HiFi Help

Hey all

Can anyone shed some light on this?

I bought my wife a Sony Mini Hifi system for Xmas, model number MHC-EC79I - 380W RMS.


Inputs - iPod (which is what we mainly use), CD, PC via 3.5mm Jack
Outputs - 1 Pair Speakers directly, 3.5mm Jack Headphones

I actually was actually meaning to get the model up, with the Subwoofer speaker and Sub Output...my mistake. Return is not possible as we have chucked all the packaging etc.

So I want to enhance this while retaining use of the main unit, as we have paid for it etc.

I want to boost overall volume (to around 600w RMS) and also add a Sub. Only looking for 2.1, not bothered about anything more.


Do you know of any products you can suggest, which will take a 3.5mm jack output from the Sony unit, and enable to use of a Sub?


Can you even run an amp via a 3.5mm headphone output, with decent results?


Ideally it'd be something like:

Main unit (enabling us to keep the ipod + remote functionality) -> 3.5mm headphone jack -> Amp > Sub, Speakers

???

The volume is largly dependant on speaker sensitivity measured in decibels. The only real way to increase volume is change speakers.

You can fit an inline active(amp built in) subwoofer, you chop the speaker wire going to one speaker and it sits in between.

[SoulKiss]

Assuming that the 3.5mm out to the speakers are each mono, you could use a y-splitter to combine them - this is easy to spot - post a pic of the connector on the end of the speaker cables...

You could then plug this combined stereo 3.5mm jack into the input of any computer desktop 2.1 system.

Might it be worth ebaying the current system and put that towards the "correct" unit rather than lashing something up tho?

600 watts, i bet your neighbours love you

[Viney]

Originally Posted by hongman

Hey all

Can anyone shed some light on this?

I bought my wife a Sony Mini Hifi system for Xmas, model number MHC-EC79I - 380W RMS.


Inputs - iPod (which is what we mainly use), CD, PC via 3.5mm Jack
Outputs - 1 Pair Speakers directly, 3.5mm Jack Headphones

I actually was actually meaning to get the model up, with the Subwoofer speaker and Sub Output...my mistake. Return is not possible as we have chucked all the packaging etc.

So I want to enhance this while retaining use of the main unit, as we have paid for it etc.

I want to boost overall volume (to around 600w RMS) and also add a Sub. Only looking for 2.1, not bothered about anything more.


Do you know of any products you can suggest, which will take a 3.5mm jack output from the Sony unit, and enable to use of a Sub?


Can you even run an amp via a 3.5mm headphone output, with decent results?


Ideally it'd be something like:

Main unit (enabling us to keep the ipod + remote functionality) -> 3.5mm headphone jack -> Amp > Sub, Speakers

???

In a word Hong, nope. Sell the unit on Ebay swallow your pide and get the one you want. Joys of intergrated systems. 600w is not real wattage. its some figure thats made up by some marketing people. ALWAYS look for RMS figures in the the correct load for the speakers. For Instance 40w (RMS) per channel in 8ohms. This means that if you run a 4 ohm load then it will produce 80w per channel.

Originally Posted by Viney

In a word Hong, nope. Sell the unit on Ebay swallow your pide and get the one you want. Joys of intergrated systems. 600w is not real wattage. its some figure thats made up by some marketing people. ALWAYS look for RMS figures in the the correct load for the speakers. For Instance 40w (RMS) per channel in 8ohms. This means that if you run a 4 ohm load then it will produce 80w per channel.

+1 Cheaper too.

[munkygunn182]

I'd probably suggest selling what you've got, unless you, or a friend of yours has the patience of a saint to go through with loads of different wires, if you decide thats what you wanna do, I can probably provide guidance over PM, but bear in mind that wires are more expensive than you think. For simplicity, sell, if selling isn't an option, toss me a PM.

On the topic of annoying the neighbours, theres a ~5kW stage system sitting here... anyone got a neighbour they really hate?

Thanks for the input all...I've had a word with the Mrs and we are debating whether or not to change the system completely, or live with it. We both agree there is not much point lashing up a halfway system,, as it'll look ugly and be hard to find a place for in the house.

I'd be lieing if I said some of the wattage wasn't to annoy our neighbours, they are ****ing nuisances with their noise. Payback is sweet

Can anyone recommend any decent websites? I'm browsing RicherSounds.com at the mo, but would appreciate suggestions. Seperates are looking quite appealing as well.

If you mainly use your Ipod, I would whole heartedly reccomend these .
They cost about £120. I paid £99 for mine a couple of years back. They are absolutely brilliant. A mate of mine bought a set and was raving about them. As he's usually full of sh!t I didn't really take notice of them until I heard them. I have bought two sets, two more of my other friends have bought them, my father in law bought some and my brother bought two sets for his kids!
For the money they really cannot be touched. They sound better than my seperates and Bowers and Wilkins speakers that cost nearly ten times as much More than loud enough to annoy the neighbours
Also as other have said, don't get sucked into the wattage b0ll0cks most of the time that figure is at best only vaguely related to what the real world power of the system is. Again as others have said, purely marteking rubbish.

[andrewsmith]

Hong

can fit an inline and that should do the trick http://www.richersounds.com/products...ers/subwoofers