Post your Speaker setup PICS!!!!!!

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What speakers?

I've been looking at the Strata Mini's after seeing yours. =T
 
PERSONALLY, if you did indeed buy the Cremonas, I thought they were probably the most attractive speaker I've ever seen, but in terms of sound/$, might not be the very best.

In any case, you bought a fine speaker, definately reference quality. The Cremonas are extremely musical, they might not like to "rock it out" like other speakers, but for any type of Jazz, Classical, etc... they own.

I had tried some Verity Audio (obviouly a more obscure brand) and thought they were better.... but music and sound is probably the most subjective thing possible.

Good buy :p I don't know where you get the money for this stuff (own/work at hifi shop?) but congrats.
 
ChrisII said:
PERSONALLY, if you did indeed buy the Cremonas, I thought they were probably the most attractive speaker I've ever seen, but in terms of sound/$, might not be the very best.

In any case, you bought a fine speaker, definately reference quality. The Cremonas are extremely musical, they might not like to "rock it out" like other speakers, but for any type of Jazz, Classical, etc... they own.

I had tried some Verity Audio (obviouly a more obscure brand) and thought they were better.... but music and sound is probably the most subjective thing possible.

Good buy :p I don't know where you get the money for this stuff (own/work at hifi shop?) but congrats.
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Hi Chris,

No, I could not swing the Cremonas at this time... but I bought their smaller brothers the Cremona Auditors. This is purely for my bedrom as a second system... the Summits will be transferred to the listening room once I get an integrated amp to power these Auditors. I am hoping to keep the Auditors for some time, but ultimately, I hope to bump up to Cremonas... though I'm not sure if that's a good move for the PC rig. I may just end up with the Ellipsa for the listening area and bump out the Summits in a few years (count about 2).

The Cremona Auditor is heralded as among the best 2 way monitors around... and although they may not be the best, I have not yet heard a more appealing bookshelf speaker in a while.

I'll post pics once I take delivery of the goods.

And I'm only a student, no job at the moment.
:)
 
After getting the RSX-5 I really started to like the Klipsch sound so I figured I'd try something a little different out in their line and aim a bit higher so I went for a pair of RB-81s. They sound amazing.. Now I just need to upgrade the rest of my system (amp/sub) and maybe I'll be done for a while (yeah right! :D )

rb81ir4.jpg
 
I keep on forgetting how big the Klipsch bookshelves get as you move up the ranks.... nice! The 81 is as big as you sub!

Sub's probably crying right now....
 
StaticSurge said:
After getting the RSX-5 I really started to like the Klipsch sound so I figured I'd try something a little different out in their line and aim a bit higher so I went for a pair of RB-81s. They sound amazing.. Now I just need to upgrade the rest of my system (amp/sub) and maybe I'll be done for a while (yeah right! :D )

rb81ir4.jpg
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what kind of sub is that'
 
Thanks for the compliment Joey! The sub is a POS that came with my energy act 6 (first HT setup) It's not even plugged in considering that it barely even goes lower than the bookshelves. I'm budgeting about 1000 each for a sub and a receiver. I want to stay away from Klipsch subs since I haven't heard good things about them, I was thinking about a Denon AVR-2807 and a Velodyne SPL-1200R, what do you guys think?
 
What are the main advantages of using studio monitors like those mackies or KRK rockits as oppose to using high end mains(I guess you would call them mains not sure) like the Martin Logans or B&W. The main purpose for studio monitors is to get a flat sound natural sound. What are the goals of the high end speakers?
The only difference I can think of is monitors are made for near field listening and mains are made for listening all around. Hope someone can clear this up for me, thanks.
 
stunna said:
What are the main advantages of using studio monitors like those mackies or KRK rockits as oppose to using high end mains(I guess you would call them mains not sure) like the Martin Logans or B&W. The main purpose for studio monitors is to get a flat sound natural sound. What are the goals of the high end speakers?
The only difference I can think of is monitors are made for near field listening and mains are made for listening all around. Hope someone can clear this up for me, thanks.
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Yep, you pretty much nailed it. Monitors are designed for near-field listening, and usually they have built-in amplifiers.
 
Some good speakers placed in bad spots,never place desktop/monitor speakers one being in a corner.This ruins balance and adds nasty room colorations.

No matter if you have mackie,Dynaudio,B&W or even Wilson.

Positioning is everything...or close. ;)







 
TheEAR said:
Some good speakers placed in bad spots,never place desktop/monitor speakers one being in a corner.This ruins balance and adds nasty room colorations.

No matter if you have mackie,Dynaudio,B&W or even Wilson.

Positioning is everything...or close. ;)
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I assume you're referring to my system with the right speaker in the corner. I am aware of the consequences of placing a speaker in the corner, and Mackie was aware that sometimes such placement would be unavoidable. The HR824's actually have controls that allow you to compensate for different placements. I have the right set to "Quarter" (corner) and the left set to "Half" (against wall). It works by attenuating the bass a couple db or something, but nonetheless I get VERY smooth frequency response across the spectrum. Nothing sounds unbalanced, muddy or colored.

Also, the speaker is also about 4" away from the walls, which helps some.

With normal speakers, I would never place them in the corner (unless they were Klipschorns) :p
 
invalidbuffalo said:
Also, the speaker is also about 4" away from the walls, which helps some.
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That's actually something I meant to ask a Mackie owner about :) Your monitors have a passive radiator in the back, not a port tube. Do placement concerns remain the same, or is radiator less sensitive to being 4 inches from a wall than a tube? Maybe the instruction manual mentioned something? My speakers are about 4" from a wall too, and I had to plug the tubes with socks...
 
stunna said:
What are the main advantages of using studio monitors like those mackies or KRK rockits as oppose to using high end mains(I guess you would call them mains not sure) like the Martin Logans or B&W. The main purpose for studio monitors is to get a flat sound natural sound. What are the goals of the high end speakers?
The only difference I can think of is monitors are made for near field listening and mains are made for listening all around. Hope someone can clear this up for me, thanks.
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The main advantages are:
1) Monitors are usually powered, so you already have an amplifier (hopefully) best matched to the drivers. Also, no extra cords, etc.

2) "Near-field" ones are designed for wide dispersion, which helps create a large "sweet spot" even at arm's length. This DOES NOT mean they fail at large distances ;)

3) As you said, monitor designers usually go after flat, natural sound, as opposed to investing resources into refining their "house sound", whatever that may be.

4) Cool settings like "half-space" and "quarter-space" mean you can get away with an acoustically untreated room and sub-optimal placement.

All of this provides better sound/$. However, the looks are usually very plain.
 
Ahriman4891 said:
That's actually something I meant to ask a Mackie owner about :) Your monitors have a passive radiator in the back, not a port tube. Do placement concerns remain the same, or is radiator less sensitive to being 4 inches from a wall than a tube? Maybe the instruction manual mentioned something? My speakers are about 4" from a wall too, and I had to plug the tubes with socks...
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With any speaker, whether it's sealed, ported, or loaded with a PR, placing it in the corner will magnify the bass quite a bit. The reason is that standing waves from the speaker will follow the walls much like they follow the flare of a horn. In other words, your walls become a giant horn.

Paul Klipsch actually designed and manufactured the Klipschorn to take advantage of corner placement.

Anyhoo, with the Mackies, there's a switch on the back that lets you select how the speaker is placed, and it will attenuate the bass based on your selection.
 
I know about corners and horns. I was just wondering whether a passive radiator has any advantages over the port tube with regards to the back wall placement (not corner) and associated reflections.
 
Ahriman4891 said:
I know about corners and horns. I was just wondering whether a passive radiator has any advantages over the port tube with regards to the back wall placement (not corner) and associated reflections.
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Oh, ok. I don't think there are any advantages with passive radiators with regards to placement against a wall.
 
I used to want monitors, as i do my listening at computer desk. But then I thought, hey, I don't record music.

Everything I've heard/read suggests that they are specifically for giving a flat and (often inherently) boring sound to music, designed to amplify flaws, not give a sense of euphoria.

Im a music lover. I do enjoy a little analyzing, but that comes in a distant second to just grooving to the tunes. Therefore, I personally am seeking speakers over monitors. However, I am not looking for an extra colored speaker. Just something that is kickass, that I can grow into. Thus, I am going to save my pennies for the Sonus Faber Cremonaa Auditors :cool:
 
Heh, I picked up one of those Accurian integrated amplifiers last night to play around with an old pair of speakers my girlfriend had in her basement. Tried to look them up but haven't really gotten any information on them. Pioneer CS-R580 from awhile back that's been sitting there for 10+ years. =T
 
aardvark sandwich said:
That porn would be most welcome :D
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Sorry bro.... I have decided against keeping the Auditors. I just bought a car (G35 coupe) and could use a bit of the extra cash. It wouldn't make sense for me to dump a total of $5500 to a 2nd system when that's like worth a good portion of the car I just bought. I'm keeping my reference Summit system and will downscale the 2nd system idea a bit.

I just realized that I have limits.

LOL!

:)

PS
If you want it or anyone else here wants it.... it should sell like hotcakes in no time.
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1188108681
 
Pinipig523 said:
I know that integrated quite well... nice catch!

:)
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I had to dirve 25 miles to pick it up and the guy had the latest NAD and some other kit, his speaker cables were as thick as a £2 coin and he certainly knew his gear. I was more than happy with the asking price and am glad I was the first caller for it!
 
Pinipig523 said:
I know that integrated quite well... nice catch!

:)
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Don't spread yourself thin with a second system. I would save for a better front end for the reference system. The Summits are a pretty deep rabbit hole and you aren't that far in, especially since you aren't into upsampling yet.

Next time you want to upgrade go talk to Simon or Scott at Audio Consultants in Evanston. They might have stuff you haven't heard yet.

Also, ditch that silly car, get yourself a nice bicycle and some new audio gear! You don't need a car. The chicks might dig the car, but only gear impresses me. :) (The G35 is an awesome ride though!)
 
Rotel is excellent in that price range. A very good catch indeed. Beware--Rotel stuff is "gateway" gear and has been known to lead to serious audio addictions and the use of "harder stuff".
 
Blackstone said:
Rotel is excellent in that price range. A very good catch indeed. Beware--Rotel stuff is "gateway" gear and has been known to lead to serious audio addictions and the use of "harder stuff".
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I'm already addicted now lmao, I just played through Jack Johnson Brushfire Fairytales album and the amount of detail pickup is amazing and I'm only outputting from an xfi soundcard!

For a change CMSS3D on teh xfi does an amazing job of routing each instrument to the correct position in the stereo field too - lots of detail all over the floor compared to my old amp :D
 
The CMSS X-Fi stuff can be fun but it does degrade the sound quality significantly. I use it for gaming and music on headphones, but it totally messes with the overall sound of the recording, usually making it hollow sounding. It does seem to have some positioning benefits with headphones but it does so by actually modifying what you are hearing and that is a big no no in the audiophile bible--err, the FAQ that I am writing.

The best quality from the X-Fi is with it set to 2 speaker mode with CMSS disabled, and the crystalizer off. That configuration sounds more like a high end stereo setup would sound, anyway. It is an effect--not an enhancement. What you hear with CMSS does not in any way resemble what the recording engineers heard at the soundboard.

In Battlefield2 on the otherhand, CMSS does a great job of telling me where the snipers are so I can spin around and shoot them more "Die Hard" like. lol
 
Ah well the time here is 11pm so have been using the headphones all night which may be why it sounds good with CMSS - I'll turn it off I think for speaker usage.

I really want to get an M-Audio card now though but I also want good gaming performance :S

Bah!
 
Well it is ok with headphones. CMSS is designed to sort of trick you into thinking you are hearing something in three dimensions. It is ok to use, but if you really want to hear how good your Rotel is then turn all that stuff off.
 
It's now off :)

I'm also going to buy a pair of Sennheiser HD595 sometime soon, the 485 is great but it's been dropped one too many times and the clips that hold the earpads together onto the cans have come loose. I need a reason to enjoy the new amp :D
 
Blackstone said:
Don't spread yourself thin with a second system. I would save for a better front end for the reference system. The Summits are a pretty deep rabbit hole and you aren't that far in, especially since you aren't into upsampling yet.

Next time you want to upgrade go talk to Simon or Scott at Audio Consultants in Evanston. They might have stuff you haven't heard yet.

Also, ditch that silly car, get yourself a nice bicycle and some new audio gear! You don't need a car. The chicks might dig the car, but only gear impresses me. :) (The G35 is an awesome ride though!)
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Yah.... I agree... dont want to spread myself thin there.

And I am way ahead of you, already been to Audio Consultants and heard pretty much most of the gear they had on display - from Ayre to Boulder. :)

And nope... not ditching the car. The car turns heads and is way fun to drive... manual and G35 coupe is the way to go, bro.
 
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