The ask Tin about audio thread

Birdie2000 said:
Ok, so here's an odd one. A buddy has an AppleTV as his sole source to his tv. He wants to hook up a 2.1 audio setup using existing speakers/sub, but needs a way to power them. He doesn't need source switching or processing, just literally a way to power them. The kicker is, he doesn't have room for a full HT receiver and he wants to keep volume control on the AppleTV remote. If he uses optical output, he loses volume control. If he uses HDMI, he keeps volume control via CEC, however there seem to be no amps/receivers that accept HDMI/CEC that aren't full-sized home theater receivers. Basically he's looking for a T-Amp with HDMI input and CEC control, or a way to accomplish the same thing using a generic mini-amp. He also would prefer to not buy a sound bar.

Any ideas??
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I don't think there are any small stereo amplifiers with HDMI inputs. For a component to use HDMI, it has to be licensed to the manufacturer, generally at a rate of tens of thousands of dollars per year. This is why you don't see too many small outfits using HDMI on their components due to the very high licensing costs involved. Depending on how much he wants to spend, I'd look at something like the Emotiva Fusion Flex https://emotiva.com/products/amplifiers/fusion-flex and pair it with a FiiO D03K DAC https://www.parts-express.com/fiio-d03k-coaxial-optical-dac-digital-analog-converter--230-120 He could then simply disable CEC and audio on his HDMI connection and do everything through the amplifier. If he has a learning universal remote, he could set it so it works with both the Apple TV and amplifier.
 
Thanks, that makes sense. He specifically wants to use the AppleTV remote, for which any receiver with HDMI-CEC compatibility would work. There's just nothing like this that is physically smaller than a full HT receiver and doesn't come with its own speakers of some sort.
 
Birdie2000 said:
Thanks, that makes sense. He specifically wants to use the AppleTV remote, for which any receiver with HDMI-CEC compatibility would work. There's just nothing like this that is physically smaller than a full HT receiver and doesn't come with its own speakers of some sort.
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How much room does he have to work with? Generally, in space constrained area I'd recommend a Marantz Slimline receiver. They do run about $400 to $500, but they're also about half the height of a standard AVR.
 
Absolutely none, lol. He's also building a full HT setup in his basement with a 120" projector and will have an equipment rack almost directly below his living room which is where he needs the amp in question. I suggested to him that he just use a normal HT receiver but remotely locate it in that equipment rack since the cables won't really be that long due to the close proximity, the AppleTV is the only source so no need for source switching, and the CEC will control the volume as needed. The only possible hiccup is if the CEC doesn't turn on/off the receiver, but in the meantime I think that's the plan. Thanks for the feedback!
 
As soon as I plug my sub in, it fires up LOUD and constant. .......

Could it be because i have a 2 prong female imput on the sub, and a 3 prong going into the wall with the ground hooked up?

I used a 3 prong power supply cord, and the sub only has 2 prongs.
 
347convert said:
As soon as I plug my sub in, it fires up LOUD and constant. .......

Could it be because i have a 2 prong female imput on the sub, and a 3 prong going into the wall with the ground hooked up?

I used a 3 prong power supply cord, and the sub only has 2 prongs.
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It's possible. Any way you can try a 2-prong?
 
Apologies if my inquiry has been previously addressed: Bluetooth speaker in the $150-300 range.
Just something to export the audio to from my iPhone or MacAir when I'm downstairs putzing around..
Thank-you in advance. (TIA)
 
 
mdhmi said:
Apologies if my inquiry has been previously addressed: Bluetooth speaker in the $150-300 range.
Just something to export the audio to from my iPhone or MacAir when I'm downstairs putzing around..
Thank-you in advance. (TIA)
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The JBL units are pretty good for the money. Other options you might want to consider if you already have a sound system, Apple TV or Airport Express. They both support Airplay and will have a much further distance due to wifi instead of using bluetooth.
 
Tin said:
The JBL units are pretty good for the money. Other options you might want to consider if you already have a sound system, Apple TV or Airport Express. They both support Airplay and will have a much further distance due to wifi instead of using bluetooth.
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:spend: :gossip:, I might know a guy.
 
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Tin. do you do much in the way of car audio at all? trying to add a sub/amp to my stock stereo on my 2014 silverado. but i need to get a line Output Converter. not sure on who has a good one but i know some of them tend to have a little extra noise and im trying to avoid that. any help would be appreciated it

thanks
 
kammi10 said:
Tin. do you do much in the way of car audio at all? trying to add a sub/amp to my stock stereo on my 2014 silverado. but i need to get a line Output Converter. not sure on who has a good one but i know some of them tend to have a little extra noise and im trying to avoid that. any help would be appreciated it

thanks
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I'm not very well versed in car audio aside from speaker science being universal. I do know that some vehicles have radios with proprietary junk in them that can hinder aftermarket goods though :lol: There are a few here that are pretty good with it, such as BigWheelinBubba and moneypit. Might wanna drop one of them a PM.
 
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If you really want to get serious and correct all the junk the factory may be processing, JL Audio and other vendors have devices that will do so, but you're looking at several hundred dollars.

I haven't tested any of the newest GM stereos, but from what I've seen in the 2005-2010 stuff GM mainly boosts bass at lower volumes then it flattens out around 50% volume. Assuming you don't have anything fancy like a Bose system, I'd just tap into the leads of the individual speaker that plays the lowest in the vehicle, or if you can, right at the rear speaker outputs of the Head Unit (assuming there's no factory amp and that the radio puts out a strong enough signal), then run any decent run-of-the-mill LOC on it and see where you're at. Might want to do some research on fullsizechevy.com or diymobileaudio.com to see if anyone else has installed in a similar vehicle. The LOC I was referring to before which is about as good as you're going to get without spending a bunch is this:

http://davidnavone.com/product/n-rhl2-2-channel-50-watt-per-channel-line-output-converter/
 
I hope you see this soon and can give me some advice.

I have been looking for a pair of nice speakers while here in Japan and came across a set of JBL 4343s.

They seem like they are in good condition, walnut veneer but a few chips on the corners, nothing major. I pulled the grille off one of them and the speaker foams look in good shape, maybe they have been replaced but not sure. They are at a 2nd hand shop and there is limited info, one guy I spoke to there didn't speak English well. The for sale tag says they are from 1976. They are marked at about 3500 for the pair but I have a 20% off coupon that is good for this weekend.

What are these worth and are they something that I should snatch up due to the rarity? They have been at the shop for 3 months now and I would love to grab them but I am in way over my head with the details on these and what could be done with/to them.
 
JBL 4343s are great speakers, and that's a good price for them. From what I've seen, they average around $4000 for a nicer pair. Make sure you listen to them before you buy, because these are old school studio monitors. Studio monitors characteristically have a near flat response and are very unforgiving. If you're listening to something poorly mastered, you'll know right away. Well mastered tracks will sound amazing. These are speakers that make you break out the good vinyl or high resolution lossless audio tracks. Lossy audio such as MP3s stand a good chance of making your ears bleed :lol:
 
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