My Swan M200 speakers sound like crap :(

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: Dopefiend

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Yep I can't hear the difference.. I guess all those years in band made sounds above 17KHz inaudible for me. And from the last poll I made, over half the people here can't hear a difference either.
The CD was actually 192kbps mp3's converted to a CD.

Oh. My. God....

you just pwned yourself.

Haha wow

 

[DPmaster]

Yep it's pretty funny when people say their Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1s and Logitech Z-680s are the most amazing thing ever. That's only because they haven't heard equipment that's better. They're good for computer speakers (and for the cost) but not so good sound-quality wise when compared to real audio equpment (obviously).

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: DPmaster
Yep it's pretty funny when people say their Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1s and Logitech Z-680s are the most amazing thing ever. That's only because they haven't heard equipment that's better. They're good for computer speakers (and for the cost) but not so good sound-quality wise when compared to real audio equpment (obviously).

Screw you hippy

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
I don't care what you say, tube amps and uber-expensive cables are gimmicks to sucker people that have too much money into thinking they're better than everyone else.

cables for sure, it's been proven by audio magazines that home depot 12 guage copper wire is just as good as any other, because in the end, they are all conducting current the same way.... same with digital cable types, coaxial vs. optical... in the end it's a digital cable, how could one be better than the other? theorietically not possible. i don't remember where i read about the cables, but it obviously makes perfect sense...

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: Dopefiend

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: Dopefiend

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Just brought my U2 Joshua Tree CD to my neighbor's $15k setup. I felt like I was at a live concert. The soundstage was soo present. Then when I went home and listened to it again on my Swan M200s, it felt like I was listening to elevator music on a telephone .

He just got a new sonic frontiers II tube pre-amp to go with his two boulder monoamps(one for each speaker), and his $1500 sony SACD player. All connected with $800 silver cables :Q

Pic of my setup
Sorry no pics of his setup..

Why not convert it to MP3? Should sound the same as your neighbours setup then....

Conga line behind me is politely asked to aid me in forming a giant "?"

Surely you remember the "128kbit MP3s sound the same as Audio CDs! There's no difference" thread?

Yep I can't hear the difference.. I guess all those years in band made sounds above 17KHz inaudible for me. And from the last poll I made, over half the people here can't hear a difference either.
The CD was actually 192kbps mp3's converted to a CD.

All those years in orchestra had the opposite effect on me....

That's because you weren't in marching band and have 10 trumpets and snare drums behind you blowing your eardrums apart.
Most people that's exposed to high volumes of sound often cannot hear past 17KHz.. :roll:
Good speakers isn't all about range, it's about balance, and sustaining the same balance at high volumes without distortion.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
I don't care what you say, tube amps and uber-expensive cables are gimmicks to sucker people that have too much money into thinking they're better than everyone else.

I agree with you about cables, but tube amps DO sound different

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: nsafreak
$800 in silver cabling? God talk about overkill. I bet I could hook his speakers up via proper gauge oxygen free copper cable and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference as long as it was a blind test.

I don't doubt that, especially when his hearing is subpar. Heh he showed me the foam lined wooden case it came in. A pair of RCA cables.
It still sounds unbelievably nice though

Um, while I'm sure it did sound better, I think that the source would have to be much better than a CD for it to really show much of a difference.

I wonder if there'll be Blu-Ray audio discs? Of course it would probably go well beyond the diminishing return area.

You'd be surprised. CDs are very high quality, and definitely won't hold back speakers in the $10k range.
He showed me a few SACDs though, I couldn't really hear a difference in quality.

I'll probably spend about $3K total on speakers and a receiver when I get around to buying a house, anything above that is 99.9% placebo effect.

Please show me what $3k setup could give you a clean transparent sound.
An amp itself costs $1.5k :roll:, not to mention the speakers, preamp, cdplayer, and accessories.

The speakers are the most important part of the chain. Granted, the other components can make a difference, but the point of diminishing returns kicks in earlier for non-speakers than for the speakers themselves. For $1500-$2000, you could DIY a pair of kick-ass speakers. Spend a bit more ($4000) and you could build a pair of Linkwitz' Orions, requisite amplification included.

Let's not get owned again like in that thread where you said it was impossible to tell the difference between 128kbps/higher bitrate music.

EDIT: This is what they look like: http://linkwitzlab.com/images/photos/Naples-red-web.jpg Not the ultimate in speakers, but definitely the leader in price/performance at what it costs.

 

[richardycc]

buy well known brand and dont buy into the hype, new internet brands like Diva swan, and others are nothing special and probably won't pass the test of time. people that swear by swan are ones that never had a decent pr of speakers, so they don't really know what's better. its like the blind leading the blind.

 

[randomlinh]

at least you have a good choice in wallpaper

 

[spidey07]

amazing isn't it?

A really nice stereo is truly like being there. As far as cost you can get a decent stereo starting around 5-6 grand for speakers, amp, pre-amp and source.

OP you could improve your sound immesely by pulling those speakers out from the walls. they look a little cramped currently.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: spidey07
amazing isn't it?

A really nice stereo is truly like being there. As far as cost you can get a decent stereo starting around 5-6 grand for speakers, amp, pre-amp and source.

OP you could improve your sound immesely by pulling those speakers out from the walls. they look a little cramped currently.

Do you feel that a pre-amp is necessary? If so, why?

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: nsafreak
$800 in silver cabling? God talk about overkill. I bet I could hook his speakers up via proper gauge oxygen free copper cable and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference as long as it was a blind test.

I don't doubt that, especially when his hearing is subpar. Heh he showed me the foam lined wooden case it came in. A pair of RCA cables.
It still sounds unbelievably nice though

Um, while I'm sure it did sound better, I think that the source would have to be much better than a CD for it to really show much of a difference.

I wonder if there'll be Blu-Ray audio discs? Of course it would probably go well beyond the diminishing return area.

You'd be surprised. CDs are very high quality, and definitely won't hold back speakers in the $10k range.
He showed me a few SACDs though, I couldn't really hear a difference in quality.

I'll probably spend about $3K total on speakers and a receiver when I get around to buying a house, anything above that is 99.9% placebo effect.

Please show me what $3k setup could give you a clean transparent sound.
An amp itself costs $1.5k :roll:, not to mention the speakers, preamp, cdplayer, and accessories.

The speakers are the most important part of the chain. Granted, the other components can make a difference, but the point of diminishing returns kicks in earlier for non-speakers than for the speakers themselves. For $1500-$2000, you could DIY a pair of kick-ass speakers. Spend a bit more ($4000) and you could build a pair of Linkwitz' Orions, requisite amplification included.

Let's not get owned again like in that thread where you said it was impossible to tell the difference between 128kbps/higher bitrate music.

EDIT: This is what they look like: http://linkwitzlab.com/images/photos/Naples-red-web.jpg Not the ultimate in speakers, but definitely the leader in price/performance at what it costs.

I agree that speakers are the most important part. And I don't doubt that he wasted his money on a lot of stuff, as I know how much he wastes money on computer parts that he doesn't need. Like he buys two 160GB hard drives on RAID, and he only uses 10gigs. I ask him why he got it, and he said he has a lot of pictures. I check his pictures directory, and he only has 600MB.
All I'm saying is that his speakers sound really awesome.
Also I agree now that I was wrong in that thread about 128kbps being the same as CD. But that still doesn't change the fact that most people can't distinguish the difference between them, including me.

 

[GTaudiophile]

More details on the his $15K system? What did he buy?

 

[BaboonGuy]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
More details on the his $15K system? What did he buy?

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
More details on the his $15K system? What did he buy?

I just know the stuff in the OP.
He also has power line conditioners.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: spidey07
amazing isn't it?

A really nice stereo is truly like being there. As far as cost you can get a decent stereo starting around 5-6 grand for speakers, amp, pre-amp and source.

OP you could improve your sound immesely by pulling those speakers out from the walls. they look a little cramped currently.

My table is pretty small. I am getting a ton of 125Hz amplification from placing it in the corner. I just use the equalizer in foobar to tune it down.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: nsafreak
$800 in silver cabling? God talk about overkill. I bet I could hook his speakers up via proper gauge oxygen free copper cable and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference as long as it was a blind test.

I don't doubt that, especially when his hearing is subpar. Heh he showed me the foam lined wooden case it came in. A pair of RCA cables.
It still sounds unbelievably nice though

Um, while I'm sure it did sound better, I think that the source would have to be much better than a CD for it to really show much of a difference.

I wonder if there'll be Blu-Ray audio discs? Of course it would probably go well beyond the diminishing return area.

You'd be surprised. CDs are very high quality, and definitely won't hold back speakers in the $10k range.
He showed me a few SACDs though, I couldn't really hear a difference in quality.

I'll probably spend about $3K total on speakers and a receiver when I get around to buying a house, anything above that is 99.9% placebo effect.

Please show me what $3k setup could give you a clean transparent sound.
An amp itself costs $1.5k :roll:, not to mention the speakers, preamp, cdplayer, and accessories.

The speakers are the most important part of the chain. Granted, the other components can make a difference, but the point of diminishing returns kicks in earlier for non-speakers than for the speakers themselves. For $1500-$2000, you could DIY a pair of kick-ass speakers. Spend a bit more ($4000) and you could build a pair of Linkwitz' Orions, requisite amplification included.

Let's not get owned again like in that thread where you said it was impossible to tell the difference between 128kbps/higher bitrate music.

EDIT: This is what they look like: http://linkwitzlab.com/images/photos/Naples-red-web.jpg Not the ultimate in speakers, but definitely the leader in price/performance at what it costs.

I agree that speakers are the most important part. And I don't doubt that he wasted his money on a lot of stuff, as I know how much he wastes money on computer parts that he doesn't need. Like he buys two 160GB hard drives on RAID, and he only uses 10gigs. I ask him why he got it, and he said he has a lot of pictures. I check his pictures directory, and he only has 600MB.
All I'm saying is that his speakers sound really awesome.

Let me quote you on this: "Please show me what $3k setup could give you a clean transparent sound." (also bolded above) - Didn't you mean that for $3000, one could not acquire a high-fidelity (slightly different from hi-fi, IMO) stereo system?

Also I agree now that I was wrong in that thread about 128kbps being the same as CD. But that still doesn't change the fact that most people can't distinguish the difference between them, including me.

Fair enough.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: spidey07
amazing isn't it?

A really nice stereo is truly like being there. As far as cost you can get a decent stereo starting around 5-6 grand for speakers, amp, pre-amp and source.

OP you could improve your sound immesely by pulling those speakers out from the walls. they look a little cramped currently.

My table is pretty small. I am getting a ton of 125Hz amplification from placing it in the corner. I just use the equalizer in foobar to tune it down.

It's not amplification, it's physical baffle step compensation. Get it right. :disgust:

 

[yhelothar]

Let me quote you on this: "Please show me what $3k setup could give you a clean transparent sound." (also bolded above) - Didn't you mean that for $3000, one could not acquire a high-fidelity (slightly different from hi-fi, IMO) stereo system?

No I mean that for $3k, I'm doubting that you can get a system that sounds like his. A setup that sounds like you're in front of a stage, not a setup that feels like you're in your living room listening to speakers.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Let me quote you on this: "Please show me what $3k setup could give you a clean transparent sound." (also bolded above) - Didn't you mean that for $3000, one could not acquire a high-fidelity (slightly different from hi-fi, IMO) stereo system?

No I mean that for $3k, I'm doubting that you can get a system that sounds like his. A setup that sounds like you're in front of a stage, not a setup that feels like you're in your living room listening to speakers.

That's what you meant by "clean transparent sound" And again, my answer is that you CAN get a stereo that does that for $3000.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: spidey07
amazing isn't it?

A really nice stereo is truly like being there. As far as cost you can get a decent stereo starting around 5-6 grand for speakers, amp, pre-amp and source.

OP you could improve your sound immesely by pulling those speakers out from the walls. they look a little cramped currently.

My table is pretty small. I am getting a ton of 125Hz amplification from placing it in the corner. I just use the equalizer in foobar to tune it down.

It's not amplification, it's physical baffle step compensation. Get it right. :disgust:

By definition, amplification means to increase in loudess. So yes it is amplification. :disgust:

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Let me quote you on this: "Please show me what $3k setup could give you a clean transparent sound." (also bolded above) - Didn't you mean that for $3000, one could not acquire a high-fidelity (slightly different from hi-fi, IMO) stereo system?

No I mean that for $3k, I'm doubting that you can get a system that sounds like his. A setup that sounds like you're in front of a stage, not a setup that feels like you're in your living room listening to speakers.

That's what you meant by "clean transparent sound" And again, my answer is that you CAN get a stereo that does that for $3000.

You said DIY speakers for $1500-2000. So amp/preamp and cdplayer for $1000? I didn't think so.
And by no means am I claiming you need to spend $15k to get a sound like his.

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Just brought my U2 Joshua Tree CD to my neighbor's $15k setup. I felt like I was at a live concert. The soundstage was soo present. Then when I went home and listened to it again on my Swan M200s, it felt like I was listening to elevator music on a telephone .

He just got a new sonic frontiers II tube pre-amp to go with his two boulder monoamps(one for each speaker), and his $1500 sony SACD player. All connected with $800 silver cables :Q

Pic of my setup
Sorry no pics of his setup..

I like my logitech's better, especially because they are wrapped in 14,800 dollars that I saved not buying a 15k system.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: spidey07
amazing isn't it?

A really nice stereo is truly like being there. As far as cost you can get a decent stereo starting around 5-6 grand for speakers, amp, pre-amp and source.

OP you could improve your sound immesely by pulling those speakers out from the walls. they look a little cramped currently.

Do you feel that a pre-amp is necessary? If so, why?

I don't feel it is absolutely necessary - for years I ran my adcom CD player directy to my mono blocks (it had a variable output). But it is really nice to have. Even the variable outputs from CD players can't match a straigt gain pre-amp. I believe there are very few players that actually have the output impedance to run most amps well (krell comes to mind) I'm running an adcom 750 pre-amp and my it sounds wonderful.

so 3.5 for speakers, 1 for source, 1 for amp 1 for pre-amp makes about 6.5K.

 

[pennylane]

That's the difference between $200 and $15000. Not sure if I'll ever spend that much for an audio set-up, but I definitely want something nice. Once I get a job (ie, career)...