Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Stereo

Out, Out, damn sound!

GJSchaller — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:17:20 -0800

Why can't I get Digital Out (5.1) from my PC to work with my Sony receiver? I have an Alienware Aurora 5500 "shuttle" PC I inherited from the previous owner, and am attempting to hook it up to my Sony STR-DA4300DS receiver. The receiver works fine for other sources, like a PS3, Apple TV, and HD TV from our Verizon FiOS box. When we attempt to connect the Alienware (running WinXP), we get sound only from the R & L speakers, and nothing from the Center, or the rear two speakers, even when we configure everything for 5.1 sound. (The sound tests indicate it should be playing to those speakers, by the silence they produce matching the visual cues on the screen, and we can hear them when the visual cue is for the R&L speakers.)

At first, we tried a TOSlink fiber cable to connect the on-board system to the receiver, with the above results. We then tried a Digital Coaxial cable, also from the on-board sound card, with the same results. I then dropped in a spare Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, and used the Digital Out on it (3.5mm to Coaxial), but am STILL getting the same results, even with the new sound card.

The receiver is indicating it is only picking up 2 channels. If we force the player (VLC, in this case) to use 5.1 or direct SPDIF / Digital throughput, the receiver then shows 5.1 speakers, and stutters horribly as if it cannot decode the audio (This receiver has all the fixin's, including THX, Dolby, DTS, True HD, etc.).

I'm not sure at this point if it's the PC (OS?), or the Receiver, that is the issue - any advice, or something simple I'm missing? Googling hasn't been able to turn up the results I am looking for.

New stereo amp to replace my broken one.

misterpatrick — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:28:05 -0800

My amplifier/receiver died. I need something inexpensive (~$200) but powerful to replace it. I am not an audiophile but like my music to sound good. Should I get a simple amplifier and an HD radio tuner or troll eBay for a used receiver? I have two sets of speakers plus woofer and need about 100W per channel. Need three or four inputs. Don't need fancy 5.1 or anything. Recommendations? The receiver I am replacing is a Sony STR-DE525. Worked fine for me but our radio reception isn't great here and the stations we listen to broadcast in HD, so one reason to just get an amp and an HD receiver. My other inputs are the computer (iTunes), cable, DVD player and turntable.

Getting equipped to groove

notashroom — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:21:11 -0800

Please help me choose an inexpensive home stereo for a teenager. I'm overwhelmed! I'm looking for a stereo for my 17-year-old daughter and getting overwhelmed by the options. I remember my audiophile ex teaching me, "No highs, no lows, must be Bose," but I don't know much of anything about brands beyond that.

I'm thinking shelf system, but if components can be done within budget and would be a better choice, I'll do that.

Here are the relevant data points I can think of:

- Budget is about US$200. Less is better, slightly more acceptable if it makes a big difference in quality/durability.

- It would be great if it's something I can order on Amazon. Second choice would be other reliable web sites that will ship to continental U.S. and stay within above budget. Third choice would be retailers like Best Buy.

- Build quality is the most important factor after price, then sound quality.

- Treble quality is more important than bass. She listens to more female artists than male, and more pop, folk, and country than r&b, rock, rap, etc. though there is some of all of those in her collection.

- Prefer clean lines in black, chrome, grey, white, etc., not pink or red or funky designs.

- It should be able to play CD-R as well as regular CDs, and preferably would also handle MP3 CDs. Multiple CDs would be nice, but unnecessary.

- She has no need for a turntable.

- She has an MP3 player (not iPod and not likely to be anytime soon) and it would be good to have a hookup through the headphone jack of the MP3 player to the stereo, and hopefully decent sound through that connection.

- Bluetooth or USB would be nice but is not necessary.

- The ability to hook up her TV and output sound through the stereo would be nice but is unnecessary.

- She's planning to move out next summer, and it's possible that this will be the sole system for her and roommates for a while, so it really should be up to taking some bumps from being moved around, bumped by a clumsy kid, etc.

What do you recommend, and why? Thanks for your help!

My stubby amplifier...

rleamon — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:12:01 -0800

Home amp filter: Shallow cabinet, 5.1-channel, three-input-HDMI, two-zone, good-quality amplifier-receiver -- does it exist? The missus and I just moved into our remodeled house -- the custom bookshelves are only 12" deep, so my 16" deep Denon amp that does most of what I want juts out unacceptably.

Is there such thing as a 13" (or less) deep, 5.1 or better surround, three-input-HDMI amp/receiver, that can play to two or more zones (i.e., 5.1 in the living room and 2 only in the kitchen?).

Sounds Good...

madeinitaly — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:34:33 -0800

[Hi-Fi / HT filter] Help me find the right front speakers for my receiver, so that both music and movies sound good ! Hello.

I have a Harman Kardon AV 145 which i always used with the standard JBL 5.1 speaker set it came with (little and probably not so good satellites, but i really like the subwoofer).

I got my hands on a Mission m7c1 center speaker (got for almost free) and recently replaced the left and right front speaker (which previously were just little boxes) with some TEAC coming out of a compact system a friend was throwing away.

The difference since i put those left/right (sorry i don't have name or characteristics, but just imagine your typical 2 ways system from a 90s compact system) is amazing: music sounds much better - and i guess it's because now the left/right sound can manage some bass and the subwoofer just gives it a final touch.

The issue is that now when i watch a movie, i think the right/left sound too powerful compared to the middle - so you hear all the background noised much louder than the speech... and that's less than optimal. My receiver has the option to select if each speaker is "large" or "small", option that basically cross-overs the bass to the subwoofer or to the speakers themselves.

now... i think i might need to set the speakers as "small" in order to not overpower the middle... but then i miss the improvement i gained in the music listening area....

does this make sense? What would you do and/or what tests would you do ?

Secondly... I have now the chance to do two things

1) replace those TEAC speakers with the speakers that come from this Panasonic SC-DP1 system which actually sound _amazing_ and i would like to keep. Problem... these speakers have 4 wires coming out of them and my HK AVR 145 only has 2 plugs for each speaker... how do i connect them ?

2) someone is selling these amazing Mission 733 speakers for a very low price... i really like the idea of professional speakers but... will they be alright for the rest of my system or would i just add to the problem of left/right overpowering the middle ?

thank you all for your help!

I need an iPod stereo with some special requirements. Help?!

suburbanrobot — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:53:15 -0800

I'm getting married in 3 weeks, and I need some sort of stereo for the wedding ceremony to play music from my iPod. It will not be amplified, so it needs to be able to play loud enough to play outdoors for about 60 people, without a massive amount of distortion. Oh, and as a pipe dream, it would be optionally battery operated. Suggestions? It's worth pointing out that the stereo doesn't need to be specifically for iPods. As long as it has an aux input, that's just fine. I'm really most worried about the volume. The wedding is outdoors and near a noisy area (near Battery Park in Charleston if you are familiar with the area).

Unpolarized cord used in a device that expected polarized cord; is it doomed?

medpt — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:59:16 -0800

Unpolarized cord used in a device that expects a polarized cord. Device no longer works. Doomed? My girlfriend inadvertently plugged an unpolarized (either C7 or C8) cord into our Tivoli Model Two stereo. It worked for a day and then stopped. I love this stereo so I am pretty sad. A few questions:

What kind of damage have we likely done to the stereo? Would it make sense to try to have it repaired or should we give up and replace it?

Boombox Cinema

billtron — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:27:26 -0800

By 1989 the boombox had established a fairly stable place in the pantheon of pop culture cinema, with the releases of both Do the Right Thing and Say Anything. Can you remember seeing (and hearing!) the machine in earlier films? I'm especially interested to learn its earliest appearances.

Help me hook up a new HDTV to an old(ish) stereo receiver?

Dr. Wu — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:03:39 -0800

Can you help me connect my optical-out DVD players to my new HDMI-in HDTV? This is the kind of thing that drives me bananas.

Just got a nice, brand-new Sony HDTV, with several HDMI-in ports. I would like to get the highest resolution I possibly can out of my video components -- generally DVD. In the past, when I had an older, analog TV, I just used the stereo receiver as an A/V switcher, for which purpose it works very well. But now this functionality has been compromised by the new array of input/output jacks.

Here's the setup:
- The two DVD players I have (one "regular" and one multistandard) both have optical-out ports. I have an old laserdisc and an even older VHS player hooked up to the system, too, but I'm not terribly concerned about them right now.

- I have all audio and video components running through a good, but eight-year-old, Sony A/V receiver. LP/tape/VHS/LD are connected via regular old component RCA plugs, which are just fine. The CD player and the two DVD players can connect to the receiver with optical cables -- which I prefer to use whenever I can. They work well and provide good sound.

- The problem is that the new HDTV does not have any optical-in ports. (If it did, I'd just run the sound from the DVD players through the receiver, and the picture, via optical cable, right to the TV. But I can't do this.) It does have composite-in and component-in, but no optical-in. And the receiver has only composite-out.

The receiver I have is a Sony STR-DA 333 ES. The manual, in PDF form, is available on this page; click "primary user manual" and go to Page 5.

The HDTV I have is a Sony Bravia KDL-46VE5. The manual doesn't seem to be online, but you can find the details here by clicking on "Specifications." (The site will not allow me to access that page directly.)

- The upshot of all this (if you're still with me) is that my only current option is to run all video components into the receiver, and thence to the TV via a crappy composite video cable. Which would sort of defeat the purpose of the 1080p set that I just bought. (We don't have any sort of cable, satellite, or other TV, so this new HDTV is really just going to be used as a monitor for movies on the DVD players.)

What I would like to do is get the highest possible resolution (the HDTV can handle 1080p/24f) when I watch DVDs. Is there a simple, inexpensive way to convert the optical signal to HDMI?

I can imagine several options:
1. I find a magical converter device that can handle multiple optical inputs and output HDMI. This device would be a switcher, so I could run optical cables from both DVD players into it, and then a single HDMI cable from the switcher to the HDTV.

2. If it's cheaper, I certainly don't mind eschewing with the idea of the switcher box and just getting two separate optical-to-HDMI cables, one for each DVD player.

HOWEVER: the problem I foresee: What about the audio??
I want to run the audio from the DVD players through my stereo system, which has a nice 5.1 setup. HDMI handles both video and audio, right? So if I choose either option above, will I be locked into using the speakers built into the HDTV? Or would I then just add another cable, so that the setup would look something like this:

DVD optical out --> HDMI cable --> HDMI in to HDTV --> TV audio out --> receiver. (In which case the audio running from the HDTV to the receiver would be component, yes? Which would be a step downwards, yes?)

I am reasonably good with stuff like this, but the age disparity between the new HDTV and the older stereo system is giving me a headache.

What's the best, cheapest, most reliable way for me to get the highest-quality picture from the DVD players onto the TV, and still get the room-shaking audio through the stereo?

Should I just buy a new multistandard, HDMI-out DVD player? If I did, I could connect it right to the HDTV, but I'd still have the audio problem that I detail above.

*****
Related questions, for masochists and/or AV geeks:

- Let's say I solve this problem above. I'm still left with an LD and a VHS, both of which I still use occasionally, that will be unconnected. Is my best bet with these just to run A/V to the receiver, and thence to the HDTV via component cables?

- I'd like to minimize the number of A/V component switchers. Ideally, I'd still like my receiver to be the one and only device that switches between ALL a/v components. And what's nice is that I can split the audio and the video signals -- that is, I can listen to the CD player while watching the signal from the VHS, if I so desire. Is there some way I can use this functionality to refrain from buying any further switchers?

What receiver and speakers should I purchase for under $400?

vmrob — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:58:51 -0800

I'm on a budget and want to upgrade my audio system. What receiver/speakers I should purchase to get the most for my money? I currently own a mini-hifi system from Sony (Specifically the MHC-GX45). I wouldn't mind reusing the receiver/amp from that system though I have a feeling to get the most out of the system, I'll be looking for a new receiver as the input options are very limited on the device.

The entire system will be used for stereo sources so surround isn't a priority though a dedicated subwoofer would be nice.

After a quick look online, I found a set of speakers from Sony (SS-F5000) that seem to fit my budget and have overall good reviews. If there is a better pair of speakers (floor standing would be nice, but not necessary) at about that price, what are they and where can I get them?

As for a receiver, I'm totally lost. I've never been in the market and I'm not sure what I need. Auto-switching sources would be nice though I don't know what other features I should be looking for. Recommendations?

My budget for the whole system would preferably be less than $400. If you point out a sub I could add later, bonus points to you. I know the budget will force me to make sacrifices to the sound quality and I'm ok with that, but I really want a system that sounds good. In other words, if I have to step up the price, I can do that, but my purchase will be a little delayed.

bluetooth headset options

boo_radley — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:53:00 -0800

Is there a bluetooth receiver that will function as a mic but allow me to use my own earbuds? I'm pretty tough on headphones. While I'd like to get a nice a2dp headset for my G1 phone, I worry about having a cord fray, or having a headband snap in two.

Converting vinyl records to digital files using an existing turntable...

You Should See the Other Guy — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:14:35 -0800

I like my vinyl records. I want to make digital files out of them. What are my options ... which don't include a new turntable and, preferably but not absolutely, don't require my computer and stereo to be in the same room? I'm on a Mac.

I love my headphones, but....

Tbola — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:29:54 -0800

How do I best leverage my mp3 device, considering it is not an iPod? Here's the scoop. I do not have an iPod. I do have another portable mp3 device (iriver clix) that has about 4-gig flash capacity.
I'm relatively happy with it, and using MediaMonkey to fill it and organize my music (which is substantially larger than 4-gig).
Where it all falls apart for me is when I attempt to play my music through portable speakers, or if I want to listen to something in the car.
Seems like people with an iPod can get boomboxes or car audio docks that they can just plug into, and the boombox/other device is able to control the mobile device (previous, next, scan, etc.)... whereas anytime I want to plug into anything, I'm plugging a line-in from my headphone jack, and I still need the mobile device to control the music (previous, next, etc.)
Also, it seems to me like the sound quality is poor (low) when compared to that of the iPod with it's fancy-dancy connection.
Very frustrating.

So I guess what I want to know is: how best to leverage my mp3 device for projecting my tunes.
I'd like to hear solutions for portable speaker capability (boombox, or something with a bit of balls), and even what I should be considering when I look at eventually getting a new car stereo... are there any types that allow you to read the files from a non-iPod device? Or is getting an "aux in" jack about the best I can hope for?

Wiring up an old radiogram

carter — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:25:59 -0800

I found a radiogram on the street. There are two short wires out the back, both stripped about 1/4" bare, and no plug. With regard to polarity, does it matter how I attach a new lead and plug? I'm in the US and will be plugging it in to 110V. I did search through previous AskMe posts, but such is the parlous state of my electrical knowledge, I could not come to any firm conclusion.

It's probably a Magnavox Astrosonic, and it's solid state. Here's a couple of photos: 1 2

I'm not sure what it's supposed to do, but I'm pretty sure it works

kid_dynamite — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 10:52:55 -0800

What is this mystery spindle that came with the turntable I just got? I just was given a Technics SL-1950, in really nice shape, but I'm a little bit flummoxed by the spindle setup. Mounted on the turntable was a long autochanger spindle, which is easily removed and reattached with a bayonet action.

The turntable also came with another object that looks like another spindle housed in a black plastic box. The bottom (bayonet-mount) end of the spindle is exposed, and I can mount this object on the turntable. The plastic box has 2 tabs on the side that don't seem to do anything when I press them; I would expect that they would release the spindle but that doesn't seem to be the case.

So, then, how can I get a 'short', single-play spindle on this turntable, and what is the mystery spindle in the black box?
Any guidance is much appreciated.

Table Hockey in the dark?

DrAlbin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:12:18 -0800

Table Hockey in the dark? I was cleaning out my workshop today and came across two identical devices packed in separate bags, that for the life of me (or Google), I can not figure out what they are. There isn’t a pic link, because it really didn’t get to me until I got to work, and now I have hours to ponder with no answers.

Please me-fites, you’re our only hope.

They were in a crate filled with cables (computer, stereo, TV (Direct TV + Cable)). One end there was a 6-8” piece of black plastic shaped like a hockey stick, But with uniform thickness throughout, near the bent end (think: on the top of the hockey stick blade) there are 2 clear LED’s protruding from the plastic. On the other end (think; hockey stick butt end) there was a wire (approx 4 ft long) terminating with a 3.5mm male stereo jack. (Headphone jack). I hooked it up to my phone, just to see if maybe the lights would light up when sound was played, to no avail.

Anyone have any ideas? Or proof that you are the Google ninja?

Listening to my mp3s on my stereo via the magic of wireless technology....

You Should See the Other Guy — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:30:54 -0800

Sending my music across the room... So I have a 25 year old amp (Technics if it matters) and a record player on the ground floor of one end of my apartment. On the other end, on the second floor, is my computer, which has all my non-vinyl music on it. The music is on an external drive. The computer is an aluminum iMac. Is there a way to get my mp3s to play out of the stereo? Note that at present I have no wireless stuff except a d-link modem and whatever wireless is built into the computer. There are no walls between the computer and the stereo. Please explain it to me as if I was an idiot. A bit more info inside. A bonus would be if there were some sort of interface next to the stereo that would allow me to navigate through the music. Note that I do not have a television so using one as the display is not an option.

Also note, and this may be important: I DO NOT listen to music using the computer. That is, I do not sit in front of my computer and listen to music. So if there is some device that allows me to plug my hard drive into my stereo directly, and navigate through it, that's fine too. However, bringing the drive upstairs to copy new tunes on it will probably be a pain in the ass. (I get 5 - 20 albums a week).

Presently my solution is to copy music to my iPhone and plug that into the stereo but the storage capacity is a pain as is transferring the tunes and having my phone ring through my speakers every time someone calls or rings the doorbell.

For the most part, cost is not an issue. Well, it is, but please answer as if it isn't.

I have read the past Ask threads about this topic but they're 3+ years old. I suppose those solutions will still work but I'm wondering if those solutions have been improved upon.

"Seasoning" headphones?

rwhe — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:17:39 -0800

Is the practice of "seasoning" headphones just supersition? In the Amazon reviews for a pair of earbuds I'm buying, I came across the claim that they sounded awful unless they were "seasoned" first by hooking them up to a constant audio source with a wide frequency range overnight or even for a few days. I googled "seasoning headphones" and came across this claim for some other headphones and earbuds, although it's not widespread.

To me this sounds like either (1) rank audiophile supersition, or (2) someone pulling the reader's leg. That's why I'm coming to AskMeFi. Opinions, please. Better, facts.

Cheers!

ipod to stereo

cookie googleman — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:10:48 -0800

How does one achieve the best sound quality when connecting ipod/iphone directly to stereo? I recently purchased a Belkin Stereo Cable for iPhone to connect my ipod and iphone directly to my stereo. It works, but the sound quality is not very good. Is there a better way to do this without having to purchase a dock? Thanks in advance.

Noise canceling technology for a whole apartment?

gilsonal — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:29:39 -0800

Any good solutions for canceling out my neighbor's bass from their stereo without headphones? Headphones aren't an option all the time if I need to sleep. Are their nose canceling stereos? How well do they work? What else could I try? Just moved into a new place and my next door neighbors have about 20 people coming and going during the day, mostly right outside my patio door, and also have a huge bass hooked up to their tv and stereo. I'm a quiet person, and its starting to drive me nuts that I can't spend a day without hours trying to ignore it. I know this is the kind of situation that ends up in people being annoyed, and I'd like to get along with these guys. I'm prone to headaches and sleep day hours, and I don't want this to turn into a brawl. Its to the point I can't even spend time in my living room and I've taken to leaving my apartment altogether to escape the noise.

I see plenty of noise canceling headphones, and speakers for CB's but what I'd like is an audio player (kind of like a white noise machine) that would send opposing sound wave out. Using an old laptop with speakers to accomplish this as well would be doable.

Are there systems out there? How well do they work? Any other non-confrontational, non-passive aggressive ways to deal with this?

Should the NuForce Be With Me?

spicynuts — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:55:02 -0800

Thinking of buying the NuForce Icon Desktop Amplifier. Opinions, direct experience, alternative recommendations welcome. I have a relatively decent turntable as well as a CD player but the receiver I'm using as an amp is gigantic, old and takes up a ton of space (although it works perfectly). To save space but also to upgrade to better quality I was thinking of the NuForce.

I'm no audiophile but I can definitely tell when equipment is opening up a better experience of the music. The NuForce is designed for desktop listening with a PC but I'm planning on powering either a couple of bookshelf speakers or a couple of larger Pinnacle living room speakers.

If anyone has thoughts on an alternative piece of equipment that can meet my space needs but also match the kinds of reviews of quality I'm seeing about the NuForce - or if you think the NuForce is just a bad idea for what I want to do (overall living room listening, movies, turntable, CDs...basically have it power my entire set up) and you have other suggestions in the same price range, let's hear em.

Fire away with questions too and I'll update as much info as I can. Like I said I'm not an audiophile so I don't really even know what kind of info would help answer this question.

Convertible with top - Lock the doors, or leave them unlocked?

rinogo — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:54:59 -0800

Loss prevention in a convertible with soft top - Lock the doors, or leave them unlocked? I recently heard an interesting loss prevention technique for convertible owners. Lock anything of any value away in a secure location within the car, and leave the doors unlocked. That way, a thief won't slash your $500 top to get into your car and realize there's nothing there. Just leave the doors open, and they'll look inside, realize there's nothing to be stolen, and take off.

Does this sound like a reasonable course of action to you guys?

AC adapter making my speakers buzz -- and it's not a ground loop.

ori — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:13:24 -0800

New, generic AC adapter is causing my computer speaker system to hum. I thought it was a ground loop, but a cheater plug (fitted on the jack of the AC adapter) didn't help. (The speaker system itself is not grounded.) I know it's the AC adapter, because if I run my laptop on battery power, the hum disappears. Anything I can do, short of forking out $70 for an original adapter? This adapter has been working fine otherwise.

I'm using an external Sound Blaster Live! 24bit as my sound card, but the problem persists when I switch to the on-board sound card.
The speaker system works perfectly well with other laptops.

In short -- it's the AC adapter. But what should I do?

Wireless music

downing street memo — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:42:04 -0800

I have a computer hooked up to my entertainment system, and I'd like to stream music to it from my laptop. Help! I thought about buying an Airport Express, but if I can do this with tools I already have, I'd rather save the $100. Basically, I have a Windows box hooked into my entertainment system, and I'd like to make it so whenever I play a song on my laptop, the file is streamed to the Windows box and through my stereo, rather than through my laptop's speakers. Is this possible? My laptop is a standard MacBook, OSX 10.5.6 if that matters. Both computers are running iTunes currently but I'm happy to investigate other software. Thanks!

My computer's audio output keeps blowing out my external audio amplifier

quintno — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:39:24 -0800

I just blew out an old Nakamichi stereo receiver because the signal from my computer's audio output seemed to overload the machine. The receiver clicked a couple of times (reverting to silence each time before resuming normal volume), then quite literally heated up and died. I don't think it's the receiver's fault necessarily, since something similar happened with my previous stereo receiver--in terms of its getting overloaded from the computer's audio signal and shutting down with a loud click. I'm just using the sound card that came with my 3 year old Dell desktop--and I want to make sure this doesn't happen again to the next receiver (I'm using a receiver because I need to drive some old ADS speakers). Any suggestions? I tried using different inputs on the receiver (video, tape, CD, even phono) thinking it might be an issue of too strong a signal coming into the machine. But regardless of the input selection, the same problem would occur--whenever volume got too loud (and I did try lowering the volume on the computer itself) there would be a loud click, then silence. Should I just forget using an external amplifier at all and just use the horrible computer speakers that came with the machine? Thanks