I’m currently looking for some desktop speakers to be used to mainly watch movies and videos and occasionally listen to music. I’m open to both active and passive speakers with my total budget being $2000. My only issue is space. So I would need a desktop amp and dac. I don’t have room for a full size amp. I had originally thought about getting the Vanatoo T1E’s but after researching there are a lot more options in the passive area. Any thoughts on something that would be better than the Vanatoo? I do have a small sub I can use if need be.
Well for a desktop dac/amp, the NAD D3045 is great and very clean, and pretty compact with its form factor. Might be a little much though, so the D3020v2 would be great if you can use optical and don’t need as much power as the D3045. The topping pa3 would be a more budget friendly option that you could get, along with a topping d10 dac or something similar. For speakers, there are many options, like the Klipsch RP600m that sound great on a desk, and aren’t as large as other options. TBH, you could get KEF LS50s and a NAD D3045 and pretty much be set, because I don’t think the ls50s and the rp600m really need a sub on a desk.
Edit: for powered monitors, there’s the Adam A5X, and you could get a dac like the SMSL SU-8 or another dac with volume control.
For subs, if you really wanted one, something from klipsch, svs, polk, definitive technology, or another reputable brand would do ya just fine. You would just have to figure out what kind of sub you wanted and the size of your room to pick the one that would play the nicest with your room.
If you want to set and forget, get the kef lsx. Though if you want to improve them even more, there dsp system is surprisingly effective in the right (or I guess wrong) setup.
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Forgot about that, that’s a great option as well
Would the NAD 3020 be able to power the ls50’s? or would I have to get the 3045? I would prefer to go with the passive speaker path. Just because if I want to upgrade I will still have the amp and dac just need to swap out the speakers. I already have a sub if needed. I didn’t know NAD had small desktop amps. I like the options that the NAD has. I was looking at the Topping PA3.
The 3020v2 should be just fine for nearfield listening on the ls50s, the 3045 has a little more oomph and more features like USB. They sound very similar quality wise, but the 3045 has an edge in bass due to the better power. I personally wouldn’t recommend the topping for something as high up as the ls50s
Thanks for your input. I found that the ls50’s were actually on sale so I ordered a set. But I found some lackluster reviews on the NAD amp mainly concerning the Bluetooth and remote. So I ended up getting the PS Audio Sprout 100.
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I totally forgot about the sprout 100. I was actually considering that before I went with the 3045. PS audio makes some good stuff, I have a stellar gain cell preamp and it’s great