Question Speaker Upgrade for a JVC UX-D457S. Can I improve the sound with better speakers?

[KlugeMeHappy]

I have a JVC UX-D457S on its way to me.

I'm hoping to upgrade the speakers to get better overall sound but I've no idea what to buy.

Hoping I can get some suggestions.

At what point does the amp become the bottleneck?

Or are the speakers that come with it already optimal for that stereo?

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/audio...itional-hi-fi-system-silver-10156008-pdt.html

This is about the extent of the technical information that I can find (JVC don't have a page for this on their website that I can find)...

PERFORMANCE

Number of speakers	2 (2 x tweeters & 2 x full range speakers per speaker)
Speaker power	200 W RMS (100 W + 100 W)
Peak power rating	800 W
Speaker sound level	83 dB
Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)	65 dB
Frequency	30 - 20,000 Hz
Impedance	2 Ohms

Will a speaker upgrade make a difference and if so, which should I look at purchasing?

 

[kanewolf]

Speakers are a very personal thing. The room, your ears, your choice of music all contribute to the "goodness" of the sound.
This is how I audition speakers. Get a selection of your favorite music. Vocals and acoustic instruments are best because they are easiest to identify. You then have to switch between different speakers. Maybe listen to the same sources through high quality headphones for comparison.
There is no absolute answer.

 

[KlugeMeHappy]

Speakers are a very personal thing. The room, your ears, your choice of music all contribute to the "goodness" of the sound.
This is how I audition speakers. Get a selection of your favorite music. Vocals and acoustic instruments are best because they are easiest to identify. You then have to switch between different speakers. Maybe listen to the same sources through high quality headphones for comparison.
There is no absolute answer.

Thanks for responding.

So it's more just subjective than anything else?

Just wondering if there's an objective way of measuring quality or if it's really just a case of finding the ones you personally like best?

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks for responding.

So it's more just subjective than anything else?

Just wondering if there's an objective way of measuring quality or if it's really just a case of finding the ones you personally like best?

There are objective measurements that could be made. Flatness of frequency response, distortion, frequency range, etc. But none of those will tell YOU what sounds best.

I had to listen to many speakers before I chose the ones I did. Speakers have to be auditioned, IMO.

 

[KlugeMeHappy]

There are objective measurements that could be made. Flatness of frequency response, distortion, frequency range, etc. But none of those will tell YOU what sounds best.

I had to listen to many speakers before I chose the ones I did. Speakers have to be auditioned, IMO.

Okay thanks. I'm really new to this stuff and looking at it it seems really complicated just matching the speakers to the amp and I've no idea how I'd do that, so I'm probably just going to stick with the speakers that come with it.

 

[kanewolf]

Okay thanks. I'm really new to this stuff and looking at it it seems really complicated just matching the speakers to the amp and I've no idea how I'd do that, so I'm probably just going to stick with the speakers that come with it.

"Matching" is really just looking at the specs to ensure you don't damage anything. If an amp can handle 4 ohm speakers, then 8 ohm will be fine, but may not be as loud. A 100W amp, at "normal" listening volume will only output 1W. So you could probably get by with 50W rated speakers, but you have to be aware of limiting the volume. If you HAVE to have 100+ dB volume levels, then you have to think about higher rated speakers. Again, personal preferences are important.

 

[KlugeMeHappy]

"Matching" is really just looking at the specs to ensure you don't damage anything. If an amp can handle 4 ohm speakers, then 8 ohm will be fine, but may not be as loud. A 100W amp, at "normal" listening volume will only output 1W. So you could probably get by with 50W rated speakers, but you have to be aware of limiting the volume. If you HAVE to have 100+ dB volume levels, then you have to think about higher rated speakers. Again, personal preferences are important.

Brilliant, thanks, it was mainly the fear of damaging something that was stopping me from going further with a potential upgrade.

So, apart from the resistance, the speakers don't necessarily need to match the output of an amplifier? I was wondering if the speakers that come with this one might be optimised for the system, or if -- objectively speaking -- there'd be a definite improvement from upgrading them.

I guess there's no way of telling -- without somehow contacting them -- if the manufacturers put the work in to optimise the speakers to the system, or if there'd be a definite improvement from upgrading them. I was thinking that if I could find something with more or less matching specs, but with a higher build quality, that they might sound better, but I barely know anything about this stuff so I'm really just guessing.

 

[jsmithepa]

Just wondering if there's an objective way of measuring quality

If there was such a thing, we wouldn't have anything to talk about, magazines shut down, no perpetual discussion of taste great/less filling!

Vendor sell u matching speakers? huh... I wager NO. Call me cynic but I think vendor sells you more whizzy-bang electronics than woo u with superb speakers, not that sexy for your budget's category.

For sure, bookshelf speakers is what u got. Speakers SIZE MATTERS. Small drivers simply can't do what large drivers can. There is a general rule of thumbs out there that says your speakers alone should be 70% of your total budget. Think about that.

So the thing that purists chase is, when you close your eyes, can u tell whether you have a stereo or live musicians in front of you. In between yes and no, there are a vast gray area, throw in practical life scenarios, budget, desires and we can talk about this thing forever like our parents.

Keep reading... listen to what u already have, and when you find yourself asking, this sound tinny, I want more full, or this sound muddy, I can't hear the individual instruments, or I don't feel energized by this performance, then maybe ur ready for more upgrades.