[Aman]

Hey fellas!

Back again for another stereo question.

I am thinking about setting up a system for my dorm room, and I thought that the Pioneer Elite M-10X might be a good power amp. I would then route the amp to my sound card (an M-Audio 24/96 - one of the best sound cards on the market) and the sound card would output my FLAC and OGG vorbis files on my PC, it would output my Micro Seiki MB-15 turntable, and my Marantz CDP. Is this pioneer amp a good buy?

I was thinking of putting some Axiom M3ti's or some M22ti's. Does the $125 increase between the M3 and the M22 justify a larger purchase? Will the amp drive these speakers fine? Are the Axioms known for having any sort of good midrange (I listen to almost all classic rock)?

Thanks in advance for any help! The audio world is full of so many choices!

Andrew

[bob82274]

Ahh... the dorm room... spent a year in one and don't miss it at all.  When I got to college a couple of years ago I brought up a pair of Bose bookshelfs that I had stored in the closet.  My main speakers were too large for the dorm room unfortunately (that was a long year with out those   ) Anyway, after about a week I couldn't tollerate it any more and decided that I needed a new pair of speakers.  I bought a pair of Odyssey bookshelf speakers used.  Unfortunately I have never given them the proper environment to really sing but none the less they are excelent speakers and have enjoyed them.

The moral of the story is this... give used speakers a shot.  They can give you incredible bang for your buck.  

Also here is some non-audio advice from a guy thats only a couple of years ahead of you.  Enjoy yourself while at college.  Go party when the opportunity arrises.  Don't spend all of your time studying. Also if you go to a large enough college, take a lot of PEs.  Not just running.  I'v learned how to play raquetball, have earned my Open Water Scuba certfication, and will be going sea kayaking here soon.  I take one every semester to lighten my mood.  And good luck.

[Red Dragon Audio]

da cheat hit the nail on the head...I mean bob...

If I were you, I might invest in a real nice headphone setup.  Dorm rooms just aren't condusive to audio.  You'll just be fighting your dorm room the whole time you are there.

Get a nice pair of cans (not boobs or beer cans), a nice source (which you have), and a good little headphone amp.  Then spend all your extra money on new records and cd's.

Then when you graduate, get a job, get a house and a real audio room, you already are equipped with a few years of music to listen to on the new audio setup.

just my 2cents

[sleepkyng]

my dorm room setup looks like this
apple lossless wireless to airport extreme to melos sha 1 to totem rokks or sennheiser hd600's

good speakers? used is the way to go. but really, you don't need great speakers in the crap ass dorm room. just get something detailed and warm.

[ooheadsoo]

the 22's have a much smoother response than the 3's according to soundstage's measurements.  The m3's are +/- 5db with soundstage's smoothed measurements.  FWIW :p  Some people don't care about measurements.

[bubba966]

I've been pretty happy with my M-10X. It's well built, looks great, has a 12v trigger, and isn't too spendy.

They seem to go for about $200 used on eBay. So you could always pick one up there, give it a go, and sell it for about what you paid if you're not happy with it.

[Aman]

Yes, I am getting the Mx-10 for 200 bucks shipped.

I already have a good enough headphone setup:

Marantz/FLAC/Microseiki MB15 --> Wooaudio1 --> HD595

I am moving into an apartment next year and I really do want some nice speakers for the dorm room. I am only a Sophomore. And yes, lots of parties, but also plenty of studying (MIT!).

So I have one point for the Odysee speakers. How do Axioms and PSBs sound compared to that?

Thanks!:)

Andrew

[tex-amp]

Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 is another speaker you should consider.  They come up used around $250.

[audioslave]

Aman,
I used to have an amp/preamp combo in my dormroom but then again-it was pretty big and I was the only one living in it. I would definetely consider a nice integrated amp like a Rega Brio, NAD, or Creek. The integrated would give you pretty good sound on a budget.

As far as speakers are concerned, I would also add Epos ELS3's to your list. They retail for $329 but you can find them used for 2 and change. I have heard the Odyssey Epiphony's and they are really good but will be a bit more expensive.  For classic rock any one of these combo's would be quite musically involving. I heard both of them at HE2004 and they really sounded great for their dimunitive size.

Lastly, PSB (Image series) and Paradigm offer good values too-namely the Monitor 3's and the Mini-monitors(both of which I have owned).

Just be patient and look for a great deal and go for it. Good luck!

[Dmason]

I bought my son a pair  of used Ascends on Audiogon for $220, for his dorm room.. Though they are intended as low cost HT speaks, anyone who owns them or has heard them will tell you they are outrageously great sounding speakers for the money, far too good for just HT, and IMHO blow away all other comers at the low cost.  If the vinyl wrap gets ruined, just tear it off after graduation and shoot some nice black Crilon onto the cabinets and tell your friends they are new, expensive, and they are from Denmark...

The Axioms will, --I guarantee--, harsh you right out of that small room, not that they are bad speakers, just that metal tweeters do not do well in small rooms, and need good, mellow sounding amplification to do things right.

If it were me, I would go directly to a good head amp, like the cheap and excellent Antique Labs tube OTL job, and some nice cans. (boobs n' beer) and forget about speakers, because your room's acoustics SUCK. Your escape will be more complete with headphones. Been there, did that.

[Aman]

I have listened to Dmason and pondered for a while if I should do what he suggested.

Why is it that I listen to my headphones much more often than my speakers? Is it because speakers aren't able to be positioned in my computer (where I spend almost all my time here! )? I don't know, but I thought I may go for this:

http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=ASLMGHEADOTLIII

I have a nice high-end sound card already (M-Audio 24/96) and have a marantz cd player, and HD595 Sennheiser headphone... maybe I should just get that amp and leave it at that?

Thanks for all the replies!
Andrew

[Dmason]

Aman,

Now you're thinkin'.....with the little ASL unit, you cannot go wrong. OTL performance, wall to wall sound inside your head, AND, you can experiment with inexpensive tubes to change the flavor. With the M-Audio card, which is supposed to be very good, a short IC to the ASL, and you are set. If you order one thru AA, you of course have a 30 day trial, plenty of time for it to burn in, and for you to decide for yourself. Win/Win.

 As a student, I found even greater value thru phones in the fact that I could tune out all the bullshit endemic to dorm life, which becomes testy and old, by around March. I also found that I could take my head amp with me and have great sound anywhere. The escape factor with portable tubes works at the folk's too.

[Aman]

Any ideas on a good interconnect and where to get one? Possibly a price?

I want to only make sure that the cable price doesn't exceed the cost of my amp! I know they can go to the thousands of dollars.

Thanks guys!

[bubba966]

Any ideas on a good interconnect and where to get one? Possibly a price?

http://www.boldercables.com/Store.asp?m=TheBolderCableCompany&n=10&k=103539&s=Audio+Cables

Those are damn good IC's. Sure, you can do better, but it'd cost you a whole lot more to do so.