2.1 Music Mp3 setup, advice needed. [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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alrightgame
07-05-2009, 12:37 PM
I am new to the home theater/ audiophile market.
I went ahead and purchased some X-540s from my z-640s, which in my opinion is quite a large let down besides games, which I think they fit the bill just right. These are alot quieter then my z-640s (even with daniel Ks driver mod), and just don't fit the bill for my mp3s with average 320 kbps bit rate and sound like god ran my music through a meat grinder.
After doing some research, I found that there isn't alot 5.1-7.1 of speakers home theater below 1000 dollars, so I am looking into more of a conventional 2.1 speaker setup exclusively for playing music.
My budget is 300 bucks, and I'm not against buying used as I think this is where the value is at.
I'd rather stay away from actual computer speaker setup as I would like an upgrade path with these to a home theater setup later on.
These will also be for an apartment so I don't want bass too boomy as I would be using my x-540s for games (20 dollars in shipping doesn't justify returning these 75 dollar pieces of crap), I'd rather like a complex treble sound as I listen to complex progressive metal and classical music with alot of different instruments being played.
I like the idea of a bookshelf kind of speaker system as I hear these produce the best 2.1 sound.
Also what kind of receivers would I use to connect to my computer? I'd prefer to be able to switch between my x-540s, and these. I'd also like a way to hook the receiver up to my tv so I would be able to use these speakers on my tv, but then be able to switch back to my soundcard on my computer. These won't be part of my budget but would like to keep it low as I'd rather spend more money on a speaker system then a receiver.

I've looked at Elemental Design, Klipschs, and even B&W, but I don't know nearly enough in what I should buy to make a decision.

Kevio
07-05-2009, 08:52 PM
$300 for receiver, bookshelfs and a sub. It is possible but you're going to have to keep an open mind and pray to the cragislist gods. People are selling older non-HDMI receivers all the time at low prices. The Energy ESW-8 is a decent powered sub for around $100 shipped.

alrightgame
07-06-2009, 09:44 AM
Would I be able to hook the e Energy ESW-8 directly up to some rca speakers with a little speaker wire as long as I set the subwoofer to low so I don't blow the cheap speakers? Can this be hooked up to my soundcard directly or will I need to go ahead and buy a receiver? Also, I was considering using my car speakers from my bonneville as I am getting rid of them at the end of the month which would take some electrical know how, but might work.

JoeE SP9
07-07-2009, 02:10 PM
A subwoofer can't blow any speaker! Car speakers, particularly 6x9's sound awful outside of a car. They don't sound that good in a car, you just don't notice it.

In order to give good advice, you must give us more information.

1. Type of music you listen to and how loud.
2. Size of room and brief description of the furnishings.
3. I presume the speakers you mention are "computer speakers". Most "computer speakers are not very good. If MP3's sound bad on them just imagine how bad they will sound on decent speakers.
4. Your best bet with your stated budget is used gear. CL is probably the best place to look.
5. In order to give any speaker recommendations we need to know what you like and don't like speaker wise. If you have no opinion yet you must go audition some speakers somewhere, real speakers not computer speakers.
6. After getting some idea about your speakers candidates it will be much easier to suggest a receiver or integrated amp and. of course some speakers.

bobsticks
07-07-2009, 06:28 PM
https://www.klipsch.com/na-en/products/promedia-2-1-overview/

...seriously...it's the best thing yer gonna get at this pricepoint.

alrightgame
07-07-2009, 06:46 PM
Sorry, I guess I'm confused between the subwoofer and amplifier as it is integrated into the subwoofer.
I'm actually considering the Polk rm6750, but I'm not really sure what to drive them with for a receiver. I don't want them to sound like crap but I don't want to spend more then 200 on a receiver. Also being able to hook up the receiver to the digital i/o of my soundcard is important.

1. Progressive metal, rock, classical music, ambient, trance, gaming EAX.
2. Studio apartment, would like less of a footprint to not wake the neighbors but enough base to feel it when I don't have my feet on the floor. Chair would be in a corner with the desk in front.
3. I would think MP3s would improve with better speakers as the issue I'm having with these is distortion (they have 10 percent THD, which is probably more when they are turned up).
4. What could I pair with this CL? Any recommended model numbers?
5. I like a decent output that doesn't sound flat. I want to be able to hear each note from each instrument, especially if I change the settings as I like to drum to music which requires being able to amplify the drums.
6. These are the packs I've been looking at.
Energy Take 5 Pack 5CH w/o subwoofer
Polk RM6750
Klipsch 2.1 Setup with an upgrade path.

Now I would need a recommended receiver.

As a note, I will be sitting next to these speakers.

JoeE SP9
07-07-2009, 08:04 PM
Sorry, I guess I'm confused between the subwoofer and amplifier as it is integrated into the subwoofer.
I'm actually considering the Polk rm6750, but I'm not really sure what to drive them with for a receiver. I don't want them to sound like crap but I don't want to spend more then 200 on a receiver. Also being able to hook up the receiver to the digital i/o of my soundcard is important.

1. Progressive metal, rock, classical music, ambient, trance, gaming EAX.
2. Studio apartment, would like less of a footprint to not wake the neighbors but enough base to feel it when I don't have my feet on the floor. Chair would be in a corner with the desk in front.
3. I would think MP3s would improve with better speakers as the issue I'm having with these is distortion (they have 10 percent THD, which is probably more when they are turned up).
4. What could I pair with this CL? Any recommended model numbers?
5. I like a decent output that doesn't sound flat. I want to be able to hear each note from each instrument, especially if I change the settings as I like to drum to music which requires being able to amplify the drums.
6. These are the packs I've been looking at.
Energy Take 5 Pack 5CH w/o subwoofer
Polk RM6750
Klipsch 2.1 Setup with an upgrade path.

Now I would need a recommended receiver.

As a note, I will be sitting next to these speakers.
!. A ported speaker not a sealed cabinet speaker.
2. In any apartment bass you can feel is bass the neighbors can hear.
3. Distortion figures for speakers are irrelevant. The better the gear the easier it is to hear bad recordings. ie: Better speakers will not necessarily make MP3 files sound better. The opposite is usually the case. If only MP3 files sound bad on your current gear then the MP3 files are bad. If everything sounds bad it's the gear and speakers.
4. CL is short for Craig's List. It's where people buy and sell personal property. If you live in a reasonably large metropolitan area there is probably a listing for it. Google Craig's List for your area. It's a good place to buy used gear. If and when you buy take someone with you that knows about this stuff so you don't get ripped off.
5. What is flat? Change what settings? Why do you need to amplify your drums? They are already louder than your music system now. They will still be louder than your new music system.
6. With your budget a 2 speaker system with a sub woofer will sound much better than any multichannel stuff.

I'm sorry if this sounds rude and impersonal. I'm trying to give you as much information as possible without writing a book.

02audionoob
07-07-2009, 08:30 PM
6. With your budget a 2 speaker system with a sub woofer will sound much better than any multichannel stuff.


In my experience, this is really good advice.

Rudy Gireyev
07-07-2009, 09:00 PM
Hello alrightgame.

Whew. Let me take a crack at this, and I hope it doesn't get too wordy. :)
1. If you are looking for a 2.1 system that means 2 speakers and 1 subwoofer. Most non computer speaker based subwoofers will most likely produce more bass than you may be comfortable with. So give them a listen first to see if you indeed want a 2.1 speaker system or if you simply want a pair of speakers for now.

2. As far as a receiver goes. In order to plug a receiver to your computer it has to either have a USB port and a DAC. Or your sound card has to have RCA/SPDIF/Toslink outputs that your perspective receiver will have to accept. In my experience going the RCA route produces a rather unacceptable sound quality, as most internal computer sound cards are simply too noisy to produce any kind of acceptable result.

3. A subwoofer can be powered, meaning it has an internal amplifier in it, or passive which means it relies on external amplifier. Most modern receivers have a dedicated subwoofer connection. You'll have to consult your sound card documentation to see if it has a subwoofer connection. Although I would advise against that anyway.

4. Lastly you seem to have gotten some good advice on speakers already, and I'm sure you'll gather some more. Ultimately, I think most people will tell you that if at all possible try to go out to the stores and listen to some of your potential choices so you can decide for yourself if they fit your particular tastes.

5. What do you guys think about a pair of PSB Alpha B1s for this particular application? I think they list for about $250/pair new, so should be even less used. But potentially they seem to fit the budget either way.

Rudy

alrightgame
07-08-2009, 12:39 AM
!. A ported speaker not a sealed cabinet speaker.
2. In any apartment bass you can feel is bass the neighbors can hear.
3. Distortion figures for speakers are irrelevant. The better the gear the easier it is to hear bad recordings. ie: Better speakers will not necessarily make MP3 files sound better. The opposite is usually the case. If only MP3 files sound bad on your current gear then the MP3 files are bad. If everything sounds bad it's the gear and speakers.
4. CL is short for Craig's List. It's where people buy and sell personal property. If you live in a reasonably large metropolitan area there is probably a listing for it. Google Craig's List for your area. It's a good place to buy used gear. If and when you buy take someone with you that knows about this stuff so you don't get ripped off.
5. What is flat? Change what settings? Why do you need to amplify your drums? They are already louder than your music system now. They will still be louder than your new music system.
6. With your budget a 2 speaker system with a sub woofer will sound much better than any multichannel stuff.

I'm sorry if this sounds rude and impersonal. I'm trying to give you as much information as possible without writing a book.

Yeah, sorry, I was deviating from 2.1 to 5.1 to think about games and movies then back to a better listening experience for music.
It isn't the mp3 that is the problem with these things, it is the speakers, they are crappy. I generally can't tell the difference between CD and 320 mp3.
As far as base, I want to feel it without it being too overbearing (I don't want to feel it in the bathroom as much as I would in my living area).
I know what craigslist is, I thought you were talking about a namebrand of speakers, as in what I am trying to figure out what brand I should get for my particular setup.
What I mean by flat is the speaker isn't in my body area, they seem to linger at the speaker. Flat.
Also, the drumming thing, I was talking about being able to amplify the drums in a song with my soundcard settings and I needed speakers that would allow this.

What 2.1 speakers would you recommend?
Is there a receiver that I could use that would allow me to hook my 5.1 speakers for games, then switch back to the 2.1 system?
What is this thing about ProMedia 2.1 having wire interference with cell phones and electronic cords?

alrightgame
07-08-2009, 12:44 AM
2. As far as a receiver goes. In order to plug a receiver to your computer it has to either have a USB port and a DAC. Or your sound card has to have RCA/SPDIF/Toslink outputs that your perspective receiver will have to accept. In my experience going the RCA route produces a rather unacceptable sound quality, as most internal computer sound cards are simply too noisy to produce any kind of acceptable result.
Rudy
All I know is my sound card has a digital i/o 3.5mm, my guess is that is spdif. Really not sure though.

02audionoob
07-08-2009, 05:09 AM
I disagree that a computer sound card produces unacceptable sound quality. If you're comparing it to high-end audio equipment, sure...it doesn't measure up. But we're talking about equipment in the $300 and under range. In this range, some computer cards are reasonable.

With that assumption, one option is to use the analog output from your card, just as you would with an ordinary powered speaker system but instead of the powered speakers use an adapter cable to convert it to RCA plugs and run it to a receiver or integrated amp. Then run a nice pair of speakers and a sub off of that.

Regarding the switching from 5.1 to 2.1 -- The advantage to 2.1 in the scenario I've described is that you spend your money on a decent two-channel amp instead of getting a cheap five-channel amp. All other things being equal, I'd much rather listen to a $300 two-channel amp than a $300 five-channel amp.

In your first post, you said you were looking for a setup that's only for music. If you're truly going for music, the powered speakers systems are not going to sound as good as a simple audio setup, like a NAD C315BEE integrated amp and a pair of Paradigm Atom bookshelf speakers...at least, that's my opinion.

JoeE SP9
07-08-2009, 11:22 AM
What 2.1 speakers would you recommend?
Is there a receiver that I could use that would allow me to hook my 5.1 speakers for games, then switch back to the 2.1 system?
What is this thing about ProMedia 2.1 having wire interference with cell phones and electronic cords?
You have to make up your mind.
Do you want a halfway decent 2 channel stereo system or a crappy 5.1 system?
Your budget allows one or the other.

For the most part only computer (generally crappy) speakers are labeled and sold as 2.1.
Other posters have made specific suggestions about exact brands and models to buy.
Stay away from Yorx, Soundesign and others of that level.
Generally, if the speaker wires are permanently attached look for something else.

You should befriend a local audiophile. Then you could hear how a decent sound system sounds. You then would have something to base your buying decisions on. When your only exposure to recorded sound is through computer speakers you really have no idea how good even modest speakers and gear can sound.

Your local CL is the best place to get a good deal on speakers and electronics.

What kind of computer and sound card are you using?

alrightgame
07-08-2009, 03:28 PM
You have to make up your mind.
Do you want a halfway decent 2 channel stereo system or a crappy 5.1 system?
Your budget allows one or the other.

For the most part only computer (generally crappy) speakers are labeled and sold as 2.1.
Other posters have made specific suggestions about exact brands and models to buy.
Stay away from Yorx, Soundesign and others of that level.
Generally, if the speaker wires are permanently attached look for something else.

You should befriend a local audiophile. Then you could hear how a decent sound system sounds. You then would have something to base your buying decisions on. When your only exposure to recorded sound is through computer speakers you really have no idea how good even modest speakers and gear can sound.

Your local CL is the best place to get a good deal on speakers and electronics.

What kind of computer and sound card are you using?
Ok, I want a 2.1 setup.
I'm keeping my 5.1 cheap speakers for games as you need that surround sound and game sounds arn't that picky, just prefer directional output.

I was just looking at the 5.1 speakers, but I guess I'll throw those out.

I'd still like a concrete answer of a good 2 channel stereo system that I should buy in my budget range.

My sound card is a Sound Blast Audigy 4 SE, and what I recently have been reading is the 3.5mm to coax or rca doesn't even work in surround sound for some things like games due to driver stupidity (Creative isn't very good at releasing actual upgrades in terms of hardware, really they just like to take away what their products are capable of by dropping all support and forcing you to buy the upper level card for software support). It does work with things that support AC3 Dolby 5.1.
Analog works for everything but I hear that degrades quality.. you just can't win :(.

02audionoob
07-08-2009, 05:46 PM
I'd still like a concrete answer of a good 2 channel stereo system that I should buy in my budget range.


One concrete answer was:



NAD C315BEE integrated amp and a pair of Paradigm Atom bookshelf speakers.


Example: http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/srch_fs.pl?WORD=nad&FOCUS=EXY&CTGSK=intatran&submit=Search

alrightgame
07-08-2009, 06:42 PM
Thankyou, I will look at these.
Will I need a preamp with the IA if I hook it up to my soundcard?

Any other suggestions?

02audionoob
07-08-2009, 07:18 PM
No...the integrated amps have their own internal preamp. You'll just need a Mini-to-RCA stereo cable.

http://www.cablesnmor.com/mini-stereo-rca.html

Lesser performance but still pretty good would be an AudioSource AMP100, which also does not require a preamp. An Adcom setup could be equal to or better than the NAD. Example would be an Adcom GFA-535 amp and a GFP-555 preamp. The Adcom SLC-505 can substitute for a preamp for less money than a GFP-555 but they're harder to find.

http://www.beachaudio.com/Audiosource/Amp-100-p-67017.html?FORM=GUCL3&utm_campaign=amp-100&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=jellyfish

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/srch_fs.pl?Adcom


And maybe one more suggestion is a receiver:

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKTX8255/Onkyo/TX-8255-2-Channel-Stereo-Receiver-50W-x-2ch-BLACK/1.html

and inexpensive bookshelf speakers...

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ENC100

Finding decent inexpensive speakers can be challenging, but they're out there.

alrightgame
07-09-2009, 01:11 AM
Thats some great suggestions. One more thing, what is a good 8'' subwoofer?

02audionoob
07-09-2009, 04:52 AM
Kevio wrote in an earlier reply that the Energy ESW-8 is decent. I like the Mirage Omni S8, too. The Velodyne DLS-3500 is pretty good. It's a little boomy but I solved that to my taste with careful placement.

alrightgame
07-09-2009, 06:52 PM
Thank you all for the information, I am now less confused now then I was before.