Are you a hi-fi nut like me ??

[diablo]

Just ordered some new crossovers to fit to my XTZ speakers for the cinema system in back lounge. Supposedly they will sound better after I've fitted them, but they sound perfectly fine now really.

Been wondering about getting a new AV receiver as well, though the old one is only two years old and still does the job very well. But with the new one I'd be able to feed the left and right channels to my Harmon Kardon stereo amp and in theory it would all sound better as it takes the load off the other five channels.

Though would I really notice if I did a blind test? Probably not I suspect.

When I fit my upgraded crossovers I'll probably think I hear a big improvement but in reality most of that will be totally in my head rather than in my ears.

I'll probably get the new AV amp - why not eh? Apart from necessities like beer, ciggies and a bit of food I don't crave many luxuries.

Though I was listening to some music on my crappy car stereo earlier today and found it pleased me very much. Might have pleased me about 10% more on my several thousand pounds of hi-fi audio.

[Resonance]

Good quality sound is wasted on me. I can never seem to tell much difference between top end audio gear and a cheapo kitchen radio

[smeggypants]

well having a pair of genelec 1037Bs, decoupled on 125kg concrete blocks and soffit mounted in my studio room, plus a whole bunch of acoutic treatment including room resonance and early reflections absorption I guess you could say I'm a stickler for sound

The best way to improve sound is to treat the room. To get an idea of this visualise your room as having walls made of mirrors, and your speakers as two lightbulbs. Now wherever you can see a reflection of a bulb in the mirrors equates to a secondary sound source. This smears the sound.

[diablo]

well having a pair of genelec 1037Bs, decoupled on 125kg concrete blocks and soffit mounted in my studio room, plus a whole bunch of acoutic treatment including room resonance and early reflections absorption I guess you could say I'm a stickler for sound

Yep, expensive 3 way active speakers in a special room qualifies you as a certified nut.

My back room is actually quite neutral for sound resonance having carpet, an odd shape and fake medieval wood beams on the walls and a 7" wide shelf about two feet from the ceiling - all breaking up reflections. Only the subwoofer required balancing using a DSpeaker 8033. If I play tones from 15Hz to 15kHz (I can't hear higher than that except at very loud volumes) it all seems to be the same loudness.

Good quality sound is wasted on me. I can never seem to tell much difference between top end audio gear and a cheapo kitchen radio

That's probably the best way to be really - or at least the cheapest.

I've got to the stage where I don't listen for faults in the sound though - if I'm doing that then I'm not listening to the music. So gawd knows why I'm thinking of improving it.

[smeggypants]

well having a pair of genelec 1037Bs, decoupled on 125kg concrete blocks and soffit mounted in my studio room, plus a whole bunch of acoutic treatment including room resonance and early reflections absorption I guess you could say I'm a stickler for sound

Yep, expensive 3 way active speakers in a special room qualifies you as a certified nut.

My back room is actually quite neutral for sound resonance having carpet, an odd shape and fake medieval wood beams on the walls and a 7" wide shelf about two feet from the ceiling - all breaking up reflections. Only the subwoofer required balancing using a DSpeaker 8033. If I play tones from 15Hz to 15kHz (I can't hear higher than that except at very loud volumes) it all seems to be the same loudness.

Good quality sound is wasted on me. I can never seem to tell much difference between top end audio gear and a cheapo kitchen radio

That's probably the best way to be really - or at least the cheapest.

I've got to the stage where I don't listen for faults in the sound though - if I'm doing that then I'm not listening to the music. So gawd knows why I'm thinking of improving it.

You're lucky if that's the case.

Carpets only absorb frequencies above a few Khz, and objects can't diffuse frequncies that have a wavelength greater than their dimensions.

If you're really interested I would recommend ETF5

http://www.etfacoustic.com/

You'll need a flat response omnidirectional mic to go with it. Behringer do one for about £50

[phild05]

Like Mt Smeggy says
I've not used my stereo in years. I got some monitors quite early on in recording proceedings and noticed the difference immediately. Since bought some KRKs, woof

[diablo]

If you're really interested I would recommend ETF5

http://www.etfacoustic.com/

You'll need a flat response omnidirectional mic to go with it. Behringer do one for about £50

My point was that I'm quite happy with the way it is now but I still have an irrational desire to 'improve' it anyway. Which is silly if you think about it.

Rather than hanging bags of wool from the ceiling all over the room etc. I was thinking of getting an AV Receiver with Audyssey MultEQ XT32 which has more than ten thousand individual control points allowing fine details of the room’s problems to be captured and corrected.

I do most of my listening to music using the front room stereo rather than the big system in the back anyway and I've tested that with the sweep generator and what I call 'ears'* and it ain't anywhere near as good. It did let me correct some sympathetic vibrations - e.g. the gas fire would resonate at about 120Hz IIRC and multiples. One of the speakers has to be in a corner so the bass gets amplified a bit more on that channel. The overall effect is good enough for me though.

I never did buy the special mike needed for the mot commonly used room analyser - REW and I'm not sure I ever will actually.

Probably get the new receiver next year when the price drops to make way for the new model.

Though I'll still get the same amount of pleasure from my basic car stereo anyway.

* p.s. my 'ears' system works best if I scrape the wax out of the right one - it is the only one that gets blocked up.

[John lee Pettimore]

Don't listen to the sound.....listen to the MUSIC!!!

[Channel Hopper]

The best way to improve sound is to treat the room. To get an idea of this visualise your room as having walls made of mirrors, and your speakers as two lightbulbs. Now wherever you can see a reflection of a bulb in the mirrors equates to a secondary sound source. This smears the sound.

You only put the stereo on after smearing yourself with molasses and egg boxes, or is just an excuse for deviance in your den of iniquity ?

[wotsit2]

The best way to improve sound is to treat the room. To get an idea of this visualise your room as having walls made of mirrors, and your speakers as two lightbulbs. Now wherever you can see a reflection of a bulb in the mirrors equates to a secondary sound source. This smears the sound.

You only put the stereo on after smearing yourself with molasses and egg boxes, or is just an excuse for deviance in your den of iniquity ?

[smeggypants]

Don't listen to the sound.....listen to the MUSIC!!!

You're dead right JLP - But when the sound is great the experience of the music is so much better. Rock gigs don't use a stack of shitty TV speakers for nowt


Music always comes first of course

[smeggypants]

The best way to improve sound is to treat the room. To get an idea of this visualise your room as having walls made of mirrors, and your speakers as two lightbulbs. Now wherever you can see a reflection of a bulb in the mirrors equates to a secondary sound source. This smears the sound.

You only put the stereo on after smearing yourself with molasses and egg boxes, or is just an excuse for deviance in your den of iniquity ?

Molasses maybe, but don't get me started on Eggboxes!!!. Eggboxes are to me as to wot Simon Weston is to Wots

[diablo]

Got my new crossovers and fitted them a few days ago, I'm a little surprised that they do sound noticably better - sound warmer now, which I like. Previously they sounded more cold and clinical, which is fine for movies, etc but not my taste for music.

Though they are nearer 4 ohms now, previously more like 6, so the amp gets hotter. Maybe I do need that new AV amp after all. Bugger!

[Channel Hopper]

You could always insert a couple of 2 ohm resistors in series with the speakers

I used to use two voltage (heater) droppers from an old TV, not that you see them anywhere these days.

[Lord Gumble]

I've got a cheap JVC home cinema system, with a fibre optic connection to my Sky HD+ box for tv. For my personal pleasure? I have my PC coupled with a Technics amplifier, and Sony headphones.

Nice sounds, but nothing compared to some of you lot!!

[wotsit2]

here you go diabs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17840821

[diablo]

Hmmm, not sure I've got enough space in my back room for 128 speakers.

Seven is plenty really (though 9 would be better maybe ).

[Lord Gumble]

Looks orgasmic! However, i'm no mutant and have only 2 ears.

Fuckinell... I really Bet it sounds better than sex though (with the right movie on the screen)!!

[wotsit2]

i think they can add slurpy sounds if needed gumbs


the thing is with sound it's not just bi directional , it's all around us and that's what they are trying to recreate

[smeggypants]

i think they can add slurpy sounds if needed gumbs


the thing is with sound it's not just bi directional , it's all around us and that's what they are trying to recreate

They'd better increase the acoustic treatment in these cinemas if they're goign to get the benift from 128 speakers, those speakers are going to have to fight with the natural reverb of the cinema Each reflection of sound from a surface is another sound source and that's what causes reverb and blurs sound when those reflections are less than about 20ms.