Topic: How Modest of Playback Speakers are Needed to Hear the Benefits of Lossless?

[grtphl]

I've never had a sound system to be proud of.  Current devices are Phillips MZ7 and Bose In-Ear Headphones.  I'm doing my best to hear the differences between rigs, but I know my listening devices can't provide many of the sonic qualities different recording gear provides.  So, in your opinion, within what price range should a sound system be able to output (most of) these dynamic intricacies?  Recommending products is also very welcome, for comparisons.

[bhtoque]

I've never had a sound system to be proud of.  Current devices are Phillips MZ7 and Bose In-Ear Headphones.  I'm doing my best to hear the differences between rigs, but I know my listening devices can't provide many of the sonic qualities different recording gear provides.  So, in your opinion, within what price range should a sound system be able to output (most of) these dynamic intricacies?  Recommending products is also very welcome, for comparisons.

You can put together a high end headphone rig for well under a grand that will outperform anything you could do with loudspeakers for the same money.

I'd suggest the AKG 701's or Grado RS2's (RS1 would put the total over 1k unless you get a great deal) and a Grado RA 1 amp, the Creek OBH 11 or the Bellari VP129

JAson

[shaggy]

For little bookshelf speakers the B&W DM303 are pretty amazing; they typically sell on ebay for $150-200 a pair shipped!.  Make sure they are placed a foot or more from the wall as the port is located on the back.

[Tim]

if you buy used I bet you could put together a nice little system for $800 or less. Bookshelfs + Integrated Amp 

in a little room you would be very happy with the sound.

the headphone route is interesting too, I just don't have any personal experience with them

[phanophish]

I'd argue that I can hear the difference between a MP3 and a FLAc recording on my $100 JVC system we have in the bathroom.

I love Google image search.....


It's very far from a HiFi system but it is capable of making the lossy compression of an MP3 evident.  For more critical listening.  I just put together a simple system for the living room.  It's a Pioneer DVD player that handles 24/96 DVD Audio playback, running through a vintage Marantz Model 19 amp with some EPOS speakers.  You could probably piece the whole thing together for around $500-$600, and it does a nice job.  For more critical listening I've got a higher end system, but it does not get as much use as it should since it is also part of our only TV currently.

[Javier Cinakowski]

I can't tell the difference between a well encoded lame 256+kbps MP3 vs WAV on most any material.   Now, I can hear the high end artifacts of a 128kbps mp3 listening through my internal speaker on my cell phone...

playback gear:

headphone:  PC->SoundBlasterMP3-> optical SPDIF ->SuperPro707 DAC-> Headstage MiniAmp Pro -> Beyerdynamic DT880
Speakers:  PS3-> Optical SPDIF-> Integra 5.4 -> Tannoy MX2-M or Design Acoustics PS10a

[George]

Over the yearss, I've tried many headphones and owned many of them too before selling them.  The main reason for so much trial and error consists of system synergy and taste.  My advice to you is to check www.headphone.com for a big list of all kinds of varying qualities in headphones in terms of sound reproduction.  I can certainly hear differences between well encoded mp3's (256vbr) versus Flac, but it's not a huge difference and frankly not worth the extra battery life I lose when listening to Flac's.

Same thing goes for speakers too, but the choices are simply overwhelming.  Try www.audiogon.com for used speaker and components. 

Where do you live?  For speakers, I would recommend auditioning speakers in stores if its available to you.  That's how I settled on the Rega R-1 bookshelfs which I like a lot, but have been getting the itch to look into floorstands in the future. 

[jerryfreak]

if accuracy is what youre looking for its hard to find a better value than a used pair of dynaudio bm5a. built in amps, $700.

[grtphl]

thanks for your posts. t's.

[perks]

I've never had a sound system to be proud of.

I was in this same situation and finally made the plunge to get more out of my listening. I picked up a new pair of Usher s520's for $300 shipped and have been extremely happy with the way they sound. I'm hearing things in my recordings that I never heard before. I'd give these some consideration.

http://www.usheraudio.com/speaker-S-520.html

[page]

On the headphone front, if you are willing to go with ear-buds or inner-ear style headphones instead of cans, I recomend the Etymotic line of either ER-4 (better) or ER-6 sets. I personally have the 6s and I'm very very happy with them, but I've heard that the 4s are a little better. I live in a noisy area, so for me to pick out artifacts on compressed music over lossless requires a day when the city comes to a standstill, or I crank it to the point where I'd have to put in plugs. The Etymotics come the closest for my environment to reconciling those two conditions as they are noise isolation headphones.

[Nick's Picks]

while its true that you can put together a stunning headphone package for cheap, IMO...it never provides that "i'm being pummeled by a big PA" feeling that I really enjoy w/my recordings.
for that, you need speakers.  and the bigger the better.


If I were putting together a system on the cheap, and buying everything used...I'd have a hard time looking past a Music Hall Mambo or Maven.  its got it all.  sweet sound, nice DAC built in...just add speakers and a source and you're done.

a nice pair of monitors (like those b&w's mentioned) , or something from Epos, Von Schweikert, PSB..etc and I'm sure you'd be able to hear what you think you're missing.
I'd also check out cambridge audio gear.  I like what ive heard, and they are not expensive (new or used).

audiogon.com !!!!!!!
you just need to know what you're looking for before you go there as the world of audio is massive, and easy to get lost in the forest.

fwiw, I say you can rival the $1k headphone rig in a "real" stereo w/speakers.  It'll just take a little luck finding the used gear.
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1216320159  $800 (I paid less for mine, more like 600)
Lots of nice Epos monitors for sale:  http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/srch_fs.pl
between these two options here, you could build a bangin' system for $1500.

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

I picked up a new pair of Usher s520's for $300 shipped and have been extremely happy with the way they sound. I'm hearing things in my recordings that I never heard before. I'd give these some consideration.

What are you using to drive those?

[perks]

I picked up a new pair of Usher s520's for $300 shipped and have been extremely happy with the way they sound. I'm hearing things in my recordings that I never heard before. I'd give these some consideration.

What are you using to drive those?

I found a Sony DA3000ES here on the YS. So for around $600 I made a quantum leap in listening pleasure. Someday when I leave my 450 square foot apartment I'll move the Ushers to the rear of my surround system and pick up something bigger for the front but until then I'm thrilled with the clarity and detail they provide. I'm thinking of adding the Usher matching center speaker I like them so much.

[Keyd]

I'd argue that I can hear the difference between a MP3 and a FLAc recording on my $100 JVC system we have in the bathroom.

I concur. 24-Bit and 16-Bit may be a little different story but between mp3 and lossless I can hear the difference on any modest speakers.

I also know people who aren't musically inclined and can tell the difference on any stock car stereo. Plus some older people who don't have great hearing and some youngsters who shove little plastic speakers in their ears have also been telling me they can hear the difference for quite some time now.

+T phano