Speakers for B2

[Herb Harlton]

Can anyone recommend speakers for the B2 either Bluetooth or Wired.  I am looking for something in the Sonos 5 price range ($500 each) and want sound quality, remote volume control and ease of operation.  Thanks.

[Daniel Taylor]

When you say $500 each, to me that means $1000/pair.  (Seems rather expensive for Sonos.)  At just a little more than that price range ($1250/pair),  I'd try the KEF LSX powered Bluetooth speakers.  With their own built-in amp, in addition to 4.1 AptX Bluetooth, they have a direct connection and also DLNA.

If you're into near field, desktop listening, I've been happy with the Audioengine HD3+ speakers (only $350/pair).  They are self-powered, have Bluetooth, direct connection, and a USB input with their own DAC.  They are very smooth, perhaps excessively so.  If you want crisp, and detailed, look elsewhere.

There is a good selection in between those two price extremes.  I've heard Ruark recommended here.  If you want great bang for the buck, check out Dayton Audio and Elac.  Pioneer, Yamaha and Denon also have good speakers for less than audiophile prices.

[Daniel Taylor]

I just re-read your post and noticed that you want remote volume control.  The KEF LSX speakers do have that, but I don't know about the others.  The Audioengine does not.  I suspect that that may be a rather rare feature.

[Daniel Taylor]

I just found a personal email from Herb.  He says:

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"Thanks.  Took a quick look into it and the major complaint was they won’t stay connected.  What is your experience with that,  Herb"

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I don't use Bluetooth very much.  The only speakers for which I have experience with Bluetooth are the Audioengine.  During the short time I've used them that way with the B2, there was no connection problem.  I don't remember reading any complaints about the B2 not being able to stay connected, once it has established connection.  I guess range might have something to do with it.  Usually I see that people say up to 30 feet. But that would probably change with obstacles, such as a wall.

[Davywhizz]

If I was going to spend a grand on speakers for a B2 I'd want the benefit of an external DAC to maximise the sound quality. And, for the same reason, I wouldn't use bluetooth. 

There are certainly powered speakers with remote controls: Steljes NS3s come to mind, but they are relatively inexpensive and primarily desktop speakers for near-field listening. They lose some bottom end if you sit further away. 

There are powered speakers with a built-in DAC, but there are other options too. You could get a more than adequate combined amp/DAC with remote control plus some very good passive speakers for your budget, or maybe try running the B2 optically into a not too expensive external DAC/headphone amplifier, then a line out from that to some powered speakers with a remote? Or just a DAC if you don't need the additional headphones option.

[Daniel Taylor]

Davy:  Well said.  That's the advice that I wish I'd have given.

[RandyT]

Davy is spot on with his comments. While I'm feeding my high-end system via the B2's optical output, I'm also feeding an old pair of Snell Type M speakers via the B2's speaker outputs. Do these sound as good as the high-end system? Of course not. But.... I'm not glued to my main listening position while I putz around the house with music playing.

Due to the B2's versatility I have both options. I was initially skeptical about how that internal class D amp would drive the Snell's. It turns out that it drives them pretty good. Like most small non-ported speakers, I suspect their efficiency is around 87 to 89 dB. These speakers have lived in their original shipping box 99.99% of their lives and I'm now enjoying them more than I ever have, when I'd pull them out for a listen. AND the B2 remote control will adjust the volume!!

My suggestion to Herb is to not overthink your solution right off. There may be an acceptable alternative out there, or several. Try some variations and see what you like. You might find something you didn't expect and save some money along the way. OR.... you might just go nuts and spend WAY more than you planned. None of us have EVER done that! 

Is this a great hobby or what?

Link on Audiokarma to those Snell Type M's (Snell is out of business) if anyone's interested:

Audiokarma, Snell Type M

[Gabriel Blanton]

Is there a reason you're not interested in going with the Fives? They seem to fit the bill generally.

I'd recommend the Sonos Fives or stepping down to some of the Ones if price is an issue. Two Sonos Fives can get pretty loud. A single Five can also play stereo on its own but the stereo effect won't be great at large distances. Two Ones and a SUB can be nice!

The main downside to Sonos is in that price range is the lack of traditional wired audio connections. The players cannot be hooked directly to speakers and they typically don't have line in. I believe the B2 can stream directly to the Sonos speakers like the BB1 can, which eliminates concerns about Bluetooth audio codecs. Based on what I've read, you may want to wire the B2 into your network via Ethernet for the most reliable performance. But if you're doing it all in a smaller space with out too many sources of interference, it should work. So you wouldn't need a DAC, but you may want an Ethernet dongle for the B2.

One caveat: I found this thread because my BB1 seems to be encountering an error discovering my Sonos speakers. Unless that's a known issue / or is resolved relatively quickly I can't actually recommend Sonos with Brennan just yet. But that's what I got the Brennan for so fingers crossed!

[PMB]

Hi Gabriel,

Please tell us more about the BB1-Sonos issue. What happens (or doesn't) when. How many Sonos units do you have, are they grouped or stereo pairs, etc.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Gabriel Blanton]

Hi Paul,

I know you've seen this now, but I'm pretty sure my issue will end up being what we're discussing over at https://groups.google.com/g/brennanb2/c/rB0lCKlg6mw/m/gL0vGKbKAgAJ

Short answers for folks here: 10 Sonos rooms, one is a Play:5 + Sub, another is Arc + Sub + 2x Play:1. So 14 Sonos boxes online. They are sometimes grouped e.g. Kitchen + Dining Room, but not always.

Gabe

[PMB]

Hi Gabe,

OK let us know how it goes with only 10 Sonos units online.

Paul

Brennan Support.