What kind of setup should I use for this?

[Modinstaller495]

Hey all,

 

This isn't really home theater but I figured this was the best sub-forum to ask this -

 

My mom has a kindergarten school and she needs an audio setup so that she and her teachers can play music for the children. Money is a factor, but virtually unlimited if it's warranted. Sound needs to be good to train the children's ears. Still, doesn't need to be anything over-the-top, this is a small family school.

 

Since several people are gonna use it, I figure it needs a dedicated device to store all the audio in, and since they're probably gonna need to browse youtube, it should be something like a tablet or a laptop (they have wifi). Size and portability would prove useful to them, so I figure a dedicated tablet would work best.

Then, for the speakers, I'm thinking it could either be jack speakers (most tablets have a jack port afaik), or bluetooth speakers.

 

Since I've never had any reason to research tablets or speakers, I'm looking for some recommendations.

- Do you think this setup is sensible? Is there any better way to do it?

- Would any cheap tablet do the job or should I be careful about anything?

- Most importantly, are bluetooth speakers any good at all if you're concerned about sound quality? Or would it be better to get jack speakers? (I realize that if you're gonna be listening to some shitty youtube type audio quality, it doesn't make much difference, but I'll try to get them flacs when possible)

This is a small classroom which will also be used for other activities (including nappy time). Hence my focus on small size and portability.

 

Thanks for your help!

[ki8aras]

5 minutes ago, Modinstaller495 said:

Hey all,

 

This isn't really home theater but I figured this was the best sub-forum to ask this -

 

My mom has a kindergarten school and she needs an audio setup so that she and her teachers can play music for the children. Money is a factor, but virtually unlimited if it's warranted. Sound needs to be good to train the children's ears. Still, doesn't need to be anything over-the-top, this is a small family school.

 

Since several people are gonna use it, I figure it needs a dedicated device to store all the audio in, and since they're probably gonna need to browse youtube, it should be something like a tablet or a laptop (they have wifi). Size and portability would prove useful to them, so I figure a dedicated tablet would work best.

Then, for the speakers, I'm thinking it could either be jack speakers (most tablets have a jack port afaik), or bluetooth speakers.

 

Since I've never had any reason to research tablets or speakers, I'm looking for some recommendations.

- Do you think this setup is sensible? Is there any better way to do it?

- Would any cheap tablet do the job or should I be careful about anything?

- Most importantly, are bluetooth speakers any good at all if you're concerned about sound quality? Or would it be better to get jack speakers? (I realize that if you're gonna be listening to some shitty youtube type audio quality, it doesn't make much difference, but I'll try to get them flacs when possible)

This is a small classroom which will also be used for other activities (including nappy time). Hence my focus on small size and portability.

 

Thanks for your help!

given that the people who are going to be using this arent technologically savvy, and theyre going to be listening to youtube videos, i think a high end Bluetooth soundbar should do the trick

[BobVonBob]

My thoughts as well. Bluetooth soundbar, Bluetooth amp + speakers, Bluetooth powered monitors. Something Bluetooth that requires minimal tinkering once a device is connected. I'd really suggest avoiding a wired setup if it's going to be playing from a tablet, because a wire negates the whole point of using a tablet, that they can walk around the room with it.

 

As for quality, anything with Bluetooth 4 or greater is going to sound perfectly fine, and you can't buy new stuff with Bluetooth worse than that.

[Modinstaller495]

27 minutes ago, ki8aras said:

given that the people who are going to be using this arent technologically savvy, and theyre going to be listening to youtube videos, i think a high end Bluetooth soundbar should do the trick

Do you mean something like this? https://www.amazon.fr/haut-parleur-Bluetooth-Streaming-téléphone-ordinateur/dp/B07YKV7G29 I can get that for 26€

 

I actually didn't know what a sound bar was. What's the difference between that and, say, a single jbl flip bluetooth speaker? Better audio? Cheaper?

 

Would you say getting 2 bluetooth speakers would be a useful investment for stereo (placing them at 2 different spots in the room)? Would it even be possible to set them up with a tablet? (I think they can connect to each other, right?)

[ki8aras]

bose bluetooth speakers can connect to an app with each other, i dont know about other brands but im sure someone else has an equivalent , i personally dont know anything about soundbars, i was just putting my thoughts out there so ill leave that to the experts

[Modinstaller495]

12 minutes ago, BobVonBob said:

My thoughts as well. Bluetooth soundbar, Bluetooth amp + speakers, Bluetooth powered monitors. Something Bluetooth that requires minimal tinkering once a device is connected. I'd really suggest avoiding a wired setup if it's going to be playing from a tablet, because a wire negates the whole point of using a tablet, that they can walk around the room with it.

 

As for quality, anything with Bluetooth 4 or greater is going to sound perfectly fine, and you can't buy new stuff with Bluetooth worse than that.

 

Amp + speakers? What's the job of the amp? Would speakers without an amp have lower quality sound? About bluetooth powered monitors, do you mean like this? https://www.presonus.com/products/Eris-E35-BT

How do you think these would sound compared to a small bt speaker like a jbl flip?

 

I also think avoiding anything wired is a good idea. Do you think any cheap tablet would do the job? What else could I be playing sound from if not a tablet?

[ki8aras]

18 minutes ago, BobVonBob said:

My thoughts as well. Bluetooth soundbar, Bluetooth amp + speakers, Bluetooth powered monitors. Something Bluetooth that requires minimal tinkering once a device is connected. I'd really suggest avoiding a wired setup if it's going to be playing from a tablet, because a wire negates the whole point of using a tablet, that they can walk around the room with it.

 

As for quality, anything with Bluetooth 4 or greater is going to sound perfectly fine, and you can't buy new stuff with Bluetooth worse than that.

dont say that, linus has showcased some pretty cheap soundbars

try to look at some reviews and get sth reputable

[BobVonBob]

7 minutes ago, Modinstaller495 said:

 

Amp + speakers? What's the job of the amp? Would speakers without an amp have lower quality sound? About bluetooth powered monitors, do you mean like this? https://www.presonus.com/products/Eris-E35-BT

How do you think these would sound compared to a small bt speaker like a jbl flip?

 

I also think avoiding anything wired is a good idea. Do you think any cheap tablet would do the job? What else could I be playing sound from if not a tablet?

The point of the amp is to run the speakers at all. Standalone speakers need an amplifier to power them because they're just drivers in a box. It's like a pair of headphones you haven't plugged in to anything.

[Modinstaller495]

1 hour ago, BobVonBob said:

The point of the amp is to run the speakers at all. Standalone speakers need an amplifier to power them because they're just drivers in a box. It's like a pair of headphones you haven't plugged in to anything.

In that case the amp would be the tablet? Cause I can just connect bluetooth speakers to my PC, laptop, smartphone, or I suppose a tablet, and it'll work right out the box. So what would be the point in getting a bluetooth amp? Or am I not understanding something?

 

Can anyone tell me what the difference would be between a single BT stereo speakers (jbl flip 5?), two of those connected and placed around the room, bt powered monitors like these https://www.presonus.com/products/Eris-E35-BT, or a bt soundbar like this https://www.presonus.com/products/Eris-E35-BT ?