Zgrado1970
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Because I listen to headphones. I think most desktop setups are used for headphone listening. I think you know this, which is why I think you are trolling.
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all these 'Desk setups'...?
- Thread starter krabapple
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Because I listen to headphones. I think most desktop setups are used for headphone listening. I think you know this, which is why I think you are trolling.
Zgrado1970
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Oh dear. Quite mistaken? I had no idea people bought expensive speakers to go along with their expensive headphones. Again, trolling.
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Yeah, how on earth do I justify my DCA headphones AND Revel speakers!?
What Rosalie says is key:
In 2000, only 3.2% of American workers worked from home. In 2021, it was 17.9%.
(Source). By August 2024, it was almost 24% of Americans working from home! (Source)
We can also look at homeowner trends. Even if you go to work, when you get home, today’s 18-29 yo’s are not able to get their own place.
Which is what Rosalie said
If you look at my poll, the data actually suggests that the popularity of nearfield listening is small among ASR readers…
Poll: What is your listening distance? (Fall/Winter 2024)
What’s your listening distance? If you have multiple systems, pick all that apply. (Used at least once a week) We have had previous polls in the past but let’s sample the membership again. Feel free to comment with typical SPL or details about your systems. Since many of us have headphones...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Last, we have the challenges of gear. Speakers that handle high SPLs at far listening distances are much more expensive than speakers that only need to reach a certain SPL at nearfield listening.
The Meyer Sound Amie that was tested here was specifically made to handle 105 dB short term bursts at 2 meters to allow for nearfield movie mastering/mixing. Many venerable studio monitors here have trouble at 96 or 106 dB at ONE meter. But imagine the listeners wanting sufficient SPL at 7 meters or more.
It is much easier to get a SOTA setup that needs to hit 85 dB at your desk versus 85 dB at 7 meters, etc. It’s easier to get endgame nearfield desktop system than an endgame farfield setup.
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Yes, it’s considerable. But when I lean back, there’s no reflective path from the speakers to my ears via the desk.
It works for me. When I’m not using headphones, I work sitting upright, focussed listening leaning back. It’s good way to force dedicated listening.
It’s not perfect but I see no alternative to a desk, so I’m not sure what your question is.
And I have some thick knitted cloths covering the desk. (Similar to the cat beds, which is a genius idea).
- Thread Starter
- #27
I wrote: "The desk setups I'm referring to are mostly far too $$$, speaker-wise, to just be for headphone listening, so I think you are quite mistaken."Yeah, how on earth do I justify my DCA headphones AND Revel speakers!?
I added emphasis since you and Zgrado seem to have misread my meaning.
But, do most desk setup kids on ASR listen mostly on headphones when sitting at those desks, even when they have remarkable, highly curated, high-dollar-value speaker setups (including subwoofer(s)) and sometimes even, I see, room treatments around the desktop setup, and often solicit advice about same on ASR?
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I've got a modest desktop setup as well as my main system in the same room. Just some small Presonis Eris 3.5s that have EQ Erin suggested during his review of them and they are mounted above firing towards my head, the speaker selection was mostly dictated by the space they would fit in. These are so I can watch YouTube videos or do video conferencing without needing to fire up the BIG system.
edit: attach pic of speakers "flying" - no floor/desk bounce
edit: attach pic of speakers "flying" - no floor/desk bounce
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MAB
Major Contributor
I think the answer could be that very few people watch online content with their elaborate non-desktop speaker setups. And as already mentioned, many also likely only have a desktop system.
Even though the sound from desktop system isn't ideal, it can still be satisfying despite the additional reflections from desk, monitor, and highbacked chair.
On my desktop system I use a pair of speakers with weak bass and a notch to deal with the bounce and proximity to the wall behind. I personally find desktop vibrations to be extremely distracting. Fancy stands slightly help this, but not that much. I had a pair of tri-amped DIY speakers and subwoofers, they sounded great, but the bass was too distracting for my tastes. It was also ridiculously complicated, but fun to build. So I am back to an old but good sounding pair of Rauna Freja speakers with a notch for the desk bass tilt to deal with the proximity to a wall.
It's fair to ask why there isn't more discussion to on how to set up a desktop system for good sound. Reading this paper might help with EQ.
Specifically this figure of generalized desk bounce and notch-filter:
I see very few measurements of desktop sound, and not many discussions on how to improve and optimize.
Even though the sound from desktop system isn't ideal, it can still be satisfying despite the additional reflections from desk, monitor, and highbacked chair.
On my desktop system I use a pair of speakers with weak bass and a notch to deal with the bounce and proximity to the wall behind. I personally find desktop vibrations to be extremely distracting. Fancy stands slightly help this, but not that much. I had a pair of tri-amped DIY speakers and subwoofers, they sounded great, but the bass was too distracting for my tastes. It was also ridiculously complicated, but fun to build.
So I am back to an old but good sounding pair of Rauna Freja speakers with a notch for the desk bass tilt to deal with the proximity to a wall.It's fair to ask why there isn't more discussion to on how to set up a desktop system for good sound. Reading this paper might help with EQ.
Specifically this figure of generalized desk bounce and notch-filter:
I see very few measurements of desktop sound, and not many discussions on how to improve and optimize.
- Thread Starter
- #30
I do!
(And I think quite a few do have such setups...they are called 'home theaters', though I wouldn't call my setup that -- it's really just a surround audio system, with a flatscreen added. In an ideal world I'd make the screen disappear during music listening, given its reflective properties.)
And as already mentioned, many also likely only have a desktop system.
Even though the sound from desktop system isn't ideal, it can still be satisfying despite the additional reflections from desk, monitor, and highbacked chair.
On my desktop system I use a pair of speakers with weak bass and a notch to deal with the bounce and proximity to the wall behind. I personally find desktop vibrations to be extremely distracting. Fancy stands slightly help this, but not that much. I had a pair of tri-amped DIY speakers and subwoofers, they sounded great, but the bass was too distracting for my tastes. It was also ridiculously complicated, but fun to build.
It's fair to ask why there isn't more discussion to on how to set up a desktop system for good sound. Reading this paper might help with EQ.
Specifically this figure of generalized desk bounce and notch-filter:
View attachment 424854
I see very few measurements of desktop sound, and not many discussions on how to improve and optimize.
Thanks!
With speakers sitting directly on the desk, you almost inevitably get a very position-dependent phasey mess, but raising them to ear height tends to work wonders.
The good thing about nearfield listening is how big relative path length differences are (and hence, relative level differences).
On the flipside, this also tends to result in relative bass level varying by position, unfortunately. Bass is highly modal and just doesn't drop off nearly as much with distance in general.
Gaming can be a motivator but is not the only one. A lot of us just spend a bunch of time on the computer in general. Frequenting forums (and/or Discord for the younger folk) while having something play in the background, watching YouTube or other streaming services, that kind of stuff. Why would you not want good sound for this? And as someone who grew up with headphones, they're all fine and dandy but for general listening even a mediocre pair of speakers beats a good pair of headphones... so imagine how it is with a good speaker setup. The gilding the lily factor is then going to depend on how much you see it as a hobby.
I've never had very good luck with "grown-up" speaker placement options. Right now there's the classic "listening position on couch in front of opposite wall" scenario (famous for how acoustically great it is /s), with a stereo triangle about 3.1 m long and only 1.6 m wide. Did I mention one speaker is partially obscured by the dinner table and the other is next to a window front? Blech. Short of grabbing the desk chair and placing it halfway across, there's no serious listening happening like that. So the speakers are 27-year-old hand-me-downs (slightly butchered I may add) that were so-so when new, along with the ProLogic receiver of same age that I've been meaning to swap the relays in since 2006. It's generally fine for a bit of FM radio when my parents are over, who a few years back got my good speakers as surrounds instead.
Meanwhile their PC audio is provided by an early-2000s Panasonic micro stereo, with its speakers finally not stuck behind the monitor any more. Given that this counted as major progress as-is, I haven't been pressing the issue of desk stands overly much... after some measurement/PEQ action (bless the MMM using REW for dummies thread), sound is pretty decent now. It's exactly these kinds of setups that need measurements the most, much like my colorimeter got a lot of use calibrating crummy laptop TN panels.
- Thread Starter
- #32
Answer for me, personally? I tend not to listen to music as 'background', for anything. In fact I kinda hate background music at restaurants, stores, etc.
Robin L
Master Contributor
Answer to your question: the room I've got available for the stereo is very small, has a bed and a desk. The audio gear sounds very nice in here, somewhere between a headphone perspective and regular stereo. I listen to music for hours a day. The living room has the TV, and my wife wouldn't cope with me playing the stereo in there, esp. as she spends a lot of time watching TV. Something to take into consideration; lots of older folk (like me) have moved into smaller houses. We moved from 2600 sq. feet to about 1000. I had three component stereos in the old house, now I have one. Something's gotta give. I'm sure I'm not alone. In any case, different strokes.
I guess I'm among the few, hate sitting at desks and haven't since I retired quite a while ago. I watch online content from the comfort of my sofa on a big screen with my "elaborate" non-desktop speakers
. When I did have to sit at a desk just had a modest set of desktop/computer speakers the last few years (but at ear height) to play music when I could....but that was mostly after hours as during the day was almost constantly on the phone. I am amazed at some of the desktop gear some have, tho.Like many, I do hybrid work with 10 hours twice a week (most weeks) spent at my desk in my home office. I have some 5”x 5” x 5” wood cubes on rubber washers below my Genelec 8030c speakers, so the speakers are quite a bit off the desk. Mix in a little parametric EQ and the response at the listening position is flatter than my main living room system. With work-from-home I end up listening to my home office system more.
MAB
Major Contributor
I appreciate that. I'm not retired but 100% agree with you that I hate sitting at a desk. I stand. Standing doesn't make me like the desk though...I guess I'm among the few, hate sitting at desks and haven't since I retired quite a while ago. I watch online content from the comfort of my sofa on a big screen with my "elaborate" non-desktop speakers
I sit for meals and driving and doing detail work where my hands need to be super steady. That's about it. I got rid of my last sit-down desk last year.
LOL standing desks weren't a thing when I got out. Not sure I'd have wanted to stand all day, tho....was on not just the phone but a keyboard quite a bit....don't think I've ever used a keyboard standing up now that I think about itI appreciate that. I'm not retired but 100% agree with you that I hate sitting at a desk. I stand. Standing doesn't make me like the desk though...
View attachment 424867
I sit for meals and driving and doing detail work where my hands need to be super steady. That's about it. I got rid of my last sit-down desk last year.
. Hard to like a desk.
Can't answer for others. The problem with discussions such as this one is that any attempt at generalizing individual motivations will end up being flawed.
My desktop setup(s) are not as ambitious as many here, but since it's not where I really do critical listening -except on rare occasions- it serves its purpose perfectly. My home desktop setup consists of a JDS Element 3 that feeds either a Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro or first gen AudioEngine A2 speakers. Believe it or not, I listen to a lot of background music through the A2 and for this purpose they work amazingly well. Nothing else in their size compares, and I do not want larger speakers on my desktop. But I listen to *both* speakers and headphones (not simultaneously of course). At work, I don't have speakers, simply a 13 year old Arcam rPAC feeding Shure SRH1540s.
But here's the key: ASR is a microcosm. I work around professionals that are paid very well, but the vast majority of them do *not* have anything you'd remotely call audiophile in their home setups. The vast majority have one of those Jabra -or such- $100+ bluetooth, company-provided things to do Teams and that's that. They think my home setup is the utter bees knees and yet when you look around on ASR is actually extremely humble. And many people that "work from home" -especially the younger crowd- actually spend many hours in coffee shops hunched over their laptops with some in-ear bluetooth, noise-canceling stuff (I am told that's the far dominant work-from-home setup but haven't looked up market studies). I have concerns with that mobile worker model and think that's one of the reasons many of us are now guided to be in the office 2-3 days a week at least. My home setup enables total productivity, from sounding great in meetings to playing relaxing music that helps my brain stay focused.
So in short, I think you seem to seek a generic motivation for a trend that probably just 0.25% of the general population even looks into and does so with very personal motivations that result in setups that are extremely tailored to individual needs. Without offense I'd contend you are wasting your time looking for those "answers" to the question you are asking...
My setup: https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/your-desktop-audio-setup.12057/post-1880963
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That was also my solution for my pair of the much larger Kali IN-8v2s -- I used Gator stands nabbed via eBay from a legit online music retailer. They're height-adjustable like a mechanic's jack stand, by inserting a chained-up pin.
kemmler3D
Master Contributor
I guess I'm a desk setup kid at age 39.5 ... although I do have a respectable living room setup, too.
I've got 8030s and stereo subs, while the whole kit only cost me about $1K you might consider it a lot for an office. Then I have my Audeze LCD-XCs which cost more than the whole rest of the setup put together. Speakers for day time, headphones for night time.
I work from home and have for years, so from that POV it's a nice luxury for the workday. I also sort of make music sometimes, so I can justify it in those terms as "actual monitors for monitoring".
I've always had a desk / nearfield setup, pretty much since I was an actual kid.
For a long time that would have primarily been because I lived in dorm rooms / apartments and didn't have the means or space for a bigger, better system.
Now it's because I don't want to have crap sound for my workday, gaming, or the limited amount of movie/TV watching I do on the computer. For me having a solid desk setup is a given, why would I settle for less just because I'm sitting near the speakers?
Look at it this way, it's an opportunity to build another system. You can't have whole house audio if you don't have audio in the whole house.
I do have the 8030s on monitor stands at the corners of the desk, the desk bounce really was noticeably bad before I elevated them.
I've got 8030s and stereo subs, while the whole kit only cost me about $1K you might consider it a lot for an office. Then I have my Audeze LCD-XCs which cost more than the whole rest of the setup put together. Speakers for day time, headphones for night time.
I work from home and have for years, so from that POV it's a nice luxury for the workday. I also sort of make music sometimes, so I can justify it in those terms as "actual monitors for monitoring".
I've always had a desk / nearfield setup, pretty much since I was an actual kid.
For a long time that would have primarily been because I lived in dorm rooms / apartments and didn't have the means or space for a bigger, better system.
Now it's because I don't want to have crap sound for my workday, gaming, or the limited amount of movie/TV watching I do on the computer. For me having a solid desk setup is a given, why would I settle for less just because I'm sitting near the speakers?
Look at it this way, it's an opportunity to build another system. You can't have whole house audio if you don't have audio in the whole house.
I do have the 8030s on monitor stands at the corners of the desk, the desk bounce really was noticeably bad before I elevated them.
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