where do i start?

[craig7]

Ok so first off I'm 14 so don't start telling me to buy $1000 sub. so I'm trying to setup a sound system in my room an so far this is what i have:
two Audio Research 3-1/2" 2-way speakers
my computer
shitty ipod dock
a shitty 8" sub that has no punch that i took out of my parents speakers in our livingroom that we dont use
a 20" tv, no high def here
3" midrange speaker(i use as tweeter because bass sounds terrible on it)
and i have access to an 8" sub that is in my friends trailer that he doesn't appreciate enough(its a decent sub) and 4" woofer that i put in there and really miss(its bass was EPIC) :'(
so what do i need and what dont i need?
btw my computer is going to my primary source for the system

 

[oppman99]

First, I'm assuming you already have a reciever to accept output from your computer and power the speakers. If not, that's where you need to start. You can find used AVR's pretty cheap on craigslist or ebay. Second, what kind of outputs do you have on your computer sound card? If it's just the little headphone jack, I'd say upgrade the soundcard to one that has optical or coax output. Finally, if you want a different subwoofer, check the Dayton subs at partsexpress. The 12" is often recommended as a good value for the money. Looks like they are about $150.

 

[jamie2112]

1st off I would ask what you CAN afford?As in how much do you have to spend on your system?There are a whole bunch of options but it will be very helpful to know what your budget is.Also foul language is not put up with here so please in your future posts watch that.........

 

[craig7]

First, I'm assuming you already have a reciever to accept output from your computer and power the speakers. If not, that's where you need to start. You can find used AVR's pretty cheap on craigslist or ebay. Second, what kind of outputs do you have on your computer sound card? If it's just the little headphone jack, I'd say upgrade the soundcard to one that has optical or coax output. Finally, if you want a different subwoofer, check the Dayton subs at partsexpress. The 12" is often recommended as a good value for the money. Looks like they are about $150.

my ipod dock is my receiver, i just use a 3.5mm dubbing cable from my computer to my dock's aux. input but if you can suggest a good reciever for less than $100, that would be great. but for the sound-card, what do you mean by optical output? like rca or s-video output? and for the subs im just going to take one of my friends ones for now because bass is important, but i can live with cheap subs for now.

and im 14 and no job/ allowance, so i really cant afford much right now but i am hoping to get a job soon. so im gonna say for now ive got about $100

 

[oppman99]

Ok, I might have been getting ahead of myself considering the budget. Tried to find info on your speakers without much luck. Are they self powered (i.e. power cord to an outlet) or is the dock powering them? If they need external power, I'd say watch the local classifieds ,craigslist equivalent or ebay and find an older AVR you can afford. It might take some patience, but I think you can find something under $100. If your soundcard has RCA outputs, then you just connect them to the AVR. Otherwise you will need a cord with a headphone plug on one end and RCA's on the other (shouldn't be very expensive). The sound quality will probably be limited by your soundcard. This is the least expensive option I can think of.

 

[Davemcc]

It's nice to see somebody else from Windsor here.

I've recently spun off all my older gear that I wasn't using. I may have some older stuff I lent out coming back soon, maybe in the next few months. If/when that happens, I could probably help you out a bit...probably in the range of free. Hang out in the forum for a while, learn what you can and we'll see what my buddy returns to me when he upgrades.

Edit: It seems to me that with that budget, a good set of headphones will be the best option. I don't mean the Best Buy/Future Shop overpriced Bose/Monster brands, but rather something that's more quality oriented like a Grado or Sennheiser. The best part of that is that you could crank the volume without bothering your parents. Some people here will swear by their headphones for quality music reproduction.

 

[craig7]

It's nice to see somebody else from Windsor here.

I've recently spun off all my older gear that I wasn't using. I may have some older stuff I lent out coming back soon, maybe in the next few months. If/when that happens, I could probably help you out a bit...probably in the range of free. Hang out in the forum for a while, learn what you can and we'll see what my buddy returns to me when he upgrades.

Edit: It seems to me that with that budget, a good set of headphones will be the best option. I don't mean the Best Buy/Future Shop overpriced Bose/Monster brands, but rather something that's more quality oriented like a Grado or Sennheiser. The best part of that is that you could crank the volume without bothering your parents. Some people here will swear by their headphones for quality music reproduction.

alright, cool and i used to have some nice $20 headphones from walmart that were amazing but some kid at school stole them and nothing can compare to listening to music with a sub so strong that you can literally feel your music! really i only use headphones with my ipod and gaming because bass is important to me and headphones can only do so much.