Audio Gear (Speakers, Amps, Receivers, etc.) | Never Enough

Speakers are just so damn expensive lol. I have a decent set of Definitive speakers for my front room but man ... shits not cheap and they're not really set up for a big front room. More like a large bedroom.

Don't most receivers now a days make corrections during the auto set up for things like crossovers and room corrections? I know a lot of speaker manufacturers try to have people run the front channels through the sub bypassing the receiver cross over, but I have my receiver do that.

As for my current setups that I spend most of my time on...

PC

• Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence STX - great hardware, fucking terrible drivers
• Headphones: Grado SR225 - very clean, clear, and articulate headphones at every frequency; not much thump in the bass
• Speakers: Swan/HiVi M200MKIII - very solid all around powered bookshelf speakers

TV/HT

• DAC: miniDSP DDRC-24 - it also uses Dirac Live room correction which really helps balance the low end of my setup, I find
• Amp: Emotiva A-100 - also has a baller headphone amp that can drive practically everything
• Stereo Speakers: Technics SB-C700 - I weep in joy while listening to my favorites on these things
• Subwoofer: Rythmik Audio E15HP - turns my couch into jello when it gets going

I'm currently contemplating adding a subwoofer to my PC setup and doing the trial for Dirac on PC again to see if I'm happy with the difference it makes. I tried it before, but the PC version was a revision behind the Mac and there were supposedly lots of fixes coming. We will see, I guess.

By Fenderputty Go To PostSpeakers are just so damn expensive lol. I have a decent set of Definitive speakers for my front room but man … shits not cheap and they're not really set up for a big front room. More like a large bedroom.

Don't most receivers now a days make corrections during the auto set up for things like crossovers and room corrections? I know a lot of speaker manufacturers try to have people run the front channels through the sub bypassing the receiver cross over, but I have my receiver do that.

Yup, many receivers do offer crossover settings. However, you often don't get much say as to what algorithm they use and some people are very, very particular about that. My miniDSP gives me, I think, 10 different kinds of crossovers to use (in addition to setting the crossover frequency to whatever I want, instead of in 10 hz increments).

Receivers are also coming with room correction capabilities, but they are typically lower end and not nearly as well done on the cheaper receivers. That Dirac software I mentioned in my post just before this one is top-notch stuff.

Yeah, speakers and audio stuff, in general, can get way too expensive. Thankfully, there are lots of good choices in the "lower" budget areas nowadays.

I just want to live in a noise proof place again (either home or a concrete apartment) where I can have a proper audio setup again. I can't even listen to TV anymore and all I have is two bookshelf speakers connected to a low wattage DAC smh.

Nice thread. You can count me as another audiophile, but a sane one, I mean... I don't fall for the snake oil (i.e "I just bought an USD1000 USB cable and now the sound that comes from my system is oh my god so much better!!!!!!!!!!!!").

Since I work from home, I've decided to put my money around my PC.

My current setup is:

Schiit Bifrost Uber DAC
Schiit Asgard 2



A pair of Genelec M030



The sound that comes from it, it's simply wonderful. Those Genelec are by far the best speakers that I've ever heard. It's so crystal clear that as cliché as it sounds, I was the first week listening to all my favourite albums and hearing new details that I've never noticed there with my others previous setup.

I plan to build a proper Hi-Fi system for my living room, but later next year. Since I'm extremely happy with Schiit products, most probably I'll go in that route, but we'll see. I already own a pair of KEF LS50 in white...



But I'll go finally, maybe in 2019 with a pair of floorstanding speakers, something like the PSB Imagine T3...


Regards.

Schitt makes some great stuff! Those KEF LS50's are fantastic, too! Definitely perform above their price.

By Oveja Negra Go To PostSchiit Bifrost Uber DAC
Schiit Asgard 2

$399 for the non-multibit 😳

I wish it had speaker wire out. How do you handle that?

By Kibner Go To PostSchitt makes some great stuff! Those KEF LS50's are fantastic, too! Definitely perform above their price.

It's my opinion that Schiit quality/$ is really unmatchable. I mean... you can find other brands cheaper than Schiit but they sound like crap, or you can find brands that manufacture products that sound better than Schiit's ones but you'll need to sell a kidney in order to get them.

And yeah, the KEF LS50 sound incredible, but you have to pay attention to the fact that although they are rated as 8 Ohm, they can go as low as 3 Ohm, so you need an amp that can handle the increase in current associated with the lower impedance.

Also, with a sensitivity rated at 85 dB, they are for sure inefficient, which means you'll need a powerful amp in order to make them shine. Something around 100 W @ 8 Ohms, 200 W @ 4 Ohms would be perfect.

By reilo Go To Post$399 for the non-multibit 😳

I wish it had speaker wire out. How do you handle that?

I tried my Bifrost going directly to my Genelec and I not recommend taking that path. The sound signal gets -I don't know why- a lot of "artifacts" while going to the speakers and on top of that, adjusting the volume digitally (via Windows) or the player (like MusicBee or Foobar) never gives the smooth experience of having a real volume knob.

Now, you can always get Modi Multibit for USD249 + Magni 3 for USD99, for a total of USD348 (cheaper than a Bifrost Multibit). The pros of that combo is you'll get basically the best bang for the buck when it comes to DAC+AMP.



In case you couldn't care less about using headphones, you can replace Magni 3 for Sys (Schiit volume control) for USD49...



That combo would cost you USD298 only.

Personally I'd save some money and go with Modi MB + Magni 3, cause as I said, you'll invest once and you'll get a system that kicks ass and can power almost any headphone you can think of.

Regards.

Thanks for the rec! I use a DAC for my home audio setup going into some Klipsch bookshelf speakers and that alone can get loud enough.

I’m currently using a SMSL Q5 Pro DAC/Amp, which I got for cheap on Massdrop. It works great but always looking to upgrade.

Headphone support would be ideal tbh.

By Oveja Negra Go To PostIt's my opinion that Schiit quality/$ is really unmatchable. I mean… you can find other brands cheaper than Schiit but they sound like crap, or you can find brands that manufacture products that sound better than Schiit's ones but you'll need to sell a kidney in order to get them.

And yeah, the KEF LS50 sound incredible, but you have to pay attention to the fact that although they are rated as 8 Ohm, they can go as low as 3 Ohm, so you need an amp that can handle the increase in current associated with the lower impedance.

Also, with a sensitivity rated at 85 dB, they are for sure inefficient, which means you'll need a powerful amp in order to make them shine. Something around 100 W @ 8 Ohms, 200 W @ 4 Ohms would be perfect.

Just be careful going any higher than that as 25-100 W @ 8 Ohm is the recommended power range.

Oveja, if you are aware of a mixer that can handle two optical inputs and sells for less than $600, let me know. The only one I have been able to find is the Motu LP32. I want to be able to have two audio feeds going at once for when I am playing a video game or watching a ball game or just being able to play music without needing my TV on and having to mess with a switch.

Just finished wiring my system yesterday! Due to room/house constraints, I went with a 5.1 system. My components are:

TV:
Samsung 65" KS8000 (Costco variant)

Receiver:
Yamaha TSR7810

Speakers:
Left/Center/Right - Chane A2.4 (rotating ribbon tweeter allows use of same speaker in different configs)
Surrounds - Chane A1.4

Subwoofer:
PowerSoundAudio 15V

Wired everything up with 12gauge wiring and still have to clean it up a bit. Haven't been able to dial in everything yet and everything I have read regarding the Chanes is that they require some break in period.

I don't have any 4K components but I have an Xbox one X on the way and will pickup the Apple TV4K once they put out the patch which allows resolution/hz/HDR settings to match the content, not constantly put out the same signal.

When breaking in speakers, don't just have them playing 24/7. That can actually mess them up. I would say just use them as normal for a few weeks/months but I'm not an expert and I'm certain others that have more experience in the matter could give you better advice.

Let me know what you think of that sub! I can't say that I remember reading about it when looking for my current one, so I'm curious with how it performs.

Also, let me know what you think about Yamaha's YPAO solution. I only have experience with Dirac and Audyssey Bronze (so much worse than Dirac).

By Kibner Go To PostLet me know what you think of that sub! I can't say that I remember reading about it when looking for my current one, so I'm curious with how it performs.

Also, let me know what you think about Yamaha's YPAO solution. I only have experience with Dirac and Audyssey Bronze (so much worse than Dirac).

Appreciate the advice! My break in routine has just been regular use, albeit at much louder volumes.

I ran the YPAO and found that it was pretty close to my own calibration that I did with a dB app. I've only had Yamaha receivers (this is my third) so I'm not familiar with Audyssey. The main change in this current receiver is that it allows for a multi-point/multi-position calibration taking all possible seating arrangements into account.

The sub is a superstar! I adore it. Due to the configuration of my room, a downfiring sub was going to be a big benefit and I'm so glad I went with it over the SVS SB2000 which I also trialed. I knew I picked right while playing the Forza 7 Demo on Xbox One X. There is a race that takes place at the Nurburgring and mid-race, a thunderstorm starts.

Literally shook me out of my seat.

The versions of Audyssey and Dirac I have used both took measurements from multiple points. The Dirac software actually has me tell it whether I am aiming to calibrate for a chair, a couch, or auditorium-style seating.

Great to hear about that sub! I love mine, too. It has enough power to make my couch (and my insides) feel like a bowl of jello when it gets going.

Thinking of making my Christmas gift to myself this year a Rythmik L12 sub for my PC. It would pair up with my M200MIII speakers. I am debating whether to pair it up with a simple splitter and doing crossover on the sub itself or get another DDRC-24 and use that to set the low and high pass filters for the speakers and the sub and also do a bit of automated tuning, as well.

I checked my bank account and... fuck it. I'm gonna get that Motu LP32 and a Chromecast Audio for my HT and a Rythmik F12G and another DDRC-24 for my PC.

e: gonna wait until Christmas or shortly after to see if any of it goes on sale

Visiting the folks in NY this week and have been gaming/streaming movies on my brother's HTIB set up. It's serviceable but man am I missing that big sub while playing Destiny.

By Kibner Go To PostI checked my bank account and… fuck it. I'm gonna get that Motu LP32 and a Chromecast Audio for my HT and a Rythmik F12G and another DDRC-24 for my PC.

e: gonna wait until Christmas or shortly after to see if any of it goes on sale

Keep your eye's on SVS' webstore, they had some crazy deals on sealed 12" subs on Black Friday and it wasn't the base models either.

https://www.minidsp.com/products/acoustic-measurement/ears-headphone-jig

Completely missed this thread. Nice to see some love for a proper audio set-up. My current set-up is mainly for listening to music, but it's also connected to my TV to improve sound when I'm gaming or watching a movie etc.

Amplifier: NAD C368
Speakers: DALI Opticon 2
Streaming: Bluesound Node 2
Recordplayer: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit (Ortofon Red 2M element fitted)

Have the speakers on stands left and right to my TV with the couch opposite of my set-up for a nice stereo triangle.

For on the road I have some Jabra Elite Sport buds and NAD HP20 earbuds. And if some more sound is needed the DALI Katch (bluetooth speaker).

Future plan is upgrading to floorstand speakers. Either Rubicon series from DALI or 700 series from B&W. And for the really long feature I can always consider adding a NAD C268 poweramp. But for now I'm really happy with how it is.

Great thread.

I'm thinking about adding a sub to my simple 2.0 computer / guitar room setup.

It currently consists of PC ---> M-Audio 2X2M audio interface ---> Tannoy Reveal 502 monitors.

I've been debating going the stereo guitar cab route, but it's frankly overkill for my 'bedroom player' needs. I'd also like to keep this a one-for-all type of setup - guitar playing, gaming / general use, music - so I'm sticking with monitors. The Tannoys are fine speakers for the money, but being 5-inchers they could use some help in the lower register. This is to remain a budget-minded setup, as I've spent enough money on my living room and headphone setups, so I'm eyeing the Presonus Temblor T10.



Cheap, sounds good and has all the features I need, including TRS inputs *and* outputs, plus a on/off footswitch, which is a rarity. Haven't seen anything as feature-complete and well-reviewed in the under 400€ category, but I'm open to recommendations, if you lads have any.

I haven't. That looks like a fucking awesome deal, though!

A friend was asking for help finding a soundbar and I stumbled across the Definitive Technology W Studio. It came out a couple years ago, but seems to still have good sound. I hear complaints about the remote and app, but whatever. It is currently on sale for $650 and normally competes with soundbars that are $1,000. A CNET review of it.

Got a pair of these today, had a relative working at Sony who got them for about US$155, less than half price. Sound quality is incredible and the noise cancelling is great. Taking some time to get used to the touchpad controls though.

Nice! How is the battery life on it? Is it only bluetooth?

Bluetooth but there is an aux cable, not sure if the noise cancelling works on the aux though?

I've only listened to it for a few hours wireless, will need to try it more. Battery life is allegedly 30hrs with noise cancelling on from a four hour charge. I'm skeptical but we'll see.

Anything more than 16 hours is good. I don't see why the noise canceling wouldn't work through aux, but companies have been known to make terrible decisions.

I thought I read somewhere that it doesn't but it could be one of the other features. I'm getting used to the swipe pad on the right cup for volume/skipping, and I like the cupping of the right side to silence it so you can hear people talking to you.

Do yoU guys know of there are any good/great behind the ear Bluetooth headphones? Price isn't a major issue so but preferably below $150

By Zeus Ex Machina Go To PostDo yoU guys know of there are any good/great behind the ear Bluetooth headphones? Price isn't a major issue so but preferably below $150

Not behind the ears exactly, but I heard good things about the Bose SoundSport. Supposed to be very secure and very comfortable while still providing a good quality sound for the price (which is kinda unusual for Bose, but whatev).

e: the Pulse version costs significantly more but has a heart monitor in it

Finished integrating my new sub with my PC and it is glorious. Huge improvement from before.

Yessssss, my optical audio mixers works! Right now, I only have two sources: 1) everything coming out from my TV and 2) a Chromecast Audio. Only listened to it for a few seconds but there doesn't appear to be any issues.

So very happy! Now I get to listen to whatever the fuck I want while playing console games or watching sports instead of being limited to Spotify and buggy and limited UPnP audio sources. Also means I can play audio through my speakers without needing my TV turned on or having to use a switch. And I can keep the same audio flow going even when switching between different TV inputs.

The Chromecast audio only has a single audio connector (3.5 mm standard jack) but said it supported optical out and I couldn't figure out how. Turns out that 3.5 mm jack was also a mini-toslink port. I had no idea mini-toslink was a thing. But, hey, I can get digital out of the CCA with it so I'm happy!

Sennheiser announced a soundbar at CES today. Get hype.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1LLb5eB6ms

The new Denon 8500 AVR is gonna be an absolute beast. Finally a worthy replacement of the 7200.

That looks beast! I can't really afford and also don't really have the room for a surround sound setup I would be happy with so that won't be on my wishlist. lol

Oh, one thing I did want to talk about and mentioned on discord is when I think it is worth it to get Dirac (or any other good) room correction software. My conclusion is you are better off spending money on better speakers until you reach a point where including that software would be about 33% of the cost of all your speakers. That drops to about 20-25% if you are good at doing bass management with your sub manually. Setting the phase, delay, sensitivity, crossover, etc.

So, if you are looking at the DDRC-24 from miniDSP ($450 or $525 if you need the calibrated mic, too), your stereo speakers, including the sub, should be worth around $1,350 before the difference it makes will overcome the difference better speakers for the same money will make.

With that said: it does a fantastic job at balancing a system out, especially around the crossover point. It will noticeably improve the sound of any sound system it is plugged into, even if the room isn't the best.

Of course, if you want to manually do what Dirac does and get 90% of the way there and save a couple hundred dollars, you can. There is free software like Room EQ Wizard that you can use. But that will probably take untold hours to configure and you would still want a calibrated mic to take measurements with.

Yo, this type of RCA connector is fucking legit:


That shield around the main plug is the ground, iirc, and it retracts as pressure is put on it while still maintaining contact. Makes the plug take little effort to insert or remove.

I wish I knew the name of that kind of connector so I can keep it in mind for future purchases. Regardless, here is the page if you want to buy it and hook it up to your own cables: http://www.neutrik.com/en/video/phono-rca/profi-cable-connectors/nf2c-b-2

e: I was wrong after spending more time on it, it takes just as much effort as a normal plug; i wasn't pushing it in far enough D: still a really neat connector that makes me feel better using, if nothing else

In my journey to setup my home theatre/stereo how I want, I've learned a lot. DACs, DSPs, digital and analog mixers, amps, etc. It makes my head spin when I think about it. But I can finally play two sound sources at once with no audible (to my ears) quality loss on great speakers. Happy!

Only have room treatment as the remaining thing left, but I'm not sure how much I could do with how my living room is setup.

Just cuz, here is a screen shot of one of the menus for my mixer that I use to listen to my tv/consoles/whatever and a chromecast audio at the same time:

One thing I learned recently is that most consumer audio gear expects input/output using unbalanced cable with a line level of -10 dB. A lot of pro gear expects a balanced signal which transmits at a line level of +4 dB. I haven't looked up why, but I did read that the balanced lines use that additional gain in addition to other features to help transmit a signal over long distances.

The reason I had to learn all this in the first place is that my system uses the OL DAC from JDS Labs (unbalanced out) to output to the MOTU 8A mixer (expects balanced in). The sound was fine, but it was very soft due to the mismatched line levels. The mixer let me change the input trim to get them matching. I used some 0 dBFS recordings (decibels relative to full scale; 0 dBFS is max volume) at various frequencies to test and make sure there was no clipping during that part of the chain.

You have to stay our brave audio warrior Kibner, keeping the thread alive.

By Linius Go To PostYou have to stay our brave audio warrior Kibner, keeping the thread alive.

Sadly, I probably won't have much new content now that my setup is practically finished. Maybe I can post some words about the OL DAC as a great and affordable DAC, though.

I would hardly call myself an audiophile (I once noticed only after several months that I had somehow disconnected one of my stereo speakers), but I am rediscovering a love of listening to music because of the purchase of a set of AirPods. The sheer convenience of them more than makes up for any audio shortcomings (which I haven't noticed anyway). My days of extensive and expensive sound systems are probably behind me (I got a lot of "that's too loud!" from the wife), but these have been worth every penny.

How can you not notice you're listening to one channel m8, then you're missing half of the information. Literally.

And I have to agree on wireless earbuds for the convenience. I have a pair of Jabra Elite's and they are perfect for when I have to go places on my bike. They do sound poor though, but for a run or riding my bike that's okay.

I started with whatever was cheap or free at the time. Then got a pair of Grado SR-80 headphones. Kept those for several years before upgrading to Grado SR225 and still use those. But then I added some Swan powered speakers (D1080, iirc) and used those for a while on my PC.

Then I got my first nice big screen TV ever and the sound was just... not good. I got a receiver and used some speakers I bought for my mom that she no longer used and it was better. Especially once I learned how to use their Audyssey software.

I went from there to my current setup and I doubt I will go any further because I would need a better room to really tell the differences between things on the next level and my living situation is such that I would need to tear down my current residence and rebuild the entire thing in order to have a room that is acoustically fit for that kind of equipment.

As for wireless headphones while out, I just need "good enough" more than "good" since I will rarely be in quiet environment with them. Just as long as the sound isn't distractingly poor is enough for me.

From what I understand, though, wireless tech is almost to the point where there is no noticeable quality loss (as long as the rest of the chain is good enough). Not quite there, but almost!

By Linius Go To PostHow can you not notice you're listening to one channel m8, then you're missing half of the information. Literally.

I don't think I noticed it until I listened to some Beatles, which were mastered very poorly in stereo, with very extreme left-right separation. "Where are the drums and bass? ... Oh."

I have needed some custom cables lately for various purposes (mainly interfacing with balanced ins/outs and unusual connector configurations) and didn't feel like making my own so I found a site that I really like: https://www.redco.com/Custom-Cable.html

They have some real nice quality cables and connectors to choose from and the price premium isn't that bad, either. The assembly can take up to two weeks, which can be an issue. But I haven't had an issue with them.

Any recommendations for a bluetooth speaker for my bedroom? Strictly inside, so I don't need to pay for waterproof or whatever. Just want something with decent sound that I can connect with my phone while I'm cleaning.

By data Go To PostAny recommendations for a bluetooth speaker for my bedroom? Strictly inside, so I don't need to pay for waterproof or whatever. Just want something with decent sound that I can connect with my phone while I'm cleaning.

Without doing a lot of research, JBL is pretty good.

If you want some bass JBL and UE Boom will suit you. Denon Envaya will sound a bit more balanced. In the end sound is very personal though, so always hard to pick a speaker just by reading about it. Visit a store if you have one near you.