Stereo Speakers

[Tommy T.]

6 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

MDF stands for Medium Density Fiberboard, it's better quality than particle board but it's not natural wood.  Some high quality MDF products have a very smooth dense finish, to the point where it's looks contiguous and you can only tell it's not natural wood by the complete lack of grain (not to be confused with High Density Fiberboard, which is made of compressed wood fibers... sometimes called Hardboard).

 

Thanks for the clarification, Geoff... Goodness, I am learning a lot of stuff here lately! Your description just convinced me that probably marine ply is what I will use - unless Old suggests otherwise? I just don't like the compressed fiberboards. It was supposed to be used when my ex and I had a house built in USA a long time ago. We both said NO! and had plywood walls and floors instead...

[GeoffH]

5 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

I just don't like the compressed fiberboards.

I'm not a huge fan of them either, in my opinion they're fine under compression load but not as good when shear stress is a factor and they lack elasticity.  But they are a reasonable lower cost option as long as they're used appropriately.

Edited July 14, 2019 by GeoffH

[Tommy T.]

7 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

I'm not a huge fan of them either, in my opinion they're fine under compression load but not as good when shear stress is a factor and they lack elasticity.  But they are a reasonable lower cost option as long as they're used appropriately.

One of my problems with them is all the resin that tends to off-gas. Yes, I know plywood does too, but I think maybe not so much. However, I have seen the fiberboard then to shred - especially as you say, when there is shear. Additionally, when I tried to use fasteners, especially screws, they tend to just keep going right through it unless I used big, flat washers. Lastly, any moisture at all - as Old was referring to? - just destroys it forever. Yeah... I'll stick with plywood...

[Old55]

Marine plywood is a great choice Tommy. Would think it's available in Philippines.

I'm confused Tommy. What location are you at now? Canada, US or Philippines.

[Tommy T.]

5 minutes ago, Old55 said:

Marine plywood is a great choice Tommy. Would think it's available in Philippines.

 I'm confused Tommy. What location are you at now? Canada, US or Philippines.

Thanks for the confirmation. Yes, marine ply is commonly available here and in many thicknesses.

Well... Old, you say you are in a state of confusion? I was born in Canada (eh?) of American parents and sailed to the Philippines in 2015 and have been here ever since... and intend to stay here as my partner and I are about to have a new home constructed soon.

[Jollygoodfellow]

3 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

I had not thought of (nor even heard of) a sound bar - what kind of drinks can I order there? 

[OnMyWay]

3 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Those Logitech speakers sound great for my computer/small TV

My wife has Creative Labs for her computer and I think they are 6+ years old now, and still work fine.  Sub-woofer + 2 small speakers.

[Howard]

11 hours ago, Jake said:

Good morning guys,

I have similar requirements Tommy T.  And as Howard suggested, perhaps I should research more about bluetooth sound systems.  It practically eliminates the speaker wires running all over the place but of course, you need to plug in each BT speaker to a wall socket for power.  I hope the latest BT technology has improved regarding compatibility issues with various devices, like BT headphones, speakers and the sound quality beyond the living room.

Logitech has served me well over the years for 2.1 (left/right and bass) sound system for computers.  For TV, I think I may go with a sound bar sitting below the TV or actually attached to it.  For private listening, I hope my existing BT headphones (used with my MP3 and laptop) can be mated to that particular sound bar.

A separate home theater or surround system with front, center, woofer and rear speakers requires more thought in their final placement.  That's why, I rather go with bluetooth to give me more flexibility and hopefully, less headaches.  

Jake, The BT tech has come a long way. These speakers have a great sound, and can get very loud indoors or outside. they have a booming bass due to the passive radiators on the sides. Yes, you do have to charge the batteries but they have a long battery life, you can get 20 hours play time on the Charge 3 depending on the volume you are playing the music(I have averaged around 15 hours on 3/4 volume). Another nice thing is you can connect up to 200 speakers together with just the push of a button on both speakers. You can also play 2 of them in stereo as long as they are the same models. You can also hard wire them using a 3.5 mm cable from another device. I wouldn't recommend using one in BT mode connected to a TV though as there is a slight lag between the sound and video. I'm very impressed with them!

[Old55]

1 hour ago, Tommy T. said:

Thanks for the confirmation. Yes, marine ply is commonly available here and in many thicknesses.

Well... Old, you say you are in a state of confusion? I was born in Canada (eh?) of American parents and sailed to the Philippines in 2015 and have been here ever since... and intend to stay here as my partner and I are about to have a new home constructed soon.

Well Markaudio speakers would be perfect for you Tommy. 

[Ice Patrol]

On 7/12/2019 at 10:24 PM, Tommy T. said:

Can anyone suggest a place where I can buy stereo speakers besides a mall store? I don't trust buying anything online that I cannot listen to and test for sound quality.

I need two different sets.... One smaller type for computer, TV and video to use in a small room and a larger set for use with a big TV and nice sound system for music in the living/dining area of the house. Right now the small set will do - I have a three year old pair of Bose speakers designed for computer use and - just like the previous pair - one of the speakers started rattling and is now so bad it is basically useless. And this pair was not cheap - I will try a different brand next time.

And no... I am not looking for the larger set to be a karaoke volume version that causes grid power fluctuations (grey-outs?) or that can be heard kilometers away... just inside my home - maybe 80-100 watts total output?

Look for the Klipsch 2.1 Pro Media audio set.I had this set for a desktop and It sounded incredible for the price paid-- $125 USD / USA/ Amazon.It works with your laptop also.Has its own built in digital poweramp ...lasted 8 years for me and was well worth the price.The only con - its not Bluetooth.I use Klipsch Speakers with my 5.1 Audio system they do not do not disappoint ….