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m021478

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  1. Aside from the question about 24bit/96kHz VS. 24bit/192kHz, would you recommend changing the Audio Midi Setup for my KEF speakers to default to 96k?
  2. You mention that I "can" adjust the default to 96k, but what I'd like to know is should I. If I leave it at 44k, I assume I'd be bottlenecking the performance of my KEF speakers by restricting their maximum potential ... correct? Is there be any degradation of quality for music that gets up-sampled to 96k?
  3. As seen on the homepage of ComputerAudiophile.com today, Van Halen's first six studio albums were made available today on HDtracks.com in high resolution at both 24bit/96kHz and 24bit/192kHz. First question... seeing as how the KEF X300A speakers I'm using have a 24bit/96kHz DAC built-in to them, I assume it would be pointless to buy the 24bit/192kHz version of the Van Halen albums because these speakers wouldn't be capable of playing them back in all their glory... correct? Would there be any improvement in sound quality when playing back 24bit/192kHz music versus 24bit/96kHz when using these speakers, or none at all? Second question... in an attempt to confirm whether or not the KEF speakers were capable of 24bit/192kHz I opened the Audio Midi Setup program on my Mac and noticed the following default settings for my KEF speakers: You'll notice that the Format was set to 44100.0 Hz by default, but I do have the option of changing the Format setting to 96000.0 Hz... Should I? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... Thanks!
  4. UPDATE: Based on all of your feedback, and given the acoustic limitations of my office, I realized that any attempt achieve an all-encompassing, office-wide stereo system with speakers mounted in the upper corners of the room was something that simply just wasn't going to happen. A few of you suggested going with a near-field speaker alternative and focusing mainly on having 'good' sound while seated at my desk. I figured that this was my best shot and so I pulled the trigger on a pair of the KEF X300A Digital HiFi Speakers... Let me put it like this... I knew my computer audio system wasn't ideal before, but it wasn't until listening to my music through these speakers that I realized how bad the problem was! The difference is night and day. It's such a tremendous difference that I honestly feel like a moron for not spotting it sooner and realizing just how bad it was. The poor acoustics in my office are made evident with these speakers. When I toggle back and forth between the KEF X300A speakers and my old corner-mounted Polk OWM5s, the old one's literally sound like the music is being played back in an echo chamber. It sounds distant and all of the subtleties in the music are lost and virtually inaudible. I don't have the audiophile-vocabulary to properly describe what I am hearing now that I wasn't hearing before, but I feel like everything improved... the clarity, the resolution, the soundstage, etc, etc, etc... I bought these KEF's from Amazon.com knowing that they have a 30-day no questions asked return policy and I figured it couldn't hurt to give them a try. At this point, you couldn't pry these things out of my hands if you tried! Problem solved... and then some!
  5. I exclusively play music via my iMac, but in an attempt to narrow down what the problem might be, I connected my Macbook to the DAC/Receiver/Speakers instead to see if that resolved the problem. It didn't. I am pretty sure the issue has something to do with the Stinger SGN20 Ground Loop Isolator I added to my system in an attempt to subdue some really bad white noise/hissing coming from my speakers. I'd rather not have to use the ground loop isolator, but the amount of noise and interference I was getting before adding it into the mix was unacceptable. Based on advice from people on threads such as this one, this one, or this one, a ground loop isolator seemed like a possible solution. Interestingly, the first Amazon customer review for the aforementioned Stinger ground loop isolator says, Well, whatever grounding rules he's talking about, my computer and DAC are on the opposite side of the room from my Receiver and speakers. Might this have something to do with my problem? What causes the white-noise and hissing that lead me to add the ground loop isolator to the mix in the first place? Is there a better was to go about dealing with it then through the use of a ground loop isolator? I wonder if connecting all of my A/V components to a Panamax M4300-PM 9 Outlet Clean Power Level 2 would help? I assume it has something to do with dirty AC currents, but that's just a guess, though I don't know a thing about AC circuitry... my assumption is based on other threads I've come across like this one, this one, and this one. I'm at a total loss here and I could really use some help with this. Any ideas? Thanks!
  6. In an attempt to narrow down the source of the problem, I placed my laptop right on the counter top next to the receiver, then I connected a short stereo audio cable from the Yamaha receiver to my Arcam rDAC (also on the counter top), then a .5m Pangea Audio USB cable from the DAC to my laptop (plugged in, as well as running on battery) and sure enough, the problem persisted and I still got the distortion issue! Any ideas?
  7. I thought I'd resolved this problem, but I was wrong. It came back, and hasn't gone away since! Could it have something to do with the AC circuitry that my receiver/speakers/computer is connected to? If so, anyone have any suggestions on what to do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... Thanks!
  8. This should answer your question about the glass garage door... Just for reference, here is a photo of my office taken from the outside facing in: The primary thing that is still plaguing me with this system is the horrific distortion issue I have to deal with repeatedly on a daily basis (outlined on this other thread). I'd love to get your guys' feedback on this issue, but rather than asking about something unrelated to the original post here, perhaps you guys can click over to that other thread and provide your feedback about the distortion issue over there, and we'll keep this thread about optimizing audio (and equipment) in my office space. Thanks!
  9. I'd certainly be open to repositioning the speakers if you're telling me it would make a tremendous difference. Thing is, I spend 99% of my time in this room behind the desk and I'd like the speakers to be positioned in a way that provides idea sound to the seat behind the desk, while at the same time providing good sound for the room as a whole so that if I am watching something on TV or wandering around my room tidying things up, that I'd still have great sound no matter where I am. Where would you suggest repositioning the speakers? Is it simply a matter of bringing them down more toward ear level, or is it more about the fact that it's bad to place them in the corners of the room? I've ordered a good rug to cover most of the floor in the room, so hopefully that'll help (plus you can't see it in the picture I provided, but there is a coffee table in front of the L-shaped couch in the photo I provided, and there is already a rug under the coffee table. I don't really see myself rigging up Tube Traps all over my office. Listening to music is certainly something I do in this office, but it's not the only thing I do here, nor is it the main thing... My goal here is to find a way to get good sound without making my office resemble the death star. Curtains over the glass garage doors isn't going to happen either... mainly because it's a functional garage door that I put up and down daily, and I really have no intention on installing a 20ft wall-to-wall rod to hand the curtains on. The white thing behind the glass garage door in the picture I provided is an automatic roller shade/curtain, but it's on the outside of the glass garage door, which I realize doesn't help for acoustics. I've got a couple hundred lossless files and I'd certainly be opening to adding more to my collection, but the fact is the way my system is currently sounds, you'd never be able to tell the lossless from the lossy version of the same song... they both sound mediocre at best. Once I improve the acoustics of the room and get myself a better set of speakers such that I'd be capable of discerning lossless from lossy, then I'll certainly lean in the direction of listening to more lossless audio in the future... but first things first. I've been very interested in the KEF X300A speakers you mentioned, and I am seriously considering them as an upgrade option for my less-than-stellar Polk OWM5 speakers. Couple of questions about them though... These speakers have a built in DAC, right? If so, why are you also recommending I get the Tube Preamplifier with DAC - novaPre | Peachtree Audio? Isn't that redundant (2 DACs)? Another question I had about these speakers... they connect via USB, correct? Where does that leave me if the location of the speakers is likely to be further than 16ft away from the computer that they'd connect to via USB? Is there a powered extender that would seamlessly fit into the equation to allow me the extra USB cable length needed to connect the speakers with my computer? How about the ifi iUSBPower device? Anyone know anything about this and if this would work in this scenario?
  10. Thanks guys. I appreciate your willingness to help me out with this... I initially avoided listed any of my existing equipment because I felt it would create too many tangents and detract from my main goal of finding a decent set of equipment for my needs... but I guess it's unavoidable and needs to be discussed as well. Here's a list of my current equipment: A/V Receiver - Yamaha RX-V667 Speakers - Polk Audio OWM5 Sub - Jamo 800 DAC - Arcam rDAC Computer - 27" iMac computer (Dec. '12) Software - iTunes (latest version) My speakers and subwoofer are connected directly to the receiver, which is connected to the rDAC, which is then connected to my iMac. The receiver obviously allows me to toggle input sources so that I can play audio from my TV and Apple TV through my OWM5 speakers. Here's a photo of my office space: I realize that the glass garage door and faux-slate floor makes for a poor listening environment, but there are certain realities that aren't likely to change. I may get a throw rug one day to cover up more of the floor, though that's up in the air at this point. The glass garage door certainly ain't going nowhere. Aside from the not-particularly-ideal listening environment, here are my main issues with my system. My speakers retail for $110 on Amazon, which is almost embarrassing. I know there are always anomalies that prove that price shouldn't matter, but give me a break... you're not going to get ridiculously amazing sound out of $110 speakers no matter how you cut it. The way my system is currently setup, I don't like going through an A/V Receiver (that isn't specifically designed with computer audio in mind) because there are so many settings on the receiver that I feel probably influence the audio playback quality of the music I'm trying to listen to. I have the receiver set to 'Straight' which I think is correct, but there is also a 'Pure Direct' setting which sounds better than Straight, but I can't use it because my subwoofer doesn't work at all in this mode. I may be a candidate for a receiver that has a built in DAC and is optimized for computer audio, but you guys would be better suited to let me know if that's a viable option. If not a receiver with a built in DAC, then perhaps HiFi computer speakers This next issue is like my own personal version of the Bubonic Plague (see here for a previous thread on these forums all about this issue)... I though I had it resolved, but it turns out that a week or so after I thought I'd fixed it, it came back and hasn't gone away since. I'm not really sure what other information I'm neglecting to mention, if any, so at this point I'll give my hands a break from typing and wait to hear back from you all with your input. Thanks!
  11. I am not very happy with my current computer audio configuration, and I'm considering completely selling off all my old equipment and buying all new gear. I'd love to get some feedback from you guys on how you think the following equipment would suffice, or if you think I should consider any alternatives to any of the equipment listed below. Thanks! Audioengine A5+ Premium Powered Speaker Pair (White) Audioengine S8 Premium Powered Subwoofer (White) Peachtree Audio Decco 65 Stereo Integrated Amplifier (Black Gloss) As far as my listening habits... I listen to everything from Mozart to Metallica, so not much help there. I'm primarily using iTunes for playback of my purchased (and iTunes matched) 256Kbps AAC music. Plan was to go from my Peachtree to my iMac via USB. Any suggestions, alternative suggestions, feedback and/or advice would be greatly appreciated... Thanks!
  12. Just for reference, I bought the Momentum headphones on Amazon, and I was upset to discover that my ears just barely fit into the openings on each ear cup... in fact, they didn't quite fit and I had to wiggle the headphones around a bit to stuff my ears into them. I don't have particular large ears either. My ears fit easily and comfortably in the Bose QC15 headphones. Bummer. The hunt continues.
  13. How do either/both of these headphones you've mentioned compare with Sennheiser's Momentum headphones, in your opinion?
  14. I have a very broad taste in music... The Beatles, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Aerosmith, Metallica, Adele, Sarah Mclaughlin, Mumford and Sons, Coldplay, U2, The Police, etc, etc... I also like some electronic music like Daft Punk, Dirty Vegas, Paul Oakenfold, BT. Some rap, but not a lot.
  15. If none of the above, then what would you recommend given my criteria? Which would you suggest for IEMs or earbuds that sound amazing right out-of-the-box, without the need to connect them to an amplifier, that falls within my budget ( <$500) Thanks!
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