* HELP * Which Desktop stereo speaker to get?

Get the AudioEngine A2. The B&W MM-1 would be an even better option, but if the A5 is stretching your budget, the MM-1 are straight out of it.

http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/acoustic-energy-ae22-04-active-active-studio-monitors-left-and-right-pair--57632

okay, i know this place is bad for ones wallet but for gods sake.  the op says the A5 (i assume he meant Audioengine A5) is out of his budget so you recommend an £800 pair.  are you trying to be an arse or did you just not read anything he actually posted?

I thought he would be interested to see what good quality near field monitors go for.

 

You can pick a pair of these up for £350 if you know where to look (and don't mind having two left ones)

Does anyone have a pair of A2s? Can they comment on how hot the speaker with the amp gets? The one thing that's holding me back from getting the AV40's is the fact that the left speaker gets really hot, I'd like to keep these on at night so they can function as my alarm clock in the morning...

I've had a pair of a2 for a little while now... And the left speaker with the amp inside does get a little hot, but only when you have had it on for over an hour at a mid-high volume with lots of bass content.



These speakers have an auto-standby function- so when no audio signal is sent to it, after a little while, it'll sleep, then auto-on when it senses a signal.



While I've only auditioned the Av40, the short period of time gave me the impression of somewhat hollow bass.

But then the a2 bass is not perfect either--- but definitely not hollow.

I like the a2 more cuz their size fits better.

But the av40 are cheaper from amazon.



Either one would be good.

Others to consider:

Krk

Swan hivi



Good luck

Ps.
If you are paranoid about the heat, a2 has thermal protection(autoshutdown if too hot)... And also, you can attach a heatsink to the rear panel where it gets hot.
Edited by LUCIDD - 8/20/10 at 12:43pm

You should consider studio monitors they will sound better than the A2's. Tascam ones would be great and  they're in youre price range, if you can push your budget up or find these used the tapco s series is considered one of the best bargains out there

Hey sorry to thread jack but I have the same question pretty much and didnt want to start a new thread.  I am also in the market for a active set of speakers for my computer setup I am look to spend a max of 220 I am looking at the swan m10 and the m1080mkii 08.  They will be used for music, movies, and games the music is mostly instrumental hip hop so bass is important to me.  I have a nice headphone set up so I am not looking for the best speakers but just something better than the logitech set I have now.   Also I am open to other speakers if people suggest them its just I have been looking at the swan sets for now.

Well, for loudness... IMHO, they will be about the same...I haven't had them side by side- so I'll have to guess the av40 are louder by a bit, but not enough to make a big difference.



I think that the a2 are plenty loud- any louder, it'll be expecting too much from a pair of 2.0 monitor speakers. If you are using them for nearfield listening, then their Maximum loudness is not important.

What is more important is that you like their sound signature and it fits your desk setup.



Hope this helps!

If you have another $20, you could always look at the M-Audio BX5A deluxe. They are currently on amazon for $239. The woofers in these are the same size as the sub in the Swan M10. I haven't heard the swans, but I own the M-Audios and I love them, even though I have sold them. I upgraded to the CX5s, only cause I got a great deal on them. 

The BX5a are great as well as the tapco S series mentioned above, those will just destroy the swans in terms of sound quality. Not that the swans are bad speakers but by design a bi-amplified speaker with an active crossovers are going to sound much better, the swan uses passive crossovers and a single amp to power both speakers