BF2S Forums Need new speakers/sound system.

.Sup wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

Zimmer wrote:

Bertster  -
Wharfedale Nominal Frequency Range    48-24kHz
M-Audio frequency response:    40Hz-22kHz

I'm surprised.

All the critics seems to be raving about the brilliant bass extension and tone on the Wharfedales. I had assumed they'd go pretty low.

I still think they'd be a far better buy. With monitors you are limiting your future options horribly and they never sound quite right.

heh actually good monitors always sound "more right" than passive speakers - monitors are made to be accurate and sound right while speakers made specifically for music enjoyment are a bit coloured and usually less fatiguing but never as accurate as monitors in the same price range.

What is sounding "right" with speakers is extremely subjective. Many decent monitor sets sound very crisp - but that's not the same as sounding "right". The best accuracy does not always determine the best speaker - not by a long shot.

.Sup wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

.Sup wrote:

heh actually good monitors always sound "more right" than passive speakers - monitors are made to be accurate and sound right while speakers made specifically for music enjoyment are a bit coloured and usually less fatiguing but never as accurate as monitors in the same price range.

What is sounding "right" with speakers is extremely subjective. Many decent monitor sets sound very crisp - but that's not the same as sounding "right". The best accuracy does not always determine the best speaker - not by a long shot.

Neutrality.

Mine sounded crisp when I wad them connected to EMU0404 USB, not when I have them connected to CA DM they sound smooth. I enjoy both sources. From my experience highs were more clearer on monitors than on passive speakers. But obviously you could have experienced right the opposite.

Meh - my brothers ones sound good. But overly crisp. I don't like the sound from them that much. He's played about with different amps (one Sony digital one, a cheapish Cambridge Audio one and a couple of NAD ones). edit- actually that not right - it's his other speakers he played about with on different amps - but the point remains, I don't like the sound of the monitors that much despite being able to appreciate the fidelity of it (and deep down I can tell he doesn't either).

I told him not to spend so much money on monitors (he got some MSP5s not long back) and now he regrets it and usually doesn't use them - he uses his cheaper passive speakers instead.

Last edited by Bertster7 (2010-01-13 13:23:04)

.Sup wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

.Sup wrote:

Neutrality.

Mine sounded crisp when I wad them connected to EMU0404 USB, not when I have them connected to CA DM they sound smooth. I enjoy both sources. From my experience highs were more clearer on monitors than on passive speakers. But obviously you could have experienced right the opposite.

Meh - my brothers ones sound good. But overly crisp. I don't like the sound from them that much. He's played about with different amps (one Sony digital one, a cheapish Cambridge Audio one and a couple of NAD ones).

I told him not to spend so much money on monitors (he got some MSP5s not long back) and now he regrets it and usually doesn't use them - he uses his cheaper passive speakers instead.

He should really look into a good D/A. He's not going to believe the changes it will make. My CA DacMagic has the same dual mono D/A as CA's flagship 840C which is one of the most favoured CD players by revievers and music listeners in its class. Its amazing for the price I paid for it. Comes highly recommended by me.

He has a CA DacMagic.

Now that I like! It makes everything sound nicer. The monitors, meh.

Out of interest, how much did you pay for it? His was just under £200 - which I thought seemed very steep, but it is nice (and cheaper than the monitors).

Last edited by Bertster7 (2010-01-13 13:34:26)

It hurts my head seeing people rave on about how the electronics make such a difference. You must have some really, really weird stuff for sure.

.Sup wrote:

I listened to the legendary NS-10 Yamahas and they sounded dead to me. Good studio monitors but not really good for music enjoyment. People really need to listen to speakers before purchasing them if spending more than 150€ on a pair.

Yeah, the NS-10s are quite horrid. Nothing but deafening accuracy with no low end at all. Even though I strive toward accuracy, I wouldn't buy a pair even if I got the chance.

Last edited by Freezer7Pro (2010-01-13 13:38:19)

Bertster7 wrote:

.Sup wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

He has a CA DacMagic.

haha fine
All I can say is my monitors rule

I listened to the legendary NS-10 Yamahas and they sounded dead to me. Good studio monitors but not really good for music enjoyment. People really need to listen to speakers before purchasing them if spending more than 150€ on a pair.

That's the problem. Too many monitors sound lifeless - whereas I have had a few lovely sets of wharfedales in my time. I think I've still got some 702es somewhere.

Love my Modus 1. Ordered them from England a decade ago I think. I just love how English speakers sound. Props to Englishmen

So I should still go for Active Monitors?

.Sup, what are your monitors? The KRKs?

If someone finds me a sweet amp that isn't stupidly expensive, I might look into passive speakers + amp. Too many options man... One of them has to come on top... General consensus?

Freezer7Pro wrote:

Morpheus wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

1.8 meters is just fine. Even 18 meters is just fine as it's got all the shielding and stuff done according to the book.

For balanced cables this works, not for the unbalanced 1/4" TS plugs you told him to use.

No, it works just fine for unbalanced cables too.

Balancing line-level stuff is by no means a bad thing, but it's overrated. It makes sense on ultra-low-level stuff like mics and turntables, which are extremely noise-sensitive, but when you've got signals of a Volt or so (which you do with a PC sound card), they'll do just fine as long as you've got an aluminium foil shield. If we were talking about a simple 'ground-conductor-shielde'd (as in, some really thin wires just twisted around the signal conductor), you'd be correct. But only really cheap cables are made like that, and those they sell in that store have that as well as an aluminium shield.

Ah. Whoops, i must've misread the signal being passed. I am aware of the technicals behind it

Zimmer wrote:

There still is no general consensus! If someone here was going to set up passive speakers + amplifier then what amplifier would you get?

The thing with all this is that you can go wrong with an amplifier + passive speakers, but with active monitors its pretty hard to get it wrong. I still can't decide

You will never get general consensus on this issue Zimmer ...

Your best option is to take a trip to a hifi store and listen to both options, if you are not used to the sound of studio speakers it may hit you as a surprice ... some find that surprice to be awesome but some are also hugely disapointed ...

Best thumb rule when it comes to buying hifi equipment is to always hear before you buy ...

Ok. Say I got the Cambridge Audiob Azur 640A amp and the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers... That would be all I need to get it set up with my PC, right? I'm off to a hi to store this lunchtime and might end up buying them, thoughts? That CA amp has gotten amazing reviews everywhere. I don't need a Each if I have that, right?

Just get a Xonar DX. If you go with an amplifier, you won't need all those fancy cables we looked at earlier, just a standard 3.5mm -> RCA cable.

.Sup wrote:

Zimmer wrote:

Wait, that's not right... I still need a DAC or a sound card, right? So it would have to be something like Dacmagic + CA amp + wharfedales... Yeah? Damn the price is just going up and up.

Yeah that would be perfect for music. Standalone DAC>soundcards in music clarity, detail, soundstage,...

take a look at this DAC: http://www.musicdirect.com/product/85434
Good DAC at a cheap price. No fancy casing but it houses good stuff

That thing isn't specced even remotely as good as a DX. -1.8dB at 20kHz is utterly unacceptable.

Last edited by Freezer7Pro (2010-01-15 02:32:31)

.Sup wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

.Sup wrote:

Yeah that would be perfect for music. Standalone DAC>soundcards in music clarity, detail, soundstage,...

take a look at this DAC: http://www.musicdirect.com/product/85434
Good DAC at a cheap price. No fancy casing but it houses good stuff

That thing isn't specced even remotely as good as a DX. -1.8dB at 20kHz is utterly unacceptable.

I laugh every time you mention specs. I think hifi choice wrote a review about the Streemer.

Right. And I assume cryogenically treated cables improve sound too.

Let's not turn this into one of those threads.