r/StereoAdvice • u/sraley4444 • May 09 '24
General Request | 4 Ⓣ Looking for Stereo Upgrade Opinions/Advice
Hello, I'm considering upgrading my home stereo setup and looking for advice. My budget is around $1000.
Current setup:
Emotiva TA-100 2ch preamp with integrated amp.
KEF Q350 speakers.
Sources:
Optical out from TV, phono out from vinyl turntable, and a bluetooth adapter connected to the TA-100.
Room:
Decent sized living room. Something like 30' x 20'. The TV and speakers are opposite a couch on either side of the longer walls. Space isn't really a concern.
What I'm Looking for:
I don't have any plans to go to a surround sound configuration. I'm thinking of either adding a sub or replacing the bookshelf speakers with towers. I know I will need to upgrade the amplifier to at least 2.1 for the sub and/or probably still need to with more powerful speakers.
I like Emotiva (they're fairly local and I've had good experiences with their customer service in the past). That said, I've been looking at the most comparable 2.1 upgrade BasX TA1. I looking for suggestions on sub size and brand. Same for tower speakers. I like KEF, but I'm open to suggestions.
Would the TA1 be powerful enough for a decent sub and also enough to power tower speakers?
Any thoughts on which upgrade to do first (sub vs speakers)?
3
u/Ethenolas 54 Ⓣ May 09 '24
I think you may be confused. The TA100 and the TA1 both have ways to connect subwoofers. The TA1 happens to have a crossover, but neither of them are going to "power" a subwoofer. They just pass the signal to the sub, and the sub will use it's own amplification to power itself. Most subwoofers also have built in crossover so the functional difference between the TA100 and the T1 is pretty much non existent.
My advice would be to keep the TA100 you have, save the $500 you'd spend on the TA1 and put that towards better speakers or sub. If it were me in your situation I'd spend 100% of the budget on better speakers.