Sound Advice

Do you think all CD players sound the same or all editions of the
same CD or vinyl (old vs. new imports, etc.) sound the same?

And, do you think all cabling and cartridges make little or no
difference?

Then read on to learn how every little tweak can lead to better
sound!

Move Your Speakers Around

This one is FREE! No! We’re not kidding! Try different placements of your
main speakers as described in your manual. The results can be staggering!

Identify the Weakest Link

Okay, so you’re saying, “Nothing obviously wrong, so what do I do now? That
guitar still sounds like a fishing line on a tuna can!”

Talk to us! We’ll be happy to figure out what could be wrong. As a rule, the
sound from your system is limited by its weakest link.

Good Speakers

We doubt there is another factor, aside from the turntable cartridge, that
is as significant in truly changing the sound you get.

The speakers are so called
“transducers” (electrical energy converted into mechanical energy).Many audiophiles will FIRST select their
speakers and the remainder of their budget for other components.Placement of speakers can
actually vastly change the sound in a room and is directly related to your
room’s acoustics.Try setting your speakers
from six inches to 24 inches away from the wall. A better, more
3-dimensional sound stage will result in most cases, especially when
rear-ported reflex designs are used (the speaker has a hole in the back).

A Better Cartridge

For the vinyl enthusiast the cartridge is one of the most dramatic ways to
improve sound. It does not have to break the bank, will preserve your records
longer, and simply sounds better than an old, worn cartridge.

Better Cables

Potentially the best stocking stuffer for any occasion for the
audiophile.

Cables are often overlooked, but are some of the more critical links in a
system.

A $1000.00 CD player cannot
pass good sound on a ten-cent, frayed, flea market audio cable.Just passing good sound is
just as important as amplifying it or “transducing” it from, say, analog
vinyl or digital CD, into the electric amplifier chain and out as sound
through your speakers.Ask Us About Affordable High Quality
Interconnect and Speaker Cables You may already have
reasonably good equipment, with the weakest link actually being in your
cabling.We make our own high grade
interconnect and speaker cables in-house. Cut to the right length with
your choice of connectors. Crafted and tested to ensure trouble-free
operation and the best sound possible for your money.

A Good Amplifier

Speakers are only as good as the amplifier they are driven by –
a bad driver cannot win the Rallye Monte Carlo, not even with a Ferrari.

It must be pointed out that
it is not always the higher power rating that makes for a better amplifier
or receiver. Different manufacturers over the years have used individual
ratings, which are not always compatible.Ever buy a car with a 90-hp
engine that moved faster than a car with a 160-hp engine of similar
weight? In the audio world, your amplifier is the engine that drives your
system.Some of the world’s best amplifiers were,
and are, comparatively diminutive in output! Take for example a 30-watt
amplifier; sound dinky, right? Hold on! The average modern speaker will
produce somewhere close to 90 decibels, or just below, of sound pressure
with one-watt power at a distance of one meter.Pumped into the average room
of, say, 160 to 250 square feet, you just reached the dance club level
sound pressures and certain to have a police complaint made by your
neighbors!It it’s not power that
counts, then how do you select an amplifier or receiver? You must listen
to it!Your ears are what is most
important. We make it easy for you to listen to different combinations of
speakers and amplifiers that will best match your tastes.Some tube gear enthusiasts are even known
for using one or two-watt per channel amplifiers with ultra-efficient
speakers for a very warm and sweet sound! A few speaker manufacturers
have developed the art of producing better than 100-decibel per watt
speakers of extraordinary sound qualities, specifically matched for these
small tube amplifiers.So, never knock a small amplifier until
you try it! You may like it! On the hand, your ears may
like the dry quality of a higher-powered system with relatively
in-efficient, hard to move, but dead-on speakers.Who can possibly know? You will after an audition. (Link to main
email here)

Your Source Device

A source device would be your turntable, CD, DVD or MP3 player,
tuner pr tape machine.

Remember, your amplifier and
speakers can only amplify and tickle your ears with what they are being
fed by the source device.Is your current CD player,
turntable, radio receiver, DVD player up to the task? Are you using a
suitable antenna?

Feel like more should be added here, see Pete

Source Material

Needless to say, your system can only sound as good as your record
on vinyl, CD , DVD, MP3, or through good reception of a station that uses good
sources.

That makes it so important to
preserve our rich heritage of sound and music and take good care of your
treasured favorites. Careful handling can extend the lifetime of media in
some cases, indefinitely.Ask us how to take care of
your treasured musical and other recordings. There are numerous ways to at
least partially rescue some otherwise potentially useless material.We highly encourage you to
assist in the task of keeping musical heritage in good shape, as the vast
bulk of vinyl records will NEVER make it onto CD or MP3, meaning that
better than 80-percent of all music will be lost, unless we archive and
maintain our vinyl collections.Maybe it is time to take
advantage of that limited number reissue on the market right now to
replace the old, worn album or scratched and skipping CD, or at least
upgrade to a better preserved vintage copy. House of Records, our record
collection, can meet your needs with advice and vinyl.Room Acoustics

Your home can make any system sound “dry” or “wet”. Tell us about
your room:

Do you have a carpet, wood,
ceramic or tile floor?Are there lots of furniture
pieces and maybe a wall of bookshelves?Heavy curtains?What are your walls made of?
Are they covered with paneling or paper?Maybe you have a Gropius
designer style home with four walls and a functional chair group, all
placed to complement a Dali painting next to the window wall and lots of
open space.More “damping” occurs when
your room is filled with sound-absorbing objects and they will tolerate,
and even prefer, a different speaker and warmer amplifier from a barren
room with echo potential.An emptier room can be a bit
trickier and will require a more precise amplifier and may do better with
less bass and midrange-laden speakers. Otherwise, the amplifier/speaker
could easily sound boomy or bass heavy.The emptier room will have a
brighter sound and can develop so called standing waves or multiple sound
reflections, which over emphasize some sounds and instruments in a bad
way. Like we said, “Tricky.”If you noticed, a brighter
speaker can be a better speaker for a brighter room. Bright plus bright
makes…too bright? But it is supposedly just right, not bright? Sounds
wrong? A paradox, isn’t it?A large wall carpet or some
acoustic wall tiles will make a day and night difference. Ultimately you
will only know how your speakers and amplifier sound once you set them up
at home.