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Need some help for an office set-up.

post #1 of 22
6/12/07 at 4:07pm
Thread Starter 
I am re-doing my office right now and I am trying to decide on my sound system, so far I think for now I have narrowed it down to the following:

McIntosh MS750a
McIntosh MC252
McIntosh C46
Dynaudio Contour S5.4 or Confidence C2

I was also thinking about the Anthem D2 or the store that is selling the Dynaudio's was recommending Moon or Bryston...

I was wondering what set up you would recommend, I am just getting a pair of the speakers and will have it for audio only, I might connect a plasma up just for normal TV but no movies or anything like that.

I am new to the whole speaker market so if anyone can guide me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated. I keep running into the same problem with each store carrying a different brand and they keep saying there's is better then the other

Thanks,

Michael
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post #2 of 22
6/12/07 at 4:18pm
For your office?
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post #3 of 22
6/12/07 at 4:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dizzman View Post

For your office?

Yes, I spend most of my time in my office. I already have the basement all set up with my HT system so I am looking for a good system for music up here. Do you think it is overkill?
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post #4 of 22
6/12/07 at 6:25pm
I greatly prefer vandersteen speakers to the ones you mention but to each their own.

Why would you get a pre pro instead of a pre amp. That makes no sense to me at all. You are spending money for worse sound.
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post #5 of 22
6/12/07 at 6:48pm
overkill, hard to say... Its not my money.

However it is fair to say i hate you!
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post #6 of 22
6/12/07 at 7:05pm
Well if that office is where he makes the money to pay for said equipment, then I wouldn't say it's overkill! It's a business expense!

Do let us know what you decide. The one thing that would scare me off of something that ambitious is (visual) aesthetic. I don't want my office to be dominated by the audio equipment. So I'm thinking of something with more of an executive style, maybe bookshelf speakers... maybe along the lines of an NHT Xd 2.1 system. I've got a ways to go before I decide though.
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post #7 of 22
6/12/07 at 10:25pm
This is what I would get for an office where one doesn't want the speakers to dominate the room. I use them in my bedroom system. Amazing sound when you use them with the MPS 150 subwoofer.
http://www.roundsound.com/
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post #8 of 22
6/13/07 at 6:09am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by TPigeon2006 View Post

I greatly prefer vandersteen speakers to the ones you mention but to each their own.

Why would you get a pre pro instead of a pre amp. That makes no sense to me at all. You are spending money for worse sound.

The vandersteen look nice but the feel wouldn't go with my office... I guess you are talking about the Anthem D2, which I agree. That is why I wanted to stick with McIntosh gear but everyone keeps recommending different brands.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Grant View Post

Well if that office is where he makes the money to pay for said equipment, then I wouldn't say it's overkill! It's a business expense!

Do let us know what you decide. The one thing that would scare me off of something that ambitious is (visual) aesthetic. I don't want my office to be dominated by the audio equipment. So I'm thinking of something with more of an executive style, maybe bookshelf speakers... maybe along the lines of an NHT Xd 2.1 system. I've got a ways to go before I decide though.


I will keep you guys posted. Right now I am just in the planning stage and will need to further narrow my decision down. I can go all out but I do agree about the speakers taking over the room, which at that point I could easily look at some bookshelf speakers and save some money while I am at it. I just need to see how much I truly want to invest into this system.

If I am going to start looking at smaller bookshelf speakers what do you think of these?

Dynaudio MC-15...can't post the link for some reason.
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post #9 of 22
6/13/07 at 6:11am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffmac View Post

This is what I would get for an office where one doesn't want the speakers to dominate the room. I use them in my bedroom system. Amazing sound when you use them with the MPS 150 subwoofer.
http://www.roundsound.com/


They look nice, the problem if I do not know if I have a dealer near me, it looks like the closest dealer is about an hour or so away.
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post #10 of 22
6/13/07 at 7:23am
[quote=Michael Grant I don't want my office to be dominated by the audio equipment.[/QUOTE]

I agree. Video, lots of video equipment should dominate..
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post #11 of 22
6/13/07 at 7:55am
Have you looked at Arcam's Solo Music system? Excellent sound in an attractive and discrete package.
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post #12 of 22
6/13/07 at 1:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by HTHF View Post

Have you looked at Arcam's Solo Music system? Excellent sound in an attractive and discrete package.

I have looked at them and I even have the Arcam AVR350 receiver for my basement and really like it but I just love the looks of the Mac's, I am just having a really hard time picking out a pair of speakers.
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post #13 of 22
6/13/07 at 2:36pm
Fair enough. For attractive on-wall speakers check out DALI's Helicon On-Walls in real cherry or what they call Rosenut. These are great speakers from a great company, and would look very classy in an office.
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post #14 of 22
6/13/07 at 6:33pm
Michael,

A pictures says a thousand words - post some pics of your office and I'm sure you will have MANY more suggestions afterwards.

- Steve O.
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post #15 of 22
6/15/07 at 6:54am
Thread Starter 
Steve,

Let me finish up the office and then I will post some pictures. It is a mess right now and everything is all over the place, I am in the middle of redoing everything down to the paint in it.

Michael
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post #16 of 22
6/16/07 at 4:24pm
Don't laugh!!!!

The office sound system is a challenge. After I built my home theater, I realized I couldn't just sit there and listen to music. I work in my office too much.

Since I am a software developer with 2 monitors in front of me, speaker placement is a challenge. My solution is to listen in the near field.

Despite all the obvious problems with this setup, this setup sounds better than 2 smaller speakers with a subwoofer.

When I want to really listen to a song, I turn up the volume and roll my chair back and enjoy.
LL
LL
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post #17 of 22
6/16/07 at 10:54pm
Wow. I do software, too. I listen more hours to music in the office that in the car or at home. I went a simpler path with some Etyomic earphones instead

However, I enjoy listening to music in my dedicated room the most.

- Steve O.
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post #18 of 22
6/17/07 at 9:45am
Thread Starter 
Looks like a nice set up. I have that same issue, the home theater is there for movies and not really for music and since I do spend most of my time in my office, I am looking for a solution like yours.

Here are two pictures of my office...it is no where done yet, still waiting to put in the hardwood floors, but at least you can get an idea. I was thinking about flipping the set up, put the desk and computer towards the window where the chairs are and put the two speakers where the server rack and desk are right now and then put the mac gear in the center with a plasma above it.
LL
LL
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post #19 of 22
6/19/07 at 11:01am
Nice looking office.

Sonically, I would place the desk in the middle of the room, speakers along the long wall with room to breathe, and sit near the point of that triangle. Are you going to be holding meetings with clients in that room as well?

- Steve O.
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post #20 of 22
6/19/07 at 4:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ipacmm View Post

Looks like a nice set up. I have that same issue, the home theater is there for movies and not really for music and since I do spend most of my time in my office, I am looking for a solution like yours.

Here are two pictures of my office...it is no where done yet, still waiting to put in the hardwood floors, but at least you can get an idea. I was thinking about flipping the set up, put the desk and computer towards the window where the chairs are and put the two speakers where the server rack and desk are right now and then put the mac gear in the center with a plasma above it.

Just looking at that space I would highly recommend you get some acoustical panels as well, especially if you are going to be listening for presumably long periods of time while working (even at low volume). That kind of bare space is going to be reveberant and fatiguing.

Second, the Dynaudio MC-15 I would expect to be fantastic multimedia speakers, however given your list of what you were considering including the Confidence C2s, it looks like you're going for a far more serious and formidable system. The C2s are in an entirely other category both performance and pricewise, obviously, than the multimedia MC15s.

You may want to look at dynaudio acoustics powered monitors, which go farther up in price, and may be more appropriate for nearfield listening, which is something important to consider. However, I've also had someone who I believe sells dynaudio point out that the tweeters in their professional monitors are like a generation behind what ends up in their home speaker line. In any case, for nearfield or midfield listening, it may be something worth considering since they offer a variety of speakers for that.
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post #21 of 22
6/19/07 at 5:15pm
Finally, a thread worthy of the $20K and up forum and people say it's overkill? He did come to the right place, didn't he?
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post #22 of 22
6/20/07 at 7:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scorch123 View Post

Nice looking office.

Sonically, I would place the desk in the middle of the room, speakers along the long wall with room to breathe, and sit near the point of that triangle. Are you going to be holding meetings with clients in that room as well?

- Steve O.

Thanks, I might try that to see how the room looks at that point. I wouldn't be holding any major meetings with clients everyday but maybe a few here and there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisWiggles View Post

Just looking at that space I would highly recommend you get some acoustical panels as well, especially if you are going to be listening for presumably long periods of time while working (even at low volume). That kind of bare space is going to be reveberant and fatiguing.

Second, the Dynaudio MC-15 I would expect to be fantastic multimedia speakers, however given your list of what you were considering including the Confidence C2s, it looks like you're going for a far more serious and formidable system. The C2s are in an entirely other category both performance and pricewise, obviously, than the multimedia MC15s.

You may want to look at dynaudio acoustics powered monitors, which go farther up in price, and may be more appropriate for nearfield listening, which is something important to consider. However, I've also had someone who I believe sells dynaudio point out that the tweeters in their professional monitors are like a generation behind what ends up in their home speaker line. In any case, for nearfield or midfield listening, it may be something worth considering since they offer a variety of speakers for that.

I called the Dynaudio dealer near me and they have a pair of the MC-15's with sub for $1,200, which is a lot less then what I was reading they would be selling at. I will take a look at their studio monitors, would the studio monitors be powered the same way? The thing is I do like the C2's but whether in a smaller room are they too powerful and if there is even enough space for them. I would never mind saving some money but I do want a good sound system.
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