Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => The Dressing Room => Topic started by: _tom_ on April 16, 2009, 08:40:34 PM
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I think I've decided that I'm going down the hifi route rather than monitors. I just dont need the accuracy for what I would use them for and would rather have something that makes stuff sound nice.
I have recently heard a pair of my mates Mourdaunt Short MS25is and they sound awesome, even with his Philips receiver/amp. Really clear and detailed sound, everything is clear and punchy. Got home and listened to my Creative desktop speakers and felt a bit ill :lol: Horrible sound.
Anyway, I have an old Hitachi amp that my dad used to have downstairs, model number HTA-MD20. I cant find much about them on the internet but did read something on some random hifi forum where someone said that older Hitachis such as this were actually rebadged Denons, any truth to that?
Just dont want to buy some nice speakers then have to spend an extra £100 (at least) on a new amp because this does them no justice. Then again, if the MS25is sound good with the Philips receiver..
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By and large, most old hifi equipment is very euphonic and not ideal for mixing or recording.
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Yeah I guessed that, as I said I just dont need that as my home recording stuff isnt serious at all - more like a way of getting ideas down so I dont forget them. I would be mostly using them for listening to music (either cds or high quality mp3s), watching films and gaming so having transparent/unforgiving speakers (monitors) would probably make all that worse..
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Films and games are good all the better on decent monitors if the sound is well mixed. Which on even modestly large releases it generally is.
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Just when I think I've made my mind up.. :lol:
Dont think I can really afford "decent" monitors though, just lower end ones up to a max of £250 probably.
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/B-w-CM2-SPEAKERS-IN-MAPLE-EXCELLENT-STANDMOUNTERS_W0QQitemZ170320661215QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers?hash=item170320661215&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/B-w-CM2-SPEAKERS-IN-MAPLE-EXCELLENT-STANDMOUNTERS_W0QQitemZ170320661215QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers?hash=item170320661215&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318)
Awsome speakers.
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Cant afford any at the moment til my next student loan goes in/get my car insurance refund :(
I was probably going to go for either some Tannoy F1 Customs or Mordaunt Short 902i's. Leaning toward the MS's as those MS25is are really nice and the 902i also get good reviews.
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CM2's are garbage.
In my opinion.
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I'm not a fan of the DM602s I have. They're very brash, dry and harsh, not very good soundstage either.
If the CM2s share the family sound then I'd avoid them.
Just get some adams and have done with it :)
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There are loudspeakers out there not primarily designed as studio monitors that will do the job. But it's always advisable to check your mix on at least one "accurate" pair of loudspeakers.
In terms of amplification, the simpler the better. Essentially, what you want is a 'straight wire with gain'. Most consumer level products have so much 'enhancement' circuitry in them that they sound terrible, and in order to make room for these 'enhancements' critical compromises are made.
So ... will an old Hitachi amp work with a pair of, say, Paradigm monitors (which are very affordable and also very good)? Sure. But the Paradigms will sound a LOT better on something as simple as a Creek integrated amplifier.
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I was just about to make a post about speakers, so funny I should see this.
I'm in the market for some second hand speakers as I'd prefer to get some good second hand ones than half decent new ones and I've got a budget of about £150. I've been recommended some TDL RTL2's which can be picked up for about £60 (but since you're in Leicester if you see any, keep you bloody hands off and let me know instead I've had my eye out for some for about 4 months now).
I've been looking at the MS 902i's as well. They're nice speakers.
Don't know much about the amp that you're on about, but since they're seperates then you can build them up over time and replace stuff. It took me about five years to build up my stereo (and then a couple of years to slim it down to just an amp and a CD player - Got a Yamaha Mini-disk player for sale cheap if any wants it). So even if the amps a bit cr@p, you can pick up another one for not a lot of money in the future.
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If you want floorstanding ones, those MS25is are really good. Only cost £28 as well, bargain!
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CM2's are garbage.
In my opinion.
Thanks for that, should I hide mine in shame? :P
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http://www.fergusonhill.co.uk/product_details.php?id=3
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Just plugged in some low-end Sony speakers in to see how it sounds, surprisingly allright actually but its hard to tell with these little speakers, not that great through the amp they're made for as well. Bit boxy but I suspect thats the speakers rather than the amp (small enclosures and speakers).
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I still have nightmares about some sony one-box speakers I used to have.
Christ they were awfull. They were...no, sorry, I cant say any more...it hurts my ears just thinking about them
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haha thats how I feel about my creative pc speakers since hearing decent hifi stuff. No sense of space, it all just seems like a jumbled grainy mess.
Think I will go for those 902is as they seem to be going for reasonable prices on ebay. Then I can think about upgrading the amp.
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CM2's are garbage.
In my opinion.
Thanks for that, should I hide mine in shame? :P
LOL
No way, dude!
If you like em, flaunt 'em!
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, I'm surrounded by loudspeakers that would make angels weep. So my opinion, while backed by a LOT of listening to a LOT of loudspeakers, is just that -- my opinion.
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I still have nightmares about some sony one-box speakers I used to have.
Christ they were awfull. They were...no, sorry, I cant say any more...it hurts my ears just thinking about them
I will not comment on the one pair of Sony loudspeakers I've heard. But I will say this -- Sony should stick to digital media and game consoles and stay the frig outta hifi!!!!
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CM2's are garbage.
In my opinion.
Thanks for that, should I hide mine in shame? :P
LOL
No way, dude!
If you like em, flaunt 'em!
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, I'm surrounded by loudspeakers that would make angels weep. So my opinion, while backed by a LOT of listening to a LOT of loudspeakers, is just that -- my opinion.
Well I do like 'em and they are staying :) However, I'd be intetested to know what you dislike about them? I'm alwasy willing to listen to input (except right after a purchase then it's LaLaLa Not Listening, until I've made my own mind up if I did the right thing :) ). Don't want to thread hijack tom, so PM me if you can be bothered.
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I use a pair of Linn Turkan speakers from an old technics amp from my pc, for recording. I don't tend to monitor on them though I use a pair of Bayer headphones. If I keep the EQ flat on the amp for monitoring it's seems ok.
Question, monitors don't require an amp? :?
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You mean Tukans, Johnny? How old are they?
You can tame a Tukan's hot high frequencies by inverting the speaker so that the tweeter is under the woofer. Might not be the case if the Technics isn't putting out much sizzle.
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I use a pair of Linn Turkan speakers from an old technics amp from my pc, for recording. I don't tend to monitor on them though I use a pair of Bayer headphones. If I keep the EQ flat on the amp for monitoring it's seems ok.
Question, monitors don't require an amp? :?
The vast majority of monitors are internally amplified, so no, they dont require an amp.
Any worth their salt are typically bi-amplified as well.
Its to match the amp/s to the speakers.
Passive monitors are available, especially older ones, but I know folks that have spent years trying to get a speaker/amp match up they're happy with for monitoring.
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You mean Tukans, Johnny? How old are they?
You can tame a Tukan's hot high frequencies by inverting the speaker so that the tweeter is under the woofer. Might not be the case if the Technics isn't putting out much sizzle.
Your memory isn't what it was Ben! :wink: You told me about that when i got them 4 years ago! The amp seems ok but old, i mean 1984 midi size. They sound pretty good. Do you think they are ok for monitoring?
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I use a pair of Linn Turkan speakers from an old technics amp from my pc, for recording. I don't tend to monitor on them though I use a pair of Bayer headphones. If I keep the EQ flat on the amp for monitoring it's seems ok.
Question, monitors don't require an amp? :?
The vast majority of monitors are internally amplified, so no, they dont require an amp.
Any worth their salt are typically bi-amplified as well.
Its to match the amp/s to the speakers.
Passive monitors are available, especially older ones, but I know folks that have spent years trying to get a speaker/amp match up they're happy with for monitoring.
Ahh I never knew that. That would explain why they cost so much. Is there a noticeable difference from monitors and a pair of hifi speakers and good amp?
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I think the difference is that monitors are made to be revealing and give an honest depiction of the sound/mix, whilst hifi stuff is just meant to make it sound good?
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You mean Tukans, Johnny? How old are they?
You can tame a Tukan's hot high frequencies by inverting the speaker so that the tweeter is under the woofer. Might not be the case if the Technics isn't putting out much sizzle.
Your memory isn't what it was Ben! :wink: You told me about that when i got them 4 years ago! The amp seems ok but old, i mean 1984 midi size. They sound pretty good. Do you think they are ok for monitoring?
I've had 2 kids since then! It's a miracle I can remember my own name!!
Yeah, the Tukans can work fine, as long as you take the Linn "warm midbass" into account.
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I use a pair of Linn Turkan speakers from an old technics amp from my pc, for recording. I don't tend to monitor on them though I use a pair of Bayer headphones. If I keep the EQ flat on the amp for monitoring it's seems ok.
Question, monitors don't require an amp? :?
The vast majority of monitors are internally amplified, so no, they dont require an amp.
Any worth their salt are typically bi-amplified as well.
Its to match the amp/s to the speakers.
Passive monitors are available, especially older ones, but I know folks that have spent years trying to get a speaker/amp match up they're happy with for monitoring.
Ahh I never knew that. That would explain why they cost so much. Is there a noticeable difference from monitors and a pair of hifi speakers and good amp?
Yes, very, very much so.
Speakers are by far and away, in my experience, the strongest influence on the sound you hear, followed by amp, followed by source.
The various combinations of amps and speakers I've had (including hifi speakers and passive near-field monitors) all sound very different, and my adam a-7s, the only active monitors I've spent time in the same rooms (also a very big infuence, as is speaker location) as the passive stuff, sound very different again.
Bens the expert on this stuff, though. I just dabble. I havent dabbled in a while eithers, since I'm very happy with my adam A7/Sub 8 combo and my hifi setup in the lounge doesnt need to be any better than it is.
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I use a pair of Linn Turkan speakers from an old technics amp from my pc, for recording. I don't tend to monitor on them though I use a pair of Bayer headphones. If I keep the EQ flat on the amp for monitoring it's seems ok.
Question, monitors don't require an amp? :?
The vast majority of monitors are internally amplified, so no, they dont require an amp.
Any worth their salt are typically bi-amplified as well.
Its to match the amp/s to the speakers.
Passive monitors are available, especially older ones, but I know folks that have spent years trying to get a speaker/amp match up they're happy with for monitoring.
Ahh I never knew that. That would explain why they cost so much. Is there a noticeable difference from monitors and a pair of hifi speakers and good amp?
Yes, very, very much so.
Speakers are by far and away, in my experience, the strongest influence on the sound you hear, followed by amp, followed by source.
The various combinations of amps and speakers I've had (including hifi speakers and passive near-field monitors) all sound very different, and my adam a-7s, the only active monitors I've spent time in the same rooms (also a very big infuence, as is speaker location) as the passive stuff, sound very different again.
Bens the expert on this stuff, though. I just dabble. I havent dabbled in a while eithers, since I'm very happy with my adam A7/Sub 8 combo and my hifi setup in the lounge doesnt need to be any better than it is.
I see what you mean. I'll have to get some monitors at some point to see what there like.
When you play your recordings on hi-fi equipment does it sound even better once you have got the mix and recorded tones exactly where you want them?
I normally monitor with Bayer headphones, DT100's and they seem to be neutral sounding. They go into a headphone socket on the front of my EMU 1820 recording interface. Once I've mastered the track they sound pretty good to my ears in my car on a Bose system. The other thing is i have to watch my noise levels at home when the neighbors are in.