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Post by Emig5m on Feb 14, 2018 1:42:30 GMT -5
nm, I see you paid $279.00 a pair. I was thinking the price you paid was per speaker, because it's about half of normal price. I doubt you'll beat that deal anytime soon. At that price, can't really complain about them not being better than B&W speakers.  Yup, exactly. Very good at that price and it's funny because on the Klipsch website the piano black is a limited edition that costs more than the other colors. Wonder why they where on sale for so cheap? I think they look great in person (for some reason the pic on BH photo looks like flat black and mine are definitely glossy and the finish looks impeccable). I love the magnetic grills. |
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Post by Ambience on Feb 14, 2018 9:36:35 GMT -5
I really enjoy the salty screenshots. lol!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2018 13:15:49 GMT -5
Here's a nice item (Furman SS-6B) for clean power/surge protection and extending the life of your components. I realize there are better solutions (w/ battery backup and automatic voltage regulation), but expensive too. The Furman SS-6B is more ideal for audio/video setups on a budget. $27.84 ($39.99 at most other resellers). www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/313363-REG/Furman_SS_6B_SS_6B_Power_Pro_Plug.html |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2018 19:09:49 GMT -5
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Post by Coolverine on Feb 22, 2018 20:54:13 GMT -5
Here's a nice item (Furman SS-6B) for clean power/surge protection and extending the life of your components. I realize there are better solutions (w/ battery backup and automatic voltage regulation), but expensive too. The Furman SS-6B is more ideal for audio/video setups on a budget. $27.84 ($39.99 at most other resellers). www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/313363-REG/Furman_SS_6B_SS_6B_Power_Pro_Plug.htmlThat looks like a very solid surge protector. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2018 20:57:58 GMT -5
After seeing this review, I realized the smaller micca's (COVO-S) by themselves aren't very good. If you scroll down below the initial review, you'll see that the dude created a pair of frankenstein speakers (rigged 3-way speakers via Micca COVO-S stacked on top Micca MB42X) and claims to have achieved hifi sound. lol noaudiophile.com/Micca_COVO-S/Cancelled the order on the Micca COVO-S and ordered the Micca MB42X's instead. I was hoping for smaller speakers, but i should be able to make just enough room on my desktop for the MB42X's. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E7H8GG2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2018 21:08:56 GMT -5
Some reviewers say that the Swan D1010's are now the PC desktop speakers to get (over the Micca MB42X's). noaudiophile.com/Swan_D1010-IV/However, they're powered speakers (rated at 34W), so unlikely they could achieve the same decibels or low frequency of amped Micca MB42X's + subwoofer. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2018 19:36:08 GMT -5
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Post by Coolverine on Feb 23, 2018 19:42:50 GMT -5
I'm still rocking Logitech Z-5500 5.1's, they still work and sound great.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2018 19:59:57 GMT -5
Read good things about Logitech surround speakers. A quality set of speakers will last you years and no reason to replace them if you're happy with the sound they put out.
I'm of the opinion that an audio setup doesn't have to be very expensive to sound great. But again, I'm not an audiophile and that's just my opinion. Of course, it's best to read some reviews (preferably, from ppl who know their stuff) before making a purchase. Glad I did that (before committing to purchase the lackluster COVO-S's) and ordered a pair of Micca MB42X instead.
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Post by Coolverine on Feb 23, 2018 21:23:49 GMT -5
The only bad thing about em is they don't have HDMI input, only analog and optical. Even the new ones that replaced the Z-5500's (Z-906's) only have analog and optical.
They make adapters that can convert HDMI to analog and optical but I haven't been able to find much about how well they actually work.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2018 17:10:06 GMT -5
Not sure you need an adapter, depending on your monitor and having an hdmi cable up to spec (hdmi 2.0).
Most hdmi inputs on newer monitors/tv's receive audio through the hdmi cable. And most newer monitors/tv's have an optical out. Thus, (assuming you have a monitor that can handle it) all you'd need to do is...
1. run hdmi cable from your pc to the monitor
2. run a optical/toslink cable from your monitor to your Logitech speakers
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 12:12:40 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 12:43:32 GMT -5
I went ahead and ordered the RX-V383 anyway. Of course, it's a good bit cheaper than the 483 (even on sale). However, my primary reason is that the entry height of the compartment in my A/V cabinet is just a fraction over 6" (i.e. the RX-V483 likely wouldn't fit). The RX-V383 height is exactly 6", so it will fit. Also, the Wifi of the RX-V483 is pure fluff (nice to have) feature imo. I own 2 laptops and if I want to stream music from the internet, I could simply connect my laptop using the AUX in on the front of the receiver.
The 483 is still worth a look though, since it has slightly more power and all channels (including center and surround) connections accept banana plugs.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2018 21:18:00 GMT -5
The sound is fairly decent with this setup. Not amazing sound, but you certainly get your money's worth. For me personally, the volume of this setup can reach much higher decibels than I'd ever need or use for a small room. The main weakness of this particular setup is the Grace Digital amp. It has those excessively bright led's when powered on. Some led's are on temporarily, when adjusting the volume, etc. Two led's (1 for power indicator and another for line in) are always on (while the amp is powered on). Blinding led's are never a good idea - too many manufacturers use them in their products regardless. It's enough of an annoyance that I'd return the amp and buy a receiver in its place. Found the Yamaha R-N303 currently on a sale (only $130 more than the amp). More features and yamaha reliability... seems worth it, imo. usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/r-n303/index.htmlThere's no subwoofer out on the N303, which is a bit of a miss. However, the subwoofer I purchased has other connections, such that it can still be connected even when a receiver lacks a dedicated sub out. www.crutchfield.com/S-Pu6LIUXypuV/learn/reviews/audio_explorations/2007/0327.html#Connections |
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Post by Coolverine on Feb 26, 2018 21:39:11 GMT -5
I've been thinking about getting the Nvidia Shield, but the more I look at those kinds of solutions I feel like I'd rather just run a 30 foot HDMI cable from my PC in my room to the TV in the living room, along with a few 30 foot USB extension cables. Would be much cheaper and I wouldn't have to worry about input lag.
Not sure if there'd be any issues with running 30 foot HDMI and USB extension cables. Can't really find any info about USB but everything I've looked up concerning a 30 foot HDMI cable suggests it should be fine and that there is no issue unless you go 45-50 feet.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2018 19:56:15 GMT -5
Agree. I'd skip it for now and not risk being an early adopter guinea pig. Wireless streaming at bandwidths required for 4K probably needs a couple more product generations to work out the issues and for better tech to come along.
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Post by Coolverine on Feb 27, 2018 23:03:02 GMT -5
All of the routers they recommend for the wireless 4K streaming are very expensive but I'd use it wired anyway.
But for now, I'll probably be looking at some new speakers. My Z-5500's had an issue around October last year where the rear speakers would start popping and/or start having static/scratching and then the sound just cuts off completely. They were working fine since then after I messed with em and replaced the fuse, but then the issue suddenly came back today. I made sure there's nothing that might be causing interference. I know the issue is with the speakers, I've tested them while they aren't connected and they still do it. I replaced the fuse in the subwoofer and it didn't help. The issue is either in the subwoofer (where all the speakers connect through) or the control pod, they sell both on Ebay for pretty cheap but I think it's time for some new speakers anyway. They are pretty old, I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did before starting to have problems.
The funny thing is, I read reviews of the Z-906's and people are complaining about popping sounds from the rear channels on those.
I've temporarily connected some 2-channel Creative speakers that I had from a long time ago, they sound awful and don't have any bass whatsoever but they'll do until I can get around to buying some new speakers. Might just get some good 2-channel speakers this time or some good headphones.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 12:25:34 GMT -5
All of the routers they recommend for the wireless 4K streaming are very expensive but I'd use it wired anyway. But for now, I'll probably be looking at some new speakers. My Z-5500's had an issue around October last year where the rear speakers would start popping and/or start having static/scratching and then the sound just cuts off completely. They were working fine since then after I messed with em and replaced the fuse, but then the issue suddenly came back today. I made sure there's nothing that might be causing interference. I know the issue is with the speakers, I've tested them while they aren't connected and they still do it. I replaced the fuse in the subwoofer and it didn't help. The issue is either in the subwoofer (where all the speakers connect through) or the control pod, they sell both on Ebay for pretty cheap but I think it's time for some new speakers anyway. They are pretty old, I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did before starting to have problems. The funny thing is, I read reviews of the Z-906's and people are complaining about popping sounds from the rear channels on those. I've temporarily connected some 2-channel Creative speakers that I had from a long time ago, they sound awful and don't have any bass whatsoever but they'll do until I can get around to buying some new speakers. Might just get some good 2-channel speakers this time or some good headphones. Based on the reviews I've read recently, the best sounding 2-channel powered speakers in the $100 or less range for desktop use are the Swan D1010-IV. www.amazon.com/Swan-Speakers-D1010-IVB-Bluetooth-Bookshelf/dp/B0058QMRCKThis site shows you the DSP correction settings to help you get the best sound out of the Swans. noaudiophile.com/DSP_Corrections/Swan_D1010-IV.phpOr if you don't mind spending $100-150 more, the JBL powered speakers I linked earlier or a nice pair of Sennheiser headphones would sound even better. I've always been a fan of JBL speakers, going back to when I worked at Best Buy in the 90's. They're not too expensive, and they sound really good. The only reason I didn't choose the JBL speakers is that they're rather large for desktop speakers. www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1DEI8G?tag=viglink20248-20 |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 17:48:50 GMT -5
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Post by Coolverine on Feb 28, 2018 20:25:47 GMT -5
Found a pair of these today for $100 and decided to buy em: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_MDR-V6I had a pair of Sony studio quality headphones like these years ago but they vanished one day. I think they are designed more for music related stuff but they sound fantastic. Still looking into getting some 2-channel speakers and an amp, those JBL's you linked look great. I found these locally, they're $150 a piece so that deal on Amazon is way better. Is there an amp you would recommend? I already have a good soundcard with analog and optical, just need something that would let me connect those kinds of speakers (or headphones) and be able to control the volume. |
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Post by Coolverine on Feb 28, 2018 21:17:16 GMT -5
Also funny enough, if I disconnect the rear speakers from the Z-5500's, the front speakers seem to work without any issue. When I tried this though (unplugged the "rear" analog connection between soundcard and Z-5500 control pod) it also made my subwoofer not work. I haven't tried just disconnecting the rear speakers from the amp (which is built into the subwoofer) but might try that too.
If I do the sound test on the speakers, the issue occurs even if they don't have any input.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 23:44:22 GMT -5
Found a pair of these today for $100 and decided to buy em: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_MDR-V6I had a pair of Sony studio quality headphones like these years ago but they vanished one day. I think they are designed more for music related stuff but they sound fantastic. Still looking into getting some 2-channel speakers and an amp, those JBL's you linked look great. I found these locally, they're $150 a piece so that deal on Amazon is way better. Is there an amp you would recommend? I already have a good soundcard with analog and optical, just need something that would let me connect those kinds of speakers (or headphones) and be able to control the volume. What's even nicer about those JBL's, they are "powered". i.e. each speaker has a built-in amplifier and no external amp required. If you're not adding a subwoofer like I did, the JBL's are definitely the better deal (vs. the Micca's) because you don't have to spend extra $ on an amp and the (JBL) speakers themselves are superior to the Micca's. Here's the (headphones only) amp I purchased. I've seen it selling (new) on Ebay for $165. It supports both analog and optical decoding. Doesn't appear to be a standard Toslink input , so you'd probably need to buy a different type of cable for the optical input. www.xduoo.com/xduoo/En/ProductView.Asp?ID=17Haven't tested it yet, because I ordered my headphones from Massdrop and they're scheduled to ship next month. Read positive reviews about the amp though, so it's likely good. You might not need a headphone amp, depending on the model of headphones and its specs. From what I've read, the amp is usually just to get better sound out of your headphones and only necessary for high $ ones that have high power requirements. Probably best to research your headphones first and seek expert opinions, and then consider if you really want an amp. Here's an amp (for both speakers and headphones) that many ppl rave about on the internet. $500 though (edit: sells for $399 on Amazon). nadelectronics.com/product/d-3020v2-hybrid-digital-amplifier/ |
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Post by Coolverine on Feb 28, 2018 23:55:32 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 0:07:27 GMT -5
The pics on Crutchfield are definitely version 1 (the front of the unit has obvious differences from V2). Sometimes specs and photos on the sellers' sites are outdated though. When I bought the Micca speakers on Amazon, the description and pics indicated the original version. But they shipped the newer ones, that have slightly better specs (Crossover: 18dB/Octave). You could call Crutchfield and ask about it. Their customer service was friendly and helpful when I've talked to them. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 0:15:34 GMT -5
The one sold on Amazon for $399 looks like Version 1 also. The back of the unit looks very different as well (fewer inputs on version 1).
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Post by Coolverine on Mar 1, 2018 0:31:02 GMT -5
Yeah it looks like a very nice receiver, though for that price I might start looking into getting one of those home theater receivers instead. I noticed you linked this earlier: www.amazon.com/dp/B00PLCMZ8W?tag=viglink20248-20And it led me to this one which seems pretty good and even has optical, doesn't appear to have output for subwoofer though. www.amazon.com/dp/B071JN7GXN/ref=psdc_537344_t5_B00PLCMZ8WRight now I'm using Controller Companion (app that lets you control your entire desktop with an Xbox controller) to adjust volume with my Xbox One controller, D-pad up/down are set for volume up/down. Even while playing a game, I can still hit start + select and then use the D-pad to adjust the volume, then hit start + select again to put focus back in the game. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 0:46:14 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 0:57:16 GMT -5
Yeah it looks like a very nice receiver, though for that price I might start looking into getting one of those home theater receivers instead. I noticed you linked this earlier: www.amazon.com/dp/B00PLCMZ8W?tag=viglink20248-20And it led me to this one which seems pretty good and even has optical, doesn't appear to have output for subwoofer though.www.amazon.com/dp/B071JN7GXN/ref=psdc_537344_t5_B00PLCMZ8WRight now I'm using Controller Companion (app that lets you control your entire desktop with an Xbox controller) to adjust volume with my Xbox One controller, D-pad up/down are set for volume up/down. Even while playing a game, I can still hit start + select and then use the D-pad to adjust the volume, then hit start + select again to put focus back in the game. A sub out isn't required, if you have a subwoofer with "high level" inputs & outputs. This method requires running an extra set of speaker wire. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KGA6A8A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 |
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Post by Emig5m on Mar 1, 2018 8:43:46 GMT -5
I really enjoy the salty screenshots. lol! Unreal Tournament is one saltylicious game!   It's not all salty though, some people just recognize, heh....   |
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