[Ender Wiggin]

First of all I'd like to put a little disclaimer to my post and say I'm not really a true audiophile. I like my music to sound clean/crisp but I'm not the type to fiddle with the equalizer endlessly or buy really extravagant setups. Maybe that means I shouldn't be asking this here, but at the same time I trust the people here to give me better advice than I'd receive anywhere else.

That being said, I'm looking for some good speakers for playing music at parties in my dorm room at school. The reviews here for the Apple Hi-Fi generally seem to be pretty negative, but the complaints also seem to be coming from people who expect the absolute best. I'm also looking a bit at this one:

http://www.alteclansing.com/product_....asp?pID=IM600

But other than those I haven't been suggested any others. So I guess I'm just looking for recommendations for the best speakers I can get for a reasonable price (the Hi-Fi would be the max I'm willing to pay). Or, would I be better off buying speakers for my somewhat old laptop and playing my music from those? The portability of speakers with an iPod dock is really nice, but not absolutely necessary if the trade-off on sound quality is that huge.

Any help/input/opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[rb67]

What is your budget?

The best route, in my opinion, would be to get some good monitors + amp and get a line out adapter from your ipod. Typically, you are paying a premium for having a made-for-iPod product and quality is secondary to appearances.

 

[EhJayKim]

rb67 the Apple Hi-Fi is $350 so I believe that's the max for his budget.

 

[no1likesme]

I would get a used stereo receiver for like $100 I have a kenwood vr-209 that I got for $90 on ebay. and a set of low end floorspeakers.

Have fun

 

[TreAdidas]

The Acoustic Energy Aego M.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo...mber=AE26%2D06

$200, you can get them in black or white. I own some Acoustic Energy bookshelf speakers and to this day you cannot hold a candle to them for their price. The predecessor to the Aego M's, the Aego 2, received reviews that more or less said:

When I saw a set of subwoofer satellite speakers for review I laughed, but these guys can actually get the job done.

I recommend these speakers to friends each and every time they pose the 'Hey Chuckie what are some good speakers for my computer/iPod?... and remember I don't want to spend as much as you do on your stuff." For $200 you will be stoked. Audio Advisor is a nice company as well.

 

[firefox360]

There's also the Audioengine A5's which were highly rated by Tone Audio Magazine. They look pretty nice and they're priced at $349 for a pair.

 

[Ender Wiggin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by firefox360 /img/forum/go_quote.gif There's also the Audioengine A5's which were highly rated by Tone Audio Magazine. They look pretty nice and they're priced at $349 for a pair.

Ooh, these look the nicest out of everything people have suggested so far just because they don't take up much space at all and don't seem like they'd have many cables running all over the place either, plus they still charge up my iPod.

Anyone have personal experience with them just to add to the positive reviews the site seems to give them? Also, how much does the Apple Airport Express cost and how exactly does it work when it comes to streaming music from a laptop to these?

 

[fatcat28037]

Check these out on EBay. I have two pair of these, believe me they'll give you great sound a high volume. You can usually get the 110v only roommates for around $80/100 and the 110v/12v version II's for $150. A nice setup for a fair price.

110v/12v version

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bose-Roommate-II...ZViewItemprice.

110v only version

http://cgi.ebay.com/BOSE-ROOMMATE-PO...QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Rick Hunter]

I have a Klipsch Igroove and it sounds pretty good, also it's compact and stylish. Costs less than bose sound dock and apple's hi-fi and is rated higher on all the web reviews.

 

[senns&nonsense]

I think the hi-fi is worth a second thought.

It is not the highest fidelity, but has a very fun and punchy sound that is perfect for a dorm room and the type of use you described. It gets loud and is free from distortion and does a good job filling a room and sounding "stereoish". It does not have a huge dynamic range, but other than for critical listening, it is a really enjoyable choice. I think it sounds better than any made-for-ipod alternatives that I have heard. I am sure that a line-out w/ amp and speakers would be better, but not the simple solution I would want if I were you.

It is also nice to be able to transport the hi-fi and use it on the D batteries. I use mine outside with my kids by a hammock and it rocks even outdoors. They also use it with a macbook and our Korg midi-keyboard and Logic and it is alot of fun with all the synths/sounds.

Finally, I got ours at a demo table in the Apple store for $200. That was quite lucky, but they are in the Apple refurbed site all the time for $250 I believe. Great deal I think at that price.

Good luck with the purchase, whatever you choose!

 

[Ender Wiggin]

Thanks for the input on the Hi-Fi, it was the sort of review I was looking for actually. I didn't realize that it was so much cheaper refurbished, now I definitely have a tough choice ahead of me. I'm hoping that someone has the previously mentioned Audioengine A5's to get a user review of those.

 

[stewtheking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreAdidas /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Acoustic Energy Aego M. http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo...mber=AE26%2D06 $200, you can get them in black or white. I own some Acoustic Energy bookshelf speakers and to this day you cannot hold a candle to them for their price. The predecessor to the Aego M's, the Aego 2, received reviews that more or less said: When I saw a set of subwoofer satellite speakers for review I laughed, but these guys can actually get the job done. I recommend these speakers to friends each and every time they pose the 'Hey Chuckie what are some good speakers for my computer/iPod?... and remember I don't want to spend as much as you do on your stuff." For $200 you will be stoked. Audio Advisor is a nice company as well.

A friend of mine just bought a set of these. They are absolutely fantastic for the money, and feel like a quality set of speakers that just happen to be small, rather than a miniaturised version of a proper setup.

They do deliver great sound for the money, and for the size. I say go for these.

 

[Funkmonkey]

I bought the Audioengine5's about a week ago. I am truly impressed with their sound. Crisp, clear, punchy, and loud ...with a good source recording (some of the stuff on my iPod plays pretty quietly, I need to run an output level equalizer or something) They seem to be burning in a bit and warming their sound. The bass is thick and deep, not boomy (no sub needed but they have an output for one if you want to really piss off your neighbors.) Very solidly built. check here http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...ht=audioengine for my very first impression. I really love these things and though I'm not a true audiophile, I have been a music junkie most of my life and I know what sounds good. They are not exactly cheap ($350 retail) I got mine for about $275 +ship, but worth every penny. If you don't like them I think you can send them back within 30 days for a refund. check their website for more reviews, or anywhere on the web, I haven't found anyone that didn't like them. Good luck.

 

[CMasten]

I have an Apple Hi-Fi and run a fiber connect into it from my Marantz 5001 in addition to my IPOD as a 2nd source. For just smaller rooms indoor (or out) listening its awesome. from the remote you can switch over to the ext source without getting up and still control vol etc.

I LOVE that box, so well thought out, yea its a bit pricy compared to others out there, but NONE as well thought out for a portable unit. I take my unit to outdoor parties etc and its fun to watch peoples faces just light up! its loud as hell and clean.. people always come up and want to know how it can put out such clean volume, super smart powersupply will gradually just dial down the volume as the batteries run down, but I have yet to have the batteries actually die.

I wish I had one during my dorm days! the only real issue might be that its so cool and its so portable that it could easily walk off..

 

[hijodeltiger]

if you don't care about the people around, logitech's z2300. these are cheap and have a really good reputation. although not ipod speakers by any chance you can simply conect them with a 1/8" cable and that's all you really need.
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g.../search=z+2300
I hadn't read your post about partying. Well these babies WILL shake the floor if that's what you want. and for ~$110 they're not half bad.