billh Posted August 31, 2006 Share #1 Posted August 31, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) Ever since Charlie posted the photo of his speakers, I have been curious about speakers, amps, etc. to use to listen to music (mostly classical, predominately piano, but also some jazz and trumpet) while I am working on the Leica M8 images. A brief search of stereo magazines showed there is a bewildering array of equipment - I just read a review of speakers costing $55,000. Numbers like this sent me scurrying for less expensive alternatives, which led me to headphones. I have purchased this collection: AKG K701 headphones and Shure E500PTH Sound IsolatingTM Earphones. I have been using only the AIFF files in the iPod. I learned the sound out of the bottom of the iPod is far better than from the headphone plug on the top, so I bought a PocketDock with Line Out, http://www.sendstation.com/ When this is used there is no volume control - it is wide open. I also bought a headphone amp - the Ray Samuels Hornet: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/emmelinehornet/hornet.html http://www.raysamuelsaudio.com/ I talked with Ray Samuals and he told me to burn in the little amp for 300 hours, and I also read the same was true for the AKG headphones, so I have been diligently doing this. That required a a small mini to mini line (a male mini headphone plug on each end) to hook everything up. How does the sound of this compare to a good stereo system? Our only stereo equipment at the moment is a surround sound system which I recall cost about $25,000 when we had it installed over ten years ago - the speakers do not have a name on them. The amp is a Denon. In the kitchen we use an ipod which sits in a Bose speaker contraption. This is probably analogous to using a disposable camera with a plastic lens for photography. I suppose I need an amp (both amp and pre-amp?), and good CD player which will also play SACDs, and speakers. Can any of you audiophiles recommend some components to consider? This is far more complicated than photography! Thanks, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 31, 2006 Posted August 31, 2006 Hi billh, Take a look here Stereo equipment choices?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
wparsonsgisnet Posted August 31, 2006 Share #2 Posted August 31, 2006 Bill, Audio is a special interest of mine and I recommend reading The Absolute Sound (for audio) and its sister mag The Perfect Vision (about video and tv). You can look at the web sites for these magazines. There is, of course a big difference between speakers and headphones, particularly as regards the hole-in-the-head sound from phones, but also because the speakers' performance is dependent upon the room acoustics. Correcting for the hole-in-the-head can be done by headphone processors, but as an audiophile, I find additional circuitry suspect and do not go this path. I use Etymotic headphones, and went to an audiologist to have them fitted properly. These are superb phones and, properly fitted, provide 35 db of isolation. Under this circumstance, you can turn the volume down and hear properly -- not so bad. The best thing one could do for a sound system would be to treat the room acoustics -- expensive and single-room-dependent. A properly treated room could cost more than $1000 -- and no new components. I buy most of my components used, and find that I can get really nice sound that way. I also audition things in my own home. A reputable dealer will et you do this (you probably have to buy the component(s), but can return them with no problem). I find that records sound better than CD. I am not yet enthoused by SACD and have not heard DVD-A. So,far, I still like 2-channel sound, and also listen to CD a lot: it's hard to buy new music in any other format. Interconnects make a difference, but I budget in the $100's not more. I find a little good sound and a little money both go a long way. That's the best part of buying used equipment, a lot of function for less money. This process is best enjoyed cold, to paraphrase a delightful saying. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertwang Posted August 31, 2006 Share #3 Posted August 31, 2006 I recommend a good set of Grado SR-60... solid reference headphones for studio work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted August 31, 2006 Share #4 Posted August 31, 2006 Following up, The Denon stuff is nice, but the Bose is problematic. The difficulty with Bose is that although the designs are well-thought out and effective, the implementation is not. Bose uses really cheap speaker and materials. If they were to make the stuff properly -- and thereby price themselves out of the low-price market -- they would sound better. They are clearly not going to give up the volume they enjoy. I believe that you could replace your Bose components with almost any quality stuff and get a better result. Again, buy used. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
firoze Posted August 31, 2006 Share #5 Posted August 31, 2006 Hi Bill H, I am an audiophile and use Naim Audio equipment along with a Linn Sondek LP-12 turntable. Preferences in audio vary widely. Some, like me, do not like the sound of American equipment which, in general, puts the emphasis on sound-stage and imaging at the expense of musicality. British equipment on the other hand puts the emphasis on musicality or the 'essence' of music at the expense of imaging. These are of course very general descriptions and anyway recently the gulf between the US &UK school of thoughts is closing to a large extent. But it is good to keep these differing approaches in mind. As for publications, I find that the US Stereophile magazine is well balanced and generally reliable, more so than "The Absolute Sound". In the end you would do well to listen to both types of equipment and see what your preferences are. Finding a good dealer is most important, one who will spend time demonstrating equipment to you, preferably in your home and one who has good after-sales service. If you can indicate where you live, I'm sure someone on this forum can suggest a good one. Other than this if I can be of any assistance, fell free to ask. Regards. Ps: I use Ety 4P's with my iPod but am considering the Shure E500. What do you think of them? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertwang Posted August 31, 2006 Share #6 Posted August 31, 2006 I stopped reading stereophile mags to be honest. Instead, I trust my own ears to be honest. Of course, the Bose does have balanced sound at the expense of thick sound which I prefer. The Shure upper end earphones are nice but unfortunately they don't last. My e2c's didn't stand up to the crowd! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hammertone Posted August 31, 2006 Share #7 Posted August 31, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I thought this was about stereo photography :-) Headphones? Stax 4040 in my case. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted August 31, 2006 Share #8 Posted August 31, 2006 Gosh, we have run out of M8 things to talk about. I'm a big fan of the Squeezebox Network Music player, plays off my Apple Lossless iPod music library via my wireless network and the secret is to play it through a DAC which offers excellent clock recovery and then through a conventional power amp and speakers. Gives me instant access to more than 7000 tracks, no CDs cluttering up the place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted August 31, 2006 Share #9 Posted August 31, 2006 If I may reccommend a couple of things: If you are only going to be listening to CDs (no apostrophe by the way ). I would strongly reccommend a passive preamplifier. Put quite simply, it is a box, two potentiometers, six pieces of wire and some RCA connectors. Use military grade ptotentiometers (or better) and Tiffany connectors. It comes out of the CD player, in to the box, straight out to the power amplifier. It is the best sounding pre-amp you could possibly own... nothing in the signal chain. Second: Use *solid core* wire. Do not use stranded... it sounds terrible. I would reccommend Tara labs rectangular solid core. Use this for signal chain and loudspeaker outputs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbretteville Posted August 31, 2006 Share #10 Posted August 31, 2006 A Electrocompaniet ECI-1 amp. connected to a pair of JBL LX-44 speakers. Feeding it audio is a Terratec Noxon media streamer that gets its feed over a WLan. That's the living room. Downstairs in the A/V room there is a Harman/Kardon 7500 A/V amp with JMLabs Cobalt speakers, B&W Sub, a H/K DVD25 as well as a Sony CDP-X3000ES CD player. Works for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrewer Posted August 31, 2006 Share #11 Posted August 31, 2006 Hi Bill! It's good to see you posting here regardless of topic! I guess you know asking for opinions on stereo equipment is like asking for opinions on beer...you'll get answers all over the block about what's good/what's not. Speaking only from personal experience, Audio Research makes a terrific preamp/amp combo for just about any taste, hooked through the interconnect of your choice to half a dozen good speaker brands: Thiel, B&W, Aerial Acoustics, Martin-Logan, Avalon, JBL.... I've got an SACD player (Marantz), but frankly I've never thought it was much better than a tube output CD player from AMC that was probably one fourth the cost...and neither of them sound as good as my VPI HW19Jr/AudioquestPT6/BenzGlider turntable rig sounds. Thanks. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billh Posted August 31, 2006 Author Share #12 Posted August 31, 2006 Guys, thank you for all of this information. I will read it, and then likely be back with questions. I noticed a comment about British or European equipment sound vs American sound, and if it helps, when I have to choose between the clarity of (for example) a Steingraeber piano where it is easy to distinguish each individual note) or the less clear, but beautiful sound of a Bosendorfer, I will choose clarity. I think the Leica list is unique for the ability to find answers to questions like this! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted August 31, 2006 Share #13 Posted August 31, 2006 The law of diminishing returns applies - after a certain point you're not going to hear that much difference in sound quality. It's also a matter of personal taste as to what exactly sounds better, just like you will prefer the look of a certain brand of film. Basically what I'm saying is listen to different components until you find what you like, within your given budget. The better makers are well known. I'd maybe go for a valve amp, if you've got the money to spend, for smooth sounding jazz. Nice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gberger Posted August 31, 2006 Share #14 Posted August 31, 2006 Bryston preamp and phono preamp; Bryston power amp; Thiel 3.5 speakers; SOTA turntable W/ SME arm; Sony CD player; Magnum Dynalab FM tuner; Stax electrostatic headphones. LPs, CDs, and Baltimore's WBJC all-classical FM station. and, a wife who was brought up on classical music. George (The Old Fud) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted August 31, 2006 Share #15 Posted August 31, 2006 George, You must have a specific Sony cd player. Most of them would not fit that rig, as they tend to be harsh and thin-sounding unless you buy the top of the line. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted August 31, 2006 Share #16 Posted August 31, 2006 Once again: you do not need an active (powered) preamplifier to listen to CDs. Lots of people like to talk about tonnes of gear. I have owned tonnes of gear (and got rid of it), sold at audio shops, build loudspeakers and am a composer by trade. I use: 1) an arcam CD player (modified with a solid silver / 4 nines fine copper, braided hybrid to the output connector. 2) tara lab rectangular solid core cables to and from the passive pre-amp... and from the power amplifier. 3) an aragon power amplifier. 4) my own loudspeaker design (Dynaudio / Pearl Hybrid). I can do Bösendorfer. So, once again: CD player, cables, passive pre-amp, power amp, speakers... done. If you want to listen to records, unhook the CD player, plug the phono pre-amp in to the passive pre-amp. Done deal. Don't buy all of that other junk... you don't need it... and it probably won't sound as good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted August 31, 2006 Share #17 Posted August 31, 2006 The finest line-level interconnects money can buy: http://www.partsconnexion.com/catalog/wire.html Buy 4 meters of this Revelation Series - 18 awg. Solid Core - 99.99% pure Silver hook-up wire DHLABS- 64658 Silver hook-up wire Red (5 bucks a foot, use it for the positive terminal). and 4 meters of this: FIM- 68263 16 awg Blue SOLID CORE COPPER WIRE (88 cents a foot, use it for the negative terminal) Twist them together tightly. Solder them to these RCA jacks: CARDAS- 64200 SLVR - Male plug, silver plated 12 bucks a pair (you will need 4 pair). http://www.partsconnexion.com/catalog/connectors.html I guarantee these will sound better than anything you've ever heard. 100 bucks and change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted August 31, 2006 Share #18 Posted August 31, 2006 Bang & Olufsen 9000, obviously. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem7 Posted August 31, 2006 Share #19 Posted August 31, 2006 Im a crazy audio nut and my main system is comprised of Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage speakers, A Cary audio 306/200 CD player, and Cary audio 805C mono amps with a Cary audio SLP-98P pre amp. Not to mention my crazy expensive speaker cable. I used to own a pair of Uno's and those were amazing as well. Audio is VERY addicting if you really start getting into it. It;s like a disease Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbesz Posted August 31, 2006 Share #20 Posted August 31, 2006 Well if want want a Leica-quality amplifier, you should come down and shop here in my small city of Adelaide, (where we arguably design and make the best). Halcro - Awards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.