[TheVinylRipper]

Ben Franklin and US Grant get you this system here.

http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studio...8537196&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YST-SW0...8534634&sr=1-5


This system here will run you about three Ben Franklins and will rock your world.

http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studio...8532999&sr=8-2

And you use two of the Yamaha subs above.

Both sets of speakers have amps built in and so does the sub, just plug 'n play.

With both systems you will have to do your sub crossover in the soundcard software drivers.

With the cheap system, you will probably want to crossover at 110 - 140 hz, the higher the frequency the more you can locate the subwoofer but the clearer the sound from the monitors will be and the louder you can play them. What you do is lower the crossover point until you can't audiolocate the sub any more. You can play with the settings with different music. Adjust it some, listen a bit and keep going one way until you are past the point where you can barely locate the sub. When you get there, you can slowly turn it up.

With the expensive system you lower the crossover frequency to 60 - 120 hz give or take a bit while listening to how the bass sounds to you and what you like.

The Yamaha subs are particularly nice for the price since they have servo feeback, something that tightens up the bass a lot and is usually only found on more expensive subs like a Velodyne.

Then you can EQ all you want to get the whole thing sounding right.

You can tune both systems to the room by putting the sub(s) in the corner(s) of the room and moving them out a bit at a time while listening to how the bass sounds.

 

[MusicallySilent]

Interesting finds...

Do you have any experience with either of these systems or is this the product of your browsing, and finding good brands and features for the price?

Also from curiosity have you found any 3way floor standers with built in amps that might sound good?

 

[Chu]

Bookmarked. I have a fealing I'm going to be in need of this thread soon!

 

[TheVinylRipper]

I'm going by the reviews, the specifications, the technology, my own experience with the brands in question (I currently own both M-Audio and Yamaha sound gear) and almost forty years of experience in audio as an audiophile and an amateur recording engineer.

I haven't seen many, if any, three way floor standers with built in amps. Most of the self powered speakers are two way bookshelf type or 2.1 types with an integrated sub.

You could check these out and get a T-Amp to drive them.


http://cgi.ebay.com/POLK-AUDIO-MONIT...QQcmdZViewItem

http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Impact-S...8644818&sr=1-2

 

[TheVinylRipper]

I forgot to mention the one disadvantage of the setups here.

You have to use the software volume control on your computer. The monitors and the sub are not linked together execept by the sound card outputs.

If you have a multimedia keyboard this shouldn't be a problem for most people.

And I found another sweet deal.

http://buyeretail.com/product.asp?fi...ku=99004078500

 

[TheVinylRipper]

A bigger Yamaha sub with the same technology at a little higher price...

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it...37?v_c=BizRate

 

[MusicallySilent]

I saw the bigger yamaha on amazon also but doesn't it only have 100watts dynamic power compared to the other subs 150watts of dynamic power...

So for floorstanders I would just need to find a pair of them and either find or build an amp to power them?

 

[TheVinylRipper]

The difference between 100 watts and 150 watts is neglible in terms of how loud the subs will get. Because of the way the ear works, you need ten times the power to get twice as loud. In other words a 1000 wat sub would be needed to get twice as loud as a 100 watt sub.

The difference in the technology between the Yamahas and almost all of the cheaper subs more than makes up for the power differential.

Most of the other Yamaha subs are a good bit more expensive. I'm trying to show the biggest bang for the buck.

I wouldn't advise building an amp, it's not a very easy thing to do.

Yes, stands would be needed if you were to use the active monitors.

 

[MusicallySilent]

For easier volume control but with a mess of cables couldn't you potentially route them through a volume attenuator so they all change with each other

 

[TheVinylRipper]

Yes, an attenuator will work fine, but you'll need a three gang unit since you need two gangs for the monitors and another for the sub(s).


I just wanted to point out that the reason to run two subwoofers isn't so much that they will get louder than one but more that they can help eliminate standing waves in the room. With two different subs in two different places it is likely that any time one sub is generating a standing wave null at your listening sweet spot the other won't be doing it. The bass will sound smoother in frequency response at your listening position.

The second sub will increase the level by three db, which is noticeably louder but nowhere near twice as loud.

 

[MusicallySilent]

Or you could take the attenuator and send the output through a extension cable to a 3 way splitter so the attenuator could sit on your desk and all the cables could be back behind

Now I will stop crapping your thread

 

[TheVinylRipper]

I appreciate the feedback and you make a good point.

The main reason not to want to use a splitter as you are speaking of is that keeping the low bass out of the monitor speakers is one of the aims of using a subwoofer in the first place.

It is the low bass which sucks amplifier power, keep the low bass out of your monitor speakers and they will play the rest of the frequency range more loudly and clearly. One watt at 55 hz doesn't sound like much, one watt at 3 khz might drive you out of the room on the right speakers.

What could work with the setup you mentioned is to turn the bass down in the software and then back up at the subwoofer. That way you could keep the low bass down in the monitors and still reproduce it since the sub has a crossover and a volume control.

 

[judas391]

sounds like an amazing deal.. i WOULD buy this if i had money, but unfortunately.. no

@ vinyl, please post more if you find more good deals!

 

[strangelove]

Can anyone comment on how the M-audio Studiophile DX4 compare to the Studiophile AV 40? They seem to have similar specs. I'm wondering which would give the best performance.

 

[Calihan]

What sound card would you recommend to use for these kind of speakers + sub? One that can still play games would be preferable.