A simple non-audiophile setup - DAC required.

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chander

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FMs,

I am helping a very dear friend of mine to setup a 2 channel system in her house. The idea is to have a very simple system - that is easy to use and sounds good.

****She is not an audiophile, but she has given me reigns to decide - with a strict budget of 50K.

Till now the following have been finalised -
1 - Wiim Pro - any leads on where one can buy these will be great. This is my gift - so this is out of the set budget.
2 - Kali LP 6 - got these on Bajaao - however if anyone knows a cheaper source do let me know.
3 - Source will be Spotify.

Now the question comes to a DAC - even though it is not a necessity, but if I can fit something within 10K (+/- 5K)- it will be fantastic. The requirements are -
1 - XLR if possible will be amazing!
2 - Should have a way to connect to the TV. This is the primary reason I am looking for a DAC - to be able to connect a TV through RCA or optical.
3 - MUST have a remote :)

Till now I have not been able to find anything that fulfils the criteria. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
 
chander said:
FMs,

I am helping a very dear friend of mine to setup a 2 channel system in her house. The idea is to have a very simple system - that is easy to use and sounds good.

****She is not an audiophile, but she has given me reigns to decide - with a strict budget of 50K.

Till now the following have been finalised -
1 - Wiim Pro - any leads on where one can buy these will be great. This is my gift - so this is out of the set budget.
2 - Kali LP 6 - got these on Bajaao - however if anyone knows a cheaper source do let me know.
3 - Source will be Spotify.

Now the question comes to a DAC - even though it is not a necessity, but if I can fit something within 10K (+/- 5K)- it will be fantastic. The requirements are -
1 - XLR if possible will be amazing!
2 - Should have a way to connect to the TV. This is the primary reason I am looking for a DAC - to be able to connect a TV through RCA or optical.
3 - MUST have a remote :)

Till now I have not been able to find anything that fulfils the criteria. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Topping E30 II (selling at 14,999/- on headphonezone.in) + Allo Nirvana SMPS (selling at ~3600/- on fabtolab.com). No XLR!

With regards,
Sandeep Sasi
 
Your requirements are for a simple setup for a non-audiophile. Wouldn't the AIOs like the QA M20HD make more sense?

Considering your brief, try and keep the system as simple and user-friendly as possible. An additional DAC in the chain can be avoided.
You can connect the TV via optical and connect a simple WiiM mini steamer via RCA, or vice-versa.

The QAs have a 'non-offensive' sound and are pleasant and a safe bet. The Studio Monitor sound might not be to everybody's liking.
 The QAs also come with a remote.
 
I've been very impressed with the AIYIMA gear that is available on Amazon.
From reports online on other forums the performance is good.

Below is their DAC + Amplifier that connects over Bluetooth and other standard inputs.


51SouXqYg+L._SL1000_.jpg



61ALhuWmO-L._SL1000_.jpg



.
 
chander said:
FMs,

I am helping a very dear friend of mine to setup a 2 channel system in her house. The idea is to have a very simple system - that is easy to use and sounds good.

****She is not an audiophile, but she has given me reigns to decide - with a strict budget of 50K.

Till now the following have been finalised -
1 - Wiim Pro - any leads on where one can buy these will be great. This is my gift - so this is out of the set budget.
2 - Kali LP 6 - got these on Bajaao - however if anyone knows a cheaper source do let me know.
3 - Source will be Spotify.

Now the question comes to a DAC - even though it is not a necessity, but if I can fit something within 10K (+/- 5K)- it will be fantastic. The requirements are -
1 - XLR if possible will be amazing!
2 - Should have a way to connect to the TV. This is the primary reason I am looking for a DAC - to be able to connect a TV through RCA or optical.
3 - MUST have a remote :)

Till now I have not been able to find anything that fulfils the criteria. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Would not a Stereo receiver like This be the best option ? it has digital and analogue in, CD drive, a FM radio and also a sub out . can be connected via Bluetooth to any other device. Seems like a simple choice for someone who is not into equipment .
denon-rcd-m41-1-1.jpg


I have the older Denon UD M30 and its a highly underated amp in terms of musicality

Get a pair of Mission speakers and you have a one box solution. for 5K more you can add the matching Denon speakers.
 
Last edited:
chander said:
FMs,

I am helping a very dear friend of mine to setup a 2 channel system in her house. The idea is to have a very simple system - that is easy to use and sounds good.

****She is not an audiophile, but she has given me reigns to decide - with a strict budget of 50K.

Till now the following have been finalised -
1 - Wiim Pro - any leads on where one can buy these will be great. This is my gift - so this is out of the set budget.
2 - Kali LP 6 - got these on Bajaao - however if anyone knows a cheaper source do let me know.
3 - Source will be Spotify.

Now the question comes to a DAC - even though it is not a necessity, but if I can fit something within 10K (+/- 5K)- it will be fantastic. The requirements are -
1 - XLR if possible will be amazing!
2 - Should have a way to connect to the TV. This is the primary reason I am looking for a DAC - to be able to connect a TV through RCA or optical.
3 - MUST have a remote :)

Till now I have not been able to find anything that fulfils the criteria. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

1. I'm fairly sure you'll have to source this from outside India.

2. You might find a better price at a local Studio Supplies Shop. (I did, when I was shopping around for a pair of monitors. I got better deals than online, on Kali LP6s and Adam T5Vs and USB Interfaces at a large studio supplies shop in my city). Check locally before you buy online. You'll also generally get better during-and-after-sale support from a local shop/dealer.

3. If she will be using a computer or an iPad as source, I would suggest looking at a pro USB Interface such as the Audient Evo 4. There are other options (Motu M2, Scarlett 2i2), but the Audient Evo 4 sounds really good for the money. I use one. When I say really good, I mean that you could be mistaken for its price tag being about 3 or 4 times what it is (but then this could be said for a lot of studio grade equipment when compared to consumer home audio prices). You'll get XLR outs, a large master volume dial, and a headphone output in the Evo 4. (The possibility of using it for recording sound/music with two inputs is just extra for our use case).

I'd seriously consider @aeroash's suggestion of getting a pair of Q Acoustics M2 HD: Everything in a single solution, that sounds good too!
 
@aeroash - M20 HD + Wiim Pro was my first recommendation too, but it was shot down. I made her partner buy the M20 & she isn't a fan.
@arj - She wants something Active with a streamer (wiim pro in this case) - DAC I am only adding to satisfy my own biases (a dac can only improve the sound right? :P) & new found love for XLRs :) In that price range I can whole heartedly vouch for Kali LP6 - so there it is.
@sandeepsasi - thank you this works fantastic.
Also @aeroash - Thanks for pointing out, I for some reason assumed that the streamer only has RCA out & coax out, failed to analyse the picture at the back correctly - for now I believe the Wiim Pro can be used alone as well. Till we find a way to add XLRs :P.
@hydra - checking with local guys too.

Thanks!
 
chander said:
@aeroash - M20 HD + Wiim Pro was my first recommendation too, but it was shot down. I made her partner buy the M20 & she isn't a fan.
@arj - She wants something Active with a streamer (wiim pro in this case) - DAC I am only adding to satisfy my own biases (a dac can only improve the sound right? :P) & new found love for XLRs :) In that price range I can whole heartedly vouch for Kali LP6 - so there it is.
@sandeepsasi - thank you this works fantastic.
Also @aeroash - Thanks for pointing out, I for some reason assumed that the streamer only has RCA out & coax out, failed to analyse the picture at the back correctly - for now I believe the Wiim Pro can be used alone as well. Till we find a way to add XLRs :P.
@hydra - checking with local guys too.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Please be wary of one issue with Wiim Pro (which the upcoming remote might solve) pointed out below

Each time you stream via WiFi you will need to change input to optical. While a small step, you will need access to your phone app and can be hindrance each time you want to switch back to TV.
 
chander said:
FMs,

I am helping a very dear friend of mine to setup a 2 channel system in her house. The idea is to have a very simple system - that is easy to use and sounds good.

****She is not an audiophile, but she has given me reigns to decide - with a strict budget of 50K.

Till now the following have been finalised -
1 - Wiim Pro - any leads on where one can buy these will be great. This is my gift - so this is out of the set budget.
2 - Kali LP 6 - got these on Bajaao - however if anyone knows a cheaper source do let me know.
3 - Source will be Spotify.

Now the question comes to a DAC - even though it is not a necessity, but if I can fit something within 10K (+/- 5K)- it will be fantastic. The requirements are -
1 - XLR if possible will be amazing!
2 - Should have a way to connect to the TV. This is the primary reason I am looking for a DAC - to be able to connect a TV through RCA or optical.
3 - MUST have a remote :)

Till now I have not been able to find anything that fulfils the criteria. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
In my opinion the setup does not fit a Simple Setup definition, moreover for a lady who is not an Audiophile.

Do ask her to check out Amazon Echo Studio. It does everything and more that is listed as requirements. This can be auditioned in most malls.

MaSh
 
MaSh said:
In my opinion the setup does not fit a Simple Setup definition, moreover for a lady who is not an Audiophile.

Do ask her to check out Amazon Echo Studio. It does everything and more that is listed as requirements. This can be auditioned in most malls.

MaSh
Click to expand...
I totally understand your point. She is not an audiophile, but isn't technically challenged. She does use my office every now & then and is able to work thru my current audio system. Trust me this will be simpler :)
 
chander said:
@aeroash - M20 HD + Wiim Pro was my first recommendation too, but it was shot down. I made her partner buy the M20 & she isn't a fan.
@arj - She wants something Active with a streamer (wiim pro in this case) - DAC I am only adding to satisfy my own biases (a dac can only improve the sound right? :p) & new found love for XLRs :) In that price range I can whole heartedly vouch for Kali LP6 - so there it is.
@sandeepsasi - thank you this works fantastic.
Also @aeroash - Thanks for pointing out, I for some reason assumed that the streamer only has RCA out & coax out, failed to analyse the picture at the back correctly - for now I believe the Wiim Pro can be used alone as well. Till we find a way to add XLRs :p.
@hydra - checking with local guys too.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
@ 20k Topping E50 got TRS outs and could be considered if you are particular about having balanced inputs for LP6.
 
chander said:
@aeroash I made her partner buy the M20 & she isn't a fan.
Click to expand...
The QAs have a "polite" sound and tend to sound warm, especially to the ones who like more energy at the top end. In this case, the Kali should work fine. All the best. You have already disappointed one of them, can't risk the same twice! Connect the setup and watch from afar.
 
An update to close this thread from my end. We finally went for a simple solution & my friend couldn't be happier.

Used Kef LSX II with a used REL T5X connected via sub out on KEF to Low level on REL. The integration between the sub & the speakers by ear was fairly simple and the sound is pretty nice.

This worked out well as KEFs have HDMI so it was easy to output TV audio directly to the speakers making life super simple.

All in - this setup cost around 1.2 - KEFs were bought used from UK, T5X was sourced used locally.

In my opinion the price to performance ratio is not that great, but convenience and aesthetics makes it perfect for the end user. & That is what matters.
 
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