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Monster, $20, any good? http://www.crutchfield.com/p_119MC20...t.html?tp=3302
Not sure how I feel about cables. Obviously good construction is important, interference, and all that, but for a budget system, not sure they will make much if any difference in tone, all things considering. I'll see what else I come up with.
Edit, these are about $4 more than the BJC. http://www.crutchfield.com/p_703GNAK...t.html?tp=3302
ANd these stands perhaps: http://www.racksandstands.com/Sanus-BF-24-B-SY0002.html
Definitely leaning towards BJCables now.
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With RS or Monster you will spend the same or more than Bluejeans and receive less performance. BJC all the way.
When buying stylus they were about 90% cost of a whole new cartridge.
Audioquest has a nice little carbon fiber brush for dry clean. the fibers are long too and usually don't make the platter drag unless I get heavy handed :)
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The stylus for the $84 Ortofon OMP-10 is $47. The stylus for the $60 AT311EP is $32. The AudioQuest brush is $25 at needledoctor.com and virtually identical brushes by LKG, Pro-Ject and Stanton are available for $10, $15 and $20. The Monter Cable interconnect is $20 and a 3-foot BJC LC-1 is $31.50.
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Now you tell me, why did you let me buy that AQ brush :) Styli must have gotten more reasonable in some instances.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
Now you tell me, why did you let me buy that AQ brush :) Styli must have gotten more reasonable in some instances.
Indeed only in some instances. The stylus for the $450 Goldring 1042 is $350. :frown5:
Edit...I probably shouldn't have pointed out that the Monster Cable at Crutchfield is less without confirming I believe the BJC is probably the superior cable due to its confirmed low capacitance. I've been happy with mine.
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OK, I think I'm set (for now). I got the AT 311EP cartridge, and a carbon fiber brush ($12), a LAST stylus brush ($5), and a few other things.
GOt the BJC LC-1 cables (2), and the Belden 5000 10ga wire, and banana connectors. Decided not to biwire this time. Can always do that later. And I found some speaker stands from Audio Advisor that seem decent, and $50, about as inexpensive as I could find.
Now I just need it all to arrive so I can put it together!
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Your table certainly looks great. Awesome deal for $25, right on! I'll be interested in your thoughts on how it sounds. Congrats!
Don't be a stranger...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poppachubby
Your table certainly looks great. Awesome deal for $25, right on! I'll be interested in your thoughts on how it sounds. Congrats!
Don't be a stranger...
I'll be sticking around. Wish the forum was a little livelier though. I'm used to Harmoney-Central (especially pedal effects forum) where a new thread on page 1 can vanish quickly if you don't keep up.
But yeah, I'll be around, who else am I gonna turn to when I want to upgrade?
And speaking of, I was looking at nice integrated amps and such, do people really prefer not having tone controls and balance controls and such, just an input selector and a volume control? I know, purists want it pure, but I dunno. My Roksan gear I used to own was like that, and I always felt there was something missing with it, compared to my budget gear. I like to tweak my tone controls, maybe that comes from being a guitarist, I dunno. Thoughts?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IRG
I'll be sticking around. Wish the forum was a little livelier though. I'm used to Harmoney-Central (especially pedal effects forum) where a new thread on page 1 can vanish quickly if you don't keep up.
But yeah, I'll be around, who else am I gonna turn to when I want to upgrade?
And speaking of, I was looking at nice integrated amps and such, do people really prefer not having tone controls and balance controls and such, just an input selector and a volume control? I know, purists want it pure, but I dunno. My Roksan gear I used to own was like that, and I always felt there was something missing with it, compared to my budget gear. I like to tweak my tone controls, maybe that comes from being a guitarist, I dunno. Thoughts?
Right, the general idea is that if an amp is really good, it doesn't need to be tweaked. Certainly not with tone controls. However, some people dig those features too, it just depends really.
If you listen at low levels, then controls can be helpful.
My Kenwood Basic C1 has Treb/Bass, Bal and Loudness, but I rarely touch any of it.
If those things are important to you, then buy a product that has them.
And yes, the boards can move slowly here. Audio Karma and Audio Asylum are busier if that's what you like. The difference I find, is that it can be quite impersonal. It's great if you have an issue you would like to post, but not so great for just chatting.
I am an inmate at the vinyl asylum, because vinyl interest here is pretty low overall. The Asylum has a great range of owners with budget to high end gear, and they all hang together. Check it out sometime...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poppachubby
Right, the general idea is that if an amp is really good, it doesn't need to be tweaked. Certainly not with tone controls. However, some people dig those features too, it just depends really.
If you listen at low levels, then controls can be helpful.
My Kenwood Basic C1 has Treb/Bass, Bal and Loudness, but I rarely touch any of it.
If those things are important to you, then buy a product that has them.
And yes, the boards can move slowly here. Audio Karma and Audio Asylum are busier if that's what you like. The difference I find, is that it can be quite impersonal. It's great if you have an issue you would like to post, but not so great for just chatting.
I am an inmate at the vinyl asylum, because vinyl interest here is pretty low overall. The Asylum has a great range of owners with budget to high end gear, and they all hang together. Check it out sometime...
Thanks - just registered at A. Asylum, I remember that place from years ago, hadn't visited it in a long time. We'll see how much time I can devote to this. I'm checking out speaker placement now, and what is an ideal placement for speakers, distance, yada yada. I gotta tackle my room a bit more before the gear arrives. Any cheap Lowes/Home depot products that are good for taming room acoustics? I have a rug on the floor, but the room is kind of a mish mash of finished and unfinished. I need to have an electrician (which is also a neighbor) put some good ac outlets into this room. Some ceiling acoustics would be helpful too I think.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IRG
And speaking of, I was looking at nice integrated amps and such, do people really prefer not having tone controls and balance controls and such, just an input selector and a volume control? I know, purists want it pure, but I dunno. My Roksan gear I used to own was like that, and I always felt there was something missing with it, compared to my budget gear. I like to tweak my tone controls, maybe that comes from being a guitarist, I dunno. Thoughts?
A popular reply at AudioKarma is the "+1". So in the spirit of that I'll say...
+1 on integrated amps with no tone controls.:thumbsup:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/...bef7e6021c.jpg
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 02audionoob
Nice amp, I've always wanted an Audio Research amp someday. Is this one yours? I assume they're still in business then, which is good.
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Yes...this one is mine. I've toyed with the idea of going to separates, but this was the entry-level approach to Audio Research.
Here's another purist approach...the bedroom system...a CD player straight to the amp...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/...881a5ae0a6.jpg
...bordering on "vintage". There used to be a preamp in this setup, until the system was demoted from the man cave.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 02audionoob
Yes...this one is mine. I've toyed with the idea of going to separates, but this was the entry-level approach to Audio Research.
...bordering on "vintage". There used to be a preamp in this setup, until the system was demoted from the man cave.
Nice pics noob!
Quote:
Originally Posted by IRG
Any cheap Lowes/Home depot products that are good for taming room acoustics? I have a rug on the floor, but the room is kind of a mish mash of finished and unfinished. I need to have an electrician (which is also a neighbor) put some good ac outlets into this room. Some ceiling acoustics would be helpful too I think.
It really depends on your room. When you say "taming" room acoustics, what specifically do you mean? Is your room really bright? What's your ceiling made of?
You can check my Main Room link in my sig to find the make up of my room. I have several bass traps to reduce boominess, and panelling along the rear and adjacent wall. Side walls have diffusion from the wall coverings, CD rack, etc. I basically use the Cardas Golden Cuboid for speaker and seat placement. ZERO toe in for big, bad azz stage.
Have your friend run a line out of your box if you have any room left at all. Use the existing line for digital and use the new one for analog. This will solve much of the issue regarding power.
I give this link to anyone seeking info. Scroll down to find just about any issue covered.
http://www.ecoustics.com/Home/Access...ment_Articles/
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Well I dunno if the room will be problematic yet or not. It is a basement room, concrete floor. But I have a fairly good rug over the flloor so that should help. This room also houses my 2 tube guitar amps, pedal board, and 4-5 guitars. And a furnace, and a water heater. I'm proposing soon, of building a wall around those two, so they won't be in the way. But they're off to the side, and not that big of a nuisance, except when on.
The walls have tools and stuff on them, I'm going to rearrange that soon I think. So the actual listening area won't be that big. Speakers should be about 5-6 feet apart, about 1-2 feet away from back wall. Listening position will be in the middle, but there isn't much room between the listening couch, and the back wall. Nothing to be done about that.
Duct work in the ceiling could be a problem, as certain frequencies rattle when I play guitar. I need to find a quick fix for that. Ceiling is wood, no drop ceiling has been installed, so that could be a bit bright, maybe not. I can stick some insulation inbetween the rafters perhaps, sound absorption, and warmer upstairs, lol.
It's pretty crude, but in a small house with 3 kids and 3 cats, it's better than nothing. I'll take a pic of it soon, so we can all have a good laugh.
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Quote:
Well I dunno if the room will be problematic yet or not. It is a basement room, concrete floor. But I have a fairly good rug over the flloor so that should help. This room also houses my 2 tube guitar amps, pedal board, and 4-5 guitars. And a furnace, and a water heater. I'm proposing soon, of building a wall around those two, so they won't be in the way. But they're off to the side, and not that big of a nuisance, except when on.
Nice to see another musician here. I am a bass player. I have an early 70's Ampeg V4, all tube of course.
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The walls have tools and stuff on them, I'm going to rearrange that soon I think. So the actual listening area won't be that big. Speakers should be about 5-6 feet apart, about 1-2 feet away from back wall. Listening position will be in the middle, but there isn't much room between the listening couch, and the back wall. Nothing to be done about that.
Hmmm..if the rear wall is REALLY close it can really cause havoc, giving off really fast reflections that will take away from your experience. Damping this will be probably one of the more important things to do.
Quote:
Duct work in the ceiling could be a problem, as certain frequencies rattle when I play guitar. I need to find a quick fix for that. Ceiling is wood, no drop ceiling has been installed, so that could be a bit bright, maybe not. I can stick some insulation inbetween the rafters perhaps, sound absorption, and warmer upstairs, lol.
Yes, I would damp the duct work itself and then drape something over it, creating a seudo drop ceiling. Depending on how much absorption you put into the room, you may want to drape something reflective. It will certainly require some testing.
Quote:
It's pretty crude, but in a small house with 3 kids and 3 cats, it's better than nothing. I'll take a pic of it soon, so we can all have a good laugh.
Ya, I've got 2 kids and a wife, so I fully hear you. Glad you're in good spirits about it. Don't worry, if you're willing to put in some work we can fix it up. It should also help your guitar's tone to really flourish. I play my bass in the same room as my audio and it's really punchy and bright.
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The room size is probably 12x15. Maybe a shade tighter. When I meant rear wall, I misspoke. The wall behind the speakers, I'll have them out maybe a foot from the wall. Distance from the speakers to the rear wall probably 9-10 feet I think. I'll do some measurements tonight and post back on this.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IRG
The room size is probably 12x15. Maybe a shade tighter. When I meant rear wall, I misspoke. The wall behind the speakers, I'll have them out maybe a foot from the wall. Distance from the speakers to the rear wall probably 9-10 feet I think. I'll do some measurements tonight and post back on this.
I got the impression that the wall behind your listening seat is directly behind. My bad. I have to head out to work. We'll chat after you get all of your gear...in the mean time, try to read up on the subject. With all of your spare time:p
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poppachubby
I got the impression that the wall behind your listening seat is directly behind. My bad. I have to head out to work. We'll chat after you get all of your gear...in the mean time, try to read up on the subject. With all of your spare time:p
No you're right. My listening sofa, has a wall right behind it. Concrete too, can't really move it :) I might be able to move the sofa out, a little bit. We'll see. Will try reading up more on it, will probably be trial an error too.
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I actually like tone controls. (Gasp! I think I offended the Audiophile Gods) They can help tone down a bright system or lend a little more bass. They are especially helpful in lower end systems. I especially like preamps like some of the Van Alstine's that you can get with tone controls and a tone control bypass which totally takes the tone controls out of the loop for the cleanest sound possible. It gives you the best of both worlds. I certainly have some older Cd recordings that are too bright on my maggies and tone controls certainly would help.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackraven
I actually like tone controls. (Gasp! I think I offended the Audiophile Gods) They can help tone down a bright system or lend a little more bass. They are especially helpful in lower end systems. I especially like preamps like some of the Van Alstine's that you can get with tone controls and a tone control bypass which totally takes the tone controls out of the loop for the cleanest sound possible. It gives you the best of both worlds. I certainly have some older Cd recordings that are too bright on my maggies and tone controls certainly would help.
Well my budget Onkyo receiver I don't think has bypassable tone controls, (not sure) but I believe the Yamahas do. Sometimes it seems like the more you spend, the less you get (features wise) but I do realize (some) high end companies put their money into better parts/power supplies etc. and better design than they do lots of options, which is fine. For the most part, you don't need a lot. But I agree, sometimes a little treble or bass boost/cut is needed on certain recordings.
Edit, I may be wrong, I see a Pure Audio button on the front panel of the Onkyo, maybe it does bypass the tone control as well.
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So I measured the room today, overall it's about 14 x 13. I'll subtract a litttle bit with the furnace sitting in the corner and all. So if I have the speakers about 1 foot out from the wall, I could probably move the couch out about a foot from the back wall, would that be better? That would give me probably 10 feet between speakers and seating position.
Got the speakers last night, and the Yamaha dvd S1800 arrived too. Just need the Onkyo to get here, cables, cartridge and stands, and I'll be in business. The room will get a bit of a makeover this weekend.
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You would want to put something on a couple of the walls to absorb sound in order to keep the reflections and reverb down. I know that's difficult on concrete. You could try a heavy curtain from the ceiling sort of against the wall.
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Good Morning. Exciting isn't it? And to think xmas was only a month ago, here you are with version 2.0. Glad all of your stuff is rolling in, in a timely fashion.
So.... are the speakers rear ported? I would suggest reading either online, or perhaps included with your speakers, Mordaunt Short's suggestions for placement. 1 foot out from the wall may be ok.
The first and biggest problem we have here IRG, is the wall behind your listening seat. It's concrete for starters, and much to close. What is going to happen is not good. The soundstage will seem really shallow. The early diffusion is going to jumble up the sound due to horrible timing.
You know the foam they sell at places like Wal-Mart? It's sold as a sleeping product. Buy enough to cover the entire wall. Next, you would find either a sheet or covering to cover the more than ugly foam. You may try to find the foam at a used store
This option doesn;t break the bank and will make a huge impact on the room, particularily at high volumes.
Let me know how you make out. Just focus on the back wall. One thing at a time...
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So the back wall (concret) needs to be addressed, that doesn't sound too bad. It does have a couple of shelves on it now, although I'm thinking of ditching them. Then I can put foam/fabric on the wall for better sound absorption. I was thinking of putting some insulation in the ceiling too. But it sounds like the back wall needs to be addressed first. I'm making a quick trip out to Lowes and Walmart today, we'll see what I find.
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