all genres and even songs sound different depending on speaker...that is the beauty of sound and the human ear
General Audiophile = snake oil?
- Thread starter Greenbean
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What about other components? If I spend more for an amp, surely I will get pricier internals which will lead to better sq, right?
price is not as good of a metric for quality as weight. The audible frequency range is very narrow (relatively speaking) and the components to provide high quality sound are not expensive. The difference in quality of components is more about their ability to retain their electrical values over time, and that means heavier dielectrics in capacitors/transformers, thicker metal layers in the PCBs.
I'm not talking about handmade amps, or other gear for professional musicians. Those are designed with specific components to achieve a specific tonal quality or range of sounds.
When you're picking something out, don't trust your ear in the store. There's too much variance, and the game is tilted to favor the highest price/highest margin stuff on display.
The real fun comes when you acoustically treat your room. One day I'll have a proper studio setup like this...
that picture makes a good point - don't overdrive your space. If you put a 40kW system in a grain bin, it's going to sound like crap.
It's actually easier to create a great sound stage at lower wattage.
Know the limitations of your space and spec your equipment accordingly. If you're not building recording studio, minimize the 'headroom' in your system to save money. 16g wire is more than adequate unless you're pushing 40kW. Then maybe put 12g wire.
and don't trust your ear in the store. seriously.
It's actually easier to create a great sound stage at lower wattage.
Know the limitations of your space and spec your equipment accordingly. If you're not building recording studio, minimize the 'headroom' in your system to save money. 16g wire is more than adequate unless you're pushing 40kW. Then maybe put 12g wire.
and don't trust your ear in the store. seriously.
I run Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2 on my main system. Best bookshelf speaker before the price to quality ratio goes exponential. I haven't heard the tower version, but they should be very similar and not roll off as quickly in the bass frequencies.
Sierra-2 RAAL Ribbon Tweeter Bamboo Cabinet Loudspeaker
My sub is the sealed 15" model, F15HP subwoofer from Rythmik Audio. Rythmik includes a servo feedback sensor to insure that the speaker's movement matches the signal accurately. The ported model will be a bit louder, but I prefer the sound of sealed.
Rythmik Audio • 15" 600WRMS servo subwoofer F15HP
Amplifiers don't matter that much as long as they are correctly designed. I am using a XPA-2 from Emotiva Audio. It's 2x300W, and testing has shown it cleanly puts out more than rated power.
I use a Windows PC connected with USB to a Emotiva Stealth-DC1 DAC for the audio source. It controls volume in the analog realm so you don't lose bit depth, and has the added bonus of a decent headphone amp built in.
Copper wire is the same from every company, so just make sure you have good connectors. I used Neutrik XLR and RCA connectors for this system.
Sierra-2 RAAL Ribbon Tweeter Bamboo Cabinet Loudspeaker
My sub is the sealed 15" model, F15HP subwoofer from Rythmik Audio. Rythmik includes a servo feedback sensor to insure that the speaker's movement matches the signal accurately. The ported model will be a bit louder, but I prefer the sound of sealed.
Rythmik Audio • 15" 600WRMS servo subwoofer F15HP
Amplifiers don't matter that much as long as they are correctly designed. I am using a XPA-2 from Emotiva Audio. It's 2x300W, and testing has shown it cleanly puts out more than rated power.
I use a Windows PC connected with USB to a Emotiva Stealth-DC1 DAC for the audio source. It controls volume in the analog realm so you don't lose bit depth, and has the added bonus of a decent headphone amp built in.
Copper wire is the same from every company, so just make sure you have good connectors. I used Neutrik XLR and RCA connectors for this system.
I've decided to contact the place where I purchased the anthem amp that ordered and I had them cancel the order and I got a avr (denon) instead for the versatility (hdmi/possible future use in home theater). I decided that although I want a dedicated 2.1 system for music, I don't think my ears will hear the difference between an avr and an integrated amp. Sure, the anthem was pushing 225w and this denon will only be 125w, but I rarely crank it and I was having a bit of buyers remorse with the anthem integrated.
I hope I made a good decision. I like music and fancy myself to have an ear for what sounds good... but beyond that, I don't think I'm to that level to take the next step to drop money for a serious setup. I could probably afford it, but for my intended use, I don't think I'd get near the value out of the equipment that someone who often listens critically would get.
Not only did the anthem not have hdmi, it was also pure analog. So until I pony up the dough for a separate dac, I'd be relying on my iPod dac.
I hope I made a good decision. I like music and fancy myself to have an ear for what sounds good... but beyond that, I don't think I'm to that level to take the next step to drop money for a serious setup. I could probably afford it, but for my intended use, I don't think I'd get near the value out of the equipment that someone who often listens critically would get.
Not only did the anthem not have hdmi, it was also pure analog. So until I pony up the dough for a separate dac, I'd be relying on my iPod dac.
I got the receiver in, I'm still waiting on a dac for my iPhone , it I also got my jl sub in. First off, it's not in a massive room. But it is nuts. I'm listening to hip hop right now and it is wrecking this room. It is a jl e110 and it is rivaling my much larger Svs sb13. Wow