Speakers in 2017 are kind of awesome

If someone wanted simple but booming stereo setup for PC/Mac use I can not recommend the Mackies high enough. Best sounding pair I’ve ever heard and only 2.0 system I’d have to think twice about the benefit of adding a sub to.

Not a big deal, you could get something like this to do it. Would sound fantastic.

https://smile.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-DTA-120-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B00HFG3FYA

Not bothering with surround for my PC, but sure as hell have it in our TV room. Surround is awesome for movies and console games. Heck, probably going to even go Atmos in there.

Soundbars I’ve heard lack the depth I want for music playback. Okay for watching TV/YouTube.

Chinese manufacturing and economy of scale has, though. So you get better “stuff” in your speakers, better cabinet, better materials, improved magnets, etc. That’s pretty much the story of those Q speakers that wirecutter recommended, amazing bang for the buck.

Mostly this means better speakers for lower cost today, not objectively better in absolute terms though.

Awww you gotta have at least a 2.1 man! Rikki don’t lose that number subwoofer!

I tried the Mackies, lasted all of 4 days and just died. I may be an edge case.

I have a pair of Mackie CR3s + Chromecast Audio in the bedroom. I like them a lot for that use.

+1 on this little sucker. Commonly re-labelled around the traps (mine’s a Digitech). Had one on my desk for yonks now, powering the LSK M4’s. Put bit of tape over the eye-searing blue LED and you are good to go.

That would be unusual, I would say, those Mackies are generally lauded all over the net.

The Elac B6 are on sale for $200/pair now. Unfortunately they’re bigger than my current Jones Pioneer BS-22s, so I wouldn’t be able to just sneak-substitute them. I can take solace in the fact that I only paid $60 for the Pioneers.

That’s an amazing deal. They were well worth the $280 I paid for mine a year ago.

Hey, if anyone is looking for an amp for 2.0 or 2.1 setup, Orb audio has their Mini-T for 39 bucks today. I have the booster amp and love it.

https://www.orbaudio.com/products/mini-t-amplifier

That is excellent, I wish someone made a mini 5.1 version of that!

Kind of a stupid question: Why can’t I control my TV’s volume using the TV’s remote? I have the TV connected to a pair of computer speakers, but the volume MUST be controlled at the speakers and not the at the TV. Thanks.

Thanks for the tip! Mine just arrived; it sounds great, and frees up a ton of desk space compared to the 80s Marantz I was using.

Apropos of nothing, anyone looking for a vintage stereo receiver?

Glad you like it! I spent ages looking for something for my PC setup after the sub in my Klipsch Ultras died before I found those guys. I got the booster over the mini-t because I wanted the optical input, but I was really impressed with the build quality and sound.

Lots of people, all the time! Don’t pitch it—Marantz is still a name to conjure with.

I lucked into this guy a year or two ago:
SX_780_small

Receivers in 1979 were also kind of awesome :)

My early 80s Yamaha ain’t that nice, but it’s nice in many of the same ways.

And my gf’s entire Linguistics dept runs on Marantz recorders. Those things are awesome! Also huge. But awesome!

Doesn’t go to 11

I was browsing vintage receivers on eBay a while back, and was amazed at the high prices they are still commanding if they are in excellent condition. It appears that people are still really into this stuff for some reason. Maybe durability? My 1989 Pioneer receiver still sounds awesome, for instance.

That Marantz photo you posted looks identical to the one my brother bought brand new many, many years ago. And as far as I know, he’s still using it.

Yeah, it’s an interesting market. Some of the esoteric old tube amplifiers can easily fetch thousands.

I’m sure nostalgia and the whole “vintage” scene is driving a lot of it, plus the rediscovery of vinyl, which the old equipment was specifically built for. But partly it’s down to quality. The stuff from the 60s, 70s and 80s was designed with high fidelity two-channel stereo in mind, and much of it can still do it better (and often cheaper) than modern AV equipment that’s oriented more to home theater.

That one is actually a Pioneer—stylistically very representative its time :) An SX-780, which was their mid-range workhorse. Fairly common, but I was still lucky to find one in such good shape. The typical Marantz, though, is another step up. I need new speakers before heading in that direction.