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What makes a good shop stereo system for 60x60x20 area?

Garwood

Diamond
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Location
Oregon
I'm finding that a good Pandora playlist is paramount for my productivity when working alone (most of the time).

I've come to realize recently that my shop stereo isn't what I hoped and I'd like to invest in an upgrade. Currently have an early 70's JVC 60 watt receiver (my dad bought new) powering a pair of vintage JBL floor speakers, but the speakers are hacked up with different, cheap parts in them (basically JBL box with china guts I think). The speakers don't get any louder past 5 watts, they just get more distorted. The JVC has begun to crackle and hum.

I'm sure I don't know much about good audio stuff. I tried researching on the audio forums and they all seam to be differing opinions about what is good and bad.

I want good, but probably for a sub $500 budget, maybe more if I can piece a system together over time. I like the look and feel of old school stuff with brushed aluminum faces and metal knobs, etc.

I'd like to have clarity at casual listening levels and when I crank it up. I mostly listen to rock. I think 4 good speakers would probably cover the 60x60 shop space I work in most of the time. I only need 2 channels. Sound right?

The home theater stuff seams so complicated and seems to rely on a remote and I hate remotes in the shop.

Would this Yamaha work for what I need? Yamaha CA 600 integrated amplifier - electronics - by owner - sale

How do I tell a good speaker from a shit one? Just google every single one and wade through hundreds of opinions or is there a better way?
 
The shop is small enough you might consider a pair of wireless noise cancelling headphones. That would cut down some of the machining noise, and give you better sound than four speakers in the corners. Also, it'd be significantly less than $500.
 
The shop is small enough you might consider a pair of wireless noise cancelling headphones. That would cut down some of the machining noise, and give you better sound than four speakers in the corners. Also, it'd be significantly less than $500.

How will my neighbors know there's a good song playing?
 
I find headphones a sort of bad idea in a machine shop.
Sometimes you need to hear it when things go different than normal.
In larger shops they and earbuds are outlawed for safety reasons.
I once allowed them but the rule was that one side had to disconnected.

Speaker choice is like a choice in women. Everyone has a different view of like and do not like.
60x60x20 is a fairly large sound field. Efficiency may matter. This is db at one watt at one meter.
Four speakers in the corners rather than two means cancellation in some spots in the room and that spot varies with frequency.

If you get out of the distortion problem you have I then like having an eq and using TrueRTA and REW to adjust it.
I recently put one of these in the chain and for it's low price I love it for tuning the speakers to the room, placement and where I want the sound the best. Rockville REQ231 Dual 31 Band Home Theater Graphic Equalizer EQ w/ Sub-Output

Every room is different, speaker placement is different.
What sounds so nice in your living room or a demo room may sound like shit in your shop, club or other so "I like this or these" is very conditional on the setup and room.
That makes reading any review or likes very difficult.

I know this not much help. In this size space you need real output power which can be done though big amps or speaker efficiency.
If you were crazy flush with money I'd just buy a pair of these but holy shit price tag: https://www.ebay.com/b/klipsch-la-scala/bn_7024810979
Used in clubs of your sized shop and you can drive them with a 2 dollar transistor radio. Insane money now, my first pair cost under $2500 all in with the higher priced finish.

I have a old set of BIC venturi 6 in my living room and they sound so great in that spot. They would not work in my shop.
Bob
 
Finally a thread I have the confidence to give an answer to. look locally for a decent set of used powered PA speakers. That is the best option for your money, and most are water resistant and will hold up better in a shop. You can find some cheap. Every area has wannabe dj's and local ex-bands, You might even find a decent enough speaker management system like a driverack.
 
I switched to powered PA speakers when I moved my shop last time around and what an improvement. I have the older version of these guys:
JBL EON615 | 15" Two-Way Multipurpose Self-Powered Sound Reinforcement

Works so much better than home stereo equipment in a shop, and used sets are not hard to find. I paid $350 for the pair. Run them from any receiver with a preamp output. They are loud! And very little distortion at high volumes.
 
PA speakers! I just switched. And, I will never look back. They are so dynamic. And, don't require much power at all.
I found an old set of Peaveys on Craigslist for $250. Couldn't be happier for the money!
There are also lots of powered PA speakers where you wouldn't even need an amp.

HA! Sexie, and sheys beat me to the punch while I was typing! LOL
 
I'm finding that a good Pandora playlist is paramount for my productivity when working alone (most of the time).

I've come to realize recently that my shop stereo isn't what I hoped and I'd like to invest in an upgrade. Currently have an early 70's JVC 60 watt receiver (my dad bought new) powering a pair of vintage JBL floor speakers, but the speakers are hacked up with different, cheap parts in them (basically JBL box with china guts I think). The speakers don't get any louder past 5 watts, they just get more distorted. The JVC has begun to crackle and hum.

I'm sure I don't know much about good audio stuff. I tried researching on the audio forums and they all seam to be differing opinions about what is good and bad.

I want good, but probably for a sub $500 budget, maybe more if I can piece a system together over time. I like the look and feel of old school stuff with brushed aluminum faces and metal knobs, etc.

I'd like to have clarity at casual listening levels and when I crank it up. I mostly listen to rock. I think 4 good speakers would probably cover the 60x60 shop space I work in most of the time. I only need 2 channels. Sound right?

The home theater stuff seams so complicated and seems to rely on a remote and I hate remotes in the shop.

Would this Yamaha work for what I need? Yamaha CA 600 integrated amplifier - electronics - by owner - sale

How do I tell a good speaker from a shit one? Just google every single one and wade through hundreds of opinions or is there a better way?

I don't know about Yamaha, I have an old Harmon Kardon setup with Cerwin Vega speakers. I had the speakers rebuilt 2 years ago by a authorized Cerwin Vega repair shop. The wife complains when she can hear it in the house 100' away!
 
Sunday morning pipe organ moosic ?
And afternoon bagpipes ?
The op said "I mostly listen to rock", one would hope he throws some symphony, country and jazz in there also for a change up.
I also a rock guy tend to test with Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and Rush.
Then there is the classic and the very old long hair music as symphony orchestra where the "brilliance" has to shine and sort of light up your life as clean and hard to describe in words.
Everyone is different in this world. My tastes is not yours but I want my sound to be to my taste.
Different deal if you have to mix for a stadium or venue.
Bob
 
IMG_1184.jpg

Crappy picture, but, you get the idea. Stupid loud, off not a lot of power. And, crystal clear with very low distortion.
The midrange can be a little "bitey" on some tracks. But, not terrible. And, I have read that is a trait of this particular model.
Point is: you will not get anywhere near filling a 60x60 room with sound as easily/cheaply as you will with some nice PA speakers.
One drawback. If you like a strong bottom-end? You will definitely need a subwoofer to keep up. Low-end extension is not a strong suit of PA "tops".

People look at me funny when I tell them I have a pair of 10" subwoofers mated to my 18" speakers, LOL

I just need to get them mounted on the walls spread out (and not 4 feet behind my head!), and they will sound even better.
 
I just buy used 3 way speakers at garage sales, and run em til they puke, then buy more. I have 4 in the shop now, and an Onkyo receiver that I think is about 100 watts per channel. It gets loud enough to hear over the power hammer. Whole rig was under $500.
 
I see the PA speakers all the time for not much so that's awesome.

It makes sense that they'd work well in a bigger space, but the audiophile guys would talk down about them since they aren't going to work well in a living room.

Moonlight- My dad bought a set of Cerwin Vega's with this JVC I still use in the early 70's. I threw some BIG parties as a teenager and used those with this JVC to shake things up and I remember them being AMAZING. I eventually blew the foam out of them and my dad tossed them when I joined the Navy in 2002. I would pay to fix those things up in a heartbeat!

Maybe the thing to do is just recap this JVC, empty a can of de-oxit in the controls and pick up some big PA's.
 
I just buy used 3 way speakers at garage sales, and run em til they puke, then buy more. I have 4 in the shop now, and an Onkyo receiver that I think is about 100 watts per channel. It gets loud enough to hear over the power hammer. Whole rig was under $500.

I bought these gutted JBL's and two other crappy pairs of floor speakers at a garage sale for $50 for all and I feel ripped off. They just suck and I don't want to throw even $20 at shit speakers again.
 
Funny, there's a half dozen sets of those JBL Eons for sale near me for $300-$500 and I was just researching them. I might go grab a pair tomorrow.
 








 
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