How the hell does this sound so good?
Discussion
Every time I listen to my patched together 12v solar powered system in the garden I'm blown away.
I fired it up for the 1st time this year today and the sound is simply amazing, well beyond what it "should be". My high end system in the house doesn't sound as good in some respects (room acoustics!). I just don't get how this works so "perfectly". The bass is smooth, very much present and punchy and clean, the stereo seperation is on another level. Music sounds ethereal. Imagery is nuts - Radio 6, Craig Charles sounds like he's speaking from directly infront of the wooden box (houses the amp and solar gubbins) - and when I say "like" - I could 100% trick the uninitiated that I have a centre speaker in the box. He is literally sat at the foot of my hammock. You can't attribute his voice to either speaker at all.
Two moderate speakers (Q acoustics), on the grass, outside. A cheapo 12v Leppy amp, a cheap as chips bluetooth receiver, and R6 streamed from my phone.
I just don't get it? How can it be? Genuinely baffled.
I fired it up for the 1st time this year today and the sound is simply amazing, well beyond what it "should be". My high end system in the house doesn't sound as good in some respects (room acoustics!). I just don't get how this works so "perfectly". The bass is smooth, very much present and punchy and clean, the stereo seperation is on another level. Music sounds ethereal. Imagery is nuts - Radio 6, Craig Charles sounds like he's speaking from directly infront of the wooden box (houses the amp and solar gubbins) - and when I say "like" - I could 100% trick the uninitiated that I have a centre speaker in the box. He is literally sat at the foot of my hammock. You can't attribute his voice to either speaker at all.
Two moderate speakers (Q acoustics), on the grass, outside. A cheapo 12v Leppy amp, a cheap as chips bluetooth receiver, and R6 streamed from my phone.
I just don't get it? How can it be? Genuinely baffled.
Edited by Griffith4ever on Tuesday 29th April 15:28
Griffith4ever said:
Sporky said:
There's no room interfering with the sound.
Well, that's for sure - but I expected outdoors to swallow the sound up.Griffith4ever said:
Every time I listen to my patched together 12v solar powered system in the garden I'm blown away.
I fired it up for the 1st time this year today and the sound is simply amazing, well beyond what it "should be". My high end system in the house doesn't sound as good in some respects (room acoustics!). I just don't get how this works so "perfectly". The bass is smooth, very much present and punchy and clean, the stereo seperation is on another level. Music sounds ethereal. Imagery is nuts - Radio 6, Craig Charles sounds like he's speaking from directly infront of the wooden box (houses the amp and solar gubbins) - and when I say "like" - I could 100% trick the uninitiated that I have a centre speaker in the box. He is literally sat at the foot of my hammock. You can't attribute his voice to either speaker at all.
Two moderate speakers (Q acoustics), on the grass, outside. A cheapo 12v Leppy amp, a cheap as chips bluetooth receiver, and R6 streamed from my phone.
I just don't get it? How can it be? Genuinely baffled.
Never mind the sound, fI fired it up for the 1st time this year today and the sound is simply amazing, well beyond what it "should be". My high end system in the house doesn't sound as good in some respects (room acoustics!). I just don't get how this works so "perfectly". The bass is smooth, very much present and punchy and clean, the stereo seperation is on another level. Music sounds ethereal. Imagery is nuts - Radio 6, Craig Charles sounds like he's speaking from directly infront of the wooden box (houses the amp and solar gubbins) - and when I say "like" - I could 100% trick the uninitiated that I have a centre speaker in the box. He is literally sat at the foot of my hammock. You can't attribute his voice to either speaker at all.
Two moderate speakers (Q acoustics), on the grass, outside. A cheapo 12v Leppy amp, a cheap as chips bluetooth receiver, and R6 streamed from my phone.
I just don't get it? How can it be? Genuinely baffled.
k you and your lovely-looking garden which looks enormous, idyllic and beautiful you bd.
Griffith4ever said:
Haha ! It's not what it looks like. I rent half the field (which I've "tamed") , and woods behind me. The field in front is used by the owners mate. Means I have a garden , but live in a flat !
That explains the solar set up Edited by Griffith4ever on Tuesday 29th April 17:51
Funk said:
Sounds like a perfect scenario! I'm also in a flat currently and really miss having outdoor space. I obviously have access to the communal gardens here but it's not the same as having your own large green space especially as I'm not ground floor and can't just 'step outside'.
It is, I'm lucky, the field is right next to my place, and I rent it for business use (have containers on it hidden behind trees) . Taken a fair few years to make it look good (what is now lawn was 100% NOT a while back). I' d go mad without the outside space.Solar - aye - and I have 480w on my containers powering CCTV, Wifi, and my fridge ;-)
C4ME said:
The sound is coming straight from the speakers to your ears. In a room is it coming from everywhere with interference. You have a nice non reflective floor (grass) and no ceiling. As long as the speakers can push out the required volume, without distortion, it will be good.
Never thought about it like that - you have answered my question. It really is fab. Last hifi that sounded like this was in a mid terrace Victorian in London that I just got lucky with the acoustics - was still not a patch on this in terms of "openness".Those little amps are very, very good.
You've probably found a pair of speakers which are a good match for the amp, and not too demanding on current.
You're not demanding a lot of power.
There's no room effects, the grass will dampen reflections from the ground.
You may have chanced upon music which suits the system well. If it's streamed 'radio' the sound may be engineered to suit simpler systems.
You may have simply found some content you like, good music gets across mediocre audio.
You've probably found a pair of speakers which are a good match for the amp, and not too demanding on current.
You're not demanding a lot of power.
There's no room effects, the grass will dampen reflections from the ground.
You may have chanced upon music which suits the system well. If it's streamed 'radio' the sound may be engineered to suit simpler systems.
You may have simply found some content you like, good music gets across mediocre audio.
Griffith4ever said:
Every time I listen to my patched together 12v solar powered system in the garden I'm blown away.
Glad it's not just me. When the sun started coming out this year I took my cheapo Echo dot into the garden expecting it to sound awful and be drowned out but actually it sounds fab. Even cracking up the volume doesn't make things too bad, I worry more about not disturbing the neighbours. Guess space/volume make a difference, got a shed with power where I could setup some permanent outdoor speakers running off a small amp, using an Echo flex plug for sound source........I think I might have identified the bank holiday project
.
Sometimes it's good to have 'spare' AVRs and speakers/subs lying around.....as ever semi proper amp and speakers makes the Echo sounds flimsy. Plenty of space in the shed to store the speakers, not sure if the sub/AVR will survive a winter but have plenty of spaces in the shed to make a more weather proof enclosure.
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