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Topic: Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€? (Read 8486 times) previous topic - next topic
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Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

I'm currently using Creative I-Trigue 3220 with a total of 29W

After over 2 years now, I'm looking for a better system for around 150Euros.

Here are 2 pics of my room:


As my room is pretty small (3m x 3.6m), so 5.1 or 7.1 sound is out of the question and im going for another 2.1 speaker setup.

Teufel Concept C 200 USB with 135W subwoofer and two 60+W speakers sounds nice. 'Only' 170€. Well the additional 20€ are ok, but there might be something even better out there for around the same price.

Does anyone have something better in mind?

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #1 –
Logitech Z-4 is pretty good IMHO and it's quite cheap.
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P
 

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #2 –
Logitech Z 2300 is a bit more expensive but has way more watt. Anyone with that system? maybe a direct comparison between the teufel and logitech one?

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #3 –
If you're just after the watts, you are looking at the wrong equipment and the wrong price range.
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #4 –
look, my current sound system sucks as soon as I add some more decibel.
The Logitech Z-4 you suggested has just a few more watt and i thought itll probably turn out to be like my current speaker system.

I'm not only after watts. I want a good 2.1 speaker system for up to 170€ that does also sound real nice when loud. As said earlier, mine sucks at the second aspect...

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Öhr on
look, my current sound system sucks as soon as I add some more decibel.
The Logitech Z-4 you suggested has just a few more watt and i thought itll probably turn out to be like my current speaker system.

I'm not only after watts. I want a good 2.1 speaker system for up to 170€ that does also sound real nice when loud. As said earlier, mine sucks at the second aspect...

You will struggle to find reasonable sound quality for a .1 system for 170 euros. Something like M-Audio BX5A may be a 2.0 solution that maximises sound quality for music on your budget but it really depends on what you are trying to achieve.

Loud requires lots of air to be shifted which dictates large cone areas and normally a larger budget than you propose.

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #6 –
I would recommend one of the only surviving species of the Klipsch Promedia genus, the ProMedia 2.1. I just went to the site and noticed that they've come out with a wireless version which has the same design flaw (power button behind the sub), but otherwise seems like a nice addition for laptop users. They don't show up on the EU site though, but they might be available, or you might be able to buy one and get it sent there, but AC power requirements should be different.

On another note, I like some Logitech products, but many of them are riddled with useless marketing gimmicks, especially audio products. I see the Z-2300 page and they look like 2-way satellites, but I don't see a mention of a tweeter, only this:
Quote
Phase-plug design

The aluminum drivers outperform conventional two-way designs giving you even frequency response with clear high-end and rich mid-range tones.


If you can't find the Klipsch, I'd go with M-Audio powered monitors like honestguv suggested. There are even cheaper ones than the BX5A, you can later on complement it with a subwoofer, though small cheap computer subs aren't very common nowadays.

I wonder why Klipsch stopped making their excellent Promedia products. There was really no competition in quality and prices were similar to Creative.

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Öhr on
look, my current sound system sucks as soon as I add some more decibel.
The Logitech Z-4 you suggested has just a few more watt and i thought itll probably turn out to be like my current speaker system.

I'm not only after watts. I want a good 2.1 speaker system for up to 170€ that does also sound real nice when loud. As said earlier, mine sucks at the second aspect...

The Z-4 sounds really great even when they are pushed, but for logical reasons I can't compare them to your set and your perception of "loud". As I said, if you need something you can turn up at ridiculously levels, you should find a decent amp, active sub and proper speakers, but really you should go listen to them before buying, because speakers sounds really different.

Quote
On another note, I like some Logitech products, but many of them are riddled with useless marketing gimmicks, especially audio products. I see the Z-2300 page and they look like 2-way satellites, but I don't see a mention of a tweeter

Well, maybe you should read reviews instead of specs. They often tell a bit more about the real product. I got the Z-4's based on great reviews. The Z-2300 seems nice as well, but got bad reviews on it's treble. That said I think you get much sound for your money with Logitech products. A friend of mine just got the Z-5500 surround kit and was amazed by it as well, and it's still pretty cheap for such setup. Can't wait to hear that one.
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #8 –
Well, the specs are what I'm not believing. And reviews don't tell much either. I know they sound OK but my Cambridge Soundworks GigaWorks 6.1 system also sounded OK for what they are (imitation of Bose's cubes, though approprately priced), but I'm still not convinced that they can do better overall than a proper speaker with a tweeter.

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #9 –
...they are 3-way
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #10 –
Quote from: andy o on
I would recommend one of the only surviving species of the Klipsch Promedia genus, the ProMedia 2.1.


I dropped into this thread to recommend the exact same speakers. We have a set of the ProMedia 2.1 speakers & if you want them to they will fill our entire house & sound good while doing it.

Quote
I wonder why Klipsch stopped making their excellent Promedia products. There was really no competition in quality and prices were similar to Creative.


Agreed. I don't know what I'm going to do if/when my ProMedia Ultra 5.1 speakers break. There's nothing comparable in the computer speaker market for the price.

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #11 –
Quote from: odyssey on
...they are 3-way

I can see something that looks like a tweeter, but no mention of one anywhere, only that thing about it being better than 2-way systems. By "3-way" I assume you meant the subwoofer too, right? I'm not counting it.

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #12 –
I see maybe you're talking about the Z-4 ones, but they don't seem like 3-way, just have 3 drivers, 2 identical ones and one presumably a tweeter. I was talking about the Z-2300.

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #13 –
i visited my fav shopping sites (amazon.de, alternate.de, hardwareversand.de and even ebay.de). except for one used promedia 5.1 system on ebay, i got zero results.
I want something new with the standard 2 year warranty and i dont want to import it either. Also if possible, i like a wired remote(volume, turn on/off and if possible with bass control and maybe even audio output for headphones).

Mhh, ill try getting my hands on Logitech Z-4, Logitech Z 2300 and the hard to get Teufel Concept C 200 USB and test them side by side. though this might take another month until i can test them. More suggestions are welcomed!

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #14 –
Quote from: Öhr on
i visited my fav shopping sites (amazon.de, alternate.de, hardwareversand.de and even ebay.de). except for one used promedia 5.1 system on ebay, i got zero results.


The only ProMedia system you are going to find new these days is the ProMedia 2.1 sets. Klipsch quit selling the ProMedia 5.1 sets a couple years ago so chances of finding a new set today are slim and none. The 2.1 sets sound better than anything that has 'computer speakers' associated with it, though. If you want 2.1 that sounds better you have to start buying hi-fi components.

Unfortunately, checking klipsch.com the ProMedia 2.1 Wireless speakers are only available exclusively on their web site. Sorry.

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #15 –
Quote from: Innuendo_ on
Quote from: Öhr on
i visited my fav shopping sites (amazon.de, alternate.de, hardwareversand.de and even ebay.de). except for one used promedia 5.1 system on ebay, i got zero results.


The only ProMedia system you are going to find new these days is the ProMedia 2.1 sets. Klipsch quit selling the ProMedia 5.1 sets a couple years ago so chances of finding a new set today are slim and none. The 2.1 sets sound better than anything that has 'computer speakers' associated with it, though. If you want 2.1 that sounds better you have to start buying hi-fi components.

Unfortunately, checking klipsch.com the ProMedia 2.1 Wireless speakers are only available exclusively on their web site. Sorry.
unfortunately theres no german (online) retailer listed on klipsch selling the promedia 2.1 soundsystem either

I don't want to import anything electronic over 50€... if anyone happens to know a retailer, pls tell me asap

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #16 –
Look into both of these:

-Altec Lansing MX5021
-Klipsch ProMedia 2.1

excellent sound quality.

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #17 –
In that budget range a pair of headphones are probably a better investment.

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #18 –
Hi there! First post over here and, since this forum's previous posts have so far answered most of my queries,  I decided to start by contributing with two small cents of advice instead:

Quote from: onkl on
In that budget range a pair of headphones are probably a better investment.


ditto!

If aiming at quality, be wary of the usual Z4's and other similar ones on sale at non-specialized high street retailers.

As you'd expect from a product aimed at the general public, they do sound loud - oh boy, how they do!

On our rare pre-promo-day graveyard shifts at the megastore retailer where I work, I usually take a pair of the most powerful Creative sound system (Z4's and the like) out of the box and am always impressed by how they manage to fill the whole of a ~600m2 shop floor with loud sound (hence them being a bit of an overkill for small rooms).

Problem is, even if they're plugged to my old Creative (I know!) Jukebox 3, the lack of midrange is blatant and the overemphasized bass kind of muffles a very big chunk of those precious mid-frequencies certainly encoded on my LAME-VBR MP3s.

It is a different story though when at home: The same player and MP3s have given me years of pleasant listening when plugged to a nice pair of Sennheiser's HD580 (or much cheaper Grados) via not-so-expensive amps.

That was reason enough* for me to conclude that for general listening, ie, when doing home chores, DIY, etc. (or sticking up price tags at work)  Z4's and the like are OK-ish.

On the other hand, when aiming at quality within this budget range, investing on affordable better-quality headphones/amp system (and maybe DAC later on)  instead of similar-priced so-so speaker systems seems to be the way to go.





*another one: over-sensitive neighbors!
• Listen to the music, not the media it's on
• The older, the 'lossier'

Great 2.1 soundsystem for around 150€?

Reply #19 –
Quote from: onkl on
In that budget range a pair of headphones are probably a better investment.



I think some people including me find that wearing headphones all the time is quite tiring, and just for convenience purposes, I prefer listening to music through my Logitech Z10 rather than my far superior headphones HD595's.

I think the better investment is one that will suit OP's needs the best.