I’m new here and this is my first post so please go easy
I moved out to the US 3 years ago. Back home my system comprised a Naim Unity Atom, B&W CDM1 SE stand mount speakers and a Rega RP6 with Ania MC cart and an Arcam rPhono phono amp. My main source was vinyl and streaming high resolution digital stored locally on a NAS.
When I moved I put everything in storage. I quite fancied the idea of putting together a vintage system. So after a couple of years playing with vintage gear and all that comes with it I wanted to get a new system assembled.
So taking Paul’s advice and doing a fair amount of research, hours and hours of review reading and YouTube watching I decided to join the family and buy the “best” speakers I can currently afford - a lovely pair of white FR5s with matching stands.
I already had a WiiM Ultra in use and was quite happy with that. So for starters I purchased the WiiM Vibelink. The WiiM pair sounded nice enough and had enough grunt for my JBL L55, McIntosh XR5 and Sony M77 speakers, never needing full power. As a source I am streaming Spotify and have a Beosound 9000 CD player.
With the FR5s I can easily get to max power. This is of course for short bursts and only on occasion. I have a feeling that these babies need more and would be better with ample headroom. I’m never a fan of running gear maxed out. I’d rather be sat around the 60-80 range for loud listening.
The WiiM amp is rated 100W and the other consideration for me is space. Ideally the power amp would fit in a Kallax. I’ve read some interesting articles about GaN amps that sounds like they could offer the power and size solution while also having a warmer more “class A” flavour which I do like. However I have zero experience with GaN. One that did catch my eye was the SMSL PA-X but the few reviews I had read, while quite positive the reviewers had managed to cause the amp to cut out and in one case not come back on!
Maybe in time when funds allow I can get a pair of M700 monoblocks and work out storage/size issues but until then…
Do any of you fine folks have any suggestions that would solve the power/headroom issues, fit the Kallax restrictions and not break the bank (as much under $1000 as I can be)?
I must say that you’ve got a very nice system. That B&O CD player really looks great, and I like these FR5 speakers. What style of music are you listening to?
If your system lets you enjoy the music, I think I would save money and then buy the amp you really like.
Thanks! The 9000 was something I’d wanted for many years and was lucky enough to pick one up fairly cheap. It was non functional but as I suspected it was quite an easy fix for the experts.
I listen to a wide range of music. From 90s rock/electronica/downtemp/folk… all sorts really.
I can enjoy it but the FR5s seem “light” unless I get up to 40-50 on the volume. That then doesn’t give much room in adjustments. I had been used to listening at around 30 - 70 and very seldom beyond with the other systems.
The room isn’t ideal as it’s only roughly 3m by 5m and certainly needs some sort of treatment. When I am listening I pull the speakers out as much as I can but that’s not too far, around 15”.
I really like the setup you have, and oh boy that B&O is something else! Welcome to the forum. Matching the FR5’s to a good amp will bring you lots of enjoyment. I don’t have any particular recommendations but I imagine others with more experience will comment with suggestions soon enough.
This all depends on your budget, and how far you are willing to fall into the rabbit hole of high end audio. The used market (tmraudio for instance) is a great place to get better gear at reasonable pricing.
I’ve been following the company and Paul for a few years now and liked what I saw. When the Aspen series was release to great reviews I was eager to dive in.
As regards budget, I mentioned that until funds will allow a bigger investment I’m trying to get as much in terms of performance for as little as possible (aren’t we all!) but I also want something that looks nice, fits in the Kallax and will play well with the FR5s.
I am tempted by the SMSL PA-X as a stepping stone. If I could get one with free delivery and a free returns/trial period I would test one out. While not mega money I wouldn’t want to spend just under $1000 all in and get stuck with something that isn’t up-to-scratch. If that makes sense.
I have the M700’s running my FR5’s and find them to be more than adequate for the job. I usually listen at the 70 -80 db sound levels which is no problem for them. The Music Room currently has a pre-owned pair for $ 2100. They might be worth your looking into.
Let us know what you think! The FR5 has an impedance minimum of just under 6 ohm so we call it 6 ohm but most companies would call it 8 ohm (when you look at the overall average). The move up to 250+ watts should be more than enough. That’s a huge increase from the 50 watt at 8hom of the wiim amp.
Generally, the reviews I’ve seen on the Wiim amp is that (other than it’s large feature set) the amp is slightly on the cooler side of neutral and doesn’t have the heft of some other models.
You have done an awesome job with these and I want to do them justice. I’m not in the position right now to spend what I would like/what they deserve so hopefully the SMSL will be a good interim solution. Who knows it could be the perfect match.
The WiiM is a good little amp but there is certainly something missing. I will keep you posted on how it goes.
On a side note, I have been super impressed with the whole PS Audio experience. Right from the start Taylor in the sales team was a great help and the fact that I’m speaking to the actual designer/engineer is very special and quite rare these days. There’s a real family here which is very important to me.
