Questions

Hi guys no one replied........I expected intellectual bombardment

Try out these links - I find them quite helpful.

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/index.php
http://www.audiotrends.com.au/topics/topic-jargon-explained.htm#I
http://www.audioholics.com/FAQs/index.php
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/roomacoustics/index.php

Cheers

quite easily explained :

Octave : take for example a frequency say 1Khz. an octave higher would be 2khz and an octave lower would be 500hz. Simple.

There are various ways bass can be defined, many adjectives used everywhere. Tactile bass as I define it is bass which is natural which can not just be heard but felt as well.

db ratings : its the sound pressure which is measured in db's. 90db sensitivity would mean that the speaker can dish out 90db of sound pressure with 1 watt of power(2.83 volts) fed to it, measured at 1 meter from the speaker in an anechoic chamber.

Power in spades : another terminology used by reviewers to tell you that there is enough power on tap.

Hope that explains your questions.

manek.

Hi manek thanks a lot for answering my queries..but I have some more questions.....:
1.In what way do OFC cables help the sound to be better??
2.I'm presently using SONODYNE amp with speakers connected to CD player.I'm convincing my ex-neighbour who has the same system and presently not using it. So if i succeed in buying it I get one tape deck+amp+equaliser+2 speakers. I intend to use one amp and 2 speakers for left channel and another amp + 2 speakers for the right channel. How do i go about connecting it.?? I've planned to use Y cables, but will it reduce the signal efficiency from Cd player??

I would like to add a bit more information to this thread.

An octave is the interval between two sounds one of which has twice the frequency of the other.

In music we devide octave into 12 semitones and they are named

A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab.

We divide the audible spectrum into 10 bands (octaves) having middle frequencies as below

31.5Hz , 63Hz , 125Hz , 250Hz , 500Hz , 1kHz , 2kHz , 4kHz , 8kHz and 16kHz

1/3 rd Octave is when that each of the Octave Bands is split into three, and an equaliser having control for each 1/3 freq band of an octave is ....

dead on again ARJ.

OFC - oxygen free copper is today one of the purer forms of copper available. To simply put it, the purer the copper the better(and perhaps more linear) the conductivity characteristics.

manek.

I'm presently using SONODYNE amp with speakers connected to CD player.I'm convincing my ex-neighbour who has the same system and presently not using it. So if i succeed in buying it I get one tape deck+amp+equaliser+2 speakers. I intend to use one amp and 2 speakers for left channel and another amp + 2 speakers for the right channel. How do i go about connecting it.?? I've planned to use Y cables, but will it reduce the signal efficiency from Cd player??

y connectors are used aby a lot many people today. It should not be too much of a problem. BTW what are you trying to do with two sets of systems and two sets of speakers ? are you trying to connect it in different rooms ?

manek.

just trying to make it more punchy and my idea is to place them around ..or simply crazy as you can call me and this has caught up with me. Iam going to sink more money into this and see what happens.I'm not sure whether it would perform better, but I gotta get it from that bugger..........but that bugger has to agree to sell it. aaargh.he's seldom used it AND IT'S ALMOST BRAND NEW. I think he has never ever abused the system and now he enjoys a minature philps ht, wish me luck manek.

why dont you first ask him if you can demo it in your room the way you want it and see if it sounds OK. I would still feel you may be wasting money buying another old sonodyne system. Money better invested in an upgrade.

anyways...all the best !

manek.

But as for as your knowledge is concerned what possible outcome do you see out this combination??. I'm quite sure that you would have a qualifed reply........

This will not do much for you. I did try something like this about 10+ yrs ago but quickly gave up the idea of listening to 4 speakers placed in the same plane(2 per channel). It just played louder but found no improvement in sound quality nor was it punchier

Then I stacked two speakers together on each channel, one on top of the other and got very muddy and boomy bass.
I then decided to stack one speaker inverted over another on each channel and that did improve things a bit but no enough to warrant spending on a second system so I junked the idea and went onto better things like upgrading to a new amp.

Manek.

I have tried similar things on my Sonodyne system. Tried to play a 4 speaker system using two amps (both Sonodyne). One of the amps was less powerful. I placed the speakers at four corners of my room. It did give me pleasure for a year or so but then it was more of my efforts and innovative trials that gave me the pleasure then the actual sound. I have given up the settings now and am playing simple two channel stereo with 2 speakers connected to my Sonodyne power amp. Its almost worthless trying to create a soundstage (Surround Stage) by just adding speakers, my experience says that.

Hi ABHI PANI,

Iam not tryin to create sound stage, but just make it a lil louder and since there are two amps it could be louder without much strain on any components..... burp .....sounds crazy, but gotta see what happens. i would get the other set and audition them as manek suggested and lets see..

Then its worth trying because you will definitely improve on loudness and some bass thats for sure. Happy musicking....

thats what iam exactly tryin at .....but how do I connect a sub to it as there is no preout for subs.any suggestions??

I think you'll be better off upgrading your system. And don't worry about straining the components.

If you are really keen on buying old Sonodyne stuff - I have some that I really wish someone could buy

Regards

Sanjay

Hi doc willing to sell only speakers

Hi Sub Boss,

I think you would be wasting your time and money.

The essence, or even magic, of stereo is the ability of good components to conjure up an imaginary soundstage in thin air, within your room. You play your favourite CD and close your eyes … and slowly find the singer in front of you, dead centre between the speakers, with the guitarist playing to one side, the violinist to another, drummer a little behind, and so on.

When you attend a concert, you sit in the audience and see and hear the performers in front of you doing their stuff. That is the way it should be. Now, if you were to have 2 speakers in the front driven by one amp, and 2 speakers behind driven by another, you would be hearing the singer in front of you as well as behind, all at the same time. Pretty confusing and unreal, wouldn’t it be?

More prudent to save up and buy better components, known to be good at replicating live performances….

i totally agree with big ears... !

Hi Sub-Boss,
Dont get disheartened, your dream will surely come true but Boss a Singer in the front and the same Singer at your back, it seems magical... Just joking but just want to know whether you still want to do it ??

Hey Abhi, come to think about it, I have been wasting my time in hi-fi all these years.

Methinks I shall immediately get rid of my system, buy 4 or 5 compo systems instead, place all those flashy speakers all around me, and play different CDs at the same time.

Imagine being surrounded by Beyonce Knowles and Britney Spears and Shakira and……. and……and….

And all of them simultaneously clamouring for my attention!!!

Actually this is interesting

If you place same signal speaker in Opposite corners of the room
ie
R-L
L-R

you will not find two images..rather only one image in a 3D environment. hence you might find the singer nearer to you and music all around you..something similiar to the concept of 5.1 in music.

Of course this can only be done if you seating position is in the middle of the room (Or in the middle of all 4 speakers)
BTW That way your sweet spot would be available in 4 directions as well.
Of course room interactions affect this hence the room should be symmentrical in all respects, including furniture placed, to ensure that reflected waves are identical no very Easy IMHO

big-ears schrieb:

Hi Sub Boss, I think you would be wasting your time and money. The essence, or even magic, of stereo is the ability of good components to conjure up an imaginary soundstage in thin air, within your room. You play your favourite CD and close your eyes … and slowly find the singer in front of you, dead centre between the speakers, with the guitarist playing to one side, the violinist to another, drummer a little behind, and so on. When you attend a concert, you sit in the audience and see and hear the performers in front of you doing their stuff. That is the way it should be. Now, if you were to have 2 speakers in the front driven by one amp, and 2 speakers behind driven by another, you would be hearing the singer in front of you as well as behind, all at the same time. Pretty confusing and unreal, wouldn’t it be? More prudent to save up and buy better components, known to be good at replicating live performances….

Hi Arj,

Have tried all variations 10 years back and found they only messed up the soundstage.

Wouldn’t agree with you on your 5.1 comparision however, that is a totally different kettle of fish. In 5.1, the recording engineer only encodes what information he thinks should come from each of the 5 speakers, thereby achieving some semblance of reality.

Very different from having 4 speakers sending the same information to you from 4 corners with you sitting in the centre.

right..5.1 recorded DVDas are different, but i was not meaning them literally, just the concept of 4 stereo signal. my Onkyo recever has a all stereo setting where it simulates the above and I found it interesting when I had bose speakers all around (Not the best but very easy to place in the drawing room !)..but now i have wharfedale Bipolars for surrounds hence the effect is different

Sure, many receivers have these all channel dsp modes, wherein they send modified information to all the speakers, to get a pseudo surround effect from a 2 channel recording. This was quite popular 5-6 years ago.

The effect is, as you say, interesting.

However, I doubt whether any true 2 channel aficionado would want to listen to it for long.

big-ears schrieb:

However, I doubt whether any true 2 channel aficionado would want to listen to it for long.

That i very much agree with

Big ears , you wrote :
"Imagine being surrounded by Beyonce Knowles and Britney Spears and Shakira and……. and……and….
And all of them simultaneously clamouring for my attention!!!"

I like the way you think buddy !..No, I stand corrected....
I love the way you think !

Manek, even as we speak, the sales of brightly hued compo systems seem to be jumping through the roof...

O.K so many varied opinions about this... ...I'm still tryin to tell you guys iam not placing 4 speakers in four corners and tryin to create a poor man's surround effect.no not at all...If that was my cuppa tea I would go in for a HT and place it entirely in a diffrent room. My question is 'How will two stereo amps used as monblocks and speakers connected to it and placed on one another or next to each other sound???.I have some special reservation for my old Sonodyne ccoz when i picked it up way back in 1990 I payed almost 20+K and I really streched a lot for it and I don't wanna junk it as it's in excellent condition and entertains me till date.And as big ears wrote and ... : Methinks I shall immediately get rid of my system, buy 4 or 5 compo systems instead, place all those flashy speakers all around me, and play different CDs at the same time.....I'm not interested in playing Beyonce Knowles and Britney Spears and Shakira .......let me make it clear it's not about loud jarry music i'm reffering to..........and .........My assumption was by having two amps i really don't need to go upto the distortion levels to enjoy loud n clear music.As i know this is not going to be great investment I thought let me give a try. BTW my brother is coming down from US by June permanently and he's getting some good components for me.As there is not much of formalities in TR I can mamage to get some good speakers and amps as well. I felt the price diffrence is too much.I mean some components are almost half the price there.....

big ears, why am I not surprised ???

O.K now if I tell you I can afford $2000 what are the components I can get from US as I listen to more of Music.n lets make the ratio 80: 20( movies).

I would say, dont get components from the US. Get them from Dubai or Singapore. You will benifit from the 220V power supply.

Manek.

I understand that .but there is a massive range and since he's coming in TR I don't need to worry much about import customs...Yup I think 110v to 220v must be possible coz my bro informed me that the adapters are available in US and can be used here.Any comments.... As some one suggested yesterday in the forum it's OK for a sub, but for an amp..hmmmmm. Can't resist man too many maodels available there and tempts you to pick em up..

Hey Sub Boss,

I seem to have rubbed you the wrong way!

I must apologise, although I wasn’t talking of your taste in music or the levels you wish to play at, both of which I do not know anyway.

The beauty of forums such as the one we are on is, this being a very expensive hobby, members can share their experiences and help others avoid most of the common pitfalls. However, if it is experimentation you are after, you should go ahead and try it out. Only then will you find out for yourself.

Hi bigears,

As you see Sonodyne was my first hifi and i don't wanna sell it, but thought so adding another 10k would make it better. but my ultimate dream is to get a system from US and I'm looking into combinations and you guys gotta help me. though my budget is limited to 80k to 90k I think I can get pretty good stuff.Are you based in bangalore??

Hi Sub Boss,

I can understand your attachment. Hell, I still have my first music system, a top of the line JVC I paid 25K for many years ago. My little daughter uses it in her room, she is lucky to have her own system from age 5, I could afford one only when I was 30!

I would still suggest that you hold on to the 10K and use it when you buy your dream system. The experimentation you are suggesting will simply give you a different sound and NOT better sound. We have been there many years ago, and in those times we did not have the internet to help us as it does today.

You can get a very satisfying system for 90K, my advice to you would be to move around in Bangalore and listen to all that is available there, within your budget. Also read as many reviews as you can, that will tell you what too eliminate right at the beginning. Then, when you have shortlisted 3 or 4 combinations, you can check with your brother as to what they cost in the US. Honestly, I don’t know about buying from the US, things are quite expensive there as compared to Dubai or Singapore. Also, the 110V factor will make you spend another 5-8K on good transformers, which will add to your cost.

I am currently based in the Gulf, I could help you get the prices here, and you could then finalize.

Cheer up!!

yup then you could as well as suggest some goos ones in the price range and the duties i have to pay.is it possible to get it shipped without visiting your place

No sweat, what music do you normally listen to?

I can give you the prices here, and the shipping cost. Duties you will have to check at your end.

I normally listen to trance and sometimes if am moody I prefer country stuff.weird is it???but thats what iam used to....anyways thanks for your help in advance and kudos to your really big ears

Dear Sub !

If you want real surround music then plan for a decent system compatible with SACD & Audio DVD. And in order for it to be good sound you would need good quality 4 floorstanders. YOu may still not enjoy it too much because of typical characteristics of human ears & especially pinna the sound from behind is not as acurrately localized as from infront.

Run a simple test - listen to your favorite music with your back towards the system. Let me know if you really enjoy it as much.

Regards

Sanjay

Hi Sub,

We all have our strong tastes, that is what makes us individual!

Your 90K budget would be purely for hi-fi, or would there also be an element of HT in it?

Hmm actually i would love to go in for pure stereo an my dream is to have monoblocks and good floor standers( or even bookshekves might do), but my wife is pressing in into HT , so got to compromise( coz she has a share in 90K and quite a big share )

sub...then you better not mess with the stereo thing....

you only chance of having stereo is to pay for it all by yourself :-)

Manek.

Hi manek,

no worry man i have convinced her for a 90k system and now it's not too tough for my choice being the priority and i can always bring her round the corner.. as she doesn't listen to too much of music and if she prefers to watch movies it would be a stereo theatre system

Sub,

What is the one thing she likes more than movies?

Buy her that instead.

Huhu big ears you are married and asking me this.she likes every thing thats wonderful to her...

Sub,

That is precisely why I asked you what is the ONE thing she likes.

Leave it to them and there is no end...

Jewelry...diamonds, platinum, gold, silver. What could she like more than jewelry ? I've learnt the hard way guys...I'm sure some of you have too

Manek.