need Mac-friendly bookshelf audio system with 4 speakers. Advice?

[malch]

Hi there,

I asked about this on an audio forum, but I think it would be better to ask it on a Mac/Audio site, because it's a Mac that I'd like to build into this system.

I want a small (bookshelf-size) audio system for my kitchen/family room — radio tuner, CD, and wireless computer-connectivity if possible (to make use of my iTunes collection on a nearby iMac) — that will drive four good, but small, speakers.

Can anyone advise me re this? I've read some positive reviews of the Denon D-M37S (but I think it only drives 2 speakers, and I'm not sure I could play iTunes songs through it (from my nearby Mac) wirelessly.

thanks for any advice,
malch

 

[ChrisA]

.. that will drive four good, but small, speakers. ...

You mean four speakers at the same time, not two stereo pairs that you can switch between?

Stereo is only two channels what will you send to the other two speakers? As soon as you answer this question you have solved the problem.

1) send the left channel to two speakers and the right channel to two speakers. Then all you need is wire and a stereo amp.

2) If you want some kind of synthesized surround sound then you need an AV receiver and some wire.

There might be other options but first you need to say what goes to each of the four speakers.

 

[malch]

thanks for the help, Chris.
Yes, four speakers at the same time. That's one of my conundrums... I don't know if every bookshelf system has power enough for four speakers. (don't need surround sound). One system I happened across on google is the Denon D-M37S Micro system. It only outputs 30 Watts RMS, though... is this enough to drive four small speakers?
Any other recommendations?
thanks,
malch

 

[ChrisA]

thanks for the help, Chris.
Yes, four speakers at the same time. That's one of my conundrums... I don't know if every bookshelf system has power enough for four speakers. (don't need surround sound). One system I happened across on google is the Denon D-M37S Micro system. It only outputs 30 Watts RMS, though... is this enough to drive four small speakers?
Any other recommendations?
thanks,
malch

"Power" is not the issue. 30W is enough to blow up some small speakers.

Hard to offer advice if no one knows your overall goal.

Typically when you design a sound system you start with the size and shape of the room, where is listening area is in relation to where the speakers might go and the required volume level and quality requirements and budget.

 

[malch]

Thanks again for your advice, Chris. Clearly I don't know much about the subject of audio. If you have the patience for it, here's what I'm looking for.
Room size: 16x26 (kitchen and family room); I'll be building a shelf to the right of the kitchen sink. On this shelf, I'd like a small ('bookshelf' size; my wife is dead set against anything large) receiver/tuner (whatever you call it), with some radio pre-sets, a CD player and mp3-capabilities. In an ideal world, this small 'box' could also pick up signals wirelessly from an iMac on the other side of the room... this way I could make use of my iTunes collection. I don't know if this is possible, but it would be great.
And then, yes, it would attach to four small speakers.
Does this give you any ideas?
What do you think of the Denon D-M37S Micro system? Is there something better?
thanks again,
malch

 

[ChrisA]

Thanks again for your advice, Chris. Clearly I don't know much about the subject of audio. If you have the patience for it, here's what I'm looking for.
Room size: 16x26 (kitchen and family room); I'll be building a shelf to the right of the kitchen sink. On this shelf, I'd like a small ('bookshelf' size; my wife is dead set against anything large) receiver/tuner (whatever you call it), with some radio pre-sets, a CD player and mp3-capabilities. In an ideal world, this small 'box' could also pick up signals wirelessly from an iMac on the other side of the room... this way I could make use of my iTunes collection. I don't know if this is possible, but it would be great.
And then, yes, it would attach to four small speakers.
Does this give you any ideas?
What do you think of the Denon D-M37S Micro system? Is there something better?
thanks again,
malch

An Apple "Airport Express" can connect to your wireless network and then you can direct audio from iTunes to play through the audio jack in the Airport Express. Wireless iTune is pretty easy to setup. Yu can connect to a standard stereo receiver but today for a small room many people will use self powered speakers. So all you'd have is the little airport express cube, it's tiny and then the speakers. Very simple setup. Pay anything you like for the self powered speakers $100 or $1000. The Apple express is about $90. Just buy two speakers. There is no reason to have four. Also no reason to handle physical CD's when you can rip them to iTunes.

 

[malch]

that sounds excellent, Chris. Once again, thanks for your generous help.
malch