Desk-Area Audio (+ Computer Monitor) Upgrade – A Detailed Overview – Apr 2025

artemis789 · 19 Apr 2025 at 22:58

Hi folks.

Hope all you audio afficionados are all well!

I just thought I’d make quite a detailed post here to discuss an upcoming desk-area audio (+ computer monitor) upgrade project that I have in mind.

I’ve been putting this post together on MS Word for the past few days.

My aim is to do the following with this post:

Help others in a similar position.
Receive feedback and guidance, particularly if there is anything I have overlooked.

In terms of actual kit, my upgrade project seeks to buy and fit the following:

DAC + AMP + HEADPHONE AMP desktop “stack”.
Passive speakers.
Computer monitor.

The general priorities for my upgrade project are:

Save as much space as possible (as my desk-space is very limited).
Get value for money.
Get great-performing and nice-looking kit! (Of course!)

My thoughts on the grand solution are set out below.

I have been learning as I go along, and that will probably show in this monster post.

All prices were correct at time of writing (circa mid Apr 2025).

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CONTEXT: WHAT I AM CHANGING FROM

Before I get into the nitty gritty of my options and choices, I thought I’d add a little bit of context, to explain where I am coming from.

I currently run quite a “cramped” desk featuring:

Some fairly hefty KEF LS50 Wireless Version 1’s (active/powered speakers).
A gaming-orientated 24.5” BenQ Zowie XL2546 240Hz refresh rate TN-panel monitor in the centre, with a stand that has quite a big footprint.

While the KEF LS50 Wireless Version 1’s sound brilliant to my ears (especially with high-definition audio sources, such as Qobuz [my favourite high-definition music source]), they are just too big for my desk.

In my view, my current setup actually looks a little ridiculous, and I do regret buying the large-sized KEFs a little. (I feel that they would have been a much stronger buy if I had a very large desk to better accommodate them.)

Here are some quite amusing pictures of the layout:

In addition, I find it difficult to fit much useful items under the monitor, given the size of the stand’s base.

Still, I will live and learn!

My “course correction” plan is to down-scale to smaller-sized speakers, but while maintaining (or even improving) audio quality.

So, without further ado, here goes with the plan.

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NEW KIT SET 1: DAC + AMP + HEADPHONE AMP “STACK”

For the DAC + AMP + HEADPHONE AMP “stack”, my preference is for Topping and Aiyima kit.

I feel their kit offers a great balance of quality and value.

They also offer plenty of compact units.

(For those interested, I have also been reliably informed that some other quite well known [nowadays] manufacturers/brands in the “compact desktop audio unit” space are Fosi Audio and SMSL.)

My proposed solutions are as follows. I have taken care to consider the dimensions in each case:

(1) “Budget” (So-called) Stack: [circa £450 in total]

DAC: Topping E30 II – 10.0cm W x 12.5cm D x 3.2cm H, £150. [Mfr link]
AMP: Topping PA3s – 12.0cm W x 16.8cm D x 4.0cm H, £150. [Mfr link]
HEADPHONE AMP: Topping L30 II – 10.0cm W x 13.5cm D x 3.2cm H, £150. [Mfr link]

I’m hopeful the above makes sense, and I have not made a mistake with my thinking here.

(2) “Slightly Higher Quality” Stack: [circa £640 in total]

DAC: Topping E50 – 12.9cm W x 15.5cm D x 4.1cm H, £200. [Mfr link]
AMP: Topping PA5 II Plus – 12.9cm W x 16.6cm D x 4.1cm H, £260. [Mfr link]
HEADPHONE-AMP: Topping L50 – 12.9cm W x 16.6cm D x 4.1cm H, £180. [Mfr link]

Once again, I’m hopeful the above makes sense, and I have not made a mistake with my thinking here.

(3) Best “Lower Height Solution” Stack I Could Come Up With: [circa £370 in total]

DAC+AMP COMBO UNIT: Aiyima A80 – 15.5cm W x 12.3cm D x 4.1cm H, £190. [Mfr link] Comments: at this price-point, this kit appears to be very well regarded/reviewed. Username “mrk” on these forums uses it, and he has quality taste!
HEADPHONE-AMP: Topping L50 – 12.9cm W x 16.6cm D x 4.1cm H, £180. [Mfr link]

This final solution is my preference. I’m hopeful that folks on here think it is a workable solution, in combination with:

A set of passive speakers from the options below, plus
My current Sennheiser HD598SR headphones, which I also intend to get around to upgrading sooner or later.

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NEW KIT SET 2: PASSIVE SPEAKERS – COMPACT, DESKTOP APPLICATION

The second focus area is acquiring a set of passive speakers that are:

High-quality.
“Space-efficient” (i.e., “compact”), and suitable for desktop usage.
Beautiful looking (at least, to my eyes).

Here are my thoughts on these.

Desired Passive Speaker Width – circa 15.5cm wide, or less:

I’m aiming to pick-up a set of high-quality passive speakers about 15.5cm (6.1in) wide, or less. For context, that’s the width of a set of (active/powered) KEF LSX II’s.

(As a side-note, I wasn’t completely sold on the active/powered KEF LSX II’s, which is why I have considered passives under this overall solution. If I wanted an “easy life”, I’d just fire-away with the LSX II’s and get on with things.)

Also, any speakers broaching circa 20cm (7.9in) wide, are too big for my available desk-space, and are therefore out of consideration. For context, that’s the width of a set of (passive) KEF LS50 Meta’s, or (active/powered) KEF LS50 Wireless I or II’s, as already pictured above, and which do not look congruous on my desk.

Overall, for the list below, I’ve set a hard-limit of 18.0cm wide, to allow for “special cases” where I could seek to squeeze all the items in. But, ideally, my preference is for speakers that measure around 15.5cm wide or less.

My Exact Picks (Grouped by Manufacturer/Brand, and listed in Ascending Price Order)

Here are my exact picks.

The order is my own personal preference in terms of brands. Much of that is coloured by a healthy admiration for my long passed away father’s hi-fi preferences when growing up. So, please don’t read too much into my ordering. It’s personal preference. A good set of speakers is a good set of speakers, after all.

Dali

£200 – Dali Spektor 1 – 14.0cm W x 19.5cm D x 23.7cm H. [Mfr link]
£250 – Dali Spektor 2 – 17.0cm W x 23.8cm D x 29.2cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: width creeping up a little.
£400 – Dali Oberon 1 – 16.2cm W x 23.4cm D x 27.4cm H. [Mfr link]
£700 – Dali Opticon 1 Mk2 – 15.2cm W x 23.1cm D x 26.1cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: these look excellent, and are pleasingly compact at only 15.2cm wide.
£1100 – Dali Menuet – 15.0cm W x 23.0cm D x 25.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: price is spiralling, but these are extremely nice. Brilliantly compact, at only 15.0cm wide.
£1300 – Dali Menuet SE – 15.0cm W x 23.0cm D x 25.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: price really spiralling upwards here, but these look like stunning compact passive speakers. Out of all the speakers on the list, these are really appealing to me right now, and are my current “final pick”.

Fyne Audio

£200 – Fyne Audio F300i – 15.6cm W x 21.1cm D x 25.0cm H. [Mfr link]
£400 – Fyne Audio F5E – 17.4cm W x 22.8cm D x 27.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: width creeping up a little.

General Comments on Fyne Audio: I really like what this company are doing. Some of their wooden speaker cabinetry, to my eye, is stunning. That said, out of their range, only the two smaller width units (above) are of relevance to me right now.

Triangle

£320 – Triangle Borea BR02 – 17.6cm W x 27.4cm D x 31.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: width creeping up a little.
£700 – Triangle Esprit Titus Ez – 16.8cm W x 26.7cm D x 30.5cm H. [Mfr link]

Monitor Audio

£200 – Monitor Audio Bronze 50 – 16.6cm W x 26.5cm D x 28.1cm H. [Mfr link]
£400 – Monitor Audio Radius 90 – 12.5cm W x 20.3cm D x 19.8cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: exceedingly small and space-efficient speakers! However, perhaps just a little too small, as they are circa 3cm under my 15.5cm width target.
£700 – Monitor Audio Silver 50 (7G) – 16.5cm W x 27.2cm D x 28.2cm H. [Mfr link]
£2000 – Monitor Audio Studio 89 – 15.7cm W x 36.1cm D x 34.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: quite exorbitantly priced (for me), and the second most expensive speakers on this list. Overall, the design of these high-priced speakers is not for me.

Mission

£185 – Mission LX-1 MKII – 16.0cm W x 20.8cm D x 26.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: a value-priced option from Mission. (Also, their other options are all too big.)

Neat Acoustics

£2160 – Neat Acoustics Strata Ministra – 17.0cm W x 29.0cm D x 30.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: too expensive for me. Listed for completeness, and perhaps something to reach for one day. Width creeping up a little also.

Ruark

£700 – Ruark Audio Sabre-R – a 17.5cm W x 21.5cm D x 29.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: width creeping up a little.

General Comments on Ruark: I’m a big fan of the design of all Ruark’s kit.

Bowers and Wilkins

£500 – Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 – 16.5cm W x 23.5cm D x 30.0cm H. [Mfr link]
£1300 – Bowers & Wilkins 707 S3 – 16.5cm W x 28.4cm D x 30.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: price is spiralling here, but very nice looking speakers nonetheless. Reasonably compact too.

General Comments on Bowers and Wilkins: I’m not really big on Bowers and Wilkins generally, hence why they are down the list a little. I know they have a strong following, and do appear to maintain very high levels of quality. I just feel that they spend an awful lot of money on marketing and the “flashier” side of the Hi-Fi business. Those David Beckham endorsements don’t come cheap. Overall: different approaches for different folks and all that.

Klipsch

£230 to £275 – Klipsch R-40M – 14.6cm W x 21.6cm D x 29.8cm H. [Mfr link]
£300 to £350 – Klipsch R-50M – 17.8cm W x 22.9cm D x 35.4cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: width creeping up a little.

Acoustic Energy

£280 – Acoustic Energy AE100-2 – 16.5cm W x 25.0cm D x 29.0cm H. [Mfr link]
£650 – Acoustic Energy AE300-2 – 17.0 cm W x 27.0cm D x 32.0 cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: width creeping up a little.

Q Acoustics

£300 – Q Acoustics 3010c – 15.5cm W x 25.1cm D x 25.4cm H. [Mfr link]
£360 to £400 – Q Acoustics 5010 – 16.0cm W x 26.3cm D x 26.4cm H. [Mfr link]
£400 – Q Acoustics 3020c – 17.5cm W x 28.1cm D x 27.9cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: width creeping up a little.

Wharfedale

£200 – Wharfedale Diamond 12.0 – 15.0cm W x 22.8cm D x 26.5cm H. [Mfr link]
£250 – Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 – 18.0cm W x 27.8cm D x 31.2cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: this is the widest speaker on the list. It’s probably too wide, but I could not resist including it, on the off-chance that I might try squeezing them on the desk.

General Comments on Wharfedale: The list would not be complete without a “tip-of-the-hat” to Wharfedale! I feel that Wharfedale are a long-time favourite of buyers looking for genuine “value-for-money” (or “bang for buck”) from their speakers. I like a lot of what Wharfedale do. For instance, I think their larger-sized Wharfedale Super Denton, Wharfedale Linton, and Wharfedale Super Linton are quite brilliant, and give a fantastic nod to vintage (some say “heritage”) speakers of the past, while implementing modern technology.

Brands/Manufacturers I Sadly Had To Rule Out

Sadly, I had to rule-out the following great brands/manufacturers, as I could not find any passive options that I liked from them spanning to circa 15.5cm wide (or less):

KEF (This was a shame, as I am a big fan of KEF.)
Focal

Final Choice

Sometimes I like to go with my gut.

My gut is saying that I like the £1300-priced Dali Menuet SE, at 15.0cm W x 23.0cm D x 25.0cm H a lot.

So, there we have it. That’s my pick at time of writing.

If anyone feels that I am making a bad choice, please do say, and why.

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NEW KIT SET 3: NEW COMPUTER MONITOR

The final focus area of the project is upgrading my computer monitor.

I’m seeking a high-quality monitor, with a stand that has a “space saving” footprint on the desk.

A monitor that offers a “low-ish” footprint, I hope, will allow me to “squeeze in” the DAC+AMP+HEADPHONE AMP “stack” to one side of the stand, under one-side of the monitor screen. In the picture I posted above, it would be where the stationary is, on the right.

First Choice

The first-choice monitor I have my eye on is a Dell U2724DE.

Specs: The specs and build of this monitor are “solid” in my opinion:

27” IPS screen.
Max 2560x1440 (WQHD) resolution.
Passable 120Hz refresh rate.
Admittedly slow response times: 8 ms in “normal” mode, 5 ms in “fast” mode.
Good adjustability – Height, Tilt, Swivel, Pivot adjustable.
Physically, it has no overt gaming branding.
“Decently” small footprint for the stand – although I have seen smaller footprints around.

Price: Available for circa £370 to £390.

Comments:

Out of the many monitors I have considered, this one has, in my view, decent overall specs, a reasonably low-profile/“small-ish” footprint stand, and a “decent” refresh rate (120 Hz).
Granted, response times are a lot slower than my prior gaming monitors, but that is fine. I am no-longer a gamer, and don’t need an exceedingly high refresh rate monitor and aggressively fast response times. That said, I do still enjoy refresh rates from 120Hz and up, even for “everyday” computing.
One cause for concern is an apparent high return rate on a very famous e-commerce website, which most of us on here will no doubt use often.

Second (and Very Expensive) Choice

A distant second choice is the Sony 27” INZONE M10S [SDM27Q10SB.CEI]. This thing looks like an absolute belter of a monitor.

Specs: The specs and build are absolutely wild for this thing:

27” OLED screen.
Maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440 (QHD).
Wildly fast refresh rate of 480 Hz.
Wildly fast response time of 0.03ms GTG.
Physically, it has no overt gaming branding.
Pleasingly small footprint for the stand.

Price: The price is the only thing holding this one back. Its priced extremely steeply, at circa £1110 and upwards, dependent on source. I’ll keep an eye on it though.

Third (and So-called “Budget”) Choice

The Gigabyte 27” GS27U-EK offers a small sized base at a more value price.

Specs: Its specs are decent for the price in my opinion:

27” IPS screen.
Max resolution of 3840 x 2160 UHD.
Passable 160Hz refresh rate.
1ms response time.
Physically, it has no “in your face” gaming branding.
Pleasingly small footprint for the stand.

Price: This monitor can be had for circa £300.

Fourth (and “Budget”) Choice

My 4th choice is a genuine value for money option. It’s an Iiyama ProLite XUB2792QSU-B6. This is marketed as a productivity monitor, and not a “gaming” monitor.

Specs: Again, its specs are decent for the price in my opinion:

27” IPS screen.
Max resolution of 2560x1440 (WQHD).
Passable 100Hz refresh rate. (This is quite a slow-down from 240Hz, but I could live with it.)
Snappy 0.4ms response time.
Good adjustability – Height, Tilt, Swivel, Pivot adjustable.
Physically, it has no overt gaming branding.
Pleasingly small footprint for the stand.

Price: This monitor can be had for circa £180. That’s good value (set against the wider marketplace) in my opinion.

Monitors That I Ruled-Out

I had also considered some of the ASUS ProArt monitors. I feel some of these have what is a reasonably “space saving” footprint for the stand, and nice, elegant looking designs. Sadly though, the refresh rates seem to top-out at 75 Hz, which I cannot see myself going back down to, having used 240 Hz for so long.

Also, a high-end – and high refresh rate – ASUS ROG Strix gaming monitor is not for me, even though some of the newer models have reasonably small footprints on a desk. I am no longer a gamer, and don’t want a heavily gaming branded monitor.

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CONCLUSION

Well, that’s my desktop audio (+ monitor) upgrade project post complete!

Thank you for reading it if you got this far!

Overall, it looks like I am going to go for the following:

(1) DAC/AMP/HEADPHONE AMP “Stack”: [circa £370 in total]

DAC+AMP COMBO UNIT: Aiyima A80 – 15.5cm W x 12.3cm D x 4.1cm H, £190. [Mfr link]
HEADPHONE-AMP: Topping L50 – 12.9cm W x 16.6cm D x 4.1cm H, £180. [Mfr link]

(2) Passive speakers:

£1300 – Dali Menuet SE – 15.0cm W x 23.0cm D x 25.0cm H. [Mfr link]

(3) Monitor:

Circa £370 to £390 – Dell U2724DE.

Total spend (taking higher figures) is £2060. Overall, that price hurts, and it’s time to get saving!

Also, I will need cables, but I’ve not thought about those yet. I don’t expect to spend too extravagantly on these.

Lastly, I hope my post – and my conclusions – were of interest to anyone in a similar position. (i.e., to someone seeking to build a space-saving desktop audio solution.)

If anyone thinks I should go about this differently, I’m always receptive to feedback, good or bad.

All I need to do now is pull some money together… Ah, the world of audio and tech…

All the best troops.

GoRedwings19 · 20 Apr 2025 at 16:37

Hi considering your an existing Kef have you not consider the Kef LSX or LSX ii

artemis789 · 20 Apr 2025 at 16:58

Hey there Redwings,

Many thanks for your suggestion!

Yeah, I did consider the active/powered KEF LSX II's for a little bit. They would certainly be a much simpler solution than the "desktop separates" one I am pursuing. They are, after all, a much more sensible size, are a simple "all-in-one" active/powered solution (with an integrated DAC and Amp in each speaker), and they allow a simple connection to the computer via USB.

One of the main reasons I decided against them, is that this time, I am interested in trying a passive speaker solution, facilitated by desktop-separates.

I experienced two total failures of my (active/powered) KEF LS50 Wireless Version 1's over the time I had them. The failures meant shipping the entire units back to KEF for repair. The units are heavy and unwieldy to move/position/pack/unpack. I had to implement a back-up audio solution while they were away. The whole process was not ideal. Thankfully, after the second repair, they have been flawless since, but it is not something I want to risk going through again with a new purchase.

Instead, this time, I am interested in splitting-out any potential points of failure over multiple components/units, while keeping a modest set of Creative T40 Series II speakers as a backup, to provide audio if anything fails. (Indeed, these are what I am using now, as I have packed up the KEF LS50 Version 1's in preparation for sale.)

Also, for the KEF LSX II's, I read some odds-and-ends that KEF now heavily steer users in the direction of keeping an "always on" internet connection, in order to "fully utilise" the speakers. I believe they require an internet connection for initial setup, but they can then be setup to run as without the internet after that point. It seems a little unreasonable to me for an audio item to require an internet connection. Some somewhat incomplete discussions of this issue are on Reddit, here and here. KEF also acknowledge this in a kind of roundabout way in their speaker FAQs, as follows:

For the KEF LSX II speakers, here, under answer A1.1. "How do I set up the speakers?"
For the KEF LSX II LT speakers, here, under Answers A1.1. "How do I set up the speakers?" and A1.9. "Can I use the speakers without a Wi-Fi network?".

Ah, nothing is ever easy these days!

julianhj · 20 Apr 2025 at 17:15

Some excellent options there. I have the MA Radius 90s and they definitely do the job when paired with a sub. If I had the desk space I'd have the B&W 607 S3s.

Jenz · 20 Apr 2025 at 18:54

If you are happy to import the Ayami A80 from AliExpress you can save £50 on your quoted price.I just got it with vat delivered for £139.

I personally am not a fan of Topping Headphone Amps. I would suggest one of the Schiit Amps or the Fiio K11 or K11 R2R as I and @mrk have.

You have not described your use cases - this would be helpful because for example why is monitor refresh rate important to you if you are not a gamer?

artemis789 · 20 Apr 2025 at 19:22

Hey there Jenz,

Thanks so much for your response and suggestions -- very much appreciated.

Ah, usage case -- sorry, I forgot to explain that. Usage is fairly low-key, as follows:

The basics: web browsing, internet shopping, general MS Office usage (e.g., MS Word letters, MS Excel spreadsheets, MS Outlook), file/document storage.
Non-fiction eBook reading.
Non-fiction/documentary/educational film watching.
High-definition music listening, via Qobuz (under either streamed or downloaded content).
"Normal" definition music and podcast listening, via Spotify. (I believe a bit-rate of 320 kbps is the current maximum available via Spotify).
Very occasional Photoshop usage, to spruce-up or mildly adjust an image. Nothing high-end.

I do intend, in future, to perhaps learn about and do the following:

Occasional video editing. Nothing super high-level. Rather, medium term, I’d like to be able do things like editing an occasional video for an Ebay sale, or to put together a chaptered video for a commercial enquiry of some kind, or, say, a piece of DIY work that I am seeking assistance on.

On the monitor side, yes, I do acknowledge that refresh rate is not so much of a central issue as a non-gamer. I suppose being interested in that in the past has creeped into my commentary, above.

However, I personally do feel that even under "everyday computing" scenarios (e.g., simple matters, like how the mouse moves across the screen, and how screens can scroll, how windows can move about the screen), I can perceive a smoother experience with a higher refresh rate monitor. I remember a clear difference in this regard after I upgraded from an old 60Hz monitor many years ago. Having experienced the pleasing smoothness of a higher refresh rate (of 240 Hz, for my current monitor), I would find it difficult to go back to something as low as 60 Hz. I could probably do alright with about 120 Hz though.

Hope that helps, and thanks again.

Jenz · 20 Apr 2025 at 21:28

Yes thanks for that. So primary focus is productivity and music. You could also consider a fully integrated unit dac/headphones/speakers unit such as the SMSL AO300 at around £260, this is a nice all in one.

mid_gen · 20 Apr 2025 at 21:46

Seems a bit daft to spend thousands on speakers for that space to be perfectly honest, they'll sound awful listening in a closet like that no matter how much you spend.

I'd spend the decent money on headphones for when you want to actually enjoy decent sound quality, and accept that you just don't have a good space for listening to music through speakers.

artemis789 · 21 Apr 2025 at 09:07

mid_gen said:
Seems a bit daft to spend thousands on speakers for that space to be perfectly honest, they'll sound awful listening in a closet like that no matter how much you spend.

I'd spend the decent money on headphones for when you want to actually enjoy decent sound quality, and accept that you just don't have a good space for listening to music through speakers.

Hey there mid_gen.

Thanks for replying. I appreciate your point that the setup area is not as ideal as it could be.

However, I still feel that it is worthwhile to run good quality appropriately-sized compact/bookshelf speakers (and a good audio setup generally) on my desk area.

For instance, I have downgraded to a set of lower quality (but still passable) Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II's, as I have packed away the KEF LS 50 Wireless Version 1's in preparation for sale.

While the Creative T40 Series II's, I feel, are "good for their price", I can hear a clear decrease in sound quality.

So, I do believe it is still worthwhile to spend for a certain level of quality.

Of course, there are likely diminishing returns as the spend increases.

Outside that, on a more general basis, I much prefer the freedom of speakers over headphones. All of that said though, I still intend to do a headphone upgrade later (much later) down the line. The solution set-out above is my priority at the moment though.

artemis789 · 21 Apr 2025 at 09:11

Jenz said:
Yes thanks for that. So primary focus is productivity and music. You could also consider a fully integrated unit dac/headphones/speakers unit such as the SMSL AO300 at around £260, this is a nice all in one.

Many thanks for that Jenz.

I've checked out the SMSL AO300 unit (Mfr link), and it does look like a very nice solution.

The dimensions (21.9cm W x 18.5cm D x 4.2cm H) are a little bit bigger than some of the units I was previously considering, but I might just be able to make it work.

I'll give things a further think over.

Thanks again.

nelbert · 21 Apr 2025 at 18:17

Given the constraints of the space you have to fit things into for the monitor I wouldn’t be concerned about the base size and budget for a clamping monitor arm.

Either a slim direct behind the monitor vesa mount like this (Mfr link) or one of the many pole and arm styles (Mfr link) mounted to one side of the desk with the arm horizontal along the wall. This would completely free up space under the monitor.

For passive speakers I have an alternative suggestion. Rather than trying to fit bookshelf speakers, which both take up substantial space and will need to be jammed into the corners, I would build a 2.1 speaker setup using LCR speakers and drive them with a device which supports room correction/peq.
While room correction can’t work miracles, it will help tame the impact of the back wall, desk, sidewall and cupboard.

An advantage of LCR speakers is they are designed to be wall mounted, are usually slimmer than bookshelf’s, my F300i LCR are 12cm deep so can be pointed towards where I sit without eating desk space.
While a disadvantage vs bookshelf’s is they don’t go as deep in the bass, this is beneficial with your space restrictions and wall/cupboard placement as a small sub will fill out the low end without being overpowering or excessive.

While not as space constricted as yourself I did this for my own work room. A pair of F300i LCRs with a Ruark sub. As I had the space beside the table, I just drive them with a Yamaha R4A, if I was more space limited then I’d have probably have gone with a WiiM Amp due to it’s build in peq.

This is my work space below. For context, the desk is 140cm x 60cm and that is a 27” monitor in the middle. While on your desk the speakers would be beside the monitor, being shallow at 12cm means you can angle them towards your listening position easily unlike the bookshelf’s you’re considering.

Prior to this setup I had considered using my F500s or buying studio monitors (focal shape or Genelec) but powered speakers mean no room correction apart from the basic shelving switches.

In a normal room setting, I wouldn’t use the F300i LCRs as my main speakers, I didn’t like them as surrounds with my coaxial Fyne main setup. As near field on desk with a sub and room correction they are very good and I certainly wouldn’t replace them with my more expensive bookshelf’s.

artemis789 · 21 Apr 2025 at 19:54

Hey there Nelbert, and a warm welcome to the forums!

What a brilliant second post!

Thanks so much for your extremely informative summation.

I had not considered a clamping monitor arm, to essentially "lift" the monitor above the desk and eliminate the base/stand "space-consumption" issue.

Your other suggestions are ideas that I had also not considered, and are quite brilliant I think.

I will research this out and will try to come to a decision as soon as I can.

Admetos · 22 Apr 2025 at 01:13

You don't have much desk space, how about micro monitors such as these Adam Audio's.

They have a built in USB DAC so connect your computer into that, they also have a headphone connection and amp.

Also agree with the post about lifting your monitor on an arm, not just for space saving but getting the monitor to eye level reduces neck strain.

ADAM Audio - D3V Desktop Monitors [Active]

Designed for producers, and music lovers, the D3Vs can be connected via USB-C and offer a wealth of features, plus incredible audio performance.

www.adam-audio.com

artemis789 · 22 Apr 2025 at 02:16

Nice suggestion there JasonM -- many thanks for that.

As an alternative to passives, I was meaning to look into some studio monitors at some stage.

Some of the passives on the market just caught my eye, and that's the direction of travel I went in.

But, I would certainly be open to a compact-sized studio monitor solution with my preferences being units Focal, Genelec, Adam, and Yamaha.

I've taken a quick look on various sites, and have found that appropriately sized units do exist from all these brands/manufacturers.

I'll set aside some time to look into that more deeply, and may post a summary of options later, should anyone in a similar position to me be interested in that.

I've got some work to do now, with your, nelbert's and a number of other posts to consider!

Admetos · 22 Apr 2025 at 02:32

artemis789 said:
Nice suggestion there JasonM -- many thanks for that.

As an alternative to passives, I was meaning to look into some studio monitors at some stage!

Active studio monitors have the advantage you can tune them, for example those Adams have high frequency, mid and bass setting.

Demon · 22 Apr 2025 at 14:20

I went from a few different active speakers and monitors to a passive setup and never looked back..

My personal opinion on your suggestions
1. I'd have a sub in the mix, it adds such a dimension to music and really helps smaller desktop speakers sound massively 'full' and rich and I couldn't be without one now, even on normal music it just adds that extra layer that I find pleasing.
2. The speakers / amp mix seems out of balance, I demo'd many speakers and ended up with a better amp with the DALI Zensor Pico (replaced by the Spektor 1s) as I found far more improvement to my ears from the amp than going up a tier of speaker.

I ended up with
- DALI Zensor Pico (smallest with the widest soundstage and pleasing midrange) - £120
- Teac A-H01 DAC/AMP (small desktop dac/amp) - £300 (Richer Sounds end of line sale)
- BK Elec Gemini II compact subwoofer - £250
- For headphone duty the SMSL M500 was a standout that I grabbed second hand and never looked back. £150

My advice would be to go and demo some amps/speakers in Richer Sounds etc, work out what your ears 'like' and can benefit from.. they demo'd the DALI Zensor Picos + TEAC A-H01 and it literally was indistinguishable from some much larger QAcoustics and Marantz PM6007 AMP, yet in a tiny form factor.. I tried speakers up to around £500 and found the gains so marginal or not really gel'ing with my ears that I tried different tiers of amps and found the cheaper end just made it all sound less clean/punchy and so went with what sounded good to my ears..

If I was doing it again:
- DALI Spektor 1 (still 5* what hifi reviewed) - £200
- NAD D3045 (very compact, can be mounted vertically and is still very good as a headphone amp for starters) - £699
- BKElec Gemini II - I love mine, I would buy again.. very very punchy, very very small and easily fits under the desk in a corner - £245

You could save some money with the SMSL AO300, but I would want to demo it, SMSL/Topping can sound clinical and not that musical, the M500 headphone amp needs Equaliser APO to make my Focal Elegia really 'sing' and open up, the amp is far too clinical and 'perfect' for my ears to take as-is..

nelbert · 22 Apr 2025 at 19:02

Demon said:
1. I'd have a sub in the mix, it adds such a dimension to music and really helps smaller desktop speakers sound massively 'full' and rich and I couldn't be without one now, even on normal music it just adds that extra layer that I find pleasing.

I think this gets overlooked too often, along with the benefits of room correction.

The audio side of the AV industry is really dragging its heels in adding things that have been a normal part of basic avr functionality for years. They are finally getting better at adding a sub output as standard.

artemis789 · 23 Apr 2025 at 17:21

Demon said:
[Very informative post here! See 2 posts up.]

Many thanks for setting out that information Demon. Very much appreciated.

I do have a Richer Sounds quite nearby, so may pop in there for some guidance and real-world listening.

manic111 · 23 Apr 2025 at 17:39

Out of interest, and not because I'm recommending it but because I am also trying to redo my desktop audio (at a far lower level of quality than you), why are you not considering active speakers? Is the quality significantly worse?

I only ask because I'm considering getting some at present, but if an amp and passive are the way to go then I could easily be persuaded!

artemis789 · 23 Apr 2025 at 18:05

manic111 said:
Out of interest, and not because I'm recommending it but because I am also trying to redo my desktop audio (at a far lower level of quality than you), why are you not considering active speakers? Is the quality significantly worse?

I only ask because I'm considering getting some at present, but if an amp and passive are the way to go then I could easily be persuaded!

Hey there manic111.

I can only speak for myself here, but the idea of splitting out the various technologies (this time) was appealing to me.

I have owned active/powered speakers in the past, and have had those speakers fail on me, twice. This involved shipping the entire (and quite heavy) units back to the manufacturer for repair, and having to implement a stand-in audio solution while they were away.

So, this time, I am keen to avoid that scenario.

I feel that if one part of a separates based passive speaker system fails, it may be easier (in pragmatic terms) to replace that component part. Moreover, it is my understanding that, as long as the speakers are used within normal or conservative parameters, it is extremely rare for a set of passive speakers to fail (and that the electronic failure points, under a "passives" setup, would more likely be the DAC or AMP). For context, my family has run a wonderful set of KEF Reference 104's for circa 50 years. (See image at the bottom-right of page 3 of this official KEF document, here, under the heading/section entitled "1.1 KEF Reference – A Brief history".) I still run these today in another room.

Looking ahead, for my computer desktop audio system, I always intend to keep a spare set of Creative T40 Series II speakers as a back-up option, to give me sound, should my main system fail and need repaired.

==========================================================================
==========================================================================
ALL OF THE ABOVE SAID

Still, all of the above said, here is a little summation of some compact high-quality active/powered studio monitor type speakers, should these be of interest to anyone.

I’ve put the following summation together on MS Word.

The aims are to list some interesting space saving options, with a hard limit of 17.0cm wide, and with preferred units coming in at around 15.0cm to 15.5cm wide.

In terms of brands, I have selected options from my four favourite studio monitor manufacturers/brands, in this order:

Focal
Genelec
ADAM
Yamaha

This is purely personal preference.

Once again, all prices were correct at time of writing (circa two-thirds through Apr 2025).

To the best of my understanding, running active studio monitors means that only a DAC is required on the desktop. (As opposed to the need for a DAC plus an AMP for passive speakers.)

Without further ado, here is my list of picks.

==========================================================================
==========================================================================
POTENTIAL NEW KIT: (ACTIVE) STUDIO MONITORS – SUB 17.0CM WIDE

My Exact Picks (Grouped by Manufacturer/Brand, and listed in Ascending Price Order)

Here are my exact picks. All prices are for pairs (not single units).

Focal

~£650 to £690 – Focal Shape 40 – 16.1cm W x 20.0cm D x 25.7cm H. [Mfr link] [Comments: these are lovely looking and extremely well-performing studio monitors. Moreover, these are the only Focal studio monitors that came in under my width limit.]

General Comments on Focal: I really like a lot of Focal’s active studio monitors. Indeed, personally, I'd consider the Focal Solo 6 (which, at a fairly beefy 24.6cm W x 29.5cm D x 33.4cm H, is too big to be considered) (Mfr link) as an “end game” speaker, if I had the space and resources to buy a pair. Still, the Focal Shape 40 unit listed above is still a very strong choice in my opinion.

Genelec

~£520 – Genelec 8010A – 12.1cm W x 11.4cm D x 19.5cm H]. [Mfr link]
~£750 to £800 – Genelec 8020D – 14.8cm W x 14.2cm D x 24.2cm H. [Mfr link]
~£1060 – Genelec 8320A – 15.1cm W x 14.2cm D x 24.2cm H. [Mfr link]
~£1045 – Genelec 8320APM – 15.1cm W x 14.2cm D x 24.2cm H. [No exact Mfr link available, as these units are a sub-set of the Genelec 8320A.]
~£1100 – Genelec 8320ARwM SAM – 15.1cm W x 14.2cm D x 24.2cm H. [No exact Mfr link available, as these units are a sub-set of the Genelec 8320A.]

General Comments on Genelec: The heritage and quality of Genelec equipment is undeniable.

ADAM

~£275 – ADAM D3V – 11.5cm W x 15.0cm D x 20.0cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: these super-compact units look like a great space-saving option, at a very reasonable price. Also, these are the only options on this list that support a direct connection to the computer via USB. They do not require a DAC, as the “control” speaker has a DAC in it.
~£630 – ADAM A4V – 15.8cm W x 22.0cm D x 26.8cm H. [Mfr link]

General Comments on ADAM: Formed in 1999, comparatively speaking, the ADAM audio company is a relatively new studio monitor company. Nonetheless, their commitment to quality products is clear.

Yamaha

~£220 to £250 – Yamaha HS4 – 15.0cm W x 21.3cm D x 24.0cm H. [Mfr link]
~£310 to £330 –Yamaha HS5 – 17.0cm W x 22.2cm D x 28.5cm H. [Mfr link] Comments: width creeping up a little.

General Comments on Yamaha: Yamaha have a very solid heritage in the studio monitor space. They appear to operate at slightly more value price-points.

Final Active Studio Monitors Choice

There are some really great options above.

Personally, if I was to go ahead with active studio monitors, once again, I’d go with my gut. My gut says that I like the following units a lot:

~£650 to £690 – Focal Shape 40 – 16.1cm W x 20.0cm D x 25.7cm H. [Mfr link]
~£750 to £800 – Genelec 8020D – 14.8cm W x 14.2cm D x 24.2cm H. [Mfr link]

I’ve wanted, for a number of years, to own either a nice set of Focals or a nice set of Genelecs. So, the prospect of running a pair of quality Focals or Genelecs is very appealing.

Overall, I hope some of these “space saving” suggestions for active/powered studio monitors are useful for someone in a similar situation to myself.

But, I do think, personally, that I will likely go ahead with a separates solution (compact DAC + compact AMP + compact passive speakers) at the heart of my computer-room desk audio.

All the best troops.