Opinions for garage set up please

[topcat1]

Hi all, I have just about finished my garage "smarten up" and want to sort the audio. Basically it is a 3 car garage including good size workshop area, total approx 60m2 but the workshop end of concern is less than half that. It is insulated, plastered, heated and I'm finishing off the kitchen units where I also want to locate the audio. I like music and prefer to have good quality "stuff" in general, but I won't pretent to be an audiophile. The music I have in my collection ranges from Bach to Prodigy and I usually leave it on shuffle until I decide what I'm in the mood for!

I started another thread on here about powering car ice from mains as that was my idea, but after a week or two of reading up and looking at options I now cannot decide what to do.

1. Car audio install, built in mid components, 12" sub tucked away, head unit offering DAB, USB and Bluetooth. I know this will fill the area and offer some rattling bass when I want.

2. Traditional amplifier home audio type set up, I know very little about this compared to 12v systems. I'd happily buy an old good quality amp, I know a decent pair of speakers will provide the volume and good sound but unsure if the bass will be strong enough without adding a sub and I assume I'll also need to add a unit to provide the digital inputs I require.

If I said I wanted to spend no more than £500 can anyone give me some pointers/opinions?

Many thanks, TC

[Crackie]

topcat1 said:

Hi all, I have just about finished my garage "smarten up" and want to sort the audio. Basically it is a 3 car garage including good size workshop area, total approx 60m2 but the workshop end of concern is less than half that. It is insulated, plastered, heated and I'm finishing off the kitchen units where I also want to locate the audio. I like music and prefer to have good quality "stuff" in general, but I won't pretent to be an audiophile. The music I have in my collection ranges from Bach to Prodigy and I usually leave it on shuffle until I decide what I'm in the mood for!

I started another thread on here about powering car ice from mains as that was my idea, but after a week or two of reading up and looking at options I now cannot decide what to do.

1. Car audio install, built in mid components, 12" sub tucked away, head unit offering DAB, USB and Bluetooth. I know this will fill the area and offer some rattling bass when I want.

2. Traditional amplifier home audio type set up, I know very little about this compared to 12v systems. I'd happily buy an old good quality amp, I know a decent pair of speakers will provide the volume and good sound but unsure if the bass will be strong enough without adding a sub and I assume I'll also need to add a unit to provide the digital inputs I require.

If I said I wanted to spend no more than £500 can anyone give me some pointers/opinions?

Many thanks, TC

For the budget I'd look no further than a good pair of active speakers and a streaming pre amp. The combination below would be just over £400. I very much doubt that you'd need a subwoofer with these speakers. There are multiple alternative options available for the streaming pre amp. The one below is just one that looked decent, with good feedback, after a quick search.

Adam T7V active speakers are currently approx. £330 a pair https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/adam-t7v

You could control them using something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/AIYIMA-Preamplifier-bluet...

[topcat1]

Crackie said:

For the budget I'd look no further than a good pair of active speakers and a streaming pre amp. The combination below would be just over £400. I very much doubt that you'd need a subwoofer with these speakers. There are multiple alternative options available for the streaming pre amp. The one below is just one that looked decent, with good feedback, after a quick search.

Adam T7V active speakers are currently approx. £330 a pair https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/adam-t7v

You could control them using something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/AIYIMA-Preamplifier-bluet...

I didn't even consider active speakers, I was caught up on looking at old amps etc and the costs start rising fast. Only concern is those speakers bottom out at 39hz which I'm not sure will tick the box, I don't doubt they create a great all round package but it's nice to feel a bit of bass ratting a cupboard occasionally!

[Unbusy]

My Q Acoustic active speakers have a Sub outlet. They don’t really need it although I use it.
If bass is your thing then a good powerful sub should rattle your cupboards!

[Crackie]

topcat1 said:

Crackie said:

For the budget I'd look no further than a good pair of active speakers and a streaming pre amp. The combination below would be just over £400. I very much doubt that you'd need a subwoofer with these speakers. There are multiple alternative options available for the streaming pre amp. The one below is just one that looked decent, with good feedback, after a quick search.

Adam T7V active speakers are currently approx. £330 a pair https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/adam-t7v

You could control them using something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/AIYIMA-Preamplifier-bluet...

I didn't even consider active speakers, I was caught up on looking at old amps etc and the costs start rising fast. Only concern is those speakers bottom out at 39hz which I'm not sure will tick the box, I don't doubt they create a great all round package but it's nice to feel a bit of bass ratting a cupboard occasionally!

I understand your reservation but 39Hz is seriously deep..........there is very little musical content down there; for example acoustic double bass only goes down to 40Hz. Have a look at the specs for entry level floorstanders from people like KEF or Mission or Monitor Audio and they don't get below 40Hz. Missions lower end subwoofer is only rated to 40Hz. https://www.mission.co.uk/ms-150/

If you have a root about on the net you'll find several reviews for the T7V ( magazine and video reviews ); I've yet to see one that doesn't rate the T7V's bass very highly. It is a shame that we're in lockdown because the best thing is always to listen yourself.

Do you know where in the room the speakers will be mounted yet? Don't forget that if you put a speaker against the wall you'll get an extra 3dB in the bass. Put it where a pair of walls meet you get an additional 6dB and in a corner you get +9dB. The speaker has adjustable bass settings too.

[topcat1]

Unbusy said:

My Q Acoustic active speakers have a Sub outlet. They don’t really need it although I use it.
If bass is your thing then a good powerful sub should rattle your cupboards!

A few rattles always bring a smile!

Crackie said:

I understand your reservation but 39Hz is seriously deep..........there is very little musical content down there; for example acoustic double bass only goes down to 40Hz. Have a look at the specs for entry level floorstanders from people like KEF or Mission or Monitor Audio and they don't get below 40Hz. Missions lower end subwoofer is only rated to 40Hz. https://www.mission.co.uk/ms-150/

If you have a root about on the net you'll find several reviews for the T7V ( magazine and video reviews ); I've yet to see one that doesn't rate the T7V's bass very highly. It is a shame that we're in lockdown because the best thing is always to listen yourself.

Do you know where in the room the speakers will be mounted yet? Don't forget that if you put a speaker against the wall you'll get an extra 3dB in the bass. Put it where a pair of walls meet you get an additional 6dB and in a corner you get +9dB. The speaker has adjustable bass settings too.

Thats good to hear thanks, I have a 12" JBL left over from a few years back i was considering using, I believe it goes down to around 34hz and recall lots of grinning on certain tracks! I am a complete newbie to home audio though, nothing is permanent though so maybe I'll try and see how i get on!

The lack of proper shopping is a shame, was ok for a while but now I've been holding back on watches and clothes because of a reluctance to make expensive decisions online! Still a first world problem so can't say I'm depressed by it.

I knew corner location made a difference but not by that much! The speakers will almost certainly be positioned in the corners.