[Aaron Shi]

Hey guys I'm new here in this forum. Been reading posts for some time though.
Currently I have a pair of Hifiman HE 560, driven by Schiit Lyr 2. I use both Marantz tt-15 turntable and Bifrost Multibit as my source.
Recently I have just moved to a new apartment so I'm thinking of setting up new gear, probably going into stereo setup starting with my new order of Schitt Freya.
Should I invest more in headphone setup and renew my current config? Or maybe speaker system should be my next move?

 

[Music Alchemist]

It's a very subjective, personal thing. For the most part, I used headphones my entire life, and in recent years I acquired five figures worth of them...but this year, I decided to give nearfield speakers a chance...and ended up liking them far more than any headphone!

Without being able to hear for yourself, you won't know what you prefer, so you have to approach it step by step.

May I ask why the Freya was your first move?

What is your budget for the speaker system?

Do you want nearfield (within arm's length) or perhaps something larger?

Are you planning on doing EQ and/or room treatments?

Do you live in an apartment or house? (I ask because if you're in an apartment, you'd need to worry about noise complaints more, in which case smaller speakers would be better.)

 

[Aaron Shi]

It's a very subjective, personal thing. For the most part, I used headphones my entire life, and in recent years I acquired five figures worth of them...but this year, I decided to give nearfield speakers a chance...and ended up liking them far more than any headphone!

Without being able to hear for yourself, you won't know what you prefer, so you have to approach it step by step.

May I ask why the Freya was your first move?

What is your budget for the speaker system?

Do you want nearfield (within arm's length) or perhaps something larger?

Are you planning on doing EQ and/or room treatments?

Do you live in an apartment or house? (I ask because if you're in an apartment, you'd need to worry about noise complaints more, in which case smaller speakers would be better.)

I grew up listening to speaker systems with my Dad. His most recent setup is Cayin mono block tube amps + sonus faber olympica iii. Also had some quality time listening to Dynaudio speakers before that. I moved to headphone setup mainly because of space constraints as I was living in small apartments after graduation.
My current place is a bit bigger - 12*20*9 (ceiling). Will mainly use this setup for music listening and occasional movie watching. I generally don't listen to music at very high volume so annoyed neighbors shouldn't be a problem. So nearfield speakers are not my first bet.

Personally speaking I do prefer speakers. My current budget for the speakers is around 2k, I'm fine with both bookshelves and floor-standing. Another 2k for the amplification. I will use my current source though.

As for my choice for Freya, I honestly went with my experience with Schiit Lyr 2. My plan is to have a tube pre-amp and solid-state power amp and Schiit happens to have exactly that.

And, because my place is rental, I don't want to do any room treatment, at least for now.

Thanks!

 

[Music Alchemist]

My current budget for the speakers is around 2k, I'm fine with both bookshelves and floor-standing. Another 2k for the amplification. I will use my current source though.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough speaker experience to be able to recommend much in this instance. I know the KEF LS50 bookshelf speakers are well-regarded in that range and they can be used in both nearfield and more spacious settings.

 

[serman005]

If you have adequate floor space, you could potentially get into a Magneplanar 1.7--a fantastic value with outstanding sound quality. They are in your general price range. I own the 1.6, its predecessor, and could not have been happier with my Maggies. They are fairly wide, so you will need some floor space for them. You might read about them and see what you think. They might work for you.