Helpful nudge needed

[Alec55]

hey, i was wondering if anyone could give me a few guidlines, i know literally nothing about sound systems. i was hoping someone could point me in the right direction, as in what are the components needed and what exactly do they do? lol, i know my uncle will explain it to me when i see him, but i like to do my homework.

-Don

 

[mlucitt]

Are you talking about "sound systems" for your home or the stadium rock show you plan on producing? Seriously, what kind of question is that you are asking? You are assuming we are sitting in your living room and know how big it is, what the acoustics are like (carpeted, wood floor, drapes, ceiling tiles, etc.), what kind of music you listen to, how loud you want it to be, and the source (records, tapes, CDs, etc.)?

We literally know nothing about you and a sound system is a very personal choice. You are better off talking to your Uncle, but you had better be able to answer all the questions above or he will just laugh at you.

 

[speakerman1]

Na don't think I will laugh at all. Not my style.

Larry

 

[orange]

It took me 35 years to get where I'm at and I'm still looking for where "at' is at.

Good lord, start at Kreislers and go from there. Your gear is more interesting than ours-you didn't have a real FM service until 1980 and the government had to redo a couple TV bands to get 88-108 MHz. AM stereo had it's best shot in QLD.

Look around. Australia is paradise in more ways than one.

If you see Ian/Seagull on Usenet, tell him Steven said hello.

 

[Alec55]

to be honest i dont actually know what ill have, im moving to the U.S. in around two weeks, but i was asking a broad question because i wanted a broad answer, im talking probably medium sized room, probably drywall or timber walls, wooden floor, possibly carpeted. ill most likely use my ipod or CD's. Then again i didnt actually ask anything specific, i just want to know what normal components are, and how they work, or if possible a link to a webpage that explains them. I'll be looking for something a little more specific to me when i know what everything does.

-Don

 

[speakerman1]

Alec

You will get the HK setup.
Looking at the CDPs I have.
I have some CV speakers.
You can have the one Micro TT.
Take your pick of cassette decks. LOL
I have an Akai R2R you can have and some other things. Bring a truck. LOL

 

[laatsch55]

A big one!!

 

[speakerman1]

Nope. Small one will do. LOL

Larry

 

[laatsch55]

Hookay!

 

[Gibsonian]

hey, i was wondering if anyone could give me a few guidlines, i know literally nothing about sound systems. i was hoping someone could point me in the right direction, as in what are the components needed and what exactly do they do? lol, i know my uncle will explain it to me when i see him, but i like to do my homework.

-Don

In order from start to finish, this is what you need:

Source - A component where the music signal originates. Cd, digital file, tuner, phonograph, etc. Important piece of the pie and obviously necessary. CD player or mp3 player is cheapest and easiest. I think phono sounds the best imo.

Preamplifier - A device that allows connections of all sources and selection between them, usually tone control, and normally attentuation of source signal but sometimes, amplification of the the source signal. This is the control for the system. Another very important piece to the sound quality puzzle.

Amplifier- Take the signal from the preamp and amplifies it to drive your speakers. It's what we generally talk about in this forum. It's like the engine in your car, so it gets alot of discussion cause guys like it. Give me More power!

Speakers - The final element of the system. The voice of the sound system. Very inefficient transfer of voltage and current into sound waves. Alot of variety out there, and diy is not so hard to do.

The room you put it all in is important, as well as the quality of the original recording. As far as what to get, this all depends on your budget, what you want for sound levels, and a gazillion opinions. If you have a budget to work with you can get some suggestions I'm sure. Good luck and research well prior to pulling the trigger.

Addendum:
To save bucks and space and cables you can go with some combo components:

preamp + amp = integrated amp
tuner + preamp + amp = receiver

I prefer seperates for quality, flexibility, and serviceability reasons, but it all works and can all sound good. Receivers can be very pretty too, with all the lights and switches.

 

[kevin]

Very well put !!!!! Hell.... even I understand that !!!!!! lol

 

[ksrigg]

One of the biggest considerations is budget. How much do you want to spend? Then comes the question of how to divide that budget among the components. I think you should spend a good portion of your budget on speakers. I think they are the most important part of any system, and buy either used, or DIY...Parts Express and Madisound are both great sources for speaker kits...Better yet, you might be able to find used DIY and get something really nice for really cheap. eBay and Craig's List are great places to look. A sound system should be constantly being upgraded. That is the reason for seperates...or for a short term fix you can always buy a nice reciever. I have had very good luck with Sherwood Newcastle receivers, or just Sherwood branded. Typically these can be found for $100-$200.00 and sound really nice for the amount you have spent. As for sources, there are lots, but I think an iPad or =iAnything is probably NOT going to deliver the quality the rest of your system will be capablew of reproducing..A really good CD plyer, or even a DVD player will deliver far better resolution..If you go the seperates route prepare to spend quite a bit more money..This audio thing CAN BE like a addiction.. You are always trying to improve your system, and it is never done...