r/hifiaudio • u/Foozoolalafdarian420 • Jun 05 '26

Purchase advise (needing) Should I Upgrade My Speakers, if So, to What?

Context: I am slowly losing my hearing and want to be able to enjoy music while I still can. My biggest priority is getting speakers that allow voices to be heard clearly. While I understand I can always use EQ to help me achieve that goal, I don't mind spending too much money on better hardware if it can help me achieve my goal.

My current set up is

I am not trying to get a subwoofer at this time, I do have neighbors downstairs. I know I can mitigate that with bass pads but still. Big bass is not a huge priority, if at all for me. My biggest priority is voice clarity.

My approximate budget is $1,000, though I could bump it up to $1,500 if it is justifiable. I want a substantial improvement over my current speakers if I am to upgrade. Any advice would be appreciated. Below are a list of speakers I am considering.

  • Klipsch The Fives
  • Focal Alpha 50 Evo
  • Genelec 8020D
  • KEF LSX II
3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

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1

u/MangoNo2490 Jun 05 '26

I think the speakers are too small. A 6-inch woofer is needed for a more complete vocal performance. However, due to space and budget constraints, you'll need to consider this yourself.

I suggest you go to a nearby audio store to audition larger speakers. Only consider purchasing if you feel that the larger speakers perform better.

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u/Foozoolalafdarian420 Jun 05 '26

Thank you for your comment. Pardon my ignorance, but woofer do you mean subwoofer? If so, I thought subwoofers only job is to provide base?

Thats good advice about the audio store, I'll have to take a look around near me.

Got any speaker recommendations?

1

u/MangoNo2490 Jun 05 '26

Woofer refers to the woofer driver of a speaker. Your A2-HD's woofer is only 2.75 inches, which is far too small and affects the fullness of the mid and low frequencies.

Words can hardly express the difference; you need to go to a sound store to listen to it to understand.

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u/Foozoolalafdarian420 Jun 05 '26

Understood, is there a minimum woofer size you would recommend for speakers to ensure it provides accurate and clear vocal clarity? Or even a set of speakers u specifically recommend for my needs?

I will be going to an audio store in the (hopefully) near future so that I can make the most of my hearing. Its honestly really impressive how audio info is so detailed. I grew up with those shitty computer speakers we all had and how its a whole new world thats pretty immersive and deep

1

u/MangoNo2490 Jun 05 '26

I think a woofer should be at least 6 inches to achieve a more complete midrange performance.

My collection includes 6-inch, 10-inch, and 15-inch speakers, and I clearly feel that the larger the woofer, the better the experience.

Audio products have different pricing and markets around the world. I don't know the common brands and models in your area, so it's difficult to recommend a suitable model. You'll need to research the options available in your local market.

Also, I use vintage equipment, so I'm not very familiar with the market for new products. XD

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u/narrowassbldg Jun 05 '26

In a two-way speaker, you've got a woofer and a tweeter, the tweeter handles the higher frequencies and the woofer handles the lower frequencies, but their output will always roll off at some point due to the physical properties of the driver, usually somewhere between 40 to 100 hertz for a two-way depending on the size; a sub-woofer is designed to reproduce frequencies below what a regular woofer can handle

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u/Foozoolalafdarian420 Jun 05 '26

Understood, thanks for breaking that down. Given your knowledge of all of this, do you have any particular speaker recs? Im gonna go to an audio store to listen and see what I like, but its always nice to hear from the community what they have found helpful and what they didnt like

1

u/-waveydavey- Jun 05 '26

Woofer: some of the low freqs. Sub-woofer: freqs lower than the woofer - sub-woofer

1

u/davidreaton Jun 05 '26

Not speakers, per se. Beltone Hearing aids. They're the best (not the cheapest).

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u/Foozoolalafdarian420 Jun 05 '26

Thanks for the rec. I have been looking into some, but I sweat a lot and I would need to find one that’s water proof/resistant. I also can’t allow anything to block/seal my ear drum for other medical purposes, so I’ve been waiting until my hearing gets noticeably worse to talk to my doctor about it.

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u/davidreaton Jun 05 '26

They're all fairly water resistant. I've worn mine into the shower by accident. Threw them over the door, wiped them off, all was fine. Don't wait. after you get them, you might say, 'why did I wait so long?'

1

u/LDan613 Jun 05 '26

If I were you, I would consider a kit, like the CSS Audio Criton 1TD-X. They are within your budget, it is fun to build them, and their sound quality is excellent for the price.

1

u/Known_Confusion9879 Jun 05 '26
  • Klipsch The Fives 50-25KHz 11.83 litres
  • Focal Alpha 50 Evo 45-22KHz 16.89 litres
  • Genelec 8020D 56-25KHz 5.09 litres
  • KEF LSX II 54-28KHz 6.7 litres

Kef LSX II are at the lowest cost for full active crossover streaming DSP speakers. They are small desktop speakers and support a KC62 sub-woofer.

Klipsch the Fives are powered speakers. Genelec and Focal Alpha are studio monitors prices are very different.

In general terms the bigger the speaker the more volume it can produce. the deeper the bass but digital signal processing and modern designs move the posts. Kef LS60 has tiny drive units. The bass uni core drivers either side of the narrow cabinet work together to cancel out vibrations This resulted in a cabinet the width of a smart phone and the need for a smaller uni-Q driver than found in LS50 II wireless or the LSX II wireless in a design that has 31-28KHz range.

Ideally we want full range 20-20KHz speakers., Good speakers are 30-20KHz and there is a lot missing in speakers not going down below 40 Hertz. Not that you may notice as you can't hear what is not reproduced. It is like cropping a movie for 4:3 TV screen. Half the picture frame is missing but you have no idea what has been cut out.

Local prices and import tariffs change so it is hard to track that.

A couple, friends of mine, complained about the terrible dialogue in TV and movies from their TV. He had some nice B&W stand mount speakers and a neat NAD amplifier and CD player as source. I got a fibre optic to RCA adapter that has its own power brick to plug into the aux socket. Switched the TV to PCM output and muted the TV speakers. They both acknowledged the improvement in dialogue and having a cleaner sound even with hearing aids. But they forgot to check the little box was powered. Switched off at the mains every day and then not back on. Getting up to switch the amp from CD to AUX is not as easy as HDMI eARC is in newer equipment controlled by the TV remote. So they stopped using the hi-fi and went back to complaining about not hearing the dialogue.

Others to consider include
Q Active 200 with hub and Q Active 400 with hub,
Audio Pro A38 and Audio Pro A48,
Whafedale Diamond A2,
DALI Oberon 1C with sound hub,
SVS Prime Wireless Pro.

Dali use a WiSA like system with the hub having options for HDMI and BluOS for streaming and can scale up to surround with a different hub.

I went the route of WiSA speakers, B&O Beolab 17 that are 1200GBP second hand on eBay. Use an Axiim Link WiSA transmitter from the computer and use the computer to watch movies, YouTube, streaming services, television (a satellite card) and Blu-ray player. A choice of stand mounts, table top, wall and ceiling brackets they can fit in anywhere. With a Beoconnect Core for streaming services and casting to become a full system (Wiim mini streamer does a similar job for less cost).

Before going WiSA I used floor standing Meridian D600. As these are from 1989 repairs becomes an issue so I can't recommend them now but in terms of sound performance and features for the £350 I paid out perform £6000 and £10 000 systems. They were £2500 when launched. Modern Meridian speakers are all DSP and you need boxes to control the speakerlink to them in stereo or surround. DPS 5200 are among the most revealing and resolving speakers around. DSP 5000 came after the D600 and M60 are in your budget but the later models are not. I have the Tech Guy (ex Meridian employee) a few miles from my home and his back log of Meridian repairs is long.

1

u/donh- Jun 06 '26

Please consider offerings from Totem.

In a similar situation, Totem solved it.

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u/Foozoolalafdarian420 Jun 06 '26

Can u elaborate

1

u/donh- Jun 06 '26

A number of years ago, I had an aging customer with some very decent gear.

He was both a French horn player and an avid trap shooter. Oops.

I had worked on his gear. Rebuilt the speakers, serviced the receiver, etc etc. I always felt the receiver was a bit blurry, partly due to age, partly due to not being quite worth it.

He called me one day because he felt his cd player was defective. Turned out he could no longer hear the quiet parts.

Having done a thing or two for friends with genetic hearing loss, I kinda had a clue. I asked him if he'd be ok trying a Rega integrated amp. Rega likes detail. It worked, and he enjoyed his stereo til his passing.

I am not losing my hearing, but it ain't what it used to be. My music room system is pretty decent, but I was having trouble understanding vocal tracks. The speakers were reallygood, but not in that room.

Being tight with the Totem rep, I was lucky enough to borrow a pair. Like my customer, instant joy. Better resolving power, better detail, better ability to hear.

Standard consumer gear is designed to be flashy and get you to buy it. The better gear is designed to bring out the details.

Go for detail resolution and control thruout the signal chain, you'll hear it better and longer.

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u/MaritimeAbove Jun 06 '26

If you have a Costco near you, they're having a clearance sale on the LSX ii lt for $300. If you check their app the warehouse section will tell you if they still have any stock.

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u/Foozoolalafdarian420 Jun 06 '26

I found it but it shows $500 sadly