biohazard6969 said:
ok great, is there any sort of guide to doing it, or what would i need, i don't know where to starti know my imac has optical out or something like that but i don't know what that means
How about the manual? Most newer macs have an a digital out, but it's a mini toslink cable.
http://www.creativemac.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=47126
You can feed your stereo or surround data to a reciever with an digital input. Consumer Digital Ins/Outs (I/O) come in two types optical also called Toslink or Coaxial which has a connector end that looks like a standard RCA jack. The advatage is the digital data is sent out to an AV device, like a receiver and the Digital to Audio conversion is done there.
What's your budget for speakers?
How big is your room, Will you be sitting up close to your front speakers, say less than 4 feet.?
What kind of music do you listen to?
Are your ears in good shape?
1 I'd never suggest any "computer" speakers for getting good sound. Instead buy a modest receiver and some good bookshelf/satellite speakers will play louder and more accurately. There are some quality powered speakers, but the good ones can cost quite a bit. You can add more speakers as the budget permits and a good POWERED subwoofer. SInce most amplifier power is required for bass you can get buy with a modest receiver power as long as the subwoofer is powered.
Additionally you can use you Mac digital out to a digital in of most modern receivers to supply a nice clean digital source, either stereo or all surround channels.
Check out
http://www.avsforum.com/ for "real" speaker and AV equipment recomendations.
2, Getting satellite speakers that can output 20kh-80hz +/- 2 Db and then an adjustable crossover powered subwoofer that plays 80hz to 20hz or lower is also a tried and true standard.
3. Listen to some decent/recommended bookshelf speakers. A one inch tweeter and 6-8 inch mid/woofer is a pretty much tried and true design. Some better quality 4-5 inch mid/bass woofers perform well. The larger the speakers generally the more efficient and have higher output, if you have the space.
3. look at music/video studios that make and record our music and movies and try to copy their set up as the budget permits.
Not that we can all afford or need the output from 5 M&K 2510p's and an LFE5 but it's something to shoot for
http://www.mkprofessional.com/studio_installations0.htm
Unless Klipsch has changed the way their speakers sound dramatically, in the last few years, I would listen to something else first. I have owned Cornwalls (old school, high output horn mid/tweet, Huge size) and listened to some of their top home models and they don't sound that great in the midrange area. Horn midranges put out lots of sound but sound less than clean with vocals to me.
I'm using a pair of M&K B1600's, an adcom 565 pre, Carver 200 watt M1.0t amp, and a Velodyne Servo 1200. I want better stuff too, but until I can afford it...
Most is inherited eqiupment or stuff I've had a long time. I'm sure there is better, but sounds clean and plays real loud and deep cleanly.
I bought the M&K B1600's on sale, floor models for $300 a pair. I liked them when they cost $1000 a pair regular retail! Haven't won any critical listening awards and they make better sounding speakers. But for rock pop, blues and trance they sound good, set up as near field monitors. I blew them up with a freak "DC current" event and M&K replaced the woofers for free
. Comes with a 10 year warranty! M&K's generally play very loud and clean if you have the amplifier power.
I like Velodyne subwoofers. They go real low cleanly and most are powered. Newer models have many more adjustments... The trick is to get any subwoofer to mate where their high point matches with the low point of the satellite without a hole or peak in the sound.
-
Dave
