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Thoughts On My Budget System (Sony Reciever and Fluance Speakers) - Page 5

post #61 of 84
1/19/06 at 4:03am
I totaly disagree with that.

Everyone has respected your budget and no one has said anything about the type of music you want to use this setup for.

HOnestly, I just don't think you're listening.

You've presented an almost impossible situation here....Good sound out of cheap (read as within your budget so that you can can buy and have shipped to you) floorstanders and deep bass in a samll room.

You've got to realize that the people giving advice know an aful lot about audio....that's why you came here right?

I think you've asked the right questions, and have gotten really really good answers. But, now you've got to make a decision to use the info or not.

I think the general consensus is for you to be happy with what you buy. If you really want floorstanders, then get them.....but if you want a much more practical setup, take the advice here >>>> Get some monitors and save for a sub later.

I'm a budget hifier. I feel your pain. Just make the jump and be prepared to make adjustments in the future. It's inevitable. Accept that.

PS. I've got some great floorstanders that I haven't listened to in years since I got my monitors. They really are a great investment.

Good luck.

B
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post #62 of 84
1/19/06 at 4:44am
Thread Starter 
What if I add in the fact that my source is not CD's or other high quality audio, but it's 128kbps AAC files through the heaphone out of my laptop with stock sound card?

Is it even worthwhile to spend hundreds on speakers if I have no intention of upgrading my source in the future?

I do want something that will sound better than my current setup, but I don't want to have to keep sinking more and more money into this in the future.

I think for my purposes I'd be better off going with the cheap floorstanders and not thinking about buying anymore audio equipment in the near future (maybe until I buy a house). I just have a bad feeling that if I do get monitors they won't have enough punch for me, and I'll end up disappointed. But by that point my only option will be to spend a lot more to get a decent sub. Even though, in the end, that my lead to me getting better sound quality, I just don't know if that's really worth it to me. I listen to Rap almost exclusively, and I'm not worried about making it sound like there's an entire orchestra in my office, I just want something that is a little tighter in the bass, and can still pump it out when I need it. I guess this does start sounding like I should just go buy a boombox with bass boost, but that's pretty much what I already have (satellites from a HTIB and cheap 12" sub), and I'm looking for something better. I guess I'm just not sure how much better until it becomes wasteful (in my opinion).
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post #63 of 84
1/19/06 at 5:05am
Hmmm... Didn't know about that source issue... Honestly, if I were running off of a stock laptop line-out (at least the ones I've heard) then I wouldn't sink any money into this either. While there is a valid debate here (source first v speaker first etc.), I just can't imagine a better system netting you anything beyond a better sense of the flaws of your source. Of course, you could upgrade your source to something decent and external for $50-120... But failing that this whole exercise would be a waste of money, IMHO.

Take a look at a better set of computer speakers maybe? I'm fairly impressed with the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1s. (Heck, I use them in my office) They will probably reveal a lot of source problems, but for the price it might be worth it.

And for the record, rap does benefit from high-end equipment. The human voice is very hard to accurately or realistically reproduce. Further, well produced and intricate rap or hip-hop shares some the same sonic characteristics of IDM which, as I think most of us would agree, certainly does benefit from higher-end equipment. Don't believe me... Spin up Deltron 3030 on a cheap system and then spin it up on an expensive system... I think the difference will be pretty obvious to most anyone.
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post #64 of 84
1/19/06 at 12:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by xluben
Just for fun I took some pics of my newly acquired Marantz reciver.



My mom also had the manual, warranty info, and it even came with a schematic diagram! I guess they also had a pair of Marantz HD55 speakers which would have been nice to have (40-20Khz +/-3dB), but they were broken and got thrown out. Right now I'm eyeing up the Fluance SM-938 but I'm sure I won't be making a purchase anytime soon. I've begun to like the tower speakers that have a built-in, side-firing sub, but there aren't any in my price range at all (except the Fluance's).

OMGOMG That thing is AWESOME! And it comes with the Original Wood Enclosure, SHEESH! Your folks hooked you seriously up! Mine doesn't come with the enclosure, and as you said is a lesser model. That thing must be a beast! Plus, now you can think of getting into Vinyl!

As you said, you can put your bookshelves on the first channel, your sub on the second channel, and then select both channels to get some bassy goodness, or just switch off the sub channel to rest from the bass a bit. Perfect situation! Plus, I bet you get great radio reception. Man, I'm jealous! You have the paperwork too? Just FYI I would NEVER sell it, but if you did, it sells for a pretty penny in that condition and the paperwork, so take good care of it!
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post #65 of 84
1/19/06 at 1:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by xluben
What if I add in the fact that my source is not CD's or other high quality audio, but it's 128kbps AAC files through the heaphone out of my laptop with stock sound card?

Is it even worthwhile to spend hundreds on speakers if I have no intention of upgrading my source in the future?
that certainly changes the scenario. in that case, i wouldn't buy new speakers at all until you're ready to upgrade your source. of course, that could be as simple as using higher bitrate compression and buying a cheap chaintech soundcard.

Quote:
I do want something that will sound better than my current setup, but I don't want to have to keep sinking more and more money into this in the future.

I think for my purposes I'd be better off going with the cheap floorstanders and not thinking about buying anymore audio equipment in the near future (maybe until I buy a house).
it won't sound better. i think you'll be throwing your money away. i don't mean offense, but are you stuck on floorstanders because of the bling factor? to paraphrase inigo montoya, "i don't think they'll do what you think they'll do."

i'm not trying to poo-poo your plan. i'm trying to save you a couple hundred bucks. seriously. i think you should spend your money on some cool duds for spring.
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post #66 of 84
1/19/06 at 1:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jahn
OMGOMG That thing is AWESOME!
it's seriously awesome.
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post #67 of 84
1/19/06 at 3:55pm
Yeah that thing is pimpalicious haha -- hey have you thought about just upgrading your source for now, if all your using is 128kb compressed audio, you'd get a nice upgrade by just upgrading to redbook ~
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post #68 of 84
1/19/06 at 3:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jahn
OMGOMG That thing is AWESOME! And it comes with the Original Wood Enclosure, SHEESH! Your folks hooked you seriously up! Mine doesn't come with the enclosure, and as you said is a lesser model. That thing must be a beast! Plus, now you can think of getting into Vinyl!

As you said, you can put your bookshelves on the first channel, your sub on the second channel, and then select both channels to get some bassy goodness, or just switch off the sub channel to rest from the bass a bit. Perfect situation! Plus, I bet you get great radio reception. Man, I'm jealous! You have the paperwork too? Just FYI I would NEVER sell it, but if you did, it sells for a pretty penny in that condition and the paperwork, so take good care of it!
Thanks, it is in very good condition, and very heavy. My parents also have a record player that used to be hooked up to it, but I didn't really want to get into that. I don't really have room and I was really interested in any of the records they owned. Right now I'm not getting that great of radio reception, I'm sure if I'm even using an antenna. I found some wire in my basement that I thought was an antenna from a different stereo so I'm using that. It gets the signal strenght up to about half and when you tune in a station it sounds pretty good. Also, my dad said I can't sell it. If I don't want it any more I have to give it back

Quote:
Originally Posted by VicAjax
it won't sound better. i think you'll be throwing your money away. i don't mean offense, but are you stuck on floorstanders because of the bling factor? to paraphrase inigo montoya, "i don't think they'll do what you think they'll do."

i'm not trying to poo-poo your plan. i'm trying to save you a couple hundred bucks. seriously. i think you should spend your money on some cool duds for spring.
I don't think I'll ever be upgrading my source. It just doesn't seem worth the hassle or money. I have never had much of a problem with the sound of 128kbps AAC, so I don't see that changing any time soon. I have a hard time believing that floorstanders will sound worse than what I have, but I think I'll have to try and demo some comparable models. And my roommates are now trying to convince me to not buy speakers and go on a vacation during spring break, so I'm not sure where my money will be going.
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post #69 of 84
1/19/06 at 5:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by xluben
...but I think I'll have to try and demo some comparable models.
that's the best thing you can do... listen and compare.

Quote:
And my roommates are now trying to convince me to not buy speakers and go on a vacation during spring break, so I'm not sure where my money will be going.
spring break sounds to me like a very worthwhile use of funds. (any old fart can buy speakers, but memories are irreplaceable)
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post #70 of 84
1/19/06 at 10:00pm
And just to close out the topic on the source, even if you are using 128k AAC, a source upgrade would net you a significant improvement in terms of a less noisy, muddy source. You'd probably notice it with your current speakers... let alone with a better set up driven off of that beautiful little amp.

And spring break is a good use of money!
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post #71 of 84
1/19/06 at 10:03pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I can use my iPod with Pocketdock as a source which should be less noisy, but it don't really notice too much of a difference. (But I can definitely tell the my computer is a noisy source when using headphones).

EDIT: With my reciever plugged into my laptop and music paused I can only turn up the volume to about 1/3 before I get noticeable noise out of my speakers, but when plugged into the line out of my iPod and the volume at max on the recivever I get less noise than at 1/3 out of the laptop! I guess the iPod is a much cleaner source, but I still have a hard time hearing any difference when music is playing.
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post #72 of 84
1/19/06 at 10:24pm
Okay, I wasn't going to add to this, but Since you've got such a PIMP reciever now.....you need to get a good pair of speakers. If I were you (as a budget hifi guy) get a cheap/nice external soundcard and a good set of monitors, while using the sub you've got....until you can upgrade it.

Dude! that Marantz is Kick'n!

Use it. Show it off and it will get you laid. I promise.

B
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post #73 of 84
1/20/06 at 1:51am
Why bother? if he's not gonna upgrade the source this whole thread is useless. He's already got his mind made up, everything we say here is in one ear and out the other. 128 KB lossy compression is a joke. At least use 256KB VBR man, jesus christ.
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post #74 of 84
1/20/06 at 12:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by xluben
I don't think I'll ever be upgrading my source. It just doesn't seem worth the hassle or money. I have never had much of a problem with the sound of 128kbps AAC, so I don't see that changing any time soon. I have a hard time believing that floorstanders will sound worse than what I have.
I always thought that i would never upgrade from an ipod to a cd/sacd player too. But once you get good speakers, then you need good amp and then you'll realise how crappy 128kb is.

My advice is, to get a 2.1 setup, since you want a lot of bass in a small room. Klipsch promedia 2.1 comes to mind. You can get it less than $100.

You have to understand that people here giving you advice is purely in terms of SQ. It seems you prefer floorstanders because you wanna impress. Sorry if this comes across harsh, i apologise. For the same price, almost all bookshelf speakers will out perform floorstanders in terms of quality/clarity.

The most important word is equilibrium, from the source to the speakers.
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post #75 of 84
1/20/06 at 3:08pm
Wait a sec, your parent have a heavy turntable? Heavy is good! Can you ask them what the name/model of it is? And the name on the cart ("needle")? You could have a very nice TT on your hands too...JEALOUS!
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Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) › Thoughts On My Budget System (Sony Reciever and Fluance Speakers)