Wanting some general opinions of my current Budget System.

livelysins96

livelysins96

New member
Joined
Apr 12, 2014
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Ok start Ill off with the equipment.

Receiver: Technics SA-EX410
Cd Changer: Technics SL-PD888
Turntable: Cheap Jensen stereo with cd/tape/radio/turntable/aux

Speakers:
Fisher D2 (2)
Technics SB-K915

I think ive spent a total of $285 for all of this, and it sounds really well for a budget system. But to be fair ive never heard an expensive audiophile system.
There is a picture of my speaker placement attached. I sit probably 6-7 feet away centered with the tv. Any suggestions to the placement, please speak up!.

The manual of the receiver claims it pushes 120wpc into 8ohms but i highly doubt it, it starts clipping a little over half volume, actually i had it more than that running just the K915s on some pretty heavy bass stuff just for fun to test the speakers and it started clipping so bad the voice coiles started frying a bit, i could smell them. Gave them a rest for a few days. haha maybe the speakers are demanding to much for the amp? I dont know exactly how clipping works.
Anyways criticize away, no general question here just bored and wanted to say hi!
P.S. This wasnt supposed to turn into a small novel.

y6y7yduh.jpg
 
Yeah its ok, but I dont know, i feel as if sometimes they sound mushy, and i think it might have something to do with the speakers being a little close together? Not enough breathing room between the two perhaps?😄

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If you could put that central TV stand (with them DVDs inside the shelves) to the side, then it'll make some room to breathe for your lower speakers.
And if the TV would be on the wall, that'd be cool too.

Try clearing that left table, that central TV stand (shelves-rack) and that right audio rack. Get rid of them all and put them on your side walls instead (just use some longer speaker wires | 20-25 feet - 14AWG), and let your speakers in a free-standing zone on dedicated speaker's stands. ...And of course with the midrange drivers @ near ear level.

Are you using all four speakers? ...Why?

* Your coffee table, cover it with a cloth material, some decorative material (not too light but thick enough).
It'll stop some sound reflection.
 
Hmm i would have never thought of that. Brilliant. I will try this, thanks a million.

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I would consider toeing your speakers a few degrees especially since you sit only 6-7 feet from them.

In the photo, they appear to be parallel to the front wall.
 
livelysins96 said:
Hmm i would have never thought of that. Brilliant. I will try this, thanks a million.

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Yeah, your speakers also love to have room to breathe around, or you are simply listening to them reflecting on all those near surfaces. ...The reflections are so prominent as to completely compromise the 'true' sound.
You want nothing near them, say couple feet at the very least (the more the better), and when on a table go flush with the front, not like they are right now because they are reflecting from the surface top of them tables.

* You remind me of me in the sixties. :)
 
GaryProtein said:
I would consider toeing your speakers a few degrees especially since you sit only 6-7 feet from them.

In the photo, they appear to be parallel to the front wall.
Click to expand...

They are toed a little bit, i think its the angle of the shot, but the ones on the floor are parallel to the wall.
 
As others have said, giving your speakers room to breath by removing the clutter and mounting the TV on the wall will help. Next, you should look at placement of the CD changer and receiver. Isolate them with sorbothane feet, pads or even a children's bicycle tube semi-inflated will do a lot to clean up the sound.

It could be that your receiver is struggling to drive both speaker sets and is going into premature clipping. Have you tried just a single set at a time to see how they sound?
 
MartinT said:
As others have said, giving your speakers room to breath by removing the clutter and mounting the TV on the wall will help. Next, you should look at placement of the CD changer and receiver. Isolate them with sorbothane feet, pads or even a children's bicycle tube semi-inflated will do a lot to clean up the sound.

It could be that your receiver is struggling to drive both speaker sets and is going into premature clipping. Have you tried just a single set at a time to see how they sound?
Click to expand...

Yes I have tried isolating each speaker using the onboard A/B selector, but not physically disconnecting the speaker wire.

What exactly do you mean by isolating?
 
livelysins96 said:
Yes I have tried isolating each speaker using the onboard A/B selector, but not physically disconnecting the speaker wire.

What exactly do you mean by isolating?
Click to expand...

Good, only one pair at a time, because your receiver cannot drive both pairs at the same time, or it will clip and grossly distort (can even damage your receiver, and/or the drivers inside your speakers.)

* Isolating your carousel CD player from the shelve by putting some type of device under it which helps in reducing the vibrations out and within.
Like for example putting squash balls (cut in half) in lieu of the CD carousel's feet, or right under the feet. ...You just need two squash balls and cut them in the middle (razor x acto knife). ...Cost = roughly $4 for both balls.

But! In your case it is not a priority to put isolation under your components.
First give your speakers some room, some air, some free space all around them (360 degree). ...Both pairs.

Then play with their positioning, distance between them, and distance between you and them.
...Say you are sitting (ears) approximately eight feet from the tweeters, try putting the speakers at eight feet separation, or seven feet (try few inches at a time); listen for good separation (music that gels in the center). ...Play with their toe-in too. ...Key word: EXPERIMENT ...with their positioning, and you own listener positioning as well.

Use no less than 14AWG speaker gauge.

* Also, save any money you can for future upgrade: better speakers, better receiver, and better CD player (or turntable).
You don't need a lot of money, just the right components for you. ...And nothing's wrong with buying second-hand.

Do this too: Go to an audio store and ask a person who works there to give you some demonstrations of their budget audio systems (to learn some more).

But right now, get rid of all those wood racks in front so that your speakers are all alone by themselves (you can have a low rack, in the center and behind your speakers, about twenty inches high, and put your TV on top, but always behind the front plane of your speakers).
If I was you I would use only one pair of speakers (A), my favorite pair, and put the other pair in another room.

Start from scratch, and go simple. That's the best to get good sound (complexities complicate our life and kill the truer sound).
...Experimentation, Space, and Simplicity. ...And Time.
 
sharkmouth said:
Have a look here, it'll be the best & cheapest upgrade that you will ever invest in for a very small amount Get Better Sound - Get Better Sound
Click to expand...

Kudos to Jim Smith's book "Get Better Sound". Excellent advice therein. Strongly urges us to set up our components in the best possible manner in our room and stop thinking about gear and start concentrating on the music. I have read it cover to cover. 6 moons has a review on the book and the DVD set:

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/getbettersound2/1.htm

From memory I think the reviewer feels that the book is well worth it but the DVD is Jim reading from the book on camera or some such thing. Not to detract. I have incorporated many of the book's concepts and my system is better for it. When you order the book through him you get via email his quarterly Notes for free. These are additional tips that he becomes aware of and could be the contents of a second book.

Le Roy
 
Hi, welcome!

May I strongly echo the thoughts of Bob (Northstar) even though he picked the wrong hockey team?

Seriously, he is right, speaker placement and what is between them means an awful lot. I have posted here two pictures of my system and notice that there is NOTHING between the two speakers. I used to have a TV set there but once I removed it the sound improved immeasurably. Note that we all have a slot of “stuff” and I put all of mine to the left side, out of the way of the speakers. The more just space between your speakers the better.

I found that putting down carpeting stopped some of the sharp echoing of sound and made the music warmer and more real. But I did not put down carpeting with heavy pile because that might have given a muffled sound.

Ssshhh, don’t tell anyone, but I have not heard any normal system sounding better driving four (or more) speakers instead of two. Please try that on your system. The clipping issue is correct. Proper feet on the CD player is correct, if it didn;t come with them there are inexpensive damping feet that can be gotten.

As for "toeing" and pointing of speakers...that is definitely a trial and error situation we all to go through.


stereo cabinet closed 2013.jpgThe screen and speakers 2013.jpg
 
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