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Tactical Lesbian posted:how they might fare up against a decent set of bookshelf speakers or monitors in terms of quality. Not a snowball's chance in hell, the gap between PC speakers and even basic hifi speakers is enormous. Even something like a set of cheap active monitors from Behringer, M-Audio, Tannoy, KRK etc. will absolutely blow any set of PC/multimedia speakers clear out of the water in terms of sound quality. You'll lose the boomy bass chest thump that your sub delivers, but honestly I'd much rather be without it. And you can always add in a decent active sub later. Actually, making GBS threads all over PC/multimedia speakers as a whole isn't really fair. I mean, even the likes of Cerwin Vega, B&W and Bang & Olufsen have multimedia speakers on the market these days, and they sound really really good. But they're also more expensive than the usual cheap-and-cheerful PC plastic speakers. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Jan 23, 2014 |
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Jan 23, 2014 11:56
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If you think they're amazing don't worry about it so much. They definitely were/are well respected speakers.
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Jan 23, 2014 17:42
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well this is certainly interesting... the locally designed (if you're in the Portland area) direct-sale speaker company. Aperion Audio seems to be entering the powered bookshelf market. It looks like this could be a compelling competitor to the AudioEngine 5's. http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/aperion-audios-allaire-bluetooth-speakers-nail-every-feature-sound-spectacular/
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Jan 23, 2014 20:29
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The remote certainly looks nicer, I guess. But eh on Bluetooth, do people really use that for sound? Perhaps I'm just getting old.
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Jan 23, 2014 20:36
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Really like the combination of inputs there. Bluetooth isn't amazing for quality but it's really convenient. For certain things, like watching a youtube or listening to a podcast, the quality is more than good enough.
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Jan 23, 2014 20:45
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Anyone heard of the Pure Acoustics Dreambox? http://www.parts-express.com/Search.aspx?keyword=Dreambox&sitesearch=true Looked interesting cause the size appears similar to the Audioengine A2s, and it doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of bookshelf or passive options at that size. I already have A2s on my computer but have been interested in something similar for my TV. Figured I could get some small speakers like that with an amp that has a remote. powderific posted:Really like the combination of inputs there. Bluetooth isn't amazing for quality but it's really convenient. For certain things, like watching a youtube or listening to a podcast, the quality is more than good enough.
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Jan 23, 2014 21:06
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Yeah, the built-in toslink is quite nice, and I assume the dedicated sub output has a low-pass filter on it? If so, that's one thing the Audioengine A5+s lack. I can see why the line outs are full-range for daisy chaining speakers, but if they had put a selectable active crossover in there or on a dedicated sub output, it would have been awesome. As it is now, I just put my subwoofer's crossover to around 55hz where the A5+s roll off naturally and it sounds great. But technically the A5+s are still at least *trying* to play low frequencies (I tested and they will indeed try to play 1Hz), which isn't really optimal. I could solve it with an external active crossover, but then I wouldn't be able to have the speaker volume control the sub's volume.
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Jan 23, 2014 21:13
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powderific posted:Really like the combination of inputs there. Bluetooth isn't amazing for quality but it's really convenient. For certain things, like watching a youtube or listening to a podcast, the quality is more than good enough. Yeah, I have a bose soundlink bluetooth speaker that I use as a portable around the house radio for spotify & audible books on tape... bluetooth w/ apple airplay is just super convenient, to have it built into bookshelf speakers is just a big added bonus. Bluetooth is also great for f'ing around with music apps on iPad from across the room. It looks like these speakers support a pretty good bluetooth codec as well, don't know that I have any devices that use the codec though. MMD3 fucked around with this message at 21:50 on Jan 23, 2014 |
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Jan 23, 2014 21:35
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KozmoNaut posted:Yeah, the built-in toslink is quite nice, and I assume the dedicated sub output has a low-pass filter on it? Isn't what you're talking about a high pass filter on the speaker input that triggers when there's a sub plugged in rather than a low pass on the output? Most self powered subs seem to have their own low pass built in.
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Jan 23, 2014 22:36
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powderific posted:Isn't what you're talking about a high pass filter on the speaker input that triggers when there's a sub plugged in rather than a low pass on the output? Most self powered subs seem to have their own low pass built in. Thinking about it, yeah that's exactly what I meant.
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Jan 23, 2014 22:48
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As was explained to me in the headphone thread a few weeks back, modern Bluetooth iterations are more than capable of carrying music data that's 320kbps+ (IIRC, the current limit is somewhere around 400kbps), which is plenty for the vast majority of even "high-quality" music libraries. It won't perfectly carry lossless stuff or bitperfect vinyl rips, but the Bluetooth in those Aperions should be more than adequate for playing off of a smartphone or tablet with a good signal, especially if you're using something like Spotify (320kbps max) or iCloud (256kbps max). Bluetooth definitely isn't perfect and it doesn't have nearly the signal strength or bandwidth of something like wifi/Airplay, but for this kind of thing the weak link for most people is gonna be the quality of their source.
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Jan 23, 2014 22:59
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That's interesting. I knew bluetooth was a lot better now but I didn't have a good sense for exactly how much.
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Jan 24, 2014 00:22
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I use bluetooth in my car and at home pretty much every day and I find it impossible to detect any loss of quality at all. I read somewhere that the transmitting device needs to transcode the audio to some proprietary format first, so technically you are doing a double lossy encode. But if you start with V0 or 320 mp3s, the loss is going to be impossible to detect. Bluetooth is fantastic.
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Jan 29, 2014 08:12
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I'm not sure if this thread or the headphone thread is the best place to post this but I'll try here first... I picked up the Audioengine D1 last week and have been really enjoying it once I finally figured out it wasn't going to work with the USB extension cable I had and just plugged it in using the provided 2' long USB cable. In the hopes of getting the DAC/volume knob over to the other side of my desk I went ahead and purchased a 6' USB cable on Amazon (probably only need a 4' but the 6' was cheapest). Apparently this thing is really finicky about the length of cable or something because using that cable I get a "USB device not recognized" error. Is using a longer USB cable just completely out of the question or am I just missing something? It's kind of frustrating to think that I could be limited to only using a 2' cable.
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Jan 30, 2014 05:10
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I'm not sure if it'll matter but maybe try a USB 3.0 extension. Sounds weird but it just reminded me of something that came up in the iPhone thread. Someone mentioned having trouble charging with a USB extension, while someone else suggested a 3.0 extension cause the better wiring or whatever in them when the topic came up again. Could be the same case here cause the D1 is bus powered from what I can tell, might just be a matter of losing enough signal/power over the length of the cable to affect the functionality. So I guess return it and either try a shorter cable or 3.0 extension (it'd have to be an extension cause 3.0 cables have a different device side port).
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Jan 30, 2014 05:22
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You could also try using a powered USB hub if it is an issue with the bus power. Not something I've ever encountered though.
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Jan 30, 2014 05:35
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I've had things not work properly with usb extension cables when the total power draw (pulled through a passive hub at the end of the extension) was bordering on too high. Shouldn't happen with only one device per port, but then not all usb ports are 100% up to spec, especially if we're talking about a laptop(?).
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Jan 30, 2014 05:37
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I have a set of Klipsch Promedia 4.1 speakers from like 10+ years ago. I use two of them plus the sub for plugging phones into in the kitchen/living room area. I think this setup has always had a buzzing problem, as in the buzz when nothing is playing (I'm pretty sure it's related to the volume control unit If I remember right). But it is getting worse, to the point where I either want to fix it or replace them. Anyway I'm looking for a recommendation and didn't find any other speaker threads. Alternately , if anybody knows how to fix the buzz that would be fine. edit: Desires Spend $300 or less, preferably less Sound as good or better then current speakers Be as small or smaller than current speaker Bass isn't all that important since I always feel bad for the neighbors if I turn the sub on at all Bluetooth or some sort of wireless streaming would be cool but not required Easily plug in a phone modig fucked around with this message at 17:17 on Jan 30, 2014 |
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Jan 30, 2014 17:09
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Flipperwaldt posted:I've had things not work properly with usb extension cables when the total power draw (pulled through a passive hub at the end of the extension) was bordering on too high. Shouldn't happen with only one device per port, but then not all usb ports are 100% up to spec, especially if we're talking about a laptop(?). It's a desktop, not sure exactly how bus power works but I am using every USB port on the back of my mobo at the moment so if it has something to do with load balancing maybe that's a contributor. I'll try to pick up a powered hub and give that a try, that would even allow me to just use the provided cable, should I look for a usb3 hub? Thanks for the suggestions!
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Jan 30, 2014 18:03
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Actually, before buying anything it'd probably be worth sending an email to AudioEngine support. They've been very good in the past when I've had to have stuff in for service and they might have a better answer.
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Jan 30, 2014 18:19
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modig posted:I have a set of Klipsch Promedia 4.1 speakers from like 10+ years ago. I use two of them plus the sub for plugging phones into in the kitchen/living room area. I think this setup has always had a buzzing problem, as in the buzz when nothing is playing (I'm pretty sure it's related to the volume control unit If I remember right). But it is getting worse, to the point where I either want to fix it or replace them. Anyway I'm looking for a recommendation and didn't find any other speaker threads. Alternately , if anybody knows how to fix the buzz that would be fine. As for a new set, the size requirement might be a hurdle cause the only things that come to mind in that ballpark are the Audioengine A2s (or Pure Acoustics Dreambox but I haven't seen anything on those at all, haven't gotten any responses here yet either). I have no clue how they compare aurally to those, but they're considered better than most PC speakers. Main issue with the A2s is that they're not GSM shielded, so if you are having GSM buzz they won't necessarily help you out. They have two inputs so you could keep both a minijack and some wireless audio thing connected at all times. Bluetooth receivers can be had for under $50, while if you have an Apple ecosystem I think you can get a refurb (from Apple) Airport Express for $70-80. There might be some DLNA things or other protocols but I have no experience with them. Off the top of my head the original A2s are $160 refurb while the A2+ is $250, differences being that the latter has a USB DAC (input) built in, dedicated audio out, both of which you won't be using in this application it sounds like. It supposedly has tweaked EQ or something do as to not distort at high volumes, which depends on what level you listen at, if you're not blasting sound it shouldn't be an issue. One last thing suggestion is speaker stands cause people mention they can be kinda boomy just on the surface, but you can just stick them on books or something, main thing is to just elevate them a little. (Alternatively you can try the quick audio questions megathread)) MMD3 posted:It's a desktop, not sure exactly how bus power works but I am using every USB port on the back of my mobo at the moment so if it has something to do with load balancing maybe that's a contributor.
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Jan 30, 2014 18:40
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powderific posted:Actually, before buying anything it'd probably be worth sending an email to AudioEngine support. They've been very good in the past when I've had to have stuff in for service and they might have a better answer. smart. I emailed audioengine support and will let you guys know what they have to say.
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Jan 30, 2014 20:52
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MMD3 posted:smart. audioengine support posted:Thanks for emailing and for supporting Audioengine. Different computers act differently to bus powered devices. With that said, check your power settings in the control panel and make sure that they are set for high performance. Many times this can up the power USB ports provide. You can also go into the bios on some machines and it will give you the option to enable high performance USB power (while off or on). Ultimately, with bus powered devices, the shorter the USB cable the better the connection. A USB hub would also be a viable option. I hope this helps. Let us know if you have any other questions.
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Jan 31, 2014 02:35
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I'm looking for a set of computer speakers, doesn't matter if it has a subwoofer or not so long as the audio is nice. They're for a laptop but they don't have to be portable at all as I'm not planning on bringing them with me anywhere. Budget: I don't live in America but according to my bank's currency converter it comes to about 50-55 dollars. Things are generally a lot more expensive in my country though, so I might not actually be able to get 50-dollar-speakers for that money, so feel free to go below budget. I found two options, but I have no idea if they're any good; Creative A250 and Logitech Z-323. Other suggestions warmly welcome.
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Jan 31, 2014 21:32
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Well, I'm tempted to go pick up those aperion allaire's from their shop so I can audition them. I just wish I could find a review or two comparing them to the audioengine A5+ before I decide. Doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon though.
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Mar 25, 2014 16:12
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What is the best way to wire up an entire office with speakers? We're looking for a sound system for our open space office. Where do you even begin to consider what our options are?
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Mar 25, 2014 20:03
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You want to be able to sync them all? Would it mainly be for listening to music? I'm thinking you want something along the lines of a series Sonos 1 speakers if you want to keep things simple and not have to mess with/pay for installation.
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Mar 25, 2014 20:07
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We wired Sonos Connect Amps into our networking rack and use those. I looked at other solutions and got a few suggested, but it's so easy with Sonos and our wiring was already run. The 1 series will work but I do find the 3 series sound better. Just be aware that you've got to run power to all of them so hiding speaker wire and using Connect Amps may be easier.
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Mar 25, 2014 20:29
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MMD3 posted:You want to be able to sync them all? Would it mainly be for listening to music? I'm thinking you want something along the lines of a series Sonos 1 speakers if you want to keep things simple and not have to mess with/pay for installation. Yes, sync them all and mainly for music (with the occasional presentation). sellouts posted:We wired Sonos Connect Amps into our networking rack and use those. Sonos has a lot of good products, who are their major competitors? We're thinking about putting the speakers on the ceiling, do they provide any mounting kits for the speakers? I didn't see any on the site.
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Mar 26, 2014 02:17
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Every time I have seen a Sonos system installed somewhere, the client never uses it because it seemingly never works. Apple airport express do the same thing and work much better, then again I've never found a working Sonos install to test it against.
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Mar 26, 2014 02:28
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The speakers are not meant to be mounted in ceilings. If you were putting speakers in the ceiling you'd get whatever speakers you wanted, run the wires for them, and connect them to the Sonos Connect Amps, which provide power and signal while being controlled from a computer or a smart phone. The computer just turns it on, it doesn't have to be dedicated to it. Many people will suggest using AirPlay, but I found that for a workplace I couldn't have it tied up to a computer and the sonos package of amp+controller was too easy. And I'm not paying for it personally so spending a little more on it wasn't a problem and made it more accessible to others. As for competitors, Sonos kind of dominates the wireless streaming audio but a lot of people are entering the market. You could look at an Airplay based solution, Bose, Panasonic and Samsung also just released offerings but they don't look as fleshed out. Pure is another company but I don't think they have anything that could work in a ceiling.
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Mar 26, 2014 02:34
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Laserface posted:Every time I have seen a Sonos system installed somewhere, the client never uses it because it seemingly never works. Weird. I've seen about 6 sonos setups in the past month in workplaces and homes and the overwhelming response was "It just works". The only real complaint I hear (and that I have as well)is with the Playbar and the lack of processing for certain multichannel audio formats but that's outside of the scope of this topic. Maybe the hardware has improved in the past few years? Airport Express just wasn't acceptable for our office. We wanted a centralized controller that could be given to 3-4 people to adjust as needed and didn't want to dedicate a system's audio to play over the speakers mounted throughout the office. We also like the ease of using the various zones to adjust volumes and even what was being played. But it's pretty great if you just want to plug into an already existing system and I certainly can't blame anyone for not wanting to pay the Sonos premium. sellouts fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Mar 26, 2014 |
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Mar 26, 2014 02:37
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My current speakers are on their final legs, so I'm on the market for a new set. The biggest problem I've had with all sets of computer speakers I've owned is that they for whatever reason pick up radio stations, so if the speakers are on, I'm listening to a really faint, tinny song from the radio. When looking for a new set of speakers, what in particular do I need to look for to avoid that? If my speakers are on and I don't have anything playing, I want it to be silent.
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Mar 28, 2014 02:55
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MMD3 posted:well this is certainly interesting... the locally designed (if you're in the Portland area) direct-sale speaker company. Aperion Audio seems to be entering the powered bookshelf market. It looks like this could be a compelling competitor to the AudioEngine 5's. These look like good speakers. I currently have Creative ZiiSound T6 speakers and one of the best features is being able to switch inputs with a remote. They don't have an optical input but they have USB input instead. May look at replacing the Creative's with these. They look awfully similar to the Addon T8's http://www.audiopro.com/products/addon-t8 KingEup fucked around with this message at 04:56 on Apr 1, 2014 |
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Apr 1, 2014 04:54
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I made the switch about a year ago to the M-Audio AV-40's for my desk. I will never go back to any pc/multimedia speakers I find. Ever. I also can't really say I did a terrific job of testing either. I went straight from some little cheapie $40 Logitech speakers to the M-Audio's.
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Apr 5, 2014 18:29
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http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/117678/guitar-center---m-audio-two-way-5-studio-monitor-speakers-pair-bonus-30-ecertificate Some M-Audio monitors just went on sale.
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Apr 5, 2014 19:22
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ghana rheya posted:I made the switch about a year ago to the M-Audio AV-40's for my desk. I will never go back to any pc/multimedia speakers I find. Ever. Good choice. The only possible upgrade now is an even better set of monitors.
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Apr 6, 2014 02:48
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I recently got a set of Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS Digital Cinema speakers for PC use. These were originally sold as a HTIB/Soundbar alternative for home theater use, but at the current price they're going for refurbished ($99) they might make a nice 2.1 option for you: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/bosswxsdcb/boston-acoustics-soundware-xs-digital-cinema-bluetooth-speaker-sys/1.html They have 2 analog inputs, 1 optical digital input, Bluetooth and remote. BattleHork fucked around with this message at 13:59 on Apr 6, 2014 |
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Apr 6, 2014 13:56
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Would this setup be any good if I liked to listen to stoner rock/sludge metal in my room on a $200 max budget with shipping. I'm looking for something that would be a substantial upgrade from some Logitech z523s. http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-b652-6-1-2-2-way-bookshelf-speaker-pair--300-652 http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-800-8-80-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-627 http://www.parts-express.com/lepai-21-2x40w-mini-amplifier-1x68w-sub-output--310-308 Chillbro_69 fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Apr 19, 2014 |
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Apr 19, 2014 03:31
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Hurricane human being posted:Would this setup be any good if I liked to listen to stoner rock/sludge metal in my room on a $200 max budget with shipping. How loud do you want to play, how constrained are you by space and is the budget absolutely inflexible? The amp is sort of crap, you'd be better off with some other T-amp. Those are severely limited in power, which is a problem if you want to crank it up. Also, B652 speakers aren't manufactured by the same company that got all the good reviews. Do keep in mind that you need to budget a couple extra bucks for wires.
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Apr 19, 2014 10:53
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