A photo of your Squeezebox setup (please)

[mauidan]

Now where did I put that box?

[slimpy]

Here's my living room setup:
SB2 platinum, receiver and dvd inside sideboard (ir receivers
brought out through bottom) and three small cactuses in a defunct
'70s toaster

-s.

[Mark Lanctot]

Now where did I put that box?

Umm...I think you voided the warranty on that one. :-P

[nicky6]

Bloomin'eck!

10/10 or originality, 0/10 for ergonomics

What's seen so far among these pictures and on the web ("tests" of the sound of the Sonic Impact and the Squeezeboxes), I think that it's surprising to see so many people spending lots of dough on equipment and don't invest the time or money to make them play correct. Near cabinets filled with loose, "tingling" (don't know the word for the sound when small piece of metal rattle when they're loose) accessoires that will sound as soon as you walk by the cabinet and will really shake when playing music. Speakers close to walls, centre speakers underneatch cabinets, etc. etc.

This is no flame, but I was just surprised... My Mission 780's (rated best speaker sub 1000 UKP in 2002 by What Hifi, so it's quite a cheap speaker) cost approx 500 USD at the time and the stands an extra 200 (and the ceramic spikes an extra 100), but they sound quite different depending on where I put them (and when I put them on good stands and good spikes on the stands). Let alone the subwoofer (the 780's only go down to 65Hz), which I moved around in 10cm increments forever to get the best sound. No loose acessoires near my stereo system, except the odd remote on the table. A "tapestry" (don't know the english word for a cloth haning on the wall) on the side wall, a big sofa etc. and I've moved them all around to get the best sound possible. It's such a big difference in the sound compared to just putting them in each corner of the room, beside the side walls or close to the back walls, near a cabinet filled with loose bits, etc.
I promise you that some of you would get much more value for your money if you played around with your current setups.

[slimpy]

What's seen so far among these pictures and on the web ("tests" of the sound of the Sonic Impact and the Squeezeboxes), I think that it's surprising to see so many people spending lots of dough on equipment and don't invest the time or money to make them play correct. Near cabinets filled with loose, "tingling" (don't know the word for the sound when small piece of metal rattle when they're loose) accessoires that will sound as soon as you walk by the cabinet and will really shake when playing music. Speakers close to walls, centre speakers underneatch cabinets, etc. etc.

This is no flame, but I was just surprised... My Mission 780's (rated best speaker sub 1000 UKP in 2002 by What Hifi, so it's quite a cheap speaker) cost approx 500 USD at the time and the stands an extra 200 (and the ceramic spikes an extra 100), but they sound quite different depending on where I put them (and when I put them on good stands and good spikes on the stands). Let alone the subwoofer (the 780's only go down to 65Hz), which I moved around in 10cm increments forever to get the best sound. No loose acessoires near my stereo system, except the odd remote on the table. A "tapestry" (don't know the english word for a cloth haning on the wall) on the side wall, a big sofa etc. and I've moved them all around to get the best sound possible. It's such a big difference in the sound compared to just putting them in each corner of the room, beside the side walls or close to the back walls, near a cabinet filled with loose bits, etc.
I promise you that some of you would get much more value for your money if you played around with your current setups.

If I had a seperate room just for audio listening I guess I would do what you suggest and might even buy some decent equipment. But if you just have one room for watching tv, listening to music, reading, having drinks with friends, etc. there are some other factors that are more important than the best possible sound from your equipment. And if you have a wife or girlfriend who doesn't really care if your music plays as mp3 or in a lossless format it is really hard to justify speakers standing in the middle of the room just because it sounds better (not to mention buying spikes for a 100)! IMHO a great setup is not just what you here but also what you see. Sometimes it is just not as simple as putting your speakers in the right place.

-s.

[nicky6]

Slimpy, I agree with you - actually I don't either have a special listening room. It's my living room. What made me write was seeing some guys with speakers for zillion of pounds/dollars in front of a floor glass window, or next to a cabinet filled with small items or glasses, just makes me think where the priorities for some lies - in showing others that they have an expensive setup and therefor can call themselves audiophiles, or to get good quality sound? Sorry that I mentioned floor-mounted center speakers (it's just because I saw your picture and that was another compromise I could come up with. I brought it up because of my lack of imagination I guess ). I know myself it can be a hard time finding place for that one. Especially with a flat-TV like you have. Not very much WAF when mounting a 20cm thick log above or beneath the LCS/Plasma

And the spikes - I actually think it was a bargain thinking of what it made for the sound (when comparing 500+100 for my 780's with these spikes or another system at 600 w/o these spikes). The difference wasn't huge, but noticable. They're built like a spike inside a flat foot, so my wooden floor won't get ruined.

btw, I finally found the link to the spikes: http://www.soundcare.no/

[Sir G]

Here's one of my SB3s (the other one is in my office where I unfortunately spend most of my time)

[Robin Bowes]

nicky6 said the following on 12/01/2006 08:38:
> A "tapestry" (don't know the english word for a cloth haning on the
> wall) on the side wall

That would be a "wall hanging".

R.
--
http://robinbowes.com

If a man speaks in a forest,
and his wife's not there,
is he still wrong?

[Jetlag]

Here's one of my SB3s (the other one is in my office where I unfortunately spend most of my time)

Nice NADs!

[Sir G]

Yeah, good WAF too ...