Audio Adventures in 2026 – Part Deux

The prior post about the audio adventures being undertaken covered the scenarios where focusing too intensely on a budget resulted in some poor initial equipment selections. The adventure has been completed with the acquisition and deployment of the final pieces of the system. With the turntable selection finalized courtesy of the Audio Technica AT-LP70XBT, decisions were still required for optical media playback, amplification, and speakers. The area where this setup will be configured is space constrained; single disc CD players in the traditional form factor or multi-disc CD changers would consume too much of the available installation area. The lackluster experience with the SMSL PL150 excluded many of the competing compact solutions in the same price range due to the known lack of continuous playback.

Amplification and source switching were elegantly solved with the WiiM Amp. At $299, this model offered everything required to make the magic happen; digital inputs for the optical media player, analog input for the turntable, a rating of 60W x 2 for an eight ohm load and a 120W x 2 rating for four ohm loads. Its compact footprint is possible due to its use of Class D amplification. This entry-level model doesn’t skimp in the bells and whistles department; it also offers up room correction courtesy of the smartphone app, support for various preset equalization curves along with a ten band parametric EQ capability, and high pass filtering when paired with a subwoofer. Setting this unit up was the most Apple-like experience we’ve ever encountered for audio equipment thus far. Support for the leading lossless streaming platforms exists for all of you Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz consumers.

The speaker selection process was far more difficult. The temporary install of a pair of JBL ES20 speakers provides an output path for the audio chain, but it was… lacking in a number of areas. The three-star rating given to these speakers by the fine folks over at What Hi-Fi? would be considered to be extremely generous. The inclusion of support for extremely high frequency playback hurt the overall presentation of the material more than it helped. The five inch woofer and aggressively tuned crossover in the speaker ensures that the lower octaves are absent when listening to anything which may require it in some capacity. The previously noted space constraints for the installation and proximity of the turntable (when it returns from service) to the setup will limit what options could be utilized for a subwoofer.

In 2026, the predominant bookshelf speaker recommendations in the sub-$500 USD range across many different sites and platforms involve the ELAC Debut series (2.0 or 3.0), the Polk ES lineup, Klipsch Reference Premiere series (for those looking for that sound signature), and the KEF Q1 Meta. In an absolute plot twist, none of these were selected although the KEF Q1 Meta was almost ordered. Instead, a slightly sweetened deal on a new pair of Mission LX-2 Mk II speakers provided enough temptation. Reviews of the original and revised models in this line up sounded enticing. Throwing caution to the wind, the trigger was pulled on these speakers. You won’t confuse the LX-2 Mk II with the aforementioned options, but it is an incredibly well engineered speaker that conveys significant energy and presence in a manner that begs you to keep listening! Absolutely no fatigue was experienced across multiple genres and sources. Bass is incredibly tight and present. As a fan of a soft dome tweeter for highs, these deliver a signature which was previously not experienced yet leaves one wanting to come back for more. Granted, this lineup released in 2020, has been all but forgotten by many on the Internet, and their website seems focused more on the electronics side of things.

At this time, IAC (the current owner of Mission and other storied brands) seems more focused on the Wharfedale product portfolio. We have concerns about the continued presence of Mission in this space. What they did with the LX Mk II series is a testament to focusing on the engineering and sound rather than ticking checkboxes for the use of exotic materials or expensive, proprietary technologies. At these price points, it’s an amazing choice while there is still stock remaining!

There was only one option for the optical media playback in a constrained physical footprint: The TEAC PD-301-X CD Player. This is another product which was released years ago yet has some compelling features; a built-in FM tuner, a Burr Brown digital to analog converter, continuous playback, and the ability to play CDs longer than fifty-five minutes in length. It’s heavy and well constructed. As it’s currently on sale directly through TEAC at a lower price than what Amazon is asking, it solved the optical media playback challenge perfectly.