[fishyee]

The tweeters should be pointing at your ears ...  many ways to get there (raise them up or angle them).  Check out this guy's setup - http://noaudiophile.com/JBL_LSR305/
 
 
The 305 goes down to 43 hz at -6db, I believe.  You should not need a sub for most music since little information is recorded down there, but if you watch a lot of movies on your computer, you will appreciate the explosiveness that a sub can bring. You can add a sub like the LSR 310S at any time. Or skip the sub and get good headphones with excellent bass reproduction for use on movies.
 
Subs are hard to integrate properly into a room so many people live with very poor results.  Not trying to scare you away from subs but it's important to know the pros and cons.
 
Here is the work it takes to properly set up a sub - http://www.hifizine.com/2011/06/bass-integration-guide-part-1/
 
"

Exceptional bass is nearly always the exception in high-end audio. You can buy great midrange, but truly accurate bass reproduction requires a room-specific solution. The investment and effort involved is considerable and that is why exceptional bass is so rare."

 

[chc5]

yeah im gonna try to make it look a bit more 'elegant' is that a can of salmon?
does it matter with what kind of material you raise them?
 
im a bit confused about the isolation pads, are they used just for isolation or for raising/angling too?
(can i get the same 'results' with the pads instead of the books)

 

[fishyee]

I think it is Starkist Tuna.  Haha.  As you can see, it doesn't matter the material as long as it provides a stable platform.
 
The isolation pads first and foremost are designed to isolate the monitors from the desk they sit on (isolating the monitors from vibrations).  Most studio console desks have an elevated rear section for the monitors and depending on how tall you are, you may want angled pads to help point the tweeters toward your ears.
 
If you are placing the monitors on a flat desk, it is better to elevate the monitors with blocks of wood, pile of books, Starkist Tuna, etc. instead of purchasing $100 angled pads.  Add some sorbothane feet at $10-15 to your blocks of wood to isolate the monitors from vibrations.
 
 

 

[chc5]

ive got a bunch of vhs tapes or something so that will do for now i guess.
i can always buy stands later.
 
one more thing i wanted to ask you, about the quality of music files.
what minimum quality is recommended for mp3s? im guessing 320?
i do have some flac files, but mostly mp3s going from 128-320.
 
by the way, thank you for all the information, youve been extremely helpful.

 

[fishyee]

I think you found a use for VHS tapes no one else has found!

The quality of your music files will show a difference depending on your ears, your system, and the recording itself. That sentence is not very helpful since it essentially answers nothing, but it does point out the difficulty of finding answers in this hobby. Here is why:

1. You may have crap ears worse than your grandfather.
- Eg. Should a nearly deaf person spend a small fortune on his sound system? Obviously no. Pay for what your ears can distinguish.
2. Your system may not be able to detect the difference.
- Eg. It's hard to hear music detail on a factory car stereo going 50 mph with the windows rolled down but it's easy on good headphones.
3. Not all recordings are created equal. Like any profession, you have great sound engineers and pretenders.
- Eg. A blurry picture viewed thru a 4K Sony XBR TV is still blurry. A crap recording sounds crappy in mp3-128 or hi-rez DSD.

Many people cannot distinguish the difference in a blind test between mp3-320 and CD quality on their sound systems. Google "blind test mp3". You should test it out for yourself (try this - http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality). As your system gets better, you may detect a worthwhile difference. I can hear the difference (usually at the frequency extremes of the music) so mp3-320 is my minimum.

Spend some time on this site, The Well-Tempered Computer. It's full of great information that will help you with computer audio. The owner is also a member of Head-fi and frequently provides helpful tips. Some links about mp3 info for you:
- http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/KB/BitRate.htm
- http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/KB/MP3.htm


Glad you found a few of my comments helpful. If I may soapbox for a moment ... let your ears (blind test) and true science guide you through the marketing and fanboy crap in this hobby. It will save you thousands. Good luck!

 

[chc5]

quick little question!
 
i saw you mentioned to connect them to my pc with TS cables, but isnt that supposed to be TRS ?
(i read the jbls take TRS or XLR)
just to make sure i pick the right cables!
 
or should i just get the XLR cables?
 
thanks again!

 

[fishyee]

I have not tested out the 305 with a TS connector but I believe PurpleAngel did.  Perhaps he can confirm and recommend a shielded cable for you.
 
You cannot go XLR straight from your computer.  Balanced is only noise canceling when you go fully balanced XLR/TRS to fully balanced XLR/TRS.  Here is a link that does a good job of explaining the concept.  
- https://www.presonus.com/news/articles/balanced-unbalanced
 
Enjoy your new speakers.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  quick little question!
i saw you mentioned to connect them to my pc with TS cables, but isn't that supposed to be TRS ?
(i read the jbls take TRS or XLR)
just to make sure i pick the right cables!
or should i just get the XLR cables?
thanks again!

 
1/4" TRS plug (or XLR) would be used if your sending a balanced audio signal to the JBL LSR305.
1/4" TS plug would be used for an un-balanced connection.
The jack on the JBL LSR305 labeled TRS will work with both a TRS plug and TS plug.
Page 7 or 8 of the JBL LSR305/308 manual has some basic instructions on the connections.

 

[fishyee]

Your computer headphone out to - the cable below (or similar) - to each TRS/TS connection on the 305.
 
http://www.spectrumaudio.com/hosa-hmp-010y-10ft-rean-3-5mm-trs-to-dual-1-4-in/
 
Make sure the split on the cable is wide enough to accommodate the distance between your monitors.

 

[chc5]

Ok thanks for the clarification.
One more thing, how do you know a device-in my case the computer- is unbalanced or balanced?

 

[fishyee]

Google the specs of your Realtek.

I don't know of any motherboards with balanced audio. You usually find balanced audio on pro audio gear or hi-end audio.

 

[chc5]

just ordered them, should be here next week. im excited!
ordered some foam pads too, they were only 20€ so what the hell..
 
only thing i need to know now is how to properly control the volume?
set the volume to (60-70?)on each speaker and then control the 'master' volume through windows/keyboard..?
 
thanks.

 

[fishyee]

Congrats!

Digital volume at 100% when possible. Analog volume to be adjusted instead. Read up on it at the site I mentioned.

 

[dfwallace]

I have an Asus Xonar Essence ST internal sound card in my Win 7 PC, along with a pair of powered M-Audio AV40 speakers.
 
When the wife is home I use my Sennheiser PC360 headset for PC gaming and music listening.
 
I'm happy with those speakers and my headset.

 

[chc5]

ok so i got the 305s today and i wanted to share some thoughts/impressions
 
i was a bit impressed with their size!
(no manual, just a paper, dont know thats normall?)
tried setting them up as best as i could, my desk may be a bit too small though...im about an arms length and a half from the speakers.
i think im more or less in the triangle. the tweeters are at ear level.
 
did some testing and they sure sound great. they make some songs suck though
im hearing a lot of things i havent before. a lot of detail and clarity.
 
BUT (yes there is a but)
 
im getting some noise, i expected this to be honest.
under monitor volume level 5, the noise is acceptable.
above 5, the noise is really noticeable.
 
i connected them to the lime green jack http://static.scan.co.uk/images/products/2140790-c.jpg (which is supposed to be for speakers)
also, the 'trs cable' has a white/red jack, dont know if this makes a difference which goes where? the white one is right when i sit before them.
 
i feel really dumb for even asking this, but just want to make sure ive connected them properly..
 
thanks!