Any help for a newbie? Yamaha A-S500?
Evening All,
After many years in the wilderness (That is, my office with my desktop and speakers), the time has come to put a decent sound together in my lounge.
It's my first foray into any serious audio since I was a kid with a Marantz seperates system, so i'll be starting out at the budget end of the market.
I'm considering a Yamaha A-S500 paired with some Monitor Audio BX2's. It is as recommended by what hi-fi and appears to be largely agreed with.
My music library is all on my desktop, in aforementioned office, so the next problem is how best to connect this to the amp?
I've seen that there is Apples' Airport Express system, would this work as a wireless solution?
Also, when I play music out of itunes through the hooked up speakers it sounds ok. However, when I play through Traktor Pro via my Numark Omni Control it sounds much much richer and heavier. Does this just mean that the soundcard in the Omni Control is better than the one in my desktop pc? If so, should I get a better soundcard put in the desktop to improve the source?
Any advice would be very much appreciated....??
Carl
Also, when I play music out of itunes through the hooked up speakers it sounds ok. However, when I play through Traktor Pro via my Numark Omni Control it sounds much much richer and heavier. Does this just mean that the soundcard in the Omni Control is better than the one in my desktop pc? If so, should I get a better soundcard put in the desktop to improve the source?
Yes. I'd look at getting a DAC, rather than a better soundcard. You could connect the AEX to the DAC digitally and have the DAC feeding your amp. Alternatively you could just connect a DAC to your PC and cut out the AEX if wireless wasn't essential.
What DAC you get will probably depend on what connections you have available (USB? Optical?) and whether you like the sound of that DAC.
Thanks for your reply Overdose.
The sepakers with my desktop are just Creative - Inspire P380's. They are wired into my PC, but, as I say, when I playback from the PC directly the sound is nowhere near as good as when I use the Omni Control.
The Omni control has a pair of phono jacks which reduce to a single mini jack connected to the 'line in' port on the pc. Other than that, it has a USB lead which I assume is unrelated to sound.
The speakers, via a mini jack, are wired directly into the green speaker port.
thanks
Carl
Thanks ID.
So the DAC will have it's own soundcard right? Therefore removing the issue. I really like the sound through the Omni Control, perhaps I need to find out what soundcard it has on board. It doesn't act as a DAC though does it?
Just a thought 
Thanks
It is possible for me to wire the system if that improves the sound quality.
Thanks ID.
So the DAC will have it's own soundcard right? Therefore removing the issue. I really like the sound through the Omni Control, perhaps I need to find out what soundcard it has on board. It doesn't act as a DAC though does it?
Just a thought
Thanks
Yes, what you are reffering your soundcard as is essentially a dac, theres no point in trying to figure out what dac your Omni has as you can't really get that. A dac basically takes your digital signal from usb, optical or coaxial output and converts it into analogue. All you need to do to connect a dac to your pc is to use a digital output from your pc via usb optical or coaxial outputs and feed it into the dac. Then you connect the dac to your amp. If you get an airport express, it is also possible to feed it to a dac provided the dac you will by has an optical input. To use an aiport express you must use itunes or any program which supports airplay. You can also use your ipod touch or ipad to send music to the airport express.
With regard to your speaker and amp choices, I have heard the Yamaha. While it is a great amp for the money, it can be pushed into harshness so I would definitely audition it with the monitor audio speakers.
Hope this helps,
Shafin
Hi Shafin,
Thanks for that, I'll check the pairing in the store to be sure.
Just to clarify, did you say that the omni can act as the dac?
Thanks
Carl
What do you actually use the Omni for? It seems quite large for just an audio interface?
It will have a DAC inside and is presumably reasonable, but your Pc audio probably comes from an integrated chip on the motherboard, which is probably as far from ideal as you could get, this might explain any sound discrepencies.
You might like to consider some active speakers, for around £500, you can get some pretty good monitors second hand.
Quested S7, Dynaudio BM5A and Mackie HR624 or 824 would be good places to start.
Thanks OD,
I use the Omni as a controller for Traktor Pro dj software.
Actually the Omni only powers up when I use Traktor, so it won't work for me as a DAC when I want to play directly from Itunes.
I'm gonna have a listen to some DAC's with the Yamaha and some speakers and go from there.
Really appreciate your advice..
Carl
Does it not have a standalone mode?
I'm gonna check it out...
Yes.
I think I just have to put a 6V DC in to it and then run the outputs (Phono jacks) to the amp.... That will mean I can use it to control a whole load of levels as well.
And you should also be able to use it as a DAC. Have another dig.
Hello! The BX2 sounds dry and not musical at all, compared to Boston Acoustics A26, and I strongly recommend the better balanced and detailed A25.Go for a second hand amp, like the HK6550, it would destroy AS500, PM6004 - I had the chance to compare them all, side by side, with the both models of Boston Acoustics.Both amplifiers are a total joke, compared to the HK 6550.
Hello! The BX2 sounds dry and not musical at all, compared to Boston Acoustics A26, and I strongly recommend the better balanced and detailed A25.Go for a second hand amp, like the HK6550, it would destroy AS500, PM6004 - I had the chance to compare them all, side by side, with the both models of Boston Acoustics.Both amplifiers are a total joke, compared to the HK 6550.
Well, hifi is just a very personal thing and IMO the BX2 are better speakers than the Boston Acoustics. The BX2 is just a steal for the money.
I'm considering a Yamaha A-S500 paired with some Monitor Audio BX2's. It is as recommended by what hi-fi and appears to be largely agreed with.
My music library is all on my desktop, in aforementioned office, so the next problem is how best to connect this to the amp?
I've seen that there is Apples' Airport Express system, would this work as a wireless solution?
Also, when I play music out of itunes through the hooked up speakers it sounds ok. However, when I play through Traktor Pro via my Numark Omni Control it sounds much much richer and heavier. Does this just mean that the soundcard in the Omni Control is better than the one in my desktop pc? If so, should I get a better soundcard put in the desktop to improve the source?
Carl
I don't know what speakers you have or how they are connected, so could not really comment on why differences exist in the sound, but the AEX is a good way of providing a wireless way to play your music.
Mac mini > AVI ADM9Ts