Hello everyone,
After 40 years of hard work (in banking), I will be retiring in June. So, I’m trying to gather ideas for some upgrades to one of my home audio systems.
Current Setup
(My music is stored on a NAS, and Roon runs on a dedicated NUC—at some point, I will switch to a Nucleus).
Right now, everything is connected through BluOS, so we would like to remain in that ecosystem.
- Room 1: Bluesound Powernode 2i (amplifier + streamer) driving a pair of Klipsch RB15 speakers (which I originally bought for use with a T-Amp). These speakers were about €350, if I recall correctly, but I now find them a bit fatiguing. Unfortunately, space constraints make it impossible to upgrade to larger speakers.
- Room 2: NAD C 368 amplifier, with the MDC module for streaming and multi-room, a Pro-Ject turntable, and Monitor Audio bookshelf speakers that are nearly 20 years old (again, space limitations prevent me from using larger speakers). Here, I will also be adding a CD player (either NAD or Pro-Ject, entry-level). I had stopped using CDs when my old Denon player broke, switching instead to Tidal/Qobuz.
- Bedroom and Kitchen: Currently, a pair of Bluesound Pulse Flex speakers.
Focus: Room 1
This room has a Sony 65” TV, and I want to pass its audio directly through a new amplifier that must have HDMI ARC.
- Can I buy any Roon Ready amplifier and be sure that I will still have multi-room functionality?
- Would a streamer like the Node Icon, connected via HDMI ARC to the amplifier, be enough to enable multi-room with Roon?
- Can I turn on the TV and automatically power on the amplifier using a single remote control?
I was considering the Roksan Attessa amplifier + streamer, but I saw that it doesn’t have HDMI (which is a shame because it supports BluOS).
So, I am now focusing on NAD or Bluesound, though I also really like the new Quad, or even taking the leap to a McIntosh (any other suggestions?).
For BluOS, I am currently considering:
- NAD C 389 (+ MDC module)
- NAD C 399 (+ MDC module) (both fit the standard 43.5 cm width)
- The more expensive NAD M10 V3 (the new C 700 v2 is basically the same as my PowerNode).
Speaker Selection
Once I settle on the amplifier, which bookshelf speakers (max 19 cm width) would you recommend?
I would like to test Dynaudio Emit or Evoke 10.
We have already listened to Sonus Faber Lumina II and Sonetto I GII (which are at the size limit and quite expensive 
).
Apple TV 4K Audio
I’m not sure how I would manage Apple TV 4K audio, which is our main source when watching TV. My goal is to have all audio pass through the amplifier and speakers without needing to manually switch anything.
(Currently, I use an optical cable, but I have to manually switch inputs if I want to hear the audio through the speakers).
What do you think?
Thanks.