600$ Stereo Speaker Recommendations

SunnyOctopus

SunnyOctopus

Audioholic
XLR-1/4" TRS Combo
10k Ohm Blanced
Pin 1 + Sleeve = Ground
Pin 2 + Tip = (+) High
Pin 3 + Ring = (-) Low
 
M

MatthewB.

Audioholic General
Check out pawn shops, I got a great pair of active studio monitors (Resolv 65a) for 80.00 in mint condition with 6.5" mid range and 1" tweets with adjustbale amp for nearfield listening. They sit about one feet near my head on a shelf above my computer desk. I bought a 1/8" miniplug on one end and stereo rca connects on the other and that's all I needed. I use my computer to watch some movies and listen to music and the sound is incredible (even with my cheap sound card) and the sound level has to be very low because these are pretty powerful speakers. They have a 25 watt amp for the tweet and 75 watt amp for the mid range in each tower.
\
Each time I go to a pawn shop, I always see professional active monitors (still waiting to see Mackies there though. :( )
 
lsiberian

lsiberian

Audioholic Overlord
XLR-1/4" TRS Combo
10k Ohm Blanced
Pin 1 + Sleeve = Ground
Pin 2 + Tip = (+) High
Pin 3 + Ring = (-) Low
IOTW we need to go form RCA to XLR.

For that you'll need a pair of RCA to XLR cables a stereo-y cable and a rca switcher or a rca cable coupler.
 
SunnyOctopus

SunnyOctopus

Audioholic
Okies...I got them hooked into my soundcard, but there is noise....

What should I buy?
 
SunnyOctopus

SunnyOctopus

Audioholic
Actually....they seem to make noise even without a source. I also tried an m-audio fast track box.

Same noise level.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
You'll have to isolate the noise. You are saying there is noise, even when there is no source? Is there noise when the input cables are disconnected? How much noise? Most systems will have a little bit of noise, even self-amplified studio monitors. The thing that matters is will that noise be audible at sound levels you are going to listen to. If you turn those monitors all the way up, you will probably hear something, even if nothing is connected to them. A little noise is acceptable in heavily amplified signals.

What sort of noise do you hear? Is it a soft staticy noise or is it a low frequency hum? Is it a hiss? The M-audio box should be fairly quiet. This leads me to think that either you don't understand what kind of noise levels are acceptable, or interference is getting into signal but it is occuring past the point of the source.

How long is the cable which connects the M-audio box to the monitors? Is it running alongside and power cables? If the cable is running parallel to power cords, it can easily pick up electrical noise like that. If the cable is long, it can act like an antenna and receive interference.

If there is a hum even when the signal cable isn't plugged in, you might have a grounding issue with the power cable or your electrical outlet.

Remember that some noise is expected when you turn the volume all the way up. You just don't want to hear any at all at the sound levels which you are ever going to listen to.
 
SunnyOctopus

SunnyOctopus

Audioholic
Yes, there is noise with input cables disconnected. Not much noise, a slight hissing from the tweeters. It sounds kind of like a light static or hissing.

I would say the m-audio box and the creative card are equally quiet. The hissing happens as soon as the speaker has power and nothing else seems to affect it.

Judging by your post, I am going to come to the conclusion that the noise I'm experiencing is normal.

So if I'm experinicing no noise with the creative card, would it be okay to use with these monitors?
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
It should be okay to use the Creative card if the noise levels between the creative and M-audio are equal. It surprises me that they are equal. However, if you are going to be doing recording, I would strongly urge you to keep the M-audio box. The output jacks on the Creative might be ok, but there is no way the input jacks will be clean. To be sure of this, record something on both the M-audio and the creative, and play the recordings back at loud levels to compare what they sound like. If you want to do serious recording, you will not want to use the Creative card.
 
SunnyOctopus

SunnyOctopus

Audioholic
Hi! So, I'm using the m-audio as an external sound card, but whenever (well...most times. Not always.) I try forwarding or rewinding a song, I get a loud an unpleaseant

CHHH

For a few seconds. This also happens when someone IMs me.

Any ideas?
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
That sounds very much like a software problem. I don't think any of us will be able to help you much with this particular issue.

The M-audio drivers are updated, right? I would get in touch with M-audio's tech support. You might also look for sound card user groups. Do a google search with the model of your audio card, your operating system, and a two word description of your problem as search parameters. I have solved many obscure computer problems with a good combination of words in a google search.
 
E

eddy123

Audiophyte
Go for vintage

I will look for some nice vintage speakers of Yamaha for example. They made nice bookshelf speakers in the 80's, the NS series.

Ed
 
Transmaniacon

Transmaniacon

Audioholic
I currently have the Logitech Z-2300 system, and while its bass heavy, I would really like something more geared towards music. My motherboard has a digital audio jack on the back (the orange one), and I was wondering if this would solve any of the previous problems SunnyOctopus was having with interference? Is there any kind of XLR to Digital RCA cable, or Analog to Digital RCA cable? I plan on eventually re-ripping my CDs in lossless/FLAC format, and would like to be able to take advantage of the high quality of the sources, and the clean detail of the studio monitors (Considering some active Swan speakers).
 
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