[hbfs]

Hello! 
 
I am looking to upgrade my desktop speakers from my Audioengine A2s, and I have a budget of roughly $400 USD. I only have a basic knowledge of audio hardware, so I was hoping you guys could help me out! First off, all the relevant information I can think of: 

My current setup is a pair of Audioengine A2 speakers paired with a Lava LSP10 subwoofer. I will be upgrading my setup one component at a time, so I am currently only looking for an upgrade to a better pair of desktop speakers. My audio source is my desktop computer, and in the future I will be purchasing a soundcard. I live in a 18' x 10' dorm room, and I will be listening to music between 2 and 7 feet away from the speakers. I listen to mostly electronic dance music (house, trance, dubstep).
 
From browsing around these forums, I've come up with a short list of potential speakers:
Audioengine A5
Swan M200MKIII (These seem to have availability issues, are they tough to get ahold of? How much better than the MKIIs are they?)
Swan M200MKII  (Same availability issues as the MKIIIs?)
M-Audio BX8 D2
KRK Rokit 8
 
How do these compare with each other? Pros and cons? Which would you say is best and why? I am also open to any other good suggestions that aren't on my list.
 
I know I ask a lot of questions, but I am a college student and these are a huge investment for me, so I want to make a purchase I won't regret! Thanks in advance for your input.
 

 

[cssarrow]

i prefer A5+ over A5. Better heatsink, remote, no more automatic sleep mode, punchier bass, no more tweeter static or speaker hum, RCA input, and it's volume knob doesn't have exact values.
 
It's not too much of a value unless you grab it refurbished or find someone selling it for $350 and under.
 

 

[CDewey]

I know where you can get A5+ in the states for $350. PM me if you need details.

 

[cssarrow]

Quote:

I know where you can get A5+ in the states for $350. PM me if you need details.

I've seen refurbished ones from ebay for $349.
They're just as good as new ones (somewhat) since they're checked by the makers themselves.
 
I have a refurbished one, been working for months now after i RMA'ed my A5 because of tweeter static.

 

[CDewey]

I don't mind refurb either myself. These are new @ $350

 

[Parallax982]

I've got the A5+ and I love em. This is my first pair of speakers that perform at this level so I can't really compare. But I find them very fun, particularly for rock and pop music. I love east coast swing too. All of this sounds great to my ears. For classical, you might want something that doesn't color the music. But the A5+s are very easy to listen to; I keep them on for hour at a time without fatigue.
 

 

[cssarrow]

Quote:

I've got the A5+ and I love em. This is my first pair of speakers that perform at this level so I can't really compare. But I find them very fun, particularly for rock and pop music. I love east coast swing too. All of this sounds great to my ears. For classical, you might want something that doesn't color the music. But the A5+s are very easy to listen to; I keep them on for hour at a time without fatigue.
 

They're great colored fun speakers
No Fatigue whatsoever even with 5 hours straight running. The Fun mixes very well with upbeat background music for action/thriller movies to reel you in.
 
For Classical, it's better to get more neutral/uncolored speakers.
 
It's so awesome that they don't go into darn autosleep mode and has a huge heatsink in the back. Perhaps with the heatsink outside of the speaker housing the sound improves and sound less boomy.
 
They're a little tighter and clearer than the A5. A2 has better mid range than A5. They're a little more treble.
 
So it's up to you, if you listen to Jazz, the A5, A5+ does well, but may not sound as neutral as you like.
 
Tim

 

[kookoo]

I'm also interested in knowing if the Swan speakers are any good if anybody has had the chance to listen to them

 

[hbfs]

Thanks for all the input on the A5s so far! I am looking to learn more about the Swan M200MKIII and MKIIs and how they compare, if you have experience with them. 

Also, for those that posted, I don't listen to much in terms of classical music. I listen to mostly bass heavy electronic dance music, if that will help in describing how well of a fit the speakers will be. However, bass is not all I am looking for, and I already do have a subwoofer. I'd like a nice balance.