Quick thing - I had a feeling there'd be some confusion about this, but the point about brickwalling vs. dynamics isn't that CD isn't capable of dynamic sound. That's why there's a title card at 5:05 attempting to explain that these are choices that sound engineers are making. CD's are often mastered for people to listen to in their cars and through earbuds, whereas hi-res is often/usually mastered for critical listening in the home. Different audience. It's not anything inherent to any particular format, but you will *more commonly* find better masters in hi-res files. That doesn't mean it always happens, because as I say later, not everybody is good at their jobs. (In fact, the really bad example of brickwalling that I show later is a hi-res file.) I probably should have talked about hi-res's increased dynamic range either later or not at all - the reason I brought it up at that point was just to explain that dynamic range doesn't matter regardless of format if the engineer's just going to brickwall everything.
I'm glad you clarified this, because I was wondering if you were confusing amplitude with khz for a bit there... This is why I still try and get the High res music even though I don't have good enough hearing/equipment to hear high res stuff. Because the mastering isn't as aggressive and there's much more detail in the music. Even on my shitty $50 44khz usb stereo amp and half deaf ears, I can tell the difference in the two sources.
I would go further in favour of hi-res audio, most peoples' interpretation of the Nyquist Theorem is INCORRECT, it is only a perfect sample for EXACTLY double the freq. So if you had a annoying buzzer tone at 10khz a 20khz digital sample will reproduce it perfectly. That's not music, music has constantly varying frequencies. I have by no means golden ears but using specific samples, listening to them multiple times, I can pick out the higher frequency sample 14 times out of 15. This is taking a 96khz sample and resampling it to 48khz, not taking a crappy CD master versus a higher quality master. That said it is REALLY HARD to do, I have to listen to very specific samples using good headphones at sound levels that would probably cause hearing loss if I did this all the time. So is high res audio worth it? For most people probably not, but it is 100% possible to hear the difference, it is not snake oil.
I agree that there is crappy mastering on CDs. But there is also stellar mastering. It's like Forest Gump and his box of chocolates. Digital downloads can suffer the same fate, as well as HiRes. But it appears to me we are condemning here one format in favor of HiRes, which currently exists in very little quantity. Absolutely, chase perfection. And well mastered red book audio on decent gear sounds AMAING!
There are apparently problems with the CD and it is that with ours hearing threshold, we actually hear weaker sounds in the middle register than other frequencies. SONY music tried to solve this problem with SBM super bit mapping. and noise forming. 16 bits is apparently not enough for the sound in the middle register
Does this not apply primarily to pop music and other popular music. there are people who point out that pop music on vinyl records in the 80's usually did not have such good sound. that is, music that would bring in money for the record companies
The problem with audiophile equipment is that, for 99% of the people, by the time you can even come close to afford the true HiFi stuffs, your ears are too old to tell the difference.
@Douglas Blake Are you telling me your 100w amplifier will stand toe to toe against anything the same power and of a higher price level?? ... Then you've obviously never heard a true decent amplifier properly sing before...
@Douglas Blake Not at all, I use my Denon receiver for movies and gaming, and it's surprisingly good at putting out some good music too. It's only a couple of years old...but if i were to compare it musically to my Roxan amplifier, There's no competition, The Roxan is far more clear and with less power than my Denon.
Have one. Paid $150. Sounds great with no problems. LOVE IT! It's a versitile budget system, decent enough quality for its price, and won't disappoint people who like Sony products. Proof that great sounding home audio can actually be had without spending a fortune for it.
Excellent video with great insights. I too have bought that Sony receiver and have been really amazed at how good it sounds and yet it’s simplicity. I love it for the price.
Excellent video! Totally agree on your take on almost everything, especially the value of lossless audio. Why not get the best possible source material? The sound upgrade is usually cheaper than buying new equipment. Btw, the Doritos analogy was hilarious and spot-on! Thanks for the laugh!
A really good review for this receiver. I was looking for a detailed technical review and couldn't find one until I checked your video. I have placed an order for this receiver.
Fantastic video buddy. I was expecting you to derail and go off on tangents like EVERY UA-camr does. Kudos for staying on point for a long video. Information was great and the sarcasm kept me reeled in. 10/10... Not that you care, but thanks for sharing. You earned a subscriber here and I don't do that often with all the trash out there....
I finally had to take my 40 year old beloved MAC receiver in for service, and it was gonna be in the shop for awhile, so I looked on Amazon for an inexpensive basic receiver, to use as a fill-in, till I got my MAC 4100 back. I saw the Sony 190 excellent reviews on UA-cam and was sold…when I got the Sony home and hooked it up…It kind of blew my mind! I was taken aback! Did it sound as good as my MAC? No. But it sounded close enough that I am no longer in a hurry to get the MAC back. Then I began to rethink how far modern sound tech has come in 40 years. Your video here, helped fill in that knowledge gap. Certain Amazon music files in Hi res over my Bluetooth sound incredibly good, almost great. This has caused a sea change in my thinking, and like you, I thought since the Sony is SO close, for so cheap..why not charge a little more and make it better? Great video.
As usual, this is just plain excellent. Great technical description of both hi-rez and Bluetooth. (BTW, I’ve had pretty good results with apt-X HD to my wireless earbuds.) If you have a receiver or integrated amp with a hi-rez (24/96 or better) DAC built in, another cost-effective solution for both streaming and hi-rez file play is a Raspberry Pi with a HiFiBerry digi+ HAT. You can attach a disk drive with your files on it and stream from a streaming service all for $200 or so.
Well done . While I don’t agree with all your conclusions, your presentation is provocative, well reasoned , illustrated and earnest. The result is a worthwhile journey. Thanks
This might be the only video I’ve watched the entire way through without skipping ahead which says a lot. I bought a Sony STR-DH190 and liked it so much I ended up buying a 2nd one for the basement. I was fortunate to get mine for about $100 each. It’s a great value, but I wish the manual were a little more clear on which inputs are compatible with Hi-Res audio. I use Bluetooth most of the time for convenience and because it works so damn well.
I was really worried about the volume on this receiver. I thought it was broken or something, thanks for letting me know that is normal. I like this receiver.
Great video and good to know about the Sony receiver. I've been on a similar odyssey with portable audio. This started with MP3s and AACs on two old iPhone 2s and various Bluetooth speakers. I progressed from iPhones (limited memory) to a Kindle Fire tablet 7" (various annoyances) to Mibao M550 (an excellent $20 Bluetooth player except limited bass output on headphones) to Fiio M3K (an excellent $50 Hi-Res player but no Bluetooth capability). All high bit rate files (64+GB) were sourced from CD. I use the Fiio with headphones. I highly recommend the Philips SHP9500 open back headphones, a true bargain at $60. I use the Mibao with my latest Bluetooth speaker, the Tribit Maxsound Plus, that has better sound than previous Taotronics Pulse X and Bose Soundlink II speakers. I use the excellent Sony ICF-19 FM/AM portable radio when I want to listen to FM radio outside. For home audio, I use the Logitech Bluetooth receiver and have never felt the need to upgrade it. It's used for streaming FM radio etc to the home Hi-Fi using an old Chromebook.
16bit FLACs at 44.1KHz are absolutely good enough for me. I have heard 96-24 files that do sound a little better, but many of them I frankly couldn't tell the difference. I'd be more concerned about the quality of your headphones / speakers, and having a decent enough DAC (mine was the Earstudio ES100 Mk2, which I'm very happy with). Great video!
I love my NWA-45 player. Been running Hi Res Walkman players since 2014. I noticed the difference right away. Paired with Grado Labs headphones or the Hear.In2, these devices are great! When commuting via rail, switching to noise cancelling earbuds is king. I rarely use ambient speakers these days…
Oh oh, he said the famous words, "circling back" as in Jen Psaki , 'we'll have to circle back on that"...lol. You have a very soothing and calming voice for narration I must say. Relating to your flight sim videos, we could be incorrectly heading straight for a mountain side and I would be perfectly fine with that while being totally calm and relaxed by your instructions or stories while sipping tea and hearing frantic screams from the rear passengers.
6:55 This is not a problem of "low" resolution music. This is a mastering DECISION. The CD could have just as easily sounded EXACTLY like the highres version. They just chose to clip the music and bump the volume too high.
Yep. They compress the hell out of most modern music and completely ruin it. A properly mastered CD can not be reliably identified when compared properly in a blind test with some fancy super ultra mega unumpentium resolution version.
@@LBCAndrew The same people who waffle on about "high-res" audio are the ones who bought audiophile grade SD cards, monster cables and other audiophile woo and marketing wank. Blind tests prove CD is good enough for 99.98% of people who listen to music. And that .02 I have serious doubts about.
Try blind test between 320 mp3 and flac 😂 Nobody hears the difference. Nobody passed my test, even sound engineers and audiophiles with crazy expensive equipment 😂
@tarstarkusz I totally agree 👍 It is a marketing trick to sell the same media again. Even if difference can be seen in software spectrograph, it is still almost impossible to hear a difference. At least I do not know anyone who can hear it. It is more about mastering and avoiding clipping. The same is with dacs and decent power amps. If the frequency response is flat and distortion is low, the difference between them is inaudible. People who hear the difference between them are delusional. The audiophile industry is basically a neat money grabbing trick.
Great video. Technical enough and a complete lack of BS! We share the same views on the quality vs convenience plight facing the world. I was looking at many portable audio players, but also needed to update my phone, so got the only device to be considered for the role. LG V30! Just updated to V50, (A$370 from AliExpress!) but that's it for mobile phones with good audio. With LG dropping the phone range (V60 wasn't quite as good) there are no more devices to choose from. Oppo did make one ages ago, that was basically a great audio player, with a phone thrown in. For home, I have a Naim Unity player/streamer and JRiver on a media server PC. Works great , but not a system for everyone to launch into!
I had a pair of old(ish) 40W Akai speakers just gathering dust. So I built a 40W amp to go with them for £75. Nice matching enclosures for the electronics, (one for the amps, balance and PSU, and another for the turntable pre-amp, input select, vol, bass and treble), It has been my main stereo for 5-6 years. It sounds perfect to my 50+ year old ears.
Amen , preach on brother. Great analogy with the Doritos. I have tried to explain it to others and have been yelled at so many times about how ignorant and old fashioned I am. I did not even know what an audiophile was until I was online in a discussion and was called one. I showed a 20's College guy one day the difference between his ipod and my original production reel to reel tape played music. I have some of my Dads old Reel to Reel tapes and some I have managed to pick up through the years in various places. I rebuilt a TEAC reel to reel machine. I played his exact song through headphones I had. From his Ipod and my system. I also played it open through my speakers. His comment was WOW it sounds like I am in a concert and I can hear the guitarist fingers drag the strings as he changes notes. I told him that he was listening to the difference of the whole analog recording vs a sampled digital file that cuts off everything above and below a set frequency limit. I told him that I have amps and equalizers that will make everything louder but I can only amplify what is originally there.
Your video was very informative. Now, I understand why my experiences with hi-res audio confusing. Another receiver to check out is the Yamaha RS-202. I have one and it performs well also. But, unlike the SONY STR-DH190, theYamaha has no onboard phono stage.
When it comes to bluetooth codecs, I have found that buying higher end audio equipment doesn’t guarantee the best options. My interest is in car audio and I found that buying a higher end Apline head unit meant settling for a bluetooth version a couple of times removed from the current standard . I streamed from an Lg V35 and I ended up doing my custom install without changing the head unit and instead added a high quality bluetooth reciever meant for wired headphones. My current install has my Pixel 5 streaming to Fiio Btr5 reciever that is connected directly to an Adiocontrol equalizer then directly to the amplifiers. While its not high res, the sound is more satisfying than settling for the outaded factory or Alpine connections.
Interesting video.....😁👍 I love my vintage gear, though in truth I have it because I picked it up cheap from 2nd hand stores or Op Shops.🤷♂️ I just picked up a 2nd hand Yamaha BD A1060 (Aventage) as a backup CD player and really like the sound. It has that CD direct mode and looks like it plays about any recorded format. It’s connected to a old Rotel receiver RX 850 and at the moment I’ve got my iPad playing through it....literally arms length to my left, so no remote required! Anyway I’m rambling. I did enjoy what you had to say though.😁🙏
For interconnects best bang for the buck would be buying pure 99.9 fine silver wire from a goldsmith 02 or 0.5 mm diameter is more than enough for interconnects and headphone cables. Use the 0.2mm wire myself for my headphone cable and interconnects. For speakers would suggest getting 1mm silver wire or 1mm sterling silver wire. You have to sleave them(ad insulation) but it will still be hell of a lot cheaper than to buy ready built silver or even occ cables. My motto is always make what you can yourself and buy what you can not. Making your own cables is super easy and simple. Just basic solder skills required for the interconnects. Also before i forget thanks for the video. Love your honesty. If you ever plan on upgrading your player take a look at ibasso portatable players. Some would say they are a bit pricey but the sound justifies the price. Got a modded dx227 myself. Had their lower end offerings aswell. Even their usb c dac's the dc01 dc02 and now dc03 and dc04 sound sublime. Amazing tuning for amazing price. Thanks for the video and stay safe and healthy.
I have a dh-190 since March. It really is great bang for your buck. I use it mainly for my turntable and tv. The phono preset really helps balance out the sound on my TT. For regular tv use is does great. Don’t use it muck for Bluetooth. But it is very crisp. Also have a Sony cod-ce235 CD player I have hooked up I picked up also on March for $15 from a thrift store. The CD’s sound a lot more boulder in sound compared to my ancient all one bookshelf system. You really can’t go wrong with this receiver.
Great video good sir , i just got me a Sony CD player cdp-c500 it did not had a remote , but i got it from a thrift store,(in very good conditions) i got me some edifier speakers with built in amp . Im just starting to put it together, and since im on a tight budget gotta take it slow, ill have a look out for that amp that you mention my mp3 is a fiio x1 hi res audio and it have flac audio files in it. Thanks for the video.
Love this receiver so far. I was using an old Technics receiver that was manufactured in the 80’s and it started to lose its volume. My LP’s would sound quiet even at max volume but sounded amazing with CD’s. I just wished this receiver had that thumping bass and loudness option like my old receiver but it’s definitely an upgrade in terms of volume and clarity
Many old Macbooks came with optical audio in/out, and they can output 24/96 stereo audio (also 24/48, 24/44). They are great for setting up your high-res audio library on cheap; just pair with a receiver with optical inputs (used ones can be found really cheap.) Legacy iTunes are simpler and easier to use.
The nine dollar usbc to 3.5mm apple dongles are actually really good. ASR has some measurements on it. Regarding modern receivers, the main issue is that they're almost all class d amps now which are really susceptible to higher order distortion products if not designed well. You really just have to measure the receivers to see how they perform.
I bought the 590 in this series for my HT system that I use mainly for music, but want it hooked up to the TV also. Got it recently for $250 on sale. I have seen some reviews that love the 190 but not the 590. I have enjoyed mine though, it replaced a 15 year old entry level Yamaha 5.1 receiver. It pushes the system harder than the Yamaha, and IMO sounds better. I have it set up as a 3.1 system, I do like having the center channel and sub vs 2 channel, but did not want surround speakers. I exclusively use the multi channel stereo mode, as I think it sounds the best of all the modes. I did go +5.5 dB on the L/R channels as the center channel volume was overpowering the others and this balances it out. And have my sub set at 80 Hz on the crossover, and second line on the gain. This gives it a good blend with the system where it disappears into the music, but definitely fills in the sound vs being turned off. Although my towers have two 8” woofers each, so they have decent bass. The receiver has no problem powering the system to very high volumes while remaining crisp and clear. I mostly use Amazon music on my TV with an optical cable into the receiver. There is a definite difference in quality between this and using Bluetooth. However it only supports Amazon HD (CD quality) and not their Ultra HD, the track quality info shows what is available and what the “streaming” device is capable of. Probably going to get a Firestick 4K max and plug it directly into the receiver with a HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV for the video feed. This should give me the Amazon music ultra HD capability directly into the receiver through an HDMI port. I don’t have a 4K TV, but the receiver does offer 4K video pass through and has the same Hi Res audio designation as the 190. And is spec’d as 145 watts per channel. I’m not an audiophile and don’t have audiophile level gear, but I’ll see if I can hear the difference on the ultra HD tracks.
Hello, i am a hardcore audiophile and have spend a lot of money in hi end expensive rig. Nevertheless, I decided to buy this sony amp and the walkman just to verify your findings. After several auditions and small twirks, I found that it is true that this modest system provides a very good Hi-Res Audio. My advise is to match this system with efficient bookshelf speakers and a powerful subwoofer (connected to hi-level inputs) and you will be at the entrance gate of audiophile nirvana, and for the cheap.
You are like the stranger you met in a pub only to find out the evening was full of the best conversation and observations. Listened to your take on Turntables and not even sure how I ended up on the topic of Hi-Res. Oh yes, I know why, it is that snake oil you mentioned once or twice. Funny thing is that I haven't touched my music system for years and popped into my local AD only to hear that same BS. He was levering $20k out of my bank account with-in 10 minutes as though there is only one way to go about getting a fantastic sound. So refreshing. Will be rushing down to the pub (so to speak) to listen to your other views and thank you for rescuing me from the rediculous assumption that it takes money to produce a good sound. BS - you just gotta know what you like and be prepared to find affordable solutions that don't have to be a compromise. Cheers to you.
For Hi-Res Audio on the cheaper (in audiophile terms) side, it might be an option to look into music studio equipment. A cheaper audio interface like the Steinberg Ur22mk2 can play 24-Bit / 192 kHz with a pretty good result for only 120 $, and even the top notch stuff like the RME Babyface Pro or the UAD Apollo are well under 1000 $ all with really great DACs (as good as the DACs the music was recorded on)!
Something that sounds unbelievably good for the price (and being only bt aptx) is the combination between Taotronics ba09 (or ba07) and Faeaal Rosemary.
Damn This video came out literally ONE DAY after I bought an Advance Paris PlayStream A7 + a couple Triangle Borea BR08. It wasn't cheap (had to tighten the belt for a while) but it's going to be my very first high grade setup. I went through a basic soundbar, to a Luxman LV-113 paired with two small Triangle Zeta, and soon the new hardware. After your video, I have some regrets buying the whole thing, it could've been way cheaper. Oh well...
The compressed format you're seeing there on that CD audiophile is a victim of the loudness War the reason they compressed it and increase the volume so high was because of a limit in sound output.
@Douglas Blake yeah I did not word that clearly enough I didn't mean that the limitation was because of the CD format. I was under the impression that the loudness war was perpetuated more by producers than by musicians.
I clicked on this video because I have this Sony receiver and think it's terrific. If you want to set up a great sounding, versatile and inexpensive two-channel system that has full digital functionality, pair the Sony with the FX Audio DAC X6 MKII (about $80) from Amazon. The bluetooth is very good, and it provides coaxial, optical and USB inputs as well. Output from the ESS9018 DAC is by analog RCA connection to an auxiliary or CD input on the Sony. This pairing will support hi-res up to 24/192...and there's a headphone jack to boot.
Paul Simon did all the tracks of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." I've heard the song a million times, usually on an OEM radio in a car. Recently I heard it through my Sanskrit 2 and Asgard 3 with KRK KNS8400 studio monitor headphones and the sound blew my mind.
As a Kid I figured out some how even on a low end stereo that well engineered albums sounded much richer - Eg - Old Doobie Brothers - Steely Dan - Roger Nickols comes to mind
Sony has the "secret sauce" for superior audio encoding. I recently purchased a used Sony HAP-Z1ES from eBay and re-ripped my entire CD collection (this time to raw wave). The Sony's analog output (which is the evidence of their internal upscaling and DAC processing) is amazing, and even far superior to listening to the same rips on the network with other devices components (even a Sony UBP-X800 4k player which supports hi-res files from disc AND USB). It honestly makes most of my CD collection "sound" as if it's hires. The best way to describe it on layman's terms is it makes digital 'sound' like vinyl, but without any of the downsides of vinyl. It's absolutely amazing. So, I am not surprised at your 'budget solution' to hires audio punching well above its weight.
My pioneer stereo amplifier A-110 recently failed is the Sony STR-DH190 as good as my pioneer amp also would my tannoy E11 speakers run well with the Sony STR-DH190
i have the older nw a35 model, looks exactly like your player. love that thing... i've never heard of changing the firmware, sounds interesting... a QUESTION though for you. do you use ANY of the sony sound quality features? clear audio?dsee hx? Phase linearizer? i don't really notice them doing much to improve sound, so i don't use them. i DO sometimes like the sound of the 'rock' preset EQ, and sometimes i like to use the VPT STUDIO setting, but haven't used that in a long time... curious if you like your player totally set to 'everything off/neutral'?
You keep talking about how cassette sounds as if it is a negative. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I really love how my cassettes sound. I don’t have the best hearing though. 🤪 Very good video. I have a turntable, cassette deck, CD player, minidisc player, streamer box, and a FLAC player all set up in my system. I find the streamer box to be a great way to find new (to me) music. But I enjoy all of it, but I bet an audiophile would laugh at my setup, but it’s built for ME to enjoy music 😃 Oh, also I love Paramore, but have so far missed out on Hayleys solo stuff. I’m about to rectify that 👍🏻
Great video! I was shocked at how many new releases, nearly all, are "brick walled". I had to seek out vinyl (e.g. Madonna's "Candy Store") and, in case vinyl was too expensive(>600$), a rip. Even then some of those songs sound "overdriven"... similar to many of Sia's tracks - dire times. Are there sites that exclusively select for "non brick walled" content?
I have a similar setup but spent a bit more, Sony str dn1080, supporting 3.1 speaker setup with a Fiio M11 hi res portable player. Speakers are Elac unifi b5
I use a PC with an "pro" audio interface 192khz 32bit float. I paid ~120$ for it a couple years back. It has Midas preamps.... and a class AA 90s amp because i got it for free. Only downside it get warm in the room because it draws 600W on the outlet and has 2x 90W on 4 or 8 ohm for the speakers.
I agree the PC does push things better. I bought some German speakers that kick ass on the PC or phone. Anywhere else I can't get it to push the sub. Idk🤔
Thanks for the section about brickwalling. Until I saw that I never could justify getting into high resolution music. It does bring about a problem with a lot of music. The recording and mixing leaves a great deal to be desired. We now have the problem of drinking kool- aid from a crystal goblet. Yippee.
How can I buy a Sony A55 new or vety lightly used without getting ripped off? I'm in love with it from all you've said about it. Thanks for your time and intelligence.
They honestly were the best example that I had. Most of the hi-res music I have, I only own digitally in that format. Scandal is the only artist that I have all the CD's, some of the official mp3's and most of the hi-res files for, and where the masters are often really different.
Great video! Which speakers are you using here? Looking forward for mount an affordable hires system in the living room. For more personal use I already have the Walkman A55 and the XM4 headphones.
I'm using Pinnacle PN5+'s. Unfortunately haven't been available new for years, but you can often find them insanely cheap on Ebay for how good they sound. They were always one of the best deals around and still are.
Quick thing - I had a feeling there'd be some confusion about this, but the point about brickwalling vs. dynamics isn't that CD isn't capable of dynamic sound. That's why there's a title card at 5:05 attempting to explain that these are choices that sound engineers are making. CD's are often mastered for people to listen to in their cars and through earbuds, whereas hi-res is often/usually mastered for critical listening in the home. Different audience. It's not anything inherent to any particular format, but you will *more commonly* find better masters in hi-res files. That doesn't mean it always happens, because as I say later, not everybody is good at their jobs. (In fact, the really bad example of brickwalling that I show later is a hi-res file.) I probably should have talked about hi-res's increased dynamic range either later or not at all - the reason I brought it up at that point was just to explain that dynamic range doesn't matter regardless of format if the engineer's just going to brickwall everything.
I'm glad you clarified this, because I was wondering if you were confusing amplitude with khz for a bit there...
This is why I still try and get the High res music even though I don't have good enough hearing/equipment to hear high res stuff. Because the mastering isn't as aggressive and there's much more detail in the music. Even on my shitty $50 44khz usb stereo amp and half deaf ears, I can tell the difference in the two sources.
I would go further in favour of hi-res audio, most peoples' interpretation of the Nyquist Theorem is INCORRECT, it is only a perfect sample for EXACTLY double the freq. So if you had a annoying buzzer tone at 10khz a 20khz digital sample will reproduce it perfectly. That's not music, music has constantly varying frequencies. I have by no means golden ears but using specific samples, listening to them multiple times, I can pick out the higher frequency sample 14 times out of 15. This is taking a 96khz sample and resampling it to 48khz, not taking a crappy CD master versus a higher quality master.
That said it is REALLY HARD to do, I have to listen to very specific samples using good headphones at sound levels that would probably cause hearing loss if I did this all the time. So is high res audio worth it? For most people probably not, but it is 100% possible to hear the difference, it is not snake oil.
I agree that there is crappy mastering on CDs. But there is also stellar mastering. It's like Forest Gump and his box of chocolates. Digital downloads can suffer the same fate, as well as HiRes. But it appears to me we are condemning here one format in favor of HiRes, which currently exists in very little quantity. Absolutely, chase perfection. And well mastered red book audio on decent gear sounds AMAING!
There are apparently problems with the CD and it is that with ours hearing threshold, we actually hear weaker sounds in the middle register than other frequencies. SONY music tried to solve this problem with SBM super bit mapping. and noise forming. 16 bits is apparently not enough for the sound in the middle register
Does this not apply primarily to pop music and other popular music. there are people who point out that pop music on vinyl records in the 80's usually did not have such good sound. that is, music that would bring in money for the record companies
The problem with audiophile equipment is that, for 99% of the people, by the time you can even come close to afford the true HiFi stuffs, your ears are too old to tell the difference.
What?
@@burkholdst.rudderberg3574 Pardon!!
@Douglas Blake Are you telling me your 100w amplifier will stand toe to toe against anything the same power and of a higher price level?? ... Then you've obviously never heard a true decent amplifier properly sing before...
@Douglas Blake Not at all, I use my Denon receiver for movies and gaming, and it's surprisingly good at putting out some good music too. It's only a couple of years old...but if i were to compare it musically to my Roxan amplifier, There's no competition, The Roxan is far more clear and with less power than my Denon.
In terms of gear, I prefer buying 90s Japanese (or Korean) kits. You can get near TOTL gear for the price of some of today's midfi gear.
Appreciate your time, trouble, and perspective-this is a great watch with lots of insights as well as a nice recommendation on equipment. Thank you!
Have one. Paid $150. Sounds great with no problems. LOVE IT! It's a versitile budget system, decent enough quality for its price, and won't disappoint people who like Sony products. Proof that great sounding home audio can actually be had without spending a fortune for it.
You’re speaking my language: cheap gear. Pride myself on the stuff I find at goodwill and garage sales. Subbed!
You have a new fan and subscriber here. You know what you are talking about while being concise, accurate and fair. Cheers!
This is the first time I've watched one of your vids, and just seeing Scandal, I can already tell I'm going to have a great time.
Excellent video with great insights. I too have bought that Sony receiver and have been really amazed at how good it sounds and yet it’s simplicity. I love it for the price.
Excellent video! Totally agree on your take on almost everything, especially the value of lossless audio. Why not get the best possible source material? The sound upgrade is usually cheaper than buying new equipment. Btw, the Doritos analogy was hilarious and spot-on! Thanks for the laugh!
That was so well presented, funny and relatable. Well done dude. I'm in ;)
Great video!! I am a beginner in the Audiophile world. This was a great tutorial on begging started without paying the big dollars. Thanks!
A really good review for this receiver. I was looking for a detailed technical review and couldn't find one until I checked your video. I have placed an order for this receiver.
Fantastic video buddy. I was expecting you to derail and go off on tangents like EVERY UA-camr does. Kudos for staying on point for a long video. Information was great and the sarcasm kept me reeled in. 10/10... Not that you care, but thanks for sharing. You earned a subscriber here and I don't do that often with all the trash out there....
I finally had to take my 40 year old beloved MAC receiver in for service, and it was gonna be in the shop for awhile, so I looked on Amazon for an inexpensive basic receiver, to use as a fill-in, till I got my MAC 4100 back. I saw the Sony 190 excellent reviews on UA-cam and was sold…when I got the Sony home and hooked it up…It kind of blew my mind! I was taken aback! Did it sound as good as my MAC? No. But it sounded close enough that I am no longer in a hurry to get the MAC back. Then I began to rethink how far modern sound tech has come in 40 years. Your video here, helped fill in that knowledge gap. Certain Amazon music files in Hi res over my Bluetooth sound incredibly good, almost great. This has caused a sea change in my thinking, and like you, I thought since the Sony is SO close, for so cheap..why not charge a little more and make it better? Great video.
As usual, this is just plain excellent. Great technical description of both hi-rez and Bluetooth. (BTW, I’ve had pretty good results with apt-X HD to my wireless earbuds.) If you have a receiver or integrated amp with a hi-rez (24/96 or better) DAC built in, another cost-effective solution for both streaming and hi-rez file play is a Raspberry Pi with a HiFiBerry digi+ HAT. You can attach a disk drive with your files on it and stream from a streaming service all for $200 or so.
Well done video with great insight. You got a new subscriber 👍🏼
Well done . While I don’t agree with all your conclusions, your presentation is provocative, well reasoned , illustrated and earnest. The result is a worthwhile journey. Thanks
Nice video ! Thank you
I still have LGV20 and LG G7 Thinq and they both work very well for High Res music
Using my ATH-PRO5X
This might be the only video I’ve watched the entire way through without skipping ahead which says a lot. I bought a Sony STR-DH190 and liked it so much I ended up buying a 2nd one for the basement. I was fortunate to get mine for about $100 each. It’s a great value, but I wish the manual were a little more clear on which inputs are compatible with Hi-Res audio. I use Bluetooth most of the time for convenience and because it works so damn well.
At 8,5 minutes now and I must say. I agree with you ;)
Nicely put out :D
I was really worried about the volume on this receiver. I thought it was broken or something, thanks for letting me know that is normal. I like this receiver.
brilliant video, great job!
Great channel. I'm definitely subscribed. I like your style
Nice! Really enjoyed your great content!
Great video, thank you for the clarity
Imagine a crossover episode with Techmoan, LGR, 8bit Guy, Modern Classic, This Does Not Compute, Mr Carlson Lab, VWestlife and Technology Connections
Darko on Darko audio or the audiophile man
And throw in the Cheapaudioman....
Living the idea!
Great video and good to know about the Sony receiver. I've been on a similar odyssey with portable audio. This started with MP3s and AACs on two old iPhone 2s and various Bluetooth speakers. I progressed from iPhones (limited memory) to a Kindle Fire tablet 7" (various annoyances) to Mibao M550 (an excellent $20 Bluetooth player except limited bass output on headphones) to Fiio M3K (an excellent $50 Hi-Res player but no Bluetooth capability). All high bit rate files (64+GB) were sourced from CD. I use the Fiio with headphones. I highly recommend the Philips SHP9500 open back headphones, a true bargain at $60. I use the Mibao with my latest Bluetooth speaker, the Tribit Maxsound Plus, that has better sound than previous Taotronics Pulse X and Bose Soundlink II speakers. I use the excellent Sony ICF-19 FM/AM portable radio when I want to listen to FM radio outside.
For home audio, I use the Logitech Bluetooth receiver and have never felt the need to upgrade it. It's used for streaming FM radio etc to the home Hi-Fi using an old Chromebook.
I can't believe I watched the whole thing. nice video man
16bit FLACs at 44.1KHz are absolutely good enough for me. I have heard 96-24 files that do sound a little better, but many of them I frankly couldn't tell the difference. I'd be more concerned about the quality of your headphones / speakers, and having a decent enough DAC (mine was the Earstudio ES100 Mk2, which I'm very happy with). Great video!
I love my NWA-45 player. Been running Hi Res Walkman players since 2014. I noticed the difference right away. Paired with Grado Labs headphones or the Hear.In2, these devices are great! When commuting via rail, switching to noise cancelling earbuds is king. I rarely use ambient speakers these days…
Take care of your ears.
Great, informative and interesting video. Thanks very much.
Oh oh, he said the famous words, "circling back" as in Jen Psaki , 'we'll have to circle back on that"...lol. You have a very soothing and calming voice for narration I must say. Relating to your flight sim videos, we could be incorrectly heading straight for a mountain side and I would be perfectly fine with that while being totally calm and relaxed by your instructions or stories while sipping tea and hearing frantic screams from the rear passengers.
6:55 This is not a problem of "low" resolution music. This is a mastering DECISION. The CD could have just as easily sounded EXACTLY like the highres version. They just chose to clip the music and bump the volume too high.
Yep. They compress the hell out of most modern music and completely ruin it. A properly mastered CD can not be reliably identified when compared properly in a blind test with some fancy super ultra mega unumpentium resolution version.
@@LBCAndrew The same people who waffle on about "high-res" audio are the ones who bought audiophile grade SD cards, monster cables and other audiophile woo and marketing wank. Blind tests prove CD is good enough for 99.98% of people who listen to music. And that .02 I have serious doubts about.
Try blind test between 320 mp3 and flac 😂
Nobody hears the difference.
Nobody passed my test, even sound engineers and audiophiles with crazy expensive equipment 😂
@@Lazarev666 That's pretty much what I was saying.
@tarstarkusz
I totally agree 👍
It is a marketing trick to sell the same media again. Even if difference can be seen in software spectrograph, it is still almost impossible to hear a difference. At least I do not know anyone who can hear it.
It is more about mastering and avoiding clipping.
The same is with dacs and decent power amps. If the frequency response is flat and distortion is low, the difference between them is inaudible. People who hear the difference between them are delusional.
The audiophile industry is basically a neat money grabbing trick.
totally agree with you, I understand you. I am 58 years old and I live this day after day. Greetings from Chile!!
Great video. Technical enough and a complete lack of BS! We share the same views on the quality vs convenience plight facing the world. I was looking at many portable audio players, but also needed to update my phone, so got the only device to be considered for the role. LG V30! Just updated to V50, (A$370 from AliExpress!) but that's it for mobile phones with good audio. With LG dropping the phone range (V60 wasn't quite as good) there are no more devices to choose from. Oppo did make one ages ago, that was basically a great audio player, with a phone thrown in. For home, I have a Naim Unity player/streamer and JRiver on a media server PC. Works great , but not a system for everyone to launch into!
love that you use Scandal as an example.
one of my favourite band ever
then you definitely don't need hires (or even cd)
Me too
The end is just perfect!!!
REALLY well done!!!
That was a great video, thank you sr!
Love you humor and banter.
I had a pair of old(ish) 40W Akai speakers just gathering dust. So I built a 40W amp to go with them for £75. Nice matching enclosures for the electronics, (one for the amps, balance and PSU, and another for the turntable pre-amp, input select, vol, bass and treble), It has been my main stereo for 5-6 years. It sounds perfect to my 50+ year old ears.
I like the practical approach of the subject, no snake oil
Great video, lot of right points ...
Love your approach. Subbed. Jazz and Big Band fan. High Rez and FLAC seem to be good sources for this type of music.
Amen , preach on brother. Great analogy with the Doritos. I have tried to explain it to others and have been yelled at so many times about how ignorant and old fashioned I am. I did not even know what an audiophile was until I was online in a discussion and was called one. I showed a 20's College guy one day the difference between his ipod and my original production reel to reel tape played music. I have some of my Dads old Reel to Reel tapes and some I have managed to pick up through the years in various places. I rebuilt a TEAC reel to reel machine. I played his exact song through headphones I had. From his Ipod and my system. I also played it open through my speakers. His comment was WOW it sounds like I am in a concert and I can hear the guitarist fingers drag the strings as he changes notes. I told him that he was listening to the difference of the whole analog recording vs a sampled digital file that cuts off everything above and below a set frequency limit. I told him that I have amps and equalizers that will make everything louder but I can only amplify what is originally there.
Your video was very informative. Now, I understand why my experiences with hi-res audio confusing. Another receiver to check out is the Yamaha RS-202. I have one and it performs well also. But, unlike the SONY STR-DH190, theYamaha has no onboard phono stage.
When it comes to bluetooth codecs, I have found that buying higher end audio equipment doesn’t guarantee the best options. My interest is in car audio and I found that buying a higher end Apline head unit meant settling for a bluetooth version a couple of times removed from the current standard . I streamed from an Lg V35 and I ended up doing my custom install without changing the head unit and instead added a high quality bluetooth reciever meant for wired headphones. My current install has my Pixel 5 streaming to Fiio Btr5 reciever that is connected directly to an Adiocontrol equalizer then directly to the amplifiers. While its not high res, the sound is more satisfying than settling for the outaded factory or Alpine connections.
Interesting video.....😁👍
I love my vintage gear, though in truth I have it because I picked it up cheap from 2nd hand stores or Op Shops.🤷♂️
I just picked up a 2nd hand Yamaha BD A1060 (Aventage) as a backup CD player and really like the sound. It has that CD direct mode and looks like it plays about any recorded format.
It’s connected to a old Rotel receiver RX 850 and at the moment I’ve got my iPad playing through it....literally arms length to my left, so no remote required!
Anyway I’m rambling.
I did enjoy what you had to say though.😁🙏
If you’re an “old geezer,” I must be a fossil. 😆 Great video and I just hit the subscribe button👍🏼
Excellent advice. Brilliant 👍🏻
Thanks 🇬🇧
For interconnects best bang for the buck would be buying pure 99.9 fine silver wire from a goldsmith 02 or 0.5 mm diameter is more than enough for interconnects and headphone cables. Use the 0.2mm wire myself for my headphone cable and interconnects.
For speakers would suggest getting 1mm silver wire or 1mm sterling silver wire. You have to sleave them(ad insulation) but it will still be hell of a lot cheaper than to buy ready built silver or even occ cables.
My motto is always make what you can yourself and buy what you can not. Making your own cables is super easy and simple. Just basic solder skills required for the interconnects.
Also before i forget thanks for the video. Love your honesty. If you ever plan on upgrading your player take a look at ibasso portatable players. Some would say they are a bit pricey but the sound justifies the price. Got a modded dx227 myself.
Had their lower end offerings aswell. Even their usb c dac's the dc01 dc02 and now dc03 and dc04 sound sublime. Amazing tuning for amazing price.
Thanks for the video and stay safe and healthy.
I have a dh-190 since March. It really is great bang for your buck. I use it mainly for my turntable and tv. The phono preset really helps balance out the sound on my TT. For regular tv use is does great. Don’t use it muck for Bluetooth. But it is very crisp. Also have a Sony cod-ce235 CD player I have hooked up I picked up also on March for $15 from a thrift store. The CD’s sound a lot more boulder in sound compared to my ancient all one bookshelf system. You really can’t go wrong with this receiver.
Great video good sir , i just got me a Sony CD player cdp-c500 it did not had a remote , but i got it from a thrift store,(in very good conditions) i got me some edifier speakers with built in amp . Im just starting to put it together, and since im on a tight budget gotta take it slow, ill have a look out for that amp that you mention my mp3 is a fiio x1 hi res audio and it have flac audio files in it. Thanks for the video.
Great video!! I hope you make more vids again
Love this receiver so far.
I was using an old Technics receiver that was manufactured in the 80’s and it started to lose its volume.
My LP’s would sound quiet even at max volume but sounded amazing with CD’s.
I just wished this receiver had that thumping bass and loudness option like my old receiver but it’s definitely an upgrade in terms of volume and clarity
I learned a lot, thanks!
Just subscribed on the fact your rocking my system, so i know i can relate.
Many old Macbooks came with optical audio in/out, and they can output 24/96 stereo audio (also 24/48, 24/44). They are great for setting up your high-res audio library on cheap; just pair with a receiver with optical inputs (used ones can be found really cheap.) Legacy iTunes are simpler and easier to use.
The nine dollar usbc to 3.5mm apple dongles are actually really good. ASR has some measurements on it. Regarding modern receivers, the main issue is that they're almost all class d amps now which are really susceptible to higher order distortion products if not designed well. You really just have to measure the receivers to see how they perform.
Absolutely good video
Excellent video! Thanks!
I bought the 590 in this series for my HT system that I use mainly for music, but want it hooked up to the TV also.
Got it recently for $250 on sale.
I have seen some reviews that love the 190 but not the 590.
I have enjoyed mine though, it replaced a 15 year old entry level Yamaha 5.1 receiver.
It pushes the system harder than the Yamaha, and IMO sounds better.
I have it set up as a 3.1 system, I do like having the center channel and sub vs 2 channel, but did not want surround speakers.
I exclusively use the multi channel stereo mode, as I think it sounds the best of all the modes.
I did go +5.5 dB on the L/R channels as the center channel volume was overpowering the others and this balances it out.
And have my sub set at 80 Hz on the crossover, and second line on the gain.
This gives it a good blend with the system where it disappears into the music, but definitely fills in the sound vs being turned off.
Although my towers have two 8” woofers each, so they have decent bass.
The receiver has no problem powering the system to very high volumes while remaining crisp and clear.
I mostly use Amazon music on my TV with an optical cable into the receiver.
There is a definite difference in quality between this and using Bluetooth.
However it only supports Amazon HD (CD quality) and not their Ultra HD, the track quality info shows what is available and what the “streaming” device is capable of.
Probably going to get a Firestick 4K max and plug it directly into the receiver with a HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV for the video feed.
This should give me the Amazon music ultra HD capability directly into the receiver through an HDMI port.
I don’t have a 4K TV, but the receiver does offer 4K video pass through and has the same Hi Res audio designation as the 190.
And is spec’d as 145 watts per channel.
I’m not an audiophile and don’t have audiophile level gear, but I’ll see if I can hear the difference on the ultra HD tracks.
Great job!
Honest review without the bullshit, I love it
Hello, i am a hardcore audiophile and have spend a lot of money in hi end expensive rig. Nevertheless, I decided to buy this sony amp and the walkman just to verify your findings. After several auditions and small twirks, I found that it is true that this modest system provides a very good Hi-Res Audio. My advise is to match this system with efficient bookshelf speakers and a powerful subwoofer (connected to hi-level inputs) and you will be at the entrance gate of audiophile nirvana, and for the cheap.
I love the strait goods, love it.
Great Video and Thank you. I love your Equipment Rack, where can I get one of those? Thank you.
Very useful and thorough analysis. Thanks!!! What do you think of the Caiyin N3?
Compromising from perfection....perfect thanks 💣
And I have a remote! Great video
I’m blind I can’t hear this without glasses.
Take your hearing aid out and you'll see better 👍
You are like the stranger you met in a pub only to find out the evening was full of the best conversation and observations. Listened to your take on Turntables and not even sure how I ended up on the topic of Hi-Res. Oh yes, I know why, it is that snake oil you mentioned once or twice. Funny thing is that I haven't touched my music system for years and popped into my local AD only to hear that same BS. He was levering $20k out of my bank account with-in 10 minutes as though there is only one way to go about getting a fantastic sound. So refreshing. Will be rushing down to the pub (so to speak) to listen to your other views and thank you for rescuing me from the rediculous assumption that it takes money to produce a good sound. BS - you just gotta know what you like and be prepared to find affordable solutions that don't have to be a compromise. Cheers to you.
For Hi-Res Audio on the cheaper (in audiophile terms) side, it might be an option to look into music studio equipment.
A cheaper audio interface like the Steinberg Ur22mk2 can play 24-Bit / 192 kHz with a pretty good result for only 120 $, and even the top notch stuff like the RME Babyface Pro or the UAD Apollo are well under 1000 $ all with really great DACs (as good as the DACs the music was recorded on)!
With the Sony NWA55 you can use it as a dac. And if your phone has USB OTG you can send the audio from your phone to your Sony NWA55.
Really good and informative video :-) Since I just love the old vintage receivers, what's the model number of your old Sony? Thanks
Something that sounds unbelievably good for the price (and being only bt aptx) is the combination between Taotronics ba09 (or ba07) and Faeaal Rosemary.
Damn
This video came out literally ONE DAY after I bought an Advance Paris PlayStream A7 + a couple Triangle Borea BR08.
It wasn't cheap (had to tighten the belt for a while) but it's going to be my very first high grade setup.
I went through a basic soundbar, to a Luxman LV-113 paired with two small Triangle Zeta, and soon the new hardware.
After your video, I have some regrets buying the whole thing, it could've been way cheaper.
Oh well...
The compressed format you're seeing there on that CD audiophile is a victim of the loudness War the reason they compressed it and increase the volume so high was because of a limit in sound output.
@Douglas Blake yeah I did not word that clearly enough I didn't mean that the limitation was because of the CD format. I was under the impression that the loudness war was perpetuated more by producers than by musicians.
Yes I have the NW-A55L and is the best music player I have heard so far.
I bet prices on eBay skyrocketed after this video!
I clicked on this video because I have this Sony receiver and think it's terrific. If you want to set up a great sounding, versatile and inexpensive two-channel system that has full digital functionality, pair the Sony with the FX Audio DAC X6 MKII (about $80) from Amazon. The bluetooth is very good, and it provides coaxial, optical and USB inputs as well. Output from the ESS9018 DAC is by analog RCA connection to an auxiliary or CD input on the Sony. This pairing will support hi-res up to 24/192...and there's a headphone jack to boot.
Paul Simon did all the tracks of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." I've heard the song a million times, usually on an OEM radio in a car. Recently I heard it through my Sanskrit 2 and Asgard 3 with KRK KNS8400 studio monitor headphones and the sound blew my mind.
I thoroughly enjoyed that, excellent. How is it listening to headphones on the Sony amp.
As a Kid I figured out some how even on a low end stereo that well engineered albums sounded much richer - Eg - Old Doobie Brothers - Steely Dan - Roger Nickols comes to mind
roger nichols was the man..i used to read his column in EQ mag
As someone new to flac, Thankyou so much! So much info! I was listening and taking notes!
Sony has the "secret sauce" for superior audio encoding. I recently purchased a used Sony HAP-Z1ES from eBay and re-ripped my entire CD collection (this time to raw wave). The Sony's analog output (which is the evidence of their internal upscaling and DAC processing) is amazing, and even far superior to listening to the same rips on the network with other devices components (even a Sony UBP-X800 4k player which supports hi-res files from disc AND USB).
It honestly makes most of my CD collection "sound" as if it's hires. The best way to describe it on layman's terms is it makes digital 'sound' like vinyl, but without any of the downsides of vinyl. It's absolutely amazing.
So, I am not surprised at your 'budget solution' to hires audio punching well above its weight.
My pioneer stereo amplifier A-110 recently failed is the Sony STR-DH190 as good as my pioneer amp also would my tannoy E11 speakers run well with the Sony STR-DH190
i have the older nw a35 model, looks exactly like your player. love that thing... i've never heard of changing the firmware, sounds interesting... a QUESTION though for you. do you use ANY of the sony sound quality features? clear audio?dsee hx? Phase linearizer? i don't really notice them doing much to improve sound, so i don't use them. i DO sometimes like the sound of the 'rock' preset EQ, and sometimes i like to use the VPT STUDIO setting, but haven't used that in a long time... curious if you like your player totally set to 'everything off/neutral'?
You keep talking about how cassette sounds as if it is a negative.
Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I really love how my cassettes sound.
I don’t have the best hearing though.
🤪
Very good video.
I have a turntable, cassette deck, CD player, minidisc player, streamer box, and a FLAC player all set up in my system.
I find the streamer box to be a great way to find new (to me) music. But I enjoy all of it, but I bet an audiophile would laugh at my setup, but it’s built for ME to enjoy music 😃
Oh, also I love Paramore, but have so far missed out on Hayleys solo stuff. I’m about to rectify that 👍🏻
Great video!
I was shocked at how many new releases, nearly all, are "brick walled".
I had to seek out vinyl (e.g. Madonna's "Candy Store") and, in case vinyl was too expensive(>600$), a rip. Even then some of those songs sound "overdriven"... similar to many of Sia's tracks - dire times.
Are there sites that exclusively select for "non brick walled" content?
I have a similar setup but spent a bit more, Sony str dn1080, supporting 3.1 speaker setup with a Fiio M11 hi res portable player. Speakers are Elac unifi b5
Great video. I love my Sony receiver.
I use a PC with an "pro" audio interface 192khz 32bit float. I paid ~120$ for it a couple years back. It has Midas preamps.... and a class AA 90s amp because i got it for free. Only downside it get warm in the room because it draws 600W on the outlet and has 2x 90W on 4 or 8 ohm for the speakers.
I agree the PC does push things better. I bought some German speakers that kick ass on the PC or phone. Anywhere else I can't get it to push the sub. Idk🤔
Thanks for the section about brickwalling. Until I saw that I never could justify getting into high resolution music. It does bring about a problem with a lot of music. The recording and mixing leaves a great deal to be desired. We now have the problem of drinking kool- aid from a crystal goblet. Yippee.
How can I buy a Sony A55 new or vety lightly used without getting ripped off? I'm in love with it from all you've said about it. Thanks for your time and intelligence.
great content, what is your take on the bluesound powernode?
This reciever is awesome 👌I have one.
great vid
For the cheapest dollar, what speakers/bookshelf speakers etc. would you recommend for this? thanks
It"s awesome how you used SCANDAL as an example of dynamic mastering.
They honestly were the best example that I had. Most of the hi-res music I have, I only own digitally in that format. Scandal is the only artist that I have all the CD's, some of the official mp3's and most of the hi-res files for, and where the masters are often really different.
You’re subbed to Vivziepop 🙏🏾
Great video! Which speakers are you using here? Looking forward for mount an affordable hires system in the living room. For more personal use I already have the Walkman A55 and the XM4 headphones.
I'm using Pinnacle PN5+'s. Unfortunately haven't been available new for years, but you can often find them insanely cheap on Ebay for how good they sound. They were always one of the best deals around and still are.