Good grief- with decent companies like TACT, Chord, dCS, Z-Systems, Lexicon and a whole bunch of others out there, most of the best solutions proposed so far look (and sometimes sound, in the wrong rooms) like something out of the Stone-Age. Macs need bomb-proof and at the same time very advanced analog and digital co-developers for what will surely come in home system integration.
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Upcoming Apple iMac Sound System?
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everything's different...
ok, my two cents....
Bang & Olufsen is not comparable to Apple, B&O is nicely designed but way way overpriced. when you compare the say, beosound1 which costs $1,250, to the Bose Acoustic Wave which costs a grand the Bose wins hands down. The B&O doesn't even have a line in for the iPod, this you have to buy separately. There's no low range.
I also have some Paradigms and Mirages which i use together and they sound about the same as my Bose Jewel Cubes with the sub. Yes Bose may not be the best, maybe a "Pro-sumer" brand, the best of the commercial equipment perhaps, but for the size of the jewel cubes, they sound amazing, ad when you live in NYC, space is a premium.
As for those systems found in cars. The acoustics of the car in question have a LOT to do with the sound. The Bose in the Caddy may not sound great (haven't heard it personally) but in the Yukon Denali it sounds very good. Very "car" sounding though, and by this I mean, slightly lacking in mid to top. In the RangeRover, the Harmon Kardon sounds ****e, very bad. Infinity, well, I swear by Infinity Subs. I had two IB120s in my car through the years and they performed awesomely (is that a word??) whereas I went through two Pioneers and an Alpine Sub in a week, even though they were rated to cope with my amp, they melted.
I guess I tend to pretty much go by the rule that the Japanese can't make speakers, everything else, yes, and very well too.
Oh, and yeah, check out Linn, they put the stereo in the new Aston Martin, which is a job and a half to get right considering the Aston has it's own amazing sound (the V8)
But like I said, it's all down to the install, the acoustics of the environment and the listeners personal taste.....
ok, my two cents....
Bang & Olufsen is not comparable to Apple, B&O is nicely designed but way way overpriced. when you compare the say, beosound1 which costs $1,250, to the Bose Acoustic Wave which costs a grand the Bose wins hands down. The B&O doesn't even have a line in for the iPod, this you have to buy separately. There's no low range.
I also have some Paradigms and Mirages which i use together and they sound about the same as my Bose Jewel Cubes with the sub. Yes Bose may not be the best, maybe a "Pro-sumer" brand, the best of the commercial equipment perhaps, but for the size of the jewel cubes, they sound amazing, ad when you live in NYC, space is a premium.
As for those systems found in cars. The acoustics of the car in question have a LOT to do with the sound. The Bose in the Caddy may not sound great (haven't heard it personally) but in the Yukon Denali it sounds very good. Very "car" sounding though, and by this I mean, slightly lacking in mid to top. In the RangeRover, the Harmon Kardon sounds ****e, very bad. Infinity, well, I swear by Infinity Subs. I had two IB120s in my car through the years and they performed awesomely (is that a word??) whereas I went through two Pioneers and an Alpine Sub in a week, even though they were rated to cope with my amp, they melted.
I guess I tend to pretty much go by the rule that the Japanese can't make speakers, everything else, yes, and very well too.
Oh, and yeah, check out Linn, they put the stereo in the new Aston Martin, which is a job and a half to get right considering the Aston has it's own amazing sound (the V8)
But like I said, it's all down to the install, the acoustics of the environment and the listeners personal taste.....
All this talk about good sound 
here are my favorite speaker components.
I think those hsu research subs are a complete steal for the money.
You have to hear them to believe how great they sound.
and the Magnepan's are well... you have to experience to believe the sound.
the downside they need a lot of power and a sub cause they don't have enough bass for my taste.
http://www.magnepan.com/
http://www.hsuresearch.com/
here are my favorite speaker components.
I think those hsu research subs are a complete steal for the money.
You have to hear them to believe how great they sound.
and the Magnepan's are well... you have to experience to believe the sound.
the downside they need a lot of power and a sub cause they don't have enough bass for my taste.
http://www.magnepan.com/
http://www.hsuresearch.com/
Originally posted by springscansing
Well.. when you compare Bose to junk like Infinity, what do you expect to happen?
Bose blows. This has been true forever. Ask ANY audiophile, and I do mean ANY.
What makes an audiofile and does that make any and I do mean ANY difference to me? Nope, I like bose and I think they rock.
Bose blows
in all seriousness i have an old pair of small black HEAVY Realistic speakers that i wouldn't trade
for a pair of similarly sized Bose. Something about the sound of the Bose systems just
sounds off to me. can't really think of an adequate word to describe the coloration. sort of
tin, sort of like listening to new age synthesized waves crashing versus actual waves crashing on a beach. not that the realistics are anything to crow about, but these particular radio shack specials do their job adequately. Granted i use them as satellites for my television not on my stereo, for which i have Bozak LS250's (can i get a witness?). Besides I think a number of companies that put out some awful stereo products are certainly capable of making good products, they just skimp on every single option.That doesn't mean that its impossible for them to make a good product if they have the option of charging an arm and a leg for it. Well on second thought some companies really can't, like Knox. everybody remember the all in one units with the fake EQbands! I don't really have a point i just wanted to talk about my speakers.
in all seriousness i have an old pair of small black HEAVY Realistic speakers that i wouldn't trade
for a pair of similarly sized Bose. Something about the sound of the Bose systems just
sounds off to me. can't really think of an adequate word to describe the coloration. sort of
tin, sort of like listening to new age synthesized waves crashing versus actual waves crashing on a beach. not that the realistics are anything to crow about, but these particular radio shack specials do their job adequately. Granted i use them as satellites for my television not on my stereo, for which i have Bozak LS250's (can i get a witness?). Besides I think a number of companies that put out some awful stereo products are certainly capable of making good products, they just skimp on every single option.That doesn't mean that its impossible for them to make a good product if they have the option of charging an arm and a leg for it. Well on second thought some companies really can't, like Knox. everybody remember the all in one units with the fake EQbands! I don't really have a point i just wanted to talk about my speakers.
If your looking for great sound quality then take a look at the Yamaha "Cavit".
This is an excellent sound system for gamers and will probably cut it for most sound and video producers.
www.yamahamultimedia.com
This is an excellent sound system for gamers and will probably cut it for most sound and video producers.
www.yamahamultimedia.com
best marriage for computers and audio is...
Apple and Bang & Olufsen (Denmark) should get into bed. B&O places the amplifiers within the speaker cabinets so that the signal can travel through 24 awg wire. Like Cat5. Go virtually any distance without distortion and costly "monster" cabling. Control home lighting. Security system. Superb design, quality, reputation. Bose, Alpine, others hype their sound, akin to turning up the treble, mid- and bass. Sounds good but not accurate. B&O is absolutely accurate, clean, beautiful.
Apple and B&O: A perfect pair.
Any agreement here? rsvp
Apple and Bang & Olufsen (Denmark) should get into bed. B&O places the amplifiers within the speaker cabinets so that the signal can travel through 24 awg wire. Like Cat5. Go virtually any distance without distortion and costly "monster" cabling. Control home lighting. Security system. Superb design, quality, reputation. Bose, Alpine, others hype their sound, akin to turning up the treble, mid- and bass. Sounds good but not accurate. B&O is absolutely accurate, clean, beautiful.
Apple and B&O: A perfect pair.
Any agreement here? rsvp
Bose blows explanation
I used to think Bose was "OK".
Then I bought an Audi with a Bose system in it. Music is important to me, and when I test listened to the Audi/Bose system, it sounded "OK". I figured it would be at least as good as my stock Miata (Panasonic) stereo where there was some music I really enjoyed though the system was admittedly limited.
Some time after getting my Audi, I ran through my *entire* music favorites collection on CD. On the Miata, there were a number of eclectic CDs that sounded good, e.g., Gypsy Kings, Don Walser (yodeler), etc.. Not everything but a fair number.
On the Bose, the *only* thing which sounded even remotely good was Eurythmics and synthesized New Age. The key here is *synthesized*. It sounds "OK" until you really listen for music, and then you'll find that it can not accurately reproduce any music. What comes out is synthesized. It plays *at* music, not recreates music. Then I realized where the Bose Blows comes from. It's all synth.
If you want Bose to play well, play your synthesized music on it. Do not try to play beautiful, emotional, or instrumental music though, or you'll be wondering what's missing. It sounds normal but you do not need to be an audiophile to realize something is missing. It just sounds wrong, or never sounds right.
-=-
Why would they do such a thing?
Business model. Bose buys ultra cheap components to build their equipment. They design equalizers into their electronics to get "accurate" sound out of cheap components. They also overequalize the low end to get more an inordinate amount of low-end from small enclosures. In other words, they trade off quality and accuracy for cost savings through equalization.
The result is paper accuracy and sonic synth sound (i.e., riddled with subtle impurities). You will not likely be tapping your foot to sound coming from a Bose system, whereas you will very likely be tapping your foot to Linn sound (even their entry level).
Bose saves money on parts, and spends it on marketing. Bose is a totally marketing company, and their image is what sells. The form factors make them look unique but involve sonic compromises even the most value oriented stereo companies avoid. Bose owns its niche because it's uniquely marketing oriented in an otherwise performance oriented industry.
-=-
So if you like Bose, that's great for you (because you have an option most people won't care for), but I would never recommend Bose to a friend.
I used to think Bose was "OK".
Then I bought an Audi with a Bose system in it. Music is important to me, and when I test listened to the Audi/Bose system, it sounded "OK". I figured it would be at least as good as my stock Miata (Panasonic) stereo where there was some music I really enjoyed though the system was admittedly limited.
Some time after getting my Audi, I ran through my *entire* music favorites collection on CD. On the Miata, there were a number of eclectic CDs that sounded good, e.g., Gypsy Kings, Don Walser (yodeler), etc.. Not everything but a fair number.
On the Bose, the *only* thing which sounded even remotely good was Eurythmics and synthesized New Age. The key here is *synthesized*. It sounds "OK" until you really listen for music, and then you'll find that it can not accurately reproduce any music. What comes out is synthesized. It plays *at* music, not recreates music. Then I realized where the Bose Blows comes from. It's all synth.
If you want Bose to play well, play your synthesized music on it. Do not try to play beautiful, emotional, or instrumental music though, or you'll be wondering what's missing. It sounds normal but you do not need to be an audiophile to realize something is missing. It just sounds wrong, or never sounds right.
-=-
Why would they do such a thing?
Business model. Bose buys ultra cheap components to build their equipment. They design equalizers into their electronics to get "accurate" sound out of cheap components. They also overequalize the low end to get more an inordinate amount of low-end from small enclosures. In other words, they trade off quality and accuracy for cost savings through equalization.
The result is paper accuracy and sonic synth sound (i.e., riddled with subtle impurities). You will not likely be tapping your foot to sound coming from a Bose system, whereas you will very likely be tapping your foot to Linn sound (even their entry level).
Bose saves money on parts, and spends it on marketing. Bose is a totally marketing company, and their image is what sells. The form factors make them look unique but involve sonic compromises even the most value oriented stereo companies avoid. Bose owns its niche because it's uniquely marketing oriented in an otherwise performance oriented industry.
-=-
So if you like Bose, that's great for you (because you have an option most people won't care for), but I would never recommend Bose to a friend.
What Bose does well is what most audiophiles would find anathema, but what a lot of tin-ears think is the cats meow... they obliterate the stereo image. It sounds good to people who cannot place speakers properly in relation to their listening area, because it makes every thing go everywhere. This makes a lot of highs and mids sound like mud, if you can hear them at all, but it creates a larger sweet spot for people who wouldn't know decent sound if it bit them in the ass, the sort that park their stereo speakers right next to each other not even realizing a separate signal is being sent to each.
Then they translate that good will gained by making those people happy, by selling the name to car audio systems they okay, which sound a notch better than what detroit for example, used to place in cars before they realized that people WANTED a good stereo in their cars.
Anyway, I don't know what actual info made it into this thread other than some Sanyo guy mentioning he saw a mac, and would like to have apple as a customer- no product details... nothing.
Then they translate that good will gained by making those people happy, by selling the name to car audio systems they okay, which sound a notch better than what detroit for example, used to place in cars before they realized that people WANTED a good stereo in their cars.
Anyway, I don't know what actual info made it into this thread other than some Sanyo guy mentioning he saw a mac, and would like to have apple as a customer- no product details... nothing.
Re: Linn + Apple would work.
Now we are talking. I have two pairs of the Linn Tukan bookshelf speakers and they are hard to beat. I am thinking of trying them out on my G4 with the built G4 amp using the Griffin breakout box for the Pro Speaker connector.
Now we are talking. I have two pairs of the Linn Tukan bookshelf speakers and they are hard to beat. I am thinking of trying them out on my G4 with the built G4 amp using the Griffin breakout box for the Pro Speaker connector.
Re: Re: Linn + Apple would work.
Why not just patch the G4 into a stereo amp and plug the speakers into that. You'll probably get better sound.
Why not just patch the G4 into a stereo amp and plug the speakers into that. You'll probably get better sound.
Here is an item I think Sanyo could make and most of us would not balk at buying... a cheap boom box with a cut out notch to insert an iPod, providing a carry in one hand stero solution. The speakers could be separated from the base/battery/amp as with most boom boxes. Make it as cheap as a boom box, perhaps with AM/FM as well, but tailor made for an iPod.
I still don't know what the hell Sanyo Dude thought he could make when he saw a flatscreen iMac, that other people could not make as easily. Little clip on speakers to attach to the screen? Give me a break....
I still don't know what the hell Sanyo Dude thought he could make when he saw a flatscreen iMac, that other people could not make as easily. Little clip on speakers to attach to the screen? Give me a break....
klipsch, harman kardon or linn should do something with apple. not too expensive, not too cheap and crappy.
but seriously i think the creature speakers and the soundsticks go well with the iMac.
but instead of the iMac, why not Apple's laptops? they're all crappy
but seriously i think the creature speakers and the soundsticks go well with the iMac.
but instead of the iMac, why not Apple's laptops? they're all crappy
Re: Re: Re: Linn + Apple would work.
That'd be great except that the stereo is three rooms away. I don't have my computers and AV equipment in the same rooms.
That'd be great except that the stereo is three rooms away. I don't have my computers and AV equipment in the same rooms.
lets just go super high end (almost) and use genelec (i hope i spelled that right)...
or soem good old HK's....i love those thingshave one of my stereo systems HK only from receiver on out...genelec is my second fav, but those are home and i havne't been there in a long time....now i feel like a dork, but i think that's how you spell them...oh, plus an infinity sub....genelec speakers plus infinity sub, it sounds nice
or soem good old HK's....i love those thingshave one of my stereo systems HK only from receiver on out...genelec is my second fav, but those are home and i havne't been there in a long time....now i feel like a dork, but i think that's how you spell them...oh, plus an infinity sub....genelec speakers plus infinity sub, it sounds nice