soundcard/DAC for swans m200mkii speakers

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ravin

ravin

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hello guys
i just bought swans m200mkii speakers, i was using altec lansing (don't remember which model, but it looks somewhat like mx5021)
i did notice clarity and better sound quality from m200mkii but i'm not satisfied at all..i was expecting something more..
so i have decided to for a soundcard / DAC.
i'm a little bit tight on budget right now so i was considering between asus xonar dx and asus xonar essence STX sound card
i would like to ask you guys whether STX would be audibly better than xonar DX or not for my new speakers?
if its just a minor improvement in sound quality then i would like to go for xonar dx
i do play games n see movies regularly but i don't care how they sound, first priority is music alone.
your precious thoughts and suggestions please :)

 
Congratulation for buying these lovely active monitors. Did you buy it in India? If yes, pl give details of seller. I am using them for over 5 years and never thought of replacing them.A forum member is selling his external dac (with in-built HP amp) in the buy/sell section. It is worth considering. The advantage is that you could use it for other equipment such as CD player as well.
 
yes i bought it from hifinage.com
i bought asus xonar dx ; quite an upgrade from the onboard audio..
however i'm still not satisfied..
HENCE, i'm open for trade with any decent bookshelf/equivalent speakers...provided i do the audition first..
i don't know why..i just can't seem to like iems and speakers which even audiophiles considered them to be good..be it brainwavz series, tf10 etc i always want something more, the vocals has to be super clear along with the guitars & drums.. i don't normally use equalizers but it would be 'n shaped' or in between 'club-piano' preset if i do use them..
i don't know how to explain in audio terms the kind of music i wanted out from a box, lets just say i listen to alternative rock and all sorts of metal music
i thought i didn't really need BASS that much since i don't listen to hip hop/ rnb at all... but damn! i'm missing the bass i used to get out from my altec cs21 system (not that its good or anything, but atleast better than the bass from swans m200mkii imho)

i'm based at new delhi right now, so if anyone's interested do let me know..
 
You should have tried the Audinst HUD MX1 USB DAC/amp which is currently for sale in the forum.For 7k its a steal taking into consideration the good reviews.
 
hi ravin

What is your room volume/room dimensions ?

how have you placed your SWANS ?

Can you upload a photo of your placement ?
 
sure here's the link
2hhpymx.jpg


room is not that big.. its a rented place so..about the size of hostel room or a lil bit bigger
 
Try moving the desk more towards the right, see if it improves the sound, try doing it in small increments if possible.
 
Seems like you dont like the sound of a a monitor speaker . Monitors are made with a ruler flat frequency response in mind so if you want that slight warmth in sound or a little more of bass, it wont be there. Consider buying some stereo speakers + amp or to your taste . May need a sub too if you want more bass.

Also the STX is audibly much more detailed and clear than DX . Almost on part with 200$ range DACs like Audins't HUD-MX1 etc.
 
ravin said:
room is not that big.. its a rented place so..about the size of hostel room or a lil bit bigger
Click to expand...

In simple terms, no speaker is going to sound good when backed right up against a wall and sitting on a wooden table with a foot of desk in front of them. Everything that you describe you want is not going to be found by any speaker the way you are placing them, no matter how much you choose to spend. You will probably have a very muddy midrange and a confused bass presentation. This is not the fault of the speakers.

Speakers need space around them to be able to radiate correctly. Specially behind, and they should ideally be placed on a rigid and firm surface with no desk reflections - ie, not a Chinese computer table.
 
i should have gone for an external amp instead
i was a little tight on budget when i bought these
as you see i'm only a student
but i think it has to be the placement which is the problem
one time i took one 3k chinese plastic made 5.1 speakers from my dad's office
and asked an electrician to mount it on the top of a room , all four satellites facing each other on all 4 corners
and the subwoofer at one corner on the floor, the source was again just a no-name chinese made dvd player
but man the sound was amazing and very lively after doing the proper arrangement..
it sounded even better than our sony home theater system which my dad bought for 1.2 lac lmao
anyways i think i should invest some more on a decent sub + external amp + speaker stand
thanks for providing your feedback..
however i'm still open for trade if any one has a decent bookshelf speakers? :)
 
Dear ravin,

Few things which you need to do:

1. Placement of the speakers, no speaker , even lacs Rs. speaker won't sound any good if the placement is like this only,.
2. Second thing which I personally think is still the source, you bought Xonar DX and I feel Xonar STX will bring more improvement which is a dedicated stereo sound card.
3. Do not place the speaker close to the wall at all, provide width of atleast 4-6 feet between the speaker to sound good. These are bookshelves speakers, so they need quite a good amount of breath to sound good.
4. We do not know what kind of sound signature you were after, may be you were seeking more bass as you are coming from your Altec Lansing 2.1 so in this regard, you should choose Swan M50W which has very much room for bass, even better than the AL MX5021 and Swan M50W won't be needing such kind of space to sound good as I am seeing currently on your computer table.
 
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