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[Recommend On] PC Speakers
Grizzly_Addams
Registered User, ClubPA regular
Registered User, ClubPA regular
So for about the past 6 years I've been using a pair of Altec Lansing ATP3 PC Speakers. They are 2.1.
When I originally bought them they were very clear, with very loud bass. For one reason or another, the bass has become muddled and (maybe partially due to the sound configuration on my PC?) speakers become very staticy when turned up to a rock and roll level. Lastly, and probably most annoyingly, they pick up interference from my wireless Optical Mouse, no matter where I place the receiver.
I want to upgrade. But the demo units in big box stores (Best Buy, etc) always sound like crap.
I would like to go to 5.1 but I'm not sure if there is much of a reason too, as I don't think I'll be able to situate two speakers behind me. Does that mean it's not worth it?
I'm not picky on brand, although Altec Lansing and Logitech are the only ones I've had personal experience with. I really only have two requirements. Price needs to be around $150 or less. (Might be willing to go $200 depending on features/quality but less is always preferred) and Optical Input. And I'm not sure if this even exists, but two optical inputs would be great, so I don't have to go through some whole rigamaro to hook up but my 360 and PC like I have now.
Recommend away!
When I originally bought them they were very clear, with very loud bass. For one reason or another, the bass has become muddled and (maybe partially due to the sound configuration on my PC?) speakers become very staticy when turned up to a rock and roll level. Lastly, and probably most annoyingly, they pick up interference from my wireless Optical Mouse, no matter where I place the receiver.
I want to upgrade. But the demo units in big box stores (Best Buy, etc) always sound like crap.
I would like to go to 5.1 but I'm not sure if there is much of a reason too, as I don't think I'll be able to situate two speakers behind me. Does that mean it's not worth it?
I'm not picky on brand, although Altec Lansing and Logitech are the only ones I've had personal experience with. I really only have two requirements. Price needs to be around $150 or less. (Might be willing to go $200 depending on features/quality but less is always preferred) and Optical Input. And I'm not sure if this even exists, but two optical inputs would be great, so I don't have to go through some whole rigamaro to hook up but my 360 and PC like I have now.
Recommend away!
Grizzly_Addams on
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PSN ID : Xander51 Steam ID : Xander51
May be worth mentioning my sound card has optical and coax out so Coax for PC and optical for 360 should be fine.
The Logitech Z-5500 is very nice for the price. Can find it online for $200-$250ish. I saw it in best buy once for $400. I lol'd.
You may want to research some speaker sets then look around online or where ever for deals on those sets.
http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-MS40-Digital-Monitor-Speakers/dp/B000PXSBTY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1212465462&sr=8-2
They're a little large, but that only helps them rape any multimedia speakers for twice the price. And if you have SPDIF out on your sound card, these babies have a quite nice DAC built in.
Definitely agree. I just received this Logitech Z-5500 for a few days, it's for $215 at a deal site
http://www.dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=106260&ru=290
I bought these not know what to expect. After setting them up and pumping some heavy Dubstep music through them, i knew they were the speakers for me. They handle all bass lines crisp and clear. The 5 other speakers really push the push home the highs. perfect system
i would recommend anything Sennheiser makes over any computer speakers ever made.
The only downside is the 10' radius i have with the cables, but the sound is perfect even with the worst mp3s... a la itunes and myspace and even youtube songs.
http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/sennheiser-hd-600/4505-7877_7-6899581.html
Sennheiser headphones
(HD600 or something preferred)
edit: Haha, didn't realize that guy linked to the HD600s even. They're amazing in ways one couldn't imagine.
... what?
That doesn't make any sense to me, but color me intrigued! What, does it just fake it somehow or are there actually somehow more speakers crammed in there or what?
(please note that when it comes to audio I have the intelligence of a five year old)
you must try them to fully understand
also possibly go deaf in a year because they are so awesome you just cannot take them off... i am actually talking about the sennheiser HD 202 now i just realized
Though they are stereo headphones (I didn't even know there was an alternative!) so I have to change my computer from 5.1 to Headphone in the control panel to hear everything (and of course I lose a lot of directionality as a result). Wish I could afford to try out these "5.1" headphones.
go to a bose store and try out a pair of theirs if they have any (not sure) and then just assume that sennheisers are 1000% better
But ... well, I really need to find it, but there are some audio files that I can dig up that you can play on any MP3 player with almost any pair of headphones on that can show what I mean.
One is some file of someone shaking a book of matches, and I swear you can hear the guy shaking the match book in front of you, behind you, on top, left right upper leftish all around. Like it's.. weird.
Headphones are amazing. 5.1 is best in a room where you're far from the screen and can set the speakers up properly.
Click play next to "A matchbox." Prepare to be blown away.
edit: all 3 are pretty insane though. Never heard the virtual haircut but wow, that is also ridiculous
is better + more + diff countries
On the upside mine are still going strong, only the bass fades because of a bad connection every so often.
I have no complaints in the slightest, it was a massive improvement in sound quality from my old speakers.
---
I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
I agree. They are the best bang for the buck 2.1 set out there IMO.
Your other option would be an external decoder like the Creative DDTS-100, which has 3 optical inputs and the ability to handle DD 5.1 and DTS. However, these seem to go for well over $100 if you can even find one. At that point you're probably better off just going with a full-on receiver to handle your decoding needs.
Avoid headphones if 5.1 is important to you. Any 5.1 speaker set can upmix stereo into "virtual" surround, although $200 Sennheiser cans will sound better than $80 PC speakers. With either you'll hear sound coming from behind you, but what you won't hear are discrete channels of sound coming from Rear-Left and Rear-Right.
If you're not going for a full 5.1/6.1/7.1 surround setup, though, then just go for the best stereo solution you can afford. If you can't situate the rears to where you're actually getting a surround experience, then you might as well focus on sound quality instead.
(Good quality, wireless... It's like being liberated. Then again I live in a small box basically, so don't want to piss my neighbors off).
I also always, always, suggest stereo setups because for any given amount of money, you can get better sound quality if you buy fewer speakers. This is not even taking into account the inherent design flaws in every 5+.1 multimedia speaker system I've ever seen. (e.g. that the satellites are never large enough to be physically capable of reproducing the entire frequency spectrum properly. This not only lowers the quality of the sound, it forces the unloading of midrange frequencies onto the sub, which messes up frequency balance and lessens the accuracy of the spatial positioning... which was the whole purpose in the first place)
The Behringers don't come with a sub, but like I said, they're larger than most multimedia speakers. This gives the woofers much better bass extension than computer speakers have. Less shake-the-room than a sub, sure, but far more accurate sound.
Is it actually possible to get 'surround' from headphones? As in being able to place where sounds are coming from in a game? I know from experience it makes a world of difference playing first person shooters.
There are true surround headphones, but they often connect through USB, such as the LTB Magnum MG51 or Mentor RCH001. Going through USB can enable 5.1 output on normally 2.0-limited laptops, or even computers with no soundcard at all, as the decoder/amp is located inside the headset itself.
Others, like the Zalman Ultimate Gaming Headphones, use 3xRCA 3.5mm plugs, or the Razer HP-1 which uses a proprietary HD-DAI (looks like a DVI plug) connection that goes with Razer's line of soundcards. Note that these are mostly going to be gaming-style headsets (including mic) rather than headphones only.
The real question is whether the surround effects and playback are mixed and coded properly. Properly coded headphone effects are beyond the capabilities of any current speaker setup, and can be reproduced with any pair of headphones, whether marketed as 5.1 or not.
http://reviews.cnet.com/home-theater-systems/pioneer-hts-gs1/4505-6740_7-31879276.html
I paid $100 or so when it was on sale from buy.com. Right now I'm using it as a 2.1 setup since I don't need surround on my desktop. Best PC gaming speakers ever. Optical audio cable is a huge improvement over the stupid 3.5mm plugs that in some cases you have to twist around in the jack to get full stereo sound from. Oh and they take up very little space (except for the huge subwoofer) so its a very nice desktop setup.
SC2 NA: exoplasm.519 | PA SC2 Mumble Server | My Website | My Stream
Using my Creative T20 here
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.family&ID=studiomonitors
Do be aware that while optical connections have the image of quality, in reality they are only advantageous IF the DAC in the receiver is superior to the one in your PC/console OR if there's massive interference in your connection. Specs are probably impossible to find for consumer gear though
(Random fact - these are the ones I'm looking at for the Home Theater. Biamped, hand-aligned, frequency diagram included so you know how to set your EQ, bigger driver than a lot of subs, ribbon tweeters, automatic limiter for overload protection, adjustable acoustic properties, automatic standby? YES PLZ http://www.behringer.ca/B3031A/index.cfm?lang=ENG - coming out later this year. They'd work as computer speakers, but don't have any fancy multimedia features like digital inputs)
This tempts me a good deal. I see one on ebay for 125. Can I mount these speakers on the wall?
There is a single screw hole on the back, and I believe they came with keyhole pieces to attach. Pretty sure you could wall-mount them with the right kit.
SC2 NA: exoplasm.519 | PA SC2 Mumble Server | My Website | My Stream
Digital Inputs too. I've never heard them, but I bet they would sound better than most computer speakers at the same price.
Okay these are amazing
Hey, that set is an excellent selection. Smaller drivers than the Behringer MS40s I posted BUT psychoacoustic bass enhancer AND subwoofer out. Probably the best suggestion yet posted, actually. :^:
Currently I am using these:
JBL Creature II Speaker. For this size the sound they produce is very good. This set might fit well into the desired price range of the original poster.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Edirol-MA15D-Digital-Stereo-Micro-Monitor-Pair?sku=603678
I like that the onboard DAC handles sample rates up to 24/192 - if the Xbox 360 upsamples music like the PS3 does, that's a great advantage to these.