Vintage HiFi Audio Forum

Audio Discussion => List your system => Topic started by: GraphicFX on December 17, 2013, 09:05:03 PM

Title: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: GraphicFX on December 17, 2013, 09:05:03 PM
I must concede, I think I have the shittiest sounding system on this forum. Fortunately, I have worlds of fun with it and I didn't pay (by forum standards), a lot for it, HOWEVER, I still have a ton of fun with it, and I can punish it without much concern

This could be fun...

Comments and Bose bashing, welcome. Please tell me just how shitty my speakers are. Reinforce what I already know. Maybe you can convince me to upgrade my crappy but bulletproof 901's.

Goodnight, and have a pleasant tomorrow.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: Kingman on December 17, 2013, 10:01:58 PM
U be ROCKIN!!! ;)
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: Reverend on December 17, 2013, 10:11:36 PM
If it sounds good to you, that's all that matters.  Not very confrontational I know.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: SunnyDaze on December 17, 2013, 10:16:42 PM
A fun system is a good system.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: schwarcw on December 17, 2013, 11:16:41 PM
You are rockin in the free world!  It sounds to to you nothing else matters.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: GraphicFX on December 17, 2013, 11:33:36 PM
Gee thanx, girls, that was no fun

OK so if you had a gozillian watts to each main, what would you recommend? I'm being serious here. Limited budget, but open to suggestions
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: SunnyDaze on December 17, 2013, 11:45:41 PM
OK so if you had a gozillian watts to each main, what would you recommend?

(http://www.horriblenight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/back-to-the-future-giant-speakers-470x264.jpg)
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: schwarcw on December 17, 2013, 11:56:33 PM
OK so if you had a gozillian watts to each main, what would you recommend? I'm being serious here. Limited budget, but open to suggestions

Sometimes, less is better.  Near field listening may be preferable in some environments.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: Sir Thrift-a-Lot on December 18, 2013, 12:14:04 AM
I didn't pay (by forum standards), a lot for it

This is a better topic than "shittiest system".   Cheapest system.

My stereo...

Marantz 2230 - free (found on side of road on trash day)
Sony CDP-311 - free (was in a display at a retailer I worked at, was told to throw it away when the display came down [yeah, right!]).
JVC QL-A7 - $125 (really splurged on the table I wanted)
Technics SB-L200 - $15 (thrift score)

Pretty good sound for almost nothing.

We won't even get into the tube system.   It would probably make you cry.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: Slim-Shaddy on December 18, 2013, 01:11:57 AM
Everything I own is free (now). My shittiest (or least favourite) set-up is my polk LSI-25s powered by a Bryston 3B.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: bearjew on December 18, 2013, 12:40:01 PM
blose sucks.  someone had to say it haha.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: OCCD on December 18, 2013, 01:14:23 PM
Bose 901's do float. That gotta be good... right?
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: bearjew on December 18, 2013, 01:55:02 PM
i guess they'd make a better raft than natalie wood
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: RnR on December 18, 2013, 02:53:23 PM

I'v realized this about specialty forums, NO offense to anyone here.  But whatever your into.. Knives, computers, guitars, home audio, ski's, fashion, whatever... there is always going to be an expert (or snob..forum lingo), typically with a lotta change/connections,  that is waiting to take your bait and tell you, "dude, you need THIS!" and "That sucks".  Its easy to say something sucks when you have access to high end, rare,  typically very expensive equip.  If you are an audiophile/engineer with freakishly perfect hearing/processing, ya I think your system "sucks".  If your an average listener looking to enjoy some music I'd say your system is just fine.  If you have no audio experience then id say your system is stellar. I guess what I'm getting at is that everything is relative, a big trend in the audio world.  Plus, think about how many people today are listening to their music through a 1/4 inch cell phone speaker from the latest marketing gag and saying "listen how good this sounds".  Your already ahead of a good 90% of music listeners from that perspective.

Do you feel like your missing something in your listening sessions?  Hook up with someone who has a "great" system and take some of your favorite music and demo it.  Compare that to your system/set up and decide weather it warrants and upgrade, and if so, how much of one.

Plus room arrangement, clean connections, and other stupidly cheap or free stuff can also make a difference so try that stuff out too. 
 
Thats just what I picked up
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: Slim-Shaddy on December 18, 2013, 03:59:39 PM
Honest suggestion here...

Give vintage Mcintosh speakers a try. They can be had pretty cheaply, and in my opinion, sound great. If you ever want to hear mine, Let me know. I'm in Penn Hills. I've got the XR-16s. I paid $100 (some haggling) and only had to repair the foam surrounds on the woofers and midranges.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: Sir Thrift-a-Lot on December 18, 2013, 06:07:15 PM
I was surprised at how good pbj's sounded.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: Kingman on December 18, 2013, 06:12:03 PM
i guess they'd make a better raft than natalie wood
What wood doesn't float???   :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: MacGeek on December 18, 2013, 06:51:26 PM
I have a rack or two of Mac if you want to take a listen.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: Padre E.T. AMDG on December 18, 2013, 11:32:52 PM
  I heard the Bose 901's at the local Hi-Fi store when I was in college.  They were outstanding and raised the bar for me of what a good sound speaker system could be.  As a college student with just enough extra money to have food and play some video games for entertainment, I foolishly spent what little money I had to spare on a pair of Bose Roommates which were very distant cousins to the Bose 301's and an early Sony portable CD player.  Best small portable speakers and a handful of CD's in a portable player that I could not quite afford made listening to music wonderful.  Almost twenty years later my Bose Roommates bit the dust.  So from where I was listening in college, you have the untouchable mac daddy Bose 901 speakers system.  "Music is in the ear of the hearer."
  In a way, we may be in the same "boat," as I am upgrading my system from a Geneva Sound System which may be the modern day equivalent of your Bose 901's, but my system is almost unheard of and unseen.   Now, I am looking into a vintage analog tube amp and pre-amp, and electrostatic speakers with help from the gang here on the forum, but of course still on a small budget.  The adventure begins.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: SunnyDaze on December 18, 2013, 11:48:34 PM
Electrostatic speakers are usually inefficient.

Vintage tube amplifiers typically do not produce much power. Suppose you have an amplifier that is capable of 25 watts maximum output. Now suppose you purchase a set of Martin Logan reQuest electrostats, which are 90dB efficient for 1 watt input at a distance of 1 meter. At 2 watts, you'd be get 93dB output. at 4 watts, you'd get 96 dB, and so on. Each time you double the power, you increase the output by 3 dB. When you have peaks in your program and your amplifier is producing 25 watts, you'd have a max SPL of about 103 dB.

I'm not trying to spoil your goal, but, if your aim is to run electrostats you may be better off with a modern tube amplifier as they tend to produce more power.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: Padre E.T. AMDG on December 18, 2013, 11:57:27 PM
Being new, I left out the new system details about Sunfire loudspeakers and part about electrostatic "head speakers" (Stax).  Thanks for the heads up.
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: rgpit on December 19, 2013, 09:11:38 AM
i guess they'd make a better raft than natalie wood
What wood doesn't float???   :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


Kenwood and Sherwood
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: gdv on December 19, 2013, 10:24:00 AM
What about Sherwood Forest?  & Robinwood, I mean Robinhood!   ???
Title: Re: Shittiest sounding system
Post by: SunnyDaze on December 19, 2013, 12:46:33 PM
Ronnie Wood definitely floats.