I'd Like to Move More Air While Listening to Music.

[festeringheap]

I'd like to upgrade my listening experience with a little more volume, more bass and basically to push more air.

Currently mostly listen to a Bose Mini Soundlink.
It sounds good for the size, but sometimes just want more.

I am not exactly sure what to look for.

I could buy a bigger all-in-one system - though I think I'd rather avoid 100% Bluetooth, though I could be convinced otherwise.

Would a TV system work here with a soundbar and sub-woofer?

I currently have a couple (unused stereo amplifiers bought at garage sales over the years). Maybe a couple of good speakers would work as well - pretty sure the amps are stereo L/R only with no output for anything else.

Mostly rock/pop and some classical would be going through system.

Anyone have any insights as to what would work for me? Thanks!

[BertKoor]

Bose. Arrogant bastards. They don't quote their tech specs any more. You have to trust them that they deliver. Which I don't, because I have proof (long story)
And you also want more power. Problem is, you don't know what to compare with. But a TV soundbar won't cut it, I'm sure.

Look at those amps you have shelved. Take the most powerful one. 10 Watts (per channel) is loud, but not very loud. 40 Watts would be good.
Get a set of hifi speakers from a thrift store that matches the wattage of the amp. A mismatch can kill the speakers and/or the amp, when played really loud, which you plan to do.

Then you know how loud x Watts is. So you know what to look for in the next one.

[BONES]

How much do you want to spend? I mixed and mastered our 5th album on a pair of Presonus Eris 3.5s. I rate them quite highly, much better sounding than the larger Eris 5s we use at rehearsal. Before that I had a pair of AudioEngine A2s, which also sound really good but don't take up much space.

[thecontrolcentre]

if you want to move air go for 10" - 12" bass speakers with a decent size amp. i have a 3 speaker per cabinet Rotel hi-fi set-up with a 30 watt per channel JVC amp. You can feel the bass at relatively low levels.

[festeringheap]

Look at those amps you have shelved. Take the most powerful one. 10 Watts (per channel) is loud, but not very loud. 40 Watts would be good.
Get a set of hifi speakers from a thrift store that matches the wattage of the amp. A mismatch can kill the speakers and/or the amp, when played really loud, which you plan to do.

Then you know how loud x Watts is. So you know what to look for in the next one.

Well, I have a Sony 30 watt or Technics 50 watt. Sony looks like it'll only do 8 ohm, where Technics will do 4-16 and also has Remote option which I'll have to hunt down a manual soon - looks like another set of speakers.

Bose. Arrogant bastards. They don't quote their tech specs any more. You have to trust them that they deliver. Which I don't, because I have proof (long story)

Interested in your Bose take as well, as that is a possible option.

[festeringheap]

How much do you want to spend? I mixed and mastered our 5th album on a pair of Presonus Eris 3.5s. I rate them quite highly, much better sounding than the larger Eris 5s we use at rehearsal. Before that I had a pair of AudioEngine A2s, which also sound really good but don't take up much space.

I dunno, maybe up to 500. The cheaper the better though.

It looks like the speakers you mention are self powered? (they have their own amp inside?) They get low and loud at that size?

[festeringheap]

if you want to move air go for 10" - 12" bass speakers with a decent size amp. i have a 3 speaker per cabinet Rotel hi-fi set-up with a 30 watt per channel JVC amp. You can feel the bass at relatively low levels.

What model of speakers do you have? I'd like to feel the bass at relatively low levels as well.

[BertKoor]

My take on Bose? Here's that story.

So I was visiting some friends. There was background music, but to me it sounded crap: hardly any midrange. I spotted the tiny grey Bose tweeter cubes, and the host brought up the subject of their new sound system with hidden subwoofer.

"Now it is turned down, yeah, it doesn't sound as good as when they are set louder. I said in the shop I liked the sound of other brand better. But the salesman brought up the stellar reputation of Bose, extreme stereo immersion, acoustic reflections and other smoke & mirrors. So we bought these."

You can't help suckers. I'm not going to piss on their new sound system, I'm too polite. But they did buy into marketing bullshit. The tech docs are absent. No word on power, frequency ranges, nothing. You have to trust on their reputation, they know what's good for you.

So I listened, and it was crap at low volume. Like a tiny radio speaker plus subwoofer, missing the lower midrange. Maybe it sounded better when set louder, but these folks don't set it louder. They want soft background music.

[revvy]

Do your amps definitely only have two speaker outs?

My Onkyo receiver has outs for full surround. I used to just use stereo for my Tannoy Mercury hifi speakers which was fine, but adding an economical Wharfedale subwoofer to my system has been life changing. Wouldn’t wanna be without a sub now.

(Love my Bose noise cancelling headphones, they rock)

[festeringheap]

Do your amps definitely only have two speaker outs?

My Onkyo receiver has outs for full surround. I used to just use stereo for my Tannoy Mercury hifi speakers which was fine, but adding an economical Wharfedale subwoofer to my system has been life changing. Wouldn’t wanna be without a sub now.

(Love my Bose noise cancelling headphones, they rock)

It's an older Technics Su-v40 - which has a Remote Speaker option (still trying to exactly figure that out online...), but it appears that I can play another set of speakers at the same time if I click them on, but they are stereo pair out like the mains. (unsure if I could plug both L/R into a mono sub...)

[festeringheap]

My take on Bose? Here's that story.

So I was visiting some friends. There was background music, but to me it sounded crap: hardly any midrange. I spotted the tiny grey Bose tweeter cubes, and the host brought up the subject of their new sound system with hidden subwoofer.

"Now it is turned down, yeah, it doesn't sound as good as when they are set louder. I said in the shop I liked the sound of other brand better. But the salesman brought up the stellar reputation of Bose, extreme stereo immersion, acoustic reflections and other smoke & mirrors. So we bought these."

You can't help suckers. I'm not going to piss on their new sound system, I'm too polite. But they did buy into marketing bullshit. The tech docs are absent. No word on power, frequency ranges, nothing. You have to trust on their reputation, they know what's good for you.

So I listened, and it was crap at low volume. Like a tiny radio speaker plus subwoofer, missing the lower midrange. Maybe it sounded better when set louder, but these folks don't set it louder. They want soft background music.

My current original Bose Soundlink Mini has a pretty good tone for its small size and it'd be on when anyone comes over. When I increase the volume, it'll still sounds reasonably good, but it'll crap out when I want to really crank it - which is I guess why I'm looking for something more.
(sound like your friends should have went with their first choice at the store, but maybe they haven't set it up right. ? )

[BONES]

It looks like the speakers you mention are self powered? (they have their own amp inside?) They get low and loud at that size?

Yes, both are active speakers. If you want to get something at that size with a lot of bottom end, you need something with lots of DSP, which will mean they'll sound good but probably won't be very useful for mixing/monitoring. If that's what you're after, I had a pair of these a long time ago and they were great - Edifier e25 Luna Eclipse. Here's a useful comparison video -

[thecontrolcentre]

What model of speakers do you have? I'd like to feel the bass at relatively low levels as well.

Rotel RL 700 (floorstanders). They have 10" bass speakers, with mid-range & tweeters. Mine were bought new in 1980, so I think it's unlikely you'll find a pair these days. I never "crank" them, which has probably helped with their longevity.

[Fannon]

If you don't have size constraints, you might get good results for less money with big passive speakers. Look for used ones, maybe even floor standing loudspeakers. There's no DSP, no tricks - but if they have volume and bigger speakers and decent enough quality, it might give you a lot of bang for the buck.

If size is a problem, BONES suggestion to go with active studio monitors would be good. I also had KRK Rokit rp5 in the past and thought that they had a decent sound and bass range for speakers of that size.

Beware, there are also a lot of cheap speakers which have a lot of bass but just sound awful in midrange or highs and the bass is very muddy. Move a lot of air does not mean the sound will be enjoyable