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I had my little JVC system* amp blow up a while back and have been living with just the satellites and a cheap rear end amp (which doesn't sound that great as you can imagine), so I've been thinking about upgrading as well, or at least getting the sub going. I waffled on the options a bit cause the total parts needed were more than I wanted to spend, or parts in my range seemed iffy going by reviews. I ended up getting some ~$100 Bose speakers for Christmas with a gift return receipt and decided gently caress it, I'll splurge a bit for the A2s. What pushed me over the edge was that they have a refurb section where they're $159 and fully covered by their three year warranty. The 10% coupon code didn't appear to have any effect on it (but did on the stands I got), but that's still $20 less than if you bought new with the coupon. ...they're still a few days away from getting here so I can't offer any opinions on them yet, but just wanted to mention the refurb section to save a chunk more if anyone was interested in them but put off by the price. Going by the reviews they seemed like a good fit for me since I rarely listen at high volumes and needed something relatively small to fit on my desk, which limited my options quite a bit. Well there's some compact Bowers and Wilkins USB powered ones that supposedly have really nice sound, but they're $500  *Retail on it is expensive but I got it for pretty cheap when it was being cleared out a few years back. I haven't been able to find the amp unit separately, and I think the replacement cost from JVC is about as much as what I paid for the whole thing originally. I opened it up and saw some blown caps inside so I might figure out how to fix that on my own down the line. japtor fucked around with this message at 07:11 on Jan 14, 2012 |
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Jan 14, 2012 07:04
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hellfaucet posted:Hey I was hoping some of the Audioengine A2 owners could post some feedback about them after extended use. I'm really looking to get rid of my junky Creative 5.1 system and reduce the amount of clutter on my desktop, but hesitant pulling the plug on a $200 set of 2 unless they really are that stellar. These will be my primary computer speakers, I'll be using these really just for music and games. Main questions I have:  . It bothered me at first but ultimately they're tiny and I can't see them from my normal use viewing angle. I did find some coupon code (easy to find as mentioned) but I guess they don't stack onto refurb items.I did get the stands though (so saved a bit on those), not so much for the sound as potential desk vibration I've heard about. Where they are on my desk they're right next to some external hard drives, so I was slightly paranoid about vibration + spinning platters, plus I had some Christmas credit so I splurged a bit. Ultimately it doesn't seem all that necessary except at higher volumes, but as mentioned you could just rig up something else as a stand. You should just buy the speakers, test them out, then figure out if you want/need stands from there. And I'd consider them loud. I have the volume knob set to around half and rarely max out the sound on my computer (using a USB->line out connection) when listening to them. I'm usually at less than half (on the computer) when sitting in front of my desk while full is on the verge of uncomfortably loud for me but works for longer distance listening. It seems like it would be fine for what you're describing. Also when comparing to other speakers just note the size if space is a concern, in my case I have a somewhat cramped desk. Good 2.0 stuff is pretty common, but tiny good 2.0 speakers seemed pretty rare when I was searching around. japtor fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Feb 21, 2012 |
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Feb 21, 2012 00:53
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Jimmy Jazz posted:I'm not too much of a basshead.
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Mar 3, 2012 06:48
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Weird, I use the RCA jacks with a USB output from my computer (also played the Wii through the input/monitor on that box) and the minijack with my 3DS occasionally. I don't think I've heard a loud hum like that except maybe on initial plugging in of the 3DS.
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Jul 21, 2012 19:17
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DinosaurHouseParty posted:My onboard, a VIA Vinyl chipset, outputs a substantially lower volume hum than a Xonar DX but a hum non the less. I don't fully understand this statement though, do you mean when have the RCA and TRS jacks both in at the same time there is no appreciable noise? It was then when my trouble started. DinosaurHouseParty posted:So I put my computer and the A2s on the same power strip and I should be GTG? Alternatively, if your computer is on all the time, maybe try running the TV output to the computer input then passing the audio through. Or I guess some cheap AV switcher type thing.
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Jul 22, 2012 03:31
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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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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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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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I bought mine off their refurb shop, they're $160 there I think, coupons don't apply though iirc. There looked like ball point pen marks on a top or side face (white speakers), but where they're set up I can't see them (and even when looked for them a little while back I couldn't find them for whatever reason).
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Dec 12, 2012 06:09
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At that range I think a lot depends on what you like and what you're coming from. If you like boomy sound you'd probably be fine with most 2.1 sets, but if you're more discriminate about the higher end you have to watch out for subs being paired up with crappy satellites. 2.0 sets should be better there, but with those the lower end might be too weak for you. And if you're coming from crappier speakers to begin with either way they'd all be an upgrade. I figure you can get decent enough sound but it's a matter of combing through the reviews to try to get a sense of how they sound and hopefully ending up with ones that match your taste. A lot of people seem to place a large emphasis on bass alone so you sort of have to keep that in mind when reading user reviews.
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May 24, 2013 06:00
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The Lepai was kind of like a "well it works  " thing for me. Mine came with a Vonage power brick (I'm not the only one going by some customer reviews) and gave a pop on power on with the speakers I used (from a JVC 2.1 setup), and I think needed to be above a certain level for sound to come out of both speakers, but ultimately they worked fine otherwise. Well the bright rear end volume LED could get annoying but I assume that could be easily disconnected.Compared to the A2 in terms of basic set up you need a place to put the amp in the first place vs just the A2 speakers themselves, and I guess one more wire to hook up. On the plus side you'd get a volume knob in front. On my A2 I just set the hardware volume to some level (I think 1/3-1/2) and just use the software volume control from my computer...then again I guess I did that with the Lepai too, but I just leave the A2s on (supposedly they have an auto sleep function?) vs turning the Lepai on and off, mostly cause of that LED I guess.
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May 27, 2013 23:07
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Tangentially related to the A2 chat, anyone have suggestions for passive speakers in the same size and quality range? I'd like some small decent speakers for a TV don't want to deal with the whole volume knob in the back thing (or just lack of a remote controlled setup). P4s look nice but they're bigger than I'm looking for.me your dad posted:My speakers pop when turning on the amp too. Is this a bad thing? Are there substitute power supplies I should look at? Aside from the popping of the speakers, what effect would it have on the audio quality?  ), but hell if I know details on what causes what with this stuff.
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May 29, 2013 10:47
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I'm not sure why but with iPods their 100% sound is just way overdriven or something (at least the old non iOS ones), I did the same 75-85% thing with my old ones using the volume limiter setting. I'm not sure I've experienced it with anything else.
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May 31, 2013 21:20
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I haven't looked in mine but I bet you can just pull a cable or cut a lead to kill the LED. Otherwise I think Pyle makes similar amps in the price range, maybe Dayton and Topping as you go up in price a bit, been a while since I've looked myself.
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May 31, 2013 22:45
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Electric Bugaloo posted:Schiit's got a small $99 amp now. If it's as good as their other stuff it's probably worth the money. They've also made a USB DAC that pairs with it. As for USB DACs, I primarily remember Topping cause they had an amp with one built in for $80-100 or so.
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May 31, 2013 23:32
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I found a use for the Lepai amp I'm not using anymore, these cheap transducers (while they're still in stock): http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=309-149 http://www.amazon.com/SoundPax-Exciter-Virtually-Anything-Speaker/dp/B00BIO7IYI (Shipping appears cheaper through Amazon) Stuck two of these under a table in the living room (particle board it looks like), works surprisingly well. Just need to get a Bluetooth receiver and I'll have a table that makes music wirelessly. Ordered a few more just cause they're cheap, might as well make other random objects around the house make sound. Could be fun to mess with if you don't have much space on your desk but have an amp and just need something better than internal speakers. Or you could make your own little panel speakers if you're not lazy. Edit- just realized I have an AirPort Express nearby, just need a 12' audio cable to turn this thing into an AirPlay table. japtor fucked around with this message at 02:20 on Jun 8, 2013 |
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Jun 7, 2013 23:15
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On Parts Express I just filtered down to the smaller woofer sizes here: http://www.parts-express.com/cat/bookshelf-speakers/99?kg=789%7C2224,2225,2650 ...but I have no clue how any of them sound. They sell through Amazon too, and they seem to do cheaper shipping if you buy through there (on the other hand PE has coupons regularly), and there tends to be more customer reviews there if you're looking for that. There's also more in general on Amazon, like it suggested these while I was looking up some of the PE stuff. I figure there's a bunch out there, it's just a matter of having to do some more research to see what might be good or not.
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Jul 14, 2013 04:33
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Might as well mention this, I got the Pyle version of that Lepai a little while back, the PFA200: http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PFA200-60-Watt-Class-T-Amplifier/dp/B0071HZ5EQ It seems a little better, like construction wise the knobs feel a bit more solid, and doesn't pop (or not as noticeably) on power on/off or cut out like the Lepai sometimes did on me...but they're in completely different setups so it's not a direct comparison. I have the Lepai powering two transducers stuck to the bottom of a table while the Pyle is powering two transducers and two speakers in my arcade cab. If nothing else the Pyle came with its own branded power brick vs the Lepai coming with a Vonage one  (it was straight from Amazon too!).
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Jul 27, 2013 23:43
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z06ck posted:I have a 150 dollar window. I need good speakers for listening to techno/trance. Recommendations?
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Jul 28, 2013 03:25
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z06ck posted:Only in front of the computer, yes. I have Audioengine A2s (which should be getting updated at some point), the refurb price is $160 so just barely outside your range. They're small and have nice sound, but some people prefer more bass than they can provide. Kind of depends how boomy you like your sound. Then there's the usual desktop stuff which the audio people consider poo poo, while many have no problem with them, and there's a wide range of stuff these days so ymmv there v v.
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Jul 29, 2013 19:55
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Alternatively I'd say the cheap hardware solution would be a headphone splitter and just send audio to both things at all times, although I don't know if that would affect the sound adversely (I assume it does cause it's ultimately halving the signal, but I don't know if it's noticeable). Or get something like Behringer's ~$25 USB adapter which has line and headphone out...although thinking about it now I forget if both are active at the same time, or if the headphone disables the line out like most computers.
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Aug 18, 2013 17:38
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Depends entirely if that's an in/out connector on there...and I assume you mean to hook it up to the headphone out on your laptop. From some quick searching it looks like the port on the controller is meant to be a headphone output, so no that won't work barring some hidden functionality on that thing. Do you leave your desktop on all the time? If so a workaround would be laptop output to desktop input, passthrough to desktop output to speakers.
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Aug 22, 2013 06:56
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Heh I came to the thread to post about the A2+ cause I just noticed they finally came out. And yeah it's basically the USB input/DAC, plus dedicated output (for a sub or whatever else) vs taking over one of the inputs. Acoustically theres this in the FAQ:quote:Is the bass response any different in the A2+ vs. the original A2? ...or P4 for $200 there if you don't mind hooking up an amp. Size wise (and supposedly sound wise) they're closer to the A5 than A2. I wanted/needed small speakers so I went with the A2, like above I think they're fine for close by PC speakers. If you're the type to blast your music or to fill a larger space you might want to move up to one of the bigger ones (in which case there's also the whole world of other passive bookshelf speakers if you don't mind a separate amp).
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Dec 5, 2013 21:28
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Flipperwaldt posted:I've had grounding issues create humming, buzzing and whining noises. Never anything that remotely would be described as crackling. As for speakers with optical input, these Audyssey ones might work, but apparently they're discontinued (...and looking at the comments the power save feature sounds really annoying).
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Jan 9, 2014 03:02
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Would the Topping TP30 work for him? Around $100 for combined USB DAC and speaker and headphone amp. Impressions around the web seem generally decent, like so. Doesn't have the convenient headphone/speaker switch of that other one though, I'm guessing it just switches when you plug headphones in like most stuff.
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Jan 10, 2014 04:20
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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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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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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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KillHour posted:You're really not going to get much out of an 8 inch subwoofer. You're better off just getting a pair of $200 studio monitors and adding a 10-12" sub when you have the budget.
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Apr 19, 2014 16:57
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KozmoNaut posted:I found it easy to live with. Basically just set it to a good level and instead control the overall volume from the player you're using. Ideally I'd like a passive pair to go with a TV (to use a receiver/amp with remote control) but I guess that's what the bigger P4s are for.
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Sep 3, 2014 10:44
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KingKapalone posted:If I got the A2s would that come with everything I need to plug them into my desktop on-board audio or my laptop? Do I plug my headphones into the speakers when I want to use them? I have a headphone jack on the front of my desktop too so I guess that would work. (BTW, audio comes out of both headphones when using that, so it's probably the speakers going bad like I thought.) Little extra note which may or may not matter to you, not sure about Windows but on my Mac I have to manually switch to headphone out when using a USB DAC for the speaker output.
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Sep 8, 2014 06:08
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KingKapalone posted:What would make me want the USB DAC on the A2+? You can't plug a sub into the A2? You can plug a sub into the A2, iirc using the minijack input I think? It does some auto sensing or something and outputs a signal when a sub is connected. A little caveat there is that it's not a sub level out and the speakers still output full frequency themselves (and I don't know if the A2+ changes that), if you don't know what that means you probably don't need (and might not care enough) to worry about it. Basically it'll sound fine most likely, but it could sound better.
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Sep 8, 2014 22:38
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Just double check stuff to be sure, I'm going off of memory of when I researched the A2s way back and more or less what I heard about A2+S when those came out. I was gonna suggest their refurb section for the A2s but looks like those are gone completely, but they list the A2+ at $199 at least. Out of stock but if it's like when I got my A2s they'll hopefully go in/out of stock regularly enough to snag it without waiting too long.
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Sep 9, 2014 02:15
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I got white ones years ago and mentioned it somewhere (here or another audio thread) that it they had some marks, iirc they resembled (single) pen lines. I think one was on top and another on the side of the other speaker so they weren't visible in use, and last time I looked for them I couldn't even see them. I remember being disappointed at first when I opened the box but totally forgot about the blemishes until now. I have no clue how much they vary but there's my anecdotal experience. Might as well ask how good/bad they can get and ask for sample pics or something. japtor fucked around with this message at 06:55 on Sep 18, 2014 |
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Sep 18, 2014 06:52
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The Iron Rose posted:This is probably a weird request, but does anyone know of a good set of speakers I can use when hooking a laptop to a TV to watch movies and stuff? I'm not looking for a great speaker set here, just something that isn't a 5 dollar piece of crap. Ideally one that isn't wireless that plugs into an audio jack since gently caress that jambox that never connects. Do you want something portable like that to carry around with the laptop or will this just be a permanent/stationary setup for that TV?
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Dec 23, 2014 16:42
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The Iron Rose posted:Which I managed to lose very quickly.
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Dec 28, 2014 22:58
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I haven't been to this audio system thread in a while but I think the general recommendation was to start with solid front speakers (2.0/2.1/3.1), cause that's where most of the sound would be coming from, and fill in the rears if you have the budget for them on top of the good fronts. You might want to post there too in case someone there can give better input on surround setups, and be specific if there's anything in particular you're looking for, like if this is for a desktop or HTPC setup or what.
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Jan 23, 2015 11:31
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Thirst Mutilator posted:How dumb of a buy are the Simple Audio Listens at the price that Massdrop has them at? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muhBuy9rHBg The first bit is just unboxing and marketing blurb, you can skip to 3:40 to get past that. He mentions liking them more than the A2+ ($200-250ish) cause the extra features, but as for moving them around he says it'd seem inconvenient with all the wires, although I guess if you only move one speaker it shouldn't be too bad. Also mentions not hosting parties with them, but I figure that'll vary with what level you want your music at for that stuff and room size. If they can get as loud as the A2s, that'd be pretty loud personally but ymmv I guess. tl;dr if they really are comparable to the A2s I think they'd be a good deal for $150
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Apr 6, 2015 06:40
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One additional note about the A2s, they're pretty small. Not that all the other good options are necessarily huge or anything, but if space is enough of a concern there are seemingly few good options that are as small as the A2s. And yeah they look great, I think the size is part of that for me. They look like big bookshelf speakers, but they're tiny! 
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Jun 4, 2015 10:06
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:Oh..... neat. http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC414LL/A/airport-express-base-station
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Jul 2, 2015 08:26
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