Home Audio System*** (control, channel, channels, Samsung)

[gguerra]

Originally Posted by bigbear99

Be aware that Bluetooth is low fidelity because its bandwidth is so narrow. Does not seem to matter to most people, who use it for cheap headphones or cheap speakers, but you would not want it in an expensive system with good speakers.

Doesn't matter since when I use BT I'm usually playing mp3's which are also low fidelity. It serves it's purpose. I have BT on my home audio receiver and play music from my phone. It's the ultimate in convenience. The only exception is when I'm playing FLAC's which are higher quality. If I was playing CD's I wouldn't be using BT.

[bigbear99]

Originally Posted by gguerra

Doesn't matter since when I use BT I'm usually playing mp3's which are also low fidelity. It serves it's purpose. I have BT on my home audio receiver and play music from my phone. It's the ultimate in convenience. The only exception is when I'm playing FLAC's which are higher quality. If I was playing CD's I wouldn't be using BT.

But you just stated it does matter! FLAC and CDs. 'nuf said

[gguerra]

Originally Posted by bigbear99

But you just stated it does matter! FLAC and CDs. 'nuf said

I have over 90k songs in my collection and probably less than a 1000 are FLAC's. I don't rip to FLAC because they take up too much space. I ripped my entire CD collection a few years back so most of those are 320k MP3's. I don't think I've put a CD in my player in over 3 years. I stream almost exclusively. BT is good enough for me and for most unless you are an audiophile or Neil Young, lol. I've noticed no difference between BT and using an 3.5mm audio cable because the source is already compressed. BT is convenient but what I don't like about it is that you have to be in line-of-sight for it to work right and it has limited range. It was not designed for what most use it for.

You could use Airplay (Apple) or DLNA for wireless sound although it's nowhere near as popular as BT. Those technologies do not degrade the sound. Play-Fi is another new technology that looks promising. It uses a local Wifi network to transmit the sound.

What You Might Not Know About Bluetooth

[Jaggy001]

Originally Posted by Student66

Hi all:

I grow weary of listening to my classical music on an iPod, and would like to put together some sort of home system. I live in an apartment, so, I would want to be respectful to my neighbors my not making a lot of noise, meaning, I do not think I need 1000 watts of anything etc., Anyways, not sure which way to go...some sort of all-in-one shelf system or put together components (CD player, speakers, and amplifier). I do not want to spend tons of money but, would like something that will last a long time and really helps to hear the beautiful sounds of Mozart, Chopin, and Beethoven.

Appreciate your ideas...

thanks..

I have a Rotel receiver and CD player hooked up to Wharfedale speakers. The quality difference compared to an Ipod is about 1000:1 and it is significantly better than my previous setup which was Denon (but the same speakers).

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by bigbear99

Be aware that Bluetooth is low fidelity because its bandwidth is so narrow. Does not seem to matter to most people, who use it for cheap headphones or cheap speakers, but you would not want it in an expensive system with good speakers.

I imagine that a Sonos powered speaker would work for the OP's budget. Bluetooth is finicky sometimes. For example, microwave ovens and other electrical appliances can interfere with it. But once you have found the right location for the speaker, then it's OK.

Sonos uses Wi-Fi, I believe, but I use both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth depending on what speaker I use (Bluetooth speakers can be used anywhere away from home, and Wi-Fi speakers are limited to a place with Wi-Fi):
Sonos WiFi vs. Bluetooth Speakers: Comparison | Sonos

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by Student66

Budget is...less than $500. Timewise, no rush. Asterisks? No reason..

Not what is your timeframe, but what is labor hours budget? How much time are you willing to put in?

[luv4horses]

Old thread but here goes. I do not have a single device in my new home that is being used to receive music. The choices seem overwhelming and I don't understand the terminology.

But having retired I now have plenty of time to listen indoors and would appreciate someone passing along suggestions as to a good basic system for home use. Someone suggest Bose, but can I use that with a subscription service?

I once had a trial system on my computer where you could ask for music "like" a song you played. Does that still exist? My budget is only limited to be commensurate with what I'm getting, and something that won't be obsolete next year. Any suggestions?

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by gguerra

I have over 90k songs in my collection and probably less than a 1000 are FLAC's. I don't rip to FLAC because they take up too much space.

Bogus argument.
Let's say that one CD ripped to FLAC is 500 MB.
That means that 1000 CDs is 500 000 MB, or 500 GB. Or 1/2 TB.
A 3 TB external drive drive costs $135. That is 6000 CDs. You paid $90,000 for those CDs.

[bigbear99]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

Bogus argument.
Let's say that one CD ripped to FLAC is 500 MB.
That means that 1000 CDs is 500 000 MB, or 500 GB. Or 1/2 TB.
A 3 TB external drive drive costs $135. That is 6000 CDs. You paid $90,000 for those CDs.

Bogus? Maybe not. What if he wants to load things on his cell phone? How many 1/2 terabyte cell phones are in the wild now?

Just saying

[Trekker99]

Originally Posted by luv4horses

Old thread but here goes. I do not have a single device in my new home that is being used to receive music. The choices seem overwhelming and I don't understand the terminology.

But having retired I now have plenty of time to listen indoors and would appreciate someone passing along suggestions as to a good basic system for home use. Someone suggest Bose, but can I use that with a subscription service?

I once had a trial system on my computer where you could ask for music "like" a song you played. Does that still exist? My budget is only limited to be commensurate with what I'm getting, and something that won't be obsolete next year. Any suggestions?

So, when you say 'home use' are you saying a basic system that you would sit in front of and listen to music 'old school' or something that just plays music thru a speaker for multi-tasking?

And what subscription service are you interested in? There are many on-line/internet radio stations that play music for free.