Tunes, Man.

I was just watching some of the videos I have posted here, while at a house where I am currently storing my heavy-duty home theater gear, set up. I have my laptop connected to it, and I decided several things:

1) People's audio standards seem to be (temporarily) cast back to late AM/early FM days.

2) What type of audio system you have makes a big difference in the experience.

3) There is a huge marketing segment here.

4) I wanted to showcase my "stuff" and thought this would be a good place to share ideas and thoughts on equipment.

I'm going to work under the assumption that most people are listening to their audio mostly in these ways:(I'm in a listing sort of mood today) Crappy laptop speakers, Crappy desktop speakers, an iPod on a preset eq and with the crappy bud earphones, a car stereo which has never been adjusted properly, an iPod dock with crappy speakers, and a home theater system that isn't maximized. If it's a couple and there's a guy around, this may not be the case, but if it's a single woman: forget it. I don't think I've ever been in a woman's car where the stereo was set anywhere near what it should. Bass:+10, Treble: -4, Fader: 10, Balance: 3, etc... I'm not an audio engineer, but I can play with them enough to get something that makes instruments sound like they should, even on a much larger scale. If you're gonna listen to it, at least take a few seconds and adjust your settings so they sound like you like them to, if not for yourself, for your passengers. This research is based on being left in a girl's car to wait, and after waiting for 10 times the length of time promised, having to go ahead and adjust their stereos for them, after going through their glove box of course.

But listening to "Orinoco Flow" on my home system vs. my laptop speakers, which aren't bad for laptop speakers, it's like hearing 2 different songs. One version makes you yawn; the other gives you goosebumps.

OK; what I have: Energy Encore 5.1 speakers which are really nice speakers. They're made in Canada and just have a weak marketing department, because these speakers shred. I actually saw an Energy subwoofer for sale in Costco the other day, so I hope they're starting to penetrate the U.S. market more. They were really hard to find when I bought them about 9 years ago. I would place them in the low-high end category, having seen $60,000 speakers in my quest for the best, in my price range which was around $1500.

To spare the agony, I scoured everything I could to review speakers. I landed on these and got them for $999, brand new.I get deals on everything I can. I got my television from Sears, before they wised up on the price-matching promotion. I found one online from a guy basically selling them out of a truck, took it into Sears and after a string of managers inspected it, got a $2400 TV for $1200. That was in the days when that was obscene. Although tempting, I'm not sure how much I would spend on a top of the line monitor, because they are becoming outdated in an exponential fashion. That seems to be a trend with an exponential amount of products lately, too.

Anyway, they have been discontinued. But I would give Energy a look. Cheesy name, I know, but they are a great deal and seem to be built to last.

I've owned a Best-Buy's worth of computer speakers. For the most part, they've sucked. Computer speakers aren't exactly bank-busters, so I, of course, researched these ad infinitum as well. I bought a Klipsh 2.1 ProMedia system. I've owned Klipsh loudspeakers before, which were stolen from me in Atlanta, and I know Klipsh makes great stuff, and is great for jazzy horns and all that. These speakers, which must be broken in and separate monster cables purchased for, blow any others away, in clarity and volume. Of course I'm not including gaming setups that I would imagine some strange humans own. Just speakers that normal people would have at their office.

They are in I.R. right now, pending death. Not long after discovering my ex-girlfriend's 5 year old daughter punched in the paper cones in the mids, the left channel went out. I suspect the cable connection to the subwoofer, which is known for being a piece of Chinese crap. But it's my female connector, which means I have to crack the sub open (about 100 screws) and it looks like will involve soldering (my ex-brother in law stole my soldering iron and solder) and just a general PITA.

But, I have headphones! For those times when you don't care if you look like a total loser, and want to hear something closely and/or dangerously loud. I have Sennheiser HD-595s which are ridiculous looking and expensive. But they sound great and are comfortable to wear. I have an apartment in Tuscaloosa at school, and although I have a Sony Dream System (I bought that for another great deal-it's a very good and easy to set up system, but discontinued as well)sometimes I actually have enough free time to watch a movie, and want to blow my mind. These will do it. They set up a sound stage that's unbelievable. But as you may imagine, aren't practical for bringing on the commute.

I have amassed quite a representation of Sony products. They make a lot of stuff, and I have a lot of the stuff they make. I think their nicer products are well-built and nice looking, and their low end offerings are just crap like the rest. Sony isn't cheap, but I have a Sony desk radio from the 70's that still works like a charm from our old beach house. It's a trouper. And their TVs are tanks, and weigh as much. I own a tube Sony, and it's 150 lbs. 32". I had looked at getting a bigscreen Sony, and it weighed 300. Something to think about it you move a lot. Or ever. Their laptops are very appealing to me, but I've never been able to find the value in the difference in price. Sony's invariably are more expensive.

I put a Sony head unit in a Volvo I owned, which was just a low-end unit to replace the crapped out one that came in it. These days, manufacturers have caught on that a nice audio system helps sell cars, so it's not as much of a concern. When I was young, there was a big market for aftermarket stereo systems, because the stuff that came in them, except for the luxury brands such as Mercedes, was pure garbage. And the dealer would try to charge you $1000 or more for these things. Two paper cone speakers in the back, which would be dried out and rotten in a year from the southern Sun, and one in front. Then, 2 in front, and finally, when they really poured on the luxury, 2 in the kickpanels. It wasn't until the early 90's I think before cars had passable systems. I actually have had 2 cars that had only one speaker in the center of the dash: BMW and VW. Although I drove an MG-GBT for a long while that, although probably pretty nice when it was new in 1974, only had one speaker as well. Ironically, the only other stereo I've upgraded was in a Porsche. Germans. I switch cars a lot, too.

But I hope technology starts to catch up and brings low-priced, high-end audio to the masses. In the meantime, please don't settle for what is ever the standard.

And always adjust your settings!