Thank you. I always find useful audiophile info as well you’ve helped answer on going question on all thing audio related. You Rock Gene.

Awesome tips! Vid's like this remind me to double-check my settings. Odds are I tweaked something a week ago and forgot to re-balance everything out.

Thanks for this guide on the desktop audio. I have been using my desktops for audio since 2003 when I bought the Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 speakers and creative 5.1 music soundcard. Yes the amp was repaired 3 times and I have since bought a Denon AVR-S950H to power the satellites and a Klipsch R100w.

Very good list of tips. Another good tip - measure your room with some free program (like REW) and even with normal non-calibrated microphone - this give you a lot of interesting data about room.

Perfect timing Gene, I was just starting my research to upgrade my desktop audio.

@Cblan1224

3 жыл бұрын

Second that. I've been working on this for weeks. Nothing works as it is suppose to. For a home theater application at least. So I'm more talking about an htpc I guess, not really a desktop

Very helpful, thank you!

I swear. The week AFTER I finally buy a 7000x, you start the Amplifier series. Now, I just got my E30 DAC and L30 is on it's way for my desktop, and you come out with this video lol.

Thanks Gene, going to use these techniques in my new home office.

I really love the sound quality I get from my Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker System. I've been using them for about 10 years. Could not be happier.

@welderfixer

3 жыл бұрын

Very same here! My sub is on the floor between my desk and a wall and the speakers are on a shelf two feet+ above my desk and about 5 feet apart. My desk is in my garage and this system is simply fantastic while at the desk and very sufficient for tunes while working. Reproduction of the whole frequency range is outstanding.

Really great informational video

I use all of these recommendations, makes all the difference.

Nice video Friends any tips for DIY isolation of speakers can’t afford ISoacoustics

Great vid, and article too Gene! If I may add one thing. It also helps if you are hooking your DAC directly up to your pc, to disable your pc's onboard soundcard in the BIOS, so that all audio signal is going to your DAC and only your DAC. Not the onboard soundcard then DAC or whatever other processing there may be before the signal gets to your DAC. Plus windows cant(bcuz it will) mess with any device/software settings or sound profiles utilizing the onboard soundcard. Though, some DACs require the "Enable Audio Enhancements" setting to be checked in order to utilize them. Im guessing this could be driver related? BUT if you plan to use your pc's mic port, this may be problematic unless you have a dedicated amp or DAC/AMP combo with mic support. Also Peters(Peace) EQ is great! Ive been using it for quite some time, its super useful, easy to use and FREE

Just got the LSX and it's pretty amazing. The most significant improvement I had with my old AudioEngine HD3 was their rubber speaker stand, which changes the direction of the sound and imaging dramatically, so I bought their bigger rubber speaker stand for the LSX. But the LSX seems to have a much wider dispersion than the HD3. So while the rubber stand does improve the sound, but it's not as dramatic as the improvement on the HD3. That being said, I only realised yesterday that the LSX has a really nice looking (albeit over-priced) desktop stand. I should've fork out the extra money for them since they look much better. But that's another story.

I am still using my EoL Corsair SP 2500 'computer' speakers. Bi-amped satellites, and a pretty robust sub. RMS ~230w. As far as computer speakers go these were probably the best made as Ive not seen anything come close in todays market. I will use these till they die and go ahead and do a 'real' speaker setup as I now have the desk space to accommodate a set of bookshelves. I will more than likely have to place them sideways and angle them up when that time comes so I will need to pay attention to the speakers width.

Im running 2.1 desktop configuration: scarlett 2gen into > JAMO sub > 2 x jbl lsr305 on height adjustable speaker stands. Im using a TV wall mounted as a monitor so i got alot of air in between the speakers and they are away from the back side walls. Very careful placement of sub and speakers. The sound is describe as the perfect the bubble, perfect stereo 3d image and incredible smooth frenquency with some slight peaks and dips here and there. This setup is very affordable, but its still outperform alot of more expensive setups that are poorly done.

Just what I needed. All my music if from my laptop. I got a set of Gateway 2000 used speakers and made a big difference, which is not HiFi at all. So I will keep watching and learning and growing. No vocals, all my music is big band and jazz. Running Ubuntu

I use hockey pucks underneath my desktop speakers. A lot cheaper than a pro solution. My desktop system consists of ATC SCM-11 speakers, Totem Storm sub and a Cambridge CXA80 int amp, I use the DAC built into the int amp and connect it to my PC using digital optical cable.

My PC is my A/V source for all or my entertainment and work. I use one display port from my RTX 2070 to feed audio into my Onkyo receiver and the HDMI port from the card feeds my TV directly. I have to hook up this way because my receiver won't let me run 4k @ 120hz which is my normal setting. Anyway, you have some good info here and I just wanted to say, cheers 🍻.

I have an old set of 5.1 Altec Lansing loudspeakers (~$150).they were always crap, but good enough for gaming. Six months ago I ran REW on my PC, exported the target curves, and imported them into Equalizer APO. It's been a complete game changer. The sound is night and day. I sometimes edit audio on video tracks (for fun), but it used to be impossible to get the audio right, compared to what it sounded like, on my Denon/Dali 7.1 system at the TV. The best thing? It took less than an hour to do, and would take much less time, now that I'm familiar with the process. Oh... and it's free!

It's so frustrating that PC's are considered unusual music playback devices when they are the most full featured and powerful hardware available! I have an Atmos home theater system and everything I do-music, movies, games-is through my PC. However, I can't listen to multichannel/spatial audio because that is only supported on things like Apple TV or Nvidia Shield! (On a related note I can't watch KZread in HDR either!). Why should I have to invest in a bunch of tiny, inconvenient little boxes that get outdated every year or two when I already have a much more powerful PC?

@Scottyboy2086

3 жыл бұрын

DRM. Sadly I think that is the only reason.

@jonlaw16

3 жыл бұрын

I understand your pain. At the end of the day, all those little boxes are just computers, so why is it harder to use more powerful hardware??

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

I would recommend you post in discussions.apple.com/thread/252846550?answerId=255358679022#255358679022 and discussions.apple.com/thread/252850757 It's ridiculous vendor lock in that the iTunes app on Windows does not support spatial audio: "Spatial audio is currently only available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV 4K."

Thank you. Consumers have been given the double “benefit “ of hi-res audio and Atmos. The issue is making sure that you are able and are actually getting either of these new benefits. However,the whole subject is unbelievably confusing. Thank you.

Some good advice here especially the use of stands, but its absolutely not true that desktop speakers are more difficult to set up than room speakers because they are listened to at close range and therefore usually at lower output level, and room effects are not an issue. Its also much easier to position them so your in the sweet spot. The other advice I would give is to avoid front or rear ported speakers completely or plug the ports. There is no way small desktop speakers can produce low bass so don't even try to and reflections from the wall behind will make the upper bass boomy and lumpy. Use sealed speakers with a subwoofer instead. I use Spendor SA1s with an mj acoustics sealed sub and its a fantastic combo.

I've been running a pair of Edifier S1000DB's and a Schiit DAC for over 4 years and haven't felt a need to upgrade my PC speakers. The only negative is you have to have a middleman piece of gear if you want to run a sub. Well if you don't trust your self to Frankenstein your high level inputs to the RCA jacks like me at least.

Matt/Gene, thank you for the article and video. A few ideas for future related videos... 1) For individuals with music stored on hard drives, played back through a computer set-up, is it best to use the older JRiver software that Gene mentioned in this video or the newer more popular Roon software installed on the PC? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? This may be less important as streaming becomes more popular but there are still those who have large music libraries, like Gene, who want to use their files and also stream. For Audioholics in that category, isn't Roon the best option, since it allows you to organize your music files and also allows you to organize your Tidal/Qobuz streaming libraries? 2) For individuals that prefer to stream lossless music on their desktop PC (Gene mentioned Tidal in this video), would you have better sound quality if you had an external music streamer like a NAD Bluesound Node 2i, which outputs the music signal to a headphone amplifier or desktop speakers, as opposed to sending the lossless music stream to Tidal software (or Spotify, Amazon Music HD, etc.) which is directly installed on the noisy PC which then outputs the signal to a DAC or DAC/Amp combo? If so, can you please review the best way to make the connections between the devices so that you playback lossless music? For example, if someone wanted to use Tidal, like Gene mentioned, the lossless music stream gets sent from the Tidal server directly to the streamer, bypassing the noisy PC. This is true whether you use Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect. Bluesound Node 2i comes with software installed on the PC called BlueOS, that allows you to use popular streaming lossless services like Tidal, Spotify, Amazon HD and Apple and I think you can get lossless stream sent directly to the Node 2i (or other external music streamers or streamer/DAC combos). For all other sounds generated by the PC, such as Windows alerts, or if you were to watch a KZread video or a home video on your PC, you can set your PC to send those sounds to your Bluesound Node 2i (or other streamer) via Bluetooth which should be okay since audiophiles aren't as concerned with the quality of those sounds as they are with their music? I think a future vid related to this topic this would be helpful to the Audioholics fanbase. Specifically, which connections ensure lossless playback vs. connections that you want to avoid because they will not result in lossless playback. 3) In Matt's article he stated some reasons why headphones are inferior to speakers. I'm sure they are all valid reasons. However, as Gene mentioned in the vid, sometimes due to space (i.e. some people use 3 screens for work and don't have a desktop as wide as the one shown in the article), may not have the space for speakers (and especially a separate sub). Another audience that Gene mentioned in the video is the gaming community. The ESports gaming community exclusively use headphones. All pro and competitive gamers use headphones exclusively, as due all KZread gaming streamers and all gamers who play online games with friends. While gamers are not the target audience of Audioholics, there are those audiophiles who do use headphones at their desktop who are interested in getting the best sound quality from their PCs. Perhaps, a future vid can cover external DACs, headphone amps (either standalone or a DAC combo) as well as quality headphones such as the Focal headphones previously shown on this channel (Focal Clear, Focal Stellia, etc.) or other ones that you will be reviewing in the future? You could explain how getting a quality headphone and quality mic could vastly improve sound quality as compared to traditional "gaming headsets" similar to how you explained in the article to stay away from "computer speakers?"

@Adream-lf3mw

3 жыл бұрын

To further clarify #2 above, I am basically asking to supplement information found in these videos for Audioholics desktop users ... kzread.info/dash/bejne/d2mmqaqJicuZdZM.html and kzread.info/dash/bejne/pohh08SyZdSZhpM.html and kzread.info/dash/bejne/amRnmMWffM-8ZZc.html Thank you in advance. How do you ensure the best quality lossless stream and avoid lossy playback whether you use desktop headphones or desktop speakers. Isn't bypassing the PC entirely the best way for high fidelity?

Enjoyed and loved your videos,I would like to ask you if its possible to have a video of "getting the best sound from a very small room" ? Thank you

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

I'd say for such really nearfield situations you need some kind of loudness compensation (simplehomecinema.com/2017/08/05/loudness-correction-and-yamaha-ypao-volume/) since you'll be listening at low volumes inherently. Also: stick to smaller bookshelf speakers and sealed subs (ported sub is highly likely to give you excess bass (room mode) around the port tuning frequency).

@daniellustgarten5857

3 жыл бұрын

@@xavdeman thank you very much

Pleasantly surprised that Apples 27 inch iMac has a pretty good internal sound system.I also have the Vanatoo T1 speakers connected to same computer for serious music listening

great info, thx. any drawbacks to just running optical out to an older high quality receiver? when there are used $40 Yamaha DAC/Amps out there that retailed for $700, it's been hard to justify a dedicated stand-alone DAC box for 3x the money (unless you need fine input control). been doin this for years simply as it seems logical, no idea if i'm missing out somehow tho.

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

Of course there is no drawback to using a proper AVR as a DAC. Only very old AVRs which don't support HDMI/modern formats you might encounter on movies and games (Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD MA).

My experience: try to avoid going 'too big' when it comes to desktop audio. Example: I had a BK P12-300SB-PR subwoofer (big 12" sub with a passive radiator). It barely added anything because that cone needs some minimum amount of power to get moving, and if I turned the gain up it was too loud for me in nearfield. And causing 'room modes' of excess bass. I switched to a smaller sealed subwoofer (REL) and the experience was much better. Another anecdote: I regretted putting my Mission QX2 bookshelves on my desktop. They have a 6.5" woofer ('curvilinear' front cone), which is great for HT but is not suited for low volume listening that goes with a nearfield setup. So ironically I experienced a lack of bass with those at low volume. I kept thinking I should have gotten the QX1 (or LX1) with the 5" driver. I switched to speakers with 5" woofer and may even go to speakers with 4" woofer soon...

@markscott9259

3 жыл бұрын

You are so right because I have Tower Powered Speakers pushing my computer in Bluetooth, and I must say...it sounds damn nice, but I went to big in the computer room with download EQ apps with a HP Spectra computer with a great sound card. I went to big,but LOVE IT!

Just picked up a pair of the Klipsch The Sixes. Paired with a 12" 250 watt BIC sub. Sound is phenomenal. I'm sure the newer The Fives sound just as good.

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

Way too big for a desk though...

@Karmic_Chaos

3 жыл бұрын

@@xavdeman I have a big desk.

Have you got any specs for the computer build itself like power supply, motherboard, processor, ram, everyone talks about dac/amps headphones/speakers but neglect the pc itself ? highly recommend using Noctua fans for low fan noise to. thanks.

@chefsteve8381

3 жыл бұрын

@Jingle Nuts some people spend mega bucks on dacs, amps and headphones but the pc they use is a afterthought, it would be nice if pc builds for audio was looked into more.

Love seeing the recommendations for USB audio interfaces as DACs. I found there to be a very noticeable difference in the noise floor when I switched from PC -> 3.5mm -> amp :to: PC -> USB Interface -> amp. In certain other audiophile forums I have recommended the use of such interfaces as DACs but often get people commenting about how sub par the DAC in my USB interface must be simply because it doesn't have a specific brand name, or cost 1000$+.

You mentioned this in your video and it is off topic but I would really enjoy a video as to why a concentric driver setup would be undesirable in a home theater environment. (I’m debating between KEF R series vs Arendal speakers.)

@Audioholics

3 жыл бұрын

Unless the concentric speaker has a big enough woofer to have reasonably high sensitivity, you will be dynamically limited. I personally like speakers to be 90dB or higher sensitivity when building a theater system with the goal of hitting reference levels without distress.

@junior-OG

3 жыл бұрын

@@Audioholics the kef r11 are 90db with 4 x 6.5 inch woofer

@Audioholics

3 жыл бұрын

@@junior-OG yea that should be pretty good for home theater applications.

Ifi zen Dac plus Logitech 2.1 thx speakers are amazing 🤩 best $300 sound system ever

Focal Solo6 Be studio monitors and a pair of REL HT1205s. Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus for now. Sounds amazing as is but I'm sure it could be better. Need to replace the plastic IsoAcoustic stands with something better, maybe the metal ones.

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

Rel HT1205 ftw

active monitor speakers are great computer speakers. The sound quality just depends on the sound card built in the computer and the active monitors you selected. As you notice, DJ's used macbooks, or any mac. They have quality sound card built into them. While for example a dell computer has different sound card built into the motherboard depending model.

@scottmichaels1764

Жыл бұрын

Too many generalizations here, and they are all wrong.

Wish the KEF LS 50 had a usb input to better use the internal DAC rather than just linking the mac with 3.5mm

@Nick_2i

11 ай бұрын

LS50 don't have an internal dac unless you mean the wireless version, which do have a usb input

I use a Scarlet second gen. usb audio interface but to be honest my integrated audio is just as good for audio output. Plenty of modern motherboards have isolated onboard audio that rivals or exceeds most budget name brand external sound cards. I use the Scarlet for ease of use for mics, headphones, guitar, ect.. Also I can clearly hear a difference between 48000 khz and 192000 khz. I use a Denon receiver as a pre-amp. The Denon outputs to four two channel amplifiers all with they're own equalizer. I could go on but you get the point. Its a lot of stuff.

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

No. That difference you think you hear between 48KHz and 192KHz is Windows' lossy resampling to 192Khz which causes aliasing. It even does this when you feed it a source with equal sample rate: www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/windowsinsiders/comments/cjccst/win10_will_resample_audio_with_a_sample_rate_eg/ " The resampling done by Windows 10 has been measured to be far from ideal, for example converting between sample rates will cause aliasing: archimago.blogspot.com/2015/11/measurements-windows-10-audio-stack.html (if you want to know more about Windows 10's resampling)."

@ditto_75

3 жыл бұрын

@@xavdeman First. You really shouldn't start your argument with "No." That really made you sound like a douch bag know it all. Second. You assume I am using Windows. Third. regardless of what you said, a difference can be heard between 48 and 192 with the 192 sounding cleaner. I never claimed to have some super high fidelity audio system that you can hear a cricket fart into a flute while Stairway to Heaven was being recorded. My comment stands true in all aspects. To summarize, I use a Scarlet usb audio interface. Some modern motherboards have equal or better sound output than the Scarlet. I can hear the difference between 48000khz and 192000khz.

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

@@ditto_75 Sorry that the word 'no' offended you. You must be real popular with the ladies. Seriously though, research has shown that subjects can't hear any positive differences between 48 Khz and 192 Khz sources. www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/aes-paper-digest-dvd-audio-versus-sacd.150/

I’m using an asus essence stx ii 7.1 sound card , and using rca to rca but also rca to xlr into a behringer ultra-di DI100 going into a mackie m48 to supply phantom power (48 volts) to power the direct boxes instead of using batteries and all crown power amps 3 from the xls series and one from the xti series 6002 and the xls ones I have are the 1502 and 2502. I do plan on upgrading the rest of my channels to xlr soon than eventually purchase 3 more xti 6002

@Urahara12squad

3 жыл бұрын

I also had the asus sound card but couldn't use it anymore sice it has an old pci connection.

@Urahara12squad

3 жыл бұрын

@Jingle Nuts idk but it is not backwards compatible. Maybe it was pci and not the required pci Express.

@shangrilaladeda

3 жыл бұрын

@@Urahara12squad it also works on the pci-e slots on my motherboard, I’m also using a rampage v extreme edition 10 which has 4 way sli or crossfire support along with pci slots also

@shangrilaladeda

3 жыл бұрын

@Jingle Nuts I don’t know it’s been working for me since I got it did you connect the molex to power the sound card?

Is it possible to do a video about doing all this with a laptop ?

@Adream-lf3mw

3 жыл бұрын

Jack, it should be the same. You are talking about having a laptop on the desk instead of a PC, right? If so, there shouldn't be any difference.

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

Connect laptop to DAC with USB ( or to AVR with HDMI), connect to speakers, go.

Shouldn't you just use active speakers like the Kef LSX? Then you don't need a seperate dac and don't interfere with your pc.

@Taffy84

3 жыл бұрын

You can but then what do you use for headphones? I use both speakers and headphones so need an int amp with a headphone jack.

@Urahara12squad

3 жыл бұрын

@@Taffy84 I think most people have a better speaker of headphone setup. You don't use both. But there are sollutions for a simple headphone dac that does suffice. (Unless you want high end)

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

@@Taffy84 dedicated sound cards usually have pretty good headphone output.

What is the best HDMI cable to buy? I have a Denon 3600H and getting an LG CX. Will be using an XB Series X in the future. Blue Jean HDMI still the way to go?

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

The cheapest one. Only when you need a really long HDMI cable will you need to look closely into it.

@KickDrumKid23

3 жыл бұрын

@@xavdeman There one brand over another?I've heard Blue Jean mentioned alot on Audioholics here. Figured gigabits her second may be a factor.

What about Logitech THX series?

@8470tony

3 жыл бұрын

I don’t know if they still sell them. But I used to have an early 2000s Logitech THX 5.1 system, and it was a good setup. For the money, it could not be beat, and should not be dismissed for casual use. Today, the setup is a Schiit Modius/Magnius with Yamaha HS8 and HS8S.

@biggoofybastard

3 жыл бұрын

@@8470tony Is that the Z5500's you had? Still have mine, recently switched to Presonus Eris 4.5's because the Z5500's were a waste in the apartment because I couldn't turn them past 2, and had to have the sub between 0 and 1.5 depending on the content. It's a shame, I love the Logis.

@8470tony

3 жыл бұрын

@@biggoofybastard it was a Z5300 actually. The bass was a bit much with those, and the volume couldn’t go above 2-3 for me. Just the same. Still a very good bang for the buck I think audioholics would still not approve of that system. However, they were probably referring to basic computer speakers. Which really are garbage. My yamahas are entirely too big for a typical desktop, but I have a very large modular desk. Additionally, I wanted to use the Magnius as a preamp in keeping the space cleaner. The Magnius is mostly used with headphones anyways. All said I am very happy with this setup. Powered studio monitors are the way to go for a desktop setup.

Hi Gene. I have a 2 channel system comprising of Naim uniti nova. Arcam cds50, Focal Aria 936, qed xt25 speaker cable, and a rel t9i which I run through high level connection. My speakers are about 4 feet from the amplifier. Would this speaker cable benefit my system. Belden 5T00UP 10 AWG Speaker Cable, Terminated Any information would be very helpful. Regards Eddie

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

At 4 feet, there's no way the speaker cable will make any perceptible difference unless you buy a scam aluminum cable. Buy any copper cable.

@edwardlaloo8531

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks

Very important tip....If you have the choice to spec a motherboard with optical out, do it!

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

Or just HDMI out and run it through an AVR.

@wa2368

3 жыл бұрын

@@xavdeman How many guys have a receiver and a hometheater in their office room with a PC?

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

@@wa2368 you can put a small second hand AVR (I have a Yamaha V375 cost me like USD 75) on the floor, just to act as a DAC.

Massive warfare on KZread about Atmos MUSIC. Forget about even TRULY getting Lossless.

bit-o-advice pls, peeps? i've been considering building a floor-standing 3-way... top sealed mid/high at seated ear height, with 6" t-line or 1/4-wave for the lower part of the cabinet with woofer & port front-firing just below the Mid/Highs. the purpose would be to avoid additional heat/noise from powered subs or low efficiency drivers in a sealed ICF-constructed room (as the PC itself sits out in the hallway already), but still have full low-end. thoughts? am i nuts?

@xavdeman

3 жыл бұрын

Most modern subs and amps barely generate heat when not producing sound. Transmission line subs produce a quite montone sound if I recall correctly. Regardless, "subs" integrated in floorstanding speakers can't replace proper (e.g. 12") sealed subs.

This is very timely especially for anyone considering setting up or upgrading a desktop system. Danny from GR-Research just announced a new product he's dubbed Desktop Minis at $199 a pair which come as a kit complete withe the cabinet flat pack. These are 2 way unpowered speakers with excellent drivers and crossover components and with an excellent low resonance cabinets when properly setup and powered are sure to blow away anything anywhere near the price as well as speakers costing much more. Full confession, I am a customer of Danny's having previously built an MTM speaker design of Danny's.

I have 5.1 desktop setup

Very good tips like how the simple little things could make all the difference in sound….. ohhhh and those anaconda style speaker cables 😂😂😂😂😂😂😝

7 of the viewers work for AudioQuest

Your treble sound is bad cuz you don’t know how to use the tweeter speaker