Kaidao
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Recommended Speakers with KingRex T20U Amp
Buddha
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Hey, welcome!

The KingRex is a cool little unit!

Six Moons did a very educational review. Even after the fact, it may be a fun read about your unit.

Here.

Regarding your question and budget...I tend to agree about the Audio Engine.

If you felt like playing with a pure toy and might wish to fiddle with crossovers or cabinet stuff... the Dayton B652
at under 30 bucks would mate with that amp and may be fun for near field listening....and if you wanted to fiddle or mod, you'd only be out 29 bucks if anything went haywire!

Anyway, I've heard the Audio Engines and they are the little 'engines' that could.

Kaidao
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Thanks for the response!

I've been doing as much reading as possible on speakers and amplifiers and such, because I'm very much still new to all of this. I think according to my budget and reviews, the AudioEngine P4's seem to be my best bet, as of now. I do have a question about the power though. The P4's recommended amp power is 10-125W per channel. According to KingRex's website, the power output is 22W @4Ω(Omega Symbol). Does this mean it's 22W per channel? Would this then be a good combo of speakers + amp?

Thanks!

Monty
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According to the published specs for the KingRex, it's probably only good for 12 watts per channel without a rapid rise in distortion. They claim 22 watts per channel with 10% distortion as opposed to 12 watts at .1% into 4 ohms.

If you don't like listening to music very loud, that's not a deal breaker for the speakers you are considering. If you like to party hard, that amp may not deliver for you. Having said that, 12 watts is probably all most people need for 90% of their listening.

How close to the speakers will your listening position be?

Kaidao
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The speakers will only be about 2 feet away from me so it's pretty close. With my Samson speakers right now, I only listen at a little less than 1/4 the max volume, and only 50% of my computer volume. It's only for my bedroom, plus I have some neighbors that like to complain, so they almost will never be cranked up high.

I'm sorry, I'm still new to this, so does that mean the amp is too weak for the speakers? Will I be able to hear a difference if I'm not cranking up the volume? Thanks for all the advice.

jackfish
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Even though you will be listening in the nearfield I would suggest dropping the monitor idea and get some good bookshelf speakers like the PSB Image B25 in closeout for $319/pair delivered from DMC Electronics. These will sound much better and are efficient enough (91dB/2.83V/1m) to run well with your KingRex T20U amp.

http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/1204psb/

Kaidao
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Thanks for the recommendation Jackfish!

I'll look into the PSB bookshelf speakers also. I've only read a little about it, but bookshelf speakers are supposed to sound better because they enhance the audio source while studio monitors are for accuracy, right? According to that, I'd much rather get bookshelf speakers; I'm not much of a music maker, more of a music listener.

Correct me if I'm wrong about the differences between the two.

EDIT: Oh, and thanks for suggesting the DMC Electronics store. I looked it up and they're actually only 15 minutes away from where I live! I'll be stopping by today and taking a listen at those PSBs

Monty
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Given that you will be listening from 2 feet away, I think the amp should be just fine for your purposes. Also, while I love PSB speakers, I'm not sure speakers that large from 2 feet away is the way to go. For proper stereo imaging, you would ideally want the speakers to be about as far apart as you are away from them...in this case, 2 feet or so. Do you really want to have 15 inches of speakers staring at you from 2 feet away?

In your situation, I'd go for small speakers and tuck a subwoofer away somewhere when the funds permit. Anthony Gallo has a little orb speaker that might be ideal and I've heard lots of raves about them. B&W also has some smallish speakers that have been well reviewed that could later be paired with a sub if you find you need the lower octaves.

Take a good look at your space and have a plan for where the speakers are going to be and be realistic about their size. Oh, and if you don't have much room toward the rear of the speaker, I wouldn't get a rear ported speaker.

Kaidao
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I took a look at the Anthony Gallo and B&W (MM-1) speakers, which have incredible design, but if I'm not mistaken, I think both of these are powered speakers, and therefore they won't be compatible with my T20U amp.

I understand that the PSB speakers will be a bit large, but has anyone ever tried this for near-field listening? Will it be too exhausting? Also, about the space behind the speakers, I don't think the Image B25's are rear-ported.

This business of choosing speakers is really giving me a headache haha. I was looking at these for a while, but I don't know if anyone's ever heard of these? They don't seem to be too common.

ALO Panda Speakers

Monty
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The Gallo speakers I'm referring to aren't self powered. I think they call them nucleus spheres or something like that. I remember looking into them at one time and they were very amp friendly, 8 ohm and without crossovers. I do think you'd eventually want a sub to go with them, but for a tight space, I'd really give them serious consideration.

B&W used to offer a little speaker that came in all kinds of colors and was very well reviewed. The name escapes me, but I'm sure a quick look at their website would verify if they are still offering them.

I hear ya about being exhausted from all the choices, but you're starting from a disadvantage in being able to properly place speakers to get the full benefit of the high-end experience. Speaker placement and listening position is where most of the magic begins. If you can't do that right, don't compound the problem, but rather evaluate what speakers are designed to fit your particular situation. The Gallos would be where I would start looking and they offer the benefit of being able to grow into an even better system without having to start over.

Buddha
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Quote:
I took a look at the Anthony Gallo and B&W (MM-1) speakers, which have incredible design, but if I'm not mistaken, I think both of these are powered speakers, and therefore they won't be compatible with my T20U amp.

I understand that the PSB speakers will be a bit large, but has anyone ever tried this for near-field listening? Will it be too exhausting? Also, about the space behind the speakers, I don't think the Image B25's are rear-ported.

This business of choosing speakers is really giving me a headache haha. I was looking at these for a while, but I don't know if anyone's ever heard of these? They don't seem to be too common.

ALO Panda Speakers

Dang, I skated right past the Pandas!

In the nearfield, the single driver Pandas will not have the driver integration problems that multi-driver speakers would and may be just your cup of meat!

Check their return policy and if it is returnable item if your don't like it....this could be the answer.

Kaidao
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@Monty: I think you're referring to the Nucleus micro ti speakers right? They do look pretty cool haha. At near-field, how would these sound compared to the alo speakers? I'll be checking them out tomorrow since theres a distributor close to me. Thanks for the advice. Those little speakers do look awesome.

@Buddha: sadly the alo website does not offer returns for opened products. I'm wary of buying those speakers without hearing them first. If I'm not totally satisfied with the gallo speakers I'll be checking out tomorrow, I'll order these.

Thanks for all the help guys! I'll keep you updated on my decision and impressions for whatever it's worth coming from a stereo virgin

Monty
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I'm relatively certain that the larger cabinets of the alo speakers would provide more bottom end extension and being single driver speakers, as Buddha noted, you won't have the driver integration problem of multiple driver speakers at such a close listening distance, but the Gallos are single driver as well. But, that's not the only reason to consider a speaker as there are other qualities that will play important roles in enjoying the sound.

Maybe consider hearing the Gallos tomorrow without subwoofer additions so as to determine if they will sound well without the bottom octaves and then with the subwoofer so you can see what they are capable of with the sub. From there you will probably know if they are something you want to consider or not.

Btw, I don't think you need to spend much on a subwoofer if that's a big concern. But, it's not my money being spent and you know your budget better than I do.

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