Good place to learn about sound/audio/audio hardware?

Phyre

Phyre

Phyre

Associate
Joined
3 Dec 2006
Posts
594
So I know a lot about other types of hardware, including video, but recently I've been thinking about upgrading my speakers, and moving on from my on-board sound and it's come to my attention just how little I know about sound. I'm aware of little things such as wavelength and frequency, the different file formats, but I don't know where they fit in, what makes "good" (or clear) sound. I don't know what makes a good sound card or good speakers etc. So yeah, are there any websites/articles/thread posts that can explain this sort of thing?

I'm fairly in-tune with physics, science and computer science so I'm not an overall novice, it's just something I've neglected these last few years.

Cheers.
 
www.soundonsound.com

A UK Home enthusiast/semi-pro magazine with many articles aboot audio/physics of sound/best practice for mixing etc but they also do plenty of articles on room acoustics and how to get the best out of your speakers. These points are directly related to what you are asking and will offer you a more informed insight into the pros and how they actually 'mix' music for different sound systems. Thus, giving you insight into what equipment sounds best.

Although I appreciate you are more interested in the best hardware to purchase from an end user's point of view, if you read a little deeper and look at how industry professionals mix the music which you are going to be consuming it will give you a much better understanding of the physics behind music and, hopefully, the art at hand. Plus, the fact that you are clearly adept with other hardware means that half the battle is already won.

Other than that, I would say ask questions on here. For a computer hardware etailer's forums - I am constantly impressed by the wealth of knowledge to which people post on here! There is a fountain of information even on 'Sound City' if you search through threads on how to achieve what it is you seek...

EDIT: As a more direct answer to your question: if you are seeking advice on what equipment to buy I can only speak from personal experience but for mastering in my studio, I employ a 'typical' stereo seperate hi - fi setup so that I can roughly gauge how my mixes will sound on Joe Blogg's enthusiast system. In this respect, I would highly recommend hearing the Monitor Audio BR-2 speakers. They are passive and need a suitable stereo hi-fi amp but sound absolutely fantastic for under £200 (what I payed for them). £200 might sound like a lot but it all depends on how serious you are. I am confident that even the people who are most disassociated from music would be able to hear the difference between a budget and high-end system, and the fact you have posted what you did leads us to believe you are not one of these types of people. Therefore, it always comes down to age ol 'you get what you pay for'. Hope this helps!
 
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