Multi Room Streaming, and speaker upgrades!

[WAD62]

I think this should be in digital, as it’s about streaming…:eyebrows:

I’ve been running a squeezebox streaming setup since 2009, initially only my main system, but over the years it has now spread to 5 rooms, with secondary/budget systems in the other 4 rooms.

The speakers on my main system until recently were a pair of Mission 753s, which I’ve had since ’97, these were bought to replace a pair of 780SEs which I also kept.

So naturally the 780SEs were used in the first of my secondary systems, and as the number of secondary systems increased, I scoured ebay for additional 780SEs.

Downstairs my Living-room (main system), is synchronised with the Kitchen (secondary), on a permanent basis;

Main: SBTouch(EDO)>iFi USB Power>MDAC L2>Audiolab 8000Ms>Mission 753s

Kitchen: Rpi2/IQaudioDAC>Amptastic Mini-1>Mission 780SEs

For those who aren’t familiar with ‘90s mission speakers, the 780s are pretty much the bookshelf little brother of the floorstanding 753s. This worked really well, even if it was more by accident than design, obviously the sound from the main system was superior, but the quality of the sub £200 kitchen system was comparable and, (unbeknown to me at the time) more importantly compatible.

Just before Christmas I upgraded the speakers in my main system to IPL S5TL Mk2s, there’s a thread about the build saga in the DIY section.

After getting the IPLs positioned and tuned correctly, they sound magnificent, however the difference in sound characteristics between the IPLs in the main system, and the Missions in the kitchen is too much to deal with.

My brain had obviously become tuned in to a Mission sound, and over the last few weeks it’s become accustomed to the IPL sound…now moving between the rooms with the players synchronised is an unpleasant experience, entering the kitchen the missions sound like a mouse orchestra, whilst returning to the main room it’s a band of hippos!!!

This also suggests that quite a bit of speaker ‘burn in’ is brain and ear recalibration.

I do like having the synchronised sound throughout my downstairs, particularly when I’m on cooking duties etc., so I’ve taken the plunge and ordered some IPL M4s, which are ostensibly the mid and treble from the S5TLs. Hopefully they will provide a more complementary and compatible sound than the missions…they should arrive in a couple of weeks, fingers crossed :eyebrows:

[wee tee cee]

Any scope for adding a small active sub?

The new speakers will hopefully do the business,just a thought!!!

[WAD62]

Any scope for adding a small active sub?

The new speakers will hopefully do the business,just a thought!!!

Hi Tony, it's not the bass that's the issue, or not low bass anyway, that's the primary difference between the mission 753s and the 780s, aside from a bit more detail etc. and they were being fed by a better amps...that said the bass from the IPLs is in a different league altogether

However that was fine, it worked well, this analogy may not work...however I'll try it...previously listening in the kitchen was like being in a private box at the back of the gig, and the living room was up front at the stage...but it at least sounded like the same gig, if that makes sense :eyebrows:

Now the difference in tone from the mid range and treble is very pronounced, perhaps the kitchen now sounds like a live broadcast from the 'festival radio' van in comparison!!! ;)

I suppose on reflection the difference between driver qualities/materials is being exposed in a rather unfair parallel contest...it's certainly something to bare in mind if you synchronise systems in near rooms.

R.E. The active sub, the IPLs S5TLs are also used in my AV system, so my trusty old Yamaha sub is no longer required there, I may give it a whirl with the new kitchen 'bookshelves' at some point...

[wee tee cee]

Will,
I tried integrating a sub with my 57s ( a cheap sony av one) It was bloody awful....but good fun trying to get it sounding remotely acceptable!!! My son walked in during my best effort and was horrified at what it was doing.

I looked at the IPLs and must admit they are right up my street but well beyond my abilities to put together.

I find that you tend to tune into each system and then struggle to adapt to the change of another.Especially in quick succession.

I ended up getting drawn into my sons room on Saturday night and listening to a few tunes on his set up...frugels/valves/passive pre/bushmaster-it just sounded so different to my main rig-but just lovely.

My av rig has spendor sp1s on the front speakers and again playing a disk on that with a cheap bluray player and av amp just sounded great.

The biggest adjustment for me is listening on cans then putting the main rig on....mucho brain recalibration!!!!

Well worth a bit of experimentation but I suspect when you have heard what great speakers can do it difficult to go back.....IMHO.

[WAD62]

Will,
I tried integrating a sub with my 57s ( a cheap sony av one) It was bloody awful....but good fun trying to get it sounding remotely acceptable!!! My son walked in during my best effort and was horrified at what it was doing.

I looked at the IPLs and must admit they are right up my street but well beyond my abilities to put together.

I find that you tend to tune into each system and then struggle to adapt to the change of another.Especially in quick succession.

I ended up getting drawn into my sons room on Saturday night and listening to a few tunes on his set up...frugels/valves/passive pre/bushmaster-it just sounded so different to my main rig-but just lovely.

My av rig has spendor sp1s on the front speakers and again playing a disk on that with a cheap bluray player and av amp just sounded great.

The biggest adjustment for me is listening on cans then putting the main rig on....mucho brain recalibration!!!!

Well worth a bit of experimentation but I suspect when you have heard what great speakers can do it difficult to go back.....IMHO.

I think my yamaha sub is similarly challenged ;)

As I say it's not the bass that's the issue here...I'll probably end up donating the sub to a mate's AV system...

R.E. The S5TL build, all I can claim to have done is project managed it...very badly! :doh:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?42775-IPL-S5TL-Mk2s-just-the-3-years-in-the-making%85!

...in budget, excellent quality, just 36 months overdue ;)

I have other systems upstairs, but as they're not synchronised I don't have any issue...anyway I'll report back after the M4s have arrived and broken in...and my ears! :eyebrows: