I prefer to listen to recorded media via ...
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Fuck recorded music -- it's FAKE (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Fuck recorded music -- it's FAKE (Score:5, Funny)
That's why I bring an orchestra with me wherever I go.
Re:Fuck recorded music -- it's FAKE (Score:4, Funny)
When the Grateful Dead were on their Europe '72 tour, they got into one hotel in France that wasn't expected two busloads of hippies to show up - they did have a reservation for a 34-piece orchestra. Yeah, check the names, that was them..
Re:Fuck recorded music -- it's FAKE (Score:3)
There is plenty of recorded music which is just carefully mastered "real music".
That is to say that it's a collection of "perfect" recordings that accurately reflect how the musicians wanted their music to sound. This is opposed to the sound you get at concerts which includes "someone spilled something so one of the guitars went silent for a while", "the drummer got drunk", "the sound engineer needs to be shot because it sounds fine to the band but anyone in front of the stage and up to 500 meters away could just as well be listening to the sound of a thousand heavy machine guns since it's just a mess of noise".
Not to mention musicians just plain getting off key for no reason.
There's also music which is carefully composed by humans and "played" by computers, might not be your cup of tea but in my mind it still qualifies as both music and art.
Re:Fuck recorded music -- it's FAKE (Score:2)
Or having listen tot eh drunk asshole next you try to sing along with the guy you paid money to hear.
Re:Fuck recorded music -- it's FAKE (Score:2)
Hiring a pink floyd tribute band to play softly while I code is somewhat impractical. Especially because the guy on the other side of the cube wall listens to techno music non-stop ... real music would probably kill him!
Live music is awesome, and I'm spoiled by the excellent amount of local talent / bar band scene where I live... but that doesn't mean I forsake good quality recorded music played on decent (not extreme.. just decent) speakers.
Re:Fuck recorded music -- it's FAKE (Score:2)
Especially because the guy on the other side of the cube wall listens to techno music non-stop ... real music would probably kill him!
If it doesn't, you should hire it done.
I believe you misunderstood his point there... (Score:2)
If I understood his point correctly, he is arguing about the "fakeness" of music created during the the recording process through technological means like filters, reverberation, vocalization etc. - not the act of recording sound.
You know... music and songs that can't be played and sung by a human being in real life conditions and without (often) expensive specialized equipment designed to create a certain effect which goes beyond just the act of playing the music/singing the song.
And I have to say... there is a point to be made there.
Then again, I don't really mind that any more than I'd mind visual and sound effects in a movie as opposed to everything happening in a room - like in the theatre.
Yeah, sure... It is often a pleasure to watch/listen to a great musician/actor perform IRL at top of his/her skill and ability just for the sake of presented skill/ability.
But I'm in it mostly for the story/song, with possible preferences regarding which one I LIKE better based purely on personal taste - not some uber-objective scale of "quality of everything".
Re:I believe you misunderstood his point there... (Score:2)
There is a certain line... at which music becomes "too fake" and I don't enjoy it.
For me it really comes down to whether the technology is augmenting an already talented musician.. or replacing him/her. Pink Floyd used all manner of effects and technology... but I'd pay to see _just_ David Gilmour and a guitar ... the rest is all just awesome++.
It's kind of odd that it matters.. and I have to wonder if I heard a song I liked, and someone told me it was entirely synthetic.. if I would still like that song. From a logical perspective it shouldn't... but I'll admit it probably would. Very irrational :(
I am disgusted by your persistence... (Score:2)
...to keep refusing to see the world as black and white and instead using various scales of various shades of gray.
Just what kind of a zealot ARE you?
Re:Fuck recorded music -- it's FAKE (Score:2)
there's no other way to listen to some music (i.e. ANY digitally modified sound) without it going through a medium meant to play recorded sounds.
Uh, what? I play guitar through a variety of digital effects and it doesn't have to "go through a medium meant to play recorded sounds".
Something else you ignorantly left off the list (Score:5, Funny)
What happened to all the CowboyNeal options, anyway?
The CowboyNeal options (Score:2)
For this poll, that would obviously have been Cowboy music, and probably neither you nor CowboyNeal would have actually wanted that :-)
Re:Something else you ignorantly left off the list (Score:2)
Re:Something else you ignorantly left off the list (Score:3)
Polls – a poll is usually run on the site in the right-hand margin, asking users their choice on a variety of topics. In the earlier years of the site, one of the options that could be selected was CowboyNeal, the handle of Jonathan Pater, an administrator of the site. This became known as the CowboyNeal option.[40] During the summer of 2005, he stopped being in charge of the polls, and as a result the CowboyNeal option disappeared.
Laptop Speaker (Score:5, Funny)
I use my laptop built-in mono speaker, or the earbuds I got with my cellphone. I know it may be overkill for the great music of today, such as the three Bees (Bieber, Black and the Bananaphone song), but these great acts deserve it, damnit.
Re:Laptop Speaker (Score:2)
Heh, the Bananaphone song is my ringtone, you insensitive clod!
Plays great on my cellphone's built-in mono speaker!
Now I just need a video ringtone so I can play the Friday song.
"Ring-ring-ring, bananaphone" (Score:2)
Damn you both!! It is stuck in my head again!! AGH!!!
Send... Ring-ring-ring, banana phone... help.... Ring-ring-ring, banana phone... please.... Ring-ring-ring, banana phone...
Ring-ring-ring, banana phone...
Re:Laptop Speaker (Score:2)
s'okay, I'll just go back to my Gogol Bordello ringtone...
oh yea oh yea you make me fall
in love with witches;
oh yea oh yea you make me walk
across burning bridges
but you know I'll pick up
any time you call
just to thank you once again...
alcohol
Listen? (Score:2)
Re:Listen? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Listen? (Score:2)
does your video have sound? well, there you go.
Something else you ignorantly left off the list (Score:5, Funny)
No plasma arc ear buds?
In-ear monitors (Score:2)
Re:In-ear monitors (Score:2)
agree, my preference:
1. in ear monitors
2. huge conventional speakers
3. supra-aural headphones
4. never heard others
Need bass (Score:2)
I don't like my music loud but I like be able to feel the bass. Kinda limits my options.
Re:Need bass (Score:5, Funny)
I don't like my music loud but I like be able to feel the bass. Kinda limits my options.
You can play soft music, and ask someone to punch you in the stomach?
Re:Need bass (Score:2)
Bolt a bass driver directly to your chair.
Comment removed (Score:2)
Re:Need bass (Score:2)
get a splitter. Put one end into a powered subwoofer. and the other into an other set of Speakers. Control the volumes accordingly.
Re:Need bass (Score:2)
What you need, my friend, is quality dubstep.
Re:Need bass (Score:2)
Are you familiar with bass shakers?
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-388 [parts-express.com]
It seems a little gimmiky, but I bet if properly done (not over the top) could really enhance your subjective experience of bass. You might want to use it with a sub amp that has a crossover so you could keep it confined to only the real low stuff. Some amp like this:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-782 [parts-express.com]
Larger amps and shakers are available. I've heard of them being installed in seating platforms to provide the experience for multiple people.
They are called low frequency tranceducers (Score:3)
Also shakers. You take a cheap high efficiency amp, high power (doesn't have to be high quality, plenty of distortion is ok) and hook it in to a linear actuator with a weight on it instead of a cone. Instead of sound waves, you get vibrations. Hook that to your seat and there you go.
I'm not saying it is a 100% replacement for a sub or something, but it can do a reasonable job.
http://www.thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/index.htm [thebuttkicker.com]
Unfortunately my answer is "Something else.." (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Unfortunately my answer is "Something else.." (Score:5, Informative)
I use hearing aids, too. But not the inductive loops (uses the telecoil, right? lots of EM noise, right?)
My method is Direct Audio Input to jacks on the back of my hearing aids. My preferred setup is a pair of modified bluetooth headphones with short wires leading from audio jacks (my addition) to my hearing aids. I can then listen to music with background sound too, or turn off the hearing aid microphones and hear just music.
I voted the first option.
Active noise cancellation (Score:2)
Plasma arc speakers? (Score:5, Interesting)
I assume the poll must be referring to a set of these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVDmjnCQ1g4 [youtube.com]
Sadly, Bang and Olufsen don't make a set :(
Re:Plasma arc speakers? (Score:2)
Re:Plasma arc speakers? (Score:2)
Actually more likely referring to this kind of thing, far better quality sound for a start: http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-A-Plasma-Speaker/ [instructables.com]
I love how after 60 seconds or so it basically sets itself on fire. There may be a future for this technology with heavy metal fans.
Re:Plasma arc speakers? (Score:3)
Re:Plasma arc speakers? (Score:2)
Furniture that happens to sound pretty damn good while being overpriced as fuck.
I used to work there ;-)
Re:Plasma arc speakers? (Score:2)
Actually that's not all they make (Score:3)
In the audio area, B&O make ICEPower which is a fairly advanced Class D amp board that is getting rather popular in high end audio. It is efficient (as Class D amps are) but offers performance in the same class as high end Class AB amps.
Until I'd heard of it, I had no idea they did anything but make overpriced designer stuff either. However ICEPower is the real deal, it is one of the few Class D designs that can offer high power, low noise, low distortion, all that stuff.
http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com/ [bang-olufsen.com]
Cordless (Score:2)
I don't care much, but cordless headphones are so much nicer than having a cord that gets trapped in chair wheels.
Sennheiser cordless headphones + logitech desk mic > any "gaming" headset
Re:Cordless (Score:2)
How's the hiss? I bought a pair a handful of years ago and it hissed like crazy. $100 and I used them once.
Do you have a link to the pair you use please?
Re:Cordless (Score:3)
http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/09920_wireless_headphone?Open&path=private_headphones_hifi_wireless-headphones [sennheiser.com]
No hiss, the only downpoint is that if the source is too quiet (i.e. silent for a few minutes) then the transmitter turns off and the headphones pump loud static into your ears.
Re:Cordless (Score:2)
Thank you!
Am I the only one (Score:2)
Am I the only one who had to google for those odd classifications of headphone types?
I doubt anyone but the most devout '80s recreator would bother with supra-aural headphones these days.
Comment removed (Score:2)
Re:Am I the only one (Score:2)
Nothing beats a great pair of cans.
Re:Am I the only one (Score:2)
Missing options: Denon AKDL1 Cable, and SuperSata (Score:2)
Come on /. do it properly.
Speakers in Car (Score:2)
Car audio has come a long way and I mean that offered by manufacturer, not aftermarket. I plug my iPod in and listen to the fine old fidelity of Gunsmoke, Fibber McGee & Molly, Have Gun Will Travel, Dragnet, Burns & Allen, et all via my car speakers.
Re:Speakers in Car (Score:2)
Nothing beats that old school radio SciFi.
Re:Speakers in Car (Score:2)
I listen to some of those on long drives sometimes too (once drove from NY to CA listening almost exclusively to Dragnet, and NPR news when I was near cities), but the recordings available on the internet are mastered at ridiculously low levels - I have to turn the volume all the way up on my playback device (MP3 player previously, nexus one now) and then turn the volume up on the car stereo to a ridiculously high level as well. Loads of hiss, sometimes unintelligible anyway if there's a lot of noise from the road or from rain or whatever, and if the source is accidentally changed, ear-shattering sound levels result. Quite annoying.
Prefer Speakers, but Use Earbuds (Score:3)
Re:Prefer Speakers, but Use Earbuds (Score:3)
Please, please swap apartments with my current neighbour.
Voted supra-aurals (Score:2)
Even though circumaurals give better sound quality, they're just too uncomfortable, so I use supra-aurals.
Re:Voted supra-aurals (Score:2)
Apartment dweller, so headphones (Score:4, Interesting)
I've lived in an apartment all my adult life, so I spend my money on headphones. I like real headphones, not those hideous earbud things. Ugh!
My main at-home music is for workouts. I use a crappy old RCA Lyra MP3 player I bought years ago, with headphones similar to these [radioshack.com]. They work. I was amused the other day to note that my workout music spans five decades, from 1976 (Daddy Cool by Boney M) to 2011 (Born This Way by Lady Gaga). The act with the greatest longevity is Bananarama, from 1986 (Venus) to 2009 (Love Comes). The Weirdest Combination of Languages Award goes to Glukoza for Schweine, with verses in Russian and the chorus in German, while the Most Unintelligible Lyrics Award goes to Dana International for Maganuna. She also gets the Most Irritatingly Catchy Song Award for Love Boy.
My headset for flying is a much more serious (and expensive) piece of kit. I showed a total lack of imagination and bought one of these. [davidclark.com]
...laura
Please use both exits. (Score:2)
So if I select none-of-the-above, then I'm saying it's neither on the list, nor left off the list.
Re:Please use both exits. (Score:3)
Something you left off the list - some other method of listening to recorded media.
None of the above - "I am deaf or I can hear but do not listen to recorded media at all."
IEMs (Score:2)
Because of the durability issue I can't justify to myself spending over $60 on a pair, even though there are $350 IEMs out there, and really combined with a Cowon J3 a $40 pair from somewhere like Xears [xears.com] (ok, a little shameless plug for a guy I've bought 2 pairs from so far) sound pretty damn good. Not quite as good as a nice pair of cans, but for me personally the extra convenience makes up for that.
Anyway, give them a shot, you might be surprised.
Cheapest way to Quality Audio: Headphones (Score:2)
If you want top quality sound for the least investment, get yourself a pair of headphones. If you don't already know, the Grado SR-60 is prepared to rock your world. $79
No affiliation here, just thought there might be someone thinking to themselves "Man, I wish I could get a totally awesome audio experience for less than $100. But how?" These relatively cheap Grados have been the standard for ass kicking headphones since about 1994, when they first came out. I got myself a pair back in the day, they lasted for 10 years and then fell apart. I've purchased other headphones in that price range, but they have not been as fantastic as my old SR-60s. Next time I have to buy a pair it'll either be back to the Grados, or upmarket to the Sennheiser HD595.
NOTE 1 - The grados let your music out into the world, and let the world into your ear while you wear them. They provide little isolation. FYI.
NOTE 2 - When I had mine, they took a while to break in. The headband was real tight to start with, and the pads were scratchy. I also believe the sound improved over the 1st year, but there will be those who poo-poo such a notion. If you are initially dissatisfied, just throw something on repeat and let em play continuously for a few days, and bend the headband backwards a couple of times. It's not a big deal.
NOTE 3 - The SR-60 had a model revision the other year. I haven't listened to the new ones.
I like my audio media, so I just thought I'd share.
Re:Cheapest way to Quality Audio: Headphones (Score:2)
I have SR-60's. Been using them since about 2004, so I guess it would be before the revision you're referring to. I don't use them constantly, but they've held up quite well. One side detached from the headband, but I think it's designed to if you twist and pull it in just the right way, and it goes right back on though it's a little loose now. Doesn't cause any issue anyway.
The sound is fantastic for the price. Even after all this time, though, they still do get uncomfortable if I wear them for more than 4 or 5 hours (not too hard to accomplish if you're playing a computer game or watching several movies or TV shows in a row). The padding (which I never thought was scratchy btw) isn't really enough. A friend of mine has the SR-80's, which have different ear pads that are a lot more comfortable. Those aren't as easy to drive without an amplifier, though. I think the SR-80 pads fit on the SR-60, but the sound will change, not necessarily for the better. I think he got the SR-80's just to one-up me, by the way :)
I read about breaking them in when I got them. I was dubious, and remain so - I don't think they've changed at all since I've bought them. It doesn't really make sense that they should. I did try the trick where you put tape around the outer edge of the pads, which is supposed to increase the bass - I think it does increase the bass, at the expense of quality - but it was very hard to tell any difference. I didn't bother advancing to the trick where you remove the SR60 logo, providing more grill space on the outside. My point is that they should be just fine out of the box, and any adjustment period is just you getting used to them.
The fact that they're not isolated can definitely cause problems, such as in a dorm room with another person (where I was in 2004, with a roommate with a very different sleep schedule from me, very annoying) or an office. If I ever work in an office environment (if I can ever find a job in other words) I will have to buy some closed headphones - using the SR-60 in that kind of environment will quickly turn you into "that guy". But at home in a reasonably quiet room, they're fantastic.
Neurophone. (Score:2)
I don't want to hear music. I want it coupled electrically to my soul.
Missing option (Score:2)
You didn't list anything involving Monster cables with gold-plated connectors!
Seriously, though, I was perfectly happy with a pair of Sennheiser PX-100s (so that's supra-aural, although I had to I look the definitions up) until the wiring near the jack went flaky. Unfortunately these used to be available for $40, but recently the price has doubled! So I'm using the white earbuds while I debate myself wrt spending $80 on headphones.
Re:Missing option (Score:2)
Unless you need the ultra-portability of the PX-100, get Grado SR-60's with that $80 instead. Amazing sound for a relatively low price. I've tried the PX-100 and they were pretty good, but a lot of their appeal comes from the fact that they sound decent while being small and portable. At the old price they were a great deal for portability, no argument there, but the SR-60 blows it out of the water in terms of quality.
70s loudspeakers sound even better than 70s music! (Score:2)
HD600 + DAC1 USB (Score:2)
About to stick on some pixies and go to bed.
These things get me high when I'm stone cold sober. Go to you audiophile store, check them out (they probably can't order a DAC1 because they don't make enough money off them, so try a 30 day money back guarantee from the internet).
You will not find a bad review with this combination. They are about a month's salary for the pair for a reason.
Re:HD650 + DAC1 USB (Score:2)
That's what I meant. You need a DAC to power them to potential - thy aren't tested with a 3.5 lineout.
A parabolic horn ... (Score:2)
Electrostatic... (Score:3)
Once you have heard electrostatic speakers you know what you can get. Even electrostatic headphones are magnitudes better than almost every alternative that exists.
Try to listen on Sennheiser Orpheus first...
Martin Logan fed by a Conrad Johnson will be fine.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
You know, after striving a couple of years for high end perfection I realized that I don't care enough to spend money to go beyond mediocre sound reproduction. But I may be unusual. I usually prefer silence.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:4, Interesting)
i found a compromise that was mainly dictated by my bank balance.
there's no upper-end of the hifi price scale, though you can circumvent the audiophile world if you buy pro gear instead - it's cheaper and better sounding, and much less pretentious usually.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
True. That's why I have a pair of decent studio speakers. [soundonsound.com]
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:3)
As do I (Tannoy SRM-12B), but mine are externally amplified. I haven't gotten around to trying to bi-amp them just yet, but they have the posts to do so. Some internal re-wiring is required for this to work, however. Sure they're 35 years old, and the cases show it, but I don't have them taking up space because they're pretty to look at. The Dual Concentric design is as close to wearing headphones as I've ever heard from a standard loudspeaker, as far as perception of the sound stage goes. They're also accurate to the point of being unforgiving with lesser quality recordings, but that is exactly what made them such great studio monitors in the 1970s.
There's something sweet about listening to recordings on the same or similar hardware to that used to master them -- and Tannoys got used in a whole lot of studios worldwide. I know I'm hearing what the engineer INTENDED for me to hear.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:3)
It's also just about impossible to blow a Tannoy speaker... if you put too much power through it, the speaker will ground itself and stop moving the driver until you reduce the power.
Very happy owner of a pair of Tannoy Monitor Gold 12" speakers that I inherited from my father. They're older than I am but they're still the best speakers I have ever used. Though I also own some very good headphones that produce very good sound... Sennheiser makes some *very* good open-ear design headphones that can come close to a pair of good studio speakers without breaking the bank.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
Or you can go with vintage gear, if you know where to find it.
I'm using a set of 1970 (or so) original Advent Loudspeakers. A cousin gave me his 'old' system when I was in school around 1986, when he upgraded to a Sony system. I think I got the better part of the deal, and am still using it.
The system included the 2 Advents, a BIC turntable, Yamaha Natural Sound Receiver, and an Akai tape deck.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
I have an excellent set of speakers I inherited from my dad. He was big into audio, and did the same "buy good stuff as you can afford it" type thing.
They are quite old... and while they don't have the same tooth rattling bass you get in even the cheapest walmart speakers... there is a depth to the sound that is out of this world.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
the bass is all wrong in modern cheap speakers. they sacrifice the mid to accentuate the (actually not very extended) bass.
you'll probably find with the right EQ tuning you can get the old buggers to play better in the bottom end than the walmart ones.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
Yep, that's what I did. I have an old Fisher 400 pushing a pair of Altec-Lansing "Santiago" speakers. My wife didn't like the amount of space the Altecs took up, though, so I put that system in the garage and now we have an old Carver CM-1090 driving a pair of Magneplanars. It's a very different sound, but it's good.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
hooray for the old yammy amps! can't get enough of those things!
my CA-810 will blow the windows out even if you plugged it into $10 computer speakers.
but when it draws 700 watts at the wall, i've gotta ration it's use in these degenerate times of high electricity prices.
ive got 2 setups - a modest pair of MSP5's and a marantz turntable i found at a 2nd hand shop (digitally preamped with a laptop and USB sound card) for casual listening, and the CA-810 plugged into old Jensen monoliths for crash bang action movies.
business and pleasure :)
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
I fell in love with good stereo back when I was 12yrs. Since then, I've saved my money and over the years bought good component stuff as I could afford it.
Over the years, I'd improve a piece at a time.
The first time I heard a pair of Klipschorns [klipsch.com] I knew what I had to have some day.
And after many years I got some. I heard them that day with a McIntosh tube amp. I've not gotten that (yet) but run these off a Decware SE84C [decware.com]. I did, however, get mine back when they were only about $400 or so.
This gives me so much pleasure. I do need just a touch more power and am looking to match my amp on ebay and bridge each one mono. I have a SS amp I use now for center, sub and surround speakers. All other speakers are klipsch brand, except the rears which I hope to some day swap out for Klipsch Heresy's.
I run my stuff off a media computer....I rip everything to flac for the home stereo...and mp3 for when I'm listening to a portable player in a poorer listening environment (car, gym).
Anyway, I know it isn't for everyone, tho...I'm kind of sad the generation(s) below me seem to not even know there can be good sound reproduction, much less have ever heard it. When I was growing up, pretty much all of my friends were into good sound systems...and saved and worked to get the best we could, and we still enjoy good tunes, although, our hearing is likely a bit shot due to lots of good, loud concerts.
But the thing is..you don't have to be an 'audiophile'...or spend tons of money all at once. In many cases you DO get what you pay for...but research it, and get things a piece at a time.
I'll tell ya...Klipschorns, and a Klipsch 15" 800W sub will definitely make watching a good movie on a large flatscreen or projector, an event to remember. Hell, I rarely see the need to go to a movie theater anymore....I can hit pause, throw out anyone talking unnecessarily, and pour myself a drink.
But with a good system...and I like what I have...if alone, I'll turn everything else down, just go 2-channel with a good CD and just close my eyes..and enjoy some good tunes.
Some simple things are really hard to beat.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:3)
"..I can hit pause, throw out anyone talking unnecessarily, and pour myself a drink."
wow, you do need more amps... I simply reach over and turn the volume up so even when they start screaming at the top of their lungs I still cant hear them.
Plus you have Klipschorns... how huge of a room do you have? those things need space to really run and get the best sound out of them.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
Well, with my little decware SET amp...I'm only doing about 2.5 watts per channel. Won't make your ears bleed, but can get quite loud. These speakers are about 104db sensitivity, so it takes VERY little to drive them. Huge horn loaded speakers.
I've had them in proper rooms before, but still moving about a lot since Katrina...so, apt to apt.
Current place, they're not idea...long wall, but they won't be in a corner like they need to be. I'm getting them out of storage soon...I'll try them set up like regular speakers, but that doesn't work well enough..Might look into building some type of custom 'enclosure' for the back of them to try to simulate them being in a corner (due to the shape of the back of them, they are built to reside in a corner of a room).
I love them. Like I mentioned..looking to get another older Decware amp identical to mine when I find one..bridge them...and run each of them mono..that likely will come close to bleeding ear volumes...especially when I finish my Doc Bottle head tube preamp project. I'd just about finished it before Katrina...it has been in storage since then..so need to get that out and finish it.
Of course..if I can ever find a good deal on a McIntosh tube amp...that baby goes on the Khorns..and I'll figure a way to use the other amps on remaining speakers.
Maybe if I get some Cornwalls [klipsch.com] or the LaScalas [klipsch.com] for surround speakers (great deals can be found on eBay if you're patient...some guys actually care about WAF and have to sell fast)... I can still used the decware amps for surround speakers...but anything less than that likely isn't efficient enough to run those little SET amps on, if I were to get the Mc.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
wow, you do need more amps... I simply reach over and turn the volume up so even when they start screaming at the top of their lungs I still cant hear them.
No, what you really need is this [royaldevice.com]. With the right frequency, you could probably bounce them out of the door.
ASL (Score:5, Funny)
American Sign Language, you insensitive clod!
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
Yes, those are nice. But it depends on ...
1- The material being listened to. If the source is a 128kbps MP3, or a crappy recording (almost any CD *remastered* during the last 25 years), they're not worth it
2- The environment they're in. If the room has crappy acoustics, not worth it
3- Of course, the pre-amp/amp combo is important too.
A friend of mine has a Class A McIntosh amp with a pair of Pierre-Etienne Leon electrostatic speakers. Source is a Transcriptor Skeleton turntable. God it sounds so crisp and clean... That setup is worth many times the price of my car :)
But at my place, I'm really happy with an old tube amp, standard 10 inchers and a nice turntable (for iTunes and music).
Home theater is a MCE machine on a pretty standard (old) DTS/5.1 receiver.
Re:Electrostatic... (Score:2)
Couple of years back I got interested in finding the "perfect" speaker so read through all the info I could get and ended up at the site of Siegfried Linkwitz [linkwitzlab.com]. After that I experimented by converting my Tannoys to active and eventually designed my own open baffle speakers, two sub-towers with 12 30cm woofers and two 3.5 way towers for high, mid, low (speaker in unfinished form [nystrom.nl]).
I've never heard anything better before and after. As long as it's a good recording ripped by a good cd ripper, even 128kbps mp3's are listenable and a decent soundtrack on a movie will give you surround sound as well.
Re:Apple (Score:2)
If that were the case the iPod/iPhone/Mac whatever... would have some crazy connector where they could plug in only their ear buds. But I regularly plug in a nice set of normal headphones, and the old ones from the 1970's will work too. Sure they give the white ones with their products. But how is that any different then the Sony sponges on a metal barrette headphones that they packaged with the walkmen.
I found earbuds hurt my ears.Others say headphones hurt their ears. I guess it depends on the ears. For me headphones.
Re:Apple (Score:2)
These in ear phones come with a number of differently sized and textured ear pieces, so you can get a good fit that will not hurt your ears.
I like them with the good in canal fit as that it is almost completely sound isolating (great for airplane trips) and they stay in your ears which is great for the gym.
I know they have newer versions of this now...but I've not heard them yet and these are still chugging along.
I've had my dog chew 3 pairs of these...and I always replaced them.
I also learned why God made animals so cute...so you wouldn't fucking kill them when they did stuff like that.
Re:Apple (Score:2)
Yes - I have Shure SE420s and they are great. My previous pair were SE310s, but, like yours, they ended up getting chewed up by my German Shepherd. (I don't know why dogs like them so much...) I actually sent my 420s through the washer/dryer and completely destroyed them but I sent them back for "repair" and they charged me a flat fee of $70 and sent me a brand new pair. (which is very reasonable considering how much I paid for them)
Re:Apple (Score:2)
Yep..that's how I got my phones 'repaired' I'd send them in with like $70 or $100...they sent me a new pair.
I dunno why the dog goes for them...but I watch them like crazy now. She just goes straight for the earbuds..chews them off..and is done with it..doesn't touch the cord or the part with the speakers...but she chews them apart right at the tiny nozzle.
Re:Apple (Score:2)
It's a joke. Those earbuds that come with iPods are crap that encourage people to listen to music at too high a volume. The main reason people use them is as a status symbol. Or at least in the past, I'm not sure how many people still bother.
I've found that getting a decent fit is quite the challenge with virtually any in ear canal or earbud you can find. There are some high end ones which are basically just hearing aids with a 3.5mm jack, but in general I'd focus more on finding ones that are likely to fit.
In terms of comfort, I had some cheapy sony clips that worked well. They weren't great, but at least they were comfortable. These days I like Shure. Expensive, but the quality is amazing.
Re:Band (Score:3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZwuTo7zKM8 [youtube.com]
Re:Seriously?? Earbuds? (Score:2)
I think some people must have misread the question. I don't seriously believe that anyone would PREFER to listen to music with earbuds...
Perfect for exercising. They don't get wet / sweaty / icky. I've recently noticed I don't listen to music unless I'm exercising... The rest of the time its podcasts / audiobooks.
Re:Seriously?? Earbuds? (Score:2)
Supra-aural headphones sometimes cause fatigue of the outer ear from the pressure of the springs or hooks that hold them to your head. Circumaural headphones tend to fall off while jogging. It is hard to take speakers on the bus. Thus, for a public-transport commute or morning jog, earbuds may be the best option by far. Not everyone is choosing based on sound quality.
Re:Insensitive Clod Option (Score:2)