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Hi Fi Sound System
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Bender B. Rodriguez
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
20
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292
Posted : Nov 23, 2007 15:51
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Dear music lovers,
I`m happy to announce that I`m finally decided to build up a proper HI FI sound system @ my house! lol So I would appreciate some advice. I would also like this topic not be only about my needs, I would like other people to ask questions if needed, and this to be a general discussion about Hi Fi sound systems.
Anyways, first on my buying repertoire are the speakers. I would like to hear you recommendation on this subject, you experiences with hi fi sound, your set ups anything that comes into your mind that might help. I`m asking this question here because of the music that is going to be played thru those speakers, which of course is going to be mostly trance... but not only trance. Also all other kind of electronica, jazz, blues, classical, hard rock, punk.
One more thing, the price range is not that important (just leave out the high end recommendations), because I`m not going to buy everything at once. I gathered my nerves up and I`m ready to withstand the time needed so every thing will be just right.
Also I would like to hear your thoughts on sound cards and the quality of sound reproduction on a hi fi system. Which ones are good? I own a SB Audigy card. Is that enough?
I hope I posted this in the right section. :/
Thanks in advance
I.
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Get-a-fix
Getafix
Started Topics :
147
Posts :
1441
Posted : Nov 23, 2007 16:32
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Dennis the menace
DevilsDennis Sparris McHilton
Started Topics :
128
Posts :
2899
Posted : Nov 23, 2007 17:40
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some speakers for homelistening i would recommend are B&W, Cerwin Vega, and Dali. Quite expensive stuff tho but your ears would love it 
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vegetal
Vegetal/Peacespect
Started Topics :
19
Posts :
1055
Posted : Nov 23, 2007 20:29
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Bender B. Rodriguez
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
20
Posts :
292
Posted : Nov 23, 2007 22:10
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@ get-a-fix
yes, but i`m also planing to buy a proper a cd player. some how i don`t think its very nice to play cds from my dvd rw.
thanks for the links. i checked whrfedale some time ago, but i didn`t enjoy the sound that much. i`m planing to check some dynaudio, monitor audio and b & w soon.
i have another question. is it better to buy a speaker with higher frequency response (for example from 45 hz - 40 khz) and a subwoofer or just a set of speakers with a frequency response from 25 hz to 25 khz? I ask because I heard that woofers are primarily made for home theater systems, and have the bass... sorry my English isn`t that good, but in a free translation the term would be, "held" longer, then the bass on a standard hi fi set of speakers, and it dosen`t sound quite right when listening to music.
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Get-a-fix
Getafix
Started Topics :
147
Posts :
1441
Posted : Nov 23, 2007 22:20
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Personal preference i guess but woofers sound best in a acoustically treated room. So if your room isn't treated i'd suggest getting speakers with a decent frequency response.
Maybe try to get a pair that goes down to at least 40hz. At the end of the day you should get the one's that sound the most pleasing to your ears, so i'd suggest heading down to a shop & listening to as many as possible before you make up your mind. Good luck!
http://www.soundcloud.com/getafixmusic |
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Alex Roudos
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
411
Posted : Nov 23, 2007 22:40
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I think we can help more if you let us know :
1. What equipment exactly you plan to buy even if it's in the longest term?
2. What is your budget for each of these pieces of equipment?
3. Do you want to set up strictly a stereo system or would you consider as well a surround system?
A friend told me once that the biggest mistake we make is that we believe we live, when in reality we are sleeping in the waiting room of life. |
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orange
Fat Data
Started Topics :
154
Posts :
3918
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 00:18
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Bender B. Rodriguez
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
20
Posts :
292
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 02:56
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@ get-a-fix
well my room isn`t acoustically treated. and yes i`ve chosen a few i`m going to check out soon (b&w, dynaudio, elac, monitor audio). thanks for your advice very much
@ Alex Roudos
1. Speakers, amp, sound card and a cd player
2. Well since my first budget is for the speakers, it would be from 1k to 1,7k euro.
3. I would like only a stereo system.
And I have another question: What is exact use of the preamplifier? When is it needed and used?
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Alex Roudos
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
33
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411
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 13:32
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Thanks for the clarification Bender.
Your speakers budget is good enough to get you some higher-fi floor standing speakers. Of course this means that the amp-cd would also have to be on the higher-fi area in order for you to get what your system would be able to deliver.
One common characteristic of hi-fi speakers is that are not flat over the frequency spectrum. They are designed to flatter the sound by boosting certain frequencies, most frequently the low end. If anyone would be after a "true-flat-accurate-most revealing" hi-fi system, then this would be a high end system, which is out of the question for common mortals like the majority of us.
Based om my personal experience on many hi-fi speakers-systems and studio monitors this what i'd do fwiw.
I'd never set up a hi-fi system unless i'd be able to set it up by entering at least the lowest end of the high end area.
So this would leave me with two options :
1) Get a very descent all around performer surround speaker set and match it with a very descent AV amplifier(600-700 euros) and a Blue Ray or HD DVD player(depending on which will become the standard format). And this is, to be honest, what i'm gonna do when i move to my new apartment, since i'm gonna set up a dedicated home theater room(i already have a projector with a 120" screen).
The speaker set i'm gonna get will be the KEF KHT 3005.
The overall quality will be more than descent and extremely versatile. So, this is a nice option that would cost less than 2.500 euros and would kill two birds with one stone.
2) If i was setting a stereo system i would get the Mackie HR824MKII. Admittedly they have huge bass response and levels and i believe they would stand very well as hi-fi speakers as well. Plus they are active and they cost around 1400 euros a pair. I'd use the computer's dvd player(nothing wrong with that) as my playback device and i'd get an Echo Audiofire 2(or 4) soundcard for around 220euros, because you need a soundcard with balanced outputs.
Again with this option you kill two birds with one stone since you will have already a very good quality soundcard-monitoring system in case you ever decide to get into music production.
A friend told me once that the biggest mistake we make is that we believe we live, when in reality we are sleeping in the waiting room of life. |
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Bender B. Rodriguez
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
20
Posts :
292
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 14:00
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thanks for the advice. i`ve picked out a few things i`m going to look at next. this mackie option sounds quite interesting, will check it out.
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Trip-
IsraTrance Team
Started Topics :
101
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3239
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 18:36
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Did you want to kill the "music production" bird?
Studio monitors won't usually have the warm and "cozy" sound a good hi fi system might have.
I know that some folks use the studio monitors from PMC (for ex.) in their living rooms - but I'd take a dedicated speaker for that, instead of the monitors.
I usually believe that a home hi fi listening system should make even the bad sounding material into a pleasant listen. When on a studio monitor, even the good stuff sounds too focused and sterile, which is good for the engineers among us - to each its own of course.
preamplifier:
In a simple manner, the preamplifier is basicly the unit with the volume knob  it accepts the sound signal and feeds your amplifier which feeds the speakers.
Crackling universes dive into their own neverending crackle...
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klippel
Stereofeld
Started Topics :
91
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1153
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 19:55
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I agree to Trip, would never use Monitor speakers for HIFI, to sterile sound..
Some things to think about when buying descent audio are also:
-Room size
-Preferred music style (going along with the
sound aesthetic you like)
-Overall Budget
ROOMSIZE: given you decided on a brand (ie a specific sound aestethic) you can choose a smaller speaker from a higher level product range instead of a bigger speaker of a lower level. example:
romm size up to 20m you can use shelf speaker of a high quality instead ob buying big speakers you donīt need from a lower level for the same money...
for bigger room sizes you need either shelf+sub or full range, but also there most brands offer different sizes, check what size you need! donīt buy bigger just for the feeling bigger=better. so your room size is VERY important.
Add for shelf+sub combos: in general they will have a littel freq dip in the mid base range (crossover from shelf to sub), so in general full range speakers make more sense.
nevertheless is can have a special sort of "lightness" to a sound of a hifi setup when you have a good shelf+sub combo
MUSIC STYLE/SOUND AESTHETICS
Depending on your likes of music and the kind of sound you like itīs different brands you should look for.. for example:
dynaudio: very natural sounding, rather reserved sound. god for acoustical and classical music. very good speakers.
b&w: my favourites. analytical but emotional at the same time. good for almost everything ;-)
kef: if you can cope with a bit more "plastic" sound but really biig dynamic kef could be nice for you. I would say especially good for electronic music cause very driving
OVERALL BUDGET:
take into account, if you spend 1.7k for speakers, you should spent almost the same for an amp. half for it for a cd player and you will need some decent cables... of course its going to be a step for step thing.. but remember in the end components should be in the same class...
and take care, once you get hooekd up on audiophile listening as an hobby.. itīll never let you go anymore... I now what Iīm talking about...
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Alex Roudos
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
411
Posted : Nov 25, 2007 00:40
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While what Trip & klippel say about the sterility of the studio monitors used as hi-fi speakers is true, i would still go the other way if i'd decide to built a stereo hi-fi system.
Studio monitors are supposed to be flat, accurate, detailed and therefore sterile. But how many of them are really that sterile? Most of them in a "normal" price range are really far from that. You can say that they are flatter and more accurate than hi-fi speakers.
Being a true audiophile means that the truest reproduction of the original material is the objective. But this introduces two other problems related to the original material being reproduced by the speakers.
If the speakers are as close as possible to the "studio monitors" standards or if they are studio monitors(of a descent quality) then the first problem would be that they would be boring because they don't flatter the sound. The second and most important problem would be that they would bring out all the flaws and mistakes of the song/production and depending on how many or big they are they would make the song impossible to listen to. This is exactly what's happening with my O300s.
The 824MKIIs while they are studio monitors they are not that good performers. They have overhyped bass something that impo places them to the hi-fi area as well. And still you have a degree of "truer" reproduction of the original material.
All in all, if flattering and sweetening the sound is what someone is after he definitely would need a pair of forgiving hi-fi speakers.
The sonic truth is out there. But who really wants(or can or afford) to listen to it is another story.
PS. Bender i'd suggest that you go to music shop and listen to the 824s with your favorite music cds. I think that you'll be pleasantly surprised.
A friend told me once that the biggest mistake we make is that we believe we live, when in reality we are sleeping in the waiting room of life. |
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Bender B. Rodriguez
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
20
Posts :
292
Posted : Nov 25, 2007 23:49
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I`m going to check them out if I can find them. Anyway
the whole point of me asking for advice was to narrow my search field. At the end I`m going to buy the ones that fit my ears best.
I`ve prepared a few discs that I`ll bring along for testing the speakers, and my hunt starts next week. I`m going to take my time withs this.
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