College Speaker Setup

Audioengine A5 $350. Need more bass? Add a sub :)

Audioengine A5

It would be an excellent college speaker.  Compact enough.  Easy to move from place to place.  Has an aux input so you can connect a CD player or MP3 player in addition to the computer connection.  Good sound.  Convenient.

Audioengine sells a matching sub: Audioengine S8

Are you sure you really need a sub?  It would depend on what you listen to.

The Audioengine A5 goes down to 50 Hz.  That's reasonably full range for a lot of music.  It's lower than most headphones go.

Being able to get by without a sub would be convenient for most college living situations.  Subs take space.  A sub is one more thing that you'd have to move when you move to a new room or go back home at the end of the year.

reasonable full range for acoustic music (also known as UNPLUGGED)

but there is music from the 1940's and up that have a frequency range that requires lower.

all the pop music

all the dance music

all the electronic music

damn.

all of todays music is capable of demanding lower.

have you actually listened to a 50hz tone?

do you realize how high that sounds?

its the exact same thing when setting your subwoofer crossover.

do you realize how high 60hz sounds?

or 80hz or even 100hz?

you would be asking your subwoofer to grow extra arms and hands to carry all your STUFF
 

you are gonna pay $700 for what i built in comparison that totaled $161 (without bookshelf boxes)

and you wonder why the economy is in a recession... hahahah !
 

the speakers i used came from floorstanding speakers that cost $2,000 a pair

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/499560/absolute-cheapest-computer-speakers-that-are-decent-quality

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ham Sandwich 

Audioengine sells a matching sub: Audioengine S8

 

Are you sure you really need a sub?  It would depend on what you listen to.

The Audioengine A5 goes down to 50 Hz.  That's reasonably full range for a lot of music.  It's lower than most headphones go.

 

Being able to get by without a sub would be convenient for most college living situations.  Subs take space.  A sub is one more thing that you'd have to move when you move to a new room or go back home at the end of the year.

Comparing parts cost of a DIY project to the retail price of an equivalent part is not a valid comparison. There are lots of factors a retail company has to account for that a DIY'er doesn't. 

For typical music 50hz reproduction is "good enough" for most music IMO. Anwaypasible, I believe you have stated your position of what frequencies are required for music reproduction again and again in the past so we don't need to argue over that. I'll just agree to disagree with your opinion :)

I know what low sub-bass sounds like.  I obsess over the bass when it is important.  I love hearing 32 foot pipe organ pipes.  I love the low frequencies in the thump of a kick drum on a full range speaker.  I listen to Victor Wooten.  I listen to acoustic double bass.  I listen to classical and marvel at the timpani and bass drum.  If I could marry a headphone I'd marry my D2000.  I love its low bass extension.

But honestly, sub-bass is not that important for music enjoyment for most music.  Witness all the people enjoying music on the K701 and even praising its bass virtues.  People love Grados for rock music.  Have you seen the frequency curve for Grados?  They start rolling off at 100 Hz.  50 Hz is almost gone.  Yet they're praised for rock.  Go figure.

The OP has been listening to Logitech Z-2200 and liked them.  He hasn't been experiencing bass.  It has a "sub" but it's no sub.  The bass from the Audioengine A5 (without the sub) is probably going to be perfectly fine and acceptable and even superior in comparison.

And yeah, another option is to find used bookshelf or used floor stander speakers and a used integrated amp and call it good.  There is very good sounding stuff out there for cheap used.  A friend of mine just got a used Sansui integrated amp at a thrift store for very cheap.  Or go the T-amp or little digital amp route.  It can be done on the cheap.  But not everyone wants to do that.  Not everyone wants to learn what old stuff is actually good.  Not everyone likes the look of old school separates or can dedicate the desk space for separates (college desks can be small).

i wouldnt consider the factors a retail company has to account for as 'a lot' or even 'alot'

but many people fail to realize that the most important factor that is accounted for is PROFIT.

once a company decides to build a large amount of one product, then they have to start worrying about breaking even for production costs.

a large percentage go to the retail stores, and whatever doesnt get sold will be sold off to float around in warehouses and sold 'alternatively'

but if screwing a speaker into a speaker box is too dificult for you.. then go ahead and be that idiot who spent more and received less.

holding onto such an arguement is how fights break out like the book 'the outsiders'

however, i dont recall informing much about the frequencies required for music.

i just know that the music of today goes fully digital and there are needs for 'wind' all over the multimedia experience.

i am not one to remain cool calm and collected when i see someone say 'good enough' far from complete, much less - far from quality.

its not my problem when someone slides the 60hz slider on their equalizer and they come to think that 'hey this is all the bass i need'

i'm angered that this forum is tailoring to the details in vocals as if those details are highly sought after by music producers.

because as reality has it.. some music producers will use a microphone LESS sensitive to hide background noises and unwanted 'tones' of voice from the performer.

bass comes in two parts.

1. that is heard.

2. that is felt.

being in a car with subs in the trunk and 1000 watts is not the same as being in a studio with calibrated EQ's and calibrated wall reflections.

MASTERING audio means at the end of a song you are hit by a gust of wind without any sound or tone associated with that breeze.

there is so much love to be had by using big woofers to move the air within the room.

you would be as excited as a kid in a candy store if you came across some of the tracks that date well into the early 1990's

simply having new respect for the producers of the song was a surprise for me.. and if i enjoyed the song prior to learning of the 'air effects'

now i enjoy the song even more.

but as i said.. these people are just trying to sell what they own stock in.. rather than looking at the material that is being played over these speakers.

if the mastering producer is creating special effects in the air because there is a wall of speakers in the studio.. you are not gonna get anywhere close with your attempt by purchasing some 4 or 5 inch woofer with 8-70 watts of power.

i am selling a different drug that is closer to complete than the rest of these people.

and the truth is showing itself a bit by knowing that the songs from the early 1990's are capable of the air effects.. which are way before all the audio 'icons' were introduced.

and mainly because back in the late 1980's all of the audio standards were complete and ready to be rolled out into the consumer market.

if you think that dolby digital and THX and DTS and 7.1 channel encoding all came about just months before its release.. you would be a damn fool.

none of the technology was created yesterday.. it allows the C.I.A. to track it better/easier.

all of the world reknown hacks have been completed in the past way before the product was released to the public.. that way when the next person tries to do the same thing, everybody is prepared and ready.

i havent heard the other products but i'd love to hear 'em so that i could either laugh some more or provide truth as to which sounds better.

but chances are, i would probably just switch midranges to something that sounds better and still come out cheaper than the prebuilt stuff.

you cant screw a speaker onto a speaker box..?

it makes me wonder if i can use that persons bathroom without catching some sort of cold or virus.

do i really need to walk out with soap remaining on my hands so that i dont catch a sneeze?

Why must you take it personally? I've built multiple speakers of my own and even so, there are definitely times where I'd rather just spend the money for a pair of speakers that are built decently, have a good sound, and warranty. Also this thread is about a college speaker setup, so a "wall of air" setup is not exactly applicable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anwaypasible 

 

but if screwing a speaker into a speaker box is too dificult for you.. then go ahead and be that idiot who spent more and received less.

 

you cant screw a speaker onto a speaker box..?

it makes me wonder if i can use that persons bathroom without catching some sort of cold or virus.

do i really need to walk out with soap remaining on my hands so that i dont catch a sneeze?

you are not pulling much of a fast one.

saying you have built multiple speakers.. not speaker systems, and you were probably suckered into pathetic replacement voice coils or bad glue or heavy cones with flex.

so yeah, i can see how that would amount to wanting to cry like a baby and have someone do it for you.

but there are stores selling raw speaker drivers that is a fact.

you dont have to order replacements from companies and pay a premium for breaking the first one.
 

but quit embarassing yourself,

a wall of air is nothing far from appropriate in a college dorm room.

its the obnoxious amount of bass that you can 'hear' that makes its way through the wall more-so than the breeze you can feel.

its not a concept of a cluster of soundwaves that are so enlongated that the room fills up with sound and the neighbors complain.
 

besides, a small room means that a quality result is that much easier to obtain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebby 

Why must you take it personally? I've built multiple speakers of my own and even so, there are definitely times where I'd rather just spend the money for a pair of speakers that are built decently, have a good sound, and warranty. Also this thread is about a college speaker setup, so a "wall of air" setup is not exactly applicable.

 

Say what?

I made that. Just a small bookshelf, but I'd say it's proof enough that I've built at least one speaker "system", yes? Parts cost between the speakers and crossover was about $100, but factoring time spent building, assembling, and finishing I can see something like this being sold for much more even without factoring the veneering. It's easy to say retail prices are excessive when you don't have to pay for your own labor costs (factor in design time and it gets even more expensive). I don't feel like I'm embarrassing myself by presenting any of this though I do find it entertaining how you feel you must belittle everyone that disagrees with you.

kidman007: I think you would be very happy with the Audioengine A5's. I'm assuming your main usage will be mostly music with some gaming?

i really hate to discredit effort.

if you have the appropriate saw.. you can cut the pieces of wood in less than five minutes.

then you drill holes for the screws to go in.. this takes another five minutes.

then you apply the glue to the edges.. this takes less than sixty seconds if you if you dont put the bottle of glue down.

so then you put the pieces of wood together and put the screws in.. this takes another five minutes

you also need to put glue into the edges of the inside of the walls where the touch.. this takes about two minutes

now all you have to do is wipe the excess glue from the outsides.. this takes about fourty-five seconds.

and finally.. you let the glue dry which takes anywhere from _____ to 24 hours.

without waiting for the glue to dry.. the whole process takes less than 20 minutes if you have everything there in front of you.

my grandfather used to do wood work and sell it for craft.

he could use a bandsaw and cut out someones name from a rectangle piece of wood and have it in the customers hands exchanging money in less than ten minutes.

i've seen unpainted / floor standing shelves sell for $60 and they get put together in less than three minutes with a staple gun.

making excuses that dont exist is what i always heard growing up.

It's great that you can put together a speaker box together in under 20 minutes. How about the speaker damping, the port cutout, speaker cutouts, rebate/countersink for the speaker frame and port, and finally painting/veneering. Painting and/or veneering can easily take hours.

I don't think I'll continue the DIY vs Retail pricing discussion, as it's really incomparable. Companies have costs that they must factor in to stay afloat that a DIYer doesn't have to worry about.

umm..

speaker cutout was part of that ten minutes of cutting, especially considering a router with a circle attachment.

i remember the infomercials having a race against a rotozip verse all the other tools needed to make the cuts happen.

the rotozip got everything done before the other person moved on to step three (out of 'bout 6-7 objectives) !!

damping is an art that requires wizard-like knowledge of soundwaves.

putting in a bunch of reflection walls to equalize the port is not advisable because with time and age, the voice coil might change its characteristics and you would be hard pressed to find another speaker that fits like a glove.

if you are gonna port, you cant just poke a hole anywhere and use the appropriate port length and size.

putting the port close to the speaker does something

and putting the port far away from the speaker does something

both of those need to be adjusted to the internal size of the box 'bandpassing' the final tune of the build.

just go sealed and dont ask each speaker to do more than one thing.

midranges do voices.. trebles do treble.. woofers do midbass.

(and if you are lucky - you have a 4th channel for the subwoofer)

painting with a can of spray paint takes no time at all.

but if i had to put in all that work, i would simply double 20 minutes to fourty and think ahead towards lunch or dinner.

dont forget.. you can always use a sticker to veneer the outside.. and those go on as fast as you can smear the bubbles away before they ever exist.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebby 

It's great that you can put together a speaker box together in under 20 minutes. How about the speaker damping, the port cutout, speaker cutouts, rebate/countersink for the speaker frame and port, and finally painting/veneering. Painting and/or veneering can easily take hours.

 

I don't think I'll continue the DIY vs Retail pricing discussion, as it's really incomparable. Companies have costs that they must factor in to stay afloat that a DIYer doesn't have to worry about.