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I’ve had the same pair of Event Alps for over 20 years. Paid less than USD300. No problems. No Bluetooth or USB either.
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05-16-2023 03:30 PM
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The things in your image above aren't what I call dongles!
off-topic:
I know all that (and don't have OSS on my distro, btw). I have only a rough understanding of what Jack is though, sort of a virtual patchboard that seems overkill for just playing or recording direct audio. I know it mostly from Mac (years ago), where it mostly didn't work reliably, wasn't really needed, and a mess with 2 concurrent versions.
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Getting rid of PulseAudio on a desktop system designed around it is easier said than done in my experience. And when I mention control over bit depth and sample rate I mostly mean that I'd like an audio player or recording app to be able to set those automatically to the content I'm playing or am planning to record. PulseAudio doesn't allow that to my knowledge but for the last few recordings I made with Audacity on a cheapo tablet PC (running Devuan Beowulf) I was obliged to record through pulse because I couldn't get direct access to my DAC (seems PA preempted it, an issue I don't have on another Linux rig). One day all went OK, the following day PA apparently didn't get the memo that I wanted to record @48kHz. I didn't notice it at first, but comparing to older recordings I noticed a semitone difference, which turns out to be almost exactly what you get when you pretend a 44.1kHz time series is 48kHz instead.
(The need for an audio server on Linux also bums me a bit ... very practical if you want your alert sounds to sound in timely fashion for instance
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I will have to figure a way around all this though because I'm not planning to get another Mac and certainly not a "PC". (My MBP is officially limited to 10.13, can in practice be upgraded to 10.15 but I've been keeping it on 10.9.5 partly because of a superstitious feeling that it'll fail just after I've put in all the time and effort to tune any upgraded OS version exactly to how I want it to behave.)
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Dongles are defined as small devices that plug into a port on a computer. You're probably thinking only of those with short cables between the connector and the active device on it. There are dongles ranging from the size of a USB Type A connector up to several inches in greatest dimension. Originally Posted by RJVB
Your experience with Linux audio is years behind the times. OSS still exists and is a default in some Linux kernels. But ALSA offers full BT audio support and OSS does not. It's easy to disable PulseAudio. Calling it a "server" is a bit of a misnomer - it's more of a digital patchbay (or maybe a mixer) that takes audio from multiple sources and pumps them all into ALSA.
You can set bit depth and sampling rate for PulseAudio, but AFAIK you still have to edit the /etc/pulse/daemon.conf file. I just disable PulseAudio and use Jack. Bit depth and sampling rates are no problem at all - they don't need to be set after initial installation of the distro. Ubuntu Studio is completely set up on install, and it comes with a low latency kernel plus everything you could want to get started with serious computer audio.
ALSA even directly supports DSD playback without configuration, and will properly feed any DAC with DSD capabilities if the player software you use can do it. There are several excellent ones - Cantata, DeadBeef, VLC, MPD etc. The sound quality is outstanding. My main system starts with a hot rod Raspberry Pi 4b running Roon Bridge sending audio to an iFi DAC into a Prima Luna power amp driving Focal towers. The sound quality of high res (DSD) files is outstanding through this setup.
During testing for some of my articles, I used BT as an audio source into a few different devices. Up to CD quality (16 bit, 44.1), the latest AptX HD codec is very good. Yes, there's a difference between it and USB or optical, in that the latter two are a bit more transparent, cleaner, and open. Using the best speakers and electronics, there's also a very slight veil using BT. But it's fine for general background listening and moe than adequate for the mp3s & AACs most people still seem to use.
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Have several sets of Edifier speakers in various price ranges. They're just OK for me but I don't have audiophile ears.
My choice for bang for the buck would be what I'm using (6" version): JBL stuidio monitors on sale (they frequently are). Full price link: Amazon.com
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I have 3 pairs of Edifiers and love them all. They're the best sound for the buck I've ever encountered. I also have 2 pairs of JBL LSR monitors (mine are the 305s with 5" woofers), and they're superb. Even today, several years after they came out, they still win almost every comparison test in print. Originally Posted by Spook410
The downside of the JBLs is that they only have analog inputs, so you need a DAC. You can drive them with the line / headphone out jack from a computer, tablet, or phone - but the sound quality won't be as good as it is with a digital connection through a good DAC (which costs no more than $100 these days for excellent sound).
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My main rig (notebook, TBH) runs a frankenversion Kubuntu 14.04 so yeah, I'm undoubtedly a bit behind the times. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
A server is exactly that what the PA, Jack and PipeWire daemons are; they "serve" a connection to the audio hardware to whomever wants one and take care of the probably relatively rare cases that more than 1 source wants to play audio to the same device at the same time. It's not impossible that the Mac OS and MSWin also have some kind of daemon/server that takes care of this.
In case you haven't noticed, that's exactly my gripe. PA is the same: you set a default bit depth and sample rate, and an alternative rate. By default those are 44.1 and 48 kHz because those are the lowest common denominators of every standard sample rate.Bit depth and sampling rates are no problem at all - they don't need to be set after initial installation of the distro.
I'm probably too OCD about this, but as I said, if I play through a DAC that supports the sample rate of the content at hand that I want to play, I want to have the possibility to send that content to the DAC without resampling it. With my main stereo system being driven by Foobar2000 I can see that happen; the amp displays the sample rate it's working at. Over the years I've written plugins for iTunes (doesn't work anymore) and modified the contrib'ed PortAudio included with QMPlay2 so this works on Mac too (I think I started working on this for Audacious too but dropped out).
As far as I'm concerned automatic rate-switching (and maybe depth, aka bitperfect audio) is a no-brainer. If you believe that you can hear the better sound quality of 192kHz content over 48kHz then you probably don't want it to be sampled down just because you don't want to burden your system with upsampling every other sound to 32 bit deep 192kHz.
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Running mine from a basic Focusrite. IMHO we all need some sort of DAC on our PC's. Too many good tools like sound analyzers, plug ins, Reaper. So little time.. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Really the only time I scowl at my JBL's is after minor power outages. You have to physically cycle the power switch on them to get them back on. Switch is sort of easy to reach for me. Wouldn't be the case for all installations. Probably a good reason for it and easy enough once you figure it out. Of course, first time I was troubleshooting my entire audio stream to find out why I was getting no sound. Discovered I needed to flip the monitor off/on pretty much by accident.
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That's interesting, as my LSR 305s have never done that. They've been set up and continuously on for a few years since we downsized to an apartment. There's been a lot of new construction in our neighborhood, and workers have disrupted power to the block several times (the longest for about 12 hours) - but the JBLs have always come back on when the power is restored. Last week, a fat squirrel climbed a pole and fried himself on a transformer one block over, taking out power for 4 hours to 127 properties including our condo building. But my JBLs came back on immediately. Originally Posted by Spook410
Are yours first generation or second?
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306P MkII Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
The need to cycle the power switch after an external power loss is not mentioned in the manual but both speakers work the same way.
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They are powered which means no need for an amp, right? So regarding connectivity to a PC, do they connect via Bluetooth? Sorry for the rookie questions. Originally Posted by Spook410
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It depends on the model. My powered Edifiers are model R1280DB. They have a built-in DAC and a 20 Watt amplifier in each speaker cabinet. That may not sound like much, but they’re efficient and make a lot of very good sound. Originally Posted by Jazzjourney4Eva
They have BT, optical and coaxial digital inputs, plus 2 pairs of stereo analog inputs. You can connect via BT or use the line out jack to the analog inputs. If your computer has optical or coax digital outputs, you can use either of them. They do not have the AptX HD codec, so sound quality via BT is a bit less than it is with digital input. The analog inputs are dependent on the DAC that’s feeding them if you’re using a digital source.
I love them, even at their current $150/pair price - they were only $100 when I got them, IIRC.
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The JBL studio monitors are self powered. Dual amplifiers, 112 watts. You hook them up via XLR or 1/4 inch TRS line level. -10dBV is default (consumer line level). I'm using the most basic Focusrite interface to drive these (USB interface to Focusrite, 1/4 TRS to speakers). This set up will generate a high quality sound for home recording input and output. Not to mention gaming. I don't know if you can hook them up to the standard audio outputs on your computer sound card using cable converters or not. Originally Posted by Jazzjourney4Eva
Another thing.. would get a pair of speaker stands (usually cheap on craigslist) for these. Will make them much happier.
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I use some decent Pioneer speakers which were a gift from my children. They're just passive speakers, but I have a Dayton Audio WB40A, which has bluetooth and wifi. I run audio from my computer to the WB40 and it provides quality that's acceptable to me. I can use the wifi capability to play internet radio stations directly from it without needing to bother with doing it from the computer. It accepts 10 presets and has a remote, so it's quick and easy. I rarely use bluetooth, preferring to use a wired connection because it's close to the computer, but I've done it just to check. The computer has bluetooth, and it connects fine. Almost any newer home amp will have bluetooth these days. If you already have speakers, a small amp with bluetooth is a cheap way to get audio working. I thought about Edifier powered speakers, but couldn't justify the cost when I already had equipment on hand that will do the job just as well.
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Yep, thanks. I have a Focusrite, stands, and two JBLs. Originally Posted by Spook410
Am looking to simplfy though, so here goes. I don't know if it will sound like I want. We shall see...
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Your chances of getting what you want will be a lot higher if your choices are matched to your goals. But you haven't actually stated for what use you want these speakers and why your JBLs aren't fulfilling your need. Are you going to use them for general music listening? practicing to a backing track? monitoring your live recordings? critical music listening? background? other? Originally Posted by Jazzjourney4Eva
Although I have far better systems, this is my recording desk and the system through which I listen to music most often. The source is one of my media computers (Win10 HP, Ubuntu Studio on a homebuilt, and Roon ROCK on a NUC) feeding an SMSL SU8 DAC via USB, with balanced connections to the JBLs.
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Strange, I only really knew JBL as the company that produces those popular bread-roll portable BT speakers and classified them in the same category as Jamo (which were very popular among my classmates but probably best suited for dis&co and, to my surprise, taken over by Klipsch).
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Intended use - just when I’m at the computer, and yes for monitoring and mixing simple recordings. I have a Focusrite, JBLs (which are fine), stands I don’t want to bump into, wires etc. I would like to set these new speakers on my desk and when I want to just listen to something on the Internet I don’t want to have to depend on all that other stuff, especially the Focusrite. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Your chances of getting what you want will be a lot higher if your choices are matched to your goals. But you haven't actually stated for what use you want these speakers and why your JBLs aren't fulfilling your need. Are you going to use them for general music listening? practicing to a backing track? monitoring your live recordings? critical music listening? background? other?
Although I have far better systems, this is my recording desk and the system through which I listen to music most often. The source is one of my media computers (Win10 HP, Ubuntu Studio on a homebuilt, and Roon ROCK on a NUC) feeding an SMSL SU8 DAC via USB, with balanced connections to the JBLs.
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50 year old turntable technology - a pair of B&O turntables Originally Posted by RJVB
60 year old speaker technology - pair of Klipsh La Scalas
90 year old amplifier technology - four chassis (14 tubes)
Not understanding any of this interesting thread, priceless!
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FWIW, I find that a lot easier to do with a set of good headphones (I have 4 currently). With most speakers you can't here the fine details over the background noise unless you crank up the volume so much that the louder parts become troublesome (for me or my entourage). Originally Posted by Jazzjourney4Eva
I can understand the "going through trouble" thing for casual listening; I have my old NAD amp plus a set of the Klipsch bookshelf speakers on the shelf behind my computer (and usually connected to my DAC) but rarely feel like going through the motions to turn it on (plus the NAD has developed an audible hum so I don't like leaving it on idly).
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Since we've been talking about OSes: anyone know how suitable the *BSDs are for music purposes nowadays?
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FWIW, Edifier’s new S880DB (which I discovered this morning) is similar to my 1280DBs, but it has a higher res onboard DAC (24 bit, 192k) and the AptX BT codec. These speakers are good enough to reveal the improved sound quality and cost the same $150/pair. If I needed a pair of simple powered speakers that could connect directly to a computer or mobile device, I’d buy these.
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BSD-based servers are still used on some big websites. I’m pretty sure that Netflix still uses BSD for their content delivery server. But driver support is poor and there aren’t many available ancillaries that we’d use. I suspect there’d be difficulty getting many sound cards and DACs to work with it. Many of the open source music players will run on BSD, but the file system imposes limits on file size that probably obviate maintaining a true high res (ie DVD) library. Originally Posted by RJVB
The Free BSD Foundation is probably the best source of info. Here’s their guide to audio on BSD.
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I would assume (hope) there's a good enough implementation of the USB audio standard so every standard USB DAC ought to work. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
And you seem to be a little behind the times yourself concerning the file system
BSD has been using ZFS as its standard FS for a long time and that definitely doesn't impose limiting limits. In fact, if you have a NAS you're probably using *BSD and ZFS without knowing it.
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By default, FreeBSD uses ZFS and OpenBSD uses FFS. Some consumer NAS use ZFS but most do not. For example, Asustor uses FAT32 for storage shared by Mac & Windows computers, NTFS for Windows, and HFS+ (an Apple creation) for exclusive use by MacOS devices. ZFS is not an option on mine. ZFS is more popular on large commercial NAS units - Netflix must know a thing or two about large scale storage. Originally Posted by RJVB
I would assume (hope) there's a good enough implementation of the USB audio standard so every standard USB DAC ought to work.
And you seem to be a little behind the times yourself concerning the file system BSD has been using ZFS as its standard FS for a long time and that definitely doesn't impose limiting limits. In fact, if you have a NAS you're probably using *BSD and ZFS without knowing it.
A very knowledgeable friend has been unable to get his Focusrite 8i6 to work with FreeBSD. He also reports being unable to get Ardour or Jack to work with BSD. There are several USB DACs that do work with it, but I can’t see why anyone except a dedicated IT hobbyist would go through the hassle of even trying. From what I know (which clearly may not be as much as you do), I don’t think Roon or JRMC will even install on a BSD machine, although I haven’t tried it myself and don’t plan to do so.
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I too have NAD and Klipsch in another room, and really intend to hook them up again, real soon. Originally Posted by RJVB
I recently bought an LG Oled TV with a Sonus sound bar and sub-woofer. One can watch YouTube videos of all their musical hero’s on the big screen with good sound that can be cranked. Not hi-fi excellence of course, but still fun from a comfortable chair with the remote.
Thanks to disruptive technology, choices are getting complicated.
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Another option is a bluetooth device that can be use as either a receiver or transmitter. Set as a receiver, it can be connected to any amp at all, making it a wireless system, or as a transmitter to connect to an already wireless speaker set. These can be had with the latest bluetooth features for very little money. The options available today are almost without limit, making choices somewhat difficult. I have a couple of these, one of which makes my headphones wireless. I have it velcro'd to a small portable headphone amp, and listen to the TV through it when I don't want to disturb anyone else with the sound. The other works in my wife's car, which doesn't have bluetooth, to connect phones to the aux input, as well as anything else as needed. The ability to switch between transmitter and receiver is very convenient.
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