A Whole New Appreciation....

BaggedLancer
BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
edited January 2008 in The Clubhouse
Well, last night I had a pretty interesting experience. Went to a party with some of my 22-24 y/o college friends and fortunately/unfortunately was graced with having to listen all night to an iPod with 128kbps downloaded rips hooked up to something like this:
logitech.jpg

It was playing full volume, bass all the way up for hours upon hours last night. Many songs came on that I own myself and no joke, I swear they were missing instruments. It had to be one of the worst sounding setups I have ever heard and I thought my ears were going to start bleeding every time someone went for the volume knob.

I couldn't wait to get out of there after the ball dropped, it was just that bad. Now that I'm used to hearing what music really is it gave me a whole new appreciation for the time and dedication that people put into setting up their rigs whether they are into vinyl, cassettes, CD's, or lossless mp3's.

I wish this experience happens to no one on this forum(well, maybe a few of you, you suck) and it really was eye/ear opener to what some people would call "sounds great!" One person even complemented how good it sounded. Soon as I came home I got the 2ch rig warmed up and had to replay the majority of the songs from the night just to get the memory out of my head of what happened to what was great music.

The sad thing is they used this computer speaker setup hooked up to their TV for 2.1 sound as well. :(

Just sharing my bit of audio non-nirvana(until I got home that is).

BL
Post edited by BaggedLancer on
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Comments

  • woofiepaws
    woofiepaws Posts: 215
    edited January 2008
    The scary thing is, someday they will upgrade to Bose. And be happy.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,951
    edited January 2008
    Sorry to hear that,had some of the same stuff happen to me a few times.The thing that kills me is....these people like that sound.Dunno if it's the generation thing or what.You are not cool unless you have an IPOD or play music thru your computer.And this is the area most big company's cater to??No wounder hi-fi is on a slippery slope.Makes me want to stay home more.Makes me glad though,someone of your age,and a few others here,know what music should sound like,and dig it.I don't often come across yougsters with a nice rig for music.Enjoy the fruits of your labor and forgetaboutit.
    HT SYSTEM-
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  • MillerLiteScott
    MillerLiteScott Posts: 2,561
    edited January 2008
    The party I went to last night had a @$24.99 cd boombox sitting on the floor in a corner for music. I went out side and listen to the fire in the fire pit. It had a warmer more natural sound.

    Scott
    I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D
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  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited January 2008
    I bet it looked nicer too MLS.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2008
    My roommate had that setup last semester. I think it was a pair of Logitech Z-530 or X-530.
    polkaudio RT35 Bookshelves
    polkaudio 255c-RT Inwalls
    polkaudio DSWPro550WI
    polkaudio XRT12 XM Tuner
    polkaudio RM6750 5.1

    Front projection, 2 channel, car audio... life is good!
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,600
    edited January 2008
    It's hardly a new thing. Most people never hear a good system. Or care.
    And with surround sound, you can now spend thousands for crappy sound
    instead of a couple of hundred. It's hard for the average American
    to justify spending the time, money, and effort to get good sound.
    But once you're hooked, you're hooked. Kinda like a bad crack habit.
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited January 2008
    appadv wrote: »
    My roommate had that setup last semester. I think it was a pair of Logitech Z-530 or X-530.

    Can you still hear?
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,806
    edited January 2008
    Last time I had a party, I had the SDA's cranked in the listening room with the door open and you could still hear it and feel it through the whole house. One day I'll have some REAL power behind the Carvers and they will be christened by a party and rumbling the foundation too!
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2008
    BaggedLancer wrote: »
    Can you still hear?

    No, he blasted those things at MAX volume for days. All I remember is that they distorted a lot at those volume levels...it hurt my ears.
    polkaudio RT35 Bookshelves
    polkaudio 255c-RT Inwalls
    polkaudio DSWPro550WI
    polkaudio XRT12 XM Tuner
    polkaudio RM6750 5.1

    Front projection, 2 channel, car audio... life is good!
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  • Rivrrat
    Rivrrat Posts: 2,101
    edited January 2008
    How many of them had insanely expensive thumping car systems in some old POS?
    My equipment sig felt inadequate and deleted itself.
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited January 2008
    If there is A. booze and B. babes....who gives a $hit about the quality of the stereo?

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited January 2008
    TroyD wrote: »
    If there is A. booze and B. babes....who gives a $hit about the quality of the stereo?

    BDT

    There was A. Booze......but no B. Babes....the only women came as a couple...not a single woman in the party :(.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,982
    edited January 2008
    No amount of booze and babes will change the sound of instruments you can't hear.

    I hear you bro'. I had the same experience with a buddy of mine's so-called rig last New Year's. It felt refreshing to go home and listen to what music is supposed to sound like.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited January 2008
    Tom, I'm gonna have to agree....I guess you could call it a pet peeve at this point. Getting used to hearing things that all of a sudden disappear it becomes insanely annoying very quickly.

    And like I said before...there was no babes other than looking but no touching.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2008
    Oh BTW, these things hurt my ears.
    polkaudio RT35 Bookshelves
    polkaudio 255c-RT Inwalls
    polkaudio DSWPro550WI
    polkaudio XRT12 XM Tuner
    polkaudio RM6750 5.1

    Front projection, 2 channel, car audio... life is good!
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited January 2008
    I've found that a few tugs on a handle of Beam smooths out frequency response in a big way.

    No babes? Was this a 'party' or a Physics club or Debate team gathering?...which I guess is sort of social. Dimented and sad, but social.

    I'm REALLY beggining to wonder. :D

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited January 2008
    haha Troy...it was a party...but there was like 10 couples.........and then there was me.

    Part of my why my new years resolution for 2008 is to not be single next holiday season. It sucks. :(
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited January 2008
    Getcha a handle of Beam and a bottle choloform....and you will make a lot of new friends.

    Worked for me.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited January 2008
    BaggedLancer wrote: »
    haha Troy...it was a party...but there was like 10 couples.........and then there was me.

    Part of my why my new years resolution for 2008 is to not be single next holiday season. It sucks. :(

    Back in my hedonistic days the women who came as couples were the great one nighters!:D;)
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  • wallstreet
    wallstreet Posts: 1,405
    edited January 2008
    Yea, I've been to a party like that before except it was the Bose cubes. It was blowing distortion so bad by the end of the night it hurt me to see a speaker go through such disgrace. Then the wife remarks on how cute they are and that we should by one. Sorry honey, we'll just have to pass on this high infidelity.
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  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited January 2008
    The party I was at had an Oinker 605 pushing Polk RTi4's all night at loud volume with no distortion. They sounded great.
    Never Forget
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  • MillerLiteScott
    MillerLiteScott Posts: 2,561
    edited January 2008
    I went to 3 houses 1 night @ 2 weeks ago for a Christmas Progressive Dinner party hosted by mostly 30 somethings and the best sound producing apparatus was a toss up between a 1980's JVC CD mini system and an iPod playing through one of those JBL circle speaker things.

    Rockin'
    I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D
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  • bobman1235
    bobman1235 Posts: 10,822
    edited January 2008
    The party I was at had friends and games and laughs and fun times. Who really gives a **** how the music sounded?

    I love me some nice, clear-sounding music but I'm certainly not gonna let my night be ruined by some crappy speakers. Honestly, I think some of us have gotten a little too wrapped up in this hobby.
    If you will it, dude, it is no dream.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited January 2008
    Any more when I listen to a crappy system it just hurts and I have to walk away. I claim snob status when it happens. :D
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,982
    edited January 2008
    bobman1235 wrote: »
    Honestly, I think some of us have gotten a little too wrapped up in this hobby.
    I don't think so. Good sound is good, bad sound is bad. Why the hell would anybody want to listen to bad sound? I don't want listen to CD's that sound bad. I don't want to listen to a rig that sounds bad, just like I don't want to smell someone's ****.

    Preferences.

    Wrapped up? I think not. Picky? Eh, maybe. Let it ruin my night? Never.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • tommyboy
    tommyboy Posts: 1,414
    edited January 2008
    BaggedLancer wrote: »
    I couldn't wait to get out of there after the ball dropped, it was just that bad. Now that I'm used to hearing what music really is it gave me a whole new appreciation for the time and dedication that people put into setting up their rigs whether they are into vinyl, cassettes, CD's, or lossless mp3's.

    BL

    Please don't tell me you told your friends you had to leave cause they had a **** sound system. I would get **** slapped if I said something like that. Whats going on with kids these days;)

    If the sound system bothered you that much, you clearly didn't drink enough. After a certain point, everything starts to sound the same.:) Beer pong would have solved all your problems.
    AVR: H/K AVR240
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  • bobman1235
    bobman1235 Posts: 10,822
    edited January 2008
    treitz3 wrote: »
    I don't think so. Good sound is good, bad sound is bad. Why the hell would anybody want to listen to bad sound? I don't want listen to CD's that sound bad. I don't want to listen to a rig that sounds bad, just like I don't want to smell someone's ****.

    I'm not disputing that at all. Given the choice, I think anyone here would choose good sound over bad, or we wouldn't be here. My point is only that if you're going to be at a party with (I assume) friends and leave the room at let it ruin your night your priorities are out of whack. If how the music sounds at a party is more than a passing thought or annoyance in your night you are most definitely too wrapped up in it. Unless the party really sucks in all other ways as well, in which case sure, focus on the crappy music too.
    If you will it, dude, it is no dream.
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  • Shizelbs
    Shizelbs Posts: 7,433
    edited January 2008
    I have those computer speakers. They work good, for computer games, and only considering they cost about $40. Compared to any real system, they are pretty crappy. Thats a shameful setup to pump tunes for a party.
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  • MillerLiteScott
    MillerLiteScott Posts: 2,561
    edited January 2008
    I think it is nice to have music playing at a party no matter how good the company is. I also think it is nice to have sound quality a notch above a cd boombox or a mini mp3 player speaker when you have 20+ people to your house for a get together.

    That all. I just think much less effort has been placed on sound quality versus what most people had in the 70's, 80's and 90's.

    Scott
    I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,788
    edited January 2008
    tommyboy wrote: »
    If the sound system bothered you that much, you clearly didn't drink enough. After a certain point, everything starts to sound the same.:) Beer pong would have solved all your problems.

    ...and homely chicks get prettier...;)

















    a little sorry if I offended anyone...just a little.
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