Help selecting best components for 2.2 system. Preamp, DAC, streamer

Audio Gear Talk
1

Hi,

What would be your ideal component combination for best performance, functionality, and reliability?

Budget max is under $7000; hopefully under 5k.

I will be music streaming mostly; some TV/movies.

Preamp needs to have TV input, 2 sub out. XLR. Gain no more than 6-9 db has been suggested for preamp.

Need:
Pre-amp
Streamer
DAC
Room correction
Roon endpoint

Simple for the wife to use.

Some things that have been suggested to me so far in my research.

Complete solutions:
NAD m66 (checks all boxes. Reliability, sound, measurement tbd?)
Hifi Rose rs150b (no room correction)
Orchard Pecan Pi+ (using Roon room correction)
miniDSP SHD
Anthem STR preamp (need a streamer/Roon end point)

I am a novice, open to your best suggestions.

Thanks for your help :slight_smile:

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3

Thanks for the reply.

I have the power amp and speakers already. Looking for the other components.

Thanks

4

Which power amp and speakers do you plan to use with your new system?

5

Of the options you listed, the miniDSP is the only one I’ve personally used. But it may also be the best. Flawless integration with Roon. One of the few solutions without going to an HT receiver or processor that enables you to add delays to the mains for subwoofer integration. There’s available room correction via Dirac, but you may get better results using Roon’s convolution engine if music is your priority for sound quality.

Your TV must have a setting for outputting PCM, but most do. The wireless remote works well with Roon for play/pause/skip plus volume and DSP presets. For best results, all incoming audio should be resampled to 24-bits, 96 kHz. If your source does not do that, the SHD will do so internally. But I suspect that Roon’s DSP engine does a better job.

6

I will be using AGD Audion MKiii. Power amplifier.

I will be using Salk SS9.5 speakers.

I also have the option of Revel F208 speakers (on order)

7

Swinging for the fences I see. If you’re using $8k in amplification driving a $10k pair of loudspeakers, you’ll probably want something a little nicer for your preamp. As I mentioned, I don’t have direct experience with the other components you listed, but I’ve heard great things about Anthem. It would be better if the STR had an HDMI ARC input, that that’s really all that’s missing. You’ll want to use an external streaming transport anyway. I’d suggest the HoloAudio Red, but the WiiM Pro is also a good option to get started quickly. You can always use the WiiM in another room if you decide to upgrade to the HoloAudio Red later.

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I have a miniDSP SHD and it is remarkably good. Dirac did wonders evening out the bass response in my listening room. It has also been a rock solid device for several years. No glitches, lockups or weird issues. I can’t say the same for other DAC/Streamers I have had.

The NAD M66 is on my wishlist. Probably not worth 3.5 times the money but it is pretty and is one of the few two channel devices that covers everything from streaming to room correction in one box.

1 Like
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I’m really happy with my NAD M33, so the PreAmp M66 would be a good choice. Its a reasonable small All in One Magic Box and the option to run 4! Subs over XLR with Dirac room correction and Bass Management…come on! I don’t now a single product that offers anything like the M66 at the moment…
for me its a bit out of reach at the moment, so the M33 must do :sunglasses:

2 Likes
10

Nubert nuControl X
https://www.nubert.de/en/nucontrol-x/a040682

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Wim Mini + DSPeaker Antimode X4

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This is new to me.

Wow exactly the functions I am looking for.

Thanks for sharing. I will research this option for sure.