Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd

Posted by: DNAer

Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/03/14 06:47 PM

Bought a RR2150 and some Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2's with a Rythmic sub. Because the 2150 doesn't have digital inputs and I want to use cd's and IPad for streaming and Pandora, I'm thinking of getting a Marantz CD 6005 player. It seems to have stellar cd playing reviews and the USB port in front utilizes the DAC inside the player which is supposed to be very good. Wondering if there are other ways to look at a solution and if there might be a better way to approach what I want to do. Thx for any input
Posted by: EEman

Re: Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/04/14 02:24 PM

You could go wireless with the BTR-100...
Posted by: DNAer

Re: Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/04/14 05:13 PM

Hmmm...why go wireless? One of the reasons I purchased the Rythmic sub was because it was the best choice for keeping up with the Raal ribbon tweeter and the modified Seas woven polypropylene woofer that the Sierra-2's are known for. Using a wireless system I would think could induce latency into the different components and throw off the inherent "tightness" of the system. Besides not having to have a carpenter come in and pull baseboard and crown moulding(trust me I don't want to really do that), what is the advantage of going wireless? Thx for responding.
Posted by: XenonMan

Re: Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/04/14 06:12 PM

The 2150 does have a digital input using the USB connection. It should have no problem allowing you to connect your iPad for direct play or streaming music.
Posted by: EEman

Re: Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/04/14 06:13 PM

No problem with the latency as the wireless is all transmitted digitally just like your streaming device.

However the DACs are "only" CD quality so you could do better with some other approaches. However most (but not all) of the streaming audio isn't worth more than CD quality imho.

Outlaw still does the 30-day trial right? You could try it and send it back if you don't like it.
Posted by: DNAer

Re: Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/04/14 07:03 PM

Originally Posted By: XenonMan
The 2150 does have a digital input using the USB connection. It should have no problem allowing you to connect your iPad for direct play or streaming music.

How's the DAC in the RR2150 since that will be what is converting the D to A signal from the IPad? One of the reasons I am seriously looking at the Marantz 6005 is the highly regarded Cirrus Logic chipset in it. Thx for your thoughts
Posted by: DNAer

Re: Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/04/14 07:34 PM

Originally Posted By: EEman
No problem with the latency as the wireless is all transmitted digitally just like your streaming device.

However the DACs are "only" CD quality so you could do better with some other approaches. However most (but not all) of the streaming audio isn't worth more than CD quality imho.

Outlaw still does the 30-day trial right? You could try it and send it back if you don't like it.

Thx for your insight. The equipment and main speakers are very easy to run wires to, it is the sub that is a pain to run a physical interconnect to. My research has shown that a wire running to a speaker vs a wireless signal running to a speaker creates a 10ms delay in that signal based on a 15ft distance. I have talked to a highly regarded subwoofer designer that confirmed that. So that means I either have to go all wireless and have ac outlets close by to all speakers,run wires to them and hope the timing is all the same even though distances are different OR run a cable to the sub and have no time delays.
Just because a signal is transmitted in digital vs analogue context doesn't mean that there isn't a period of time that has to occur before that transmission signal gets to the receiving unit. The period of time it takes that same signal to pass through a physical cable is almost a speed of light difference,
Understand, I am not trying to be confrontational. I only want the best setup I can do based on my knowledge. If you have a different experience or professional knowledge of how the systems work, I would like to learn from you. Thx
Posted by: XenonMan

Re: Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/04/14 08:47 PM

I use an Outlaw OWA wireless transceiver for my music system. The sub works perfectly with my Maggies which also use a ribbon tweeter. I doubt you could hear a 10 ms delta in the signal in the matchup between mains and the sub. The OWA operates at 2.4 Ghz so I am not sure the 10 ms number is accurate but EEMAN should be able to verify.
Posted by: DNAer

Re: Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/04/14 09:40 PM

I know the AVR systems use a multitude of eq systems (audyssey, etc), I wonder why they even make adjustments in speaker latency times (based on speaker placement and varying distances to center mic) if people can't even hear 10ms deltas. Is that just marketing hype?
Posted by: EEman

Re: Building up a bedroom 2.1 system and thinking cd - 09/05/14 10:40 AM

No Problem. There's no substitute for understanding.

I was suggesting inserting the BTR between the streaming device and the 2150. In this case L/R/Sub all get the same delay and it cancels out.

You indicated you were thinking going wireless between the 2150 and the speakers. In this case delay definitely matters. Try moving your left speaker 3 feet close to your listening position and see what happens to your stereo imaging. BTW 10 ms equates to moving your speaker about 11 feet. This effect is less an issue with the sub because there's no imaging but there is time delay which may or may not be noticable-lots of factors here.

Personally, I keep my speakers hardwired and my OAW is sitting on a shelf. Not a slam against the OAW, it works well, it's just my personal preference.