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Thread: The ask Tin about audio thread

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    Club Member Tin's Avatar
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    Talking The ask Tin about audio thread

    I figured Id start this thread to help the people out here, give them advice on how to restore, modify, set up, and shop for audio equipment as well as room treatments and calibration. Most of you know my main hobby is stereo. Nothing fancy on my end…just 2 speakers, an amp, and some good music. I dont know everything about this stuff, but what I do know, Id like to assist those here. If its your dads old Marantz system, your grandpas Silvertone hifi console, or even those cute little cube speakers your wife made you buy because the good stuff was "too big and ugly to have in the livingroom", I feel I can offer sound advice on how to make the most of what you have or intend on purchasing. Feel free to ask...this isnt just my hobby, its my passion.
    '16 Fiesta ST

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    Forum Member Pwraddr's Avatar
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    What are good marine audio speakers?

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    Recommend some < $100 headphones.

    I have a pair of these:

    Sennheiser HD 212

    I really like them. They're a little bass-heavy but they sound great. I went out and bought a pair of these:

    Sennheiser 428S

    They just sound weird. Kind of muddy and shrill. If I use the 'Electronic' setting on the EQ in iTunes they sound okay but I'm still not really sold. I bought them based on the name, the fact that Best Buy had them, and the Amazon reviews (dumb idea).

    And suggestions?

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    Club Member RBOD's Avatar
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    I have Sennheiser HD280 as my drum monitors and I love them. They aren't the best but they are pretty flat, durable, and you can easily replace any part you may wear out

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    Club Member Tin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pwraddr View Post
    What are good marine audio speakers?
    Im not too familiar with Marine speakers, but Id imagine them to be from from heavier duty materials than home speakers. Look for something with either a Kevlar or metallic cone, with a butyl surround. Home speakers generally have paper cones with either foam or paper surrounds, which wouldnt last in a marine environment.
    '16 Fiesta ST

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    Club Member Tin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by robvas View Post
    Recommend some < $100 headphones.

    I have a pair of these:

    Sennheiser HD 212

    I really like them. They're a little bass-heavy but they sound great. I went out and bought a pair of these:

    Sennheiser 428S

    They just sound weird. Kind of muddy and shrill. If I use the 'Electronic' setting on the EQ in iTunes they sound okay but I'm still not really sold. I bought them based on the name, the fact that Best Buy had them, and the Amazon reviews (dumb idea).

    And suggestions?
    Ive always loved Grado headphones. Theyre very easy to drive, whereas most other headphones are more a difficult load and really benefit from a headphone amp. Grados will benefit from a standalone amp as well, but the end result wont be as apparent as it would with your Sennheisers. Grados are all hand made in America, and the prices are very reasonable. You can get a pair of SR-60s for somehting like $70, which sound quite nice even though theyre the budget headphone out of their line. If you have a few hundred to spend, the SR-325is is hard to beat. http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo...mber=GRSR325IS Grados arent closed headphones, so the people around will definitely hear what youre listening to. The benefit is that open-back headphones offer a much more realistic sound, as the drivers inside the cans have more room to breathe. In your budget, the SR-80i is very nice http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=GRSR80I. I buy from Audio Advisor alot, theyre right up in Grand Rapids....so you know youll get it fast. As far as the EQ settings go, presets never quite work out right. There are far too many variables involved in what the end result will be. All headphones are voiced differently, so the preset you choose will sound good through the guys headphones that set it. The key to setting an EQ is to turn all of them down to the minimum, then...starting at the treble, slowly turn it up until it starts to sound good. Work your way from the trble to the bass, slowly adjusting each one until the sound fills out and becomes balanced.
    Last edited by Tin; 11-25-2011 at 09:52 PM.
    '16 Fiesta ST

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    They're to listen to at work, so I don't want to spend too much. I'd ideally like them to sound good with a flat EQ and no amp since I just plug them into my iMac or Macbook. Another thing is I don't like a lot of sound to escape them so I don't disturb others in the office.

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    Club Member Tin's Avatar
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    The Sony MDR-V6 is a highly regarded set of cans used in recording studios for close to 30 years now. I have a pair and love em. Studio monitor type speakers/headphones are known for their flat frequency response, which is needed in that sort of environment. When a recording gets to the mastering stage, the flat frequency response helps the engineers pick out the flaws and correct them. They fall right within your budget as well. I paid $80 for mine about 6 years ago, and now you can get em on Amazon for $65. The only bad thing about them is the ear pads disintegrate over time (10 years or so), but can be easily replaced with the Beyerdynamic DT250 velour pads. The Beyerdynamic pads are much more comfortable than the stock Sony pads, give the cans more low end, and improve the isolation. You can usually find the pads for $20 per pair. Theyre also a very easy to drive headphone, theyre right at home plugged into the output of an iPod or computer. Hey look, the MDR-V6 even has its own wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_MDR-V6
    Last edited by Tin; 11-26-2011 at 08:28 AM.
    '16 Fiesta ST

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    Club Member wrath's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by robvas View Post
    They're to listen to at work, so I don't want to spend too much. I'd ideally like them to sound good with a flat EQ and no amp since I just plug them into my iMac or Macbook. Another thing is I don't like a lot of sound to escape them so I don't disturb others in the office.
    Sennheiser HD280 Pro are $80 at Newegg right now. I got them for a little less than that with coupon at Best Buy last year. I got them for my wife so she could not hear people at work and people would disturb her less (people tend not to socialize with those with headphones on). She played music sometimes but mostly so she could do her work. They are definitely worth $80.

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    Club Member Tin's Avatar
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    The HD280s are very good too. Very easy to listen to, and not analytical like the MDR-V6. You will literally hear everything with the MDR-V6, but sometimes, it can be a curse. They have a cold sound to them, as their intended purpose is for monitoring. They shine with rock and electronica, but if you listen to acoustic music, they can literally suck the life out of it. The HD280s are definitely the warmer sounding of the two, with somewhat rolled off highs compared to the MDR-V6. The HD280 definitely has a more colored sound on the warm side, but that isnt a bad thing. Its about the type of sound you prefer. A warmer sound is a jack of all trades, master of none. An analytical sound is great for some things, but not so much for others.
    '16 Fiesta ST

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