[ryant]

It does take a while to get used to the clean sound that good speakers produce. It is possible you just don't care as much for their sound signature though. I would imagine that if you listened to the LSR305's at home for a day or two and then switched back to the soundsticks that you'd probably realize how much more real the JBL's sound. Having not heard the soundsticks I'm just assuming they are comparable to the many other computer speaker systems in their price range.
 
You don't need an extra amplifier since the LSR305's are active they have their own amps built into each speaker. As to cables you'd just need that 1/8" to 1/4" TR cable i linked earlier. If you want to add a sub there are tons and tons of options our there. They vary from all price ranges and sizes though most are gonna inflate the whole system price quite a bit. I have had really good experiences with Parts Express/Dayton Audio stuff so a sub like this may fit the bill and not break the bank too much.
http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1000-10-100-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-628
 
To hook a subwoofer into the system you need to split the audio signal from your source (either the E17k or the computers 1/8" output).
 
Basically you go from your source to this cable
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GN76HAG?keywords=1%2F8%26%2334%3B%20splitter&qid=1456848747&ref_=sr_1_24&sr=8-24
 
Then from one side of the 1/8" splitter you use this cable and it goes to the subwoofer L/R input
http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-109301-10-Feet-Stereo-Plated/dp/B0084I6VO4/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1456848817&sr=8-16&keywords=1%2F8%22+to+RCA
 
And the other side of the 1/8" splitter you connect this cable to the speakers
http://www.amazon.com/GLS-Audio-Y-Cable-Splitter-Cord/dp/B0062QPERU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456848895&sr=8-2&keywords=1%2F8%22+to+1%2F4%22
 
That would get you the speakers and the sub both being controlled by your computer volume. I would be utterly shocked if that combo didn't sound better than the soundsticks in pretty much all categories. That said there are other great powered speakers in the same price range as the LSR305's so don't think you have to go with those. I heard them compared to a few different models (yamaha's, rokkits, mackies, and behringers) and I thought they sounded the best to me but that doesn't mean they are the best to your ears. 

 

[evmedievalol]

Thanks for the links!
 
i brought these babies home just now. The guy at guitar center sold me Live Wire E6YX Dual XLR cable which was $35.. should i return this and buy the cheaper one you recommended?
 
The sound is sooo nice!! i actually love these now. !
But one thing though, the static noise is real.. it's really loud. I have these speakers powered to a power strip along with the power cord for my PC. I hooked it up to my Fiio E17K but the static noise (when not playing or playing) is still loud.. is there a way to fix this?
 
ps: The static noise is actually better (still there) when i plug it into my iphone6s.
For some reason it's worse when connected to my pc

 

[buson160man]

If you can stretch the budget a little you might want to check out the emotiva pro airmotiv 4s for $299. I have the original emotiva pro airmotiv 5 on my desk top set up and I have never felt the need to change . Emotiva offers  a lot of bang for the buck and you get a lot for a little since there is no middle man . Emotiva sells direct to the public so there is middle man mark up as on a lot electronics . Plus they stand behind their products not that you will ever have an reliability issues . I have had three pairs of their speakers and have never had any problems whatsoever .

 

[ryant]

Often times the static is caused by one of two things. The first is interference which could be from the power line, audio cable, or source. The power is correctable by either plugging the speakers into a clean power line that isn't "contaminated" by other things, getting a ground lift for them, or getting something to clean the power. The audio cable interference is corrected by routing the audio cable away from any power cords or the computer tower when possible. If it has to cross over power lines do it at 90 degree angles. You can also buy a better shielded cable.   
 
The other source of hiss is a common theme with powered speakers. The hiss comes from the built in amplifiers. In most cases this is just a byproduct of how they are tuned. It's usually not audible when music is playing. There really isn't much you can do about this other than possibly lowering the tweeter trim however this will effect the balance of the speakers.
 
It could be that swapping from the 1/8" to XLR to a 1/8" to 1/4" could help. There are sometimes cable interference issues. If the cable runs close to a phone or the computer it can sometimes pickup EMI but that usually results in high pitched screeching/ticking noises. 
 
 
I would start with the free options first which is plug the speakers into a different outlet than the computer if possible (hopefully on another power circuit). Also make sure the audio cable is as far from interference sources as possible. 
 
Overall i'm glad to hear that you like them! I think they are fantastic speakers .

 

[evmedievalol]

I tried your methods but the noise is still there. Little better though.
I got a new cable too.

At 4.5 - 6 volume on speakers, the noise sounds more like the "normal" noise from built in amp..
Any number higher, noise is just loud and distorted. ( can hear it with music)


If i get something like schiit modi 2 OR magni 2 then would the noise go away?
Schitt is suppose to be better than fiio i think.

 

[buson160man]

I have never had any issues myself with the emotiva powered monitors. Even at loud volume levels . As I had mentioned none of the three that I have owned have never had noise issues .

 

[ryant]

It sounds to me like there is interference or a grounding issue. Did you try plugging the speakers into a separate power outlet from any other electronics? Sometimes other things like PC's and monitors can "pollute" the power in a way that picks up with the amps.
 
Is the sound still there if you unplug your computer and just use your phone as the source to the speakers? If the source isn't the issue then a Schiit dac won't help clean up the interference any more than the FiiO would.  

 

[evmedievalol]

It sounds to me like there is interference or a grounding issue. Did you try plugging the speakers into a separate power outlet from any other electronics? Sometimes other things like PC's and monitors can "pollute" the power in a way that picks up with the amps.

Is the sound still there if you unplug your computer and just use your phone as the source to the speakers? If the source isn't the issue then a Schiit dac won't help clean up the interference any more than the FiiO would.  

I tried thatbut noise is still there. However if i connect the phone to the speakers then the noise is constant from vol. 1-10. (There is white noise even when unplugged from any devices. Just powered) (maybe its "normal" from built in amp)

Whereas, when connected to pc, the white noise distorts bad at higher vol.
it feels like something is wrong with the pc sound card..?

 

[evmedievalol]

I have never had any issues myself with the emotiva powered monitors. Even at loud volume levels . As I had mentioned none of the three that I have owned have never had noise issues .

Those speakers are out of my price range

 

[ryant]

a low hiss type sound isn't uncommon in a LOT of powered speakers. it would be consistent from 1-10 on the volume knob and should be very low in level such that when music plays through it shouldn't be something you hear. The distortion at louder levels sounds like a source issue with your computer. Are you by chance plugging into the front panel audio vs the back panel jack on your computer? I have noticed that MANY times the front panel jack is terrible and has many audio interference issues. The back panel jack is often times much cleaner. Are you able to hook up the FiiO as a DAC for your computer? I'm not familiar with that FiiO product so i'm not sure if it lets you do that. 

 

[evmedievalol]

  a low hiss type sound isn't uncommon in a LOT of powered speakers. it would be consistent from 1-10 on the volume knob and should be very low in level such that when music plays through it shouldn't be something you hear. The distortion at louder levels sounds like a source issue with your computer. Are you by chance plugging into the front panel audio vs the back panel jack on your computer? I have noticed that MANY times the front panel jack is terrible and has many audio interference issues. The back panel jack is often times much cleaner. Are you able to hook up the FiiO as a DAC for your computer? I'm not familiar with that FiiO product so i'm not sure if it lets you do that. 

 
i
Already tried plugging it in the aux located in the back. The distortion at high volume seems to be still there..
I was able to connect FIIO as a DAC but the distortion was still there. (I returned FIIO now)
 
It's really weird.. it's not like i have a cheap PC.. 

 

[evmedievalol]

i moved the internet router and wifi router to somewhere else and it seems like the distortion noise has decreased.
When i'm not doing anything on pc (not even moving mouse) then the noise is not there usually.
But right when i scroll down web page or pan images on 3D program (or even moving mouse), the noise appears. Noise disappears right away when i stop scrolling or panning..
 
Could someone help me with shielding the cable with aluminum foil and grounding the shield?

 

[ryant]

Well it definitely sounds like interference that is causing it. Do you have a wireless mouse? I have had issues with poor quality sound cards and interference like you described (scrolling on a webpage, etc). Really it's just a test and eliminate process at this point. Sometimes it's caused by shared power. Other times it's due to having the 1/8" to 1/4" cable passing by power cables or monitor cables too closely. I know it sucks to have to sort it through but in most cases you should be able to eliminate the interference. In my system if I use the front panel audio jacks i definitely hear interference when scrolling on web pages and things of that sort but if I use the rear panel jacks it's fine. My Schiit DAC hasn't had any issues like that either. At work we had a monoprice 1440p monitor that would cause severe interference with Studio monitors when they were near each other or on the same power line. They would hiss a lot and if you moved the mouse around pretty much at all it would freak out. My guess was the cheap 1440p panel had really poorly shielded circuitry since when we removed the monitor the speakers were fine and had no noise. 
 
You could try to just unplug certain things to eliminate possibilities. I would fire up the computer and put some music on loop and then start unplugging stuff! You can disconnect the monitor and unplug it from the power outlet, unplug and turn off USB peripherals, etc, etc.
 
If it doesn't happen with your phone as your audio source you could use that to your advantage. Set your phone right next to your computer audio ouput and plug it in to the speakers. Make sure you leave everything routed as it is because you want to verify the noise isn't coming from your computer sound jack. Play music on the phone and start using your computer. If you get interference move the phone and 1/8 to 1/4 cable away from the computer and see if it stays or goes away. If  It could be a monitor or USB device or something whacky like that casing the issues. 
 
You could try a ghetto solution which would be wrapping your current 1/8" to 1/4" cable in aluminum foil and see if it shields the cable from any noise. It's possible the noise is in fact coming from the computer and not another external source. Shielding wouldn't have much of an impact if that is the case. Granted it seems odd that the same noise would be present with the FiiO acting as a DAC. I would start the process of elimination and see if you can isolate the source. I'd imagine you will find the culprit with a bit of testing. 

 

[ysosirius]

Hehe, how about the Klipsch R15-PM? Bookshelf speakers that can be used with TV, computer, turntables..

 

[nagual]

Don´t forget to mute everything, but your speakers, and set 100% level  in Sound/ Control Panel.
It will not harm your audio, at least.