manheimer@nbs-amrf.UUCP (Ken Manheimer) (11/05/85)
I'm finally building up a worthwhile tape library and would like to have music in my office. I already have a decent walkman-type player (sony wm- F10) but would like a to be able to listen without headphones, so am looking around for an alternative. I'm considering spending somewhere around $50. After looking briefly into stereo boom boxes it seems i couldn't get something on par with the walkman for less than say $120 - $150. I've seen powered speakers that plug into walkmen (walkmans?) for anywhere from 10 to $90 and would like to investigate them as an option. Anyone out there have some experience with these things, recommend (or warn against) particular ones? Please email since i don't always get to news, i'll summarize all responses. Thanks! Ken Manheimer ...!seismo!nbs-amrf!manheimer or manheimer@nbs-amrf.uucp (Everything leaks.) (I love music, it gets me thru some times, sometimes, dee doo wah (hey).)
manheime@nbs-amrf.UUCP (Ken Manheimer) (11/29/85)
The amount of response, which has been great, has finally trickled off,
so here's a compendium of the replies. I'm including a few of my own
replies, since they present my own input about the Sony SRS-50 speakers
that i wound up getting (and am very pleased with - In fact, my office
mate and another coworker are both getting/have gotten pairs of these
speakers for themselves, and one of them got another pair for gifting.
Quite some testimony, hmm?).
Thanks to awl!
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[here's my original article]
I'm finally building up a worthwhile tape library and would like to have
music in my office. I already have a decent walkman-type player (sony wm-
F10) but would like a to be able to listen without headphones, so am looking
around for an alternative. I'm considering spending somewhere around $50.
After looking briefly into stereo boom boxes it seems i couldn't get
something on par with the walkman for less than say $120 - $150. I've seen
powered speakers that plug into walkmen (walkmans?) for anywhere from 10 to
$90 and would like to investigate them as an option. Anyone out there have
some experience with these things, recommend (or warn against) particular
ones? Please email since i don't always get to news, i'll summarize all
responses.
Thanks!
Ken Manheimer ...!seismo!nbs-amrf!manheimer or manheimer@nbs-amrf.uucp
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Date: Mon, 11 Nov 85 10:32:19 -0100
From: seismo!enea!log-hb!richard (Richard S. Kaufmann)
I own a pair of Sony SRS-50 battery-powered speakers, and like
them very much. I bought them in Paris (of all places) for around
$70.00/pair.
By the way, I use them in my office with a D-5 and a WM-D6C.
Richard Kaufmann
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Date: 11 Nov 1985 22:38-EST
From: manheime (Ken Manheimer)
Your reply is the first one i've received. The speakers you suggest, the
SRS-50, happen to be (far and away) the best i've heard thus far, so
your message serves as fairly auspicious affirmation of my inclinations.
Someone else has recommended another brand (Audio-Technica AT-SP5's)
that runs for slightly less but i haven't seen them around anywhere and
if i can't audition them and don't hear come across any other prime
candidates i will probably wind up going with the Sonys.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Ken Manheimer.
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Date: Mon, 11 Nov 85 09:14:25 GMT
From: seismo!mcvax!stc!pete
In-Reply-To: <50@nbs-amrf.UUCP>
I bought a (cheap) pair of Ross speakers for my JVC
walkperson and find that the sound quality and volume are
so poor that I don't use them much.
You listen to music in your office??? Working conditions
must be different over there!!!
Regards,
Peter Kendell
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Date: Mon, 11 Nov 85 13:18:00 est
From: seismo!bellcore!dvw (Dan V. Wilson)
I have had a set of Audio-Technica AT-SP5's for about a year now and am very
happy with them. They're about $50 for the pair. They have built-in
amplifiers, and are powered off of 4 C-cells each or a wall adapter (extra).
They have the best sound of any I listened to.
Hope this info helps.
Dan Wilson
dvw@bellcore.UUCP (or .ARPA)
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Date: Sun, 24 Nov 85 01:19:37 -0100
From: seismo!enea!erix!erisun!leif (Leif Samuelsson)
Ken,
I bought the Sony SRS-30 speakers to use in my car. I put velcro
on the dashboard and underneath the speakers and got a nice low-
budget car stereo system which I can take with me whenever I
leave the car. The sound is surprisingly good for the size of
the speakers. Each speaker runs on a pair of C-size batteries
with automatic power-on/off. The store recommended the speakers
from Audio-Technica which are bigger and have better sound for
the same money. They were too big for my project, however.
Leif Samuelsson
Ericsson Information Systems AB ..enea!erix!erisun!leif
Advanced Workstations Division
S-172 93 SUNDBYBERG 59 19 N / 17 57 E
SWEDEN
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Date: Fri, 15 Nov 85 19:21:54 pst
From: umcp-cs!lll-crg!amdcad!cae780!ubvax!skip@gymble.umd.edu (Skip Addison Jr)
I've been looking for speakers myself. Please let me know what you hear?
The only thing I can report is that I tried out some small Aiwa's and was
very displeased.
-- Skip
ubvax!skip
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Here tis. Ken.
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Date: Mon, 18 Nov 85 16:35:51 est
From: <seismo!philabs!ttidca!ttidcb!svirsky>
In article <50@nbs-amrf.UUCP> you write:
> [...]
With 1 exception, all of the plug-in speakers I've seen for walkman
type portables are a maximum of about 4" high and use batteries to
power small amplifiers inside the speakers themselves. The size of
the cabinet limits both the size of the speakers and the size of the
amplifiers. The advantage of these speakers are that they are small
enough to carry just about anywhere. The disadvantage is that, while
the sound is decent, it sounds small. The exception was a pair of
speakers make by Lasonics (sp?). These speakers are about 8-10" tall,
4-5" wide, and 5-6" deep. They put out a max of 6 watts and had separate
woofer and tweeter. They sounded really nice. Cost was $50. The
catch was that they are meant to plug into 110V house current, which
is actually an advantage if you're going to use them mainly in your
office; you won't have to worry about buying batteries for the
speaker amps every time they run down. They did have a jack in the
back for 12V DC, so you can run them from battery (probably meant for
a car or trailer battery).
Bill Svirsky
Citicorp/TTI
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Work phone: 213-450-9111 x2597
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Date: Tue, 12 Nov 85 08:19:54 cst
From: umcp-cs!lll-crg!amdcad!ihnp4!tellab1!etan@gymble.umd.edu (Nate Stelton)
In article <50@nbs-amrf.UUCP> you write:
... >I'm considering spending somewhere around $50.
> ... I've seen
> [...]
About 1 year ago my wife did some shopping for powered speakers (and she
knows good sound; we have a recording studio at home). I don't know what all
she listened to, but I guess she heard 3 or 4 different pairs and settled on
Parasound (no model no.). They seem to have the strongest and flattest bass
response (although still marginal), and respectable highs. She paid $45. One
of the nice things about them is the bass and treble boost switches. She bought
them for our honeymoon, but now I use them in the office. I like them, but our
boombox sounds much better.
-Nate Stelton (etan)
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From: umcp-cs!lll-crg!lll-crg!amdcad!ihnp4!allegra!alice!ark@gymble.umd.edu
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 85 13:27:23 pst
I bought a friend a pair of Sony APM-090 speakers (for $75) and
recommend them. The two of them together are about the size
of a shoe box, and, while the sound is not phenomenal, it is a good
deal better than you might expect for the size and price.
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From: <seismo!philabs!polaris!herbie>
Date: 10-Nov-1985 14:59-EST (Sunday)
In article <50@nbs-amrf.UUCP> you write:
> [...]
the best are the Bose Roommates (number unknown) though they are about
$200 a pair. i have Sony ones that are very small and portable, the
SRS-10's. i think they go for about $30. when folded up, the
are the size of a cassette box, but about 3mm thicker. of course, they
have limited sound capabilties, but for their size, what can you
expect? they are powered speakers,as are the Bose. don't get unpowered
ones for your Walkman.
Herb Chong...
I'm still user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble....
VNET,BITNET,NETNORTH,EARN: HERBIE AT YKTVMH
UUCP: {allegra|cbosgd|cmcl2|decvax|ihnp4|seismo}!philabs!polaris!herbie
CSNET: herbie.yktvmh@ibm-sj.csnet
ARPA: herbie.yktvmh.ibm-sj.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa
========================================================================
DISCLAIMER: what you just read was produced by pouring lukewarm
tea for 42 seconds onto 9 people chained to 6 Ouiji boards.
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Date: 16 Nov 1985 19:03-EST
From: manheime (Ken Manheimer)
Subject: (powered) walkman speakers
To: <seismo!philabs!polaris!herbie>
In-Reply-To: herbie's message of 10-Nov-1985 1459-EST (Sunday)
I just fired up emacs rmail after setting up my new pair of Sony SRS-50
walkman speakers (which i purchased about half an hour ago), and
recieved your message. I've been trying the speakers out meanwhile, of
course, and enjoying a lot (Best of Booker T and the MGs). Enjoying at the
silly grin level, you know, "they're living up to my expectations, not
a hitch, What a Pleasant Surprise".
The speakers produce the most excellent bass of any that i'd
investigated *except* the bose, which you recommended, and cost less
than a third of the bose price. Incidentally Re the cost - talk about
the world cooperating, a new W. Bell store opened 2 days ago in a mall
very near my house, presenting as part of their Grand Opening sale a cut
in the $ 70 price they normally offer these walkspeaks for - already
competitive to mail order prices, the cut to $60 on the weekend i
intended to buy in any event was real gratifying. Not to mention the
pleasure dealing with Bell - if something goes wrong with the product
during the warranty period (and you still have the paperwork, etc) they
replace it. Not like mail order... and at a lower price! A
pentemento (oops, that's not in my dictionary, but i think it's a real
word; you know what i mean ?-).
The speakers have some sort of dual radiator scheme, with one active and
one passive element, and a "dynamic equalizer" amplifier, which i
presume compensates the signal to enhance the bass. (I listened to the
new (?) Audio Pro XX-50 subwoofer, which also does wonders with dynamic
equalization, though i believe in that case the dynamic entails motional
feedback, and i don't think that applies to the Sonys.) They're
amazingly free of boominess as far as i can tell during the brief time
i've been listening; their sound seems likely to hold up over time. I
tend to have little tolerance for garbage bass, particularly in
contrast to the fairly clean, clear MG-I (improved)s i listen to at home(!)
The chief tradeoff in their walkspeaks design i've been able to identify
so far is the upper limit on their volume - when comparing in stores, i
inevitably had to substantially increase the volume when switching to
them from some other pair of walkspeaks. This, as far as i'm concerned,
is a good sign and perfectly agreeable in terms of functionality - they
will play louder than i need in this situation (office, flanking my
terminal...), and it's symptomatic of the effort their designers
invested in getting a substantial and low bass. I.e., it's realistic to
expect volume limits to achieve (such) relatively good bass within the
(rather extreme) constraints of the context.
I'm still amazed by how acceptable they sound - i think they'll last.
Check into them if you want a good (modest) sound source for constrained
environs.
By the way, i have further reservations about the Bose Roommates i
listened to - on (too) brief listen they seemed to sound kinda muddy.
This might be an artifact of the walkman as much as the bose, or
possibly an artifact of my expectations for substantially sized (and
priced) speakers in contrast the relatively more modest typical
walkspeaks.
Take air,
Ken Manheimer.
(everything leaks, you know...)
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There tis. i unfortunately couldn't locate some of the speakers suggested
(Audio-Technica AT-SP5's, Parasound, Lasonics, even the Sony APM-90's
(though i did discover they are discontinued by J&R music world)) but of the
ones i've auditioned (in my budget) i'm certain the SRS-50's are the best
choice.
Ken.