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I'm looking for a good home sound system that will basically be music only, played from a Macbook. If it was Bluetooth or something it would be great and I don't need any home theater stuff, it will just be for music. It would also be good if it was something low-profile but still powerful if I need it to be. Basically I'd like to be able to turn on my Bluetooth or whatever where I am our flat and play music through the speakers.
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Sep 12, 2013 05:43
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nwin posted:1) I am using a separate receiver box. Wait, you have an A/V receiver? You didn't mention... What brand/model? Is it connected at all right now? How? Perhaps it would be best if you drew us a diagram because I'm not getting much sense out of what you're writing right now. nwin posted:
1) Aquos Link is the same thing as HDMI-CEC (google that if you like). It's basically a way for the DirecTV box to pass remote signals on to the next connected box (AV receiver or TV). Conversely, HDMI-CEC enables your TV to forward remote signals like volume changes back to the receiver. The point is to let you switch remotes less often. Disabling it may have been counterproductive in your case, but I figured it was worth checking. 2) There might be a way, but I don't see why you're switching the receiver's input away from "DTV" all all, if that's the port where the DirecTV box is connected. So please elaborate on that. Maybe I'm misunderstanding this and you're actually talking about the TV's "DTV" input which is usually the internal tuner in the TV? But I don't see why you'd use that if you have an external DirecTV tuner.
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Sep 12, 2013 12:05
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baw posted:I'm looking for a good home sound system that will basically be music only, played from a Macbook. If it was Bluetooth or something it would be great and I don't need any home theater stuff, it will just be for music. It would also be good if it was something low-profile but still powerful if I need it to be. How big is your flat? I think Bluetooth would have problems with range, unless we're talking a really small studio apartments or something.
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Sep 12, 2013 12:07
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It's not huge, about 80 square meters but yeah I guess Bluetooth doesn't have that much of a range. I'd really like a wireless solution so we don't have to plug in whenever we want to use the speakers.
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Sep 12, 2013 15:00
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baw posted:Basically I'd like to be able to turn on my Bluetooth or whatever where I am our flat and play music through the speakers. How big is your budget? Any specific music style you listen to more than others?
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Sep 12, 2013 15:03
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Hippie Hedgehog posted:Wait, you have an A/V receiver? You didn't mention... What brand/model? Is it connected at all right now? How? Perhaps it would be best if you drew us a diagram because I'm not getting much sense out of what you're writing right now. Sorry, by receiver I meant the cable box from direct tv.
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Sep 12, 2013 17:28
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Hob_Gadling posted:How big is your budget? Any specific music style you listen to more than others? I'd be ok with spending a thousand dollars or so, but I'm not sure what the average prices for these sorts of things are. I'd like something good that I won't have to replace for a while. As far as music styles, I listen to everything from Rick Ross to Elton John and good bass is important. I'd like to have the speakers in the kitchen/dining room and living room, which probably makes up about half of our square meterage. My biggest problem is I'm not even sure where to start looking. baw fucked around with this message at 18:12 on Sep 12, 2013 |
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Sep 12, 2013 17:59
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Wirecutter has a thing on Bluetooth speakers. There's some options there.
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Sep 12, 2013 18:12
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Awesome that looks like a pretty good starting place. Airplay or Sonos seem to offer what I'm looking for.
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Sep 12, 2013 18:16
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Any suggestion on a good earphones for working out/running? I tried the Yurbuds Infinity Pro. While I like that the buds are secured in my ears, the sound quality is bad/muddy. I like something that has a similar concept (with mic, volume control and fast forward/rewind buttons on the cord) but better sounding. Bluetooth wireless is an option as I'll be using it with an iPhone. Thanks in advance.
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Sep 12, 2013 18:54
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baw posted:I'd like something good that I won't have to replace for a while. e: Never mind, I'm an idiot who can't read requirements. A stereo receiver and pair of good quality bookshelf speakers with external Bluetooth adapter will run you for about $300. Can provide details if needed. Hob_Gadling fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Sep 13, 2013 |
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Sep 12, 2013 18:54
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Nooo Hob I saw your post earlier but didn't have a chance to respond and your set-up seemed kind of like what I was looking for. It doesn't look like there's one answer but I'm looking more for general ideas of where to start. I appreciate the help.
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Sep 13, 2013 04:06
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Short list: Denon DRA-397 from accessories4less.com Pioneer SP-FS52 or SP-BS22 speakers Belkin Bluetooth receiver Wires Totals for ~$400 if you go with floorstanders and ~$300 with bookshelves. Polk 10" subwoofer optional if you really like bass.
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Sep 13, 2013 04:20
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Hob_Gadling posted:Short list: Since he said bass is important to him, he really should be going with the 12" Polk 505. The 10 inch models really lack on the low end. I really wouldn't call subwoofers optional with the pioneer speakers, since they only have 5 inch drivers.
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Sep 13, 2013 04:54
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I think I'll either go with that or a Sonos set up. Thanks for the help everyone.
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Sep 13, 2013 15:33
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Anyone know what port the Denon iPhone app uses to connect to the receiver? Practical use for being able to access my receiver from the Internet is limited, but I see the potential for some great practical jokes on my roommate. edit: Oh, well, looks like there's numerous reasons you can't connect to a receiver from the Internet. The app won't even let you load it without a WiFi connection. Rick Rickshaw fucked around with this message at 19:23 on Sep 13, 2013 |
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Sep 13, 2013 18:41
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baw posted:I think I'll either go with that or a Sonos set up. Thanks for the help everyone.
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Sep 13, 2013 21:30
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Any reasonably priced "designer" sound panels out there or at least a really good how to on making my own? Also while I know sound panels are to tame reflections, will these help quiet my theater room at all and/or is there something I can do without having to put up vinyl walls or some other crazy poo poo. Just trying to keep the wife happy.
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Sep 17, 2013 06:03
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Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.
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Aeka 2.0 posted:Any reasonably priced "designer" sound panels out there or at least a really good how to on making my own? Also while I know sound panels are to tame reflections, will these help quiet my theater room at all and/or is there something I can do without having to put up vinyl walls or some other crazy poo poo. Just trying to keep the wife happy. Treatments are for inside the room. They won't really affect the sound escaping at a measurable level. To soundproof a room you pretty much need to take it down to the studs. Double drywall, decouplers, special heating/ac ducts, and power receptacles and door. If you're wanting to tame reflections, and bass peaks and nulls, http://gikacoustics.com/ is pretty reasonable on price. There is also those Ebay Studio foam vendors. They're cheap and only deal with high frequency stuff, but people have good measurable results with them.
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Sep 17, 2013 15:58
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Also, low frequencies tend to be felt/heard easier, so you may want to arrange your sub a bit differently. From moving it away from walls, to putting it on the other side of the room, to just eqing it. Have brick walls on one side? Move it over to that area instead of drywall/studs. Excessive bass is generally what drives people nuts 9 out of 10 times.
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Sep 20, 2013 19:53
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Does anyone actually use HD radio? I actually listen to a lot of terrestrial radio, and my favorite station has an HD feed. If there's a significant improvement in fidelity, I wouldn't mind picking up a component receiver. I can't find many options besides car head units, though. The best thing I see is a Coby for $50 on Amazon, but Coby doesn't scream, "quality" to me
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Sep 21, 2013 03:04
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Hi, I am based in the UK and I am currently looking at getting a DAB/Digital Radio for the kitchen in my flat. When I started shopping around, I thought it might be neat to get one that can also connect to internet radio and/or do music streaming from other devices. At the very least, I would want an auxiliary port to connect phones/mp3 players. I've come across the Roberts Stream 205 Radio, which is being sold on Amazon UK for £125 ($200). It's fairly pricey, but it seems to have all the features I am looking for. Apparently they're even working on making an Android remote control app to go along with the iOS one they already have, which I could use with my phone. Has anyone used one of these radios before and have any thoughts about them, or even have other recommendations? Thank you very much for any help!
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Sep 21, 2013 08:29
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I'm currently looking for an affordable DAC (or external soundcard) with USB->RCA line out, for my office PC setup into integrated amp to speakers. No games, 2 channels out, primarily for music and secondarily for movies. Preferably no drivers and no bloatware. I have my eyes on these two: http://schiit.com/products/modi http://highresolutiontechnologies.com/music-streamer-ii Are there any DAC's similar to these regarding price and performance?
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Sep 21, 2013 19:55
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Fiio e10 will do that, and double duty as a headphone amp. You'll just have to pick up a mini to RCA cable. Wait, I totally forgot about the behringer uca202. People love that thing. eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 20:08 on Sep 21, 2013 |
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Sep 21, 2013 20:01
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In the market for a new computer speaker setup, willing to spend ~$1000. I need a computer speaker setup that outperforms my current Logitech Z-5500's for both music and gaming. I don't know if an all-in-one setup is worth it or if I should go through the trouble of buying separate components (I know nothing about this stuff). I've done some research on the Z-906's and they don't seem like they are the successor to the 5500's like Logitech was aiming for. I want 5.1 setup, a quality and loud bass, and satellites that are good for music and gaming. Something I'm definitely going to miss is the 5500's control console, which is small and perfect for volume adjustment vs doing it through Windows, and I doubt I'm going to find a setup with something like that. Anyone have any recommendations?
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Sep 21, 2013 20:48
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eddiewalker posted:Wait, I totally forgot about the behringer uca202. People love that thing.
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Sep 22, 2013 00:27
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baw posted:I'm looking for a good home sound system that will basically be music only, played from a Macbook. If it was Bluetooth or something it would be great and I don't need any home theater stuff, it will just be for music. It would also be good if it was something low-profile but still powerful if I need it to be. This was already answered, but since it's relevant, I'm actually in the market for something similar, but more portable. My wife wants to be able to play her music anywhere in the house. She's not an A/V nerd like I am, so sound quality is not of the utmost importance, but I would like to set her up with something she can easily transport from room to room and just as easily play what she wants. We were thinking of getting something that can easily hook up or dock with an iPod Touch and can be remote-controlled. In my mind, I'm picturing something like one of those all-in-one stereo speaker & dock gizmos, but I'm not really familiar with this spectrum of products so I have no idea if I'm barking up the wrong tree or what brands would actually be worth the money (if any). Would appreciate any advice you guys can give. Thanks!
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Sep 22, 2013 18:22
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DizzyBum posted:My wife wants to be able to play her music anywhere in the house. She's not an A/V nerd like I am, so sound quality is not of the utmost importance, but I would like to set her up with something she can easily transport from room to room and just as easily play what she wants. Jawbone Jambox or Creative D100 are worth looking up. B&W Zeppelin if you find one for cheap. All portable speakers have the problems related to small physical size, so none of the listed choices probably satisfy someone who wants to listen with concentration. As background noise they're ok.
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Sep 22, 2013 18:44
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Yeah that sounds like the perfect use case for a portable Bluetooth speaker like those, there's a really wide range of options out there. You can connect them to the Mac (or PC) itself, no need for an iPod touch in between.
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Sep 23, 2013 00:08
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Cool, I think I'll look into those. What's an effective range for Bluetooth wireless speakers, anyway? I've also been recommended the Sonos Play:3 plus wireless bridge since that allows you to control your music via an Android/iOS app. Reviews seem positive. Any thoughts?
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Sep 23, 2013 01:37
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Bluetooth is like 100 feet in optimal conditions for high power devices, but expect more like 10-20 in all reality.
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Sep 23, 2013 02:35
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Yeah I'd figure around 20-30 feet realistically. I have a Jambox and get about that much with it and my iPhone, although I have no clue how MacBook BT range compares.DizzyBum posted:I've also been recommended the Sonos Play:3 plus wireless bridge since that allows you to control your music via an Android/iOS app. Reviews seem positive. Any thoughts?
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Sep 23, 2013 05:05
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japtor posted:Yeah I'd figure around 20-30 feet realistically. I have a Jambox and get about that much with it and my iPhone, although I have no clue how MacBook BT range compares. It's primarily for my wife. She wants to listen to her MP3s anywhere in our apartment. She usually manages her music in iTunes anyway, and this Sonos device is apparently compatible with that. Plus we already have a little iPod and an adapter for long car rides. Oh, and I did like the streaming service availability too, as I'll sometimes throw a few bucks at Rdio if I run out of monthly free music. I'm in IT, so it goes without saying that I have a home LAN. 
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Sep 23, 2013 12:52
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I kind of feel like you could replace "in IT" with "a goon" and that sentence would still work a lot of the time (at least in the techy subforums). Just mentioned that in case she'd want to use it away from home, with the portable nature of the speaker and all. Another alternative: a bunch of AppleTVs and/or AirPort Expresses and TVs/speakers everywhere! I think I'm partially set up for this myself actually, got TVs in most rooms and AppleTVs on them, and an APx hooked up to a table*. Another APx and speaker set or two and I think my whole house would be covered for music if I wanted. Anyway they're $99 new but like $75-85 when they're on the Apple refurb store. Not exactly the route you were originally looking for but the intended result is...somewhat the same, music in whatever room, plus around the whole place if you want. *cheap transducers are fun 
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Sep 23, 2013 23:32
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For what it's worth, I'd rather have one good system and one portable piece of crap unless you have several listeners. Having some background noise in bathroom is nice, but for the price of several bad speakers you can usually get two decent ones. That's why the cheap one is portable, right?
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Sep 24, 2013 01:39
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Trying to set up a receiver in my home office, nothing fancy but can't seem to get it to work. Pioneer VSX-1019AH receiver Polk Audio SurroundBar3000 LG 32" LED tv Audio Technica AT-LP120 turntable Xbox 360/Xbox I'm trying to use the SurroundBar with the receiver rather than directly through the TV. The soundbar has either RCA output or digital audio, the receiver has speaker connections for 7.1 but only Optical In (although it says it's "assignable"?). I bought a RCA to speaker connection splitter but that hasn't seemed to do anything and same goes for the optical. Any suggestions or am I just SOL/a moron? Thanks in advance.
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Sep 25, 2013 02:44
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sticksy posted:Any suggestions or am I just SOL/a moron? Thanks in advance. You can try connecting the soundbar to receiver via RCA to 3,5mm cable. Alternatively you could connect the soundbar to your TV via optical, which would probably be the smarter thing to do. Why do you have a soundbar and a receiver? Soundbars are typically meant to function as standalone units.
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Sep 25, 2013 03:16
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Hob_Gadling posted:Why do you have a soundbar and a receiver? Soundbars are typically meant to function as standalone units. Yeah I know it's not the typical setup but unfortunately since the home office is relatively small, the area around the TV and receiver is pretty tight (the Polk was the only decent one I could fit that wasn't too big) and bookshelf speakers wouldn't really fit. I was familiar that soundbars are usually standalone but figured there would be a way to make it work for my situation. I'll retry the optical and see if I can make that work.
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Sep 25, 2013 05:02
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Could you describe your current setup as accurately as possible? Everything connects to receiver which connects to TV which connects to soundbar, and TV is set to output the sound via optical out?
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Sep 25, 2013 05:31
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I understand what a pre-amp does but I don't understand why you'd need them in a regular home audio setup. Note: I am not talking about a phono pre-amp, just a regular pre-amp. For example, if I have a stereo receiver, why would I ever need a pre-amp? I am asking because I often hear people talk about needing them in their setups. I just don't understand why.
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Sep 26, 2013 16:28
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