Hey guys,
I am looking to splurge on a set of computer speakers. For any music junkies, what do you recommend. I was going to get the Bose Companion 5. Considering I’ll probably have these the rest of my life, price isn’t much of an issue. I’d like to keep it around 3-400 though.
Anyone know of anything “better” then Bose? I listen to a lot of techno, so a good subwoofer/bass would be important.
Thanks in advance,
Tom
Computer speakers are generally shit. The second you turn the volume up a bit, it gets Umcomfortable and distorted, and the small subs will get laggy and unprecise. Dig deeper in your pockets if you really are a music junkie. buy a small high fi set, and you will not only have something that actually lasts the rest of your life, but also something that will let you keep your hearing the rest of your life.
Something like a 2x75 watt amp, two small shelf speakers like the B&W DM686/DM685 or Dali Concept/Lektor, and an active Sub in the 100-300 watt range.
Buying stuff like this, i find it easy and safe to buy used, there is a lot of high quality stuff being sold, often barely used at all, and at half price
May seem silly, but a legit question:
Why not get an amp and some normal speakers?
EDIT: Oops, see that got mentioned above.
Anyhow, any decent amp will give you a lot more versatility in terms of speakers and their layout. Plus more, arguably better quality, sound.
Bose is over rated for the cost.
Klipsch are mind blowing for the size and money. In a small room all you need.
In a larger room I agree on the receiver & speaker suggestion.
Why are you looking for speakers(purpose)? Are you looking to play music while you’re away from the comp or is it more for gaming/movies?
I prefer quality headphones over speakers since they can shut out other sounds around your house.
[quote]Defiance wrote:
Computer speakers are generally shit. The second you turn the volume up a bit, it gets Umcomfortable and distorted, and the small subs will get laggy and unprecise. Dig deeper in your pockets if you really are a music junkie. buy a small high fi set, and you will not only have something that actually lasts the rest of your life, but also something that will let you keep your hearing the rest of your life.
Something like a 2x75 watt amp, two small shelf speakers like the B&W DM686/DM685 or Dali Concept/Lektor, and an active Sub in the 100-300 watt range.
Buying stuff like this, i find it easy and safe to buy used, there is a lot of high quality stuff being sold, often barely used at all, and at half price [/quote]
What is a hi fi set? I’ve never heard of that.
I should have been more clear. I’m looking for more than just speakers. I am looking for an entire sound system/set. The Bose Companion 5 is 2 speakers and a sub I think.
As for the use of the sound system, it’s definitely not for games. I want to be able to hear my music from 1-2 rooms over when I am getting ready, and also use them if a large group of people comes over.
[quote]TomRocco wrote:
[quote]Defiance wrote:
Computer speakers are generally shit. The second you turn the volume up a bit, it gets Umcomfortable and distorted, and the small subs will get laggy and unprecise. Dig deeper in your pockets if you really are a music junkie. buy a small high fi set, and you will not only have something that actually lasts the rest of your life, but also something that will let you keep your hearing the rest of your life.
Something like a 2x75 watt amp, two small shelf speakers like the B&W DM686/DM685 or Dali Concept/Lektor, and an active Sub in the 100-300 watt range.
Buying stuff like this, i find it easy and safe to buy used, there is a lot of high quality stuff being sold, often barely used at all, and at half price [/quote]
What is a hi fi set? I’ve never heard of that.
I should have been more clear. I’m looking for more than just speakers. I am looking for an entire sound system/set. The Bose Companion 5 is 2 speakers and a sub I think.
As for the use of the sound system, it’s definitely not for games. I want to be able to hear my music from 1-2 rooms over when I am getting ready, and also use them if a large group of people comes over.
[/quote]
In that case maybe you could hook your comp to your tv and use a surround sound system for your tv if you might have one.
[quote]TomRocco wrote:
[quote]Defiance wrote:
Computer speakers are generally shit. The second you turn the volume up a bit, it gets Umcomfortable and distorted, and the small subs will get laggy and unprecise. Dig deeper in your pockets if you really are a music junkie. buy a small high fi set, and you will not only have something that actually lasts the rest of your life, but also something that will let you keep your hearing the rest of your life.
Something like a 2x75 watt amp, two small shelf speakers like the B&W DM686/DM685 or Dali Concept/Lektor, and an active Sub in the 100-300 watt range.
Buying stuff like this, i find it easy and safe to buy used, there is a lot of high quality stuff being sold, often barely used at all, and at half price [/quote]
What is a hi fi set? I’ve never heard of that.
[/quote]
I just ment a High Fidelity Sound System, i.e Amp/reciever + Speakers and maybe a sub,
If I had to get a decent set of computer speakers:
Klipsch Promedia 2.1
Logitech Z906
Logitech Z623
For your use you would probably be happiest with the Klipsch. You can crank them as loud as they can go without any distortion.
[quote]Defiance wrote:
[quote]TomRocco wrote:
[quote]Defiance wrote:
Computer speakers are generally shit. The second you turn the volume up a bit, it gets Umcomfortable and distorted, and the small subs will get laggy and unprecise. Dig deeper in your pockets if you really are a music junkie. buy a small high fi set, and you will not only have something that actually lasts the rest of your life, but also something that will let you keep your hearing the rest of your life.
Something like a 2x75 watt amp, two small shelf speakers like the B&W DM686/DM685 or Dali Concept/Lektor, and an active Sub in the 100-300 watt range.
Buying stuff like this, i find it easy and safe to buy used, there is a lot of high quality stuff being sold, often barely used at all, and at half price [/quote]
What is a hi fi set? I’ve never heard of that.
[/quote]
I just ment a High Fidelity Sound System, i.e Amp/reciever + Speakers and maybe a sub, [/quote]
How much would that cost to set up do you think? And in terms of hooking it up, is it as simple as plugging things into the amp or something like that?
Lastly, I don’t know the logistics like 100 or 300 watts. What’s the difference? What would you recommend for listening to techno- not dubstepp I’ll give an example:
Please don’t buy Bose shit.
Good choices are
Audio Engine 5s
or
M-Audio AV-40
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MAudioAV40.html
I’ve been doing some searching and these are the pieces I am looking to get:
Not sure which of these speakers (suggestions?):
And this sub (I won’t buy the sub until the speakers come- the speakers my work well enough for me):
I have a few questions if someone can answer them:
How will I know if all these components will “work” together? Could my speakers “blow” or is that unlikely?
Do I need to buy anything else to set this all up (wires, etc)?
How do I go about setting this up? Is it as simple as plugging the speakers and sub into the amp and playing music from my computer on it?
I’m confused about the amp/receiver. Are these 2 separate pieces of equipment, or can I just buy the amp I posted and that’s it.
Thanks again for everyone’s help. Definitely excited to start moving this forward.
Computer speakers are typically crap like stated, but having good speakers won’t do a whole lot if you have a 3 dollar sound card which comes with 99.9% of computers. Look around, do some research, and find one you want.
[quote]TomRocco wrote:
I’ve been doing some searching and these are the pieces I am looking to get:
Not sure which of these speakers (suggestions?):
And this sub (I won’t buy the sub until the speakers come- the speakers my work well enough for me):
I have a few questions if someone can answer them:
How will I know if all these components will “work” together? Could my speakers “blow” or is that unlikely?
Do I need to buy anything else to set this all up (wires, etc)?
How do I go about setting this up? Is it as simple as plugging the speakers and sub into the amp and playing music from my computer on it?
I’m confused about the amp/receiver. Are these 2 separate pieces of equipment, or can I just buy the amp I posted and that’s it.
Thanks again for everyone’s help. Definitely excited to start moving this forward. [/quote]
You are making this too complicated. I can’t really tell from the link, but the amp looks like a PA amp, you would still need a preamp for inputs. I haven’t listened to any of the speakers you linked to, but the Klipsch Pro media 2.0 will probably blow them away for less money. On top of that they are horn tweeters which are virtually indestructible. The tweeters are what usually blow from not ENOUGH power due to clipping of the wave form.
[quote]TomRocco wrote:
I have a few questions if someone can answer them:
How will I know if all these components will “work” together? Could my speakers “blow” or is that unlikely?
Do I need to buy anything else to set this all up (wires, etc)?
How do I go about setting this up? Is it as simple as plugging the speakers and sub into the amp and playing music from my computer on it?
I’m confused about the amp/receiver. Are these 2 separate pieces of equipment, or can I just buy the amp I posted and that’s it.
Thanks again for everyone’s help. Definitely excited to start moving this forward. [/quote]
Most home audio equipment will “work” together, as there is a standardized system of interconnect cables in place today. Speakers can blow if the output of the amplifier is greater than the capacity of the speakers.
100 watts into a 50 watt speaker = Dead speaker.
You may need some rca cables to connect components to each other, depending on what you have on hand, and an adapter cable depending on the type of sound output on your pc.
The general framework of an audio system is Source (cd player, computer, am/fm receiver)-----> Pre-amp/ Amplifier-----> Speakers. Each component is connected to the next by some type of cable. Source to amp/pre-amp is almost always RCA type plugs which are color coded red and white. The connection from the amplifier to speakers is a braided insulated copper wire (speaker wire) of various gage connected to binding posts also capable of accepting banana plugs.
Many systems take a lot of guess work and complexity out of the system by having powered speakers with their own included interconnect. This is 2 speakers with a built in amp in each, connected by a wire. Plug in the speakers, connect a source and you have sound. They are also usually balanced pretty well to prevent damage to the speakers from overloading them.
An amplifier is simply that. It may have a gain control on it, or may require a pre-amp (which are also often receivers/selectors). If your receiver has an amp built in, you don’t need one, nor do you need one if the speakers have one built in.
I would not use the amplifier you selected for anything. It has a very low output level before distortion occurs, and the MAX output is a dubious rating, which would likely cause the damage mentioned in the previous post, along with sounding “cranked” (noisy, distorted).
These- http://www.amazon.com/...5662&sr=1-1 are only 30 watts total, which would most likely be underpowered for what you described.
These- http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Audio-S30-Speakers-Speaker/dp/B00198LYMU/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1314195781&sr=1-1 look pretty good, but will also require the aforementioned amplification.
These- http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-Powered-Speakers-Previous/dp/B000MUXJCO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314195953&sr=8-2 also seem under powered, and may not be too easy on the ears. My bet is that they lack range and response.
You definitely want to give stuff a listen before buying it.
The system that Testy posted looks pretty solid, and I know from previous experience that Klipsch makes some pretty good equipment.
Out of simplicity, I’m getting testy’s system posted (Klipsch) and you recommend looking for a better sound card?
Also, testy, or anyone who has that set, are those speakers really loud? I want to be able to crank the music.
[quote]TomRocco wrote:
Out of simplicity, I’m getting testy’s system posted (Klipsch) and you recommend looking for a better sound card?
Also, testy, or anyone who has that set, are those speakers really loud? I want to be able to crank the music. [/quote]
Yes, they are plenty loud, it is a 200 watt powered system. You can increase your bass output by placing the subwoofer in a corner, although it won’t be as crisp. If you need more umph, you can always use a splitter to run a second powered Subwoofer. Turn down the subwoofer volume on the Klipsch sytem so the more of that power is driving the speakers.
This system by itself should be all you need though.
Highly recommend the Creative Gigaworks series.
The sound quality is truly excellent… read the Amazon reviews.
Amazon Warehouse Deals has a few pairs for $60 with free Prime Shipping…
I owned the first series, and the 2.0 version is even better. They sound wonderful without a separate subwoofer and they’re built very solid.
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
[quote]TomRocco wrote:
I have a few questions if someone can answer them:
How will I know if all these components will “work” together? Could my speakers “blow” or is that unlikely?
Do I need to buy anything else to set this all up (wires, etc)?
How do I go about setting this up? Is it as simple as plugging the speakers and sub into the amp and playing music from my computer on it?
I’m confused about the amp/receiver. Are these 2 separate pieces of equipment, or can I just buy the amp I posted and that’s it.
Thanks again for everyone’s help. Definitely excited to start moving this forward. [/quote]
Most home audio equipment will “work” together, as there is a standardized system of interconnect cables in place today. Speakers can blow if the output of the amplifier is greater than the capacity of the speakers.
100 watts into a 50 watt speaker = Dead speaker.
You may need some rca cables to connect components to each other, depending on what you have on hand, and an adapter cable depending on the type of sound output on your pc.
The general framework of an audio system is Source (cd player, computer, am/fm receiver)-----> Pre-amp/ Amplifier-----> Speakers. Each component is connected to the next by some type of cable. Source to amp/pre-amp is almost always RCA type plugs which are color coded red and white. The connection from the amplifier to speakers is a braided insulated copper wire (speaker wire) of various gage connected to binding posts also capable of accepting banana plugs.
Many systems take a lot of guess work and complexity out of the system by having powered speakers with their own included interconnect. This is 2 speakers with a built in amp in each, connected by a wire. Plug in the speakers, connect a source and you have sound. They are also usually balanced pretty well to prevent damage to the speakers from overloading them.
An amplifier is simply that. It may have a gain control on it, or may require a pre-amp (which are also often receivers/selectors). If your receiver has an amp built in, you don’t need one, nor do you need one if the speakers have one built in.
I would not use the amplifier you selected for anything. It has a very low output level before distortion occurs, and the MAX output is a dubious rating, which would likely cause the damage mentioned in the previous post, along with sounding “cranked” (noisy, distorted).
These- http://www.amazon.com/...5662&sr=1-1 are only 30 watts total, which would most likely be underpowered for what you described.
These- http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Audio-S30-Speakers-Speaker/dp/B00198LYMU/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1314195781&sr=1-1 look pretty good, but will also require the aforementioned amplification.
These- http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-Powered-Speakers-Previous/dp/B000MUXJCO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314195953&sr=8-2 also seem under powered, and may not be too easy on the ears. My bet is that they lack range and response.
You definitely want to give stuff a listen before buying it.
The system that Testy posted looks pretty solid, and I know from previous experience that Klipsch makes some pretty good equipment.
[/quote]
Thank you for your informative post.
[quote]Tyrant wrote:
Computer speakers are typically crap like stated, but having good speakers won’t do a whole lot if you have a 3 dollar sound card which comes with 99.9% of computers. Look around, do some research, and find one you want.
Do you have any suggestions? I’m not sure what to look for in a sound card. I listen to a ton of techno, not too many movies, and absolutely zero games. I was going to get this one:
I don’t listen to music on my headphones too often. The other ones seem to emphasize how they make headphone-listening more clear.