Lets talk about: Sound.

[HeadlessChicken]

I don't use any effects on my Audigy2 ZS either. I hate them. All those posts, and I completely forgot to mention my setup. lol.

Speakers: none atm. Used to be a pair of M-Audio powered monitors, but I sold them, as I want a 5.1 setup. Soon to be Polk RM6750 5.1's

Headphones: Razer Barracuda HP-1 5.1 surround. Terrible headphones. Regret purchasing them. Shure E2c IEMs that need recorded due to my bunny eating the cord.

Soundcard: Audigy 2 ZS (thinking about upgrading soon)

Software: D_K Drivers; FLAC and WAV encoding only. 320kbps AAC for portables.

Amp/Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR500 65Wx5 (at 8 ohms)

Audio Obsession Level: Audiophile without the money to be an Audiophile. lol. I'd spend $100k on my setup if I could. lol. I used to run live sound semi-professionally.

if u really hate those headphones u can throw them my way

 

[imperialreign]

just looking at your EQ settings, i have an important suggestion, the same goes for anyone using EQ. i don't see a total gain adjustment/compensator anywhere (normally 0db, sometimes +12dB, to -12db, for a +/-12dB EQ). all of your adjustments are positive amplitude, this means that across all frequency bands, you are adding a net average of + gain. this is where the use of the total gain adjustment comes in. for best results on any audio system, the average DC value across an equalizer should be 0dB, otherwise you are just adding static gain into the signal which will more than likely result in clipping. yes it is possible to clip your output signal if it is gained too much, yes there are in-audible levels of clipping. normally clipping becomes audible at very high levels so if your stuff sounds fine right now, its probably still clipping at an in-audible level. 0dB on the EQ corresponds to the reference output level of your audio hardware, so asking for a static gain of +6dB is a poor choice. just because your EQ goes to +12dB, that doesnt mean your hardware can handle +12dB. hard to say exactly what someones EQ could really handle in terms of gaining the reference signal, but generally that just isnt a good idea. it is also possible that the EQ software already determines the dc and biases it automatically to avoid clipping. that would be great implementation by the manufacturer, but i highly doubt its common (my auzen prelude doesn't do that).

why is a static gain a bad thing?
1) you can clip your outputs before the amplifier (between your soundcard, before the signal reaches your speakers)
2) every +3dB increase results in a 2x power demand on your amplifier. having a static gain on your EQ is the same thing as having your volume permanently turned up by a small amount.

to avoid clipping your ouput: slide everything down in equal amounts so the average overall gain is 0dB, or use an overall gain compensator in the EQ to negate the DC gain of the current EQ settings-- this will not change the way your EQ settings sound, it will be the same thing as turning down the volume.
it's really easy to find the average gain, just average all frequency band magnitudes together, if it's postive, you need to cut, if it's negative you're OK but could stand to raise the level a bit.

hope that all makes sense.


edit: here's my EQ settings, should show the concept a little better. i gain the low bass heavily because i don't have a sub, my receiver has good clean power that can handle it (my towers are 3.0cuft w/ 12" woofers).

just a further recommendation in regards to general EQ level gain - I've found over the years it's best to first adjust gain levels with a flat EQ curve . . .

and before that, adjusting individual speakers levels. Not sure as to how other manufacturer's software works, but X-Fi software can adjust individual speaker volume settings, and compensate for distance from listener as well. it's best to get speaker volumes set correctly before fiddling with the EQ to adjust for the ambient environment and speaker capabilities.

As to EQ - there's no real good rule-of-thumb, as actual preference is 100% subjective, and has a lot to do with what you'll be listening to, and what individual frequencies one might prefer.

My prefered EQ curve is rather strange (http://img.techpowerup.org/090430/EQ.jpg), but sounds best to me for the vast majority of the types of music I listen to.




Also, to keep in mind, for the majority of audio cards out there - master volume settings below 50% are fully software based (in regards to X-Fi based cards, the software cut-off is 46%). Raising master volume over 50% is done via hardware amplification (at the OPAMPs), and that is where a lot of clipping and/or other distortions will start to occur. IMHO, it's best to set your software's master volume to about 45%, then further adjust volume at your speakers (if possible) for a comfortable listening volume - be careful not to set the volume at the speakers too high, though, as further raising the software's master volume will "overdrive" the speakers - resulting in stress to the drivers, possible damage to the speaker and driver assembly, and reduction in audio quality.

 

[iandh]

all my speakers are primarily for my HT setup, my computer isn't far away (15ft of component and fiber-optic cable easily solves that). my current project in mind is a 2.0 setup especially for my computer. i am jealous of your T-amp because that's exactly what i've been thinking of to power it. Seas make some pretty nice woofers :-D

my own towers i re-vamped some vintage Fisher towers from the ground up (12" Dayton Classic woofer, 6" Dayton RS for the mid, 1 1/8" Vifa textile dome tweet, new custom crossover, internal chamber for the mid, wall dampening), my center is in a custom built cabinet (2nd order xover w/ zobel, 2x Dayton RS 6" and a titanium Dayton tweet). picture of the center opened up is attached.

i partsexpress

what do you use for your xover design? i use Passive Crossover Designer 5.1, it's free , realtively accurate, and operates via excel spreadsheet. not ideal nor user friendly, but it works. i use REW for taking measurements and testing, along with a radioshack spl meter.

attached is also a pic of a set of speakers i made for my parents. 8" Hi-Vi M8N woofers and 1" Vifa titanium dome tweets, 12dB/oct lpf @ 2khz & 12dB/oct hpf @ 3khz. they have brackets for wall-mounting.

no my cabinet construction isnt perfect on either, but i'm not ashamed.

I have an old version of LEAP from when I was really into car audio back in the day (I used to have like $5k in my old truck, now I have like $5 in my new truck ). I also used a zobel in my design, it's almost kind of a habit now. Testing wise I'm a bit more ghetto than you, I use the same radio shack meter with just an old car audio test tones CD.

Parts express is great, and both the Hi-Vi's and Vifa's are good values for the money. You have to be careful with them but sometimes they can turn out being real gems. I purchased the parts from these speaks from madisound, they are also great.

I wish PE had the epic buyouts like they used to... it's hard to find any amazing deals there anymore, although there are great deals galore.

 

[NeotonicDragon3]

This is embarrassing for me

Speakers: 15 year old Labtec MCS-200, 9 year old JBL Pro, 3 Year old Dell A215 Altec Lansing
Speaker Special Features: 15 year old has Bass/Treble Controls...lol
Soundcard: Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Edition
Audio Obsession Level: Audiophile and Bass Lover

I want some nice and new Speakers with a Subwoofer xD

 

[Studabaker]

If you're strapped for cash the X-540s are the way to go.

 

[DavidG]

This is embarrassing for me

Speakers: 15 year old Labtec MCS-200, 9 year old JBL Pro, 3 Year old Dell A215 Altec Lansing
Speaker Special Features: 15 year old has Bass/Treble Controls...lol
Soundcard: Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Edition
Audio Obsession Level: Audiophile and Bass Lover

I want some nice and new Speakers with a Subwoofer xD

you can get good with cheap price in any online store or auctions.

 

[imperialreign]

or, if you're willing to spend some time with setup and be patient with shopping around . . .


you can find some wonderful treasures at local pawn shops!


The set of 4 vintage Pioneers I had posted earlier - found them at a local pawn shop for a total of $95. Sure - they date back to the 70s . . . but they should've been selling for $95 EACH, even used, not for the whole set of 4.

But, like I said, it takes some patience to go through local pawn shops. If you see something interesting, write down the manufacturer and the serial/model number on the back of the unit (as long as it hasn't faded) . . . go home and look it up - there's tons of sites dedicated to vintage audio equipment, and you should easily be able to find out what the potential purchase is capable of.

It takes some time and patience . . . but can be well worth the effort!

 

[NeotonicDragon3]

That is my Creative Settings :B
set on 4/4.1 Setup
Stereo Xpand

 

[Studabaker]

[url]http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/4555/gamemode.jpg[/URL] That is my Creative Settings :B
set on 4/4.1 Setup
Stereo Xpand

How do you change the 'Mode' in the Creative Console, BTW? I've clicked/right-clicked everything and cannot figure it out.

 

[NeotonicDragon3]

How do you change the 'Mode' in the Creative Console, BTW? I've clicked/right-clicked everything and cannot figure it out.

You see the box right next to mode [bottom left]
i click it and it brings a box that changes the shiz.

on the other hand:
2 of my speakers randomly turned into Subwoofers! nice bass lol

 

[Apocolypse007]

Speakers: Klipsch Promedia 2.1
Speaker Special Features: "control pod" on speaker with ports for external input and headphones, Adjustable subwoofer control on control pod, a crappy DIN cable
Soundcard: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Value
Audio Obsession Level: Discerning listener

These speakers were awesome when I got them. Absolutely the best quality, this seemed to degrade a few years after with crackling, popping, hissing, and loss of Bass; then finally, the audio cuts completely out now and then. As it turns out, Klipsch has integrated a very crappy DIN cable from the subwoofer to the control pod that ruins what is otherwise a very nice setup.

The sound card is somewhat dated now, but still offers some nice options over onboard and saves me some CPU cycles in the process. I'd get X-Fi if i could (not creative though, I'd get the good one:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156010)

If anyone knows a good cheap way to replace the DIN cable let me know. A simple google search will show this is not an uncommon problem with my setup.

 

[Studabaker]

You see the box right next to mode [bottom left]
i click it and it brings a box that changes the shiz.

on the other hand:
2 of my speakers randomly turned into Subwoofers! nice bass lol

Hmm damn, missing on mine for some reason. The other themes are there and everything, I guess it's just coz these are hacked drivers.

 

[Steevo]

A kick drum in the same room without muffling will leave you with a "kicked inthe checst" feeling. A clean punch and rolloff, not a thud and sloppy resonation.

A guy at Ultimate Electronics place got offended when I made fun of his $2,900 subs.


I prefer to isolate the speakers and tune them, then see how they interact, and go from there.


Dark side of the moon, Speak to me breathe is it clean enough to hear what is said at 36 seconds in? catch the little things about music that make it great, and make sure they shine.


Switching from my Bose to my new Polks in the theater demanded a change in setup, my Bose did a mediocre job of articulating around 3Khz, and the Polks overpronounce from 2-6Khz on purpose to sound "cleaner" but with a huge falloff at lower frequencies.

 

[BumbleBee]

Speakers are Logitech Z-5500, Logitech Z-680 which are discontinued pretty much a Z-5500 but subwoofer has less clarity and controller is similar to the Z-5300 I use them on my other computer. I also own a Logitech X-540 which are in my closet used to be on my other computer until they started to distort and did own a G51 but I blew the subwoofer.

Headset/Headphones are a Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1 Headset (Gaming, not as good quality as my Sennheiser but it's multiple drivers makes it priceless for competitive gaming) and a Sennheiser HD515 Headphones (Movies and Music, much improved over my old HD202)

Soundcards are Auzentech X-Fi Prelude and Asus Xonar DX

 

[HeadlessChicken]

ok, thanks to this thred and some bordom i did somethings

I cut off the stock cambrigesound works sat speekers, replaced with some RCA speekers from a 5.1 surround system(cant use with puter because i lack a card with digital encoding to feed it 5.1 audio for games)

fron speekers are still the x3's center and "sub" chanels are handled by a ghetto mod, i cut off the left speeker and wired on the sub from that reciver set, yeah its not perfect, BUT its got enought power to drive that, and if i need the speekers whole again, i can splice the lefty back on

I have a set of large paper cone speekers i will probbly connect in place of the side speekers eventuly(connected to the cambrige soundworks sub/amp unit) i tested and the amp has more then enought power to crank them WAY THE FUCK UP(couldnt take it to far, didnt wana wake anybody up and have the cops show up )

eventuly i hope to beable to connect up my system to that reciver and just revert to 5.1 as it would mean less wires everywhere

 

[Wile E]

if u really hate those headphones u can throw them my way

I couldn't even if I wanted to now. They just effin broke. I went to take them off, and the arm that holds the cup snapped. :shadedshu

These are one of the worst computer purchases I've made.

 

[HeadlessChicken]

try and rma them (stupid razer, i like my habu but they could have made it lighter.....things heavy)

btw, out of all the 5.1 headsets i have seen/listened to, the turtle beach where the best, they where a bit tight on the head,but u can fix that(little bending/flexing looses them up) they have a bass driver as well as other speekers, like most every other set i have seen.

 

[BumbleBee]

I couldn't even if I wanted to now. They just effin broke. I went to take them off, and the arm that holds the cup snapped. :shadedshu

These are one of the worst computer purchases I've made.

what are you going to replace them with? Sennheisers? I would consider another 5.1 Headset yes the quality is never going to be good as high end Stereo Headphones they compromise quality because of the drivers but they are true 5.1 and offer better positioning they shine in gaming. guess I don't need to tell you this

Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1, Tritton Audio Xtreme Series (AXPro, AX51, AXPro PC), eDimensional AudioFX 5.1, Saitek Cyborg 5.1, Turtle Beach (Earforce X-52, HPA2), Psyko 5.1, Zalman 5.1, Zykon H-3 5.1

think thats all the 5.1 Headsets.

 

[A Cheese Danish]

Speakers: Bose Companion 5 speaker system
Speaker Special Features: lists them all here
Soundcard: onboard Realtek
Audio Obsession Level: Bass all the way!

The sub pumps, and both speaker stands have 2 separate speakers in them. They are angled to really give the true 5.1 sound.
Great speakers. Bose does make good stuff Games are crystal clear, trance/hard house/other techno, pumps really nice and clear.
Movies sound great from the low freq to the highs.

 

[Mussels]

i just got new padding in today for my senn HD-555's.

hell i've had em 8+ years, it was time they got replaced

On the topic of gaming, i find it easier to locate people in game with stereo headphones than 5.1... maybe i'm more used to it, maybe games are designed that way... but its very easy to locate a person firing a weapon with the headphones, while it takes far more effort on the speakers.

 

[BumbleBee]

I definitely agree Headphones and Headsets are much better for Gaming than Speakers however sometimes I like to kick back and play Doom or a new single player game on my Logitech Z-5500. you must be used it Dolby Headphones and CMSS 3D can improve Stereo positioning but your still limited to 2 drivers.

by the way does anybody here own the Zykon H-3 or any Tritton? curious.

 

[russianboy]

My setup, 25 foot RCA cable will arrive soon, and I will position them in a more stereo friendly area. Turntable coming soon.

 

[Ketxxx]

Freak Whole point in speakers is their placed either side of you not to one side, probably why you find locating people in games using ur speakers so tough

 

[russianboy]

I don't game with them. I don't game at all anymore.

That is also only a temporary place for them.

 

[ChaoticAtmosphere]

Lookee what I picked up with my last paycheck Hooked up with Optical S/PDIF DTS Dolby. Music and my games sound sooooooooooo much better!!! Sweet!!!

Sorry bout the cell phone quality pic....I guess next purchase will be a decent digital camera