Thanks for the reply. So I could plug the rca’s from the cd player and turntable into this run an rca from it to each unbalanced rca input on the back of the active monitors and switch between the two?
Yes, that’s it. It just makes switching between the two a little more convenient, instead having to get at the backs of things to plug and unplug cables when you want to change listening from one component to another.
I understand a little better now. The overall situation, as I see it, is that we don’t know how good or bad something compares to another something until we measure. Companies are uneven in the quality of the specifications they publish. Some are conservative and underestimate, and some are pretty spot on, but many exaggerate and are not accurate. So on the whole, I would not rely on a company’s marketing department only, in order to make a purchase decision. An online reviewer can make money from ad revenues on his site, or receives free equipment or free use of equipment for an extended period. I would view that person, at least in most cases, as an extension of the company’s marketing department, since he is receiving compensation for his review, even if indirect. Which means independent, reliable measurements on gear is extremely valuable in the selection process.
So, unless we have measurements on the particular unit in question, it’s very hard to judge quality. Price is known to be very poorly correlated with sound quality. It is still possible to buy a set of top measuring ear buds for $50 or even less. There are DAC’s tested here that sell for $200 or less, where it is not physically possible for the human ear to distinguish from perfection (where perfection is thought of as zero distortion and a perfectly flat frequency response).
When you’re just starting out, you‘re not sure who to believe because there are so many voices out there, many of them quite credible sounding. So you go by personal experience, and try to tie what you’re reading back to some kind of reality check. That’s where the measurements are key. Have you ever taken a class at school and thought you were doing well, but your grade was not quite as good as you were expecting? Or your job review? Or you tried to go on a diet, and felt like you were starving, but the bathroom scale told a different story? The measurements help us get our perceptions in line with reality. The numbers don’t lie. A person can lie about the numbers, but the numbers don’t lie.
I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but Amir’s review of your Adam speakers can be found here:
Adam T5V . Their performance is exemplary. It will be very difficult to improve on. There is no reason to think a passive speaker plus amp or receiver will sound better. Louder,
maybe, but you’d have to spend significantly more to get that. We can say for sure that you can spend significantly more, and not get louder or better.
This is not to say that improvements are not possible. Improvements are possible, but are not what you read from press agents trying reach into your piggy bank. Look for lower bass extension (your Adams decrease their output below 70Hz, but your ears don’t stop detecting until below 20 Hz), higher bass output (look up Fletcher-Munson if you haven’t already), flatter frequency response (Amir included recommendations for EQ in his review, that are simple and few in number), and lower distortion. For better bass extension and higher bass output, get a subwoofer or two. You’ll need a crossover of some kind, too.
For flatter frequency response, you’ll need EQ software. You can but something like a miniDSP, which is an extra box that you plug into your system, or use your PC. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, but you already have a PC, and the software can be free. To use it, you’ll need to rip your CD’s to the PC hard drive and play from there, or you could get a DAC that accepts the digital signal from your CD player by optical or RCA. I like this solution the best, because you could get a DAC that has a volume control with remote, a good quality headphone output, and also accepts usb, so that would be your solution for streaming services. To use all three of Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music is the challenge, but an iPhone, iPad or Mac mini would give all three. Or maybe Windows 11. Windows 10 can be used for Apple Music, but you won’t get lossless streaming. There are other ways to get to the same place, but I see these options as being the most straightforward.
Distortion and output are related. Turn any system loud enough, and you’ll get distortion. Turn anything down low enough, and audible distortion vanishes, unless the unit is really poor. Noise is an additional consideration, but usually not a problem, and when it is a problem, is usually less of a problem as volume increases. For the Adam T5V, at 86dB output, distortion is under reasonable control at 100Hz and above. Here is where a subwoofer really helps, because they can play with low distortion in this region and below, or at least lower distortion, or relatively low distortion, and significantly higher output. At 96dB output, the Adams are starting to complain, as most speaker systems will. So, if your Adams can play as loud as you like now, then you’re good. I would only look for something different if you want to play even louder but still cleanly, and to do so you are getting into something more expensive and harder to find, so tread carefully. And expect to take your time.
I’m running out of time, so I won’t discuss speaker stands, speaker placement, and room treatments. These things work together, and can make a big difference, and again require time and some learning effort to get a handle on. To get the most out of this site will take time and effort on your part to sift through the material and get yourself up to speed. But well worth the effort, as the benefit is large, and the primary beneficiary is you.