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Contributor I
June 19, 2018
Answered

Best Floor standing Speakers for Connect Amp

Hi all, I want to buy some new floor standing (preferably white) speakers to use on my connect amp. They’ll be in the front room and mainly used for TV and music. I have been using a pair of tannoys that I purchased about 20 years ago so am in major need of an upgrade and wondered what experience and recommendation people may have. Price wise I don’t really want to go over £1k for the pair.

Many thanks
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melvimbe
melvimbeAnswer
June 19, 2018
I'm not the guy to recommend speakers for you, but are you currently using the connect:amp with the TV? I ask because the amp has a built in buffer/delay in it, and thus audio will be out of sync with the tv. If you are currently are using it and have no problems, great! If it's a change you plan on making with the speakers, you may want test it out first.
Danny

16 replies

melvimbe
melvimbeAnswer
June 19, 2018
I'm not the guy to recommend speakers for you, but are you currently using the connect:amp with the TV? I ask because the amp has a built in buffer/delay in it, and thus audio will be out of sync with the tv. If you are currently are using it and have no problems, great! If it's a change you plan on making with the speakers, you may want test it out first.
Danny
SammyJMOAuthor
Contributor I
June 19, 2018
Thanks Danny, I’ve had the current set up of tv into connectamp for almost 2 years and I must admit I have never noticed any lag in sound. I may just be one of the fortunate few!
Prominent Collaborator I
June 19, 2018
I also use a Connect:Amp with the TV and have not noticed lag. I do notice audio lag on other setups so I would say the Connect:Amp introduces very little or no lag to the sound.

As for speakers, I really like PSB speakers. I use our Connect:Amp with Imagine Minis, which are bookshelves, but I think their Imagine X towers would work great as well
June 20, 2018
First, a general comment: the Connect Amp is as good as any amp out there within its power delivery spec of 55 watts per channel into 8 ohms, a fairly typical level for most home stereo amps at its price point. So choosing speakers is a matter of personal preference for how they sound to you.

And if the Tannoys are in good working condition, there may not be a need to spend money at all. Speakers of its type last for decades, and not much tech progress has been made with such speakers in the last two decades - never mind what the hifi media/industry try to promote. Is there anything you are missing from them leaving aside that they are two decades old?

Finally, why floor standers? Why pay for expensive furniture when a pair of stand mounted speakers supported by a Sonos Sub will probably sound better? In the money left out of the budget after the Sub has been bought, there are many excellent options from makes such as Dali, KEF, Wharfedale etc. The important thing is to pick after a listening session, preferably with preferred music played on the options at home.

If any tech progress has been made, a good example is of how well the Sonos Sub integrates with the Connect Amp and with a pair of decent stand mounted speakers. And if you know the market for used kit, you can get excellent deals for these. But buy only after listening, preferably at home.
Prominent Collaborator I
June 20, 2018
I think there are better sub options, especially for the price, than the Sonos Sub if you are using the Connect:Amp. The Amp is the only Sonos device with a dedicated sub out, giving you far more options for subs than the Sonos Sub. The Sonos Sub, in my opinion, is better suited to the other Sonos products that don't have a sub out.
June 20, 2018
Even so, the Sonos Sub is the first time in many years of listening where I have been satisfied with music integration between the Sub and the main speaker pair. Other cheaper Subs have served for movie effects, but have always sounded like an afterthought where music is concerned.
chicks
June 20, 2018
Spence mentioned the possibility of allowing 3rd party speaker makers to build Sonos into their wares, so perhaps some of the high quality makers, like PSB, NHT, KEF, Tannoy, Paradigm, etc, will partner with them. Onkyo and Pioneer are adding Sonos to their receivers, but I don't think Pioneer is making speakers anymore.
h1lt0n
Collaborator I
June 20, 2018
+1 for the Dalis. I have a set of the Concept 8s. Now obsolete but still amazing speakers. I've still got them running on an old 2010 high end Pioneer AMP. They are a bit of an oddity now as I have Sonos all the way through the house hence why I have been looking to switch the Pioneer to the Connect:AMP. However, the reason that I haven't yet is that with the recent updates to both the aesthetics, native voice assistant support and specs in the rest of the range the Connect series is starting to show its age. Also, at 55 Watts it doesn't have the juice to be able to push the Dalis.
The future is here and its awesome!!!
June 20, 2018
I have found the Connect Amp to be able to drive my Dali Zensors quite comfortably - and even though it only(though correctly) delivers half the power at about half the volume control position on the slider unlike most modern amps that deliver all their power early on to sound more powerful that way, I never have to run it at more than 70-80% volume levels although it can comfortably run at 90-100 levels without distortion.

But I agree that Connect Amp is now obsolete, as obsolete as stereo amps and passive speakers driven by these. The play units use the latest tech much more effectively, but the reason I do not recommend them to the OP is that for his budget the play 1 pair + Sub which is a brilliant music making set up will not do TV because it lacks the necessary line in jacks.
SammyJMOAuthor
Contributor I
June 20, 2018
Thanks Kumar, I don’t suppose you know if any jack inputs for play devices is on the radar at all? Might it be worth me just sitting on what I have now for a while to see how things pan out?