[evmedievalol]

i have been using my Harmon Kardon soundstick 3 for little less than a year now.
It's a great speaker. 
Sound stage, Clear, Krispy, Bass( i thought the bass has its own unique tone). I do like listening to bass but the super fine acoustic and vocal sounds, i love.
 
This speaker is making static noise when not playing music or when even disconnected from pc. H&K is going to be replacing this unit with another one.
If there is a speaker better than soundstick 3 under $250 then i can consider getting a new speaker and sell H&K. (I'm not a fan of Bose, btw)
 
what are some choices out there?

 

[ryant]

Are you set on sticking with 2.1 speaker systems or would a 2.0 system work? If so I'd look long and hard at the JBL LSR305 monitors. They would be closer to the $250 range but I have little doubt they would be much better sounding than the H/K soundsticks. You could probably give them a listed at a local Guitar Center. Beyond that, if you're set with computer speakers maybe take a look at some of the Swan systems like the m10 or m200's.

 

[evmedievalol]

  Are you set on sticking with 2.1 speaker systems or would a 2.0 system work? If so I'd look long and hard at the JBL LSR305 monitors. They would be closer to the $250 range but I have little doubt they would be much better sounding than the H/K soundsticks. You could probably give them a listed at a local Guitar Center. Beyond that, if you're set with computer speakers maybe take a look at some of the Swan systems like the m10 or m200's.

i would like something better than Soundstick 3, more than little better..
It be pretty awesome if DAC can improve the sound but i heard that DAC won't have much of an effect on this speaker.
 
i spent about $170 for the speaker. If i add at least $100 to make the sound better than wouldn't it be better to just buy $270+ multimedia speaker?
 
 
PS. by the way Harman Kardon HKTS 16BQ 5.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker is selling for $280.
i don't know how the quality is but it's darn cheap.. not sure if i want home theater set up though

 

[ryant]

You can certainly look for some nicer "multimedia" speakers. Some of them don't sound to bad. If I were in your shoes i'd got listen to a set of the JBL LSR305's I mentioned earlier. I think they are about as good sound as you can get in an active speaker system for their price range. Outside of maybe a few really high end multimedia/computer speakers, I'd venture to say the JBL's will likely be a significant improvement. 
 
I think the issue i have with most multimedia speakers is that they are designed to be tiny to fit on desks which compromises having a proper tonal balance. Most the time they are completely bass anemic from the small satellite speakers and they they throw in a small subwoofer but have to either cross it over really really high (like in the 150Hz range) or just have huge gaps in the response. I greatly prefer to have a pair of solid speakers/monitors that can cover at least 60Hz-20,000Hz properly. If i really need more bass I could then add a subwoofer and cross it over at a proper frequency like 80hz or lower (that's proper in my opinion, others may differ on that).
 
Regarding the DAC, it entirely depends on how good your sound card is. If you have a nice one in your computer then yeah it's not going to make a huge difference but that is true of whatever pair of headphones or speakers you use. There isn't anything magical about the JBL speakers themselves that would make them work or not work with a DAC. In my experience, a DAC accounts for a small percentage improvement if you have a decent sound card, especially compared to the improvement you can gain from switching the speakers or headphones to a nicer model.  

 

[Tablix]

I agree with everything said by the poster above, although there are more options outside the JBL 305's.  Buy some low end studio monitors with a 4-5" driver, and then if you wany more bass add a sub later.  You can also be cheeky and order something like a focusrite 2i2 interface from amazon, compare it with your on board soundcard, then decide whether to keep or return.  I have about 4 interfaces now, and still use my 2i4 every single week at some point, and my wifes pc has its sound driven by a 2i2 and its perectly good for a simple DAC.
 
Prices will vary due to location, so maybe start by looking at:
 
JBL LSR305
Presonus ERIS 5
EVE SC204
KRK RP4G3 or RP53
 
Once you find sites listing reviews/offers on items like these you may find more information.
 
I think if you are going to spend on an item to last 5 years+ its  worth spending as much as you can really afford at the time  I like to think I will not be buying any more monitors for the next 5-10 years, but I like new toys

 

[evmedievalol]

Thank you for inputs guys. The reason why i wanted to stay with a simple multimedia speaker like soundstick3 is that i move around.
If i had a house and stay in one place for years then i would buy a big speaker with stands and everything.
I think the quality of soundstick 3 is awesome for its size but i was looking for something better. Getting a sub would not be ideal for me.

However i will check out the speakers listed

 

[ryant]

if portability is a big deal then smaller monitors like the Rokkit RP 5g3 and LSR305's are both around 12" x 7" x 9". They aren't huge by any stretch imo but they are certainly bigger than the sound sticks. I personally think the JBL's have better balance to their sound but i haven't spent a lot of time comparing them. Both sounded good to my ears though.
 
If more portability is a big deal then there are some smaller monitors with 3" woofers but then you run headfirst into the bass issues. Things like the Audioengine A2's are recommended a lot (i've never heard them). Another recommendation that i have for some cheaper speakers that still sound decent is the Creative labs gigaworks T20. I had a pair for quite a while and for the price i thought they worked very well however they may or may not be a significant upgrade from the soundsticks. I have not gotten any ear time with the soundsticks so i can't say for certain. 

 

[evmedievalol]

questions about LSR305.
Does this require a DAC? or just a normal plug and play with pc/mac and power outlet?
 
It seems that LSR305 has adjustments you could make that i have no idea what they are.. is there a suggested set up for this?
 
Can this be used only by itself..perhaps just single, not a pair..no other sound system.
 
It sounds like this speaker is recommended by almost everyone..lol... I might try it if it's easy to use

 

[ryant]

There are some minor adjustments via the trim switches, and gain on the back. Basically it gives you a gain knob (like volume control but different in use), a small bass boost or cut, as well as a small treble boost or cut. For the trim switches i'd leave them at 0 and then adjust to your ears to tune the amount of treble and bass. You don't need a DAC to use them. You just get a 1/8" to dual 1/4 TS cable like this: http://www.amazon.com/GLS-Audio-Y-Cable-Splitter-Cord/dp/B0062QPERU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456519426&sr=8-1&keywords=1%2F8%22+TRS
 
That plugs into your sound card and then one side for left and one for right. You set the gain knob to where the speakers are both matched in volume and then use your computer volume control to actually adjust the system loudness up and down. If they are too loud when you windows/OSX volume controls are at low then lower the gain on the speakers. The inverse is, if they aren't loud enough when the computer volume is at 100, then raise the gain on both speakers. Once it's set then you shouldn't have to adjust the gain anymore. 
 
I suppose you could use just one speaker but then you wouldn't have stereo left and right. I can't imagine the experience would be very good.

 

[Tablix]

a simple cable will connect your soundcard to your monitors, but you "may" get some sound issues, this is why people prefer an external USB interace or DAC.  If you have shielded onboard sound or a reasonable quality sound card, then you may be fine running cable straight from your pc.  This is why I sugested testing with a dac vs pc direct, as if you have pc noise from your output you will need an external dac.  Even some modern mobo's have very good sound quality direct from on-board, but until you try you really dont know. 

 

[evmedievalol]

delete

 

[evmedievalol]

I tried out lrd305 at guitar center.
Its too punchy with no deepness. This speaker without sub is really bad for me.

Soundstick 3 has fuller sound and good soundstage but jbl is super flat. Prolly because its studio speaker.. I dont do any mixing or audio work.


Is there a speaker like soundstick 3 but better? Full sound. Surrounding sound. Good vocal. Deep but qualiy bass

 

[ryant]

I tried out lrd305 at guitar center.
Its too punchy with no deepness. This speaker without sub is really bad for me.

Soundstick 3 has fuller sound and good soundstage but jbl is super flat. Prolly because its studio speaker.. I dont do any mixing or audio work.


Is there a speaker like soundstick 3 but better? Full sound. Surrounding sound. Good vocal. Deep but qualiy bass

I'm a bit surprised they sounded overly punchy and also lean/thin. Sound stage or depth has a lot to do with being in the proper sweet spot of the speakers so thr lack of depth can be attributed to that. I thought the 305's sounded very detailed and spacious when I demo'd them. No where near as punchy as the rokkit monitors. I wonder of someone eq'd or set the trim controls weird. That said everyone likes different sound signatures and it's completely possible the lsr305's just aren't a good fit for what you want . Having never heard the soundsticks, I'm unfortunately not able to really suggest anything i've heard that would sound similar.

 

[evmedievalol]

It was right out of the box. I think it feels like detailed and clear sound because its so flat. Thats just me.

I ordered fiio e17k hoping it would make soundstage better and clear!

 

[evmedievalol]

I'm a bit surprised they sounded overly punchy and also lean/thin. Sound stage or depth has a lot to do with being in the proper sweet spot of the speakers so thr lack of depth can be attributed to that. I thought the 305's sounded very detailed and spacious when I demo'd them. No where near as punchy as the rokkit monitors. I wonder of someone eq'd or set the trim controls weird. That said everyone likes different sound signatures and it's completely possible the lsr305's just aren't a good fit for what you want . Having never heard the soundsticks, I'm unfortunately not able to really suggest anything i've heard that would sound similar.

Im not hearing much difference with fiio e17k.. Lol

Im going to test out lsr305 again since literally everyone says its the best for the money. Maybe something wrong with my ears haha
They do have super clear sound which i may not be used to.

If i get a pair of lsr 305, then what other things should i get?
Sub ( something not big. I need to carry it around. ) deep bass that wont muddy out the sound. i don't listen to bass loud.
Amp ( im thinking fiio e10k) if needed
Cables?
I wasnt really planning to spend more than 300..