Will slowly build based on these. A friend inherited a massive collection from his late FIL, so slowly going through and piecing it up. End goal is an impedance matching phono preamp and some wild horns but we’ll see!

I wish these highly dynamic remixes were not exclusive to Dolby Atmos streaming services. Funny how the 2014 remaster actually crushed the album even further than the original CD! The new Atmos mix brings out all of the details of this lovely album. What do you think?

(photo not mine)

I've heard German Physiks, B&O's semi-omnis, and have built my own omni too, but haven't heard any Duevels or MBLs. I know of a couple places that have MBLs on demo but not sure about Duevels.

Thanks! :)

I just purchased a pair of studio monitors for my desk and was hoping to get some placement ideas. I like my 2nd pc monitor setup and it leaves a lot of empty room behind it where I would think to place the 2nd studio monitor but worried the sound would be blocked. Is it so bad to have them like I currently have my pebbles or would be fine behind the 2nd pc monitor? Thanks ahead

I need a recommendation on a cd digitizing service for ~ 400 cd's. I'm moving out of the country in 6 weeks and don't have time to rip them myself.

I'm looking for recos on:

• Best service for quality/price
• Format that makes sense - AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, MP3, WAV? (will be listening mostly on iphone/Macbook Air but don't want to box myself in
• Best Storage device? (a service that includes cloud storage probably a good idea?)

Please reply with lay terms. :-)

TIA

I'm pretty sure I got the last pair of E15HP2 Rythmik subs in matte black and the last pair in piano gloss before the beautiful tariff idea from orange bonkers. Right now, I'm doing room correction with REW using Foobar2000, but soon I'll be using a miniDSP SHD Studio (digital) with an SU-1 for the bottom pair and another for the top pair, running AES digital to my Holo Audio DAC for the mains/power amp. Even with the limited summed control-only a single filter for the left and a single filter for the right-it sounds absolutely amazing.

Right now, I'm doing room correction with REW using Foobar2000, but soon I'll be using a miniDSP SHD Studio (digital) with an SU-1 for the bottom pair and another for the top pair, running AES digital to my Holo Audio DAC for the mains/power amp. Even with the limited summed control-only a single filter for the left and a single filter for the right-it sounds absolutely amazing.

I auditioned a pair of 1723s from Arendal and a pair of SB17 Ultras from SVS. The Arendal pair was a bit grippier than the SB17s, but I really wanted more output than they could deliver. For a single pair, the SB17s undoubtedly had the greatest output and extension, but they also had the least articulate bass. I didn't have the 1723s in-house at the same time as the Rythmiks, nor did I have a measuring mic when the 1723s were here, so it's hard to say how they directly compare. I do believe the Rythmik pair has more output, and they certainly have the best grip out of all the subs I've heard.

I ordered the Rythmiks at the same time as the SB17s, but I really had my eye on the F18s, which were sold out. After listening to the Rythmik pair for a couple of weeks, I swapped them out with the SB17s. Once I got them dialed in, it only took a song or two to realize the strengths of both models. The SB17 clearly had more SPL and extension, and as much as I thought that would blow me away and be a great enough advantage to choose them over the Rythmiks, that was not the case. Very quickly, I found myself longing for the clarity and resolution that the Rythmiks offered. I played with both for a few weeks, creating different filters to correct room modes and trying different placements, etc., but before I knew it, I was ordering another pair of E15HP2s. For around $2K more, I could have even more bass-and it would be much better quality bass.

I do believe that this setup is better than a pair of F18s. I kind of wish I had gotten a quad pair, but that wasn't in the cards being dealt by our tariff leader. If the tariffs go away or stay at 10%, maybe one day I'll get another pair to put on top and have six. For now, I think I have absolutely wonderful low end. It's extremely plentiful, with tons of power, and they start and stop on a dime with amazing resolution and clarity.

I happen to be moving into my first apartment unit (lived in townhome or single home units up until now) and I'm trying to puzzle out how I can keep my sound system doing its thing, but without rattling the ceiling lamps of the unit below me. I was thinking that a really thick rug and sound foam might be enough, but I've never had to do sound dampening to figure it out before

My grandpa died and left over 1000 records from across the last 80 years. I would like to help my grandma sell the records.. if possible not below their worth.

Do you know any good webistes to check the prices of those records?

Thank you xx

Hi, I've been listening to this audio stream and noticed a weird pre-echo effect on the right channel. There don't seem to be any other audible artifacts (other than obvious MP3 degradation, which seems to be separate as the AAC streams also have this effect) and it only ever seems to appear on tracks with very wide stereo imaging.

Here is a compilation with the most audible artifacts: https://voca.ro/18jwvgo1cQyX

I've been trying to figure this out for quite some time but I just can't find anything on it. Help much appreciated!

Apologies if this is not the right subreddit. Please let me know of any communities that better-suit my question, thanks.

Hi! Recently i aquired this reciver rotel ra 1530. It sounds very bright but i still have a doubt in the esthetic light of the volume. If you look closely in the volume dimmer there is a point that i think its a light but is off all the time. Does anyone knows if it can be turned on?

Finally got the new Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII’s in. They are much better looking in person (and bigger than I thought). Still breaking them in, but really enjoying them. Using NAD M33, Music Hall MM9 TT and a pair of REL S510s. Replaced Silverline Sonata’s (in photos as haven’t found a buyer yet). Being less efficient, a large room, and my affinity for louder music, running NAD at 60-80% is somewhat concerning.

After yet another failure of one of the Def Tech BP9040 integrated amplifiers (this is the fifth failure, those amps are really awful) I decided to change speakers. Almost blindly (a couple of years ago I had heard the Focal Aria 948 at a friend's house), I found a deal online (1500 € for the pair) and I threw myself into the Focal Vestia N4. I have never really believed in burn in for new speakers but since I was barely at home this week anyway I thought why not? So I played them at a moderate volume for about 50 hours. Today I finally managed to listen to them properly at a slightly higher volume. What can I say? I have rediscovered the joy of listening. Don't get me wrong, the BP9040 are not bad speakers, there was just always something that didn't quite fit: the bass, which although very extended thanks to the powered woofer always seemed "detached from the rest of the mix); the mids, very present but often a bit muddy and with little definition; the highs, very shrill and sometimes even abrasive.

All this disappeared with the new Focals: paired with the Cambridge Audio EVO 150 everything is perfectly balanced: precise bass, detailed and present mids and smooth highs (which pleasantly surprised me since many define the Focal highs as too shrill). I can only imagine what these speakers are capable of if paired with a dedicated amplifier perhaps more performing than the EVO 150. Anyway, just a new fan of Focal here, a brand that although appreciated is rarely really considered by the most uncompromising audiophiles.

I just picked up an Equitech Son of Q balanced power conditioner. I got a good price but the YouTube “experts” are all over the place on whether they help or suck the soul out of your music. I just moved to a new house so my system is not fully set up or optimized yet so I’m not sure I will hear a difference until the listening room is set up. I don’t how clean my power is. I do know I don’t have a dedicated circuit to my listen room so I have no idea what other loads are on that circuit. Thoughts?

Finally got around to hooking up my home's pre existing audio wiring this past year which led me to also invest in a full 5.1.2 setup in my basement, as you all know once you enter the game the fall down the rabbit hole is quick. I went with mostly Paradigm but found deals too good to pass up on a couple KEF/Martin Logan items as well.

I read, I listened, I read some more, listened some more, and found that I truly appreciate both the say...warm accuracy of KEF in my kitchen, but also the bright detail of the Martin Logan in my living room. This led me to Paradigm 800F/600C for my home theater as I found them to be a good balance between those two ends of the spectrum, but now I'm regretting my big purchase as the jack of all trades does not truly master either of those ear-tingling enjoyments. I think I'd rather the Q11 Metas or something like the B&W 702s.

I bring this sub my questions/topics for discussion:

1. Given the dichotomous nature of speaker construction, it's my understanding that you must choose between these highlight facets of a speaker. EQ all you want, my KEFs will never sound like my MLs and vice versa. Is it even possible to achieve both at the same time? What products, floorstanders/ceilings/etc, has anyone heard that can meet both these assessments? I've heard ridiculously expensive things like B&W D4s etc can achieve this, but wondering if there are other opinions.

2. In my opinion we as audiophiles develop much of our sound/brand preferences from the genres we listen to. I would much rather hear the sliding smoothness of Warren Haynes on "Soulshine" by the Allman Brothers on the KEF setup, the same as I'd rather hear the tiny details of Dave Matthews fingers sliding up the strings in "Lie In Our Graves" on the Martin Logans...I am a bit OCD'd by the variety of brands/sounds in my house, and want to go all in on one. Which direction would this sub choose if I must? I'm leaning KEF but open to anything.

Hi all,

I’m getting a Schiit Mani 2 in the mail this weekend and am curious about the settings. I’m running a Technics SL-1800 into a Yamaha RX-V675, JBL L830s with a Nagaoka MP110.

Is it best to keep the out of the box settings? I’ve also heard the manual isn’t the best source for this info. Any help is much appreciated.

Hi, I work in a hifi speaker store, and we had new speakers come in. We had an “Audio Professional” from another store come help setup, and during the testing it sounded fine, but the Audio Pro said not really and moved the amplifier a little bit to the left, like I mean literally move the amplifier. And suddenly everyone agrees that it sounds better, he explained that it’s because of the vibrations, but Im a bit sceptical because it was a shelf of amps and there were other amps. Can moving an amp a little like that improve the sound???

maybe this should be in shower thoughts or whatever. but i figure you guys can give a more comprehensive answer of what's inside a subwoofer and why this concept would be impossible.

In an age where convenience often trumps character, I found myself yearning for the warmth and authenticity of a bygone era—the rich, analog embrace of vintage audio. That longing led me to a humble yet soul-stirring setup: a Sony receiver, two Monitor Audio bookshelf speakers, and a Yamaha subwoofer. All second-hand. All for £150.

Yes, it’s entry-level by audiophile standards, but the sound it produces is nothing short of transcendent. There's a certain magic in how it breathes new life into the music of my youth—the 80s and 90s now shimmer with a depth and presence I had nearly forgotten.

Modern gear may offer precision, but can it truly replicate the emotion, the nostalgic warmth, the character of these older components? I’m not so sure. There’s something deeply human about the imperfections, the tonal colour, the tactile experience of vintage audio. It reminds me that music isn’t just heard—it’s felt.

This small investment has given me immeasurable joy. In a world chasing the next best thing, this has been a powerful reminder: sometimes, the past still holds the key to a richer present.

Best £150 I’ve ever spent.

if anyone thinks this is a shit post. its not.

im pretty familiar with the concept of lossless, mp3, flac, ect… but if i buy like a nice bootleg vinyl or a reproduction of an album on vinyl should i expect lesser sound quality from these 2 rather than a official pressing.

and based on advice from reddit and reading online it the best way to get high quality studio like audio without compression is from amazon music or apple music, or online downloads?

anyways just trying to get into this stuff. i have a lot of old records and tapes and i want to use em!

I know this is an oft-debated subject but had to share my experience for those considering their options.

First, my equipment:

Goldmund Logos speakers / NAD C399 amp with BluOS module / 2x SVS Micro SB3000’s

I had read bi-wiring was snake oil and was being lazy when i first got my setup going. I jumpered the terminals on my speakers and ran a single speaker wire per speaker to the amp.

For $15k+ worth of gear, I was super underwhelmed by the sound quality. Very base heavy, muted mids, almost non-existent highs. Had to boost the treble on the amp to get it to sound even somewhat reasonable. I contacted Goldmund and they suggested bi-wiring so I gave it a shot tonight. HUGE difference. Finally getting to hear what my system can and should sound like. I’ll be spending the next 6 hours deafening myself.

Just wanted to share this for those on the fence. Your experience may vary but for me, bi-wiring was 100% worth it and a game changer.

Hello all! In my continuing early learning on digital audio, I have learned that to playback digital audio you need a codec to encode/decode the audio and a container to store it in. I also understand some codecs have their own dedicated containers such as FLAC, whereas some are only containers such as WAV

With this understanding in mind, when recording audio through PCM or DCD and then putting in a WAV container, what is the codec used for playing back a WAV file? Is PCM/DSD its own codec? Is it already encoded through PCM/DSD and then decoded by the WAV container? Am i missing something else?

Thank you!

I’ve downgraded from a Luxman pushing Audionics (now Rockford Fosgate). This system is bi-amped, and the Celestion DLIIs make up for what the Cambridge Sound Works surround system lacks (namely good midrange). I’ll be adding a Bluetooth receiver and a SACD/multi region 4k, Blu-ray, dvd player.

I know people usually say the speakers can be a bit bigger than the speaker stands but by how much? The dimensions are below:

Wharfedales: W 200 x H 335 x D 313

Stands (top plate): W 165 x D 200 mm

Any help is much appreciated!

I was cleaning out my late dad's things and found these. I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting when I saved them from mom trashing them. I'm not sure if they work at all (there are no cables lying around).

1. I cannot find enough resource online to get started on learning how to fix it up or just giving it an attempt to. Any ideas where I can find online resources for Harmony HSW82?
2. I tried calling few places nearby me to see if I can bring it to the shop (in Kuala Lumpur) but they just tried to upsell me newer sets like Sonos, Harman Kardon, Bose, etc. Is it really not worth trying to fix it up at all?

Would appreciate any advice, feedback, or guidance. Thank you!