PC Speaker or Flex Speakers

Santiago Mejia HI8O

I know this topic have been discussed earlier but my question is rather simple, I guess. What is more recommended: using separate speaker for the Flex (in addition to PC speakers) or using the PC speaker thru PC audio?

I can go either way.

santiago

Mark_WS7M

Whenever possible I use Flex speaker out.  There is a very slight latency when using Audio from the PC which is a stack up of Audio to Digital to PC Audio from the PC.

Just my preference.  I do operate on my laptop, over WiFi using laptop speakers and it works fine.

Santiago Mejia HI8O

Thanks Mark. That’s what I’m doing now, just wondering if someone have found an advantage either way. 

Santiago

W7NIK

The PC audio is feeding thru my HDMI cable , I do lose a little latency or something like that ,. Audio PWR out or phone jack out Is the question I have . What is the best audio ? What is the details , 48000 hz. Etc PCM ? The WNB filter is amazing,

Bill -VA3WTB

Agree, speaker out from the Flex is best.

John - K3MA

Whatever sounds best to your ears.

Ken Hansen

I use a pair of COMSpkr from west mountain, great price, great sound, just plugs into Flex 6300 here. I usually operate remote, and I like having an on/off power switch so the radio is silent with no opportunity to make noise when operating remotely. Link: https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-009149

Michael McGinty

I use the Heil parametric audio system with the powered speaker. Very low distortion and very configurable audio. Much faster than using the slide audio in the flex. Knobs work well here. Also the Heil audio system is well protected against rf interference even with a leagle limit amp.

Walt Kenyon

If you really want to hear just how good the flex audio is, get some Bose companion speakers or other good quality speakers.  

caravanken

I am interested but what is the Heil audio system. Could you elaborate please?

Johan _ SE3X

https://heilhamradio.com/products/parametric-receive-audio-system/

Delbert McCord

My Flex now comes through my hearing aids and that is GREAT. But before that I ended up buying a GOOD set of computer speakers. I found a set on Amazon (Wood case) that have very good sound. I started using it through the computer but then I would find myself wanting to use the computers sound for something else. The separate speakers sound very good and I am free to use the computers audio for YouTube of something like that at the same time.

I will say when I used the computer speakers I never had any problems with it unless I was on a weak WiFi and that was to be expected with the Flex. So either way works just depends on what you want to do while you are listening to the Flex. 

Mike Krzystyniak

I use the 6700's speaker output to drive a set of Bose Companion 2 speakers.

I found the audio from the radio does not directly drive the monitor speakers that well, and my PC sound card also has overall volume limitations as well.

YMMV.

Mike K9MK

Rich McCabe

When I started with Flex I had a couple Palstar SP30H speakers that I had used with my Icom 7800. I bought a cheap amp off EBay to power them from the Flex. They worked fantastic.

When I upgraded to a flex 6600m I needed to get rid of them as they were large and did not have space for them directly in front of me so I bought bose companion 2 speakers which have 2 inputs so you can run PC and the Flex and mix the audio.

For the most part the audio is good for SSB but not as good as the Palstar/amp setup. For SSB its good but for critical CW listening they do not cut it for me and I have to put on headphones.

I am considering going back to smaller Palstars but have not made up my mind yet.

Mark K1LSB

Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 in my shack, wired to both the computer and the Flex. An A-B switch lets me flip between the two.

Michael Wheatley

How do you get Flex audio to your hearing aids?

Michael -- KM6LHD

Wilbur Doolittle

Is the plug on the back of the 6400 mono or stereo?

Rich McCabe

Stereo. You can have one slice on left speaker and one on right

Wilbur Doolittle

thnks

Lee, N2LC

For CW operators, another reason to use speakers attached to the radio might be this:

(From Al, K0VM and others in other older threads:)      The sidetone (CW ?) is generated by the radio but it is not passed to the PC over the ethernet connection. Thus if you have speaker/phones attached to the radio you will hear side tone but if your using the Remote audio feature in SSDR to listen through the PC sound system, you will not have sidetone.


Some of us have been operating our Flexes for embarassingly long periods of time before learning this nuance, and one day we think we broke our radio or fluffed a setting somewhere....  

Neal Pollack, N6YFM

Likely he is using an audio to bluetooth sending unit.   Many modern hearing aids
can pair with a bluetooth audio device.  [real]

Me, more old fashion;    I just feed the audio out to a modulated Tesla HV coil, 
and the resulting "audio" is received via the bi-metal (Gold & Mercury) filling in
my tooth :-)   [joking, or a lame attempt]