Can anyone recommend me some over ears for around the £50-£100 mark ? Not looking for overbearing bass.
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The x3400H is well regarded as a great bang for your buck receiver that does 4K/HDR, Atmos, 7.1.2, two zones (if desired), has good power, Bluetooth, is easy to use and has a ton of inputs. If you don't need all of those things - for instance if you don't need Atmos - then you can get cheaper for sure!
Edit: thanks Darkatomz yeah, it also has great room correction software for the money —running the software had a sizeable impact on sound quality
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With a Denon which uses the Audyssey room correction DSP, the biggest advantage with the x3... model and above is the upgrade from XT to XT32 which is a massive improvement to the EQ system, with more capture points and focusing the adjustments at the low end where it matters most. More details can be found here.
At this point in time though, I would recommend for anyone who can wait 6-9mo to wait for the 2020 models as those should be adding HDMI2.1, especially if a console gamer.
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The risk with that is there is no longer an affordable xt32 model for 2019. They have done away with the 4XXX, which is now a $1000+ x3600 with a 9 channel amp. Additionally, even assuming they reintroduce a 7 channel XT32 model, he will be waiting til fall/holiday 2020 until it's at the $500-$550 he could buy an x3500 for right now. Maybe they'll move xt32 to the x2700 next year, but that's a big gamble imo.
Just got my new hardware in today.
- Schiit Hel (DAC/Amp)
- Audeze LCD-GX
Replacing my AudioTechnica ATH-AD700's. Got this due to their fairly neutral response, and it's a headphone that has a sound stage tuned for gaming. I haven't put in any big gaming session yet though. I was fortunate to get 20% off through work as well, so for $720 and a good return policy I bit the bullet.
My first impressions from a layman who just likes good sound:
1) Holy cow, I did not realize the difference a DAC/Amp would make! I first plugged it in while still using my previous headphones. It breathed a bit of new life into them, particularly once you went into the bass. I wish I would have upgraded to a DAC/Amp earlier tbh.
2) These headphones, while open back actually do a surprisingly more effective job of blocking off sound to the outside world compared to my AD700's. It's actually not a goal of me getting headphones as I still want to hear what's going on around me. Still, it was clear this would be the case the instant I put them on.
3) My previous headphones have had around 10 years to get worn in, so obviously this new set needs to get broken in still. A bit tighter clamp than I'm used to. However, for being heavier, I REALLY like this head strap way more than my old one. Somehow you barely feel the head strap, even though these are significantly heavier. Also, my ears will get sweatier in the new set for sure.
4) With the first song I turned on, I didn't have like a lightbulb moment with how amazing these are or anything. As I started listening to songs though, I started noticing more and more detail in every song. I could hear instruments I never noticed before. Some of the instruments that were there somehow were more defined. I kept switching between old and new just to see if I somehow always missed some of these details in my past headsets, and the past way I can describe it is that in my old headset, while everything was there, it was a bit muddied together and required me to focus on something to hear it clearly, whereas the new set gives you all of this detail by default. Every song that comes on, I generally just hear the song in better detail, hear more of each instrument and with a better sound stage.
5) The new set has much better bass compared to the old set. I'm not a basshead by any stretch of the imagination, and I wouldn't describe this new headset as particularly bassy compared to some I've tried. Hearing some of the bass in the Dark Knight soundtrack really had a bigger impact than on my old headset for example.
6) Microphone is nice from my limited test. I may end up using it as my primary mic if my friends say I sound better with it. My biggest annoyance with my desktop mic is it picks up my mechanical keyboard and other room audio way too easily. Only downside is it would somewhat force me to constantly switch the cable on it every time I wanted to switch from listening to using my mic, as I wouldn't want it always on my headphones.
Overall, very happy with the purchase! Now to give it a good go in games. If anyone has any recommendations for games with excellent audio, I'm all ears. :)
- Schiit Hel (DAC/Amp)
- Audeze LCD-GX
Replacing my AudioTechnica ATH-AD700's. Got this due to their fairly neutral response, and it's a headphone that has a sound stage tuned for gaming. I haven't put in any big gaming session yet though. I was fortunate to get 20% off through work as well, so for $720 and a good return policy I bit the bullet.
My first impressions from a layman who just likes good sound:
1) Holy cow, I did not realize the difference a DAC/Amp would make! I first plugged it in while still using my previous headphones. It breathed a bit of new life into them, particularly once you went into the bass. I wish I would have upgraded to a DAC/Amp earlier tbh.
2) These headphones, while open back actually do a surprisingly more effective job of blocking off sound to the outside world compared to my AD700's. It's actually not a goal of me getting headphones as I still want to hear what's going on around me. Still, it was clear this would be the case the instant I put them on.
3) My previous headphones have had around 10 years to get worn in, so obviously this new set needs to get broken in still. A bit tighter clamp than I'm used to. However, for being heavier, I REALLY like this head strap way more than my old one. Somehow you barely feel the head strap, even though these are significantly heavier. Also, my ears will get sweatier in the new set for sure.
4) With the first song I turned on, I didn't have like a lightbulb moment with how amazing these are or anything. As I started listening to songs though, I started noticing more and more detail in every song. I could hear instruments I never noticed before. Some of the instruments that were there somehow were more defined. I kept switching between old and new just to see if I somehow always missed some of these details in my past headsets, and the past way I can describe it is that in my old headset, while everything was there, it was a bit muddied together and required me to focus on something to hear it clearly, whereas the new set gives you all of this detail by default. Every song that comes on, I generally just hear the song in better detail, hear more of each instrument and with a better sound stage.
5) The new set has much better bass compared to the old set. I'm not a basshead by any stretch of the imagination, and I wouldn't describe this new headset as particularly bassy compared to some I've tried. Hearing some of the bass in the Dark Knight soundtrack really had a bigger impact than on my old headset for example.
6) Microphone is nice from my limited test. I may end up using it as my primary mic if my friends say I sound better with it. My biggest annoyance with my desktop mic is it picks up my mechanical keyboard and other room audio way too easily. Only downside is it would somewhat force me to constantly switch the cable on it every time I wanted to switch from listening to using my mic, as I wouldn't want it always on my headphones.
Overall, very happy with the purchase! Now to give it a good go in games. If anyone has any recommendations for games with excellent audio, I'm all ears. :)
I have a Bose Lifestyle 35 that I've had for basically forever. I got it for free when I worked there, and it still does basic Dolby and DTS. I can wait a few months.
Happened to swing through an Anthem dealer over the holiday break and it sounds like now that they're done tackling the MDX multi channel amp, their next slated project is the AVM60 replacement.
Just in time for Ampere GPUs and maybe a 65C10 mid next year.
Exciting times!
Just in time for Ampere GPUs and maybe a 65C10 mid next year.
Exciting times!
You think it'll have 2.1? I'd be willing to spend on my next receiver if I knew it would last me 10 years
Yeah it will.
going back forever ago when they released the D2, it was prolly $7K I think? But when HDMI 1.4 came out they released a board swap for the HDMI ports that was (comparatively) minimal cost so you would just send them the units and they'd upgrade the HDMI board.
My understanding is the design philosophy with the new stuff is that they won't do board swaps anymore but the entire point of getting the AVM and MRX stuff on the same architecture was to bring the price way way down, which is totally true; The AVM60 is $3K (less when they're running deals) and the D2 was $7K.
So while they won't do board swaps anymore, my experience with the AVM is that they're stillvery forward thinking about how they do everything. They were providing me beta firmwares as soon as Dolby Vision launches, Atmos was available on Netflix via return channel, etc.They're well aware that the price tiers they play in, people expect to be able to buy the gear and own it for a long time.
So that's a really long winded way of saying, "it should be" 🙂
Lol awesome. I'll need an AVR for my upstairs setup, so ideally I'd move the x3400 up there and get something with 2.1 for the basement that can handle 8K (for years to come)
I don't know anything about your amplifier, but −12dB sounds suspiciously like the maximum correction Audyssey is going to make.
So maybe the sub is actually 20dB louder than it should be because it's placed in a corner, but it can only be corrected by as much as -12dB.
I would try turning down the sub until the correction it applies is far less. Ideally it'd be close to 0, since you can adjust that manually yourself, unlike the speakers.
With Denon -12 db is the maximum correction. Ideally you'd want it right before then.
Generally I set my sub to output the 78-80 db range on screen with Audyssey with the subwoofer level matching option. Having it around there has always kept the the trim at the -9 to -11 db range which is good to be. Then you can increase the sub trim after calibration.
I just followed the AVS Audyssey guide and keep the trim at -5 db, but then I increase things further to what I want using the sub dial on the back.
Generally I set my sub to output the 78-80 db range on screen with Audyssey with the subwoofer level matching option. Having it around there has always kept the the trim at the -9 to -11 db range which is good to be. Then you can increase the sub trim after calibration.
I just followed the AVS Audyssey guide and keep the trim at -5 db, but then I increase things further to what I want using the sub dial on the back.
Finally found this thread! Have a question regarding speakers. My parents want new speakers for Xmas for their main TV in the living room to replace their 40 year old (!) Infinity RSe's. They finally stopped working after putting up a good fight. I'm looking for something roughly the same size as their entertainment unit was built to house those speakers specifically. I'm having a hard time finding something that fits. They're 20" tall, so I can't go any bigger than that, but I can go smaller, though not too small because I want them to fill up the space as much as possible. Can anyone recommend me a nice replacement set for around 200-300 bucks?
I don't know if you can get these where you are but I've had these for over a year and love them. Depends on what you want tho.. If you want more bass look elsewhere as these are more balanced..
These are UK measurements so they may differ in US
292 mm (H): 170 mm (W): 238 mm (D)
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Dimensions: 20"H x 13"W" x 9-1/2"D
Thanks I'll take a look
I don't get this nonsense at all. I want to watch Solo on Disney + on the Samsung TV app. My Denon is connected via HDMI to the HDMI arc on the one connect box of the TV. With Disney + I only seem to get "surround" when it's at automatic and not Dolby Digital. However, when I press the status button on the AVR itself it shows Dolby Digital but this isn't right. It should say Dolby Digital everywhere.
When i watch Netflix it jumps to DD immediately. Yesterday when I watched Disney + via my Xbox Dolby Digital worked fine. That was via the optical cable. What is this nonsense?
A few photos to show it...
This is what I see on my Denon when I start the movie Solo (anything on Disney)
When I then press status on the Denon I get
However, when I start up Netflix and watch a movie I immediately see this on the display
So it seems I don't get the real DD on the Disney Samsung app, do I?
When i watch Netflix it jumps to DD immediately. Yesterday when I watched Disney + via my Xbox Dolby Digital worked fine. That was via the optical cable. What is this nonsense?
A few photos to show it...
This is what I see on my Denon when I start the movie Solo (anything on Disney)
When I then press status on the Denon I get
However, when I start up Netflix and watch a movie I immediately see this on the display
So it seems I don't get the real DD on the Disney Samsung app, do I?
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My girlfriend spoiled the fuck out of me and got me two SVS Prime Tower speakers for Christmas yesterday. I just ordered a Denon AVR-X3500H Receiver to go with them as well as some cheap RCA cables. I'm assuming the cables don't matter too much as long as they're not trash right? I'll enjoy this set up for a while and then add a subwoofer and surround channels later this year.
Great price for anyone looking for a new receiver https://slickdeals.net/f/13734551-d...free-shipping-for-prime-members?src=frontpage
What are the RCAs for?
Also, yes, sounds like a keeper (the gf) 🙂
Quick question. I have two Klipsch speakers with Atmos speakers built in to fire upwards, and I'm not sure if I should use them for fronts or tears. Any suggestions?
Not to the speakers 🙂
Can you explain a bit about what sources you're using
Just going straight from the AVR receiver to the speaker towers. I got these cables:
Just going straight from the AVR receiver to the speaker towers. I got these cables:
You need speaker cables, not RCA cables. RCA cables are okay for powered speakers, but in this case the speakers are passive and your receiver is providing the power. Get a set of speaker cables with the appropriate connections for the receiver and for the speakers themselves.
Just going straight from the AVR receiver to the speaker towers. I got these cables:
Ya it might help if you post a list of the gear (make/model) you're hooking up and the speakers you're using to make sure everything is set up for the best sound. Im assuming the speakers aren't powered, and to the extent they aren't, as said above, those RCA cables aren't gonna work for you.
As others have said, you need speaker wire, not RCA cables.Just going straight from the AVR receiver to the speaker towers. I got these cables:
From a quick search, I believe the speakers are an 8-ohm design so this will determine the wire gauge you need:
Speaker wire is cheap. $9 will get you 50ft of 16 AWG wire: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LW0WDQ/
I recommend going one step thicker gauge than you need if you're buying cheap wire though; e.g. buying 16 AWG if the distance requires 18 AWG.
Paying more for speaker wire won't affect sound quality, but you might want to pay a bit extra for another color so that it blends in better.
You can add Banana Plugs for not much more money if you want neater connections instead of using the binding posts on the speakers/amplifier.
This has been a difficult question to get recommendations on. Since this seems a more active thread, I'll try asking here.
I got a Christmas Bonus this year, and was looking for some headphone/earbud recommendations for a specific need.
I own a pair of last gen model Airpods that I use for my iPhone and Apple TV. I was thinking of getting the Airpod Pro as a second pair to use exclusively with the Apple TV, since I've read that it has improved sound.
But I wanted to get some opinions first on whether there were headphones/earbuds that produced better sound quality at around the same price or less. Since they're exclusively for movie watching, I want whatever delivers nice, booming sound. This includes virtual surround sound if it's an option.
I have a PS4 Platinum headset, but I suppose there's no way to get that working on the Apple TV.
If the Airpods Pro suffice for the price point, then I'll still lean towards those. Not looking to spend $500 or anything crazy.
I got a Christmas Bonus this year, and was looking for some headphone/earbud recommendations for a specific need.
I own a pair of last gen model Airpods that I use for my iPhone and Apple TV. I was thinking of getting the Airpod Pro as a second pair to use exclusively with the Apple TV, since I've read that it has improved sound.
But I wanted to get some opinions first on whether there were headphones/earbuds that produced better sound quality at around the same price or less. Since they're exclusively for movie watching, I want whatever delivers nice, booming sound. This includes virtual surround sound if it's an option.
I have a PS4 Platinum headset, but I suppose there's no way to get that working on the Apple TV.
If the Airpods Pro suffice for the price point, then I'll still lean towards those. Not looking to spend $500 or anything crazy.
Hi, I want to buy some Bluetooth speakers to play rain/thunderstorm. My purpose is to mask neighbors conversations a few meters away from my window.
I was thinking on getting one of these:
Anker Soundcore motion+
Anker Soundcore Flare+
I would put them next to a 5.5 meters window which would be covered with blackout curtains.
I was thinking on getting one of these:
Anker Soundcore motion+
Anker Soundcore Flare+
I would put them next to a 5.5 meters window which would be covered with blackout curtains.
I keep my schiit gungnir on permanently. The manufacturer actually recommends this as the internals take a while to reach their thermal sweet spot and the power draw isn't significant. YMMV on the complexity of the hardware though. And possible mumbo jumbo aside I do notice a difference when the dac is turned on and played "cold".
I'm doing an audio setup that is going to be 5.1. I wanted to back the back speakers wireless. I am going with the Sony Core Series Bookshelves speakers. I'm looking for a product that would make them wireless if possible. I'm looking but I'm coming up with no dice.
Thanks for this! I haven't had electronics before where you have to cut your own wire. SVS Prime Tower with Denon X3500H is now set up. :) Next step to figure out how to set everything up with Alexa.As others have said, you need speaker wire, not RCA cables.
From a quick search, I believe the speakers are an 8-ohm design so this will determine the wire gauge you need:
Speaker wire is cheap. $9 will get you 50ft of 16 AWG wire: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LW0WDQ/
I recommend going one step thicker gauge than you need if you're buying cheap wire though; e.g. buying 16 AWG if the distance requires 18 AWG.
Paying more for speaker wire won't affect sound quality, but you might want to pay a bit extra for another color so that it blends in better.
You can add Banana Plugs for not much more money if you want neater connections instead of using the binding posts on the speakers/amplifier.
It's because I only end up using my headphones like once every few weeks. I'm just not playing or listening to a lot at my pc these days. When I originally bought my Bifrost it was when I used my headphones ALL THE TIME. Now I have all my gaming stuff in my basement so I can use my speakers without worrying about waking anyone up.
Anyone have any recommendations for decent 2.1 speakers in the 100-150 quid range?
Edit: After looking around I'm think I might be better off paying a bit more for a solid set of stereo speakers and a standalone subwoofer. I'm leaning towards the Edifier R1850DB's for the speakers but I'm unsure whats a good subwoofer to pair with them. The Yamaha NSSW050 seems popular?
Edit: After looking around I'm think I might be better off paying a bit more for a solid set of stereo speakers and a standalone subwoofer. I'm leaning towards the Edifier R1850DB's for the speakers but I'm unsure whats a good subwoofer to pair with them. The Yamaha NSSW050 seems popular?
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Hey everyone, I'm moving to new apartment soon and I'm trying to figure out the audio setup I'll use there.
Essentially what I'm aiming for is just:
For the connection, I want my TV to be connected to the DAC via optical. If I use the active speakers the final connection can be either through unbalanced RCA or balanced XLR. If I use passive speakers it'll just be two cables with bare endings.
In terms of constraints, I will have to run speaker cables around doors frames which will require cables that are around ~7m/25ft long:
So essentially, I am having a hard time finding an affordable option to control the volume remotely. I found some DACs that could work:
In addition, while the Focal Alphas are obviously much, much better than the Samsung speakers (considering they cost 500NZD a piece they better be haha), I have a couple of things I don't like about them:
So right now, I am thinking of just using the Samsung speakers - they have absolutely no background noise, sound decent enough and seem to play well with different DAC/amplifiers. I might even sell the Focal Alphas.
But I will need either:
Any other thoughts on my setup are welcome.
TLDR
Does anyone know any good remote RCA volume controller? Or potentially a good remote controlled power amplifier for my Samsung speakers.
Essentially what I'm aiming for is just:
- A simple 2.0 system
- Remote volume control - I really want to be able to control the volume without having to walk 3 meters
- 2*Focal Alpha 50 powered studio monitors
- 2*Samsung PS 555E passive hifi monitors (40W, 6 ohm each)
- SMSL SD-793II DAC/heaphone amplifier
- SMSL SA-36A PRO power amplifier (for the passive speakers)
For the connection, I want my TV to be connected to the DAC via optical. If I use the active speakers the final connection can be either through unbalanced RCA or balanced XLR. If I use passive speakers it'll just be two cables with bare endings.
In terms of constraints, I will have to run speaker cables around doors frames which will require cables that are around ~7m/25ft long:
So essentially, I am having a hard time finding an affordable option to control the volume remotely. I found some DACs that could work:
- Topping D50s: Optical, Bluetooth, USB, coax in. Unbalanced RCA out with remote volume control. 250 USD.
- SMSL SU-8: Optical, USB, coax in. Balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA out with remote volume control. 250 USD (+30/40 for XLR cables if I decide to use the Focal Alpha).
In addition, while the Focal Alphas are obviously much, much better than the Samsung speakers (considering they cost 500NZD a piece they better be haha), I have a couple of things I don't like about them:
- They don't seem to work with the SMSL DAC - the sound crackle all the time. This means if I want to use them I have to buy a new DAC.
- They have a noticeable amount of constant background noise
- They put themselves to sleep automatically if the volume is too low and take a while to wake back up - but the issue is that this sometimes happens at a volume I'm actually listening to things at
So right now, I am thinking of just using the Samsung speakers - they have absolutely no background noise, sound decent enough and seem to play well with different DAC/amplifiers. I might even sell the Focal Alphas.
But I will need either:
- A remote volume controller to put inbetween the SMSL DAC and power amplifier
- Or a new power amplifier that is remotely controllable.
Any other thoughts on my setup are welcome.
TLDR
Does anyone know any good remote RCA volume controller? Or potentially a good remote controlled power amplifier for my Samsung speakers.
Question: I own this Home Theater that I use for all of the devices hooked to my TV. I was wondering if there was any way to get a a wireless headset working with it.
There seems to be a Bluetooth option, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to make it work. Similarly it has a USB slot, but I think that's only for watching media and not hooking up a USB dongle (which I have for another headset).
It would be quite handy if I could use this receiver wirelessly for devices that can't already have a wireless headset connected to them (mainly my Mini consoles).
There seems to be a Bluetooth option, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to make it work. Similarly it has a USB slot, but I think that's only for watching media and not hooking up a USB dongle (which I have for another headset).
It would be quite handy if I could use this receiver wirelessly for devices that can't already have a wireless headset connected to them (mainly my Mini consoles).
Apologies if you've tried this, but in the manual on page 48, it says the steps to connect a Bluetooth headset. Getting your headset into the pairing mode is another matter! :)
OK, I've just impulse bought some 5.1 speakers because they were £200 off and everyone that talked about them rated them over bigger speakers even (Mission M-Cube+SE if anyone's interested), so now I need an AVR, so I have a couple of questions.
I have a C9 and I've nailed it down to the Denon 2600H and the Sony DN1080. From Googling, I think the Denon is the better option here without losing anything that's important (Atmos, eARC and Google Assistant), but anyone want to make a case for the Sony? I'm all ears.
My other question is about eARC and PC's. If I use eARC, I just plug my HDMI 2.1 devices when they come straight to the PC and everything else should be fine through the receiver, correct? So the 3 HDMI ports will be PC, PS5 and then one free for whatever.
For PC, what are the exact limitations? I've seen lot's of talk about having to split screens and use 2 HDMI's, one to TV and one to receiver. Under what circumstances is this needed?
I have a C9 and I've nailed it down to the Denon 2600H and the Sony DN1080. From Googling, I think the Denon is the better option here without losing anything that's important (Atmos, eARC and Google Assistant), but anyone want to make a case for the Sony? I'm all ears.
My other question is about eARC and PC's. If I use eARC, I just plug my HDMI 2.1 devices when they come straight to the PC and everything else should be fine through the receiver, correct? So the 3 HDMI ports will be PC, PS5 and then one free for whatever.
For PC, what are the exact limitations? I've seen lot's of talk about having to split screens and use 2 HDMI's, one to TV and one to receiver. Under what circumstances is this needed?
Ha ha, I really should be checking the actual manual for these things more. Thanks for the obvious solution.
Good news is that it totally works. I tested both my Arctis 9X and Airpods, and they totally connect and sound great!
Bad news is that there's a one second lag in the audio. I tried both the Arctis and Airpods and with two different connected devices. I also unmuted the Home Theater so I could verify for sure: there's at least half a second to one second lag where the audio comes through the headset right after the actual receiver.
I don't suppose there's a possible fix for this, or just the result of having a HT that's outdated.
There's a "Lip-sync" function that may help with this, but a) it may not apply to the Bluetooth connection, and b) it would likely have to be changed back every time you used regular speakers.
Yeah, tried that but it didn't make a difference.
Guess I'm out of luck. I don't know why a HTR wouldn't have the same standards for wireless Bluetooth audio as nearly everything else out there.
Just gonna give this a bump since I'm likely to buy something tomorrow if I can
I'm not familiar with your british deals, but I would price compare the Denon X3500 to the X2600. If they're reasonably close, the X3500 is a much better buy.
Ta, it seems oddly sold out everywhere and people that are selling it are double the price for the 2600 model!
Check your UK Ebay, lesser known authorized Denon dealers often sell new ones on there for very good prices. I've bought all my Denons through authorized dealer's ebay storefronts. Non chain independent dealers will also usually offer lower pricing if you simply call and ask what's the best they can do. The reason I recommend the X3500 is because its room calibration (XT32) is a very significant improvement over the 2600's standard XT. With your mini cube speakers being carried by the subwoofer, XT32's vastly superior bass management/filter count would likely make a profound difference to your overall sound. I should point out though that the X2600 does add Atmos Virtualization, which is a processing feature that attempts to fake Atmos height channels with your standard speakers. I have no experience if (or how well) it actually works in practice however.
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