Hi there,

First of all, a little backstory. Three to four years ago I got into Hi-Fi audio because of Reddit advice from people. I bought the HD6XX with the JDS Labs Atom stack. And I am still in love with them to this day. I have been working in the summer holiday as a software developer at the company I did my internship at, which left me with some spare money. My mother’s birthday was coming up so I wanted to surprise her with a speaker setup for the living room. Did quite some research in the past couple of weeks, and discussed the idea with her on her birthday. I showed her some different speakers and asked her what her preferences were. She liked the Q350, LS50 Metas and the Klipsch RP 6000F purely based on design.

Forward to today, I saw a great second hand deal pop up, which allowed me to get a pair of metas, in near brand new condition, for €850. So after checking the history of the seller, I bought them.

I want to pair them with a nice amplifier/receiver that doesn’t color the sound too much (or at all). I’ve done some research and found some options that might be suitable. Based on what others use and specifications. (Min. of 2.1 channels, for a subwoofer in the future, min. 50W output per channel, etc.)

  • Yamaha A-S501
  • Yamaha A-S301
  • Fosi Audio V3

But I was wondering if people here could help me make a decision, or suggest some other suitable Amps/Receivers that I haven’t listed, preferably under €500.

  • utm_source@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    I run my LS50 off of an emotiva mini-x a100. It’s a no-frills amp that does the job.

    I also have a Yamaha S501 powering some vintage JBL monitors and like it a lot.

    I’d check out the little peachtree audio stereo amp too, those are a pretty popular pairing with the kefs.

    You really can’t go wrong in this tier of amps, just get one that has the connectivity and features you’re looking for.

  • fritobugger2017@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    Of the amplifiers you have listed the Yamaha would be my choice simply because the build and features. The A-S301 is plenty powerful enough for the LS50 Meta.

    I would add a WiiM Pro streamer and be set.

  • Gazumi@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    The AIYIMA A08 PRO is quite tough to beat below about €300 and cost much less. Allows for a good DAC like the SMSL SU-1 or Topping E30II (both really excellent). If your mother will be streaming, then the WIIM also includes a DAC.

    Read Archimago’s review below. If you are less interested in measurements, skip straight to the Subjective listening section below the charts https://archimago.blogspot.com/2023/08/review-measurements-aiyima-a08-pro-ti.html

  • aux@feddit.nlOPEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    LAST UPDATE:

    I ultimately went for the Yamaha A-S301 receiver/amplifier, paired with some second-hand KEF LS50 Meta speakers.

    Around 7:00 PM, I finished work and had just eaten. That’s when I got everything connected: I cut the speaker cables to length and connected the wires to the banana plugs. Removed some caps from the amplifier, so I could use the banana plugs, and wired everything up.

    However, since I hadn’t received all the cables yet, I had to get a bit creative to get some input into the receiver. In the end, I used the DAC from my headphones (JDS Labs Atom DAC) with an RCA cable and a USB-B to USB-C cable, along with my laptop.

    My mother cried when she heard it, she thought it sounded so beautiful. I might have shed a tear myself. I’ve never heard such amazing sound in my life, it’s truly magnificent.

    In the upcoming days, and years I’m looking forward to enjoying it even more, but I’m genuinely thrilled with this purchase.

  • aux@feddit.nlOPEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Hi everyone, just wanted to post an update. I decided to go with the Yamaha A-S301 and the WiiM Pro, thank you all very much for all your help, suggestions, and tips!

    I’m very excited to try out the new setup once everything arrives.