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I have a bit of a complicated audio/video setup at my desk, and I'm wondering if a receiver might be the sort of thing I should invest in to simplify things. Here's a shoddily drawn MS Paint rendition of how it looks at the moment.  What I do for audio right now: PC a) Plug studio monitors into headphone amp through LINE OUT port on the back (3.5mm). Audio levels easily modified through Windows or the volume knob on the front. b) Plug headphones into the headphone jack on the front of the headphone amp. Audio levels easily modified through Windows or the volume knob on the front. Consoles a) Plug HDMI cable from splitter into the back of the 27" monitor, after unplugged PC HDMI cable. Plug 3.5mm audio cable from speakers into the back of the monitor. Have to change audio levels by manually going through the monitor's settings. Absolutely tedious. b) Plug headphones straight into the back of the monitor. Have to change audio levels by manually going through the monitor's settings. Absolutely tedious.
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May 5, 2014 11:56
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Do you use that second monitor for gaming or other time-sensitive tasks? If not, you could: - get a receiver - connect all consoles and PC display #1 to receiver, PC display #2 directory to monitor - speakers and headphones to receiver There may be a small time delay between monitors 1 and 2 if one goes through receiver. As long as you don't play games on both monitors at the same time it shouldn't be a big deal (although it may still be annoying if you drag stuff a lot between displays). Note that your receiver needs to either have pre-outs for speakers if they're active or you need a new pair of passive speakers.
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May 5, 2014 12:40
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Hob_Gadling posted:Do you use that second monitor for gaming or other time-sensitive tasks? The second monitor is predominantly used for things like having Netflix open while gaming on the main (27") screen, so no worries when it comes to a small amount of delay! My speakers are M-Audio BX5as, which I believe are active - so I wouldn't need to worry about them in that case?
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May 5, 2014 12:50
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Doctor Albatross posted:My speakers are M-Audio BX5as, which I believe are active - so I wouldn't need to worry about them in that case? You would, because you can't connect active speakers to a receiver without pre-outs. Either get a receiver with line level pre-outs or a pair of passive bookshelf speakers. It's probably a better idea to get new speakers as it's likely much cheaper.
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May 5, 2014 13:57
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No need to overcomplicate things. http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=5557&seq=1&format=2 1: Plug your PC and 3 consoles into switch via HDMI 2: Set your PC to output audio via HDMI (Stereo 24 bit 48khz) 3: Connect splitter's stereo output to input of headphone amp 4: Keep everything else the same 5: Enjoy
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May 5, 2014 14:12
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jonathan posted:As long as they have enough hdmi and other connections you should be fine and happy, however, for $300 you can get a hell of a lot more out of a receiver than those if you're interested in refurb units. EDIT: never mind, I found my answer. whatupdet fucked around with this message at 17:21 on May 6, 2014 |
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May 6, 2014 17:12
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What sofa is that? It looks really cool.
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May 6, 2014 18:21
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I'm going to be buying in the near future a sound system for my nice big new TV. I have a pretty small apartment living room and do not want to mount surround speakers or run cables, nor do I care that much about surround or fidelity. I had never heard of soundbars before the other day, and they look like the perfect option for me so I was hoping for some opinions. These are right in my price range: http://www.ncix.com/detail/samsung-hw-f450-zc-2-1-bluetooth-home-11-80272-1374.htm http://www.ncix.com/detail/sony-htct260h-300w-2-1-channel-bc-90027-1546.htm http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290192 This one is more, but looks higher end: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290219 As for a receiver, I've had Pioneer in the past so was looking at this one: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117408 I'm in Canada so a lot of American sites and deals don't apply to me.
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May 6, 2014 20:09
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teagone posted:Glad I waited. Pioneer Andrew Jones Center channel is $50 on Amazon right now. http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C22-Designed-Channel-Speaker/dp/B008NCD2EI Can't believe I missed the bookshelf speakers, CamelCamelCamel didn't send me a notification for some drat reason. I did pick up the center though. I had a price watch at $75. $50 though? Sure, why not.
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May 7, 2014 02:03
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GOONS ARE MEAN
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sighnoceros posted:Can't believe I missed the bookshelf speakers, CamelCamelCamel didn't send me a notification for some drat reason. I did pick up the center though. I had a price watch at $75. $50 though? Sure, why not. You following the camel concierge on twitter? I was notified about the price drop (had it set at $60) before the poo poo even hit slickdeals.
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May 7, 2014 07:05
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I don't really use twitter so no, I just have a pricewatch set up on their site with email notification.
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May 7, 2014 14:02
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sighnoceros posted:I don't really use twitter so no, I just have a pricewatch set up on their site with email notification. Ahh. Yeah, I found the email notification to be finicky. Haven't had an issue with twitter messages telling me stuff I have on watch had a price drop. [edit] Is setting the mode to DTS Neo 6 or Dolby Pro Logic II dependent on the media source? Like, say I want to watch an MKV video that has a DTS 5.1 track on my 3.1 setup... would I use the DTS Neo 6 momde over PLII? And if the audio in another MKV file is AC3, would I use PLII in that case? Or does that not really matter and it's all just preference? Also, when would I use the MCH Stereo setting? Nevermind, realized I wasn't getting proper audio output because I had my boxes set to stereo still. Set my Roku box and Uverse receiver to surround and I can direct play an MKV DTS audio track just fine and cable tv at dolby digital. Yay. teagone fucked around with this message at 14:09 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 05:58
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I'm struggling to make a decision on which receiver to buy and I need your help. I was here a few days ago with different receivers but after doing more research on CNET and other tech sites I *think* I've narrowed my choices down to the following: $450 Denon E400 locally $400 Onkyo TX-NR525 online $450-500 Pioneer VSX-1028/1128-K locally None of those have wireless or Bluetooth but the Onkyo can sell a cheap USB wireless/Bluetooth dongle. My question is do I need wireless or Bluetooth? I was originally leaning towards the Denon as reviews were good with the only complaint about the price (at the time $600) not justifying the lack of wireless and Bluetooth; now I've slightly shifted to the Onkyo because of 1)USB dongle and 2)banana plugs. I'm moving into my friends house, we both have iPhone's and he has AppleTV. Can we use our phones to stream to AppleTV to the receiver and out my speakers thereby eliminating the need for Bluetooth and wireless? We're only going to have 1 set of speakers hooked up so I don't require Zone B, other devices being hooked up to the receiver are computer (HDMI), blu-ray player (HDMI), PS3 (HDMI), FibreOP cable (not sure if it's component or HDMI) and possibly a PS2 (component). Finally, what is it called when you hook up a component cable to a receiver and have the video go through the receiver's HDMI out vs component out?
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May 8, 2014 16:37
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Finally got the Aeriel 10t setup running (god drat those fuckers were heavy) and it's pretty clear I need to get an external dac to avoid the motherboard onboard sound. It's just going to sit behind the TV so it doesn't need to be pretty, any advice on the best price/performance option, preferably under $100? If it's truly warranted I would be willing to get an oDac or schiit modi, but if I can pay half that for something with nearly the same performance I'm all ears. After some research I found the HiFimeDIY Sabre which looks to fit the bill, anyone have thoughts on it? http://hifimediy.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=83 Full Circle fucked around with this message at 00:20 on May 9, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 23:36
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If all you need is a stereo DAC with optical/coax input and no 5.1 processing, get a FiiO D3, it's less than $30 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/D03K-Digital-Analog-Audio-Converter/dp/B009346RSS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1399620798&sr=8-2&keywords=fiio+d3
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May 9, 2014 08:33
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Would it be a dumb idea to use floor standing speakers as rears/surrounds?
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May 10, 2014 18:25
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teagone posted:Would it be a dumb idea to use floor standing speakers as rears/surrounds? They're more expensive and take up more space than more commonly used bookshelf speakers. Other than that, no. Sound quality isn't a huge issue with surrounds as they only get 10% of the total soundtrack.
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May 10, 2014 18:29
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Hob_Gadling posted:They're more expensive and take up more space than more commonly used bookshelf speakers. Other than that, no. Sound quality isn't a huge issue with surrounds as they only get 10% of the total soundtrack. Ok. The reason I ask is I don't really have a place to mount bookshelf speakers, and the cost of bookshelf speakers + stands looks like it'd be about the same for floorstanding speakers... talking about the pioneer andrew jones ones when they're on sale.
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May 11, 2014 02:04
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Does anyone have any feedback on the Klipsch Icon series that is sold at Best Buy? I generally love Klipsch products, but I can't really find much on the Icons because they are a Best Buy exclusive. I was looking at getting KF-28 (2x), a KC-25, KS-14 (2x) and an SW-350 for my new house.
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May 11, 2014 04:55
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I have the bookshelf icons. I got them cheap on eBay (new) and I am very happy with them as fronts. I have them paired with a jamo 10" sub so no real shortage of low end for me.
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May 11, 2014 05:04
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Petite Dinklage posted:Does anyone have any feedback on the Klipsch Icon series that is sold at Best Buy? I generally love Klipsch products, but I can't really find much on the Icons because they are a Best Buy exclusive. I was looking at getting KF-28 (2x), a KC-25, KS-14 (2x) and an SW-350 for my new house. http://www.audioholics.com/tower-speaker-reviews/klipsch-kf-28-fl They're generally positively reviewed, but on various forums, the opinions vary from ok to you can do better for the money.
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May 11, 2014 05:04
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Wasabi the J posted:http://www.audioholics.com/tower-speaker-reviews/klipsch-kf-28-fl I'm getting the KF-28's at $180 a piece, the KC-25 at $100, the SW-350 at $140 and the KS-14's at $112 for the pair, so I think it would be hard to match that price. I'll pick up the receiver at a later date, but the price on the Klipsch speakers is a little time sensitive. The dearth of reviews outside of the Bestbuy.com website made me a little skeptical, but everyone there seems to love them.
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May 11, 2014 05:21
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Petite Dinklage posted:I'm getting the KF-28's at $180 a piece, the KC-25 at $100, the SW-350 at $140 and the KS-14's at $112 for the pair, so I think it would be hard to match that price. I'll pick up the receiver at a later date, but the price on the Klipsch speakers is a little time sensitive. There's a really in-depth review on a Czech website that even did some measurements on them. I don't speak Czech, but Google does: quote:EXAMPLES I would say at that price you're looking at a good deal; performance-to-dollars is always a good metric to choose by, in my experience.
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May 11, 2014 05:29
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I just got a pair of Siefert Research speakers from my parents. Doing a bit of research on the Internet, I'm guessing they are these: http://www.stereophile.com/content/siefert-maxim-iii-loudspeaker but I'm not sure. I have two questions - I have a 3.1 setup in my living room with Pioneer SF52s, CS22, and Polk 505 SW running off an Onkyo 616, and I want a 2.0 setup in my room upstairs. First question is, should I use the Sieferts downstairs and the SF52s in the other room, since the SF52s have more bass, and I don't have a sub upstairs? Second question is how to hook everything up. Right now I have the upstairs speakers plugged into the front high ports, and the Onkyo set to 7.1, but that is obviously not a great solution. I'd like to use the Zone2 functionality but my only source is HDMI, so I assume that is out. Any ideas? It is looking like my best solution might be an audio switch, but that'll be inconvenient.
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May 12, 2014 13:41
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This may be out of the depth of this thread but I need a reality check. I have an Onkyo 717 paired with some Polk Monitor 5s, a Polk center channel speaker and satellites, and a 505. I'm moving from an apartment to a house and will be at the next place for a while. The new place has one big living room + dining room + kitchen "great room". I realized that these days I don't really care that much about surround sound and listen to a lot of music on vinyl. I'm thinking about selling all the Polk stuff (minus the sub) and picking up an expensive pair of speakers - PSB T6s or maybe Zu audio omens. Would it be a waste to not scrap the Onkyo for an integrated amplifier? Or will nicer speakers run perfectly well off the Onkyo for a while? Is this whole plan insane? I just want a really nice sounding way to listen to music and 2.1 or 3.1 movies in this room. I realize I will want to audition speakers that cost that much but am in the early stages of this thought process.
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May 13, 2014 07:05
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SteveMcQueen posted:This may be out of the depth of this thread but I need a reality check. Changing the room will make more difference than speakers.
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May 13, 2014 22:40
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jonathan posted:Changing the room will make more difference than speakers. Ok, thanks. So it sounds like I should get everything set up, test it, and then decide if new speakers, an integrated amp, or a receiver with a better version of audyssey eq would help the most? Basically these speaker have just sounded lifeless since I got them 4 years ago. SteveMcQueen fucked around with this message at 05:37 on May 14, 2014 |
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May 14, 2014 05:30
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I'm being charged with updating my boss' home theater system so that she can use an apple TV - her existing setup pre-dates HDMI so it all has to be updated except for the speakers. The problem is it's all higher end gear than I normally mess with. She has an old Yamaha pre-amp/processor and a Yamaha amplifier, hooked up to some really nice B&W speakers. Sorry I don't know any of the model numbers off hand. My question is, do I need to get a new pre-amp and use the existing amp, or can I just get an integrated receiver? Could there be any reason these speakers MUST be driven by an external amp or would a regular one do just fine? She is not an audiophile or technophile, just wants it to work.
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May 14, 2014 19:54
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What's her budget? You could do a new pre/pro using Yamaha but it would be 6 grand. You should be able to look up the specs of the speakers online but most high-end [say $1-2kish] receivers should have amps good enough for those speakers [any idea of the model number?]. B&Ws are known for being fairly power-needy. Sony ES, Yamaha Aventage, X-series Denon, Pioneer Elite, Marantz SR or Interga [Onkyo's high-end label] would be good starting points. Also make sure she likes the remote since the Apple TV doesn't support HDMI-CEC so there will be manual input switching.
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May 14, 2014 20:20
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It's hard to say what's the smart choice here without knowing what she has, wants and why she has a system like that. Not to mention the budget. More info, please! You probably don't need to change the power amp unless you know there is something wrong with it. Just replacing the pre-amp with something that has enough inputs should be enough. I'd stick with Yamaha if she has liked it. If money is not an objection then go for the best: http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-CX-A50...yamaha+aventage Oh, and do try to get equipment that has some return time in case she doesn't like it for one reason or another.
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May 14, 2014 20:43
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So the pre/pro have to be a matching pair? I was hoping it was just connected by a series of line-level inputs and I could use any preamp :/ I can't easily get the model numbers, it's an hour away by car and I'm trying to do this without making two trips. The speakers aren't large, though. It looks like 4 bookshelf speakers with 6" woofers, a center, and sub (I haven't seen the sub). The center looks a lot like this, from memory:  There's a best buy near her, so ideally I could just pick up whatever the nicest receiver they have is and it would work. I'm sure they don't have any pre/pro type gear there. I guess I could just hit the house first, google the speaker model and find out the power requirements and hopefully bb will have something that will work. Remote is a non-issue, she has a harmony ultimate. There's no set budget, but she's not going to want to drop 6k on just the audio when she's not even an audiophile (she needs a new TV as well). edit: I didn't see your response above until after I posted this. So they don't have to match, good to know.. I'm worried about the sub now, since it might not have an internal amp, so I think just getting a new pre is the safest bet. CheddarGoblin fucked around with this message at 21:02 on May 14, 2014 |
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May 14, 2014 20:50
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Hob, to answer your question, the reason she has the current system is that she is the ex-wife of my other boss, a well known film director, who had this installed when he lived at the house. She hadn't even touched it for two years until recently, because she couldn't figure out how to work it. It had some ancient Crestron universal remote thing, which consisted of a giant ipad-sized remote screen running windows CE and driven by a stylus. I wish I was kidding. Anyway I recently ripped out the old crestron stuff and got her the harmony, so they can actually use it now, but now she wants apple TV and a new blu-ray player etc. She couldn't care less about watts of power.
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May 14, 2014 20:55
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the nicker posted:So the pre/pro have to be a matching pair? It doesn't but it is a safe bet in a situation where you don't know anything about what you're matching it with. the nicker posted:She couldn't care less about watts of power. Get her one of these: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/denon-i...x3000&cp=1&lp=1 and she'll be happy enough. You can replace both pre- and power amps with that. If, for whatever reason, you think it's a good idea to keep the power amp get Denon X4000 instead and use that as a pre-amp. X3000 is easily powerful enough for the purpose, though.
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May 14, 2014 21:08
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Hob_Gadling posted:Get her one of these: Cool, thank you. I think this is what I'll do once I confirm that sub is powered.
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May 14, 2014 21:25
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I forgot I had an old pair of JVC SP-D4 bookshelf speakers. Could I just run them off of this lepai amp (http://www.amazon.com/LP-2020A-Lepai-Tripath-Class-T-Amplifier/dp/B0049P6OTI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400210890&sr=8-1&keywords=lepai) and hook them up to a TV? Is that amp any good, or should I be looking at something else?
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May 16, 2014 04:31
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I use a Lepai for my computer speakers, and have no complaints about sound quality. That being said, I am less than three feet away from fairly efficient bookshelf speakers, I only have one input source to deal with, and the amp is within easy arm's reach for volume adjustment and powering on or off. For a TV, I think it would be a pain in the rear end.
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May 16, 2014 05:06
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On the flipside I have a Lepai running a pair of speakers in the kitchen from a HTPC and the thing's slowly killing itself, it pops when it comes on and the mains hum through the speakers is getting slowly louder. They can be hit and miss.
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May 16, 2014 09:56
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Good point about the volume knob not being within arms reach. I guess I figured I'd be able to control volume with the TV remote somehow for whatever reason. That said, is there a decent alternative to a Lepai that have better reliability? I might just end up using the JVCs as my desktop speakers since I've been using headphones for the longest time.
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May 16, 2014 14:32
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I've heard good things about Topping. The only one I can find with a remote has a built-in DAC that you don't need, though (adds to cost). http://www.amazon.com/Topping-Class-Digital-Remote-15WPC/dp/B0073GLD2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400253780&sr=8-1&keywords=t+amp+with+remote If you don't need a remote, this one should be fine: http://www.amazon.com/TOPPING-TP10M...ds=topping+tp10
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May 16, 2014 16:30
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Indeed seem very similar and the one I have (this one) http://www.amazon.com/INDEED-TRIPATH-TA2021S-STEREO-ADAPTER/dp/B00B4X0OIA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400256813&sr=8-1&keywords=indeed+amp Seems well made and better constructed than the Lepai. Importantly, the default PSU with Lepai isn't powerful enough to do the job. This one has a proper laptop-style 5A PSU.
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May 16, 2014 17:16
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