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spk984
01-04-2012, 04:35 PM
1st and last paragraph can be skipped if not interested in reading of my gratitude or of my excuses.
Throughout the past year insight gathered from this site helped me purchase equipment able to affect emotions: whether it be overwhelming my conscious with potent dub step excitement, igniting raw emotion with juxtaposition of kurt’s cold cries and Nirvana’s warm unplugged harmonies or delighting in human ability as Bonobo pulls so pleasing a jazz melody from a cacophonic arrangement of notes... I now have an endless supply of crushes as I become smitten with another indie singer/songwriter’s vulnerable delicate and intricate voice, sung as if she sat beside me, or when the mood strikes I connect with the father I deeply miss through the rasp of Dylan wisdom. What a gift thank you for beginning my stereo schooling!
My set-up:
From my NAD 512 cd player I have the left output going to one NAD 712 receiver and the right output going to another NAD 712 receiver. One receiver powers a set of Tannoy Mercury M2 about a foot apart and the other receiver powers a set of Energy xl-25s about 8 ft over and 3 ft apart. Listener is faced with Tonnoys 45 degrees to the left and Energys 45 degrees to the right. Both receiver’s are set to mono. I have one receiver tape output going to a powered downward facing Jammo sub the other receiver’s tape output going to an Energy xl S8 powered sub (I only turn subs on for the occasional time bass heavy dub step is playing). On each seperate receiver the second set of speaker terminals has a single wire connecting 1 positive terminal to the positive terminal of a Mission bookshelf speaker located behind listener. Mission speakers face opposing walls and have their negative terminals connected together. (somewhat according to NAD 712 manual’s advice for ambient additional speakers).
I also have a set of keff q30's and cerwin vega v series (8” woofer + tweat) speakers that I could use instead of mentioned speakers. If worthwhile I could also switch one of my NAD 712 receivers for a Cyrus straightline integrated amp. I care far less for surround sound than stereo but also use the system for movies. I have Harmon Kardon receiver that could return if movie/t.v. use has a negative impact on stereo system components.
I realize my equipment is an eclectic array of inherited and craigslist derived deals; I also realize I completely ignored less is more philosophy but I am thrilled with the sound. Feel free to enjoy a chuckle at the expense of my chaotic inexperienced doings if need be. If you have the time suggestions for improvements are greatly appreciated. My return to school limits current funds for further purchases so set-up advice and ideas for similar priced items I could possibly trade for are of most assistance. I realize a few high quality pieces are more worthwhile than so many mid-range pieces but besides cyrus and cerwin vega inherited component I spent under 500$ for all other items i mentioned so even a single higher quality piece was out of range. How do I improve what already sounds perfect to my inexperienced ears.[/FONT][/FONT]

JoeE SP9
01-04-2012, 10:23 PM
I don't understand why you would have a pair of Tannoy's for your left speakers and a pair of Energy's for the right speakers. For proper stereo reproduction the left and right speakers should match.

Better (but still not good) would be one of each brand on each side.

Your connection with the Missions sounds like the Dynaco Dynaquad setup. I tried it years ago. I believe HiFiTommy sometimes uses a Dynaquad setup.

Welcome to AR!

spk984
01-05-2012, 12:57 AM
reason for tannoys on the left is that they have rear facing ports which particularly riqures a wall behind it for bass reflection (i read somewhere). Therefore I put them on only available wall. I was told front ports of energy's were less affected by missing wall. Is having identical sound from both sides more important than having rear ports in front of the wall?Obviously it must be thanks for pointing it out. I just tried cerwin vegas with single receiver and it actually sounded far better than the set-up I tried yesterday (and mentioned above)

JoeE SP9
01-05-2012, 11:39 AM
There is a reason speakers are usually sold as pairs. The only time you see single speakers marketed is for center channel use.

The results you got with your CV's support using matching left and right speakers.

There is a much greater difference between speaker brands than worrying about whether the ports are on the front or rear..With rear ports a foot or so from the wall is usually sufficient spacing.

Use matching left and right speakers. The improvement in sound will be easy to hear.

Contrary to your post; rear ports require spacing from the wall for tbass to develop properly. Placement too close to the wall will usually result in bloated and indistinct bass. Front ports allow close placement to the wall. In many cases front ported speakers are designed for close walll placement.

spk984
01-05-2012, 11:51 AM
You are right, it sounds way better. In my haste to apply a new unfamiliar principle I forgot the obvious basic understanding that has been with me for years: symmetry in sound. I went back to basic 1 receiver, 2 speaker configuration. Any ideas how I can incorporate any of the mentioned equipment for improvements in sound?

JoeE SP9
01-06-2012, 04:31 PM
I've got nothing specific. If you're using "bookshelf" speakers and they're not on stands get or make some. The tweeters should be at ear height when seated.

Cinder blocks wrapped in black plastic trash bags work really well. Just tuck the bag ends out of site.

Room treatments make a bigger difference than most component upgrades. manleystanley started a thread about the acoustic panels he made for his room.

Can you post a diagram of your room?

stevebit
01-11-2012, 04:46 AM
hi any one from edinburgh on here cos im working there next week and need advice on best hotel the guy i work for takes care of the bill
steve

spk984
01-19-2012, 01:37 PM
This is a quick diagram of my revised setup. I have both a/v and stereo systems connected and able to play simultaniously. Besides both receivers/cd player I have energy towers with tannoy on top/ I used kefs for front speakers of AV setup.

Audiopadawan
01-27-2012, 07:44 AM
Hello everyone!

I've been thinking of setting up a 2.1 system for my Dad but I don't have any experience with that so any advice will be really helpful :)

Due to budget constraints (~USD $1200), I am looking at a 2.1 system that can also be used for home theater although I would prefer the system to be geared more towards music listening esp. vocals, jazz, instrumentals.


Some questions I have include:

What components would I need? Especially if most of my music is on CDs or mp3s. Would love to have more FLAC files but they are real difficult to obtain. I also normally watch .avi or .mp4 movies for home theater. From what I have read, it seems I'll need a player, an amp, speakers - is that it?

I currently have the Electro-voice Lotus ES225A Karaoke Mixer/Amp + Speakers leftover from a relative and I'm not sure if they're any good.

My living room is more squarish than rectangular, and its area is roughly 12 - 13 sq metres. However it opens up to the dining area to form a total of about 25 sq metres. Since it has to double up as a HT system, the speakers will have to be in line with the TV (the wall to wall distance from my couch to TV is about 3.3m) so whether I have enough space for speaker placement will be an important consideration too.

The Magnepan MMGs have really caught my eye although they aren't a must!



P.S. Sorry for riding on your thread spk984, but due to the post limiter, I've been unable to create a thread :(