[8ballcoupe]

I'm new here and, typically, starting off in a weird way. I suppose you folks probably never look at equipment of the type I need right now, but I want to ask for your advice.


I spend about an hour to an hour-and-a-half on the treadmill every day. I just got a Phillips 17" HDTV and mounted it with a DVD player on a tall table with a small footprint just ahead of the treadmill so that I could do the couch potato thing while running. This treadmill is a very good, quiet system. But it is still loud enough (especially with my footfall sounds on the belt) to make the sound system that's built into the TV quite marginal.


It's obvious that I don't have to have a very refined sound system if I'm only going to use this system when I'm running, but I'd rather not buy a real dog. I probably won't use the TV at all except when I'm running. Should I get a boom box for this application, or does anyone know of a different type of form factor that would serve the purpose?


I guess I would pipe the sound from the DVD player to the amp/speakers. It could be coax digital, optical digital, or a plain old left/right RCA pair.


Thanks,

Ernie

 

[Tex-amp]

I was going to say boom box. It what I did for our workout room. An hour to an hour and half daily? Maybe you want something nicer. What is your budget?

 

[shankar]

My treadmill room is my basement HT room! Even then I don't spend an hour on it! Wow! you are dedicated... I have my 5.1 speaker setup (all Acoustic research) there....


Will a quality wireless headphone do??

 

[bmedude]

if you already have a reciever lying around, i would get a decent pair of bookshelf speakers, nothing fancy, maybe 150 dollars or less. If not, then get a nice little shelf system.



edit: just wanted to add that i second shankars idea, a nice set of noise canceling cans from sennheiser or grado would be nice. Or if you want noise canceling ear buds - ekymotic research :-D

 

[8ballcoupe]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tex-amp I was going to say boom box. It what I did for our workout room. An hour to an hour and half daily? Maybe you want something nicer. What is your budget?

I don't mind spending money, but I think it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to devote a really good sound system to an exercise room. The treadmill and I make a lot of noise. I won't be hearing any subtle nuances. But I don't want the sound to be crappy, either. Because the treadmill sits in a sort of huge window box I don't want to bother with surround sound or anything like that. Just plain old stereo will be fine. Do you think I can get the volume I want, along with decent sound quality, for $500 or so? I'm not limited to that, but I was thinking that would be a reasonable allowance to make for this equipment.


I do have a decent lower-end HT (KF-50WE610, Denon amp and dvd player, Mirage satellites and sub) in another room of the apartment. So I do my serious listening and watching in there. It's an apartment. It's pretty private, but I still prefer not to transfer more sound to the structure than is seemly. I went to great lengths to have a sound and vibration absorbing platform built for the treadmill so I wouldn't upset the sweet little elderly lady downstairs. (I've been in her apartment while a friend ran on the 'mill upstairs, just to be sure.)


Thank you for your interest --

Ernie

 

[8ballcoupe]

Quote:

Originally posted by shankar My treadmill room is my basement HT room! Even then I don't spend an hour on it! Wow! you are dedicated... I have my 5.1 speaker setup (all Acoustic research) there.... Will a quality wireless headphone do??

I've been running every day, save for special circumstances, for a little over forty years. I just don't feel right unless I get my miles in. I finally broke down and got a really good treadmill last year because I'm getting too old to run through exhaust fumes in all kinds of weather over pavement. My frame has always been nearly indestructible, but I don't wish to tempt fate any longer. That ice outside right now is just too dangerous to mess with. If I were to make a misstep I'm sure that I would find that I wouldn't mend as fast as I would like. Or maybe at all.


I don't think a wireless headphone will do. I'm sure the sound quality would be fine for this purpose, but I can't imagine that headphones would be comfortable. I tried running with a Walkman-style radio with headphones a few years ago, and it was extremely uncomfortable for me. It wasn't the weight or the binding of the frame around my head and ears. It was the claustrophobia that some of us feel when our heat dissipation ability around the head is even very slightly altered. Weird, I know, because I can run easily in 100 degree weather.


I appreciate your thoughts on this --

Ernie

 

[8ballcoupe]

Quote:

Originally posted by bmedude if you already have a reciever lying around, i would get a decent pair of bookshelf speakers, nothing fancy, maybe 150 dollars or less. If not, then get a nice little shelf system. edit: just wanted to add that i second shankars idea, a nice set of noise canceling cans from sennheiser or grado would be nice. Or if you want noise canceling ear buds - ekymotic research :-D

You know, maybe you and shankar are right after all. Maybe I should give headphones another shot. It was torture the first time around, but I was just using the cheap headphones that came with the Walkman radio then. I don't think I'd like sticking anything in my ears. Noise cancelling headphones, if not too heavy and constricting, would have the added advantage of filtering out some of the noise from the treadmill and not contributing to the general noise level I'm producing in that room. I have been concerned that running speakers loud enough so that I can hear my movies while running might be pretty annoying for my neighbors. I think it's obviously worth the money and effort to give this idea a shot. If you and shankar or anyone else have any specific brand and model recommendations I would appreciate some guidance.


Maybe I'll get some headphones for the HT, too. The Mirage speakers are just fine for HT use, but not really to my taste for listening to some kinds of music.


You folks may be giving me better help than I had expected by leading me down a path I would not have given serious consideration before now.


Thank you--

Ernie

 

[NewSc2]

Check out head-fi.org forums for some headphone recommendations.


Personally when I run any headphones other than earbuds just annoy. The pads get sweaty, the headband weighs down, etc.


FYI, I'm perfectly happy running with my iPod + iPod earbuds. Even though I have several other headphones, the earbuds are cheap (so I don't worry about sweat/taking them to the gym) and they sound pretty good for stock earbuds. Apple just released a noise-isolating set of earbuds for $39 along with the iPod mini release, so you might want to check out those as a slight upgrade to stock earbuds. There are also Shure and Etymotic earbuds out, which have gotten rave reviews.

 

[8ballcoupe]

Thanks, NewSc2. I'll check out that URL.


I know what you mean about personal preferences when running. I can be pretty sensitive to having something clamped on my head. I won't even run with a sweat band. On the other hand, I really don't like sticking things in my ears.


I wonder if I was conditioned by that song... My Mommy said not to put beans in my ears! [chortle]


Thanks again for the URL.


Ernie

 

[coxpt]

I think the whole Energy line is a great value, find the right pair (new or used) in your budget, match it with a 75watt stereo receiver and you will be very happy. I run a lot and often use my MP3 player on the treadmill. I you go that route definitely get one with a good armband (included in many sport packages) and get headphones you like. Earbuds are the best sound for the price, but they fall out of my ears. I have been happy with a panasonic pair that goes around the back of your head, and over your ears kind of like a backward pair of sunglasses, and works great.

 

[8ballcoupe]

Thanks for the suggestions.


I'm getting along better with the TV's speakers now, but I'm still auditioning headphones to see if I can find something for listening to music when I'm doing a long, slow session on the treadmill.


I'm with you on the earbuds. Even if they didn't fall out they would still drive me crazy.


Ernie

 

[audioguy]

I recently purchased for my daughter some speakers and a sub that were made for a PC but that they were going to use on their living room TV. I used the audio output of the TV to drive them and it sounded very good---way better than the TV sound and certainly OK for running on a treadmill. That way you get the amp and speakers/subs all in one package.


There are all kinds of price-points available but for about $150, you can get something very adequate.

 

[CobraKahn]

I am using a JVC Kaboom box for this very application. Works great, sounds fine, and gives me something I can take to the beach.


Unfortunately I think these have been discontinued. You might also consider one of the micro seperates systems from Sony, Denon, Yamaha, etc. I have a small Denon 3 disc CD system in my office with Mission speakers which sounds great.

 

[sputnikv8]

I'm not a runner, but, relating that to my workout actiivties I'd think headphones would be a pain. They'd get sweaty, smelly, etc. If your spending around 90 minutes per day in there, I don't think its a "waste" to add a low-end receiver and some cheaper bookshelf speakers. Heck, you already put an HDTV and DVD player in there?


Headphones...just don't sound like a good plan to me.


My .02.

 

[8ballcoupe]

Yup, I'm coming to that conclusion. I tried out three more sets of headphones last evening and just couldn't tolerate any of them on the treadmill. I'm keeping a set of Sennheiser 650s for the living room, though, so all of the headphone testing was not for naught. Those are some really nice-sounding headphones! I've never been much of a fan for headphones, but these sound great playing classical piano music. I will miss the body resonance I got from the big system at the house, but I'm just not willing to make my apartment building neighbors share the experience. Headphones will have to do, and I won't be suffering much while using these babies!


I was trying headphones in the exercise room because I was concerned that I was going to have to crank speakers up to a point that might annoy neighbors. As it turns out these apartments are pretty well isolated from each other. (Before I put it on a platform, however, the treadmill sound really coupled into the apartment below me.)


I'm going to put an old HK receiver and a couple of Mirage Ominsat Micros in there this evening. I'll check with my little neighbor downstairs to be sure I won't be bugging her with the noise. If that checks out I'm going to forget all about the headphones.


Ernie