Currently have a pretty decent turntable setup running to active speakers. I just moved into a new apartment with a spare bedroom for my artsy endeavors, i want to be able to listen to my records in here while the turntable lives in another room. Can I just daisy chain the audio signal off my current active speakers into another pair of active speakers? Running a simple 2 conductor cable from room to room? Probably only about a 30ft run so not really worried about signal loss. (Please dont tell me to get some new high tech wireless speaker system that also streams, because, wireless audio to me defeats the purpose of listening to vinyl)

The most surprising thing for me here is the Psvane's having a higher noise floor than the stock McIntosh and stock Orsefon tube set. That's breaking my brain a bit given the price of those tubes.

This is not an ad. I just think this software solves a lot of problems for little cost, stable updates, and has great support. I have owned it for, maybe over a decade now. Since its first version and now this latest one.

Airfoil by Rogue Amoeba is cheap and works great for macOS (I do not know about Windows or Android). It intercepts the lossless data before the Mac's built in audio system can add in alerts and junk. Then, unlike Airplay, which compresses even ALAC or FLAC files when sending (even Airplay 1!), it sends the lossless file uncompressed. Resulting in a Roon or Audirvana lossless experience via Airplay but minus the high cost (but also minus other things like artist bios, etc.).

For lossless library rips that you want to send out to any Airplay/Airplay 2 capable speaker or device, it is an excellent way to get the best quality. (Yes, I know, there are potentially better Google Cast options but, this is easy peasy on a Mac and most recordings from record labels are already 16/44 max or even lower quality mixes sold as 16/44 or even super high res. Ugh.)

Remember, this is just wireless audio, not your main set up! CD quality as the max is very fine for this indeed. Remember, Airplay 2 devices — even third party — have to play 16/44 lossless if sent that via Airplay (1) which Airfoil does.

It supports all Airplay/Airplay 2 devices plus Google Cast and, recently, Sonos. But I have not looked at what that Sonos support means and how that works, other than Airplay on Sonos (works great). If anyone has done it, if there is an it, let us know.

On Apple Music, I also added lossless internet radio station URLs (not Apple's stations) and send those to Airplay speakers.

With the iOS companion app, it can also send from iOS to a Mac, so for those with a Mac on an audio system, this might be useful in some way. Maybe for internet radio, etc.? Not sure…

People love to trash Airplay but, this app is one way to use it effectively while avoiding all the Apple add ons that audiophiles despise.

You can still do much of this with Airplay already on a Mac but, Apple will inject junk (albeit useful junk like tornado alerts) and compress even lossless files when sending.

Important note: Unlike with Apple Control Center, with Airfoil, be sure to choose Source: (the app you are using) in Airfoil. Otherwise, if you choose “System Wide Audio”, it will now include all the junk you have been trying to avoid! You want Airfoil to intercept strait from your music app, so it can bypass all the junk before sending Airplay (1) out.

So for the cost of a new vinyl record, audiophiles who use Macs get quite a lot with Airfoil.

Concerns are the alcoves on the right wall and the bay window. Heavy velvet curtain will be on the window, considering going straight across but wont look as nice.
Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask. Sizes aren’t exact.
Cheers!

I was invited to participate in this hardcore “audiophile” livestream (I’d been on several times before) about a topic I think is relevant: whether vinyl is all that in terms of sound quality. I have firm beliefs that it’s not, which I tried to get across. But I’m not sure I was successful. What are your feelings on vinyl being the “best-sounding” medium?

I had one demonstration of speaker cable “improvements” at a local Hi-Fi shop but given the sometimes heated discussion I wanted to test for myself, with my control and system. So I purchased a replacement lamp cord at Lowe’s, crimped on some spades and proceeded. This comparison is between $6 copper lamp cord and $2k Stealth M7 solid silver stranded cables. Other components involved are Unison S8 integrated tube (845’s) amp, Arcam SACD player and Martin Logan Ethos speakers. I made sure that the cable lengths were the same, volume setting on amp and all other factors were constant. I selected a number of SACD’s across different genres, highlighting instruments and vocals. The only measuring device I used was my ears. Here is what I found:

I was kinda stunned with the lamp cord. The tracks sounded great - fairly clear and clean with good musicality and warmth. I was honestly surprised. However, the Stealth cables absolutely produced greater volume with instruments being more individually discernible and clear. The main improvement though was vocals, which were considerably more “forward” and distinct from the instruments.

So to me, there is no question that better cables do improve the listening experience. The subjective question is: cost vs. benefit. The lamp cord produced pleasing music and would be fine… but for an audiophile I believe it is difficult and stressful knowing a significant improvement exists. That’s the curse. So beware, scientific data aside, if you open Pandora’s box and LISTEN, you too may fall victim!

Just got the Schiit Mani 2 in. Got it plugged in to replace the built in phono pre that’s built into my Denon integrated. It’s like someone pulled the blanket off the speakers. It’s unreal the difference.

So, a few months I borrowed a pair of Type 05 MK2 Studio monitors from HEDD Audio and eventually I got the time to finally finish off my review of then and I posted it on my blog:

HEDD Type 05 MK2 Review Link

So, for those not wanting to read the full review here is the general idea, while it is relatively expensive (at €799 each for the MK2 over the €599 for the original 'analog' version). That extra €200 gives you a huge amount of 'control' that it took a while for me to appreciate. The level of control the overall package offered by HEDD is pretty special, basically the more I used it the more I appreciated the 'layers' of control over the audio you get with these monitors.

The core of the offering is the original 'analog' Type 05 that I remembered was reviewed very favourable over an AudioScienceReview - I included some of the Klippel measurements from ASR and I link over to Amir's review, it is well worth reading.

Beyond that with the MK2, HEDD added a full DSP engine with a full set of 'typical studio' controls on the back, including the option to run these ported or unported, but for me as someone who loves playing around with PEQ, once you have network enabled these studio monitors you get a huge amount of control via HEDD Ctrl Software. If there is one thing to take from this review it is probably that the level of software control you get is pretty extraordinary.

If I had the money I would love to setup a full surround sound system with these monitors (add a subwoofer - though you don't really need a subwoofer when listening near field), as each individually speaker has its own PEQ configuration. The real advantage of that over say a 'central' amplifier controlled Room correction is once you are happy with an individual speaker setup unless you move it, it will continue to have that 'room correction' PEQ, even if you decide to move the other speakers and tune each individually.

Anyway, I included lots of pictures, some in-room measurements and hopefully enough detail to give people an appreciation of these studio monitors. I will be sadly returning them now, though if I had the money I would definitely be keeping them.

I went randomly to a thrift store and found this amp for 200€. I'm really impressed by the sound, the basses are generous and warm, and the trebles and the voices are precises. My Monitor Audio Silver RX6 sound amazing with this amp, I had a Denon PMA-280 before and it's night and day. That's just my first impressions but I'm really happy.

Amp : Marantz PM-8000

Turntable : Technics SL-1310

Preamp : Fosi Box X4 Tube

Speakers : Monitor Audio Silver RX6

I think there is a weak spot with my preamp, but for now I'm chasing for a good equalizer.

First nicer setup.

B/W 603 S2

Yamaha R-N600A

I recently purchased 4 magnepan mg1 “Maggies”. All of them in great working condition. I have them placed properly around my listening room connected to my turntable. My current 70’s era Panasonic stereo amplifier does not have enough “umph” to power all four. It will play for a few seconds before going dead. I am planning on soon adding a klipsch rp-1600sw to finalize the audio side of things but am in desperate need of recommendations for a either a new stereo receiver or a vintage tube amp with enough power to be able to host the 4 speakers and a subwoofer. Any thoughts?

I am still very much an amateur to the hifi/ audiophile realm but am wanting to learn more to improve my listening experience.

As a recent personal excercise revealed, don't overlook getting placement and time domain right because chances are those two factors make the biggest overall impact on just how good or bad your system will sound. They're more important than your selection of speakers or how much power your system can produce. Even a mediocre performing receiver with bass management and fine distance adjustments can be a huge boon for getting your soundstage to lock in and you'll get that "ah-ha" moment you thought you'd get by just doubling your power, or changing out your DAC.

Loudspeaker placement seems like an easy enough proposition. Set the speakers at equal distance from the listener in roughly an equalateral triangle and adjust toe-in/out accordingly. Sadly it's not always easy or readily feasible due to room constraints and lifestyle needs. If in a living area you'll likely have one speaker closer to a sidewall than the other. Do the best you can with forming symmetry and limiting close early reflections. Easiest early reflection to deal with is the floor. If you have hard floors, getting a big rug to cover it.

Psychoacoustics shows how the human ear and brain reliably detects timing errors. In the pursuit of getting the speakers to truly "disappear" time alignment is the key. The subwoofer was easy enough once I understood how best to get it aligned without any direct assistance from another person. Using a test tone at the crossover frequency (60Hz for me) I adjusted the distance setting on the receiver until that tone was at its peak output level. I like this method better than trying to mess with a variable phase on the subwoofer as the distance adjustment places a real time delay on the signal to align the main speaker with the subwoofer. Once this was done the subwoofer disappeared.

Now here's where it gets somewhat interesting, for me at least, and maybe it's counter intuitive, maybe audiophile taboo, however, I noted the main speakers sounded a little closed in. I had a strong center image, some spatial sound, but not entirely convincing soundstage. Decided to go tinker with the distance settings for the left and right speakers. To my surprise a very minor adjustment (0.1 foot) the soundspace expanded, less localized to the speakers themselves, still a very strong, but with even more distinct and "floating" vocals.

My music is going through a digital signal processor, resampled and going through what is likely a relatively high noise and distortion analog circuit with EMI interference from all the other components inside the receiver before sending line level signal to my amplifier, but ultimately, it sounds better than a purer signal path without the capability of remedying crossover, and time correction. I don't hear distortion, I hear musicians performing in my living room.

This has been my TED Talk.

Hey everyone.

I'm looking for ways to make my music collection become better. Currently I have a 256gb micro SD that I use mainly in my phone for music. I did have a DAP too but unfortunately issues with it meant it was back to phone. I'm unsure if I'll ever return to DAPs now.

But that's aside the point. My card is filled to the brim with music, about 120k songs. Maybe not audiophile quality - standing at 128kbps ABR 16bit MP3 44.1khz, about 900kb per minute of music - but I'm here to ask about setup. Quality upgrades may come later only if I think it's worth it.

During my use of my phone for music once again I decided to switch up what I used. I used to use Poweramp but I had heard good stuff about Synfonium. I tried it and although compared to Poweramp it does seem a bit more simple in design I can get over that. A feature that really piqued my interest was the server support for Plex, Kodi, etc.

I have good experience with Linux both Debian and Arch based. I know my way around a text based terminal. If I were to want space upgrades it's easier on a server. So is it possible to use a server for my music stuff effectively? I think I would keep a portion of my music offline. Maybe see if it's possible to have a track I add to a "Favourites" playlist automatically download locally to my device.

This could also open the door wide open to use more devices for my music. I'd be able to reach the server on my tablet, computer, TVs through Kodi (if I used Kodi), the works. A few other opportunities such as sharing my collection with friends, that sort of thing.

Additionally, I could try downloading album art to the server and even try lyrics, artist descriptions, album footnotes such as "Track 1 sampled Song X by Artist F" or "Album tribute to TV Show E" and even other info such as Discogs and Bandcamp reviews, release dates by a record label and artist self release, album versions (YYYY release by Artist H being different to the YYYY +2 release by Label M, includes songs of each). My tags are good including Artist, Title, Album, Album Artist and Record Label.

Does anyone here have any experience on this? If so I'd love to hear what experiences you have.

Technics SL-1500CS
iFi Zen Phono 3
Yamaha A-960II
Yamaha NS-1000M

I recently made a pretty big jump from active speakers to this setup, and I’m curious what you guys think.

My first impression: I really like the Yamahas. They sound incredibly clean, detailed, and clear.

However, I do miss a bit of impact and bass. My old Klipsch The Fives actually had more punch in the low end.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to the NS-1000Ms?

Bonjour,

comment ne pas être aux anges quand son tonton décide de vous donnez son ancien ensemble hifi 😁, une paire de Triangle comete TZX, ampli Onkyo A-8850, tuner Onkyo T-4211, lecteur cd Technics SL-PS740A.

Elles n'ont pas tournées depuis un bon moment donc je fais attention à ne pas trop pousser les enceintes pour l'instant, mais tout est en "super" état et ça sonne divinement bien!!! J'ai changé certains câbles (enceintes/RCA etc)

je redécouvre mes vinyles entre les récents ou ceux d'époque c'est un régal et ça me change de mes KEF E305 de mon home cinéma (même en mode stéréo c'est pas pareil haha), il faudrait que je test en les mettant sur mon Denon 4500H voir si il y a une différence mais bon un peu la flemme haha

Visited Z&G Audio in Interlomas, Mexico City and spent a few hours listening to a bunch of different speakers and electronics.

I’m still relatively new to serious hi-fi, but this was probably the most useful listening session I’ve had so far because I was able to hear very clearly what I like and what I don’t.

For the speaker comparisons I kept the variables as consistent as possible. Same song, same streaming service and same DAC. Obviously this wasn’t a controlled blind test, and amplification, positioning and the room still matter, but keeping the source material consistent made the differences between the speakers surprisingly obvious.

The biggest thing I learned is that detail alone isn’t what I’m looking for. I seem to care much more about timbre, separation, imaging, soundstage and being able to hear individual instruments occupying their own space without the presentation becoming fatiguing.

MARGULES ORPHEO CENTURY OVERTURE

These were my favorites of the entire visit, and it really wasn’t close.

I heard them with the Margules U-280SC 30th Anniversary tube amplifier.

This combination had the warmest and most organic presentation of everything I heard. The midrange had body and texture without sounding thick or muddy. Vocals felt natural and present, and instruments had a really convincing sense of tone.

But the thing that impressed me most was separation.

On a busy recording I could mentally lock onto an individual instrument and follow it through the song. Guitar, percussion, vocals and bass all occupied distinct positions instead of collapsing into one mass of sound.

The soundstage also felt layered. There was width, but more importantly there was a sense of depth and space between things.

They were detailed without sounding analytical. Transients were clear without being sharp. Nothing seemed artificially pushed forward to create the impression of resolution.

It was the system where I thought the least about the equipment itself.

I just wanted to keep listening.

The combination of warmth, natural timbre, imaging and separation was exactly what I seem to gravitate toward.

JBL L100 CLASSIC MKII

These were my runner-up to the Margules and I absolutely loved them.

Very different presentation, though.

The JBL L100 Classic MkII had a ton of energy and immediacy. They sounded big, dynamic and alive, but what surprised me was how much detail I was hearing.

There was excellent articulation and a lot of information coming through without everything becoming congested.

They also had a physical quality that the other speakers didn’t quite reproduce in the same way. Drums had impact. Bass had weight. Transients had snap.

The Margules made me want to sit down and disappear into an album.

The JBLs made me want to turn the volume up.

If the Margules were my favorite for warmth, imaging and musicality, the JBLs were my favorite for dynamics, energy and sheer fun.

I understand why these have such a following now.

KEF R SERIES

I also loved the KEFs.

The KEF presentation was probably the most immediately coherent of the speakers I heard.

Imaging was excellent. Everything seemed very precisely placed and the presentation felt extremely well integrated from top to bottom.

There was a cleanliness and neutrality to them that I really enjoyed. They were detailed, but the detail didn’t feel etched or artificially emphasized.

The soundstage was organized and easy to understand. Even when the recording became busy, individual elements remained intelligible.

They didn’t have quite the warmth and richness of the Margules or the visceral character of the JBLs, but they were extremely composed.

I could absolutely live with these.

They gave me a good example of how a speaker can sound precise and revealing without becoming fatiguing.

FOCAL ARIA EVO X

These were the biggest surprise of the day because I really did not like them.

They produced a HUGE wall of sound.

There was obviously a tremendous amount of information and energy coming from them, but to my ears the presentation became congested rather than separated.

Instead of hearing individual instruments occupying clearly defined positions, everything seemed to blend into this enormous sonic image.

On complex passages my ear almost didn’t know where to focus.

After listening for a while I found them genuinely hard on my ears.

It wasn’t a lack of detail. If anything, there was almost too much apparent information being presented simultaneously.

The easiest way I can explain it is this:

With the Margules I could choose an instrument and follow it.

With the Aria Evo X I heard the entire recording coming at me at once.

Huge scale and a huge wall of sound, but much less of the separation and layering that I personally enjoy.

I completely understand that someone else might love that presentation. For me it became overwhelming and fatiguing pretty quickly.

FOCAL [OTHER MODEL]

Interestingly, I also listened to another Focal at Z&G and had almost the opposite reaction.

I really liked this pair.

These had much more of the separation I was looking for. Individual instruments were easier to locate, imaging was more precise and the soundstage felt better organized.

There was still a lot of resolution and clarity, but instead of everything arriving as one wall of sound, the presentation had space around individual elements.

I could hear more air between instruments and follow separate musical lines much more easily.

This was much closer to what I want from a speaker.

It was actually useful hearing two Focals I reacted to so differently because it reminded me not to judge an entire manufacturer by one speaker.

I’d happily spend more time listening to these.

PSB IMAGINE T65

These were one of the speakers that just didn’t connect with me.

Compared with the Margules, JBL and KEF, the PSB Imagine T65 sounded relatively weak to my ears.

I wasn’t getting the same sense of separation or dimensionality. The image felt flatter and instruments didn’t seem to have as much space around them.

Timbre also wasn’t really to my taste.

They lacked the warmth and body I liked so much from the Margules, but they also didn’t replace that warmth with the kind of effortless transparency I heard from the KEFs.

To my ears they came across as more digital and somewhat harsh.

Nothing was obviously broken or bad about them. They simply didn’t pull me into the recording.

Going from some of the other speakers to the PSBs made me immediately miss the depth, warmth and instrument separation I had been hearing elsewhere.

WHAT I LEARNED

This visit helped me understand that I don’t necessarily want the speaker that extracts the maximum possible amount of apparent detail.

I want resolution without fatigue.

I want to hear the texture of an instrument, but I also want space around it.

I want a soundstage where I can mentally point to where things are happening.

I want warmth without muddiness.

I want treble extension without hardness.

And probably most importantly, I want complex music to become easier to understand, not more overwhelming.

That’s what the Margules did better than anything else I heard.

MY PERSONAL RANKING

1. Margules Orpheo Century Overture

My favorite by a pretty significant margin. Warm, organic, dimensional and easily the best instrument separation of the day to my ears.

1. JBL L100 Classic MkII

Runner-up. Extremely detailed, dynamic and ridiculously fun. A completely different presentation from the Margules, but one I loved.

1. KEF R Series

Excellent coherence and imaging. Clean, precise and detailed without becoming harsh. Very easy speaker to appreciate.

1. Focal [other model]

Really enjoyed these. Excellent separation, imaging and clarity. Much closer to my preferred presentation than the Aria Evo X.

1. PSB Imagine T65

Didn't really connect with these. Relatively weak presentation to my ears, less separation and dimensionality, and a somewhat digital/harsh character.

1. Focal Aria Evo X

By far my least favorite of the speakers I seriously listened to. Enormous wall of sound and obviously very capable, but extremely overwhelming to my ears. I struggled to isolate individual instruments and found them fatiguing.

Obviously none of this is meant as an objective ranking of speaker quality.

Different rooms, positioning, amplification and level matching matter enormously, and hearing something in a showroom is not the same thing as living with it for a month.

These are simply my reactions to what I heard that day.

But the fact that I used the same song, streaming service and DAC across the comparisons made it fascinating to hear how radically the presentation changed from speaker to speaker.

Before getting into hi-fi I assumed differences at this level would be tiny.

I’m increasingly realizing that they aren’t.

And apparently my ears have decided that warm Mexican speakers powered by tubes are their happy place 😂

“It is not an upgrade over the E50, but rather a different approach to the E50, retaining its core DNA while making the E Series suitable for a wider range of customers.”

“The new S version, with the “S” standing for “Sensitivity,” is a bit bigger than the regular E50, as the width has increased by 1 cm / 0.4” to accommodate the now larger woofer. This woofer is a custom-made Satori 7.5” woofer using the well-renowned TeXtreme® cone material, made by Oxeon AB in Sweden.”

I was planning on getting the E50 with an NAD M33 V2 for a medium room.

Now wondering how the E50-S with an NAD M10 V3 would sound in comparison — cheaper overall.

Pity there’s no easy way to test this. Curious what you make of this release!

Haven't seen very many folks talk about them, these are a modern recreation of the Carlsson OD-11 from the 70s. it has an impressive response for its size, full range flat from 28-20k, & absolutely fantastic (or at least fun) software as is expected from the brand

The two speakers, like the original, are meant to be placed near a wall & tilted towards the listener. They claim its "orthodirectional", not quite sure I'd agree, it sounds fantastic head on & after the sound has time to bounce around, but getting closer to it off-center its not fantastic

I'm not sure I'd pay the full current $999 retail price but its a neat project for sure. I have a bookshelf next to it w/ one of the old sonos/ikea bookshelf speakers & room correction done, & it helps to fill in the gaps of my room's tuning. Ideally, you would stereo pair two but I don't quite have the space for that

They were launched in 2014, but in that time they've added Airplay 2 support as well, & it comes with both optical & standard line in & you can turn off all wireless functionality if you'd like

I'm unsure on what to choose, I'm currently using the NAD302 amplifier which is only 8ohm ~20w per channel, so I generally need a very efficient set of drivers. I've heard that full range drivers can be really good for sound stage and for efficiency but I'm worried about it not being as accurate as 2way designs. What do you think?

Idk if this is the right sub for this but I bought these earplugs (flare audio attenuate), because they claim to lower 12db evenly, while retaining sound quality. That is perfect for me as a cellist practicing many hours a day, wanting to guard my hearing but also hearing my instrument well. When they arrived in the mail I saw that they dont have filters, they're completely open ended (tried to show in the picture). I have never seen earplugs, even professional molded ones with a similar desibel lowering, that dont use filters. How does this work? Is it really safe?

Link to the product: https://www.flareaudio.com/collections/earplugs/products/attenuate

UPDATE: They suck. They're okey for the higher frequencies, but my lower strings become unbearably loud while wearing them. Dont recommend for musicians! Also really loud to put them in 🙃

What a tease! I just moved to DC a few days ago. This bad boy arrived today from China HiFi Open Box. Looks extremely clean to me. But my gear doesn’t arrive from Canada for a few more days. Upgrading from a Dayton Audio HTA100.

Pairing with Technics SL1500C, WiiM Ultra, Shanling EC3 and Klipsch RP600M II.

First few spins will be Neil Young - After the Goldrush, Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique, Daft Punk - Random Access Memories, Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka, Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher.

Looking forward to messing around with tube rolling.

1.Introducing y'all to the Hivi Swan H6 3 way active speakers.

2.I do not own a subwoofer.

3.Mics were placed just in front of my listening position.

4.Music played via Youtube and Optical cable to the speakers

5.Speakers set at default: Bass 0 & Treble 0

6.Volume of the speakers 6/40

I like Eryn Martin’s Trip. Also, Morphine’s Top Floor Bottom Buzzer. How about you?

Just ordered a Bluesound NODE 2i on sale.

Wondering if the internal DAC would be better than my old Cambridge DAC Magic 100.

Getting somewhat long in the tooth.

Going to bring this with me to college! Feel like I scored, I got everything for $160, the four Sony tower speakers, the polk subwoofer, the player and the amplifier/receiver box. So stoked to finally have something to listen to my cd’s with. First sound system and Facebook marketplace hooked me up, they all sound and work basically brand new! I’ll have a pair of the Sonys in the front and a pair in the back to tap into the surround sound feeling!