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KozmoNaut posted:If you can find a set of speakers with a USB port, you don't even have to use an additional power adapter for the receiver. I had no idea such speakers existed.
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Sep 6, 2012 23:59
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Well, the only speakers I can think of like that are AudioEngine's A5, so it makes sense that that's how their wireless adapter would be designed. You should check out that combo though, AudioEngine's wireless is reportedly fantastic and you won't have to worry about things like latency. And their design's are in a similar vein to some of the stuff you're already looking at.
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Sep 7, 2012 02:07
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I'd avoid AirPlay cause the latency, at least if you're sensitive to it and doing stuff beyond just listening to music (where there's no video sync to worry about).
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Sep 7, 2012 02:50
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Dominoes posted:I've been using this setup for my PC, mostly for games: Gotta picture of your setup?
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Sep 8, 2012 01:34
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Opus125 posted:Gotta picture of your setup?  Rears aren't visible in this image.
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Sep 8, 2012 01:48
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powderific posted:You should check out that combo though, AudioEngine's wireless is reportedly fantastic and you won't have to worry about things like latency. And their design's are in a similar vein to some of the stuff you're already looking at. The Nocs NS2 look virtually identical to the Audioengine A2 (at least in the renderings on the Nocs site), aside from the extra color options. I wonder how they'll stack up sound wise.
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Sep 8, 2012 03:00
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Dominoes posted:
Thanks. That looks glorious. I plan to listen to a lot of music and I think I'll be switching to towers as my 2.0 computer speaker setup.
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Sep 8, 2012 05:55
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Electric Bugaloo posted:The Nocs NS2 look virtually identical to the Audioengine A2 (at least in the renderings on the Nocs site), aside from the extra color options. I wonder how they'll stack up sound wise. Yeah, they are pretty drat similar looking. Audioengine designs and manufactures all their drivers in house and they've been making the a2 for years now. I have a set that I love. The nocs look like they may have been inspired pretty heavily by the a2's.
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Sep 8, 2012 06:01
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powderific posted:Yeah, they are pretty drat similar looking. Audioengine designs and manufactures all their drivers in house and they've been making the a2 for years now. I have a set that I love. The nocs look like they may have been inspired pretty heavily by the a2's. I think the Nocs are slightly bigger, they have 3" woofers compared to the A2s 2.75" woofers.
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Sep 8, 2012 10:13
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So after seeing the early recommendations for Klipsch ProMedia 2.1s, I picked one of the old GMX-As up for $40. The hugely discounted price was due to some loose wiring, a crackly volume pot and some low-level hiss. Now the loose wiring was a half-hour's job with a soldering iron and I reckon the volume pot can be solved with liberal amounts of WD-40 (will try when I get home tonight). The hiss though - it only comes through the tweeters and is independent of the volume settings or what's being played, and it's symmetric between the speakers. What's causing it though is beyond my newbie level of electrical ability: I know it's a product of noise somewhere in (or before) the amplification circuit, but is there any way for me to diagnose the dodgy part without an oscilloscope? Google hasn't been a great help because Klipsch stuff apparently breaks in every way imaginable, and there're half a dozen reported root causes for hissings in this amp.
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Sep 12, 2012 16:15
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Don't use WD40 for cleaning electronics, it leaves residue. Use a spray cleaner designed for electronics, they're not that expensive.
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Sep 12, 2012 16:49
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I play some videogames, listen to a lot of music, and also probably want a set of speakers to rout my piano through (yamaha p155). I was thinking of getting these:pioneer sp fs51 Any reason not to? Second, I know poo poo about recievers: what do I need to hook these up to my computer? And what's an easy way to switch over to my piano?
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Sep 24, 2012 06:31
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So my super old harmon and kardon speakers ( http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=382286&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1322857671 ) finally died on me the other day and now I am without sound and don't really know what to even buy. I play lots of PC games, and listen to music while I'm at the computer, but this will not be the main place I actually listen to music so I'm not trying to go hog wild on speakers. Was thinknig about going with the Altec Lansing desktop set: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025VKUR0...ASIN=B0025VKUR0 But are they lovely?
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Sep 24, 2012 15:24
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At that price you're awful close to the Audioengine A2's, wich are my number one recommendation: http://audioengineusa.com/A2B-Powered-Desktop-Speakers#.UGBvs6TybsE If I was going to do the Altec Lansing's I'd probably go for an even cheaper set.
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Sep 24, 2012 15:37
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Turds in magma posted:I play some videogames, listen to a lot of music, and also probably want a set of speakers to rout my piano through (yamaha p155). 2: To hook up the speakers you linked to your computer, you need an analog-digital converter and an amp. Generally, this means a receiver. (A receiver does that plus acts as a hub) You connect the speakers to the receiver via bare wire, and the receiver to your computer via HDMI or TOSLINK. In the setup I posted above, I connect the receiver to my video card using HDMI. Dominoes fucked around with this message at 16:26 on Sep 24, 2012 |
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Sep 24, 2012 16:21
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powderific posted:At that price you're awful close to the Audioengine A2's, wich are my number one recommendation: http://audioengineusa.com/A2B-Powered-Desktop-Speakers#.UGBvs6TybsE So if I was going to go the Altec Lansing route, what would be a decent cheap set then? I'm not an audiophile but I don't want it to sound like tin cans.
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Sep 24, 2012 18:14
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I'd just get something that has a decent number of high reviews so you know it's not going to poo poo the bed immediately. This may just be me, but I feel like with 2.1 computer systems, the expensive sets often still don't as nice of sound signature as monitor style stuff like the AudioEngines. There may be a small improvement over lesser models, but it seems like you're mostly paying for sheer wattage. Even the set just a notch down in the series is only $50 http://www.amazon.com/Altec-Lansing-VS4621-Computer-Speaker/dp/B0038W0NEU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348522110&sr=8-1&keywords=altec+lansing Heck, at that price you could get the speakers AND a nice set of headphones that'll blow pretty much any speaker in you price range out of the water: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATHM50S-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B004ZG9TMA/ref=pd_cp_MI_0 Harmon Kardon does still make the Sound Sticks if you wanted to stick with them, though it'll cost the same as the more expensive Altec Lansing set and you're paying for how cool they look more than anything.
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Sep 24, 2012 22:51
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powderific posted:At that price you're awful close to the Audioengine A2's, wich are my number one recommendation: http://audioengineusa.com/A2B-Powered-Desktop-Speakers#.UGBvs6TybsE While looking at the A2s, I got suckered into looking at the A5s (bamboo...). Are they worth the premium vs the A2s?
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Sep 27, 2012 18:04
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I've never heard the A5's but friends that have them say they're great. The bamboo looks soooo nice too. They can pump out more volume and they have deeper bass response, and you get a volume knob on the front and USB charging port on the back. If you've got a bigger space it'd probably be worth it, but the A2's are still pretty great for such little speakers. I used them as my main system for a while during a move and they still had enough volume to be fun even in a medium/large room.
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Sep 27, 2012 18:13
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My old 20 year old hand-me-down set of boston speakers has finally died, or at least is in the process of dying. It can't really pump out any bass at all, the sub is cranked aaaallll the way up and there's pretty much only enough lows for tolerable listening and it's getting quieter as time goes on. They sounded pretty good before they died though  I don't want to spend a lot of money but I also know that cheap speakers sound like poo poo, so I'd want something that's affordable but that actually sounds good. My friend has pro-media 2.1's and they're pretty gosh darn good, and they go for $150. They were recommended to the OP but I don't know if any newer or better or cheaper speakers have come along
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Sep 27, 2012 19:06
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There's a lot of discussion in the thread after that from people, including me, who don't care much for the ProMedia's sound. That, and they tend to die after a couple years. We've gone over it several times in this thread, but 2.0 powered "studio monitor" style speakers tend to sound better more traditional 2.1 pc speakers. My default recommendation is the Audioengine A2. Other people who've picked them up have chimed in over the last few pages. They're not the only option, of course, but they're what I have experience with and they're consistently well reviewed. We should probably make a new thread that goes over all this stuff.
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Sep 27, 2012 19:21
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Just to report in, i bought a pair of A2s and they are on their way from amazon. thanks for the recommendation .
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Sep 28, 2012 02:58
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powderific posted:I've never heard the A5's but friends that have them say they're great. The bamboo looks soooo nice too. They can pump out more volume and they have deeper bass response, and you get a volume knob on the front and USB charging port on the back. If you've got a bigger space it'd probably be worth it, but the A2's are still pretty great for such little speakers. I used them as my main system for a while during a move and they still had enough volume to be fun even in a medium/large room. I have a pair of P4s as stereo speakers/fronts for a home theater setup. They're passive (no integrated amp), somewhat smaller (I think about an inch smaller, though the tweeter is the same) cousins of the A5s. They're really fantastic speakers- they sound a lot bigger than they are, and they're very well balanced. From what I've heard, the A5s sound quite a bit "bassier" than the P4s- which is a good thing. The P4s have plenty of bass, and they sound great without a subwoofer, but they do better with one. The A5s are a complete standalone system- you could pair them with a sub, but I've heard it's overkill. From my experience with the A2s and P4s- and from everything I've heard about the A5s- I'd rate the A2s as "standard PC speakers" in terms of listening level and output. They'll entertain you at your desk and even fill a decent sized room with good sound. The A5s are more like "stereo replacement" speakers. If you're interested in filling a good portion of your house with music from your computer or you plan on plugging them into your TV during movie night, then go for it. You can't go wrong with either, but just keep in mind that the A5s are big loving speakers. Just look at the pictures on the Audioengine website- they're almost a foot tall. Also, we should rename this thread "Powderific's Audioengine Evangelism Thread- 'your Best Buy 2.1 setups are all poo poo' edition.
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Sep 28, 2012 08:41
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I just want people to have good sound  That's a good way of describing the difference, and the size thing is really important. I've had full size speakers on my desk before and it can be more of a pain than it's worth. The A2's (or just 2's now, apparently) are so tiny you can make them work anywhere. They're actually small enough that I'll even take them with me in a backpack on occasions where I'm traveling by car and want good sound at my destination.
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Sep 28, 2012 15:14
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FWIW I've been really happy with my ProMedia 2.1's since buying them after starting this thread. They sound great, take up a small footprint on my desk, have volume knob on the front and a headphone jack on the side. They're the best "PC speakers" I've ever owned but who knows how long they'll last. I'm sure I could get better sound going with powered studio monitors and a receiver but I don't want something that big on my computer desk and don't have a place to put a receiver next to it. The funny thing is I haven't really heard anyone recommending anything other than the AE A2's and the ProMedia 2.1's in this thread.
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Sep 28, 2012 17:33
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I think part of it is because this thread is so low traffic there isn't a huge sample size. There are definitely other options, but the AudioEngine's are a great value for the money in sound, looks, and service if anything ever goes wrong. The ProMedia's probably keep coming up be because, besides being a good 2.1 set, the series has been out for 12 years now and a lot of people here have experience with them. I don't know that there are many other PC speakers that have had that long of production run. If the amp hadn't died I'd probably still be using the 5.1's I got when I graduated from high school somewhere. There are actually quite a few other systems I'd really like to check out if I had the money or could borrow:
And beyond that there a whole raft of DIY speaker designs that I'd like to test out but just haven't had time. Someone did a self powered Overnight Sensations MTM set that looked fantastic. powderific fucked around with this message at 18:34 on Sep 28, 2012 |
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Sep 28, 2012 18:32
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I'm super poor, are Genius's SP-HF1800A even worth paying for? My lovely old Creatives are starting to go bad and I thought maybe it's finally time for a (cheap) upgrade.
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Sep 28, 2012 18:45
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Alright, just got the A2s today (took 4 days from Amazon with free shipping. awesome...) These are seriously impressive pieces of craftsmanship. Everything about them says quality. They also sound great. Way better than any "computer" speakers you can buy (and i've had a lot..), so that debate shouldn't even exist. Even klispech promedias. Definitely raise them up off your desk to around ear level: makes the sound a lot clearer (not just audiophile mumbo jumbo)
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Sep 29, 2012 03:57
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So I have a pair of AV40s and I've been thinking of upgrading since these are developing some issues (crackling when changing volume, for one). What's the next step up? I've been looking at the BX5 D2s.
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Oct 12, 2012 23:05
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Lediur posted:So I have a pair of AV40s and I've been thinking of upgrading since these are developing some issues (crackling when changing volume, for one). What's the next step up? I've been looking at the BX5 D2s. My PC speaker road map included those the A2s and a bunch of others. Somehow, I've ended up with the Logitech Z120 on sale for 9.99 and I couldn't be happier.
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Oct 13, 2012 04:29
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Call Now posted:I'm super poor, are Genius's SP-HF1800A even worth paying for? My lovely old Creatives are starting to go bad and I thought maybe it's finally time for a (cheap) upgrade.
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Oct 14, 2012 05:39
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I'm thinking of getting these. They're at a deep discount right now, have fantastic reviews, and they're studio monitors which is what I was looking for since I like a flat response. Anyone have experience with them or other speakers by Behringer? http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-MS1...oductPromotions
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Nov 4, 2012 03:06
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I realize I'll probably get burned at the stake for this, but I don't care: I have a set of Bose Companion 3 Series II speakers for my PC and they are far better than anything else I've ever owned, which includes a lovely 2.1 Logitech system, Klipsch Promedia 2.1, a Logitech 5.1 system (I forget the actual model name; it had a decoder box and was THX-certified), and a Creative Labs/Cambridge Soundworks 5.1 system. The subwoofer hits ridiculously hard for being as small as it is, and the satellites are very clear. That being said, I believe they only sell the Companion 5 system now which is some stupid pseudo-surround with two satellites and a sub. The one I have is pure stereo. I like the volume control for it, too. The center part is touch-sensitive and you can touch it to mute, which is handy for when someone walks in the room and needs to talk to you. My Logitech 5.1 system eventually lost a channel in the amp, the CL/CS 5.1 system blew voice coils in the front satellites, and the Klipsch system got crackly after a while which I guess was wiring or the volume control as others have mentioned. The Bose system had a slight issue with the control connection but I fixed that myself and it's been working great otherwise for three years.
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Nov 4, 2012 03:13
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Ain't nobody gonna burn you at the stake for finding a set of speakers that you like, but computer speakers from Logitech, Klipsch and Creative aren't much of a comparison. All dedicated computer speakers are generally awful.
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Nov 4, 2012 10:41
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I'm sure that this has been asked numerous times before, but are the Audioengine A5+ worth the extra $200 of the A2? I used to have my computer hooked up to a vintage receiver with a massive set of speakers, but we recently moved that down to the living room and I'm without computer speakers. I've been looking at both the A5+ and the A2+ and the A5+ seem like they might be overkill. My office is fairly large and I'm mostly using these for listening to music. I think it might be best to find a dealer in town and compare them both side by side.
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Nov 4, 2012 21:28
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What's the best way to add a subwoofer to my M-Audio AV40s? Also what would be some good recommended subwoofers that go well with them?
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Nov 6, 2012 07:21
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mattdev posted:I'm sure that this has been asked numerous times before, but are the Audioengine A5+ worth the extra $200 of the A2? I used to have my computer hooked up to a vintage receiver with a massive set of speakers, but we recently moved that down to the living room and I'm without computer speakers. I've been looking at both the A5+ and the A2+ and the A5+ seem like they might be overkill. Other options from them are the P4s if you have/get an amp, which supposedly sound much better than the A2s, although still not as good as the A5s according to this. Or A2s paired with a sub, although you lose one of the audio inputs in the process since it connects through there.
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Nov 6, 2012 10:38
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japtor posted:I researched A2s for a while before buying and the main complaint about the A2s (when people have a complaint) is lack of bass, while the A5s seem to handle it fine. While the amount of low bass in the A2s is definitely lacking compared to larger speakers, the amount of mid-bass they've been able to pull from a 2.75" woofer and a teeny-tiny little bass reflex cabinet continues to astound me. Nothing else even remotely similar in size achieves the same sharp kick drum sound that the A2s do. Stuff like Bose's tiny lifestyle speaker systems don't even come close, even with subwoofers. I haven't heard the A5s myself, but if they're more or less the same as the A2s with even better bass and volume capability, that's pretty awesome right there.
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Nov 6, 2012 12:57
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Yeah it's one of those things that'll just depend on what you want/expect out of them. I like em but remember someone else missing the bass from their previous setup, rectified by buying some sub. Also if you want to save some money: http://audioengineusa.com/Store/refurbished I got white A2s and got a pair with a black line or two (like ballpoint pen width) somewhere on the top/side casing of one of the speakers...but apparently I can't even see/find them now. Not sure if little blemishes like that are normal for their refurbs or if they just missed it.
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Nov 7, 2012 03:01
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Anyone use amps and home theater speakers for their computer setup? I just got a $20 Lepai amp hooked up to some leftover speakers and it is astonishing how good this ghetto setup sounds (especially compared to my A2s). I'm curious if there are really good amps and speakers combos for computer use, in particular smaller amps and speakers.
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Nov 11, 2012 09:57
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