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Crankit posted:I use a small stereo+speakers for my computer, now I want 2 computers to share it but it only has 1 RCA/Phono input pair, can I use some kind of Y cable to hook em both up, will the computer soundcards interfere with each other? If you're leaving one computer on all the time (or at least on when the other one is) you can just plug the speakers into that one, then plug the other's output into that one's input, then pass through the audio. Otherwise I guess you need some kind of mixer box but I don't have any experience with those. I have a cheap USB audio box that can pass through audio, but pretty sure it requires a computer for it to function (can't say I've tested it out with just dumb USB feeding power it though). ---------- A question for myself now, I guess similar to the one a few posts above about amps and speakers and power and stuff...except I'm completely clueless about all that. I got this receiver: Channel 5.1 Rated Output Power (1kHz, 1ch driven): 115W (8ohms, 0.9% THD) Rated Output Power (20Hz-20kHz, 2ch driven): 80W (8ohms, 0.09% THD) Dynamic Power per Channel (8/6/4/2 ohms): 110/130/160/-W I have no clue what that means as far as buying speakers outside of uh, 8 ohm ones or that it can drive higher wattage lower ohm speakers I guess  . This is meant just for some background music a restaurant, it's basically one big room around 1500-2000 sq ft, so I was thinking just hooking up 4-5 moderate speakers. Would something like these be ok in terms of matching the receiver spec wise? (i.e. not blowing/burning anything up or something)And the other part I'm clueless about, what speaker wire do I use? I know there's different gauge wire but don't know what gauge to use here or if there's some other things I should pay attention to. japtor fucked around with this message at 12:14 on Dec 8, 2012 |
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Dec 8, 2012 11:46
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Crankit posted:I use a small stereo+speakers for my computer, now I want 2 computers to share it but it only has 1 RCA/Phono input pair, can I use some kind of Y cable to hook em both up, will the computer soundcards interfere with each other? They will for sure interfere with each other, since what you'd be doing is to connect the output of one device to the output of another. Whether any of them will actually be damaged depends on their tolerance, and the voltage output by the other device. My guess is that you'd be fine, but I wouldn't be willing risk any expensive sound card this way. What you should do is get one of these. I'm sure they come in 2-way configurations, too. http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/product/1514/rca-phono-audio-switching-unit-3-way/ (Example product, I'm not endorsing this particular one or the vendor.)
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Dec 8, 2012 14:07
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Crankit posted:I use a small stereo+speakers for my computer, now I want 2 computers to share it but it only has 1 RCA/Phono input pair, can I use some kind of Y cable to hook em both up, will the computer soundcards interfere with each other? Do both your computers have Bluetooth? http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F8Z492...etooth+receiver
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Dec 8, 2012 14:39
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japtor posted:Would something like these be ok in terms of matching the receiver spec wise? (i.e. not blowing/burning anything up or something) Should be. The key numbers you want to look at are efficiency (measured in dB at 1 meters distance at 1 watt) and recommended power. Efficiency tells you how much of the electricity sent into speaker gets turned into sound (higher number means more sound) and recommended power the power tolerance of the speaker. As long as you don't go under the recommended specs you should be fine. quote:And the other part I'm clueless about, what speaker wire do I use? Depends on the distance from receiver to speaker. Consult this handy table: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_wire#Wire_gauge
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Dec 8, 2012 15:44
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powderific posted:Tower and bookshelf are two very broad categories and you should be able to get great dialog and music out of either. Just switching to a bookshelf speaker may or may not help at all. The speaker's design and room make much more difference since there can be a lot of variation between designs. Honestly, it sounds like you specific speakers might be to blame, though it could be an issue of how their positioned, room effects, that sort of thing. If they're muddy, it seems like they might be too close to a wall and the resulting boominess in the bass is drowning out dialog. Towers: http://www.polkaudio.com/products/r50 Center: http://www.polkaudio.com/products/cs10 Receiver: http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=HT-RC260&class=Receiver&p=i Sub: Sony 12" The TV is in a corner and the speakers are next to it on either side about 4.5' apart and about 9 feet from the couch, ~45 degrees from the wall but fairly close to it. The center speaker is currently atop the television, not ideal but I had no other choice. The room is only about 16x12.
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Dec 8, 2012 18:26
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Hob_Gadling posted:Should be. The key numbers you want to look at are efficiency (measured in dB at 1 meters distance at 1 watt) and recommended power. Efficiency tells you how much of the electricity sent into speaker gets turned into sound (higher number means more sound) and recommended power the power tolerance of the speaker. As long as you don't go under the recommended specs you should be fine.
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Dec 8, 2012 19:50
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longview posted:88 dB_SPL is probably 1W at 1 meter, 50W is 17dBW, meaning at 1 meter your single speaker will deliver 105 dB_SPL, which is quite loud. With distortion at 75W it won't play much louder, at ~107 dB_SPL. Thanks for this. That's basically the situation as I understood it based on this thing, but you put it in much more concrete and understandable terms.
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Dec 10, 2012 03:18
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Building my first hifi separates system and need a quick question answering. My music collection is on my laptop, and I like having the itunes interface, so apart from a turntable all my music will be coming from the computer. Do I simply go Laptop > DAC > Amplifier > Speakers?
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Dec 10, 2012 13:10
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fronkpies posted:Do I simply go Laptop > DAC > Amplifier > Speakers?
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Dec 10, 2012 13:27
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Flipperwaldt posted:Not sure what else you wanted to shoehorn in there, this seems a perfectly sensible simple setup. Just checking! Seems the more you read online the more complicated things get, especially when audio is concerned.
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Dec 10, 2012 14:25
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wormil posted:Towers: http://www.polkaudio.com/products/r50 Yeah, corners aren't ideal—is there any way you could try temporarily getting all of the speakers on the same plane a bit further from the wall? That'd help determine if it's a room placement issue. Does that receiver's auto setup thing do subwoofer levels/crossover too? Cause I could also see a sub being crossed too high/too high of levels muddy-ing dialogue while not sounding too out of place in music.
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Dec 10, 2012 16:47
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powderific posted:Yeah, corners aren't ideal—is there any way you could try temporarily getting all of the speakers on the same plane a bit further from the wall? That'd help determine if it's a room placement issue. Does that receiver's auto setup thing do subwoofer levels/crossover too? Cause I could also see a sub being crossed too high/too high of levels muddy-ing dialogue while not sounding too out of place in music. I bought a new tv so maybe I can switch things around. The old tv was projection and took up a lot of space which is why it was in the corner. Hopefully I can move the center underneath pointed up. And yeah, the Audessy thing set the crossover to 40.
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Dec 11, 2012 01:40
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That's well low enough that it's probably not doing anything to the dialog. Trying a different arrangement is worth giving a shot though since it's free. Even if it's not where you eventually keep them, you might try a couple feet off the wall, facing straight out, with the front of the center channel on the same plane as the fronts of the towers. Also double check the polarity of the center channel. If it was out of phase it'd make sense if everything sounded good but dialog.
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Dec 11, 2012 02:48
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I have in-ceiling speakers installed in a few rooms in my house. I'd like to connect these to a single source, and possibly add more rooms in the future. Here's what I have in mind: * Run speaker wire from source to generic speaker selector switch -> * Run wire from switch to impedance matching volume knob in each room -> * Run wire from knob to speakers Will this work? Or will I fry an amp? edit: n/m, looks like these are for exactly what I'm trying to do. FasterThanLight fucked around with this message at 01:29 on Dec 12, 2012 |
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Dec 11, 2012 07:21
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Is this receiver any good? I'm by no means an audiophile, just need a decent entry level receiver...after discounts this would be $95 https://www.shoponkyo.com/detail.cfm?productid=HT-R390&modelid=27&group_id=1&detail=1&ext_war=1
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Dec 13, 2012 03:22
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If I want an MP3 player with 64Gb+, what are my options besides iPod and Zune?
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Dec 24, 2012 16:44
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edit: gently caress it. Removed my entire old post. I was looking at Senn HD 280s or ATH-M50s but I am going to be doing a shitload of travelling next year, so you know what, blah! Let's get something decent. What are some great noise-cancelling headphones while staying under $400? I was looking at Senn PXC 350/450 and ATH-ANC9. Passive use without batteries is a must, though. Not looking for bluetooth headsets, either, this is for long flights and train rides, not subway trips. edit2: Maybe the ANC7? The price is certainly very appealing! LiquidRain fucked around with this message at 19:06 on Dec 24, 2012 |
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Dec 24, 2012 18:21
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OperaMouse posted:If I want an MP3 player with 64Gb+, what are my options besides iPod and Zune? The Samsung Galaxy Player is an android based MP3 player but it's only 8GB with 32GB SD storage available. I'm not sure any options other than iPod myself.
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Dec 24, 2012 18:50
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LiquidRain posted:edit: gently caress it. Removed my entire old post. I was looking at Senn HD 280s or ATH-M50s but I am going to be doing a shitload of travelling next year, so you know what, blah! Let's get something decent. Coming from an audio engineer who has owned just about every pair of headphones under $700, the ATH-m50s ARE something decent and I'd take them over active canceling headphones any day. For long flights, custom IEMs are totally where it's at. I paid $15/ear for doctor made molds and a couple hundred for a dual-driver set. Flight attendants don't even complain about them when they do their electronics sweep. Actually, non-custom IEMs would probably have the same advantages, but I forget they're an option for other people with normal human-shaped ear canals. eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 21:56 on Dec 24, 2012 |
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Dec 24, 2012 21:53
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While my most expensive headphone aren't 700, I agree that the m50's are very, very much in the decent category. As a bonus for someone who is going to travel a lot, they're very durable. I use them on video shoots and they get banged around a lot with no ill effect. They're probably one of the best values for headphones out there. That said, when I'm traveling my etymotic hf3's with custom ear molds are amazing. They cut out extra sounds better than any active noise cancellation system and sound fantastic a well. The custom molds are well worth it--so much more comfortable.
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Dec 24, 2012 22:09
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eddiewalker posted:For long flights, custom IEMs are totally where it's at. I paid $15/ear for doctor made molds and a couple hundred for a dual-driver set. Flight attendants don't even complain about them when they do their electronics sweep. Do you have a link to a set you'd recommend?
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Dec 24, 2012 22:34
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beefnoodle posted:Do you have a link to a set you'd recommend? It's difficult to find good comparative reviews because you can't exactly barrow a set. Ultimate Ears and Westone are big names. JH was formed by the the engineer behind UE after Logitech bought them. There are also a lot of smaller outfits like Livewires and Alien Ears. Since AFAIK, just about every company uses the same BA drivers from a hearing aid supplier called Knowles, construction quality, crossover design and customer support are the differentiators. I bought Alien Ears 2-driver acrylic model because they were a good deal when I bought in 09, but it'd be best to look on Head-fi for some current info. Most companies will also reshell your universal set into a custom pair later, so it might be worthwhile to see if you like a universal first.
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Dec 24, 2012 23:17
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Etymotics are only single BA, but I love my HF3s. They're universals with an easy upgrade path to custom molds later on.
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Dec 24, 2012 23:44
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I'm finally about to start running the various wires for my AV gear through the wall. With that in mind: 1) How much does it matter that my speaker wires be the same length? Such as front left/right, if I did the shortest run, one would be like 2 feet and the other about 10. Do I need to lengthen the short one just for balancing purposes or anything? 2) If I do need to lengthen the short one, is it bad form to just coil up the excess? Will that create some sort of induction loop or something that I need to care about? 3) Lastly, how much do I need to worry about the magnets in my speakers getting to close to other stuff? For instance, my receiver is currently just sitting on top of my subwoofer while the whole thing waits for some shelves to go in. Is that likely to cause any trouble, ever? If you can think of any subtleties I might not be aware of as well, I'm all ears. I only want to do this once. 
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Dec 30, 2012 23:14
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Bad Munki posted:I'm finally about to start running the various wires for my AV gear through the wall. With that in mind: Don't worry that much about the cable length being equal. The signal basically moves at light speed while its in the cable. I've had thousands of feet of length difference between microphone cables without any measurable time differences. Keep your speakers away from magnetic media and CRTs. There aren't a lot of either any more.
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Dec 30, 2012 23:31
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I was less worried about timing and more thinking of impedance and/or resistance. Of course, if it doesn't really matter (which I was guessing it probably wouldn't, since these are such short runs anyhow) then the preferred option is to use as short a run as possible. Anyhow, thanks. Hopefully once my parts arrive I'll have this all done inside a couple days. 
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Dec 30, 2012 23:39
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I didn't know this thread existed. I don't consider myself an audio expert but I'm pretty knowledgeable on several subjects including getting kickass sound into your living room or basement. I'll do my best to help out in this thread like I do in the beginner's thread.
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Dec 31, 2012 03:57
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I have a set of KRK Rokit RP8s which I've owned since new, some 6 years ago. I've noticed that they've started producing a quiet hiss/buzz when they're turned on. This sound occurs regardless of whether the source cable is plugged in, and stays at a consistent volume even if I turn the volume knob up on the speakers. I'm pretty sure it's electrical interference of some sort, and have tried to isolate the cause by turning off all electrics in the surrounding area, but with no success. I've also tried switching the power leads for the speakers to different power outlets (or, rather, different multiplug adapters), but this also didn't work. i don't recall the speakers doing this previously, so I'm hoping it's something that can be resolved fairly easily. Is there something, like some kind of fancy-shmancy power adapter that can help with this sort of thing? Or is that just audiophile snakeoil?
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Jan 2, 2013 13:04
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moron posted:I have a set of KRK Rokit RP8s which I've owned since new, some 6 years ago. I've noticed that they've started producing a quiet hiss/buzz when they're turned on. This sound occurs regardless of whether the source cable is plugged in, and stays at a consistent volume even if I turn the volume knob up on the speakers. This could be an issue with the house power circuit. Take them to another room or a few rooms and see if they still hum. if they're on the same circuit as a dimmer switch for lighting, that could also cause a hum. Those monster power conditioners aren't snake oil, but generally the power supplies of all modern electronics do just as good a job on their own without needing some overpriced power bar. That said, you could always try one out, if it doesn't do anything, return it.
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Jan 2, 2013 21:26
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Is there a goon recommended sound bar? I'm looking for a simple solution to make movies/sporting events sound better in my family room (currently using the TVs speakers), but I'm also not really looking to spend more than $250. I've been searching online, and reviews seem to be all over the place so I can really pinpoint or focus on what I should be looking at. Any help would be appreciated 
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Jan 3, 2013 05:01
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I just bought a Logitech LS21 speaker system for my PC. The sound from the satellite speakers is fine and dandy, but the subwoofer isn't making the faintest sound. Literally no sound at all. I searched around the internet for help, most of what I found was just idiots going "hurka durka I get no sounds halp" after connecting the cables wrong. There was also a thing about installing the proper Realtek HD audio drivers, which I did. Didn't help. So, at this point I'm assuming the subwoofer is simply just broken, but I still wanted to ask you fellow goons if anyone might know of some obscure software thing that could be at work here. Although, that shouldn't be the case with a 2.1 setup like this, right? Using Windows 7 Enterprise, 64 bit. Integrated sound chip in my Asus M4N78 SE mobo.
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Jan 3, 2013 17:51
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Nordick posted:I just bought a Logitech LS21 speaker system for my PC. The sound from the satellite speakers is fine and dandy, but the subwoofer isn't making the faintest sound. Literally no sound at all. I searched around the internet for help, most of what I found was just idiots going "hurka durka I get no sounds halp" after connecting the cables wrong. There was also a thing about installing the proper Realtek HD audio drivers, which I did. Didn't help. Sorry for the dumb question, but does it have a separate "on" switch? My 2.1 speakers have a "main" switch, and then a smaller one that just shuts down the subwoofer. Yours appear to have a bass setting on the back:  /edit: durr, forgot my question. How bad an idea is it to put my 5.1 subwoofer in a rack like this?  Edmond Dantes fucked around with this message at 00:54 on Jan 4, 2013 |
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Jan 4, 2013 00:50
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Edmond Dantes posted:Sorry for the dumb question, but does it have a separate "on" switch? My 2.1 speakers have a "main" switch, and then a smaller one that just shuts down the subwoofer.
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Jan 4, 2013 07:00
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moron posted:I have a set of KRK Rokit RP8s which I've owned since new, some 6 years ago. I've noticed that they've started producing a quiet hiss/buzz when they're turned on. Wait, is it a buzz, a hiss, or both? "Buzz" meaning it has a tone to it, a single frequency humming. "Hiss" being white noise, having no distinct tone, like this: For a hum (buzz), I'd look for grounding issues between the source and the speakers, but you say it still occurs when no source is connected, so that wouldn't be your problem. Did you move the speakers or move house when the problem started? If it's white/pink noise, maybe some component in your speakers is drifting out of spec, like a leaking capacitor or a shorted resistor? Maybe some other extraneous noise in your home was eliminated, so you can suddenly hear this noise that was there all along? =)
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Jan 6, 2013 14:25
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Let me know if there is a better place to ask this, please. Does anyone have any thoughts on using a bluetooth audio receiver in the car as input (aux) to the stereo from a phone? Something like one of these: http://www.amazon.com/GOgroove-BlueGate-Wireless-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B00727FE5U/ http://www.amazon.com/Technologies-TuneLink-Bluetooth-Wireless-Adapter/dp/B004NQDU5E/ http://www.amazon.com/EP-B3502-Wireless-Bluetooth-Receiver-Stereo/dp/B008ATAIUU/ I have a Samsung SGS3 phone with a 32GB SD card and more storage onboard that never gets used for anything, and yet I still muck about with a 4GB ipod nano. And, with bluetooth, one less wire!!!! But! Does the AD2P bluetooth stuff work well, and does it sound any good? The wikipedia page mentions some of the codecs that are in use, but nothing about bit rates, etc. And since none of the AD2P codecs are MP3, does that mean the phone is transcoding stuff all day and won't last long? One thing I will say about the ipod, is that it will go forever on a single charge. I left it playing by accident this week and 12 hours later it was still going, and it is over five years old.
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Jan 7, 2013 02:31
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Kaluza-Klein posted:But! Does the AD2P bluetooth stuff work well, and does it sound any good? The wikipedia page mentions some of the codecs that are in use, but nothing about bit rates, etc. And since none of the AD2P codecs are MP3, does that mean the phone is transcoding stuff all day and won't last long? One thing I will say about the ipod, is that it will go forever on a single charge. I left it playing by accident this week and 12 hours later it was still going, and it is over five years old. As far as transcoding I doubt it makes a big difference (presumably it's part of the audio or BT hardware), it's the wireless streaming to the speakers that'll be the relative power hog. I haven't used it long enough on my iPhone to see how it affects battery life, but my battery life in general has been good enough that I don't worry about it when streaming to a Bluetooth speaker. Just assume you'll take a hit, but how much that hit is will be a mystery until you test it out. Worst case you end up plugging in to charge while driving...which defeats the purpose a bit, but at least you have the option to stay wireless if your battery is fine.
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Jan 7, 2013 03:11
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I'm helping my significant other's mom shop for AV for her shi-shi loft. She's decided that given her space restrictions she'd like something compact and easy like a soundbar for watching TV. She likes the Bose Lifestyle 135 soundbar (~$2500 but I told her I'd look into alternatives for her before she pulled the trigger. We also demo'd a Definitive Technology soundbar which sounded pretty alright but reading reviews online it sounds like they have some QC issues and aren't the easiest to use. My question is... are there any other high-end speaker bar systems that I should be taking a look at for her? Without going into too much detail describing the space she really doesn't have much room for other speakers against the wall her tv will be on (tv is set into a full wall of cabinets) and doesn't want to have to have a complicated installation with flown speakers or exposed wiring run across the ceiling. The only real requisites are that it sounds good, is easy enough that I can set it up for her, and has at least 3-4 HDMI inputs for AppleTV, Cable Box, and Blu-Ray player. Thanks in advance! MMD3 fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Jan 7, 2013 |
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Jan 7, 2013 18:43
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I have this sub: And this amp:  Do I plug this into the sub in Line Out and connect it to this and plug that into the Pre Out Subwoofer spot in the amp?
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Jan 9, 2013 13:38
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angor posted:Do I plug this into the sub in Line Out and connect it to this and plug that into the Pre Out Subwoofer spot in the amp? Maybe doublecheck the manual of the amp that I'm not mistaken about that (and/or if you have to enable that right channel in the menu or something).
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Jan 9, 2013 18:41
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Doh! Yes, on the line IN. Alright, so from looking at the manual, it looks like both of the Pre Out Subwoofer jacks put out exactly the same thing, allowing for the use of two subwoofers. Excerpt from the manual:  So now my question is, should I use a twin RCA cable and connect to both jacks or just use a single line and connect to the sub using either the left or right channel?
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Jan 10, 2013 00:51
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