[GregoryCollins]

What do you recommend to power my speakers on a budget?

I am building my first pair of speakers in about 50 years. I plan on using them for listening to music and watching movies on my video display.

The room is large and two stories high. I'm guessing it is 50 feet wide and 40 feet deep with a fireplace in the middle that is about 20 feet from the wall where the video display is. It is a largish space, so should I assume that it needs more power than a small or medium room?

I would loke to spend less than $1,000.

Your thoughts?

[corndog71]

There are a lot of choices under $1k.

Since you want to use it for movies the obvious choice would be a home theater receiver.  My only recommended feature would be a high current amplifier section.  I’ve been using Marantz and Denon receivers for my living room system for years.

If you have a 4K tv or plan on getting one then you need a receiver that is 4K compatible.

[GregoryCollins]

There are a lot of choices under $1k.

Since you want to use it for movies the obvious choice would be a home theater receiver.  My only recommended feature would be a high current amplifier section.  I’ve been using Marantz and Denon receivers for my living room system for years.

If you have a 4K tv or plan on getting one then you need a receiver that is 4K compatible.

I have a 4K video display and an Apple TV for input. I am not sure that I need a home theater system for switching, but I'm really not sure.
I think Id be happy listen to music through my Apple TV to the amp to the speakers.

[mlundy57]

At $700 the PS Audio Sprout 100 may be what you are looking for

[Hobbsmeerkat]

I second the Sprout 100!
It's great place to start, and im super happy with mine, especially for the XLS.

If you don't have a decent sub, the Sprout has a built-in "Bass-Boost" mode that definitely helps the low end, but it will muddy the mid-range a bit, esp at higher volumes. But once you attach a sub, it is an absolute joy.

[Doublej]

Can you squeeze out another $95?

https://odysseyaudio.com/products-cyclops.html

But Apple TV is hdmi output only so depending upon your setup you might need an integrated with a digital input (Sprout has one) which would be fed from the digital output of your 4K TV assuming it has a digital audio output.

[nature boy]

If you don't have multiple sources, the ZKIT60 is an excellent amplifier designed by Dan Kuechle Engineering. It's got plenty of power and is available in kit form or fully built for under $1K. If you have a preamp or source selector even the better.

Here's a link for additional information:
https://www.decware.com/newsite/ZKIT60.html

HK

[roscoe65]

At $700 the PS Audio Sprout 100 may be what you are looking for

That would not be my first choice.  More than one person has experienced some reliability issues with it and when I listened to it I found it a bit flat.  I also owned the NAD D3020v1 and found it similarly lacking in reliability and also found it not to meet the standards of my other equipment, including the XLS Encores.

The XLS Encores have a pretty significant midbass hump due to the smallish cabinet.  If you are building from scratch I would spend a little more and build the floorstanding version.  You will save some money on stands the the volume is optimal for the driver.

For amplification on a budget, I am a big fan of the secondhand market.  A 50-100 wpc integrated amp would be perfect.  I recently checked classifieds and found great deals on amps from Exposure(!), Creek, Sugden, Cambridge, etc for a good deal less than your budget.

[Hobbsmeerkat]

The only "issue" I've had with my Sprout is that my old HT subwoofer wont come out of sleep mode when connected to it, but I think that's more an issue with the sub having a non-defeatable standby mode. It works fine with the ultra cheap sub i use in my bedroom, but it doesn't have a standby mode.

I'll be getting a Rythmik L12 Sub on Monday, which should work much better for my needs.

That said, I've not had any actual issues with mine thus far, and got it for $550ish just before things fell apart in NY, which sadly meant it took a few weeks to ship out. Been super happy with it tho!

[mresseguie]

Hello, Gregory.

I have an amp idea for your consideration. It is the Nuprime IDA-8. It puts out 100w into 8 Ohms. It's integrated (amp+pre+DAC), and has a somewhat warm tube-like sound to it. I owned in for about 4.5 years before I gifted it to my son last Fall as a house warming gift. I also gifted him a pair of XL-S Encores and a Rythmik 12" subwoofer. His listening room is kitchen+living room+dining room, which is nearly as large as your room. I think the new price is listed as $1095, but I'll bet you can get a discount to below $1k. There are currently a couple used IDA-8 amps for sale in the $650 range.

Hifishark is a great tool to find used (and new) audio gear. https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=ida-8

My son and his fiancee are delighted with this setup. They use it primarily to watch TV/videos with their AppleTV. 

As others have pointed out, there are many good choices in the <$1k price point. I'm sure you'll find an amp that fits your needs. Good luck and enjoy the journey.

Michael

[DonJoe]

I recently went through this exercise for the X-LS Encores my boys and I are building.  We also had roughly the same budget too.  I followed the advice of members on here and went to audio mart and hifishark to scout used deals.   I ended up with a Marantz 8004 integrated amp that is built in Japan like a tank for less than my budget even though the newer versions retail for 1200.00ish. 


Listings here:
https://www.hifishark.com/model/marantz-pm-8004


The Absolute Sound Rated as one of best audio bargains in this short read:
https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/8-greatest-a-step-up-bargains-in-high-end-audio/


I think this integrated amp, if you can find it for 5-600.00 usd, represents a heck of a bargain sonically. 

Good Luck

[GregoryCollins]

What do you recommend to power my speakers on a budget?

I am building my first pair of speakers in about 50 years. I plan on using them for listening to music and watching movies on my video display.

The room is large and two stories high. I'm guessing it is 50 feet wide and 40 feet deep with a fireplace in the middle that is about 20 feet from the wall where the video display is. It is a largish space, so should I assume that it needs more power than a small or medium room?

I would like to spend less than $1,000.

Your thoughts?

UPDATE:
Our flat pack arrived today from Peter.


I’m surprised at how small it all is. I guess I forgot that not everyone is over 6 foot tall. Camera perspective too? I guess I just miss judged!


They may fit on my existing stands from Paradigm. We’ll see.


What are some recommendations on stands?