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PaoloDeF
Trending Lyricist I
May 7, 2022

Beam + Sub upgrade

I knew this was bound to happen…

My 25+ y.o. Marantz died a year and a half ago. I was using it for both TV and music.

I could just buy another ampli to replace it, since the speakers were (are) still good, but I wanted something “smart”, streaming capable, more compact (speakers are 50x30x20cm approx), lighter, and I’m no audiophile. I usually “hear” the music while I do something else, don’t just sit in my sweet spot listening to it, or just do it briefly.

In the end I decided to try something different, and got the Beam, knowing it was a compromise. Nice, but a bit lacking for music, bit shallow, no depth. So I added a Sub:

The set up is pleasant indeed, and satisfying for some kind of music (…whenever bass is heavily involved). But recently I got myself a decent couple of earbuds, and realized I’m missing separation, definition and details.

What to do?

  • Add a couple Ones. In the front, right and left side of the Beam, to be used only for music, or back to also serve as sorround, but losing the “front scene”? But I worry they will just provide stereo feeling, not definition, details, clarity.
  • Add a couple 5s, in the front I guess, to be used in “ambient” mode for music with Beam and Sub, and not used for TV.
  • Get a Sonos Amp and use it to drive Beam+Sub for TV, my old speakers + sub for music (is it possible)?
  • Get a new ampli to play my speakers (Beam+Sub for TV, speakers for music)
  • Part from Sonos, sell Beam and Sub, and buy new amply and speakers

Not sure what to do, none of the above looks much appealing, and I don’t want to spend more, just to be back at this point in another 6 months, wondering how to improve…

What do you think? Thanks in advance!

Cheers, Paolo

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22 replies

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Kumar
May 18, 2022

Don’t make a final judgement on a One pair + Sub for sound quality unless it is well placed at home and true play tuning has been done; speakers are very sensitive to placement; I even know someone that realised he owned a HiFi system after many years of using it - after he moved it to another room which just happened to be acoustically far better. And by accident, he happened to place it in a place better suited for sound delivery.

For music alone, in a similar space, a One pair + Sub is more than one class above just the Beam.

My play 1 pair + Sub sounds just as good as my Connect amp driven set ups that drive quality passive speakers.

The real problem with that, for you, is that it cannot replace the Beam, because it lacks the necessary line in jacks to take analog audio inputs from the TV - as the 5 can.

PaoloDeFAuthor
Trending Lyricist I
May 25, 2022

For music alone, in a similar space, a One pair + Sub is more than one class above just the Beam.

My play 1 pair + Sub sounds just as good as my Connect amp driven set ups that drive quality passive speakers.

Hi Kumar, thanks. This is unexepected for me. As mentioned, my impression was a couple 1s was similar to the Beam, and 5 was in another realm. But it was in a shop and the 1s weren’t paired to the Sub.

This could be an interesting compromise.

The real problem with that, for you, is that it cannot replace the Beam, because it lacks the necessary line in jacks to take analog audio inputs from the TV - as the 5 can.

I know but, if I were to stay with Sonos (couple 1s or 5s + Sub), I don’t mind keeping Beam+Sub for TV, I deem it more that satisfactory in this realm.

Thanks again everyone, I’ll let it settle a bit and give your suggestions a serious thought.

Cheers, Paolo

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