For your listening pleasure: The quick audio questions megathread!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > For your listening pleasure: The quick audio questions megathread!

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KozmoNaut: Apr 23, 2008; Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle

Haggins posted:

I'm with you, I think with a decent sub it will make a difference. It'll probably have to wait a little while though. I see that the a2+ have outputs for a sub, any recommendations on what to get?

It should have line level inputs and a variable crossover, at the very least.

The A2+ and A5+ both have stereo line level outputs that are controlled by the speaker's volume control, so you want a sub with line level inputs. Stereo or mono is fine, you just need a Y-connector if the sub only has a mono input.

Because none of the Audioengine speakers have built-in lowpass filters on the line level outputs nor high-pass filters for their own speaker units, you need to adjust the variable crossover on the sub to match the natural low-end rolloff of the speakers. For the A5+, around 55Hz is a good starting point.

Other than that, I would recommend a closed cabinet sub, since you're mostly going to use it for music. Closed subs also tend to be physically smaller than ported subs. 10"-12" should be fine, but don't be afraid to buy an 8" or a 15" if you spot a great deal. Shoot for a low-end frequency response of 30Hz or so. Lower is obviously nice, but not if you have to compromise on sound quality to get it.

E: All this in mind, if you're getting the A5+s, you should definitely set them up, listen to them and then decide whether you need a sub or not, whether you feel something is lacking. They do have a lot of bass for their size and at least for music, you may not want or need a sub. It's all down to taste and whether you'll be using them for movie watching as well.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 15:46 on Jan 29, 2014

# ? Jan 29, 2014 14:19

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# ? May 21, 2024 12:09

Haggins: Jul 1, 2004

I won't be doing any movie watching. I have a home theater setup in the living room, which needs a speaker upgrade as well. Right after I replace the factory crap in my new car.

God, this is going to be a never ending money pit :smithicide:

Edit: is there a decent sub that I could use with the A2+ that isn't pricey?

Haggins fucked around with this message at 16:34 on Jan 29, 2014

# ? Jan 29, 2014 16:26

KozmoNaut: Apr 23, 2008; Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle

Haggins posted:

God, this is going to be a never ending money pit

Welcome to the club :unsmigghh:

I spent ~$1200 this month switching from an amp+speakers to active speakers+sub. At least I made ~$220 back from selling the NAD amp today. Hopefully there's another ~$500 to be made from selling the two extra sets of speakers, the Pioneer amp and CD player, and the power amp I got for free with the NAD.

Not to mention all the other junk I need to unload. I'm beginning to realize that I may be a bit of a hoarder.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Jan 29, 2014

# ? Jan 29, 2014 16:36

Haggins: Jul 1, 2004

Add it in with my photography habit and I'm going to be a poor rear end fool. At least I haven't gotten into performance mods on the car... yet.

# ? Jan 29, 2014 17:15

KillHour: Oct 28, 2007

Haggins posted:

I won't be doing any movie watching. I have a home theater setup in the living room, which needs a speaker upgrade as well. Right after I replace the factory crap in my new car.

God, this is going to be a never ending money pit

Edit: is there a decent sub that I could use with the A2+ that isn't pricey?

I use a psw10 for music in my office, and a psw505 in the living room. The 10 can be had for 80 or less if you wait for a deal. The 505 is normally between 200 and 250. Both are good subs for the money, but the upgrade to the 505 is worth it if you can come up with the scratch.

# ? Jan 29, 2014 18:21

Haggins: Jul 1, 2004

I could swing $80, just didn't want to pay more for the sub than I did for the speakers.

# ? Jan 29, 2014 19:08

thehandtruck: Mar 5, 2006; the thing about the jews is,

My old KLH reciever finally stopped working and I need a new to power my two Infinity Beta 20 speakers. Can anyone recommend one? I'm guessing audio quality doesn't change depending on the receiver but also if it matters, I like it loud.

# ? Jan 29, 2014 19:32

KozmoNaut: Apr 23, 2008; Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle

thehandtruck posted:

My old KLH reciever finally stopped working and I need a new to power my two Infinity Beta 20 speakers. Can anyone recommend one? I'm guessing audio quality doesn't change depending on the receiver but also if it matters, I like it loud.

As long as you get something that's 50W RMS per channel or more, you should be able to play loud enough to severely damage your hearing before you run out of power, unless your speakers are horribly inefficient, which they aren't. Heck, even 25W can play plenty loud in non-huge rooms.

That's the power issue dealt with quite easily, so what you really need to look for is features. What do you need your receiver to do? AM/FM? Digital radio? Built-in phono preamp?

If you don't need any kind of fancy gizmo features, you can't go wrong with NAD for high-quality basic hifi gear. But just about any hifi separate component receiver that isn't an obvious plastic shitbox is going to be at least decent, these days. Time to scour the used market!

E: If you don't need a remote control, but want high-quality AM/FM reception, don't be afraid to look at vintage gear. They tend to have high-quality tuners and can be had for next to nothing at flea markets, second hand shops and so on.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 20:39 on Jan 29, 2014

# ? Jan 29, 2014 20:32

jonathan: Jul 3, 2005; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

I saw some audio engine a2's at a local London drugs, we also have a few music stores around. Is there any reason to go with audionengines vs a near field studio monitor for a desktop setup ?

# ? Jan 29, 2014 20:44

BANME.sh: Jan 23, 2008; What is this??
Are you some kind of hypnotist??; Grimey Drawer

I am assuming the A2s are "better" for casual listening as they probably aren't as precise and will color the sound a bit to favor certain frequencies. At $200/pair, it puts them on the low end of comparisons for studio monitors as well.

# ? Jan 29, 2014 20:51

KozmoNaut: Apr 23, 2008; Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle

E: ^^^^ Pretty much. In the same price range you have the lower-end Behringer and M-Audio etc. monitors. From what I've heard, they're actually quite good, but they have iffy looks and are a lot bigger than the A2s.

jonathan posted:

I saw some audio engine a2's at a local London drugs, we also have a few music stores around. Is there any reason to go with audionengines vs a near field studio monitor for a desktop setup ?

The A2s are really small in comparison to similarly-priced studio monitors, if that matters to you.

Other than that, reasons might be that you prefer their sound or aesthetics.

Keep in mind that the A2s have a single volume control (it's on the back), which you don't always get on studio monitors because you usually control them directly from the mixing desk. And those studio monitors that do have volume controls, generally have one on each speaker, so they have to be adjusted individually. However, a separate stereo volume control box like a Fostex PC-1 isn't super expensive if you want to use studio monitors and have an easily-accessible volume control, so it's not a huge drawback, just something you need to remember.

Lastly, the A2s only need power and input to the left speaker, the right speaker is passive and connects to the active left speaker using ordinary speaker cable. With studio monitors, you have to supply power and input to both speakers. How much of a hassle this is depends on your setup.

# ? Jan 29, 2014 20:52

thehandtruck: Mar 5, 2006; the thing about the jews is,

KozmoNaut posted:

As long as you get something that's 50W RMS per channel or more, you should be able to play loud enough to severely damage your hearing before you run out of power, unless your speakers are horribly inefficient, which they aren't. Heck, even 25W can play plenty loud in non-huge rooms.

That's the power issue dealt with quite easily, so what you really need to look for is features. What do you need your receiver to do? AM/FM? Digital radio? Built-in phono preamp?

If you don't need any kind of fancy gizmo features, you can't go wrong with NAD for high-quality basic hifi gear. But just about any hifi separate component receiver that isn't an obvious plastic shitbox is going to be at least decent, these days. Time to scour the used market!

E: If you don't need a remote control, but want high-quality AM/FM reception, don't be afraid to look at vintage gear. They tend to have high-quality tuners and can be had for next to nothing at flea markets, second hand shops and so on.

I really need zero features whatsoever. All I'm going to do is plug in an RCA -> Aux cord from my computer to the receiver. Do you think craigslist is a safe bet?

# ? Jan 29, 2014 21:44

eddiewalker: Apr 28, 2004; Arrrr ye landlubber

thehandtruck posted:

I really need zero features whatsoever. All I'm going to do is plug in an RCA -> Aux cord from my computer to the receiver. Do you think craigslist is a safe bet?

If you just want a 2 channel amp without all input switching and multichannel stuff in a receiver, I'd just get a simple 2-channel amp.

Example. Never used this particular unit, but it's adequately reviewed:

http://www.parts-express.com/audiosource-amp100-2-ch-source-switching-power-amplifier--302-601

T-amps are also getting more powerful:

http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-dta-100a-class-t-digital-mini-amplifier-50-wpc--300-383

# ? Jan 29, 2014 21:57

KozmoNaut: Apr 23, 2008; Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle

thehandtruck posted:

I really need zero features whatsoever. All I'm going to do is plug in an RCA -> Aux cord from my computer to the receiver. Do you think craigslist is a safe bet?

Ah ok, then you're not really looking for a receiver (which has a radio tuner and other features), but just an ordinary integrated amplifier. Plenty of those around for cheap on the used market, or you could buy one of the amps that eddiewalker posted, if you're only ever going to use one input.

# ? Jan 29, 2014 22:13

jonathan: Jul 3, 2005; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

KozmoNaut posted:

E: ^^^^ Pretty much. In the same price range you have the lower-end Behringer and M-Audio etc. monitors. From what I've heard, they're actually quite good, but they have iffy looks and are a lot bigger than the A2s.

The A2s are really small in comparison to similarly-priced studio monitors, if that matters to you.

Other than that, reasons might be that you prefer their sound or aesthetics.

Keep in mind that the A2s have a single volume control (it's on the back), which you don't always get on studio monitors because you usually control them directly from the mixing desk. And those studio monitors that do have volume controls, generally have one on each speaker, so they have to be adjusted individually. However, a separate stereo volume control box like a Fostex PC-1 isn't super expensive if you want to use studio monitors and have an easily-accessible volume control, so it's not a huge drawback, just something you need to remember.

Lastly, the A2s only need power and input to the left speaker, the right speaker is passive and connects to the active left speaker using ordinary speaker cable. With studio monitors, you have to supply power and input to both speakers. How much of a hassle this is depends on your setup.

Thanks! Those are all things I hadnt really considered.

What about calibration in the form of volume and EQ ? Is there something out there for computers that acts similar to Audyssey in receivers ?

I plan on doing some video/sound mixing soon and I'd like it to transfer over nicely to my home theatre and sound decently mixed.

# ? Jan 30, 2014 00:23

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Posted this in one of the PC speaker thread but probably more applicable here:
Anyone heard of the Pure Acoustics Dreambox?
http://www.parts-express.com/Search.aspx?keyword=Dreambox&sitesearch=true

Looked interesting cause the size appears similar to the Audioengine A2s, and it doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of bookshelf or passive options at that size. I already have A2s on my computer but have been interested in something similar for my TV. Figured I could get some small speakers like that with an amp that has a remote.

(...and I think the price went up $20-30 since I first posted it, might just be imagining things though)

Haggins posted:

I could swing $80, just didn't want to pay more for the sub than I did for the speakers.

Whatever the case listen to the speakers first before looking into a sub, you might find that you don't necessarily need it. Save some money, space, and extra wiring to set it up.

# ? Jan 30, 2014 05:34

KozmoNaut: Apr 23, 2008; Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle

jonathan posted:

Thanks! Those are all things I hadnt really considered.

What about calibration in the form of volume and EQ ? Is there something out there for computers that acts similar to Audyssey in receivers ?

I plan on doing some video/sound mixing soon and I'd like it to transfer over nicely to my home theatre and sound decently mixed.

I'm afraid I don't have any experience with room calibration, but I'm sure there's something out there. It may cost a surprising amount of money, though. Or it may even come built-in to the drivers of some of the fancier M-Audio or Terratec or whatever sound cards.

# ? Jan 30, 2014 08:21

modig: Aug 20, 2002

So my Klipsch Promedia 4.1s are buzzing quite a bit when off, it seems to have gotten much worse. I'm considering upgrading. I just use two of them and plug a phone in directly. I like the idea of bluetooth for the update.

So far I've got
Option 1: Stereo amplifier with high quality bluetooth + possibly the klipsch speakers or some other speakers recommended here.

Option 2: another set of active speakers with high quality bluetooth

Option 3: Active speakers without bluetooth (say A2s, people seem to like those), and I can add a $30 bluetooth receiver thing if I want.

Option 1 is probably overkill, it is unlikely I'll actually ever use the 100W amplifier given that I rarely turn the klipsch's up past like 1/3 on the knob. Also some amazon reviews mention hissing, which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid.

Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated.

# ? Jan 30, 2014 21:58

KillHour: Oct 28, 2007

jonathan posted:

Thanks! Those are all things I hadnt really considered.

What about calibration in the form of volume and EQ ? Is there something out there for computers that acts similar to Audyssey in receivers ?

I plan on doing some video/sound mixing soon and I'd like it to transfer over nicely to my home theatre and sound decently mixed.

You'd be looking for a DSP or parametric equalizer.

Depending on your budget and needs, there are quite a few popular ones out there. I like the miniDSP and the Behringer DEQ2496:

http://www.minidsp.com/

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/DEQ2496.aspx

You also need a calibrated microphone to do measurements. Behringer used to make a good one, but it's fallen out of favor from what I've seen. This company sells individually calibrated mics each with a calibration file:

http://cross-spectrum.com/

Then you need software to analyze the sound and tell you how to set your DSP. RoomEQ Wizard is free, and awesome:

http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/

The guys on the Home Theater Shack forums can help out a ton with picking out the right equipment and using the software.

If you're on a budget, a graphic equalizer like the Behringer FBQ1502 I have can help smooth out some of the worst frequencies, but won't be nearly as flexible:

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/FBQ1502.aspx

All that stuff is starting to go down the rabbit hole, as it were. The sky's the limit.

http://www.jblsynthesis.com/Products/Details/121 :getin:

After seeing what you've done with your theater room, I'm excited to see your office setup.

KillHour fucked around with this message at 00:52 on Jan 31, 2014

# ? Jan 31, 2014 00:45

thehandtruck: Mar 5, 2006; the thing about the jews is,

eddiewalker posted:

If you just want a 2 channel amp without all input switching and multichannel stuff in a receiver, I'd just get a simple 2-channel amp.

Example. Never used this particular unit, but it's adequately reviewed:

http://www.parts-express.com/audiosource-amp100-2-ch-source-switching-power-amplifier--302-601

T-amps are also getting more powerful:

http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-dta-100a-class-t-digital-mini-amplifier-50-wpc--300-383

That little amp can power 2 large bookshelf speakers? Pretty impressive. Is there any advantage to getting one of those over the other? And thanks for the help.

# ? Jan 31, 2014 04:07

eddiewalker: Apr 28, 2004; Arrrr ye landlubber

The first amp was just the top result for a cheap-ish 2-channel amp. Reviews seem OK. Most complaints seemed to be about the automatic input switching, but you didn't seem to need that feature, and maybe the reviewers didn't read the instructions.

The second is a T-amp, which is an efficient amp built around one of Tripath's digital amplifier chips. There are lots of them built around the same chips. That one is by Parts Express's house brand and looked like a solid product.

I had one of the first-generation T-amps that only put out like 10watts powering some inefficient bookshelf speakers and it worked very well. I only wished it went a bit louder, but newer chips are putting out more than triple the power so that shouldn't be a problem.

You've got lots of options. A craigslist receiver would work, but that's bulky if you don't need the extra features. The only 2 channel amps you're likely to find on CL will be big power amps from wedding DJs.

# ? Jan 31, 2014 05:10

jonathan: Jul 3, 2005; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

thehandtruck posted:

That little amp can power 2 large bookshelf speakers? Pretty impressive. Is there any advantage to getting one of those over the other? And thanks for the help.

Unrelated but generally, the larger a speaker is, the less wattage it needs to play loud. People usually think big speaker requires big amp, but that's not the case.

Those huge professional cinema horn tweeters with dual 15" MIDs and quad 18" woofers often can put out 106db from a single watt.

# ? Jan 31, 2014 09:33

KozmoNaut: Apr 23, 2008; Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle

I have a set of Audioengine A5+s that I like. In fact, I like them a lot.

But I just found a set of Adam A5Xs for sale near me for like half price (less than I paid for my Audioengines). And considering all the great things I've heard about the Adams, they're kinda tempting.

Goddammit, I still have an old amplifier and a CD player I need to get rid of, not to mention two sets of full-size speakers. I am not going to replace my Audioengines less than a month after I bought them. I hate this gadget obsession

Currently, my main argument against the Adams is that they don't have a remote control.

E: Has anyone heard both sets of speakers in a similar setup? How do they compare for music playback and general use?

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 18:37 on Feb 2, 2014

# ? Feb 2, 2014 18:24

BizarroAzrael: Apr 6, 2006; "That must weigh heavily on your soul. Let me purge it for you."

I got a good set of Skullcandy headphones for Christmas, hoping that they will last longer than the cheaper phones I've been using previously, but I got the lead caught on a door handle and yanked it out of the jack on my phone, and found only one ear works unless I press the plug in the right direction. I thought there had been a break somewhere near the plug, but I've tried the phones on my laptop and found it was fine, so it looks like the headphone jack in my phone is damaged. Is there anything I can do?

# ? Feb 3, 2014 12:49

Alleric: Dec 10, 2002; Rambly Bastard...

eddiewalker posted:

The first amp was just the top result for a cheap-ish 2-channel amp. Reviews seem OK. Most complaints seemed to be about the automatic input switching, but you didn't seem to need that feature, and maybe the reviewers didn't read the instructions.

The second is a T-amp, which is an efficient amp built around one of Tripath's digital amplifier chips. There are lots of them built around the same chips. That one is by Parts Express's house brand and looked like a solid product.

I had one of the first-generation T-amps that only put out like 10watts powering some inefficient bookshelf speakers and it worked very well. I only wished it went a bit louder, but newer chips are putting out more than triple the power so that shouldn't be a problem.

You've got lots of options. A craigslist receiver would work, but that's bulky if you don't need the extra features. The only 2 channel amps you're likely to find on CL will be big power amps from wedding DJs.

I own an AMP100. The input switching thing is slightly counter-intuitive, but it's documented completely in the included...documentation. It's a total non-issue if you take 30 seconds and read the pamphlet.

As for performance, that little thing is a beast. If I didn't already have powered monitors at work, I'd have another AMP100 and a set of bookshelf speaks. It can handle complex speaker configurations without issue, even on the bridged channel. I currently have it driving 6 speakers on my patio fed by either an ipod dock or a line out from my receiver.

# ? Feb 3, 2014 15:33

KillHour: Oct 28, 2007

BizarroAzrael posted:

I got a good set of Skullcandy headphones for Christmas, hoping that they will last longer than the cheaper phones I've been using previously, but I got the lead caught on a door handle and yanked it out of the jack on my phone, and found only one ear works unless I press the plug in the right direction. I thought there had been a break somewhere near the plug, but I've tried the phones on my laptop and found it was fine, so it looks like the headphone jack in my phone is damaged. Is there anything I can do?

The headphone thread might be a better place for this. In general though, unless the cord can be removed from the headphones, you will generally need to open them up and solder a new cord on for something like this. What model headphones are they?

# ? Feb 4, 2014 17:31

Flipperwaldt: Nov 11, 2011; Won't somebody think of the starving hamsters in China?

KillHour posted:

The headphone thread might be a better place for this.

His headphones are allright, it's his phone that is hosed.

# ? Feb 4, 2014 17:49

KillHour: Oct 28, 2007

Flipperwaldt posted:

His headphones are allright, it's his phone that is hosed.

Oh, duh.

You can't really fix a headphone jack on a phone unless you can get an identical jack and solder it in place. Hopefully you have a damage plan through wherever you bought it from.

# ? Feb 4, 2014 18:20

Tan Dumplord: Mar 9, 2005; by FactsAreUseless

I am looking for a stereo Power Amplifier to drive two speakers. I have a pre-amp, which is rack-mount, so I'm OK with a rack-mount PA. I would prefer a dedicated PA, as I already have a great pre-amp.

My speakers are 8ohm, and don't need to be driven very hard. The previous PA was 200W continuous, and I don't think I ever ran it peak.

I'm looking for a dedicated PA with a low price and is not terribly ugly (Behringer iNuke, I'm looking at you). This seems to be a tall order.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. There should be plenty of options between stage gear and home theater, but it all runs pretty pricy. Ideas?

vvvv - It really is awful looking.

Tan Dumplord fucked around with this message at 17:53 on Feb 7, 2014

# ? Feb 7, 2014 17:25

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

sliderule posted:

I'm looking for a dedicated PA with a low price and is not terribly ugly (Behringer iNuke, I'm looking at you).

That looks like a cheap car amp.

# ? Feb 7, 2014 17:39

eddiewalker: Apr 28, 2004; Arrrr ye landlubber

sliderule posted:

I am looking for a stereo Power Amplifier to drive two speakers. I have a pre-amp, which is rack-mount, so I'm OK with a rack-mount PA. I would prefer a dedicated PA, as I already have a great pre-amp.

My speakers are 8ohm, and don't need to be driven very hard. The previous PA was 200W continuous, and I don't think I ever ran it peak.

I'm looking for a dedicated PA with a low price and is not terribly ugly (Behringer iNuke, I'm looking at you). This seems to be a tall order.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. There should be plenty of options between stage gear and home theater, but it all runs pretty pricy. Ideas?

vvvv - It really is awful looking.

How cheap are we talking? I'd be looking at something like a used QSC. At least the power ratings will be somewhat honest.

I've got some 20+ year old QSC Series Three stuff that still kicks and looks pretty understatedly-powerful.

eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Feb 7, 2014

# ? Feb 7, 2014 18:16

Tan Dumplord: Mar 9, 2005; by FactsAreUseless

I'd like to get a PA and mixer for ~$500. I'll start trolling the local places for QSC gear, see what I find.

Thanks!

# ? Feb 7, 2014 18:30

slothzilla: Dec 19, 2003

I just bought some new speakers. As I was unpacking them, I noticed something is loose and rattling around inside one of the speakers. They seem to sound ok, but I'm a little concerned about what might be broken in there that I will find out down the road, or how it will impact resale value in the future.

Will opening the speaker up void my warranty? Should I try to return it?

# ? Feb 7, 2014 18:37

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

slothzilla posted:

I just bought some new speakers. As I was unpacking them, I noticed something is loose and rattling around inside one of the speakers. They seem to sound ok, but I'm a little concerned about what might be broken in there that I will find out down the road, or how it will impact resale value in the future.

Will opening the speaker up void my warranty? Should I try to return it?

What kind of speakers are they?

# ? Feb 7, 2014 18:39

slothzilla: Dec 19, 2003

BigFactory posted:

What kind of speakers are they?

a pair of Wharfedale diamond 10.1

# ? Feb 7, 2014 18:45

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

slothzilla posted:

a pair of Wharfedale diamond 10.1

I don't think anyone would be able to tell if you opened it up, if the warrantee is all you care about. But if the speakers work, and you like them, why not open them up when and if you plan to sell them? Then you really don't have to worry about voiding something.

# ? Feb 7, 2014 18:58

KillHour: Oct 28, 2007

sliderule posted:

I am looking for a stereo Power Amplifier to drive two speakers. I have a pre-amp, which is rack-mount, so I'm OK with a rack-mount PA. I would prefer a dedicated PA, as I already have a great pre-amp.

My speakers are 8ohm, and don't need to be driven very hard. The previous PA was 200W continuous, and I don't think I ever ran it peak.

I'm looking for a dedicated PA with a low price and is not terribly ugly (Behringer iNuke, I'm looking at you). This seems to be a tall order.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. There should be plenty of options between stage gear and home theater, but it all runs pretty pricy. Ideas?

vvvv - It really is awful looking.

The iNuke is really :rice: