Reviewing Maxell Digital Studio Series Headphones

Since music has become more personalized and portable, headphones have become an even more important audio purchase.  One of the first things I did upon assembling my vintage stereo was buy some headphones so that we could listen to music with a modicum of privacy.  Of course, this is the Dirt Cheap Audio Blog, so I bought my headphones from the best audiophile suppliers in the community:  RiteAid and Kmart.

The Kmart headphones were Maxell Digital Studio Series headphones.  I found them attractive because they have 40mm drivers.  Plus, they were on sale for less than $30.  To me, they sounded pretty good.  But, they were rather uncomfortable due to the padded center piece in the middle (see picture) that presses down on the top of your head. 

Ultimately, I decided to cut that center piece off in the interest of comfort.  The headphones still sound good, but they feel much flimsier.  It'll be interesting to see how they hold up.  If you'd like to buy some, they are dirt cheap on Amazon.com.

Looking on Amazon.com, I see that they Maxell AMP-B Heavy Bass headphones get much better reviews and are in that magical dirt cheap $20 price range.

A Dirt Cheap Stereo Deal - Sherwood Stereo Receiver for $84!

This is just a quick post to let you in on a dirt cheap two channel stereo receiver deal.  This week Amazon.com has a Sherwood RX-4109 105 Watt Stereo Receiver (Black) on sale for only $84.  According to the product description, the receiver actually delivers 105 watts per channel.  It also has a 30 station pre-sets and a sleep timer.  It looks like a nice deal on a basic two channel stereo.


If you are in the market for a dirt cheap stereo receiver, you might want to jump on this deal.  According to Amazon, this is about $56 off of the regular price.  I think this one has been discounted to about $104 for a couple of months.  But, this Sherwood Stereo price is the lowest that I've seen.  I'm not sure how long this price will last.

Building Your Dream Stereo - One Piece at a Time

The one great joy of having a component stereo system is that you can improve it over time. You can buy one piece at a time until you have build something truly wonderful. You could buy one speaker now and buy another when your budget permits. If you are looking for "the best" speakers, you may want to look at truly great speakers from names like Definitive Technologies or Martin Logan.

Stereo System Lessons from Audiophiles

Stereo Nuts Can Teach the Rest of Us About Sound Systems

I've been hanging out for awhile on audiophile forums and blogs. I've been thinking about stereos.  I think I've picked up some important lessons about stereos and stereo equipment along the way.

While I still can't make sense of terms like "fresh" and "full bodied" when it comes to stereo sound, here are a few things that I have learned:

If you hang out in enough audiophile Internet forums and read enough audiophile blogs, you'll eventually learn a few things that can help you set up your normal person stereo and enjoy your normal person music. Here are seven lessons we can all learn from those stereo nuts called audiophiles:

1. Lesson 1- Don't Be An Audiophile. Audiophiles are tortured souls. They tweak their systems endlessly and constantly re-arrange their lives, their finances, and their living spaces in pursuit of perfect sound reproduction. When they finally get their perfect system created, they find that sometimes imperfect commercial music recordings sound terrible.

2.. Lesson 2 - Music Genre Matters. Audiophiles enjoy music that will allow the full range of sound to come to their ears. Classical music and jazz are often the preferred genres of audiophiles because of the wide variety of instruments brought to bear in a composition. Those of us who relish other genres like pop, rock, and rap get more enjoyment from beat and rhythm. If my wife is dancing around the house, then our stereo is working properly.

3. Lesson 3 - Speaker Placement Is Important. Ideally, speakers should be placed at ear level. This generally means speaker stands. You don't want to block speakers with furniture and other obstructions. If you place speakers close to walls, you will deepen bass. If you move them away from walls, you'll diminish the bass. In most cases, you'll want to aim speakers so that the sound converges on the spot where you'll most likely be listening.


4. Lesson 4 - Room Furnishings Affect Sound. Hard furniture, hard floors, and hard walls will cause sound to be reflected. While soft furnishings, carpets, and tapestries, absorb sound. When placing speakers you want to strike a balance between sound reflecting and sound absorbing materials.

5. Lesson 5. Buy Quality. Audiophiles like to buy the highest quality stereo components they can in hopes of accurately reproducing music. If they can't get the highest quality new stereo system, they will seek out vintage stereo equipment with an excellent reputation for good sound or they will incrementally build a system by buying one high quality piece at a time.

6. Lesson 6. It's Not About Power. Audiophiles are not swayed by the power ratings of stereo receivers or amplifiers. For them, it is all about accurate sound reproduction. " Essentially," according to audiocognoscenti.com, "high-end audio tries to achieve the goal of reproducing the recorded music perfectly as it was meant to be heard." You don't necessarily need a powerful stereo and speaker system to accomplish the goal of accurate sound reproduction. On his Cheap Audiophile blog, Kent Smith shows that with efficient speakers, you don't need a lot of power to produce a borderline uncomfortable 100 decibals of sound.

7. Lesson 7. You Can Fix and Improve Stereo Speakers. Audiophiles aren't all impractical sissies. Many can roll up their sleeves and work on stereo equipment. For example, when the foam surrounding a speaker deteriorates, a serious audiophile might get a kit from a supplier like Parts Express and "re-foam" it. You can also add sound absorbing material to speaker cabinets or even build stereo speakers from a kit or from your own design. The internet is awash with instructions and how to videos about stereo speakers.


If you avoid becoming totally obsessed with stereo equipment, you can learn a lot of useful information from audiophiles and you'll end up with better sound from your own stereo and AV equipment.  Fortunately, you don't have to give into the dark side and become a full-fledged "spend a hundred thousand on a listing room" audiophile to learn a few things about how to choose new stereo equipment and how to set up your home stereo.

Sources:
Steven Stone, "Is Sound Quality Genre-Related?" Audiophilereview.com. July 31, 2013.
"Tips for Audiophile Beginners," www.audiocognoscenti.com
Kent Smith, "More Power Scotty!" www.cheapaudiophile.com, August 10, 2013.
"How to Optimize Speaker Performance." www.howstuffworks.com


Photo:   By Frank Kovalchek from Anchorage, Alaska, USA [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Bookshelf Speakers Under $100

I've been looking at bookshelf speakers on Amazon.com for several months.  I'm not sure why.  I think it is a compulsion.  I read the Amazon and other reviews and I wonder if I should replace my old Sony speakers.  

I'd like my internet addiction to be of some benefit to humanity so I've decided to put together a round up bookshelf speakers that you can buy for less than $100.  Here is the run-down on the leading sub-$100 bookshelf speakers:

Micca Motion Series MB42 Bookshelf Speakers - Retailing for approximately $60, these traditional two-way speakers get rave reviews with very few negatives.  There is a very nice review on the Micca MB42 speakers at Budgetphile.com.

  
According to Budgetphile, these speakers outperform competing Sony SSB-1000 bookshelf speakers.
 

Dayton B652 Bookshelf Speakers - At $51.99, the Dayton B652 Bookshelf Speakers have been the darling of critics for the past year or so.  However, reviews have been declining since this summer.  Apparently Dayton changed their winning formula for cheaper components and people have been less happy with these speakers in recent months.  Dayton needs to change back to their original formula and let people know that deficiencies have been corrected.

Sony SS-B1000 Bookshelf Speakers - If you need some speakers, Sony has them for about $68.00 on Amazon and for similar prices at your local Walmart.  These are some of the best selling speakers on Amazon and people are generally happy with them.  If you read the reviews closely, you'll quickly realize that these aren't audiophile speakers.  But, they offer solid performance at their price point.  Plus, if you like immediate gratification, you can just drive over to Walmart and get them today.

Technical Pro SPH5 Bookshelf Speakers - These speakers are 120 Watt speakers with 8 ohms resistance.  They have a five inch woofer and 3 inch tweeter.  At $39.99, these speakers have an unbeatable price point.  However, there are only two reviews on Amazon.com.  Since those reviews are both five star, these speakers might be worth taking a risk on.  If you are looking for dirt cheap speakers, they are a good deal.

Pioneer SP-BS21-LR Bookshelf Speakers - These two-way Pioneer speakers offer attractive looks at a good price.  For less than $70, these speakers are a great deal. However, these are 6 ohm speakers.  Some reviewers have also complained about a lack of treble.  You might be better servered looking at the audiophile quality Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Andrew Jones designed Bookshelf Speakers.  I think I would watch for the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR speakers to go on sale or buy them used.

As much as I like my thrift store speakers, it's also exciting to have so many nice speaker choices in the sub-$100 price range.   Just be careful.  Speakers are the most important part of your system.

Beware of the Fake Tweeter

When it comes to low end audio gear, I don't have unrealistic expectations.  The product you buy has to be a good value in its price range.  When you are paying less than $50 for a mini stereo, you aren't getting audiophile gear.  However, I've noticed a trend among low end audio gear makes that I don't really don't like - fake tweeters and fake bass ports. 

Magnavox Mini Stereo with 3 CD Changer

My Magnavox MAS85 Compact Stereo with 3-disc CD changer appears to have fake tweeters and fake base ports.  Another system with fake tweeters molded into the speaker design is my GPX HM3817DTBK Micro System with Remote and AM/FM Radio.  For less than $40, it's not a bad value.  But, these fake non-functional styling cues are rather deceptive.

My next logical question is obvious - Can I upgrade a system like this with better speakers?  The answer is yes.  If I can find some bookshelf speakers with 8 ohm impedance and less than 50 Watts of power, I should be able to use them instead of these speakers with non-functional styling cues.  This would probably be a good use of some vintage Realistic Minimus 7 speakers.

These popular Dayton speakers have 6 ohms of impedance:

These Sony speakers have 8 ohms of impedance, but might not get enough power from my mini-system:

I'll probably test my mini system with 50 watt Sony bookshelf speakers that I have on hand before making any purchase.

The Purpose of Your Stereo Receiver

What is the purpose of your stereo receiver?  It's generally to receive radio signals from the airwaves and from your stereo components and to drive your speakers so that you can hear the music.  If the music sounds good to you, do you know what to do next?

NOTHING!

If you are happy with the way your system sounds and your stereo handles all of your sound sources successfully, you don't have to buy anything at all.  You can kick back, relax, and expand your music collection.

The secret to dirt cheap audio is simply build one system that meets your needs and then stop.  Be happy.  You don't have to buy anything new until a component fails or your needs change.

If you follow this maxim, you may initially pay a little more for a receiver that meets all your needs, but then you'll keep it for years and years.  If you buy a receiver that makes you happy and you keep it for decades, then it truly was a bargain.

Entry level stereo receivers start at about $100.  There is no limit to the cost of a high end unit, but many highly respected brands offer stereo receivers for less than $500.  For example, this Harmon Kardon 3490 120-Watt Stereo receiver sells for less than $400 on Amazon.com. 

Three Ways to Get A $50 Stereo

A Guide to Buying a Stereo for Less Than $50 

There is no reason for the music to stop just because you are broke.  When it comes to stereo equipment, if there is a will there is a way.  For example, you could build a stereo around a mini amplifier like this one:




I've had great luck finding stereo equipment for less than $50.  I have two compact stereos and a full-sized component stereo and all cost less than $50.

Here are three ways to buy a stereo for less than $50:

At some point, everyone wants a nice stereo. But, there are limits to every family budget. Sometimes a luxury like a stereo can seem like an impossible dream. In a chronically under-employed America, a stereo can seem like a far away dream. Fortunately, with a little perseverance and good, old-fashioned, ingenuity, you can put together a pretty decent little stereo for $50 or less. The $50 price point is so low that many people can afford it by a few simple changes in their budget, a few sales on ebay, mowing a lawn or two, or cashing in that change jar.

Once you have $50, here are three ways to spend it on stereo equipment:

1. Bookshelf Mini System. If you are a plug and play, cash and carry, buy it and be done kind of person, a mini stereo is a perfect solution. Look for economical systems by Coby, GPX, Supersonic, and Jensen. If you have $50, you can just go to Kmart and pick up a nice little mini stereo like the GPX Home Music System with CD player. It has an AM/FM tuner, a vertical CD player, and accepts external inputs from a device earphone jack or an RCA stereo cable. That allows you to play music from an MP3 player or attach a stereo device like a turntable. The little system isn't overly loud, but puts out nice, clear, sound that is adequate for a bedroom, dorm room, or office. It also has a plug for headphones or ear buds. I found it an easy way to stream music from my Barnes & Noble Nook.

2. Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi Fi Amplifier & Bookshelf Speakers Combination. If you are a bit more adventurish and you already have a sound source like a computer, tablet, or MP3 player, you might get a stereo with a little more power by ordering a Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi Fi Audio Mini Amplifier and computer speakers. I was intrigued by this system when I first saw it on the RetroThing Blog. For less than $25 on Amazon.com, you can get a small mini amplifier that is great for bookshelf speakers. The mini amp is a jump in power over most of the mini systems and gets you 20 watts of power for powering some decent speakers. Of course, finding speakers for less than $27.50 is a challenge. Right now, you can get a pair of Pyle Home PCB3BK 3-Inch 100-Watt Mini Cube Bookshelf Speakers - Pair (Black) for less than $30 at Amazon.com. These 4-star rated speakers should be perfect for a small system and would be right at home on a full-sized stereo.



3. Thrift Store Stereo. If you like the thrill of the hunt, nothing beats rummaging through thrift stores for old bookshelf or component stereo systems. There is definitely an art to buying stereos at thrift shops, but with a little luck you can probably find a receiver and a couple of speakers for less than $50. Alternatively, complete mini systems can be found for between $20 and $50. I've bought and enjoyed very solid bookshelf systems from Aiwa and Magnavox at thrift stores for less than $50 each. Both had AM/FM tuners, multi-disc CD changers, and dual cassette decks. I was able to build a full-sized stereo with amplifier, tuner, and speakers for less than $40.

If you want a stereo, there are bargains to be found. Cost shouldn't stop the music!

Sources:
Amazon.com
www.retrothing.com