How do you listen to music in the home?
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Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Tech Talk
Forum Description: Discuss musical instruments, equipment, hi-fi, speakers, vinyl, gadgets,etc.
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=92429
Printed Date: November 23 2024 at 11:08
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Topic: How do you listen to music in the home?
Posted By: dibble
Subject: How do you listen to music in the home?
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 04:22
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I've been wondering what everyone uses as a personal preference for listening to music in their home? Currently, I have no hi fi system but I do have an idea of what I might purchase, but I was just wondering what everyone's personal preferences are... I can't imagine anything more perfect than being able to sit down and listen to music througout the room and more than that, the sound just being pure and clear! I am using my lap top and headphones atm. ------------- Loving newly discovered music here. :) |
Replies:
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 04:51
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I have many different hi-fi setups in different rooms ranging from the acceptable to the quite good. There is no ideal setup and it is simply a matter of preference, cash and how much space you have - I prefer to start with the best speakers I can afford and work backwards. Good speakers (and headphones) connected to a mid-priced amplifier driven from a budget CD player will give good results, the only break in that "rule" is if you are playing vinyl then a mid-priced turntable is essential (Pro-Ject, Rega or Music Hall) - avoid cheap turntables at all costs. The key is to match your hi-fi to the room - small speakers in a big room will sound bad, similarily big speakers in a small room will be difficult to manage, the amplifier power should also be matched to the room size but to a lesser extent - a 30W amp can sound as good as a 100W since neither will be run at full power, but too small and you'll be over driving it, too big and you could damage your speakers. Since the mechanics of CD players are the weakest link in the chain I don't waste money on expensive CD players, the electronics in budget players is the same as in mid-priced ones, all you are paying for is the name and slightly better build quality - I actually use a £30 DVD player (without the TV connected) having spent £100s on mid-price and expensive transports from the likes of NAD, Cambridge Audio, Micromega and Arcam over the years that fail after 18 months heavy usage.
I have no problem with digital music so streaming is worth looking at, I connect my Archos tablet to the living room hi-fi wirelessly and stream music from my PC, I'm also working on constructing a Raspberry Pi media player to do the same thing. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Windhawk
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 04:54
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Good quality headphones connected to the PC. Just about the only option available when living in a small 3-room apartment with wife and two kids.
------------- Websites I work with: http://www.progressor.net http://www.houseofprog.com My profile on Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/haukevind/ |
Posted By: zeqexes
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 05:06
I have a CD player in my lounge room connected to big speakers that have great sound quality, but mainly I listen to music through this smaller set I have (Logitech X-230): Sometimes I'll listen to music through my not too great quality headphones (as I am now). ------------- 
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Posted By: dibble
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 05:51
Thank you everyone for your responses.  Dean, that's really interesting info you've shared thank you. I do have to be careful with my budget so it is really useful to know where to spend the money and where not to, thanks. Windhawk, thanks for your answer... that is what I use now. Zeqexes, thank you for your info and the pics. I've just got some really comfy Sennhesier headphones yesterday which feel like a dream to wear, so I am happy with those atm. Thanks again everyone for your responses. ------------- Loving newly discovered music here. :) |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 05:54
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If you have a http://www.richersounds.com/" rel="nofollow - Richer Sounds in your neck of the woods it's worth looking in there to see what's available and what fits your budget. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 06:56
Listening through speakers or headphones is quite a different experience, I love both depending on the moment (idea for a new thread here), I used to listen mostly via speakers but in the recent years I have come to use the headphones much more, not because I wanted to but because of necessity, my ex-girlfriend could not stand Prog and in my current apartment the neighbours are very sensitive to my music volume  (I'm a bit deaf after many years of loud music playing).I have a rather simple Phillips CD player (the Decca turntable is currently out of order but I hope to fix it some day soon or buy a new one), a quite decent vintage Technics amp and decent Technics headphones and it sounds good enough for me, no surround / home-theater system so far. The speakers are vintage 3-way Thomson's with new membranes and they sound also good enough for me considering that my neighbours will not allow loud volumes. DVD's are played on the computer drive with the video signal sent to the TV and the sound sent to the old Technics amp. In summary, nothing fancy and everything quite vintage, but it sounds good enough for me.
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Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 07:01
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I have a Denon set-up with turntable, cd player, radio, cassette deck(oh yeah!), a powerful amp and some Dali speakers - bought second hand, and the sound of the thing is just beautiful. I prefer to listen to music in a room with "open spaces", so as the music can properly unfold. I don't have that now, so I prefer the headphone option instead. I also use my ipod quite a lot. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Hawkwise
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 07:12
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I Am Lucky enough to have a dedicated listening room ( No TV etc ) were Vinyl is the main listening pleasure Via Rega Turntable , Denon Receiver and Celestion Speakers there is also a Nad CD Player.. I also have a studio room which has another Rega Turntable connected to my P.C. via Pioneer Amp and M Audio Interface through some nice old Tannoy Straford speakers, and a hard drive full of Music i hardly ever really listen to . oh and a Pair of Sennheiser Headphones. I also like listening to Music in the Bath which is now done via i pad and dock which also finds its way to the garage when i am out there making up My Carp bait and Rigs.
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Posted By: ole-the-first
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 11:47
I have a great sound system, very large and expensive. But I never use it  Instead I use my mid-class headphones. Not so bad decision actually as they provide great, near to excellent sound quality with all the accuracy about sound textures. ------------- This night wounds time. |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 12:00
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I have roughly 3 different ways to consume music inside the home. First, there is the iPod with earbuds - I use this to fall asleep to, and sometimes when I'm cleaning house or doing dishes.. Second, there is the iPod docking station, which has a subwoofer and two decent speakers. Not a loud system, more something to just play unobtrusively in the family room. Third, I have the Big Stereo on the basement floor (kind of our recreation area). It's not a high end system exactly, but it has a separate power amp, preamp, Boston Acoustic speakers, a nice turntable (with optional USB output, convenient for recording to digital), and CD player. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 16:14
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Ah, I missed to mention the EQ, also a vintage unit by Acoustic Control but quite decent (12 bands per channel). By the way the use or not of an EQ is also an interesting subject, gonna start another thread about it
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Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 16:31
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In my bedroom, I have a stereo unit which has two Sony CD Jukeboxes attached to it containing 600 CDs. The unit itself has a cassette player, a 5-CD player, and a dock station for my iPod. In my family room, I have an older Sony 5.1 surround sound receiver which is connected to my TV and Blu-Ray player. I have two Bose speakers that I use as my front speakers. I don't currently have the rear speakers hooked up though, so it isn't really surround sound at this point. I also have a pair of wireless speakers that I bought with the intent of using them as my rear speakers, but they aren't really compatible with my stereo. I think that if I strip some wire that I could make them compatible, but with my luck I'd probably blow the whole thing up so I haven't done that yet. I do use the wireless speakers for playing my iPod when I am in the family room. I also hook my laptop up to them on occasion when I am listening to music on the laptop instead. ------------- 
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Posted By: The Doctor
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 16:35
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I use our 2nd bedroom as an entertainment room/cat-free zone. Aside from my tv, I have a surround sound system as well as a pioneer multi-region dvd player, which also happens to play DVD-A and SACD. Have that hooked up through analog connections as the digital connections downmix the DVD-A to stereo. Also have a turntable (not one of those expensive models, but a 75 dollar model hooked up to my receiver as well). However, aside from records and surround sound discs, most of my listening goes on with Bose quiet comfort headphones and a portable CD player, I think headphones give a richer, fuller sound than speakers in general. ------------- I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you? |
Posted By: dibble
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 17:33
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This is all really interesting! A thousand thank you s to everyone for your replies. I will keep re-reading the replies and will absorb all the helpful information for when I do go shopping. Dean thank you for the link to Richer Sounds, I don't live near any shops... so I'll have a look on their web site. Thanks again everybody. ------------- Loving newly discovered music here. :) |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 18:13
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I have a pretty high end Denon receiver with good Yamaha floor speakers similar to these guys. They're OK but I still prefer the sh*tty looking homemade speakers I had in high school, which had better bass. http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=64JlU2Z0ISHIhM&tbnid=EQda_RRMV3kJzM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adorama.com%2F1%2F1%2F71965-yamaha-ns-777-dual-8-3-way-250-watt-floor-standing-speaker-ns777.html&ei=eWQ-Uc7ICaXhyQG-woC4Bg&bvm=bv.43287494,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNGVf7vkITHCQNs7o5r-Z36lpX1kzg&ust=1363129799295149" rel="nofollow">  |
Posted By: Ajay
Date Posted: March 11 2013 at 18:16
| A couple of years ago, after my wife and I bought a plasma TV, I went looking for a new hi-fi system. I spent ages comparing components, and ended up facing a choice: either spend megabucks on a sound system which wouldn't sound crap, or stick with the sound out of the TV. I was already happy enough with the sound out of the TV that the improvement I would get from spending megabucks seemed a case of diminishing returns, so I stuck with the TV. For when I want to listen privately or for really detailed listening, I have a pair of wireless Sennheiser headphones. |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: March 12 2013 at 15:22
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My lower level of my home is a finished walkout basement, includes a large great room area where I have my system. I can go down and listen in peace while the rest of the family is upstairs doing their thing or watching TV. My work desk in down there too so I can work and listen too. I am about 80% vinyl. 10% CD and 10% digital. I am in my late 40's so I have had many systems in my time, my current system is my best, basically less is more. Understanding matching components and drawing out the best from a pc of gear has been my drive, at the best dollar value possible.....You don't need to spend tons of money on audio gear, unless you want to.I enjoy very much what I have, all modern gear as I was tired of the constant repair shop trips of my vintage gear. My amplifier is a NAD C356BEE, CDP is also NAD C545BEE, speakers by Epos and a Music Hall mmf-7.1 turntable with Nagaoka cartridge. I also use a standalone tube DAC by Grant Fidelity to help my digital files and when I want to connect my laptop, which is not often. All my interconnects are made by Morrow Audio and speaker cable by BlueJeans Cable. I have had countless hours of musical bliss with this system...... -------------   
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Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: March 12 2013 at 15:26
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I listen only with the computer. And computer speakers is out of the question! But I have an external sound card with stereo output (in tele format, so I use a tele-to-RCA cable), which I connect to an amplifier (Technics SU-501) whis connected to a couple of speakers (Jamo Power 365). I almost never listen by headphones, I prefer not to. Buy a soundcard with stereo RCA-output, I think an internal gives more value for the money, but I have external with a lot of connections for music making. So a soundcard, amplifier, and speakers, plus cables. I doesn't have to be awfully costly, you can buy each thing second hand. |
Posted By: dibble
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 10:25
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Thank you everyone for your further reponses... I had a wander roiund a couple of High Street shops that sold hifi etc. It was quite an eye opener.. with complete systems already set up to work together.. but what made me look were the speakers... really tall ones, very long ones,, enormous chunky ones and then the surround sound systems. All totally mind boggling.. but what I would like to ask is,, is it just packaging.... all the different shapes and sizes,... just to look good and is that really for no real purpose other than the visual? because, it is what is inside that matters, isn't it, and how it works and most importantly what the sound is like? I could make a list of all the speakers that everyone has suggested and work it out that way couldn't i? If you have shared your speakers name with me,.. thank you.. ------------- Loving newly discovered music here. :) |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 10:52
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The best judge of speakers is your ears. You can read all the recomendations and suggestions but at the end of the day if you don't like what you hear then nothing will fix that. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Hawkwise
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 12:09
 YERP.Yep only real way is to try and find a good Hi Fi dealer and thenchoose various different set ups in your Budget rage and take time to listen to some of your Fav Music and let your Ears decide . Speaker Size will depend on your room Size so you could take your measurements of your room with you and show them to your Hi Fi dealer to help you out. Finding a good HI FI dealer really is worth the effort and maybe the little extra cost but worth it in the long run if end up with right system for you. -------------
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Dean wrote:Posted By: smartpatrol
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 12:16
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I listen to most of my music on my PC, which has some very nice, little speakers. Sometimes I'll use a little boom box.
------------- http://bit.ly/1kqTR8y" rel="nofollow">  The greatest record label of all time! |
Posted By: dibble
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 13:07
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Thank you Dean and Hawkwise. ....so does that mean then that I go into a shop with my cd and ask them to play it so I can listen to it? Me thinking... that would really be quite fun with music I like filling the store!!!! I think I would prob like to listen to The Watchmaker ( S WIlson ) I did once have the experience of a sub woofer. I really hated the sound of it, so I do understand that it is to some extent personal in the choices that you make. Smartpatrol, I saw some boom boxes for the very first time today and there was a good deal on them because the shop was closing... ------------- Loving newly discovered music here. :) |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 13:21
Indubitably - always listen to new Hi-Fi gear with something you are very familiar with then you can be sure it's the equipment you are listening too and not the CD's production. Also, the weirdy-beardies that work in HiFi shops have terrible taste in music. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Hawkwise
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 13:23
Any real good Hi Fi dealer will have a dedicated listening Room were you can go and check out and listen to various different bits of Hi Fi in your budget. ive done this in past and spent a whole day just sitting in there listening room checking out lots different set ups. really is the best way to do it. -------------
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Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 14:29
Yes I'm no expert but I'm afraid that nowadays there's a lot of fancy external design to fool people into thinking that some speakers or any other equipment must be coming from NASA but their actual quality is rather low. In the old times you could tell much more from the looks of Hi-Fi components if they would be good or not, but now designers have taken over over engineers and have learnt how to fool customers. My advice would be: 1. stick to respected brands, they can not afford lowering too much the real quality of their products 2. before purchasing, do some searching on the internet for reviews etc. They are not always reliable so be sure to check as many as possible before forming a reliable opinion.
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Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 15:14
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A related question: when you use speakers, where and how are they located? a. on the floor b. mid height (for example placed on some mid-height shelf or furniture piece) c. hung high on the wall In my youth it was very popular to hang loudspeakers high in the corners of the room (I mean high from a standard apartment standard, something like 2 meters) in a flexible way, for example using flexible nets, ropes or supports, facing slightly downwards so if you sat in the center of the room you had both speakers directly facing to your head, and the flexible holding was supposed to allow the speaker to freely vibrate and avoid rigidness which might hamper the actual performance of the sound. Recently I believe that this practice has disappeared, some speakers have floor supports and stay themselves above floor level, others just rest on the floor... I have vintage but good quality 3-way speakers, I have moved recently so for simplicity I have placed them right now just on the floor, but honestly I feel like the sound is not so good as when before I had those same speakers hung from the walls rather high (around 2 meters), facing slightly downwards and facing the center of the room. The question has no meaning for PC speakers, iPod docking stations etc, but when using medium-big Hi-Fi speakers, what's your take on speakers placement?
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Posted By: dibble
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 16:15
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Thank you again everyone for your replies.. I've never heard of the flexible supports for speakers Gerinski, sounds interesting, to let them be flexible with the vibration. This hi fi system I will be getting will be the very first one I've bought for myself... when there was one in the house before, the speakers were on the floor... but I think it might be quite nice to have them on the wall.... Up high will keep them out of trouble... ------------- Loving newly discovered music here. :) |
Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 20:29
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But don't put all your trust in a hifi dealer.....they want to sell you
their stuff, and they naturally recommend stuff they have.And they may
say it's only a question of how much money you want to spend. You can
listen to speakers of different character to find your own preference. I don't have much experience or knowledge but I have preferences. My dad bought somewhat expensive Dali speakers 8 years ago, after being recommended by someone in a hifi store. They sound good, but they have a softness to my ears, or "warmth" or something, not a punchy mid range sound. So my own preference is probably a more powerful sound with a good midrange character and a frequency range that goes deep down. My "Jamo Power 365" have such characteristics but they are really old now and have problems.They have a specific "bass reflex system", which I've heard improves the bass at the lowest frequencies. If the speakers reaches down to 60hz you would need a sub woofer I guess. And that's a solution I know nothing about. I have experienced sub woofers in computer speaker setups, and it is just a mess to my ears, even if decreasing it to lowest bass level, it's just a lot of bass. It's probably a different thing with real hifi systems, but I'm wondering about the evenness of the frequency response if you divide it into speakers+sub woofer. It's interesting anyway, and the choice of speakers is probably the most important choice. I found this "List of loudspeaker manufacturers", might be interesting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_loudspeaker_manufacturers" rel="nofollow - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_loudspeaker_manufacturers |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 20:33
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Typically my Bluetooth speakers or computer speakers. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Eria Tarka
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 20:52
| I usually listen to music through my headphones, whether it be on my iPod or my Laptop. |
Posted By: awaken77
Date Posted: March 14 2013 at 07:18
| I listen music, playing on my keyboard simultaneuysly, comping chords and add some improvisation |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: March 14 2013 at 10:43
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Design of speaker cabinets has improved dramatically in the last 20 years. You do not need anymore the big large boxs of say a Cerwin Vega or even the classic and much desired Klipsch LaScala or Heresy...those with the huge 15" woofers. Cabinet designs have eliminated the need for such large drivers. For a traditional room size bookshelf speakers with a 5" to 7" mid/bass driver is more than sufficient to get you the low end you need.
Ideally you want the tweeter at ear level in your normal listening position...so a standmount speaker will sit on 20" to 24" stands roughly. And at least be 4" from the rear wall and sides, that will help your low end come forward....But all I do is play with speaker placement and find that sweet spot my ears like and then I leave it alone.
As far as finishes of speaker cabinets, its just like furniture. Most speaker mfgs know that they will be in a living room or family room so they are now using some real high end wood veneers and furniture grade finishes, piano like finishes which do add quite a lot to the cost if you go this route. It adds nothing to the sound quality, its merely an eye candy factor you are paying for.
Tower speakers if you have a rather large room, bookshelf speakers for mid sixe room....Even if you have a large room bookshelf speakers may be best if you mainly do nearfield listening or not at high volume levels.
But above all go and listen to speakers with music you are familiar with...If you are going from computer speakers to a higer end system, you will be amazed at what you have been missing, and becareful of the wallet monster!! It lurks in your ears and tells you to "buy, buy, buy!!"
Have fun! -------------
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Posted By: Ady Cardiac
Date Posted: March 14 2013 at 10:49
| usually i just listen to stuff on some old seperates ive got.......basically cd player, graphic equalizer which is built into amp... connected to speakers about 3/4 of the way up a wall......dont like having speakers on the floor.....if not that way got some fairly decent chunky headphones i put on on occasion if i want complete cut off from the world....which happens often. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: March 14 2013 at 11:25
------------- What? |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: March 14 2013 at 13:05
^wise words, Dean.  I glued a poster pin to a speaker taken from a talking doll and use that to play my LPs, which I spin by hand. 
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: March 14 2013 at 15:47
Love it......chunky headphones to cut off the world.......I like it!!  -------------
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Posted By: The Mystical
Date Posted: March 15 2013 at 04:12
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I am an enjoyer of music with quite an ear for music, but for me, there is no "proper" way to listen to music. $50 speakers, $2000 speakers, I can enjoy music with a great variation of quality. That being said, I love vinyls. ------------- I am currently digging: Hawkwind, Rare Bird, Gong, Tangerine Dream, Khan, Iron Butterfly, and all things canterbury and hard-psych. I also love jazz! Please drop me a message with album suggestions. |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: March 15 2013 at 08:51
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Posted By: brodieshenton
Date Posted: March 20 2013 at 02:26
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I also don't have a big and bulky system, currently i am having Creative 5.1 system and they feel really good and produce good quality of sound. ------------- http://www.spammer.html" rel="nofollow - spam |
Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: April 17 2013 at 01:04
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Gotta reply to this thread.
My current "Main" basement Mancave system in a dedicated 23'x25'x7' listening space:
Amp: dynaco MKIII monoblocks/PAS3X pre (both rebuilt w/mods&upgrades)
CDP: Oppo BDP-95/Rega Apollo
TT: Denon DP-47F/cart:Grado Gold1
Loudspeakers: Klipsch Cornwall 2(w/Crites)
Powered subwoofer: Klipsch RSW15
Recent divorce, no kids and a big old 1916 Portland Bungalow has allowed me to go a little crazy in the past 5-6 years with audio. I have 4 separate stereo systems in the house. Yeah, i guess i'm one of those "Audiophiles" now. I did/do try to keep the $pending sane. (Doing your research/cherry pickin' local vintage gear on CL is great for that.) Most of my stuff was had that way. Very rewarding hobby/Money well spent!
------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: humor4u1959
Date Posted: April 24 2013 at 01:01
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I listen with my laptop and a great pair of Sony ear buds. They're comfy, unlike some. I have no choice, really. I live in a tiny studio apartment and the walls are paper thin. It was built in 1928!
Sometimes I'll play music through my PC speakers, but the quality cannot compare to the ear buds. That's life and it's okay for me.
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Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 24 2013 at 01:19
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To be honest, I've had to scale it down a bit volume wise cause I moved back in with the parents, so I bought a very expensive set of headphones(sennheiser HD800's) and I connect them to my stereo amp. This system allows me to enjoy music quite well considering I cannot blast my music through my 1260watt Bose 10 speaker sound system. I'll have to wait till I move out again to enjoy that pleasure. Oh I miss my Bose, but the Sens are a wicked-awesome tie me over. :) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 24 2013 at 01:31
Wonderful, detailed answer sir Dean! Also you are absolutely right about cd players where by you are paying more for the build than anything else. Just by one that has a "line out" connection port and you are good to go. Sound quality is irrelevant cause your hooking that cd player up to another unit where volume controls and other sound features are utilized elsewhere and not through the disc player. :) good call! ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 24 2013 at 01:42
f**king Awesome!!! ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: April 24 2013 at 16:32
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I don't think I've put in my thoughts on this yet, so here goes. Audiophiles may turn up their noses at this, but if I were on a tight budget and had a computer with a 5.1 surround sound card, I'd get any of your basic off the shelf 5.1 speakers with a bass unit. You really want to be able to enjoy surround sound these days. My, uh, mancave btw is actually a mancarport. My wife hates it when I crank it up and I love to crank it up. The carport is enclosed and connected to the house. We've got surround in the living room and bedroom but again, the whole crank it up thing. I also have all my musical instruments set up in here. Yeehaw! ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: fudgenuts64
Date Posted: April 24 2013 at 20:11
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My PC's integrated speakers, they work good but the sound doesn't get loud enough a lot of time. When I want to get loud and better quality I put on some headphones. ------------- 
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Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: April 25 2013 at 12:02
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Current 24'x12'x9' livingroom set up: Amp: Sansui QRX-6500
CDP: Nakamichi CD Player 4
TT: Denon DP-47F: Denon DL-110 MC cart
Speakers: Advent 5012/Large Advent (stacked)
Polk Audio PSW10 10" powered subwoofer
Now Playing: Mahogany Rush-IV
 I have the speakers stacked on top of my entertainment center cabinet with the woofers at ear level.
The higher ceilings and speaker placement do make a difference!
All gear had at very good value via local CL except the TT cart & sub. ------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 26 2013 at 14:11
"Audiophile - A person having an ardent interest in stereo or
high-fidelity sound reproduction"
I think we all have this interest....we are music lovers, so it makes sense that we are all audiophiles. -------------
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: April 26 2013 at 16:20
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Certainly Catcher, but words can have multiple definitions. In my case I was referring to people that blow lots of money on expensive equipment thinking that they are somehow having a superior listening experience for having done so. The term vested interest comes to mind.But to what brodieshenton had said, you can have a great listening experience with an inexpensive set of computer speakers. That crap that comes included with a lot of computer systems and integrated speakers being the definite exception. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 26 2013 at 17:05
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I call them audiophilists to avoid confusion, that way I can be as rude as I like about litz wire and sound absorbing wallpaper (at $1000000000 a roll) and not upset any true audiophiles that may be reading.
------------- What? |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 26 2013 at 20:03
I sure the hell am. God I've spent so much coin on sound equipment, but it's so incredibly worth it. :) You have to really hear the music to fully understand and appreciate it. :) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: April 26 2013 at 21:47
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Absolutely no regrets diving head first into audio. I spent 6 months lurking at http://www.audiokarma.org" rel="nofollow - http://www.audiokarma.org first before buying my first vintage "audiophile" int. amp off local CL: A Sansui 990DB (The rare black faced Euro version of the 9090DB.) Still have it. It drives my Mancave Solid State rig. FFW 5-6 years and i've sunk around $10K into the hobby.
Love your music!
Love your gear!
Win/Win.  ------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 26 2013 at 23:45
Absolutely worth looking into higher end gear to fully enjoy your music...I agree. But its a choice people have to make as far as how much and what you buy. You can spend triple the money if you jump into all the tweaking scenarios, like wallpaper (weird) or super duper high end cables or blocks of wood to keep your cables off the ground that "improves resolution and clarity"...huh? Similar to a friend at work that buys several versions of albums like the CD, SACD, DVD-A and 5.1..the music is the same. Give me a redbook standard CD or better yet a vinyl version and I am a happy camper enjoying a fantastic listening session without 4 different versions..... But that is just me.... -------------
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Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 27 2013 at 00:35
Right you are, but it's incredible the difference in quality out there. You really have to take it upon yourself to explore and of course hear equipment before you buy it! That's the best buying power you can have. Also, I'd really like to see if that sound proofing wall paper works!! My god, that seems like a stretch. Watch it be 10 feet thick lol. Also, you are right about 5.1 24bit/96khz being the same as an SACD. It's just british sound formatting for North American dts/Dolby 5.1. It's all the same. I've tested it. Your right. And it is soooooo easy to get ripped off with sound cables. So much flowery language to describe them. I say, 'yeah be very careful buying your audio cables.' especially for headphone to amp connection. :) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: April 27 2013 at 01:31
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I'll never drink the boutique interconnect Kool-Aid either. Good quality is good enough. I'd have to look to tell you what brand(s) they are as it's been so long. I did buy them at a local audio resale shop, mind. ------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: May 03 2013 at 21:31
| I have a pair of nice speakers in my music room with my CD player (A Walkman, actually, since my disc changer died) and turntable. But I am not always there and listen from my Bose headphones sometimes, or even straight from the laptop speakers when my wife and I are playing minecraft together. The music all moves me the same, as long as I can hear it well enough to tell what's going on, but the speakers in the music room certainly feel nicest on the ears and have the most oomph for a loud, detailed listen. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 04 2013 at 00:34
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: May 04 2013 at 19:40
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For any audio nuts here curious, this is my current Solid State Man Cave set-up:
Amp: Sansui 990DB
EQ/Dynamic Range Expander: dbx 3BX III (with by-pass)
CDP: Kyocera DA-310cx
TT1: Yamaha YP-D4: Nagaoka JT-555 cart
TT2: Pioneer PL-530: AT120e cart
Speakers: dahlquist DQ-10's
Powered sub: Klipsch RSW15 (line in is very easy to swap for both systems)
All systems are subject to change/bullpen swaps.
Current items in the bullpen:
THE FISHER 800-C (vintage tube amp)
Marantz 2230 (vintage SS amp)
Rega Apollo (CDP) it's got "issues"
Magnavox CDB 471 (CDP)
dbx 3BX (Dynamic Range Expander)
Music. Audio.
 Forgot to mention all current SS gear found via local CL or ebay save the new TT carts.
Didn't pay over the odds for any.
------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: Wolfhound
Date Posted: May 09 2013 at 10:54
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Via my 5.1 surround setup on the PC or the surround setup on the ole home entertainment center. Just depends on how loud I want to go hehe.
Also via headphones when it's really late or others in the house are sleeping. |
Posted By: HemispheresOfXanadu
Date Posted: May 12 2013 at 01:16
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Usually just my 20$ Philips headphones I got from Walmart. (They're actually quite clear sound-wise--and they match my red iPod.) If I'm outside I borrow my sister's iPod dock. If I'm home alone, I use the ample stereo system our family has.
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Posted By: AlexDOM
Date Posted: May 13 2013 at 22:14
| LOUD!!! |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: May 15 2013 at 04:31
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HD800's a blasting!!! ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: May 16 2013 at 11:56
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I moved a few months ago to a new place and for some time I had placed my hi-fi speakers (vintage 3-way classic speakers) just on the floor. I have now placed them on shelves around 1.4 meters high and, maybe it's subjective silliness but I would swear that it sounds better (even if I have to keep the volume moderate because of my pain-in-the-ass neighbours )
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Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: May 16 2013 at 13:56
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Yes! Speaker placement makes a huge difference! I'm an enthusiastic proponent of placing woofers at chest height at the minimum. Put the sub on the floor. ------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: May 16 2013 at 14:19
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When placing speakers you have to think about the surfaces the sound waves will reflect off. These reflections can add or subtract from the sound coming out of the speaker and that will affect what you hear. However, low frequency sound has very long wavelengths so the effect of reflections is negligible. For example a 20Hz note has a wavelength of 17.17m (19yds), so no surface in a typical living room is going to be far enough away to cause any problems. This means you can put a sub just about anywhere. However at 200Hz the wavelength is only 1.7m, so now reflections do cause a problem, and the most obvious surface for reflecting is the floor, so lift your speakers off the floor and they'll sound less "chesty". ------------- What? |
Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: June 03 2013 at 19:32
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Eh, might as well.....
Current bedroom set-up:
Amp: HH Scott LK-72 ("lab kit" version of the 299-C) CDP: Marantz CD5003
TT: Luxman PX-100/cart: Ortofon 2M Red Cans: Klipsch RB-41 II's Klipsch SW10 II powered sub Just got the RB-41II's. They fill the room perfectly. Wall mounted & out of the way too! ------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: VOTOMS
Date Posted: June 03 2013 at 20:53
while working, with headphones or speakers. in my room i have a cd player with enhanced sound system 
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Posted By: Porch
Date Posted: June 06 2013 at 02:58
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Well i use my 5.1 system. I usually listen to music in the night, time I consider to be morning :)
------------- http://www.spam.co.uk" rel="nofollow - We need SPAM wear or http://www.spam.co.uk/luta-pro/boxing-shorts" rel="nofollow - spamming shorts for practices . |
Posted By: Knobby
Date Posted: June 06 2013 at 18:01
This sounds convincing, yet I've heard time and again the opposite - that subwoofer placement is critical.
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: June 06 2013 at 19:35
I was talking specifically about reflections off hard surfaces in regard to the previous question of height above the floor and the colouration of the sound . Where you place a sub does not affect the colour of the sound (you cannot change the tone of a sub by moving it around a room). However, corner placement can have an effect of amplifying the sound coming out of a sub but this is purely a loudness thing that is no different to turning up the signal levels on the speaker, it does not affect the colouration of the sound - it doesn't sound more bass-ey, it just sounds louder overall. Other than that it does not mater where a sub goes, we cannot determine directionality of low frequency sound (because the average human's ears are only 0.15m apart), which is why you only have/need one monaural subwoofer in any setup and why to doesn't matter where it goes. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Knobby
Date Posted: June 06 2013 at 21:05
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Thanks Dean.
Makes sense.
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Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: June 06 2013 at 22:42
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I used to run a 2.1 setup and placed the sub all over the room, never made a difference to me. I have since gone to a straight up 2.0 setup....I often found myself just not enjoying all that low-end with the sub. I'm not a sub guy I guess.... -------------
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Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: June 07 2013 at 13:50
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Definitely a sub guy. I love the dramatic thumping bass to vibrate my bones as well as my walls. I don't set my twin sub speaker amp too high though. It take away from the music.
I've always felt that people who saturate their music with bass have an unrefined ear for music. You simply don't get the whole picture if you do that. :) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: June 07 2013 at 14:15
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After i put a sub in my main set up and realized how much fuller/better it sounded than before, i eventually put a sub in every system of the house. It's a no-brainer.
And if you can hear the sub "working," you need to re-adjust your levels. You may need to adjust your sub levels with different recordings while geting used to your new sub. Best to be as minimal with your sub as possible, but still get the benefits of using one. It takes a while to get it just right.... ------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: August 11 2013 at 22:01
 Line Magnetic LM-215CD. Latest addition to the Man Cave stereo! The CD certainly ain't "Dead" in my world. :) ------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: August 11 2013 at 22:47
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^ I know you are enjoying that LM CDP......Would like to hear it some day. If I ever go crazy and go all digital, that one is on my short list. -------------
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Posted By: libertycaps
Date Posted: August 12 2013 at 01:01
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Ah! You don't seem like such a Rush fanboy on the other site... ;) ------------- dynaco THE FISHER Marantz Sansui Nakamichi Line Magnetic Oppo Yamaha Dynavector Sumiko Grado Denon Pioneer Advent Klipsch/Crites |
Posted By: Livespecie
Date Posted: August 12 2013 at 01:06
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I listen to songs in my home theatre system with full volume and the in bas mode.
------------- http://www.spam.co.uk" rel="nofollow - Spameo Spampany |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: August 12 2013 at 11:09
...cause I'm not a "fanboy" Don't have to be a fanboy to know a band is great!! This is a music/artist site, the other is a gear site.I do post my Rush listens in their appropriate location. -------------
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: August 12 2013 at 11:53
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I use those ear thingies on either side of my head. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: The Neck Romancer
Date Posted: August 12 2013 at 12:57
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I have a pair of Grado SR60's. Been thinking about getting a headphone amplifier with an USB DAC but I have no idea of how significant the change in sound quality would be. ------------- 
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Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: August 13 2013 at 09:48
It all depends on what you have now, if it will be an improvement or not. How do you listen thru the Grado's now? -------------
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 13 2013 at 10:12
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Spending more on a USB DAC and Amp than your headphones cost to make the headphones sound better... okay.... I think you need a better reason. ------------- What? |
Posted By: The Neck Romancer
Date Posted: August 13 2013 at 11:14
Straight into my computer's audio out.
Is cost really essentially proportional to quality? The sound of my headphones is significantly better than the $300 Bose headphones I used before. -------------
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 13 2013 at 11:20
No it isn't (and that's something I've stressed many times), but when I made that quip I wasn't aware you were refering to plugging them into a PC output, I assumed you were using them with an an mp3 player at least. ------------- What? |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: August 13 2013 at 20:47
Hey. Be careful there. The Grado SR60's don't require a lot amperage to run/sound properly or till their fullest. Those Grado models are less than 100OHM's, so the impedance level is not that high. If you have a scent stereo system you can listen to them through that just fine. Listen, I've got the sennheiser Hd 800's and they are a whopping 300ohms and I use my stereo amp to listen to them and that does the job big time! It produces more than enough power. I can't put it at the highest Volume cause it's way to freakin loud even ten volume levels below the max. ;) All in all though, DACS/portable Amps are great if you travel a lot and want to carry that high FI sound with you everywhere you go. Don't overspend!!! It's not worth it. Spend 150$ max, especially for that headphone model you carry. :) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 14 2013 at 01:26
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^ ------------- What? |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: August 14 2013 at 13:06
Thanks for the answer....You can simply get a USB DAC that will improve the sound of your files playing off your laptop. There are headphone amps you can get, but I see some rave reviews for these USB DACs. For example the Dragonfly USB DAC I thinks sells for about US$250 simply plugs into a USB port and you plug the HP into the Dragonfly. It will play all music files from mp3 to full resolution and standard red book 16/44.1, I understand sounds really nice. If you have hi-resolution files like 24/96, apperently is super nice, it will also play 24/192 but will down sample them to 24/96, I don't think that is a problem at all. You can also plug in powered speakers or direct to a stereo system for better audio sound from your laptop. I think if you just search for USB DACs you may find other price options....If thru headphones is the only way you listen then it is your decision how and what you spend to make your music sound as best that you can afford. Becareful...I suspect a DAC like this Dragonfly will make you want to upgrade your Grado's Have fun and enjoy!
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Posted By: Mavericks
Date Posted: August 21 2013 at 06:32
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I used to listen to music using my laptop, I have plugged a subwoofer system to it and the sound is awesome. ------------- http://www.spam.com" rel="nofollow - Office for SPAM Hong Kong is popular. |
Posted By: deafmoon
Date Posted: September 05 2013 at 13:54
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My Music is predominatly digital going through my PC and output is either my Audio Engine 2 speakers or for quiet I go through Bose headphones. I don't love Bose, but they are noise cancelling, so I can escape the real world nicely. But there are far better headphones out there that are crystal clear. Also, if you have a newer PC look into the Dragonfly to run either your speakers or headphones through, they are supposed to be amazing. ------------- Deafmoon |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: September 05 2013 at 17:39
I gotta be honest. I don't hear any difference in audio quality when it comes to digital bitstream formats in 24/96k compared to 24/192k. I really can't. I've done the test through the proper equipment I have and I find nothing...absolutely nothing. No frequency clearance difference, no white or pink noise difference...nothing. How about man? Do you hear anything difference? ;) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: September 13 2013 at 17:22
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I have a few 24/96 and 24/192 albums and really don't hear much difference either compared to standard redbook CD 16/44.1I do not buy anymore of those hi-rez albums as they are too expensive.....There are some articles written by engineers and such that claim 96 and 192 are a waste and actually detract from the music. I myself am perfectly happy with CD redbook -------------
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Posted By: AnonymousLoner
Date Posted: September 13 2013 at 17:31
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I have some pretty solid speakers hooked up to my laptop which I usually use to blast music at an excessively loud volume. As if I care about what the neighbors might think. ------------- "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." ~ Plato |
Posted By: theandies
Date Posted: October 01 2013 at 14:56
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I have some old Electro Voice speakers and a Panasonic amp with a cheap CD player that I use when I'm in my basement. Lately I've just been using either my computer, tablet or smartphone and listening to MP3's with my Bose Ear buds. I've converted my whole music collection to MP3's and I used the highest sampling rate possible. The sampling rate and Bose ear buds make all the difference in the world. I used some Skull Candy buds but they kept breaking. I sprung for the Bose ($99) and man what a difference. ------------- If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. |
Posted By: Donny Doom
Date Posted: November 11 2013 at 02:46
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I listen to my music through a Behringer 100 Watt Power Mixer,2 JBL 2x15 1x1 Horn PA Cabinets,2 Powered Behringer 2 way Digital Studio Monitor Speakers,1 Technics multi disc player & some times I run my laptop through my PA system. -------------  |
Posted By: Michael678
Date Posted: November 11 2013 at 06:40
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i really have a hard time listening to prog albums on the first go, and i don't want to listen to it like 2-3 times straight the get the idea right? another reason is because im 14 and i can't listen to this stuff due to the crappy hip hop other kids are playin ALL THE DAMN TIME!!!! so basically, MY DAMN EARS prefer that crap over this, which sucks like f**k. ------------- Progrockdude |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: November 11 2013 at 16:10
Ah yes, the challenge of being a teenage prog fan! When I got into prog at age 15 everyone around me was blasting Peter Frampton from 8-track tape players...gag! Don't despair Michael, keep that prog flame alive in your head and your ears will lead you to the promised land. Keep fighting that good prog fight  ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: Michael678
Date Posted: November 11 2013 at 18:37
thx for the encouragement dude! ------------- Progrockdude |