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KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


$499 is the MSRP, hardly anyone ever sells stuff at full price, but I figure that's still about a $150-$200 saving.

Either way $150 is pretty cheap, even if it was only a stereo amp.

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KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Medullah posted:

something to hook my PS3 and Xbox to one source to reduce cable clutter

If that's all you want and need, it's perfect.

Especially for the price. Even if you find out later that you need to stream via AirPlay or DLNA to it, you can always buy those components separately. It won't be as slick as having them integrated, but it'll work just fine nonetheless.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Does the output have to be optical/digital, doesn't your TV have analog outputs? On most TVs, there are stereo RCA outputs, those will connect directly to the inputs on a set of Audioengine speakers with normal signal leads (or "interconnects" if you want to be fancy).

If your TV doesn't have analog outputs, what you need is a digital-analog converter as you mention (or DAC for short). The Audioengine D1 will do nicely, but it costs $170. Just about any DAC with an optical input should work just fine, it's not a terribly complicated piece of hardware when it comes down to it. The FiiO D3 is a good option, you should be able to get one for a lot less than the Audioengine D1.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Jan 9, 2014

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


E: Wrong thread.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Jan 10, 2014

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


kolby posted:

Yea, I have the VGA. I don't have any of those others except the last one kind of looks like the 1394 plug, which I do have on my computer. Is that what it is?

That last one is Displayport. The reason HDMI or Displayport are interesting in this context is that they carry sound as well as video, which would have solved your problem with a single cable instead of having to switch around the audio cables.

You should get that audio switch from Monoprice, it's exactly what you need.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Another option you should probably check out are the Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers, they're supposedly amazing for the price.

As for the sub, I've heard that the PSW505 can be "flabby" and bloated-sounding, which is a common complaint with ported subs. Since you'll be using your system for for music as well, I would go for a closed sub, a 12" or perhaps a 15" should suit your room fine.

I've got a DALI SWA-12, which has a claimed -3dB point at 27hz, and in my room has usable output down to 30Hz at least. A closed sub won't play those Moria-deep 15-20hz low frequency effects that some movies employ (not without a shitton of power, at least) but stuff like Sauron exploding at the start of LOTR and the amulet activating in Pirates of the Caribbean are certainly handled quite well. And a good closed sub is so much tighter than a ported design for those kick drums. As for power levels, the SWA 12 may "only" have 120W RMS, but it'll shake the glasses off my sofa table at 30hz no problem, and I'm only running it at 1/3rd the way up the volume control. More power is obviously OK, but don't get blinded by power ratings.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Jan 27, 2014

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


KillHour posted:

Assuming jason is in the US, the DALI stuff is going to be very hard to find (I can't find them online, and the only place I've been that had them available to order is my local Hi-Fi shop. And they have B&W Nautilus speakers on the floor). Also, unless you can find them used, they'll probably be $800+. In general, I'm having a hard time finding a non-DIY sealed sub in a reasonable price point.

Edit: Do note that the PSW505's port is rear-firing. You need to make sure it has enough clearance from the wall (at least a foot). That's probably the biggest cause of "boominess".

Yeah, I know DALI isn't really that big outside the EU, but I meant it more as an example of a decent style of closed subwoofer that isn't too huge and unwieldy, it's only around 35-40 cm on each side. From having listened to both sealed and ported subs, I'm pretty sure I'd go for sealed designs only, based on their music performance. A sealed sub is so much "faster" (less group delay), which isn't that important for home theater booms, but means a lot for the "tightness" of musical bass.

I'm sure there are some affordable closed subs available in the US, at least on the used market. but if not, subs with passive radiators are a sort of in-between solution. You get the increased output of a ported design, but with no port noise and no "flabbiness" below the tuned port frequency. Really, don't be afraid to buy used.

In regards to the port and placement, a solution could be to place the sub sideways along the wall, like at a 90 degree angle to the "usual" placement. You'll still have some reflections from the wall, but the port will have space to work.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


jonathan posted:

Currently it's a Behringer class-D inuke 3000 running in stereo mode, roughly 650 watts @ 4ohm load sustained per driver (2 18" drivers with pretty good excursion).
I am also tuned to 14hz but in room measurements show I'm flat down to 10hz at the listening position. At what volume ? I don't know, my measuring setup taps out and clips before the amp and speakers do. I have made the cat puke and I caused the dishwasher to leak upstairs.

Those iNukes are absolute beasts and one hell of a bargain for the power they deliver. A danish DJ/PA site reviewed the NU3000 and found that right when the clipping indicator starts, for 0.85V RMS input it could deliver 53V RMS output. Into 2 ohms, that's 1568W RMS (76V/2888W peak). Bridged under the same conditions, it could deliver 106V RMS, which at 4 ohms is 2809W RMS (160V/5625W peak) :supaburn:

They ran it continuously overnight from a signal generator at that level into a dummy load with no issues (checking the waveform for clipping with an oscilloscope), and there's an additional 11dB of headroom above where the clipping indicator starts. All from 3.3kg and less than $300. Mental.

Your setup sounds a lot like what I would love to have in a home theater if I had the space. Midrange and treble are easy, but deeper-than-deep well-controlled bass extension is hard to do, and so satisfying you when you pull it off. I like the idea of having better bass than even the best theaters, it makes sense that you simply cannot pull off quick bass transients in a 500+ seat theater.

Do you have any plans or drawings for those subs? Some day I might want to build a couple myself.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Jan 31, 2014

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


MMD3 posted:

this is why I still go to SA over more specialized messageboards, this made me chortle something fierce

It's infinitely better than dedicated AV boards (possibly excepting hydrogenaudio), that's for sure.

Here, we are spared the horrors of 27-page threads discussing the best power cables for your hifi, how to convince an electrician to wire up a completely separate dedicated 32A circuit for AV equipment, whether circuit breakers or fuses in the breaker panel give the best sound and which order to plug the devices into audiophile power strips for the best sound. In the last of couple of pages it even veered into discussion about the best polishing compounds to polish the fuses in the breaker panel for the best sound :pwn:

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Yeah, that's a pretty large room for such a small sub, at least if you want any kind of volume out of it. You need at 12" at the very least, and probably a 15".

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Avian Pneumonia posted:

Is there a good thread or primer on digital audio?

I'd like to know how to make the most of the collection of FLAC files I have but things like DACs and what kind of receiver to use are all new to me.

Rule #1: Don't worry about it.

What are you using right now? If you're using the analog output of your motherboard's onboard sound chip, I would recommend getting either:

  • A good PCI sound card, such as something from the Asus Xonar series.
  • Or a good USB DAC. Just about anything that isn't suspiciously cheap should do fine. The Behringer UCA202 is a popular choice.
  • Or an external TOSLINK or S/PDIF DAC to use the digital output your onboard sound card probably has. Some amps have built-in TOSLINK and S/PDIF connections and onboard DACs.

All of these options will do a good job of reducing noise, which is the bane of any computer sound card. I went with the TOSLINK option to completely sever any ground loops, and it works really well with a ~$30 FiiO D3 DAC.

As for the receiver/amplifier, you can pretty much use whatever you want, as long as it has RCA (or TOSLINK/S/PDIF) inputs and enough grunt to power your speakers. Anything about 30 watts per channel is generally plenty.

As for the best player, I really like Foobar2000, not for any imagined sound quality reasons, but because it has a simple straight-forward interface and global hotkeys, and because it plays just about every format ever made, with the right plugins.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Dominoes posted:

Hey dudes, I'm looking for an AV receiver. I need it to be flex power, ie 110-240v, 50-60hz. I can get it from US or UK-based sites. I can't find any; what's up? This is the only piece of electronics I've found that has this issue, other than alarm clocks and lamps.

Most home AV equipment still uses transformers in their power supplies, either laminated steel cores in cheaper or older equipment, or toroidal cores in newer equipment. These typically have a set conversion, for example 230V in, 12V out, all AC. This is then fed into a rectifier to convert to the DC that most electronics components require.

Because of this set ratio, you would need either an additional set of windings on the same core, or a completely separate core with the alternate conversion ratio you need, for instance 120V to 12V. Obviously, this would be very costly to add, for a feature that very few people would ever use.

All of this becomes completely irrelevant with switched-mode power supplies, such as computer power supplies. They generally accept anything between 100-240V and 50-60hz, as long as the total wattage is sufficient. Most flex power equipment you're going to find will be using a switched-mode power supply, because it's the cheapest and best way to do flex power.

So why do most AV equipment manufacturers still stick with transformers? Mostly because they're cheaper, but also because some people have the completely misguided idea that going with a switch-mode power supply will somehow harm the sound. Of course, this is complete and utter bullshit as long as the power supply can deliver the needed power, but such is the world of hifi.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Dominoes posted:

Thanks for the great explanation. Of note, my 500-watt bass amp is flex power, which checks since it's class-D/switching.

The power supply type is separate from the amplifier type. It's not uncommon to have a class-D amplifier driven by a toroidal transformer, or for that matter a normal class-AB amplifier driven by a switched-mode power supply. Pretty much all external "brick"-type power supplies are switched-mode. For instance, the popular Audioengine A2 speakers use an external switched-mode power supply, but the built-in amplifier is a normal class-AB unit. Power is power, as long as you can deliver enough noise-free power when it's needed.

Again, it all comes down to cost, and sometimes to weirdo audiophile preferences.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


KillHour posted:

It also has a lot to do with the misconception that heavy = high quality. Toroidal (also called linear) transformers are heavy as poo poo. They like to get hot, too. I doubt you could call them cheaper; from what I've seen linear power supplies are expensive.

Oh yeah, "weight equals good" plays a huge part. My dad insists on sticking with a pair of old 2x700W Carver power amps for his band. They're some big old heavy motherfuckers, the mixing rack groans from their weight every time we have to move it. They could just as easily be replaced with a couple of light weight, inexpensive and über-powerful Behringer iNuke class-D amps, but my dad's adamant that something so light weight cannot possibly have enough power to play loud enough for live music. Also, it's Behringer, which is like the antichrist to brand-conscious pro audio geeks.

Oddly enough, the bass player's 600W class-D bass amp is A-OK. Probably because it's a TC Electronic, not a Behringer. Darn thing weighs almost nothing, too.

I don't think linear power supplies are that expensive compared to switched-mode power supplies of the same power and quality. There's a lot of mysticism going on there and driving the prices up. You could probably build a good DIY linear power supply with a decent-quality toroidal transformer for a hundred bucks or so, maybe a hundred and fifty.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


spog posted:

So I bought: Monoprice 5 PAIRS High-Quality Copper Speaker Banana Plugs - Closed Screw Type

But they are just a bit too wide to fit in the holes.

Those are banana plugs, they're what you need. You may have to use a little force, but they should fit.

quote:

I then bought: Monoprice 5 PAIRS High-Quality Copper Speaker Closed Plugs - Pin Screw Type

And they fit looser than a hotdog in a hallway

Those are meant for spring clamp speaker terminals, which suck rear end and basically aren't used on anything worth buying ever.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Try unscrewing the terminal a little and see if that helps. Banana plugs for speaker wire tend to be rather tight.

Is there any particular reason you want to use banana plugs? Unless you're unplugging and replugging often, bare wire gives the best and most secure connection.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


spog posted:

Because I assumed that plugs would give the best and most secure connection. I guess that was an incorrect assumption?

Yeah, bare stranded wire under compression in a screw fitting is a very low-resistance interface.

The reason for banana plugs is for ease of use if you're constantly switching out amps and/or cables, and ostensibly to combat corrosion, which is why they're gold-plated. Doesn't make a lick of difference in my experience.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Full Circle posted:

I'm finding myself in an uncommon situation and am hoping someone more knowledgeable can clarify something.

Through a series of fortunate circumstances I am being given the following:
A pair of Aeriel 10t speakers: http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/466
A Proceed 3 amp to power them: http://www.proceedaudio.com/manuals/ampmanual.pdf
And a Hegeman Hapi 2 Pre-amp which may or may not work.

This is all way out of my depth, as my current system comprises of a pair of bx5e studio monitors.
My main concern is, if the pre-amp does not work, can I simply run analog out from my DAC into the amplifier? Or is the pre-amp a necessary component?

Yes, you can, if you have some other way of adjusting the volume. Does your DAC have a volume control?

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


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

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Shapur posted:

Thanks for the suggestions. Would the quality suffer significantly if I swapped out those floor standing speakers for the bookshelf speakers?

Not very much at all, since you're getting a subwoofer as well.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Can you mount them to the sides of the seating position?

IIRC that's actually where the surround speakers are supposed to be placed in a 5.1 setup; to the side and moved slightly back.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


240p has terrible sound even on $2 plastic fantastic headphones. Don't ever be afraid to buy better speakers. lovely recordings will still sound lovely on them, but good recordings will sound much better.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


CRAYON posted:

Could I get some input on the audio setup I've been thinking about? This would mainly be for listening to hip-hop/electronic music. Having said that they will be used for movies/tv but I'm not as picky about the sound quality for movies.

What I'm currently looking at are the Presonus Eris E5 or E8 studio monitors. There are a few reasons these seem like the right choice for me, but I want to make sure I'm correct in my thinking. The first thing that is unclear to me is balanced vs. unbalanced inputs. The speakers have both inputs so I'm wondering if this would allow me to hook these up to a home theater receiver if my setup ever had one? I've read that studio monitors with just the balanced input need a preamp to safely interface with a receiver but I would like to avoid that. Another thing I'm wondering about would be whether or not it's safe to go xlr to 1/4 stereo to 1/8 stereo and then use a y-splitter? That would allow both speakers to plug into a single 3.5 jack. Lastly, I've read that studio monitors start to drop in quality if you're outside the optimal range. Are these types of speakers a bad choice if they're something I may want to entertain a garage sized room with?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm basically looking to put together a nice 2.0 setup that has room to grow.

First off, for electronic/hip-hop you'll definitely want the E8s. The 5s will be too lean on bass without a subwoofer to back them up.

Don't worry about the balanced inputs, for normal home use, 99,9+% of all equipment uses normal RCA plugs (unbalanced). Even if your speakers only take balanced inputs (XLR or jack), there are adapter plugs available to turn them into normal unbalanced inputs.

Because the speakers you're looking at are active (ie. the amplifiers are built-in), you will not need an external amplifier like you would with normal, passive speakers. The speakers will handle that for you, all they need is a line-level input. For instance, you could plug a CD player directly into them. This also means that you connect them up with normal RCA cables ("interconnects") instead of speaker wire.

What you need is either a dedicated preamp or surround processor (those are relatively expensive), or a receiver with preamp outputs (those are usually quite affordable).

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at with your XLR-jack-jack-splitter thing, I would just get a cable with a stereo minijack on one end and stereo RCA plugs on the other. Split the cable down the middle and connect one RCA to each speaker. Monoprice has them for next to nothing.

Regarding the "optimal range" (or "sweet spot" thing), this happens to all speakers. Most studio monitors are made for near-field listening, placed right in front of you on a mixing desk or whatever. If you listen to them at a greater distance, they'll still work fine, although the treble may drop a little bit. Perhaps you won't even notice, but either way you can just turn up the treble a bit and be fine. It's much harder getting a large speaker meant to be heard at a distance sound good up close, than it is the other way around. You may find that the maximum sound level is lower than you'd think, if you're expecting club or concert sound levels.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 07:48 on Aug 15, 2014

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Wasabi the J posted:

I have a similar setup on my computer to what CRAYON described, with some key differences. I have a pair of Mackie MR5 MkII's, a Scarlett 2i2 USB DAC/interface, using balanced TRS/XLR cables; each channel (left/right) requires it's own cable, and has it's own output.

I was mainly concerned with AC hum, which I mitigated by offloading the audio processing from my motherboard (nearly eliminating buzz from the motherboard) and using balanced outputs (to make me feel better). Neither of these things will matter if you're only using this for an entertainment system.

I would go for the largest woofers available in the same lineup, since you like bass-heavy music; unless you feel like getting a sub, which will complicate your build.

My own setup is quite similar, too. Adam A5X monitors, two Dali SWA 12 subwoofers, DBX Driverack PX DSP crossover, NAD C165BEE preamp, FiiO D3 DAC. I'm using TOSLINK to the DAC to eliminate noise from the PC.

I went with the 5" woofer model because of space issues and price. Setting up the subwoofers correctly was a bit tricky, but it's pretty good now.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Can you swing $800? Because the Adam A5Xs are super amazing.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Don't worry about it. There's nothing particularly sensitive to magnetism in most modern electronics. You could put them right on top of the speakers with no ill effects.

Incidentally, don't diss the Wharfedales outright, they were pretty darn good speakers back in their day. What you can do is make sure all the speaker surrounds are in good condition and not rotted, and perhaps replace the crossover capacitors. They've probably completely dried out by now.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 09:24 on Aug 29, 2014

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


How large of an area/how many people are we talking about?

You're on the right track looking at PA stuff for this kind of thing. PA speakers are generally high-sensitivity designs with good power handling, to allow for high SPL, which is something you definitely need when doing outside sound in areas larger than a common patio.

Decent PA speakers don't have to be super expensive, you don't need top of the line JBL line arrays or anything unless you're hosting a major concert. Have a look at DJ supply stores etc. in your area, there are loads of budget DJ/PA stores online too. Don't be afraid of brands you've never heard off before, there isn't a lot of brand crossover between PA and home audio.

For power, you're looking for at least 500 watts per channel. If you're going to be running subs as well, figure at least twice that, with an active crossover and separate amplification for tops and subs. Luckily, PA amps are quite cheap for the power you get. I know Behringer gets a bad rep, but their Europower amps and iNuke class-D amps are inexpensive and powerful, and their crossovers work great too.

Don't forget to look for used gear. DJ/PA gear is generally built to shrug off abuse by careless roadies. It's built to last, and bands/DJs generally like to upgrade their gear quite often. You can easily get your hands on ~1000-2000 watts per channel worth of amps, with assorted crossovers etc. complete with flight cases around half of what new gear would cost.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 10:51 on Sep 16, 2014

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


IUG posted:

And these speakers wouldn't plug into a home theater receiver.

They will, but it depends on a couple of things. Home audio equipment is usually set up for bare speaker wire.

Some low-end PA speakers will take bare speaker wire directly, but most will have a 1/4" jack, XLR or SpeakOn connector. All of these carry the exact same signal, ie. an amplified speaker level signal. All you need to connect one of these speakers to a home audio amplifier is an adapter. You can also buy a speaker cable of the correct type and cut off the plug on one end, or you can buy the connectors and cable and make your own. SpeakOn connectors can be assembled/disassembled with a screwdriver, no soldering needed.

The biggest issue here is whether your receiver can deliver enough power to drive the speakers at a reasonable level.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Yeah, you need an amp between the mixer and the speakers. A Behringer should do nicely if you're buying new, otherwise check out Craigslist for used PA power amps, they can usually be had for a couple hundred bucks for a good name-brand model from people who are upgrading.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Pyle doesn't have the greatest reputation among pros, but some of that is probably brand snobbery. It's pretty much the same thing with all of the cheap brands.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


KillHour posted:

drat, that's cheap. I'm tempted to buy a second one....

I can highly recommend getting a second subwoofer. It really helps with flattening those room nodes.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Get a cheap DAC and whatever stereo amp you want.

The FiiO D3 is inexpensive and very good.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


SteveMcQueen posted:

I don't know much about DACs but have been eyeing the Dragonfly for a while. Would that be a better choice?

That DAC is super expensive for what it is, and it has absolutely no features to back it up, other than audiophile wank in the spec sheet. The fact that they also sell a $20 "Dragontail" ~5cm USB extender for it should be a major clue that they're peddling bullshit.

Do you need AC3/DTS/Dolby decoding? Do you need it to act as a preamp/headphone amp? Which kinds of inputs do you need?

If you're not going to plug headphones directly in to it, if basic stereo with no surround decoding is all you need, and if you've got a TOSLINK or SPDIF output on your PC, get the FiiO D3. I absolutely promise you that there is no audible difference between it and the Dragonfly, despite the fact that you can buy five D3s for the price of a Dragonfly.

If you only have USB available, get something like the Behringer UCA202. It costs ~$30 like the FiiO D3 and it's a great little USB DAC.

Neutral Zone Trap posted:

Thanks for the help folks, will check the thread and that DAC out.

Keep in mind that the D3 only has TOSLINK and SPDIF inputs. If you need USB input, you should go for the Behringer UCA202, too.

KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Jan 10, 2015

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KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Neutral Zone Trap posted:

Don't really need USB but I absolutely need one TOSLINK for all the poo poo that's plugged to my TV and figured I'd also use TOSLINK for the PC connection. Dual TOSLINK input seems very uncommon though?

TOSLINK switches with remote controls are available, and not to expensive.

Or since the D3 is also very inexpensive, you could just buy two, and do the switching on your amp :)

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