CA Stereo & computer - Maxmizing sound quality.

[Willferox]

Hello I'm somewhat a newby to the hifi world.

I have: Cambridge Audio S70 speakers & Cambridge Audio azur 540A amplifier connected via phono to an M-Audio Fast Track USB external sound card, which is connected via USB to my computer. I would say that my amplifier and speakers are sufficiently 'warn-in', and I am using high-quality cables. The 'sample rate and bit depth' properties for the driver, on my computer, are set to the highest settings - '2 channel, 24bit, 44100 Hz (Studio quality)'. For practical reasons, I play most of my music through Spotify Unlimited, which streams (having emailed Spotify for official reports) "99.9%" of their music "at [and not just 'up to'] 320kbps", mp3. I understand that these files are compressed and will be of a lower quality than CD's for example. My speakers are located about 3-4ft apart from each other, at a slight inward angle. I am sat just 1-2ft in front of my speakers, and my reciever is located directly in front of my, under my computer monitor. My room is small-to-average.

http://i41.tinypic.com/33w30h3.jpg

Although I understand that sound-quality perception is subjective, I have nothing else to compare the quality of my current setup to, since I haven't much of a history in Hifi equipment. With this in mind, I am basically wondering if I am doing anything 'wrong' as such with my setup, and if there are any obvious/simple/cheap/easy changes that I could make to improve my sound quality.

Any advice would be useful and interesting.

Thanks for your time,
Will

 

[John Duncan]

I'm not sure I would do anything without going further upmarket with amps and speakers. You're a bit close to the speakers so I might be inclined to toe them in a lot more - maybe moving them further out from the wall at the same time.

I'd also move the equipment/monitor so that you're sitting more centrally beween them if you can.

 

[Overdose]

I'm not sure I would do anything without going further upmarket with amps and speakers. You're a bit close to the speakers so I might be inclined to toe them in a lot more - maybe moving them further out from the wall at the same time.

I'd also move the equipment/monitor so that you're sitting more centrally beween them if you can.

+1. But if going the speaker route to better sound, you could also consider a set of small active monitors, which would be designed for 'nearfield' listening. My system is such a setup and cost me around £500 (one careful previous owner) to give you some idea of cost. For close up listening with such a system, the actives will enable the whole set up to be more compact by doing away with the amp.

edit: Having just looked at your set up, I would also suggest that perhaps you need to somehow raise your speakers or lower your chair, as sitting 'over' your speakers will not deliver the best presentation.