/agt/ Audio General Thread

/agt/
Audio General Thread
Sexy subwoofer Edition
Post your setup, give suggestions, post some pastebin or Quick consumer guide, so that we can upgrade them
Previous Thread Let's write a guide step by step
First consumer speakers for real newbies in these price ranges
>50
>100
>150
>200
>250

Other urls found in this thread:

amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0063NU3AA/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_4?colid=1ZS4RH4AGZF7U&coliid=I3RV1SQT5OFKG9
m.amazona.de/vergleichstest-studiomonitore-2/7/
youtu.be/76w-Efjwagg
twitter.com/NSFWRedditGif

>Creative t12
>Edifier R1280T
>Edifier 1700BT
>M-Audio BX5 D2
>JBL LSR305 (Sup Forums favorite)/BX5 carbon

Hisssss

>Edifier 1700BT
r1600TIII are the same speakers except wired and cheaper. Why would you even want BT 2.0 speakers? I can understand 5.1 which are difficult to setup but for 2.0 speakers I don't see a point.
Other than that I can second Edifiers, amazing bang for buck, but only worth it in certain EU countries due to accessibility.

For the lower end of the money spectrum, I suggest people try powered Swan/HiVi speakers. They were my first foray into 'proper' audio, and for the price, they really can't be beat. I don't know about other markets but at least in Australia, they found a nice gap between Logitech-level stuff and say, AudioEngine speakers, and they filled that gap very nicely. Their offerings in this gap give AudioEngine a real run for their money, which isn't too hard to believe given that they were primarily makers of proper hifi, that decided to enter the desktop audio scene.

I had a pair of Swan D1080MKII 08, and while they've now been superseded by the D1080-IV, they blew my Logitech X530's out of the bloody water. They showed me what 'clarity' meant, in a way that Logitechs never will. And while the clarity that was to be found in those D1080MKII 08's can be considered fairly unremarkable as you climb up the hifi ladder (and there's a ways to go), it was really night and day. An excellent segue into what you're missing out on.

Picture of higher tier Swan/HiVi speakers

I'm planning to purchase that subwoofer to complement my Magnat Vector 207.

Currently using the subwoofer of my previous Teufel system, works sufficiently for now. I'm basically wanting to upgrade it because the sb1000 is black and the Teufel is grey.

Thanks dude

VU meters.

Which one works better for you guys, needle or LEDs?

I'm looking for a relatively small amp that has rca out so I can connect it to a sub, price range of ~200, does such a thing exist?

Alternatively I can run the speakers through the subs high input, I know I would have to manually adjust the sub this way but would I see any degrade in quality from the speakers in this instance?

Alternatively if there exists a good dac and amp combo that also has a decent headphone amp and sub connection I could spring for that in the $300 range

LEDs are more accurate but needles look classier

recommend me studio monitor €500 max a pair, can be second hand as well

was thinking of one of the following

adam f7
yamaha hs7
focal alpha 65
or tannoy reveal 8

How much can an entry level vinyl setup go for?

As someone who understand nothing about music or digital sound, why do VU meters start at negative decibels and why does it start clipping at 0? Why not start at 0?

>but would I see any degrade in quality from the speakers in this instance?
Yes, you could. For every link in your audio chain that the signal passes it gets dirtied up. You'd need a real good subwoofer to make sure it doesn't add noise and shit like that.

But personally I always use the high level connections as that's the only way I can hook up a sub to my amp

But yeah there are amps with RCA out. Yamaha A-S500 is the one that comes to mind but it's costly. One other thing you can do is if you have an amp that has separable pre-amp and power amp sections, then just run the rca to the sub and back to the amp.

>D1080MKII 08
>D1080-IV

Can't find these anywhere. Anyway, I was planning on getting these mostly because they are front ported so I don't have to worry about walls. (don't have a lot of space)

Good choice?

amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0063NU3AA/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_4?colid=1ZS4RH4AGZF7U&coliid=I3RV1SQT5OFKG9

Looking at this sub, the sub will make a bigger difference in the speaker quality than the amp will? I'm assuming a more powerful amp won't make a difference then.

I WAS looking at an smsl amp but I was told smsl quality is a little spotty, they are also cheaper however and I could always upgrade down the line.

I assume speaker and sub quality will make a more noticeable difference than the amp though

I wish I had those LEDs built in like you have.
Even if I prefer needles.

Because if you weren't limiting the gain then your amplifier would run at full power all the time, that's how decibels work.
My amp has just a scale from 0 to 10, though.

If that dude with the dragonfly red is here please let me know if it's worth the money over the black. Reviews are super positive but I'm still sceptical.

Because the meter shows you how many dB _beneath_ clip you are.

Bel is a logarithmic unit, i.e. 0 dB: 10^0 = 1, -10dB: 10^-1 = 0.1, -20dB: 10^-2 = 0.01.
the value denotes the power ratio to a base value, 1, or 0dB, being the maximum output in this case. when talking about amplifiers, you might see something like 5dB amplification, that would mean that the output power is 10^0.5 = 3.16 times the input power.

I have these tannoy (bar the sub is black too not grey/white) The sound from them is just superb

How would one go about using 1 android as music source hooked up to my stereo and using android 2 as a remote? No spotify bullshit please.

Use some kind of UPnP software.
BubbleUPnP for android1 (music source) and other upnp remote control app as the android2. I use "AllConnect" app for that.

Does anyone know of any decent network audio players that don't cost an arm and a leg?

You can make one from any old laptop, raspberry pi or whatever. You can install some lightweight linux, then mpd and upmpdcli and just play stuff from your PC or phone.

>People actually use "computer speakers"
>people with Logitech speakers acting like high end audiophile memers
Fuck, I actually use music for a living, and half this thread looks worse than fucking Sup Forums

>I actually use music for a living
what do you mean by this user?

Got 2 options
Fluance SX6 and a SMSL Q5 amp

or

JBL 305?

JBL 308

What is a good way to make a reliable power supply for a 12v car audio setup in my house? You get so much more power out of car amps than you do with home equipment.

Read here m.amazona.de/vergleichstest-studiomonitore-2/7/

errr... regular computer ATX power supply, by any chance? Why do you people not think of this?

What exactly makes a DAC good?

exact Digital-to-analog chip used in said DAC.
Also bit depth, sampling rate and overall quality of the whole unit.

What type of setup would be needed to be able to use speakers for both my PC and a TT?

Transparency

I've worked in music for over a decade and have been making music for more than double that time, everyone has to start somewhere, there's no need to be an obnoxious child.

Hi. I did a listening session with both of them. The red has far greater dynamics at lower volumes and more clarity in the low end. Definitely worth the upgrade in my opinion but the black isn't exactly a bad choice, it's amazing for the price.

No way in hell 9 tweeters and 3 woofers on each side will do any good for wave interference. It'll sound different with every inch you move.

Some sort of amplifier that can accept multiple inputs, or some sort of switcher.

If you're referring to the the tallest speakers, 8 soft dome and 8 planar magnetic tweeters (16 total), one midrange, and two woofers each.
Wave interference exists anyway with multiple drivers and path length differences, crossover filters or not. I presume the idea was a sort of line array or something like that, but most consumer oriented implementations are more crude than what you might see in PA.

College apartment tier.
Lsr308

ideal budget for a 5.1 setup? as cheap as possible without going ghetto or buying used.

just looking or a target is all.

Just curious, aren't they too close to the walls, especially the left one? They're back ported monitors.

>ideal budget for a 5.1 setup?
You forget about it and get a pair of decent monitors. Afterwards, when you've saved enough money again, you buy the same pair again and use them as a 4.0 system.

I have a pair of HD598's that I'm listening to through a Blue Yeti microphone. Is there any reason for me to use 320kbps instead of 96 with this setup?

Yeah you are 100% correct but there are not many other options for placement right now. Getting stands soon.

Your post tells me you should learn about codecs first as you question barely makes sense.

Hey guys, so I have a polk audio psw10 subwoofer for my hometheater. It's pretty decent but not as powerful as I would like. What's a decent upgrade that won't cost me more than $300?

Is it really the power you are after?

Model?

Power and quality. I like nice and tight lows when at low volumes, but when I crank it up I would prefer home-shaking bass which this subwoofer doesn't really provide for me. It's too muddy at low volumes than I would like.

OP here.
This thread is also for beginners. The purpose of making suggestions for the low end range is to make people enter this world and not buying the first shit they find on amazon, so instead of being a bitch, if you make this for a living, i'm sure you can give people precious suggestions.
>Pic related

Buy a second one. Same model.

meant for sorry

Quadraphonic is icky. Better to order the single monitor first after the pair so you get a real center.

That's a little ambiguous. Either you want more SPL, flatter response, or deeper bass. Probably all of the above. Larger subwoofer unit(s) would be the way to start.
EQ works well for bass equalization/flattening, less so for equalizing higher frequency effect from the room.

it would be useful to know what exactly is the issue and search a proper way to fix it before jumping into new purchase blind. I'm almost certain the issue you have has to do with frequency response and room acoustics. This is eased with an array of subwoofers as well as with EQ. A new sub in the same room might not do anything good.

Now if you truly need more power, better LF extension or features, maybe it is time for a new sub.

That's exactly why I want to buy a pair of Reveal 802 instead. They're front ported so the walls become less of an issue

>Use your internet powers only for good
Then go to fucking Reddit and get yourself upboated

Is there a thing such as a good soundbar?

End your life frustrated faggot

being an audiophile is great my powerboard cost more then most setups in this thread

im not a photographer thou

>dat sub

Now I'm jelly

You'd think with that much money you'd at least have space for all this shit

Got a 150 usd for a pair of bookshelf speakers and 100 usd for the amp, need optical out and usb

>implying Audioengine is on a tier above Swans
It's the exact same crap, but good for you for not wasting money on Audioengine

nice placebo

Hey what happened to my thread from this morning where you posted that? Fucking jannies didn't even give me a warning or explain what rule I had broken, it just disappeared.
Something used, or a build-it-yourself if you have power tools and space. If you really want power make a tapped horn with a large driver. Most of the designs out there are for little stuff (6-8") but some people have made big ones with 18" drivers, you'll bring the house down with that.

>that speaker placement
>audiophile

You REALLY wonder why that garbage thread got deleted? You should've been banned as well, preferably perma-range banned.

Wow, you're mad

Thoughts on the Fluance SX6?

Disgusting. Get a pair of used speakers from a real brand, my local craigs had a pair of B&Ws for $100 last week, you can find stuff like that if you aren't afraid of interacting with people.

Plug them into one of those chinkshit class D amps, or a used receiver, and you'll have a setup that shits all over that garbage.

focal sw 1000 got it for 1200 my old sub broke and they had that one on the floor because it was repared by warrenty it usally goes for 4000 in aus where i live
the sub placement annoys me and it takes up to much desk space but there is no ware else in my house it would fit and there it fills the room nicely

its the best placment i can do given my situtation best listening position is on the couch that is on the rear wall which isnt pictured

Thanks m8, I´m in Mootxico so no craiglist here, only amazon , any speakers u recommend? I have 150 usd

not sure what happend but Sup Forums isnt the place for audiophile discussion because everyone who is poor is to jellious of rich people and will just claim whithout testing that anything audiophile is placebo
eg

I haven't got the slightest idea what they sell in Mexico or what the bargains are. These things are highly country-specific. My suggestion would work if you live in a decently populated part of North America, but I imagine Mexico is different. Although I am sure there are lots of placebophiles selling used gear in the DF, that gay hit man from Traffic said he was into B&W so maybe look for used B&Ws?
Yeah, it's funny. $500 headphones are totally not placebo, but the equivalent tier in speakers causes instant NEET outrage.

Will using a dac make a noticeable difference on a pc? My mobo is a cheap one to begin with so I assume the onboard sound sucks. Would it be noticeable? Also is it better to run the dac from USB or an optical cable?

Wait how far away are you from the speakers? It looks like a good nearfield position but if you're far away then it's not very good.
By ''testing'' you mean sighted listening, not blind tests, right? Your speakers and subwoofer are both really nice, but in my opinion the amplification and cd player or whatever that is are over kill.

But if it sounds good to you then all the power to you.

so I just bought a $150 amp/preamp to avoid having to switch cables around when I want to use my desktop speakers instead of my headphones
how Sup Forums am I

You'll hear a lot of people say unconditionally no

In my opinion, if you hear noise or the analog out is really really poorly designed, a cheap outboard DAC like the uca202 might make sense

USB and optical makes no difference in normal use (i.e. you are not in a studio or some shit). Just use whatever's available, convenient, and cheap

Didnt find any used or new from B&W
So far I have found these on Amazon
Paradigm Shift A2
ELAC Uni-fi UB5
Klipsch R-14M

Any of these are any good?

Is this good advice for getting a cheap speaker set-up? I have lots of thrift shop around me. What brands do I look out for?
youtu.be/76w-Efjwagg

Which one?

The only reason I'm considering picking one up is that my computer speakers now, when I turn them up to a decent listening volume there's a very slight hum I can hear when things are quiet. I'm wondering if the dac will get rid of that

Magni 2 Uber
the best part is I'll still have to switch cables, but it'll just involve plugging/unplugging headphones instead of RCA cables

ive got one of those cheap polk psw10 subs. it works fine considering i have neighbors but i miss my old 500w jbl

None of those are terrible, but they're wildly different. Some are active some are not. Some are for studio, some are for personal listening. Those all have their pros and cons.

They're all better than what you suggested before. A lot better. But monitors are more aimed at flat response and less at being pleasant to listen to. Active has some theoretical benefits and can be more convenient, but also more limiting than passive (and at this price level the theoretical benefits are probably nil). A super flat response may be better in some environments than a "pleasing" response. In other environments it will be lifeless and unpleasant.

But, overall, yeah. Better. I'm a bit biased against Klipsch but it's still a big improvement over Fluance.

Does it do that when the amp isn't plugged into the computer? If so the DAC isn't going to do shit. If not, get a cheap DAC.

Anyone have experience with topping amp and dac combos? Any good?

Thanks m8, mirin the Klipsch

>biased against Klipsch
Horns too much for you?

Well, they have a really annoying fanbase, and they're kind of coasting on their reputation from 40 years ago when they were really high end. They're basically on the same tier as Polk but with an attitude.

Klipsch are like that average looking dumpy girl in school where you tried to be nice to her and she was like I'M NOT INTERESTING IN DATING YOU. Like, get over yourself bitch, I was just being nice.

Means he lives in his mom's basement or a ghetto apartment working minimum wage while his recording career takes off.

Little does user know that 2 year audio degree was more worthless than a general arts degree

Chances are that's true, but I know quite a few people who make money in the music business, as composers, professors, or evil record company executives.

And he's right about dogshit computer speakers although, funnily enough, it seems like the people who actually produce the most have the worst gear.

Then again I only know about people doing respectable music stuff not that stuff kids listen to where you can't even understand the words, or "DJ" shit.

Why don't people audition stuff instead of blindly buying shit based on user advice? Literally no reason not to go to a music store and compare monitors, or go to a hi-fi place (even best buy) to demo stuff.

Then you can pick what you like, see how the speakers out of your price range sound compared to the ones you can afford. Maybe you will save more money. Or maybe you will realize you prefer the cheaper ones?

My speakers were bought auditioned

My electronics weren't because it doesn't make a difference

Why do people on Sup Forums love to do this "everyone is stupid except me" thing?

It doesn't whether it cost 5 dollars or 5000 dollars.
That's just shitposting.

>and less at being pleasant to listen to
Since when did this ever mean anything.
Even if the on-axis response is flat, they can sound quite different. There are tons of ways the speaker can be colored that may or may not be subjectively acceptable or even pleasing.
If there's anything they do different, consumer speakers are more likely to dabble and experiment with exotica and emphasize the design aesthetic.

blind testing and also have the component in the system for 2 weeks then take it out and see what the difference

the couch is about 3m away the sound fills the room nicley having the speakers closer together shortins the sound stage but it mitigates reverb from the walls my mate has room treatment which im getting soon ish