Getting your first home audio system? Read this.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Getting your first home audio system? Read this.

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

MMD3 posted:

Awesome awesome info, thanks!

I'll check out Sonance... Wow, those Z6R's are not cheap... looks like it's a $1500 pair. Not that that's out of budget per-say but if I were to spend that much I'd probably look into upgrading my front speakers at the same time. I was looking at something closer to a $4-800 pair for the rears.

For the other zones I'll probably go Sonos for listening to stuff on the main floor of the house in the kitchen and living room. Any listening that isn't in the den would certainly be less critical... I have a turn-table and a modest record collection and I was thinking I might get a vintage receiver to power some bookshelf speakers in the office or another room. I'll definitely consider wiring for a second zone on the other side of the den but it'll certainly be more budget speakers if I do it. Aperion has some in-ceiling speakers that I may go audition since their showroom is close by http://www.aperionaudio.com/speakers/in-wall-and-in-ceiling-home-theater-speakers

Is Sonance worth the price if the rears were to end up being the single most expensive component in my audio setup? seems like I should be looking to change out center or fronts before dropping that kind of dough on rears no? I feel like I saw some breakdown at one point on what percent of sound goes through each speaker in a 5.1 setup and it was like 10% or so in the rears.

I'm a schmuck, and I shouldn't be talking audio equipment (which I can go full bore nutty over) while waiting for some data analysis to finish in another window, and fully thinking about both things at once. Z6R was what was on my screen, not the equivalent of what I have. My line is missing now, but I'd say the closest thing I can locate on Sonance's website at the moment would be 623R's. I know I paid right at 300 for mine.

My take on surrounds is that they should NOT be the heaviest financial burden in a soundfield. Center and mains take care of the bulk of the important information from a clarity and rendering point. Surrounds are mostly for positional effects. If you lose a little frequency response or definition, it's not a big deal. Unless it's some 5.1 mix direct audio presentation, normally the surrounds have a bit of inherent sound degredation anyway (on old pro-logic processing, if memory serves, they even rolled highs off like a mother as to NOT pull your attention to the surrounds). Now, if you HAVE the money to make your surrounds just as badass as your mains, go for it.

On the other end of the spectrum though, I do like surrounds to do some of their own heavy lifting if they can on bass. Current surround processing protocols ask any speaker that can, and is designated to in the config, to play any frequency sent to it. This is why modern receivers ask if mains, centers, surrounds are "small" or "full range" or whatever the nomenclature of choice is for the vendor. Tell the receiver one of those is small, and they're crossed over higher than the other children. I find that panning sounds and curtain surround effects across speakers that are crossed over at different spots really breaks up the illusion for me.

Aperion has options, Sonance has options, other companies have options... I would just say go with speakers that are voiced as closely to your mains, and have frequency response parameters that are close to your mains, so in this case with the 4T and 4C f3'ing in the 60's... Aperion's L6-IC's f3'ing in the 80's isn't horrible. You'll be asking the sub to come in around there more than likely anyway since the mains can't go lower.

I will admit, if you're really looking to spend money, I do have suggestions. I just reserve them unless you actively aren't satisfied with something in your setup.

# ? Feb 15, 2014 04:12

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# ? Jun 1, 2024 04:27

MMD3: May 16, 2006; Montmartre -> Portland

Alleric posted:

I'm a schmuck, and I shouldn't be talking audio equipment (which I can go full bore nutty over) while waiting for some data analysis to finish in another window, and fully thinking about both things at once. Z6R was what was on my screen, not the equivalent of what I have. My line is missing now, but I'd say the closest thing I can locate on Sonance's website at the moment would be 623R's. I know I paid right at 300 for mine.

My take on surrounds is that they should NOT be the heaviest financial burden in a soundfield. Center and mains take care of the bulk of the important information from a clarity and rendering point. Surrounds are mostly for positional effects. If you lose a little frequency response or definition, it's not a big deal. Unless it's some 5.1 mix direct audio presentation, normally the surrounds have a bit of inherent sound degredation anyway (on old pro-logic processing, if memory serves, they even rolled highs off like a mother as to NOT pull your attention to the surrounds). Now, if you HAVE the money to make your surrounds just as badass as your mains, go for it.

On the other end of the spectrum though, I do like surrounds to do some of their own heavy lifting if they can on bass. Current surround processing protocols ask any speaker that can, and is designated to in the config, to play any frequency sent to it. This is why modern receivers ask if mains, centers, surrounds are "small" or "full range" or whatever the nomenclature of choice is for the vendor. Tell the receiver one of those is small, and they're crossed over higher than the other children. I find that panning sounds and curtain surround effects across speakers that are crossed over at different spots really breaks up the illusion for me.

Aperion has options, Sonance has options, other companies have options... I would just say go with speakers that are voiced as closely to your mains, and have frequency response parameters that are close to your mains, so in this case with the 4T and 4C f3'ing in the 60's... Aperion's L6-IC's f3'ing in the 80's isn't horrible. You'll be asking the sub to come in around there more than likely anyway since the mains can't go lower.

I will admit, if you're really looking to spend money, I do have suggestions. I just reserve them unless you actively aren't satisfied with something in your setup.

Oh by all means, please hit me with any suggestions! I'm in the fortunate position that my significant other has actually openly asked me to replace my front speakers with something more aesthetically pleasing, so although I think they sound fine for what they are at the moment I honestly haven't had an opportunity to compare them against many other speakers. This is the first set of floorstandings I've owned and I've only had them for about a year. I bought the 5T's to match my 5B's but have not ever used them in a 5.1 configuration because I didn't have the space in our last place. Now that we're moving into a home we're newly remodeling and I have a home theater den I can spend a little bit on my setup and it will look like a drop in the bucket compared the the rest of our expenses at the moment

somehow a new tv and speakers don't look that expensive next to new electrical, plumbing, windows, and appliances.

The Aperion 5T's, 5B's, and 5C I have are all a real cherry veneer, I think they're pretty, she thinks they're ugly, she's not a fan of how red they are... so if I pick out some new floorstanding speakers they'd have to pass her approval visually but I could probably stand to spend $800-1500 on new speakers so long as that includes the rears. I've budgeted about $2000 for a new 65" LED tv and another $2000 or so for a Salamander AV cabinet. I can always sell my 5T's if I find something to replace them with to recoup some of the cost.

So.... thoughts on how best to improve my setup? Even if I don't decide to upgrade now it'd be good to have something in mind to aim for.

# ? Feb 15, 2014 05:21

MMD3: May 16, 2006; Montmartre -> Portland

oh, I was also meaning to ask about sound deadening/panels if there's anything that can be done to help a space like this that I could put on the ceiling or the walls behind the couch.

# ? Feb 15, 2014 07:03

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

MMD3 posted:

Oh by all means, please hit me with any suggestions! I'm in the fortunate position that my significant other has actually openly asked me to replace my front speakers with something more aesthetically pleasing, so although I think they sound fine for what they are at the moment I honestly haven't had an opportunity to compare them against many other speakers. This is the first set of floorstandings I've owned and I've only had them for about a year. I bought the 5T's to match my 5B's but have not ever used them in a 5.1 configuration because I didn't have the space in our last place. Now that we're moving into a home we're newly remodeling and I have a home theater den I can spend a little bit on my setup and it will look like a drop in the bucket compared the the rest of our expenses at the moment somehow a new tv and speakers don't look that expensive next to new electrical, plumbing, windows, and appliances.

The Aperion 5T's, 5B's, and 5C I have are all a real cherry veneer, I think they're pretty, she thinks they're ugly, she's not a fan of how red they are... so if I pick out some new floorstanding speakers they'd have to pass her approval visually but I could probably stand to spend $800-1500 on new speakers so long as that includes the rears. I've budgeted about $2000 for a new 65" LED tv and another $2000 or so for a Salamander AV cabinet. I can always sell my 5T's if I find something to replace them with to recoup some of the cost.

So.... thoughts on how best to improve my setup? Even if I don't decide to upgrade now it'd be good to have something in mind to aim for.

Well, I did a ton of research a couple of years ago to replace my old Infinity Interlude bookshelf mains. I need to come clean right off the bat and state that I am a fan of having the mains cover as much of the frequency response range as they can, and I cross my sub over "stupid low" (40hz) compared to most people I'm in contact with or read about. I'm a weird dude in that regard, so keep that in mind. My only argument is my musical background, which I won't go into here.

My focus was a front stage that could go holographic on 2 channel stuff, and could stand on their own without a sub on pretty much anything other than my organ recordings, some orchestral pieces with full sized concert bass drums, and The Social Network and Tron soundtracks. I also wanted bookshelf models to sit on a piece of custom furniture we were having built for our den. After amassing a ton of data, and reading a lot of reviews, discussions, arguments, whatever:

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/

I pulled the trigger on the Sierra 1's, natural bamboo. For the price I have never heard anything like them, and if you splurge and go with the NrT tweet upgrade they are supposedly just unreal on sparse recordings. That is an upgrade you can purchase at any time after the fact, as is the new Sierra 2 with the Raal tweet.

Anyway, I consider these the last speaks I'll prolly ever own unless me or the Mrs comes into some serious superfluous coin suddenly, or she feels like getting me a nice retirement present here in a few decades. They dip down into the 40's in my room without issue, regardless of type of music. Their sound changes considerably depending on what's played through them, which is a misnomer to say. It basically means they get the hell out of the way and just play. And you can crank the poo poo out of them and they take it, never turning harsh. And movies pretty much rule on them.

I've become a total fanboy after owning them for the past year and a half. I'm trying really hard not to go into a full on commercial for them.

Oh, and the bamboo is sexy as hell, and the cabinets are so totally inert. They do not resonate (part of why they image so well).

If you want me to ramble more about them, PM me or something.

# ? Feb 15, 2014 07:25

Teabag Dome Scandal: Mar 19, 2002

Newegg is going to have the SP-FS51-LRs for $100 a pair. Should I grab these or wait for the SP-FS52s to go for 160ish a pair again?

# ? Feb 17, 2014 00:20

Wasabi the J: Jan 23, 2008; MOM WAS RIGHT

I'm looking at buying some new desktop speakers; I'd like something that can fill a room. I was going to get some entry-level Mackies, but they are too sensitive to head position for me to use as all-arounders.

I know next to nothing about bookshelf systems. The idea that I have is a set of speakers that are self-amped to run primarily off the computer, but I'm not completely opposed to having a smaller 2.0 system with a dedicated amp. I'm not big on the idea of having a sub in the bedroom.

Any suggestions for a budget under $350?

# ? Feb 17, 2014 00:54

Thom Yorke raps: Nov 2, 2004

Raymn posted:

Newegg is going to have the SP-FS51-LRs for $100 a pair. Should I grab these or wait for the SP-FS52s to go for 160ish a pair again?

On June 8th I got the FS52s for 108 each. I would wait for that, use camelcamelcamel.
Edit: misread pair as each.

# ? Feb 17, 2014 03:12

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

Wasabi the J posted:

Any suggestions for a budget under $350?

Audioengine A5+?

They're $399, but they sound like exactly what you want. Good bass and room-filling loudness while sounding pretty drat good.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Feb 17, 2014

# ? Feb 17, 2014 04:57

Tactical Lesbian: Mar 31, 2012

Hey guys just a heads up that everybody's favorite inexpensive subwoofer is $80 currently.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002KVQBA/

# ? Feb 17, 2014 08:26

Wasabi the J: Jan 23, 2008; MOM WAS RIGHT

KozmoNaut posted:

Audioengine A5+?

They're $399, but they sound like exactly what you want. Good bass and room-filling loudness while sounding pretty drat good.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll just keep an eye out for deals on a set; have you had personal experience with these?

# ? Feb 17, 2014 10:35

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

Wasabi the J posted:

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll just keep an eye out for deals on a set; have you had personal experience with these?

I've had a set for about a month now

They're easy to set up, and have a very pleasing sound with surprisingly solid bass. They're rather "sweet" speakers, flattering to every kind of music I've played on them, but still a lot more detailed than the Audiovector floorstanders I had before. They can also play quite loud before running into problems, although super bass-heavy material will generate some pretty extreme excursion at high volumes. Which I guess should be expected from a ported bookshelf speaker with a bottom end rolloff around 50hz. The treble is never shrill or annoying in any way, but it's got plenty of presence.

Build quality is very very good, they feel solidly built and have a reassuring amount of weight to them. The remote looks like one of those cheap dome-key Chinese remotes, but it feels better than most. The volume knob has a nice soft click movement.

Currently, I'm planning to move them from my main system into the bedroom, to replace my A2s. However, this is stricly due to buying another set of speakers for my main system. My lastest paycheck was significantly larger than I had expected and a set of Adam A5Xs or A7Xs should fit my desire for a "sharper" treble signature very nicely.

The A5Xs cost twice as much as the A5+s, though, so it's not at all a fair comparison. The A5+s are really really good speakers at their price point and their sound will please just about anyone. I'm just a masochist who wants to hear every little wrinkle and possibly-unpleasant detail in the stuff I listen to, hence the studio monitors.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 11:07 on Feb 17, 2014

# ? Feb 17, 2014 11:01

jonathan: Jul 3, 2005; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

KozmoNaut posted:

The A5Xs cost twice as much as the A5+s, though, so it's not at all a fair comparison. The A5+s are really really good speakers at their price point and their sound will please just about anyone. I'm just a masochist who wants to hear every little wrinkle and possibly-unpleasant detail in the stuff I listen to, hence the studio monitors.

I love revealing detailed speakers as well. I like hearing the raspyness of a horn section, or the distortion from an old recording.

There is nothing quite as pleasing as cranking the volume and listening to Deep Purple - lazy on my Klipsch RF3's.

# ? Feb 17, 2014 12:47

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

jonathan posted:

I love revealing detailed speakers as well. I like hearing the raspyness of a horn section, or the distortion from an old recording.

There is nothing quite as pleasing as cranking the volume and listening to Deep Purple - lazy on my Klipsch RF3's.

That's one of my favorites as well, hammond organ played through a nasty filthy guitar amp is one of the greatest sounds ever recorded.

The distortion is on that track is absolutely perfect.

# ? Feb 17, 2014 13:53

boxen: Feb 20, 2011

If anyone's looking for a decent sub and is tired of waiting for the PSW505 to go on sale again, the Klipsch Sub-12HG Synergy Series 12-Inch is currently $200 on Amazon with free shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Sub-12HG-Synergy-300-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B003VIWK0G

I'll probably pick one up in my slow process of putting together a home theater system, does anyone have any experiences with this sub?

# ? Feb 18, 2014 03:01

Tactical Lesbian: Mar 31, 2012

boxen posted:

If anyone's looking for a decent sub and is tired of waiting for the PSW505 to go on sale again, the Klipsch Sub-12HG Synergy Series 12-Inch is currently $200 on Amazon with free shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Sub-12HG-Synergy-300-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B003VIWK0G

I'll probably pick one up in my slow process of putting together a home theater system, does anyone have any experiences with this sub?

I'm really considering nabbing that as my second subwoofer but I suspect my significant other just ordered one for my birthday.. he's not very good at being sneaky.

Does anyone have the MartinLogan MLT-2s? I keep getting this buzz in my front right speaker. It's the one nearest the subwoofer, is this EM interference? The cables are unshielded, but the buzz occurs even when the subwoofer is powered off.

edit: the buzz only occurs with certain frequencies around ~400hz that I can detect

Tactical Lesbian fucked around with this message at 02:26 on Feb 19, 2014

# ? Feb 18, 2014 07:39

jonathan: Jul 3, 2005; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

boxen posted:

If anyone's looking for a decent sub and is tired of waiting for the PSW505 to go on sale again, the Klipsch Sub-12HG Synergy Series 12-Inch is currently $200 on Amazon with free shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Sub-12HG-Synergy-300-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B003VIWK0G

I'll probably pick one up in my slow process of putting together a home theater system, does anyone have any experiences with this sub?

Yeah. Its slightly better than. The 505. On paper anyways.

A single one was more capable than I needed in my open concept condo. I had concrete floors and walls etc.

# ? Feb 19, 2014 01:12

Wasabi the J: Jan 23, 2008; MOM WAS RIGHT

Tactical Lesbian posted:

I'm really considering nabbing that as my second subwoofer but I suspect my significant other just ordered one for my birthday.. he's not very good at being sneaky.

Does anyone have the MartinLogan MLT-2s? I keep getting this buzz in my front right speaker. It's the one nearest the subwoofer, is this EM interference? The cables are unshielded, but the buzz occurs even when the subwoofer is powered off.

edit: the buzz only occurs with certain frequencies around ~400hz that I can detect

Try disconnecting everything from the amp and try other speakers on that channel only; if it persists, there's a problem with the amp -- factory reset it and see if the problem persists. If it does, you'll need to see about getting the amp replaced.

If the buzz goes away while trying other speakers, try that one speaker in another channel -- if you still hear something wrong, try a different cable away from your other components. If the problem still persists, the speaker could be broken.

# ? Feb 19, 2014 04:15

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

Tactical Lesbian posted:

I'm really considering nabbing that as my second subwoofer but I suspect my significant other just ordered one for my birthday.. he's not very good at being sneaky.

Does anyone have the MartinLogan MLT-2s? I keep getting this buzz in my front right speaker. It's the one nearest the subwoofer, is this EM interference? The cables are unshielded, but the buzz occurs even when the subwoofer is powered off.

edit: the buzz only occurs with certain frequencies around ~400hz that I can detect

If the buzz only happens when a certain frequency passband is being pushed through it, then it is possible that you are experiencing a sympathetic vibration in the physical chassis of the speaker. If you have tracks or signals you can play through it to generate the buzz, then I would suggest you play those and then feel around the speaker, the edges, the panels, the covers, etc...

If you have something sitting on top of said speaker, any air gaps between that item and the speaker have the potential to also exhibit sympathetic resonances at frequencies that match up to that air volume and space gap. I have that issue with some 250hz material on my studio monitors at work because of a carved stone turtle I keep on top of my right speaker. I eventually got annoyed with it enough that I put a bit of paper towel under it.

Anyway, if you are experiencing a resonance, you may be able to fix it yourself. It could be the positioning of the grill, a loose speaker mount, etc... easy to check. What would suck is if it's sourcing from a wire vibrating internally at that frequency. Dismantling said speaker and futzing with it is the only solution there.

# ? Feb 19, 2014 06:14

Thermite: Aug 16, 2006; Huzzah!

I've been thinking about upgrading my from my current home theater in a box set up. Been reading this thread for a few weeks now and have cobbled a list together, but I want some second opinions from more informed people. At the moment, I'm looking to get a 2.1 setup and then filling that out to 5.1 eventually. I already snagged a Polk Audio PSW10 (http://amzn.com/B0002KVQBA) when it was on sale at amazon earlier this week. Now, I'm just getting eager to buy all the other parts so I can start setting up. This would be used mostly for watching bluray/streaming services with some gaming in there too. I've also got a decent record collection I listen to pretty frequently. All of this would sit in a smallish front room (approx 14'x12') with an area rug over hardwood flooring. Budget-wise, I've got 800-1000 bucks to play with, but I'm fine with spending less if I can get away with it.

In terms of receivers, I've really focused on the Marantz NR1403 slim line (http://amzn.com/B0081N916M. I initially looked at onkyo, but I've heard bad things about their hdmi boards crapping out easily. The size of the nr1403 is a plus because I'm not sure how well a boxy receiver would fit in my entertainment unit. I'd like at least 5 hdmi inputs for future expansion and having one on the front of the receiver will definitely come in handy. Network features or streaming services on the receiver don't interest me. I'll probably end up getting an apple tv sooner or later, and I've already got a 360 for netflix/amazon prime.

Everyone in the thread seems to love the Pioneer SP BS22 LR speakers (http://amzn.com/B008NCD2LG. They look like they'd be a good fit for my needs. I don't have the space for floor standing speakers.

Please, feel free to suggest alternatives. I'm still trying to figure out how all this works.

# ? Feb 19, 2014 17:29

Wasabi the J: Jan 23, 2008; MOM WAS RIGHT

Alleric posted:

If the buzz only happens when a certain frequency passband is being pushed through it, then it is possible that you are experiencing a sympathetic vibration in the physical chassis of the speaker. If you have tracks or signals you can play through it to generate the buzz, then I would suggest you play those and then feel around the speaker, the edges, the panels, the covers, etc...

Oh wow, I didn't even consider this; this is more likely.

# ? Feb 19, 2014 17:58

Tactical Lesbian: Mar 31, 2012

Well, nothing is touching the speaker, and I put rubber feet on them. I'll try later tonight to see if I can hold the chassis and dampen it somewhat. Or wrap it in dynamat.

# ? Feb 19, 2014 21:44

Wasabi the J: Jan 23, 2008; MOM WAS RIGHT

Tactical Lesbian posted:

Well, nothing is touching the speaker, and I put rubber feet on them. I'll try later tonight to see if I can hold the chassis and dampen it somewhat. Or wrap it in dynamat.

I mean that the actual speaker could be rattling against itself; the box and cone could be separating.

# ? Feb 20, 2014 10:30

Thoom: Jan 12, 2004; LUIGI SMASH!

Is there such a thing as a receiver that can output to bluetooth (or otherwise wireless) headphones?

I'm preparing to put together a 5.1 setup, but I'd like to be considerate of my housemates and have the option to route my audio to something discreet that won't bother people at night/meal time.

# ? Feb 20, 2014 23:17

Wasabi the J: Jan 23, 2008; MOM WAS RIGHT

Thoom posted:

Is there such a thing as a receiver that can output to bluetooth (or otherwise wireless) headphones?

I'm preparing to put together a 5.1 setup, but I'd like to be considerate of my housemates and have the option to route my audio to something discreet that won't bother people at night/meal time.

Get one of these and put it to one of your pre-outs.

If you can't find something with un-amped outputs, plug it into your headphone jack.

# ? Feb 20, 2014 23:44

Thoom: Jan 12, 2004; LUIGI SMASH!

Looks like that model in particular is unsuitable for TV/games due to lag, but I hadn't considered a transmitter external to the receiver, so thanks for putting me on the right track!

# ? Feb 21, 2014 00:45

MMD3: May 16, 2006; Montmartre -> Portland

Do you guys have any opinions on "good enough" speaker wire for running in the walls?

I really don't subscribe to the audiophile nonsense but I want to ensure I'm putting something in the walls that won't have any interference issues and will do a good job with whatever in-ceiling rear speakers I end up going with.

# ? Feb 21, 2014 01:27

jonathan: Jul 3, 2005; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

MMD3 posted:

Do you guys have any opinions on "good enough" speaker wire for running in the walls?

I really don't subscribe to the audiophile nonsense but I want to ensure I'm putting something in the walls that won't have any interference issues and will do a good job with whatever in-ceiling rear speakers I end up going with.

monoprice 14ga in wall speaker wire. The jacket is made of plastic like lumex.

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?ab...ww.google.ca%2F

Runs routed through studs take a lot of distance, So ensure you order more than you need.

# ? Feb 21, 2014 02:12

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

I just got my Adam A5Xs and have been listening to all my favorite music through them for a couple of hours. They really are a big step up from the Audioengines, which are still drat good speakers, but the Adams are definitely better.

Of course, an increase in sound quality should be a given considering the additional ~$180 the Adams cost. The Audioengines had a bit of honkiness (due to a mid-bass hump) that is much-reduced with the Adams. I know it's really an issue with my room, but the flatter response really helps to minimize it.

The bass is super tight and there's definitely more of it than I expected. They only really give up on bass-heavy electronic stuff, and they still manage to cover a surprising amount of it and I haven't gotten them to break up yet.

But coming back to this quote:

KozmoNaut posted:

That's one of my favorites as well, hammond organ played through a nasty filthy guitar amp is one of the greatest sounds ever recorded.

The distortion is on that track is absolutely perfect.

I own the 25th anniversary edition of Machine Head, which is one of my favorite albums ever. I've heard "Lazy" more times than I can remember, but I have never heard the slight clicks and pops in the right channel during the organ intro before, or at least I've never noticed them before. I double checked with my good headphones at higher-than-normal volume because I was worried it might be the speakers, but no, it's definitely there in the recording, and it's definitely not there in the 1997 remix from CD2.

Same thing with stuff like Dexter Holland's voice distorting in "Killboy Powerhead" by The Offspring. Never noticed it before, now I definitely notice it.

I'm beginning to veer into slightly woo-woo terminology, but it really sounds like everything has more "texture" to it, especially the upper-mids and treble. That accordion tweeter is a work of genius.

Adam A5X. So highly recommended.

(Now I just have to figure out how to integrate a set into my car)

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 19:28 on Feb 21, 2014

# ? Feb 21, 2014 17:50

The Midniter: Jul 9, 2001

I posted earlier about looking for an entry-level 3.1 setup for my apartment. Didn't get any responses or suggestions so I'd like to ask again, but reading further through this thread I do have a concern...I do play a fair amount of video games on my Xbox 360 (component only) and Xbox One (HDMI). Would the output from the Xboxes go to the receiver, which would then output to my TV? I'm sure there's some sort of lag if the signal is being routed to the receiver before hitting the TV, but is it appreciable? I'm not one of those fighting game frame-perfect freaks or a serious twitch gamer or anything, but I wouldn't want a serious lag like I've heard about with some TVs in the past.

# ? Feb 21, 2014 21:46

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

I would just route the sound from both Xboxes to the TV, and then from the TV to the receiver.

That way, you won't have any audio/video out-of-sync issues. You might get lag, but at least everything will be lagged the same amount because the TV knows how to compensate. I've never heard of any amp that delays audio without being specifically configured to do so, but most TVs delay audio slightly to match the video processing delay.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Feb 21, 2014

# ? Feb 21, 2014 21:55

Yeast: Dec 25, 2006; $1900 Grande Latte

Hey guys. I'm looking at getting some B&W speakers, and I was taking a look at the site, anyone know what amp / receiver is in these images?

Only registered members can see post attachments!

Yeast fucked around with this message at 09:33 on Feb 22, 2014

# ? Feb 22, 2014 09:23

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

That's definitely a Rotel RA-1570 amp and a Rotel RCD-1570 CD player :spergin:

Rotel makes nice gear, on par with NAD and Cambridge, you can't really go wrong with either of them.

# ? Feb 22, 2014 10:01

Yeast: Dec 25, 2006; $1900 Grande Latte

Oh that's great, thanks!

# ? Feb 22, 2014 10:13

Chili: Jan 23, 2004; college kids ain't shit; Fun Shoe

Alright, I'm trying really hard to work out what I'm going to be looking for here. My layout may present a bit of a challenge.

Basically my living room stops about halfway through the space of the floor.

I'm looking to do something 5.1 bit I don't know how far away I'm going to want to put my rear speakers. I can either put them far away, against the back wall, or flush with the back of the couch.

My gut is saying the back wall is probably a good idea, it'll be more aesthetically pleasing and I feel like putting some distance between the rear speakers and the seats will work pretty well. I'm asking now instead of trying it out because I'm thinking different types might work in different places, but I really don't know much about that. I basically don't want to make any flubs on purchasing when I get around to it.

Add to that, the fact that I'm not quite sure where to start. I've looked at the OP and some of the recent pages and I'm not seeing much as far as recent standards and what people have been liking.

My budget is around a 1k, but if I can get a really solid system for an extra 500, I'd consider saving for a bit and waiting till I can make that work.

That being the case, are there some really solid "staple" pieces in my budget that I should start with?

I went to the Bose store in the mall and the guy gave me a demonstration of their home system, while it sounded nice it was 3,500 dollars after all was said and done, and after only a quick look at this thread, that seems to be a little ridiculous.

Edit; I should add that movie watching is the priority.

Chili fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Feb 23, 2014

# ? Feb 23, 2014 03:55

KillHour: Oct 28, 2007

Chili posted:

Alright, I'm trying really hard to work out what I'm going to be looking for here. My layout may present a bit of a challenge.

Basically my living room stops about halfway through the space of the floor.

I'm looking to do something 5.1 bit I don't know how far away I'm going to want to put my rear speakers. I can either put them far away, against the back wall, or flush with the back of the couch.

My gut is saying the back wall is probably a good idea, it'll be more aesthetically pleasing and I feel like putting some distance between the rear speakers and the seats will work pretty well. I'm asking now instead of trying it out because I'm thinking different types might work in different places, but I really don't know much about that. I basically don't want to make any flubs on purchasing when I get around to it.

Add to that, the fact that I'm not quite sure where to start. I've looked at the OP and some of the recent pages and I'm not seeing much as far as recent standards and what people have been liking.

My budget is around a 1k, but if I can get a really solid system for an extra 500, I'd consider saving for a bit and waiting till I can make that work.

That being the case, are there some really solid "staple" pieces in my budget that I should start with?

I went to the Bose store in the mall and the guy gave me a demonstration of their home system, while it sounded nice it was 3,500 dollars after all was said and done, and after only a quick look at this thread, that seems to be a little ridiculous.

Edit; I should add that movie watching is the priority.

This is the ideal layout:

Flush with the couch, or just a little behind it would be best.

Here's what I would do if I had $1000 and was primarily watching movies:

Front - http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-FS52-LR-Designed-standing-Loudspeaker/dp/B008NCD2S4 (x2)
Center - http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C22-Designed-Channel-Speaker/dp/B008NCD2EI
Rear - http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG
Subwoofer - http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-12-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B000092TT0
Receiver - http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR313-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B0077V8930/

That would put you at almost exactly $900, leaving you $100 for speaker wire and anything else you might need.

If I had another $500 to play with, I'd either search the used market for an Onkyo TX-NR709 if I could find one, or get one of these if I couldn't:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR626-7-2-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B00BLGUKDE

And then I'd add a second PSW505 sub.

Edit:

To be honest, if you can really only afford $1000 right now you should probably get the better receiver now and wait on the rear speakers and second sub until you can afford them.

KillHour fucked around with this message at 05:54 on Feb 23, 2014

# ? Feb 23, 2014 05:46

Chili: Jan 23, 2004; college kids ain't shit; Fun Shoe

KillHour posted:

This is the ideal layout:

Flush with the couch, or just a little behind it would be best.

Here's what I would do if I had $1000 and was primarily watching movies:

Front - http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-FS52-LR-Designed-standing-Loudspeaker/dp/B008NCD2S4 (x2)
Center - http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C22-Designed-Channel-Speaker/dp/B008NCD2EI
Rear - http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG
Subwoofer - http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-12-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B000092TT0
Receiver - http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR313-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B0077V8930/

That would put you at almost exactly $900, leaving you $100 for speaker wire and anything else you might need.

If I had another $500 to play with, I'd either search the used market for an Onkyo TX-NR709 if I could find one, or get one of these if I couldn't:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR626-7-2-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B00BLGUKDE

And then I'd add a second PSW505 sub.

Edit:

To be honest, if you can really only afford $1000 right now you should probably get the better receiver now and wait on the rear speakers and second sub until you can afford them.

Wow, thank you for all of the advice! I'm going to assume that 1500 is my final budget. I'm likely not going to be installing all of this until a month or two anyhow. That being the case, everything still stands with your recommendations?

I see that the better received is 7.1 which isn't really what I'm looking for. I'm not thinking of getting more speakers than just the 5.

Chili fucked around with this message at 07:13 on Feb 23, 2014

# ? Feb 23, 2014 07:08

KillHour: Oct 28, 2007

Chili posted:

Wow, thank you for all of the advice! I'm going to assume that 1500 is my final budget. I'm likely not going to be installing all of this until a month or two anyhow. That being the case, everything still stands with your recommendations?

I see that the better received is 7.1 which isn't really what I'm looking for. I'm not thinking of getting more speakers than just the 5.

The reason you want to go with the better receiver is Audessey MultiEQ, which allows the receiver to analyze your room's acoustic response and automatically adjusts the audio to compensate. The 709 is better if you can find it, since it has MultiEQ XT, while the 626 only has regular MultiEQ.

Further reading:

http://www.audyssey.com/technologies/multeq/flavors
http://www.avsforum.com/t/795421/official-audyssey-thread-faq-in-post-51779#post_21782993
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-NkI4rLr2frz/learn/reviews/20051129/audyssey.html

Along those same lines, the reason you would want two subwoofers is to avoid "nulls" in the room's response. Having a single subwoofer would lead to certain areas in the room having louder bass than others. Having two helps smooth that out.

KillHour fucked around with this message at 07:39 on Feb 23, 2014

# ? Feb 23, 2014 07:37

jonathan: Jul 3, 2005; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

To add, a lot of people think surround speakers are "rear" speakers. They aren't. Surround speakers are meant to be beside you.

Rear speakers go behind you, with is what the two additional speakers in a 7 speaker setup go. While 7.1 is nice, it doesn't make a huge difference. Almost all theaters use a "5.1" setup.

FYI I have an 11.2 channel receiver and only use 5.2 channels. The receiver is smart enough to know if im using all channels or not.

# ? Feb 23, 2014 09:06

Bonobos: Jan 26, 2004

So I'm one of the lucky few to own a few speakers from AV123, a pair of ROCKET 450s and Bigfoot center. I bought these with my awesome-for-2008 denon receiver, right before the owner went to jail.

I'm rocking this weird 3.0 setup and would like to get a timbre matched subwoofer and rear surrounds. What are my best options?

I apologize in advance if this is the wrong forum for this?

# ? Feb 25, 2014 02:59

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# ? Jun 1, 2024 04:27

jonathan: Jul 3, 2005; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

Bonobos posted:

So I'm one of the lucky few to own a few speakers from AV123, a pair of ROCKET 450s and Bigfoot center. I bought these with my awesome-for-2008 denon receiver, right before the owner went to jail.

I'm rocking this weird 3.0 setup and would like to get a timbre matched subwoofer and rear surrounds. What are my best options?

I apologize in advance if this is the wrong forum for this?

Correct forum thread although quick audio questions thread works also.

Subwoofers are not timbre matched. Timbre matching refers to a matching frequency response between speakers. Subwoofers dont play the same frequencies as normal speakers, they pick up the low end where normal speakers drop off.

# ? Feb 25, 2014 05:16

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