Question for you audio electronics guys

[Woody's Workshop]

I have searched for when the USB was first announced, either to the general public, or to manufacturers to start building for it.
The reason I ask because I have an Altac Lansing ADA-305 hooked to my laptop, HP Pavilion DV6000, AMD 64.
It doesn't work on the USB hook up, but, it is awesome on the analoge plug.
Was the first USB's non-powered?
When I turn the volumn obove 49 on the computer it starts to distort, at any speaker volumn setting. Hit 50 and it jumps up in volumn considerable.
I'm thinking since I bought this speacker system about 20+ years ago it wasn't ment to be powered by the USB. Or analog.
I can crank the speackers to full 100% if the laptop volumn is 49 or below and it will blow the windows out and it's clear as a bell.
Hit 50 on the laptop and it sounds like the speacker system is over drivin, even at very low volumn.
There is no updates for drivers, and it was ment for Windows 98. So the awesome software that came with it is useless. Full 10 channel control.
I'm looking for a work around to use the USB. I know my sound card supports it. But if it's powered, and the system is not ment for it, that would explain the over drivin above 50 on the laptop.
It's an imitation of surround sound system, can run in Stereo mode or surround mode. I find that even the highs bounch around the room along with the mids and doesn't phase the volumn. The bigger the room the better.
You can be on top of the woofer and not hear it, get 15' away and you can't hardly hear the mid's and tweets, only between the thumps.
It's an awesome sound system, and as long as it works I will be in love with it.

As a side note, I got my wife a smaller system years later with 4 satilites and woofer. Maybe 1/2 the volumn and sound quality, even though it was Altec Lansing. Bought my son a pair of powered Satilites for his puter some years later. The just kick ass for $40.
He now uses mom's surround sound system on the TV for his gaming. He thumps the walls and I yell. Then I THUMP back. haha.
Mom's hooked on headphoness. Makes me a little suspicious, she doesn't want anyone to know what she is hearing on the net???? :bangpan:

 

[RocketDestroyer]

I have searched for when the USB was first announced, either to the general public, or to manufacturers to start building for it.

USB 1.0 came out about 1996. USB has always included DC power though not every device draws power from the USB port on the computer. When the USB device is first plugged in it goes through a process called enumeration where it tells the host PC about itself including how much power it needs. The USB ports are generally limited to less than 900 mA from the host PC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB

You can be on top of the woofer and not hear it, get 15' away and you can't hardly hear the mid's and tweets, only between the thumps.
It's an awesome sound system, and as long as it works I will be in love with it.

That doesn't sound very awesome to me. A well designed sound system should have balanced audio throughout the listening area. While tonal shifts are impossible to eliminate completely they should not be so pronounced as what you describe. Generally sub woofers are nearly omni-directional while mid range and tweeters become progressively more directional as you go up in frequency.

When I turn the volume above 49 on the computer it starts to distort, at any speaker volume setting.

This is likely due to the host PC over-driving the USB interface not due to a problem with the speakers. This could just be a setting somewhere. Or you could just not turn the PC level above 49.

 

[zanfar]

I'm a little confused on what your actual question is. However, here are some things I do know:

- If your speakers plug in via USB, they are not using your existing sound card. Rather, they appear to Windows as a separate audio device.
- The analog out on most computers, especially laptops, is not a line out, it is an amplified signal, and therefore when used as an input to any other amplifier, it will clip at high signal (volume) levels.

The ADA-305 has it's own power cable, so USB power isn't an issue. Most likely, the "not working" via USB is just Windows either not recognizing the second audio device, or it not being configured correctly.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

I'm a little confused on what your actual question is. However, here are some things I do know:

- If your speakers plug in via USB, they are not using your existing sound card. Rather, they appear to Windows as a separate audio device.
- The analog out on most computers, especially laptops, is not a line out, it is an amplified signal, and therefore when used as an input to any other amplifier, it will clip at high signal (volume) levels.

The ADA-305 has it's own power cable, so USB power isn't an issue. Most likely, the "not working" via USB is just Windows either not recognizing the second audio device, or it not being configured correctly.

I Agree with you, since the only driver available is for Windows 98, I'm on Vista on this old laptop.
I don't think that speaker system was ment for amplified out of the host.
And why the USB doesn't work.
I just re-arranged my room, and run through the normal setup tests I do when reconnecting everything and this is first time I've come accross this problem. At my house, I would vibrate the walls and knock mama's ceramics off the wall, so kept it lower.
But, I never tried to hook it by USB before. And never tried to max it out via the host on volumn and the speaker system.
I have no complaints on the sound what so ever.
As I remember correctly, I paid 199.99 for the speaker system when I was 34 (1994) and it has always impressed me.
I'll just keep it under 49 on the host, and crank the speakers.
At that, it should get me kicked out of our appartment. :y: :bangpan:

 

[bill_s]

USB might not be configured, but I'd expect drivers to be built in or gone. Plug it in with the PC on. That's about all I know there.

Sometimes with audio (in general) someone says "only halfway up" but actually that is all the way up. Sometimes you have to listen to something low level, quiet, that's what the extra capacity is for, you shouldn't be able to turn it up all the way with loud material. Not usually with PCs, but presumably the output is made to drive headphones mainly? Does it distort then? (listen with phones off your head so you can tell.) Try listening to some interviews or something where you can barely hear it, if this still overdrives according to settings, then it IS weird. Otherwise you just have a little bottleneck either getting out of the laptop or through the input stage of the speakers. If the speakers go loud enough still, they're happy.

One variant is the input impedance of the speakers. Sometimes they simulate headphones e.g. 32 ohms or can be high impedance. Either should work though.

A well designed sound system should have balanced audio throughout the listening area.

This is a PC system and is designed for best sound in front of a PC I would think. Actually my setup also connects the PC to a slightly larger amp and speakers, adjust according to situation ...

 

[RocketDestroyer]

I'm a little confused on what your actual question is. However, here are some things I do know:

- If your speakers plug in via USB, they are not using your existing sound card. Rather, they appear to Windows as a separate audio device.
- The analog out on most computers, especially laptops, is not a line out, it is an amplified signal, and therefore when used as an input to any other amplifier, it will clip at high signal (volume) levels.

The ADA-305 has it's own power cable, so USB power isn't an issue. Most likely, the "not working" via USB is just Windows either not recognizing the second audio device, or it not being configured correctly.

What Zanfar said!

 

[Woody's Workshop]

Yea, it was early, most everyone in the building has been gone since Wed. night for TG. So I thought I would try it crancked on both ends.
I've done it before with np. But, I think, only in stereo mode. I was in surround mode, and there is adjustments for the 3 varients in speakers, and they all were crancked by default. Once I dialed in the surround sound mode with the varients, it wasn't too bad.
I took it full volumn on the speakers and 75 on the laptop.
At that point the wife come beating me on the head :bangpan: and had to shut it down.
Think the varients on surround sound were too high which caused the over drive situation and distortion. All my fault for being in one big hurry to get the job done.
Thanks guys.