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Topic: Computer speaker considerations... Need advice. (Read 5930 times) previous topic - next topic
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Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

I am looking to get some new speakers for my computer. Previously I had the JBL Encountuer 2.1 speakers which was just not enough for me. I am a huge iPod user and have a budget of about $200-500. The main set I have been considering is the Klipsch iFi, however I still have a few considerations and was wondering if anyone has advice. The Logitech Z-2300 seems to get mixed reviews but mostly seem positive, and the Logitech Z-5500 also seems appealing, but I do not even know if 5.1 sound systems is necessary for compressed audio. The last pair that seems to be highly recommended would seem to be the Altec Lansing FX6021, but again I have found mixed reviews on these as well.
Please feel free to add your own recommendations, but in my searching those seem to be some of my best options. If you feel this is the wrong place to ask about this any redirection would suit me as well. Again this is for my computer, where I mostly listen to music at 192 VBR compressed with EAC and LAME. Thank you very much!

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #1 –
Do not waste your money on computer speakers (such as Logitech) if your budget is that large. Get real speakers and an amp. This would not only be of higher quality but also give you added flexibility as you can hook up your computer, ipod, or other stereo components. If you do a search you'll find plenty of useful information such as the following threads: 1, 2, 3, 4. I recommend doing a bit of reading at sources like AudioReview and then trying them out somewhere.

As an example recommendation, for speakers I'd look into Infinity Primus and for an Amp I'd look into AudioSource Amp 100.

Edit: Also get a stereo system not a 5.1 one. If you decide to buy a 5.1 system for the same price each speaker will be three times cheaper and the quality therefore will be quite worse.
The object of mankind lies in its highest individuals.
One must have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #2 –
is 5.1 necessary? no.. not unless you listen to dvd-As.. logitech z-5500 is a good enough set i suppoe (with dts decoder iirc), but if you don't need it, i'd personally go for the cambridge gigaworks 750.. i like the speakers (they have separate tweeters while the logitech sports a '2-in-1' midrange+tweeter driver) better than the z-5500's, and logitech has boomboxes in stead of subwoofers..
The gigaworks sounds a bit more natural to my ears.. granted, it's a tad more expensive, but imo it's worth it if you want a surround solution..

can't say jack about the klipsch things, though.. i'm on a student's budget, so not much room for experimentation, and there are no resellers here that have show models..

anyway, compressed audio (iTunes's 192kbps aac files) should (in most cases) be transparant, so that's not really a consideration..
about the Lansings: i'm not sure they're really hi-fi systems.. most of them seem to fall in the 50~180$ price (and quality) range, so i doubt you'd be doing yourself a favor buying them..

still, if the klipsch is 2.0/2.1 sound, costing around 350$ or so, it'll probably outperform anything the logitechs/gigaworks can do just because it's spread over fewer components, but again, i don't know prices  (point is you probably shouldn't expect exactly the same from a 5.1+ system if it costs the same or less than a 2.0/2.1 system does )

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #3 –
Quote
Do not waste your money on computer speakers (such as Logitech) if your budget is that large. Get real speakers and an amp.
Also get a stereo system not a 5.1 one. If you decide to buy a 5.1 system for the same price each speaker will be three times cheaper and the quality therefore will be quite worse.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I second all this.  Look for Paradigm Atoms or Paradigm Titans (I recommend Paradigms to anyone and everyone - they've got great build and sound quality, and are rather inexpensive for their quality.)

As for amps, you can probably find an old Quad-II or Quad-IV at a salvation army place, or you can buy a decent amp on ebay for cheap (80$?)

[a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000069E2V/002-3406636-0528005?v=glance&n=172282]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000069E2...glance&n=172282[/url] (amp)
 

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #4 –
Alright the Primus is lookin pretty good to me, it seems the 150 (not 160?) is a good way to go, but I have one more sort of stupid question (sorry). If, for now, my main purpouse is to listen to music is the Primus C25 (a central speaker), or any subwoofer important for my setup, or would that be more for multimedia such as DVDs? I feel a sub would add a lot but I am fairly ignortant when it comes to speakers.

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #5 –
No need for a subwoofer IMO. Just get two decent speakers and a stereo amp, it will provide more than ample bass. Consider buying a good quality stereo soundcard if you don't have one (should cost ~$60). The DAC, digital analog conversion circuitry, determines the quality of a soundcard. Alternatively you might also consider getting a Squeezebox with Burr-Brown DAC built-in. 

If you live in the States, I can recommend you a bargain Infinity seller: Sound Distributors. I bought my Infinitys from them and I remember it was about half the price when I got it. I think they sell Infinity Betas on their webpage but send them an email and they might obtain the Primus for you. Also for audio cables look into KnuKonceptz.

Read the threads I mentioned earlier for additional info & links.
The object of mankind lies in its highest individuals.
One must have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #6 –
I also recommend the Primus 150 as has been suggested here. The Primus 150 measures far better(resonances, frequency response, off axis response smoothness) than anything else in it's price range. It also works well at close distances(2' for example) which is important for near field use if you use it on your computer desk, for example. But if you want full range sound of high quality, the Primus 150 should be actively crossed over at about 100Hz to a sub-woofer. I suspect some simple modifications(adding 1/4" of mass loaded damping material and 1"-2" of high grade *acoustic foam or rigid *fiberglass to the inside walls) would yield substantial performance increase in fidelity.

-Chris

* Adding acoustic foam or fiberglass at significant thickness in a ported enclosure will reduce the output amplitude of the port due to resultant reduction of the energy transmission to the port air volume mass. This modification is only recommended if a sub woofer is used with the speaker due to this side effect.

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #7 –
What about the quality of soundcard or any interference from the computer hardware itself?  Will a good quality soundcard allow the same fidelity through a stereo system as, say, burning the same audio to a disc and playing that disc on a cd deck?

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #8 –
Quote
What about the quality of soundcard or any interference from the computer hardware itself?  Will a good quality soundcard allow the same fidelity through a stereo system as, say, burning the same audio to a disc and playing that disc on a cd deck?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=376392"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

The interference issues are negligible. One can always get a USB or FireWire based soundcard if he's paranoid. The only concern could be the computer noise. But if you have a dedicated noiseless (fanless) system, it would IMO beat the CD based systems any day. Not only because it's more flexible, but also because you can get the top hardware cheaper as opposed to the CD decks whose DAC etc are proprietary and expensive.
The object of mankind lies in its highest individuals.
One must have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #9 –
Quote
What about the quality of soundcard or any interference from the computer hardware itself?  Will a good quality soundcard allow the same fidelity through a stereo system as, say, burning the same audio to a disc and playing that disc on a cd deck?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=376392"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


The last poster is correct to point out the noise from the computer itself. I have my computer located under a shelf and surrounded by fiberglass sound absorbers in order to greatly attenuate the fan noise. Of course, you can also build a system with very low noise parts.

-Chris

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #10 –
hey mike patton!

you are my hero

you might remember me from your fantomas show at the showbox during your last tour.

i was the dude rockin out all drunk like

remember?

LOL

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #11 –
Well, the best choice is a tough fight between the flagship of Teufel and Creative, as usual  .
I don't have any experiences with Teufel soundsystems, but I have Creative's
GigaWorks s750 and I won't regret it  . Additionally the support even tops your
dreams, you'll know, what I mean, if you once should have a problem with
your soundsystem, so don't be afraid if anything happens to the soundsystem.
If you bought it, you'll have it completely intact and unbroken, Creative support
will make sure.
The remote control additionally enhances the whole package providing it
with more, living room-conform comfort.

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #12 –
Umm, I suggest you don't waste your time/money with Creative. They're not in the same league as the other real speakers suggested in this thread as you can guess from the name of the product: GigaWorks  . If one wants a gaming PC, only then one might consider Creative.
The object of mankind lies in its highest individuals.
One must have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #13 –
I think he was joking about the Creating set-up, but then again I can't really tell...

Let's just hope that wasn't a serious post.   

JXL

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #14 –
I think the suggestion to get an amp and speakers is perfectly acceptable, but I'd point out the plethora of quality "studio monitors" that are great for PC use. I personally use M-Audio BX5's that I got for a steal at $200. You will have to get a mixer to use them well, unless you really love software volume controls, as they are individually amped and have individual volume controls.

I find them incredibly unoffensive, which is essentially what I look for in any speaker that isn't very expensive.

There are also pricier options such as Mackie's and the like.

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #15 –
Quote
I think the suggestion to get an amp and speakers is perfectly acceptable, but I'd point out the plethora of quality "studio monitors" that are great for PC use. I personally use M-Audio BX5's that I got for a steal at $200. You will have to get a mixer to use them well, unless you really love software volume controls, as they are individually amped and have individual volume controls.

I find them incredibly unoffensive, which is essentially what I look for in any speaker that isn't very expensive.

There are also pricier options such as Mackie's and the like.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=376789"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Can you point to a source of credible [and extensive] 3rd party measurements of such studio monitors? I have not had much luck in finding such a resource.

-Chris

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #16 –
Quote
Can you point to a source of credible [and extensive] 3rd party measurements of such studio monitors? I have not had much luck in finding such a resource.

-Chris
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=376811"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Do you mean like frequency response measurements, or reviews?

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #17 –
Quote
Quote
Can you point to a source of credible [and extensive] 3rd party measurements of such studio monitors? I have not had much luck in finding such a resource.

-Chris
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=376811"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Do you mean like frequency response measurements, or reviews?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=376911"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I mean high resolution frequency respnse measurements at various angles, CSD(waterfall) plots, etc., performed under control conditions.

-Chris

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #18 –
Not trying to hijack the OP, but since I was considering a Creative X-Fi Elite to pair with Logitechs 2300's, this post is relevant to me. 

Reading the above replies, I will instead purchase a receiver w/ A-B switching so that I can hook up PC and component speakers to the same device.

Having established that, would a Creative X-Fi deliver acceptable sound quality to a sub-$500 receiver matched with decent monitors and subwoofer?  The PC noise-shielding issue is another negative that I have to take into account.  The only reason the X-Fi is an option is that I want to convert audio cassette tapes to digital format. 

I am not going for audiophile standards at this time.  My collection is mostly HQ VBR MP3.  I will look into the speakers mentioned in the above replies;  additionally, I'm planning on using Shure E2C's for the PC and Sennheiser HD280 Pro's for the receiver. 

Thanks for the info already provided; I hope you can shed light on my tacked-on query.

Regards,

33O

Computer speaker considerations... Need advice.

Reply #19 –
Quote from: 33Ohms on
Having established that, would a Creative X-Fi deliver acceptable sound quality to a sub-$500 receiver matched with decent monitors and subwoofer?  The PC noise-shielding issue is another negative that I have to take into account.  The only reason the X-Fi is an option is that I want to convert audio cassette tapes to digital format. 

I am not going for audiophile standards at this time.  My collection is mostly HQ VBR MP3.  I will look into the speakers mentioned in the above replies;  additionally, I'm planning on using Shure E2C's for the PC and Sennheiser HD280 Pro's for the receiver.


1)  Yes.  I have tested the real world quality of the X-Fi Elite, and at 112dB SNR loopback results, you won't have any worries about PC noise interference.  The quality output would be lost on the Logitechs, so I am glad to see you getting a component system.

2) If you're getting the Shure E2C's, then I suggest you look at the Altec Lansing IM716's.  These are Etymotic ER-4's in disguise, and have the inline switch to adjust whether they perform as ER-4P's or not.  Great quality for the price.  (I picked them up at $99)  Since the ohmage is adjustable, these work well both on portables and on amped systems.

My current rig:

Creative X-Fi Elite Pro
Infinity Primus 150 x4 + Infinity Primus C25 center (xover at 80Hz)
Adire Shiva Mark IV 12" w/ 250W amp plate (linear response down to 16Hz @ 116dB)
Pioneer VSX-D811S receiver

All total costs:  roughly $1200 w/ soundcard

This setup kills any multimedia rig easily.
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