'm just looking for that last 5% on this particular system. CSS 1TDX with upgraded crossovers.
What are the chances that Wiim will one day support Apple Music?
They already support Apple Music, via Airplay.
@@YuengsNwings That's not the same. AAC vs Hi-Res Lossless
Isn't there a DAC built in to AV receivers (mine is a Denon X4700H). And if so, why should we buy a separate DAC? Will it sound significantly different?
There are DAC's in basically everything these days. Generally speaking in my opinion a DAC is a DAC. The only way you can make a DAC sound different is if you intentionally warp how it decodes... it's supposed to be a utility, an transparent conversion of digital to analog, and a pretty well understood science. A pure DAC to me as audiophile gear is pretty much snake oil. Obviously you need a DAC, but the notion that, say, a receiver manufacturer would intentionally put a crappy DAC in their cheaper receiver for instance is ludicrous. Now, certainly there are cases where getting a DAC makes sense - for instance, my FiiO headphone amplifier is actually an amplifier and DAC, but the part I care most about there is the amplifier. The DAC in it just makes it convenient to plug into my computer with USB, so the built-in DAC in it can act like a second sound card.
@@KimmoJaskari thank you!
A 100-200 USD should probably sound better for music yeah. Some of the 4700 have an inferior DAC because of a fire at the AKM factory, and the replacement is not really rock solid
Speaker under $500...Kanto ORA for sure. You should get them in for review.
He did. About a month ago.
Fun times..:)
Regarding the Fosi ZA3:
Maybe it's been answered already and I haven't found it, but very basically:
What's the purpose of running theZA3 as monoblocks if the output power rating only goes up 10% or 20%? Shouldn't the power output almost double in bridge mode?
In other words: What's the advantage of buying two and running them in mono mode when the power output is essentially the same? Is this really only meant for people with 2 ohm speakers?
I deleted my previous comment so I could provide better clarity on the Fosi ZA3. It was tested on a dyno amp on another channel with the provided 48v 5a power supply
8ohms
94w & 97w @ 1% distortion
Mono 8ohms
106w @ 1% distortion
4ohms stereo
177w & 174w @ 1% distortion
4ohms Mono
193w @ 1% distortion.
With such little improvement in mono, this amp is a major disappointment in that regard. In stereo with the 12v trigger, it's a better value.
Thanks!
Thank you..
Greta stuff as always. Does anyone know of a traditional Integrated amp like the rotel, at the same price, with that sound signature, that also has tone controls or even loudness?
Look for the Yamaha RN600, the Magnat MR750, the Marantz NR1200 and may be the pricier (than the Rotel A11, that is) Denon PMA900. On the cheaper spectrum the TEAC A-R650MKII, the NAD C 326BEE, the Cambridge Audio AXR100D and the Yamaha AS501.
Rotel A11 Tribute😍🤩🥰
@@Yiannis2112 I used to have a Yamaha from the RN-series, with built in streaming etc. Great amp, but does not have a really warm signature. However with that Variable loudness you can really tweak the sound. I regret selling it that is for sure
@@simonh9806 You'll have to read reviews of all those amps, wherever you find them online. To check each ones signature. Yes, Yamaha tends to be on the bright side of neutral, as Marantz, Denon and Cambridge are on its warm side. The Cambridge may be more dynamic than the other two and the Denon being the closest to neutral and thus the Rotel. I assume Magnat's 750 is warm sounding too, due to its tube preamp section. Nad's 326 is an old model and I think its close to Rotel's signature. The Teac is also old, difficult to find and a bit bright.
MEL GIBSON OF AUDIO ;p
Randy, which DAC would you recommend fro plug into a Onkyo N696 AV receiver as part of a home theater setup? Thanks,!
Does the Onkyo have digital outputs for a DAC?
Heco Aurora 300 vs Sony SSCS5 with Neil Blanchard Modifications???
No sub of the year? Maybe I missed it. 🤔
Grab a cup of coffee?
Never missing an excuse to post 50 affiliate links and hawk a couple dozen products. Stay class, Randy.
You should tell everyone that if you are over 65 or 70 years old, you might be able to hear 10kHz & below, not a peep above
One person’s treasure is another man’s junk.
Someone please help, im audio illiterate... I want to play my tidal from my phone.
Linton/Q50 speakers> eversolo A6 and job done?
Or is it...
Speaker> amp> anything else? > dac> cable to connect phone to into dac
Its all confusing me lol
In between your Eversolo (a streamer/DAC) and your speakers, you are missing an amplifier.
I have had a chance (with freind) to test Wiim PRO with two systems. VERY DISSAPOINTED.! It robs the speakers and amps ( ss and tube amp) of tit's presentation especially in bas and mids, shrinks the soundstage and made music soul less - for instance acoustic guitar strings just "plinks", without a body, and chamber of guitar also has no body and resonance. Just emphasize edges of notes without substance. Cheap, "chipsy crispy clean"sound. Ok, maybe great for those who thinks that chips is a true potato taste .
I'm guessing you used the internal DAC? How about just the streaming feature? Is it any good?
@@Astro-ck6mh WiiM's internal DAC or Wiim as a stramaer/DAC connected to amp-s. Horrible to my ears.
If the signal went form Wiim used just as a streamer via another DAC or DSP it was better.
Cheap audio sales man... Oh My!!!
A follow up on my last comment ( UA-cam has eaten my last comment even though I made it 2 minutes ago) please don't be put of by the auna brand, I was dubious but I gave them a punt was was blown away
DL200 is objectively better than many DACs for several thousand dollars.. increase in price doesn't help a lot of the designs..
It should for instance objectively beat the VMV D2R DAC which costs about 1000 dollars rather easily. DL200 performance is likely similar to D6s.
That's cute. Have you heard any R2R DACs?
@@ChrisStoneinator Don't need to, objectively all I've seen measure worse and only tend to live on through marketing BS which is all too common in this business..
DACs are so good nothing new needs to happen there apart from maybe some features like EQ, room correction, better remotes etc..
Loudspeakers, rooms etc however are lagging, as well as....recordings which overall are rather poor quality