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Ok Comboomer posted:You sure it’s not like a grounding issue? When I plugged it in again a couple days ago, I did switch sub outputs on my receiver (it's a 25 yo Sony but gets the job done and has 2 sub outs) and changed terminals on the audio cable I was using. I'm using RCA cables, so it goes receiver -> red terminal of RCA cable -> female/female extension couple -> red terminal of another RCA cable -> subwoofer. I had previously been using the black terminals.
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Oct 12, 2023 18:48
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Josh Lyman posted:How would I go about investigating that? The sub was working fine with in the same setup since buying it in 2020 before the problems starting happening over the summer. try connecting it with just a single, known good RCA cable closer to the amp to isolate their being some kind of issue like this
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Oct 12, 2023 19:10
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If it’s a ground loop hum this works great: Subwoofer Isolation Transformer/Ground Loop Hum Eliminator, Blue Jeans Cable Brand, Made in USA https://a.co/d/fwzMefY I’d guess that not the issue though since it seems intermittent. Could be somewhere in hooking up multiple cables as suggested.
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Oct 12, 2023 19:17
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Mederlock posted:try connecting it with just a single, known good RCA cable closer to the amp to isolate their being some kind of issue like this
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Oct 12, 2023 19:23
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Josh Lyman posted:I don't think that's the issue. Just now, I had nothing plugged into the sub, and as soon as I plugged in the power cable, it made the buzzing sound. Yeah, your amp is busted internally. Time to swap the amp module for smol  or buy another sub for big E: you can also just buy one of these off Amazon, crack open the sub, and run the wires that go straight to the speaker to this new amp. If you're fancy, you cut a hole and put in some speaker wire screw terminals or if the amp had speaker wire high level inputs, you desolder the wires leading to that and directly wire the internal speaker wire to those clamp/screw wire terminals. I did the soldering option for my brother's sub and it worked great. https://www.amazon.com/Subwoofer-Amplifier-Integrated-Fosi-Audio/dp/B07L6FN97Z Mederlock fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Oct 12, 2023 |
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Oct 12, 2023 21:25
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Mederlock posted:Yeah, your amp is busted internally. Time to swap the amp module for smol My Sony DE845:  My Hsu STF-2:  However, if I try connecting, say, the right channel on the B group outputs to the high level inputs on the sub and have the receiver output A+B (front speaker are connected to A), it doesn't do anything if the sub isn't plugged into power, nor does it do anything with the power on. For more info with respect to troubleshooting, when the sub is connected normally and it's buzzing, I can tell it's try to output signal but it sounds like...a skateboard on gravel. Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 01:31 on Oct 13, 2023 |
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Oct 13, 2023 00:53
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The high-level inputs on a sub are meant to take the amplified signal for your front L+R speakers, pull out the bass information as dialed in by your crossover, and pass on everything above the LPF to the speakers. So it would be front L+R Speaker terminal <-> Speaker Wire <-> Subwoofer high-level input | Subwoofer "Output to Speakers" <-> Speaker wire <-> Front L+R main speakers. The other way to get a signal to a subwoofer is by using an RCA Subwoofer out(aka LFE output) on the Receiver, and then feeding a rca cable to the sub's sub/LFE input. No other cables. So Receiver's Sub/LFE out RCA jack <-> RCA cable <-> Subwoofer's Sub input RCA jack. If the amplifier is fried, the high level inputs will likely not bypass to the sub speakers actual speaker wire terminals. Inside the subwoofer, there's actually a +\- pair of speaker wires from the subwoofer itself to it's built-in amplifier. If the amplifier is broken, you either need to replace the sub's amp with the same one from the manufacturer, and in the process reconnect the internal connections to the sub, OR you can hijack the broken amplifier's high level inputs by cutting off the old wires that go to it internally, and soldering the internal speaker wires directly to that terminal. That way you can grab any generic mono subwoofer amp off amazon like the one I linked, run an RCA cable to it from the Receiver, and then run a speaker wire from the external, new amp directly to the modified high level input terminal, which is directly wired to the subwoofer speaker itself inside. Or you can just drill a hole in the back, and run speaker wire through it directly to the subwoofer speaker wire terminals, you'll need some crimp-on spade connectors from the store for that.
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Oct 13, 2023 01:41
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Mederlock posted:The high-level inputs on a sub are meant to take the amplified signal for your front L+R speakers, pull out the bass information as dialed in by your crossover, and pass on everything above the LPF to the speakers. So it would be front L+R Speaker terminal <-> Speaker Wire <-> Subwoofer high-level input | Subwoofer "Output to Speakers" <-> Speaker wire <-> Front L+R main speakers. The Hsu VTF-2 MK5 that I linked from FB marketplace does seem to be a superior sub to the Speedwoofer 10S MKII, but it's also quite a bit larger, and no warranty. It's actually so deep that I'd have to turn it 90* so the driver is facing away from the sofa toward the sliding glass doors to the balcony. Considering that I had my STF-2 volume dial at the 1/6 mark, I definitely don't need more power, though deeper bass extension is always nice. I guess I'll call RSL in the morning to confirm their backorder date of 10/24 means October 24th and not October 2024. I'm a little sad because the STF-2 is the 2nd subwoofer I've had die that I really liked. The previous one was the sub on a Klipsch iFi 2.1 system. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong because that system died about 8 years ago in a different city and was only connected to my computer, but that one was also purchased used, like my STF-2, and both units were quite old. I read somewhere that 10 years is about the expected lifespan of a sub amp. That doesn't seem right to me. I'm especially gun-shy since I know these things happen randomly, but having a warranty on a new Speedwoofer does give me some reassurance. Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 02:08 on Oct 13, 2023 |
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Oct 13, 2023 02:03
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Josh Lyman posted:Okay, your last paragraph makes a lot of sense. While the 3rd party amp solution MIGHT work, it feels like the safer option would be to just buy a Speedwoofer. I searched on Reddit and it doesn't seem like RSL runs sales. I can say with very high confidence that the 3rd party amp solution *will* work, I've done it before and unless the subwoofer's surround/cone is broken(very visible), there's no reason bypassing the Internal amp wouldn't work. Just a question of if you want to do it quick and dirty(drill a hole) and run a cable or be fancy about it with the soldering, and save the extra $$$ you would have spent on a sub. Like on a new golf club  However, getting a RSL is a nice upgrade too, so if there's room in the budget that's certainly a good option too. Going forward I also wouldn't use your "B" speakers output&the RCA sub out simultaneously to run your sub, just use the RCA cable sub-out and nothing else. Not sure if it's what caused the issue, but it's certainly not the proper way to hook it up either.
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Oct 13, 2023 02:35
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Again mentioning that you can email Hsu and see how much a new plate amp would cost you. The price would probably be closer to an external subwoofer amp than a new RSL.
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Oct 13, 2023 04:48
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Mederlock posted:I can say with very high confidence that the 3rd party amp solution *will* work, I've done it before and unless the subwoofer's surround/cone is broken(very visible), there's no reason bypassing the Internal amp wouldn't work. Just a question of if you want to do it quick and dirty(drill a hole) and run a cable or be fancy about it with the soldering, and save the extra $$$ you would have spent on a sub. Like on a new golf club  My concern with drilling a hole is that there'd be a gap around the cable, though I imagine it probably won't make a noticeable difference since my Hsu is ported. I don't have a soldering iron anymore so I'd be looking for the simplest repair, and quick and dirty would be fine. Would the Speedwoofer be much of an upgrade over my Hsu? Spec-wise they seem pretty similar, as were their MSRPs, though the STF-2 was released 20 years ago. Of course, my Hsu is ported and the Speedwoofer is sealed, so if anything the Speedwoofer might be weaker on bass extension, but the spec sheets have my Hsu at 25Hz and the Speedwoofer at 22Hz. I don't think I've seen any comparison reviews/posts since the STF-2 is old af and the Speedwoofer is relatively new. In any case, I'd expect the Speedwoofer to be a sidegrade at worst and minor upgrade at best. But also new with warranty and physically a bit smaller. CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK posted:Again mentioning that you can email Hsu and see how much a new plate amp would cost you. The price would probably be closer to an external subwoofer amp than a new RSL. Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 08:58 on Oct 13, 2023 |
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Oct 13, 2023 08:51
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Josh Lyman posted:To be clear, I've never used the B outputs except with testing today. I've always used the sub out on my receiver and my setup worked really well for both stereo music and 5.1 movies. Oh I see, my apologies I misunderstood one of your posts. Just pick up a small tube of black silicone caulking and use that to seal up the hole where the wire goes in. Protects the wire from being pulled out and seals up the cabinet
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Oct 13, 2023 14:29
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Josh Lyman posted:Would the Speedwoofer be much of an upgrade over my Hsu? Spec-wise they seem pretty similar, as were their MSRPs, though the STF-2 was released 20 years ago. Of course, my Hsu is ported and the Speedwoofer is sealed, so if anything the Speedwoofer might be weaker on bass extension, but the spec sheets have my Hsu at 25Hz and the Speedwoofer at 22Hz. I don't think I've seen any comparison reviews/posts since the STF-2 is old af and the Speedwoofer is relatively new. In any case, I'd expect the Speedwoofer to be a sidegrade at worst and minor upgrade at best. But also new with warranty and physically a bit smaller. The Speedwoofer is also ported. It's probably a minor upgrade due to it's increased power and dsp settings.
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Oct 13, 2023 18:46
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Dumb question: I have two front speakers and a subwoofer. So a 2.1 setup. When playing my Blu-ray movie, do I choose the 2.0 audio track or the 5.1 audio track? The answer for this is surprisingly hard to get.
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Oct 14, 2023 23:38
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Vegetable posted:Dumb question: I have two front speakers and a subwoofer. So a 2.1 setup. When playing my Blu-ray movie, do I choose the 2.0 audio track or the 5.1 audio track? The answer for this is surprisingly hard to get. 2.0 . the sub or receiver should extract the sub frequencies out on it's "stereo" 2.1 mode
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Oct 15, 2023 00:02
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Vegetable posted:Dumb question: I have two front speakers and a subwoofer. So a 2.1 setup. When playing my Blu-ray movie, do I choose the 2.0 audio track or the 5.1 audio track? The answer for this is surprisingly hard to get. 2.0 If you pick the 5.1 track, it will probably send all the dialogue and a lot of other audio to the center channel so you will be missing out on a lot.
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Oct 15, 2023 00:03
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CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK posted:2.0 Modern receivers will automatically downmix whatever signal they get into how many channels you have enabled though, but it's best practice to match the signal to your setup. Also I have a probably dumb simple question too: I upgraded my center channel speaker and it is louder than my other speakers. My receiver allows me to adjust the level of each channel. Is it better to lower the center channel to match the others (like -3.0) or raise the other channels to match the center channel? I'm guessing the former.
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Oct 15, 2023 00:15
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SweetMercifulCrap! posted:Modern receivers will automatically downmix whatever signal they get into how many channels you have enabled though, but it's best practice to match the signal to your setup. The former for sure.
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Oct 15, 2023 01:20
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Josh Lyman posted:To be clear, I've never used the B outputs except with testing today. I've always used the sub out on my receiver and my setup worked really well for both stereo music and 5.1 movies. Bunging an external amp onto a modified/dead subwoofer is a really dumb idea when you can just get a replacement plate amp: either from Hsu directly, or one of various third party brands. Google tells me somebody got a replacement amp for an STF-2 from Hsu for $180 in 2017. YMMV. People seem to really like the Dayton Audio ones for Hsu (you might need some extra scrapwood to shim/mount it, but depending on the model/dimensions/etc some appear to be drop-in replacements). As long as it fits in the hole and more-or-less matches the wattage (or maybe ups it a bit within reason) you’ll be fine, there’s not much cutting edge science going on in <$1000 Class D subwoofer amps. https://www.parts-express.com/speaker-components/subwoofer-plate-amplifiers
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Oct 16, 2023 02:16
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Ok Comboomer posted:Bunging an external amp onto a modified/dead subwoofer is a really dumb idea when you can just get a replacement plate amp: either from Hsu directly, or one of various third party brands. It only has low level inputs but that’s fine. The STF-2 had a 200W amp but as mentioned earlier, I only ran it at 1/6 volume so 100W should be plenty, especially since it’s $80 and the next level up is a 300W for $150. Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 10:07 on Oct 16, 2023 |
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Oct 16, 2023 10:03
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Josh Lyman posted:This 100W amp looks like it would work: https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-SPA100-D-100-Watt-Class-D-Subwoofer-Plate-Amplifier-300-805 I would do the 300w one. Better to under-drive an amp and have plenty of headroom than overdrive an amp and risk distorting/clipping the speaker, even if it’s just doing bass/sub-bass
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Oct 16, 2023 10:20
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Ok Comboomer posted:I would do the 300w one. Better to under-drive an amp and have plenty of headroom than overdrive an amp and risk distorting/clipping the speaker, even if it’s just doing bass/sub-bass This is the way, as long as it fits.
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Oct 16, 2023 15:36
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Is there a general recommendation for entry level home theater setups between $500 and $1,000? i currently have an LG soundbar capable of ARC and the major audio formats that were around when it was new four years ago. It's fine but I have a high ceiling so don't benefit much from its rebounding trick, and it really goes wonky when the refresh rate or resolution on the TV needs to change (like the screen goes black and i have to restart the whole chain - isn't a problem if i plug the AppleTV or Shield directly into the TV). Rear speakers would be cool but I don't have a good place to put them at the moment, so I'm thinkjng a 3.1 setup with a receiver that can handle Atmos and whatever other new poo poo baffles my AppleTV but works on my Shield. One thing I'm weird about is sync. I look at mouths when people speak so I really notice when it's off. So a receiver that can either autocorrect or make it very easy to change at the hardware layer would be great. High output is less important than sounding good at reasonable residential levels. I watch a range from 4k Blu-Ray rips to whatever kid poo poo we find on Prime or whatever. Mostly looking for something I can start small with but grow into over some time. Any suggestions or directions I should look?
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Oct 21, 2023 22:31
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Well Played Mauer posted:Is there a general recommendation for entry level home theater setups between $500 and $1,000? Mostly looking for something I can start small with but grow into over some time. If you're in the US, check accessories4less. An example within your price range would be a pair of factory recertified KEF Q150s ($350) with a factory refurbished Denon receiver among the S970H ($400), X2700H ($500) and the X2800H ($650) depending on what you want to hook up to it. This will be a very noticeable upgrade from the get go and will help you avoid buying components that you'll eventually have no use for. aparmenideanmonad fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Oct 22, 2023 |
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Oct 22, 2023 00:11
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Regarding audio sync, most receivers (including the example Denons) have auto-lipsync that usually works well unless your TV is broken in some exotic way. I think it’s a feature of HDMI. If autosync doesn’t work, you can manually adjust audio delay. Either way, even a picky listener should be able to get it perfect. Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 12:41 on Oct 22, 2023 |
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Oct 22, 2023 12:32
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Awesome, thanks to you both! Should I be looking for a subwoofer too? The sound bar I have is the LG SL10YG, which is 5.1.2 - it’s pretty good imo but I’m just thinking about taking a step up and separating parts so I can upgrade more selectively.
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Oct 22, 2023 14:07
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Well Played Mauer posted:Awesome, thanks to you both! Yes, definitely get a good sub, ideally you should have two subs
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Oct 22, 2023 14:33
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Or maybe four subs.
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Oct 22, 2023 14:35
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Careful with that many subs, they might unionize
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Oct 22, 2023 14:49
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Ruffian Price posted:Careful with that many subs, they might unionize I have 5 and they only get out of line occasionally
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Oct 22, 2023 15:10
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bird with big dick posted:Or maybe four subs. I need to spare some overhead for the resonance dampening crystals I got my eye on.
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Oct 22, 2023 15:23
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Jokes aside, you can save some money if you buy two subs in a bundle from SVS (the company that 95% of the ppl here will recommend you buy subs from), but one sub is usually plenty unless you have a bigger room and/or you have dead spots and self-canceling waves, etc. Two subs will sound a lot better in more places around the room, different seating locations, and so on, but you can always start with one and see if you want to add a second down the road. If you’re going to have two+ they should all be as identical as possible. If your option is one bigger, more expensive sub vs two smaller subs, generally the bigger sub will go a bit deeper but two smaller subs will even out the bass spread, mitigate the effects of nodes/dead spots/etc, and generally make the bass sound “fuller” and more even across the entire room. It’s a notable improvement IMO. For me, unless you absolutely need to get down to <18 Hz, two smaller subs always beats one bigger sub. If you can afford/have the room for two big subs then that’s the best of all.
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Oct 22, 2023 16:12
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That’s good to know, thanks. I’m most likely going to hold off until we do a cross country move next year and I have a better idea of what sort of room the TV and system will be in. I don’t envision moving into more than a suburban 4/3 so will more than likely still be in the midsize room range.
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Oct 22, 2023 16:17
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Could really use some guidance if anyone is able to give it. My experience has only been with my powered speaker set, some Schiit stuff hooked up to it, etc etc. Today I picked up a pair of Canton Karat 20 speakers from a lovely little vintage audio shop, so I am now looking at amplifiers for the first time. The specs of the speakers are 4 ohm, Music power loading capacity: 60 watts per speaker. I was thinking of maybe putting these in the office/game room, so if I did that I'd need an HDMI in as well as 1 or 2 RCA ins. I do not know if such things even exist for my use case, a cursory search did not bring up any concrete info to go by. edit-or maybe the best thing is to just get a standard AV receiver and do analog RCAs out on the TV ? Starsmydestination fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Oct 28, 2023 |
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Oct 28, 2023 23:22
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A standard AV receiver would certainly fit the bill, even if you're only using two channels.
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Oct 28, 2023 23:36
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You might not need the analog out if the tv and receiver get along on ARC
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Oct 29, 2023 00:00
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I play Dance Dance Revolution on a home setup and am looking to upgrade my speakers (currently using a cheap $20 craigslist soundbar). I'm thinking of going with Edifier R200DB bookshelf speakers. Problem is all speaker stands assume you're listening sitting down. Are there any good taller speaker stands, or is my only option to mount them to the wall? I don't have a lot of wall space due to windows.
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Oct 29, 2023 17:24
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Is DDR the only thing the setup gets used for?
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Oct 29, 2023 22:35
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:Is DDR the only thing the setup gets used for? Yep! Here's what I'm working with:  Harriet Carker fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Oct 29, 2023 |
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Oct 29, 2023 23:09
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Raise any speaker stands you buy with some bricks / cinder blocks.  Or just use a bunch of bricks / cinder blocks.
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Oct 29, 2023 23:48
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