[StratocasterMan]

Equipment Used:
 
Dayton Audio B652 Bookshelf Speakers $29.98
Lepai LP-2020A+ Amplifier $28.00
Polk Audio PSW10 10" powered subwoofer $99.98
 
Total:  $157.96
 
Not counted:  Old Toshiba laptop, FiiO E17 DAC /  headphone amplifier, speaker wire, 3.5mm male-to-male cable, and a desk.
 
Do not try this with Audioengine A2, or even Audioengine A5, hee hee. 

 
This system kills in the near-field. It will rock a large bedroom to ear-ringing and ear-damage levels, and that includes huge punchy BASS. Fantastic for reggae, hip-hop, electronic, or what-have-you in a large sized bedroom, but also great for rock 'n roll, jazz, classical, and everything else. It's so loud in a large bedroom inside a house, that you will be worried about the neighbors calling Johnny Law. 

 It will very easily knock stuff off the walls if you dial it up that way.
 
I'm not commenting on this rig for home theater, because that was never the goal. This is a MUSIC system.
 
The beauty is, through proper manipulation of the sub's crossover and volume controls, it sounds like the bookshelf speakers are the greatest bookshelf speakers in the world. They hit with authority. They hit you in-the-chest, and maybe in-the-feet. It sounds like all of the bass is coming from the bookshelf speakers in front of you, although of course it's not. The sub is hitting!
 
This will blow away any "2.1 computer system" you find at somewhere like Best Buy or Audioengine.
 
Read this:
 
http://reviews.cnet.com/subwoofers/polk-audio-psw10-black/4505-11312_7-31127154.html
 
Read this:
 
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57439115-47/build-your-own-desktop-stereo-for-under-$70/
 
 
What is not apparent due to the picture quality, is that the bookshelf speakers are at ear-level for me and I have plenty of room to fit my legs and feet underneath the desk because the laptop extends out on a leaf of the desk. Don't worry, this equipment is easy to move around to fit your desktop environment. The bookshelf speakers are pointed right at my ears, and the subwoofer is out of the way below my feet.
 
ROCK:
 

 
Roll:
 

 
 

 

[mikemercer]

I don't ask this as a wise-ass (as I've seen and heard speaker set-ups that were FAR from what some would consider optimal sound GREAT):
 
Can you get decent stereo imaging with them so close together??
If they can, I'd try this set-up w/ the speakers off-axis like we do on recording consoles (w/ tweeters on the outside in this case)
unless you love it as-is, then don't take anything I say to heart.  Seriously

 

[StratocasterMan]

Quote:

I don't ask this as a wise-ass (as I've seen and heard speaker set-ups that were FAR from what some would consider optimal sound GREAT):
 
Can you get decent stereo imaging with them so close together??
If they can, I'd try this set-up w/ the speakers off-axis like we do on recording consoles (w/ tweeters on the outside in this case)
unless you love it as-is, then don't take anything I say to heart.  Seriously

 
I've been happy with the stereo imaging since I'm sitting so close to the speakers when I'm at my desk. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I have them angled just slightly inward so that they are kind of pointing at an intersection point right where I'm sitting. I've experimented with pointing the speakers straight ahead and also angling them slightly inward and I prefer them angled inward just a little.
 
I like your suggestion, though. I'm trying the speakers lying down on their sides with the tweeters on the outside. The other thing is that with the speakers standing up normally the woofers are right at ear level and the tweeters are about eight inches above ear level. When I put the speakers on their sides, both the woofers and tweeters are almost exactly at ear level.
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to try the speakers on their sides with the tweeters out for awhile with a bunch of different music to see what I think.

 

[goodvibes]

How is it with K-Rap music? jk

 

[StratocasterMan]

Quote:

How is it with K-Rap music? jk

 
Hee hee. I wouldn't know. I had to look up "K-Rap music" on Wikipedia because I didn't know what it was! 

 

[cel4145]

Try turning the speakers upside down. Generally one wants the tweeters near ear level. Might help.
 
But yeah. Those Lepai t-amps kick a**, don't they? I gave my brother a Lepai with Energy RC-10s as a present last year for his office (he's a restaurant proprietor). He loves it. Could not believe how good it sounds. 
 
And now you have that option, too. You can always upgrade the speakers any time you want for a better sound. 
 
Although, I'm surprised you didn't try the Dayton SUB1200 to be totally Dayton just cause 

 

[Audiophileof92]

Wow Dayton sounds like they make a nice product for the buck! Does that Polk sub have too much port noise? I've heard it does :C

 

[StratocasterMan]

Quote:

Wow Dayton sounds like they make a nice product for the buck! Does that Polk sub have too much port noise? I've heard it does :C

 
I think the Dayton Audio bookshelf speakers are a steal for the price!
 
I don't notice any port noise at all from the Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer. I'm using it to hit those subwoofer notes at around 90 Hz on down. It's handling the lowest bass, and that takes the strain off of the Dayton Audio bookshelf speakers and allows them to devote themselves to bass tones above around 80 or 90 Hz.
 
If you have a large room, or you are looking for a home theater subwoofer to play movie soundtracks with extremely low bass, you will need more than the Polk Audio PSW10.
 
Bigger subwoofers like 12" models can handle lower bass, but some of them aren't as "fast" and can be sloppier and less defined with music. Bigger isn't always better!
 
It's all about what you want your subwoofer to do. I wanted a subwoofer that would give depth to music tracks in a near-field environment. However, some folks are looking for a subwoofer that will provide an "earthquake" while watching movies in a 5.1 environment in a large room. I wouldn't select the Polk Audio PSW10 for that. I wanted a subwoofer that was quick and responsive in a near-field environment for music.
 
In a near-field situation at my desk, the Polk Audio PSW10 is plenty powerful and adds huge depth to music. It's fast and responsive for music listening. However, I would suggest that you spend more if you want a subwoofer to handle extended low bass tones in a large room home theater.

 

[trog]

Just to share i have now gone thru at least 13+ TA2020s and so far no issues but all off ebay. I have heard peeps who went thru Amazon complain about the lack of PSU so i cannot comment ordering thru Zon lol
 
I also have a TA2020 international sharing thread @ overclock.net and you could check if the speaker u are eyeing was mated with the TA2020. Many makes both sides of the Atlantic (Polk to Wharfedale, etc) and some little know speakers as well

 

[Rizlaw]

FWIW, looks like Steve Guttenberg agrees:
 
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57528940-47/the-other-1-percent-audiophiles/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57439115-47/build-your-own-desktop-stereo-for-under-$70/

 

[cel4145]

Quote:

It's handling the lowest bass, and that takes the strain off of the Dayton Audio bookshelf speakers and allows them to devote themselves to bass tones above around 80 or 90 Hz.

 
Unless you have some other component you haven't listed, I suspect that's not happening. I know that the PSW10 only has a low pass filter. As Polk describes it, also features adjustable low-pass crossover. A lot of subs don't have a high pass filter even though they have speaker level inputs and outputs. If you are running the Lepai to the PSW10, and then the speaker line out from the PSW10 to the Daytons, it's not filtering any of the bass that goes to the speakers. 

 

[cel4145]

Quote:

I also have a TA2020 international sharing thread @ overclock.net and you could check if the speaker u are eyeing was mated with the TA2020. Many makes both sides of the Atlantic (Polk to Wharfedale, etc) and some little know speakers as well

 
Cool list. You can add Energy RC-10s to that list as well. I gave my brother those and a Lepai last year for Xmas for this office. He loves them. And they only cost $220 right now. 

 

[doco]

how are you hooking up the subwoofer to the Lepai LP-2020A+ Amplifier
i have a pair of polk monitor 40 speakers. think this amp would work it well?

 

[trog]

Quote:

 
Cool list. You can add Energy RC-10s to that list as well. I gave my brother those and a Lepai last year for Xmas for this office. He loves them. And they only cost $220 right now. 

Haha always forget adding those RC-10s - thanks and updated ^^

 

[StratocasterMan]

Quote:

FWIW, looks like Steve Guttenberg agrees:
 
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57528940-47/the-other-1-percent-audiophiles/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57439115-47/build-your-own-desktop-stereo-for-under-$70/

 
And don't forget this subwoofer review:
 
http://reviews.cnet.com/subwoofers/polk-audio-psw10-black/4505-11312_7-31127154.html