Question Hi-fi system for PC

[F.Demagistri]

Hello,
I start with the premise that i’m new to the world of audio implants and i don’t know anything about them so any advice or explanation of components would be appreciated.

Anyway i wanted to make an hi-fi system that i can connect to my pc and will be used to listen to music, movies and games, if it’s possible i want a system that can be controlled also by smartphone.
I’m also learning to play electric guitar and i would like an implant that can amplify it.

Currently the only thing i have is an audio card in my pc (sound blasterx ae-5), the room where the implant will be situated is (30 m^2) and i have space to place speakers on my desk at a distance between each other of 1.5 m, or if there is the possibility on the wall behind the desk, and a subwoofer under the desk.

I don’t know the cost of all of this but my budget is set around 2000$, thanks for your replies and sorry if i omitted any information.

 

[hang-the-9]

You may be translating something poorly, you probably mean device not implant.

For electric guitar, I suggest getting a floor all in one unit and use a guitar amp with it on the clean channel, I find that normal speakers don't work as well for guitar, they don't get the same type of break-up you want to hear when using distortion.

There are a LOT of picks in your budget, as in almost everything except the very high end. I suggest you find an audio store near you and talk to the people there, there is too much really to suggest as far as what you want and the room setup.

I will suggest a few things for guitar though, but that is another black hole of eqipment LOL

If you have not picked out a guitar yet, find a used PRS SE model, those are very versatile and have great playability. I have a few guitars and the PRS SE I have is a good mix of them, it can do Ibanez rock shred as well as deep smooth Les Paul blues with a very good impression of styles. It's probably $250-300 used for most models but well worth it over a new guitar in that price range. I got a 24 fret SE 25th anniversary one off craigslist for a bit under $300. It does like 80% of what their $2,000 models can do.

For a very good all-in one unit, get a Marshall Code 50, it has a lot of good sounding effects as well as ability to swap sounds, 12" speaker and 50 watts, you will have a lot of fun with it, for a decent cost.

After that, DigiTech Trio+ is a lot of fun to play with, basically it generates a band behind you as well as allowing you to record and loop things. Also a multi-effects pedal, DigiTech RP360 XP is pretty good, I have an older version of that model myself. That will allow you to record directly to a track on a computer with the guitar effects and you can link the Trio+ with it. You can also use the headphone out jack on the Code 50 amp if you want and record via the aux in on the computer. I've done that before but the sound is a bit off using that. The muti-effect stop box is basically what the Code 50 amp would do, with a bit more sound options and a pedal for wah other effects.

 

[F.Demagistri]

Thanks for the tips, I’ll definitely look into buy an aio unit, the Marshall Code 50 might do for me.
For the hi-fi devices i asked here because the nearest sound store is a 2 hours drive and i really don’t have the time right now, i thought someone could have give me some insights on what to buy, i guess i’ll wait the next year then

 

[hang-the-9]

Thanks for the tips, I’ll definitely look into buy an aio unit, the Marshall Code 50 might do for me.
For the hi-fi devices i asked here because the nearest sound store is a 2 hours drive and i really don’t have the time right now, i thought someone could have give me some insights on what to buy, i guess i’ll wait the next year then

Issue with audio equipment is that what people like varies a lot, and it also varies by room size, what type of setup do you want, etc... Would you rather have a amp/pre-amp/components/speakers or just powered speakers? How large, how loud, what type of sound signature do you like, more bass, flat, v shaped, etc...

It's funny to say, but your issue is also the higher budget, if you said what speakers to get for $100 that is easier than $2,000 actually LOL For $2,000 you may like $500 setup better than some $1,000 setup, and what is good in the range of 100-2,000 is a lot more than what is good at 100 or under. Really tough without listening. Even things like looks can play a part, do you like black smooth shiny finish like a piano or wood finish? Or any mix of 50 other finishes.

If you are putting the setup at your desk, that is called "near field" listening and for that things like studio monitors or higher end PC speakers are good. But on the other hand you are talking about using this setup for music and guitar which sounds like you want something for room listening not just when you are sitting at the PC. For that you would want a bit bigger speakers or something that extends the sound out more.

You may be better off with two setups, one for the room, one when you are on the computer. Or use headphones for PC and speakers for the room.

You can see the issue you have here right? LOL it's all good issues, but not something you can decide easily. If I had $2,000 to spend on audio, I would probably divide it to $1,000 on a room setup with an amp/cd/dvd player/record player/speakers, $200-300 on headphones, $100 on PC specific 2.1 speakers for gaming or watching stuff when I don't feel like using headphones.

 

[F.Demagistri]

Issue with audio equipment is that what people like varies a lot, and it also varies by room size, what type of setup do you want, etc... Would you rather have a amp/pre-amp/components/speakers or just powered speakers? How large, how loud, what type of sound signature do you like, more bass, flat, v shaped, etc...

It's funny to say, but your issue is also the higher budget, if you said what speakers to get for $100 that is easier than $2,000 actually LOL For $2,000 you may like $500 setup better than some $1,000 setup, and what is good in the range of 100-2,000 is a lot more than what is good at 100 or under. Really tough without listening. Even things like looks can play a part, do you like black smooth shiny finish like a piano or wood finish? Or any mix of 50 other finishes.

If you are putting the setup at your desk, that is called "near field" listening and for that things like studio monitors or higher end PC speakers are good. But on the other hand you are talking about using this setup for music and guitar which sounds like you want something for room listening not just when you are sitting at the PC. For that you would want a bit bigger speakers or something that extends the sound out more.

You may be better off with two setups, one for the room, one when you are on the computer. Or use headphones for PC and speakers for the room.

You can see the issue you have here right? LOL it's all good issues, but not something you can decide easily. If I had $2,000 to spend on audio, I would probably divide it to $1,000 on a room setup with an amp/cd/dvd player/record player/speakers, $200-300 on headphones, $100 on PC specific 2.1 speakers for gaming or watching stuff when I don't feel like using headphones.

Yeah i can see the problem, there are too many variables for others to give me an advice but i don’t know how components work so i don’t even know where to start. I guess i should do some studying and understand what an amplifier or a sintoamplifier is, can you recommend me a guide where i can learn everything i need to know about sound devices?

 

[hang-the-9]

Yeah i can see the problem, there are too many variables for others to give me an advice but i don’t know how components work so i don’t even know where to start. I guess i should do some studying and understand what an amplifier or a sintoamplifier is, can you recommend me a guide where i can learn everything i need to know about sound devices?

There are a lot of resources for learning about home audio

https://www.whathifi.com/us/advice/how-to-choose-right-speakers-part-one-research
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-fTtOy5xwAB5/learn/speakers/planning-stereo.html
View: https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/18nidn/beginners_guide_to_home_audio/


A bit about headphones https://www.cnet.com/news/headphone...d-to-know-about-low-vs-high-impedance-models/

You can also do a few searches on YouTube for reviews and audiophile setups.

If you want a simple but good sounding setup, then powered speakers would be best since they include the amp inside along with all the connections you may need. However good speakers for room listening are not really the same as you would use with a computer when sitting.

For your higher budget I would get the Swan M300 speakers, good audio, good bass response, enough power to play clear and loud, bluetooth so you can stream directly from a phone, etc... If you don't need to play loud or care too much about low end, the cheaper M200MKII Wifi Swans are also very good.

For computer, either headphones (my two favorite now are the HyperX Alphas or the Cooler Master MH751, I have both and both are under $100, Alphas have a bit deeper bass, MH751 are a bit clearer) or a 2.1 system like the Logitech THX setup. These Sennheisers for under $150 are also an amazing bargain https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-hd-58x-jubilee-headphones

Another option is a good 2.1 setup for both near and a bit longer range listening, these Swans are good https://www.amazon.com/Swan-Speaker...+2.1&qid=1575404889&s=electronics&sr=1-1&th=1 or https://www.amazon.com/Swan-Speaker...+2.1&qid=1575404889&s=electronics&sr=1-1&th=1 but keep in mind the speaker placement won't be ideal for room listening with those unless you move the speakers around on the desk. Basically for room you want them further apart than when close to them on a desk.

 

[Vogelspinnen]

Also what is your room like currently? If you need to, place aside some budget for sound treatment for your room. Firstly, if you have neighbours or family you do not wish to wake, you will need sound proofing. That can be as simple as just sealing door gaps to installing a few rockwool panels to a full-blown layering of your existing walls. Sound-proofing is not easy and will cost a lot, so take that into consideration.

Sound treatment is considerably cheaper, but will still cost you a bit. You may not notice a problem with crappy speakers, but with good speakers, you may start to notice echoes, reverbs, ringing or other kinds of unwanted noise in your music. You can tame some of them with furniture, but you may need to go further with acoustic foam, bass traps or rockwool panels.

My advice is to still buy your favourite speakers first, they will last a long time and you can slowly build your room around them. But just be ready to have some budget for room treatment. No point in getting good speakers if they are just gonna sound worse! For speakers i recommend the Dynaudio Xeo 2s (or Xeo 10s but they are almost the same speakers for twice the price). They are very good sounding speakers that have a shallow cabinet and downward-firing ports, which means they are much easier to place on a desk than regular bookshelfs. Most speakers will have issues if you place them too near to walls. They are also very good in nearfield performance, and surprisingly powerful and go low into the 40hz range which is also ridiculous for speakers this size.