Sound in retro gaming

[hypochondriac]

Hi all. I am a retro console collector and I have about 90 systems but I still consider myself a bit of an amateur when it comes to setups. I have about 5 crts and the various inputs for all the consoles, but I have always wondered about the options for sound. Should I be looking to improve the sound from my consoles with a speaker system or is it fine as it is through the TV? If you think that improving the sound output is important then what do you suggest? Thanks in advance.

 

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[Mikebloke]

If you like sound, I think you need to think about alternative sound outputs. Tvs have quite basic output. Modern tvs potentially even more basic. Yes, modern tvs have balance controls etc, but they still blurt out of the same piece of black plastic. 

 

I've attached the image of the sound system I use. For living in urban area, this is the most I can get away with, though I would like a more dynamic room surround system with speakers behind the sofa - I'll wait until I'm in my 'house for life' first. 

 

This is an old system now, my brother who runs an independent electronic shop got it for my mum ages ago, I used to hook it up for playing my saturn back when that was the latest thing - but its good for everything really. 

 

A little while ago while visiting, I realised it was collecting dust being unused. I checked prices for similar modern systems and they run into thousands which made me laugh. So I did a cheeky ask like children do of their parents and said I could take it off their hands. 

 

This particular model has both a USB port for pcs and an rca port. There is even a video pass through at the back so you can put sound directly in and then hide the additional video wire at the back and attach it to the TV without having to split the cables yourself. 

 

Out of ease, because i usually have about 8 consoles plugged in these days, I just take the audio out the TV and split it as can be seen here. Unfortunately there isn't an audio pass through in the back... So you see my ugly wire underneath. 

 

When I have a day off or if I'm on break working at home, I love cranking the volume up for neo geo cd and similar consoles, but early rf consoles still get a nice sound out of it, it has some balance adjustment options, but it's limited (no direct base adjustment, but you basically just reduce the other settings). 

[hypochondriac]

That's such a useful post thanks so much. Will the compatability depend on what output my crt has? For example I have a b&o beovision 1 and I'm in the UK. All my outputs are scart so will I require a separate breakout cable do you think? Do you plug and unplug cables separately depending on what console you want connected to it? Also what's the model number? I may look for something similar.

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[CatPix]

There are adapters to tap out sound from SCART, some multitaps have sound out, or you can use the jack output of your TV. a B&O may even have RCA out for your to tap out the sound (usually on the back).

[Mr SQL]

1 hour ago, Mikebloke said:

Modern tvs potentially even more basic.

Agree CRT speakers often have deeper movie theater quality sound, by contrast modern TV's sound tinny even in stereo.

 

 

[youxia]

Even the top range 4:3 Trinitrons I have are beaten by a mid range Logitech PC speaker/subwoofer combo.

[hypochondriac]

There are adapters to tap out sound from SCART, some multitaps have sound out, or you can use the jack output of your TV. a B&O may even have RCA out for your to tap out the sound (usually on the back).

I have a hydra scart adaptor. Hopefully that will have sound out (I expect it does.) Amy recommendations for a speaker setup?

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[Mikebloke]

7 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

That's such a useful post thanks so much. Will the compatability depend on what output my crt has? For example I have a b&o beovision 1 and I'm in the UK. All my outputs are scart so will I require a separate breakout cable do you think? Do you plug and unplug cables separately depending on what console you want connected to it? Also what's the model number? I may look for something similar.

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Hi there, I'm UK based as well, so you can imagine how many scart consoles and devices I have (think its around the 20 mark!).

 

In all honesty, there is probably not much if any loss from most tv's having it direct (say a console with S-video/composite going directly into the philips) or the scart going into the TV and being routed back out with the AUX out port (the one for head/ear phones). The only question really is if your CRT has an out port. Most 80's onwards TV's should have a port - some might be in the back but many are often found at the front, particularly under the flap with the volume controls. Older ones may not have a port though... 

 

There is a number of high quality lead producers in the UK who build them here for scart users - some of these scarts come built with audio cables splitting out of it, so you can use it for devices like this. Another alternative is to look into component cables (now more readily available for pre-HD consoles) and use that if you have the component ports in your TV. I'm fortunate to still have a TV with scart, 2 HDMI (not CRT obviously!), composite/component and a few usb ports too - so I have to admit I tend to just switch the wires in the TV and keep the wire you see in the Philips.

 

The sound on it is the same as when I had it when it first came out, so I don't think its effected by TV at all! If you want I could consider doing a short video with what wires etc I have with it and the size. It can also be powered by batteries, if you say, want to take it with your gameboy, neo geo pocket, game gear etc out and about (it would make a good seat if nothing else!).

 

This is the specific model I have: https://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/AZ2555_05/- checking ebay there is a few available around the £30-50 mark: https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/58093885

 

A lot cheaper than buying a brand new system with similar bells and whistles. (it also has analogue radio and a CD player, if you didn't have 12 consoles that could do that for you!).

[hypochondriac]

Cheers for that that's great I think I'll get one for myself. Do you have a recommendation for the cable from the TV to the speakers? I have a lot of scart cables from retrogamingcables and some include a splitter (my neo geo and ps1 definitely have one.) I'm hoping my hydra scart splitter has an audio out.

 

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[MrMaddog]

I used mini-stereos since college to pump sound from my game systems and computers via audio phono jacks.  My setup involved a A/V multi-switch that feeds the audio sound to my stereo and the composite video output gets sent to a Commodore monitor I picked up at a thrift store.  Game sounds & music sound so much better coming out of stereo speakers (w/ bass boosters) than just through the CRT or even small computer speakers.

 

Nowadays all my modern stuff is hooked up to my flatscreen, which sounds pretty good but someday I like to get a soundbar for the extra bass.

[hypochondriac]

I used mini-stereos since college to pump sound from my game systems and computers via audio phono jacks.  My setup involved a A/V multi-switch that feeds the audio sound to my stereo and the composite video output gets sent to a Commodore monitor I picked up at a thrift store.  Game sounds & music sound so much better coming out of stereo speakers (w/ bass boosters) than just through the CRT or even small computer speakers.
 
Nowadays all my modern stuff is hooked up to my flatscreen, which sounds pretty good but someday I like to get a soundbar for the extra bass.

It gets so complex I wouldn't know where to begin. Like I said I have about 80 consoles and 10 tvs so I have the space! I might get this stereo that the other poster has recommended

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[Tanooki]

Back in the late 80s through the 1990s I used to have this quality 1970s Realistic brand stereo receiver with the whole copper wire setup into some nice wood panel speakers.  I found this nice cable that took the mono from the NES and split the audio here and there to stereo and it created a really nice presence kind of like that chop shop job some people did a decade ago on internal NES mods and it was fantastic, some games it just mimicked the audio on both sides evenly.  SNES well, nothing to butcher or mess with there, running that multi-av out on that, the N64 too, it was something special, same with the Turbo Duo I had at the time too.  The audio really came out the best it could for the limits of the hardware(console) of the time from that stereo setup I was using.  I wouldn't have wanted to go further like you can now with the HDMI solutions where you can get into filtering, interpolation, volume ramping, etc as that just kind of murders it.

[DragonGrafx-16]

I have a Yamaha 5.1 surround sound system I use for my games... it's also neat having surround sound for PS3 and 360 games... ( I don't have any consoles newer than that). 

[Mikebloke]

23 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

Cheers for that that's great I think I'll get one for myself. Do you have a recommendation for the cable from the TV to the speakers? I have a lot of scart cables from retrogamingcables and some include a splitter (my neo geo and ps1 definitely have one.) I'm hoping my hydra scart splitter has an audio out.

 

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nothing fancy, just male to male cables (getting harder to find, a lot of male to female and female to male cables come up first), here is cheapest one listing on ebay (Hong Kong) but there is others available:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-5M-4-9Ft-3-5mm-Male-Jack-to-2-RCA-Male-M-M-Splitter-Stereo-Audio-AV-Cable/133218537271?hash=item1f04718f37:g:fVkAAOSweFhevQ7a

 

3.5mm is the standard size for headphones, that's what you want.

[hypochondriac]

nothing fancy, just male to male cables (getting harder to find, a lot of male to female and female to male cables come up first), here is cheapest one listing on ebay (Hong Kong) but there is others available:
 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-5M-4-9Ft-3-5mm-Male-Jack-to-2-RCA-Male-M-M-Splitter-Stereo-Audio-AV-Cable/133218537271?hash=item1f04718f37:g:fVkAAOSweFhevQ7a
 
3.5mm is the standard size for headphones, that's what you want.

Will this one work? I'd rather buy one from the UK even if its more expensive:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-TO-2-RCA-MALE-SUBWOOFER-AUDIO-CABLE-LEAD-2-WAY-Y-PHONO-SPLITTER-1-Metre-/143587684929?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

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[CatPix]

It's straight wiring. The cable linked seems to be quite thick which is important : thinner wire may be more sensitive to EM interferences and may break if you plug nd unplug it more often.

Really for audio cable, that's all you may want from it.