[Vertigo-1]

Yeah, I actually did want to check out those Videologics, if anything, just to see how that company does their thing. Forgot to ask you to fire them up the last time I was there...

 

[pigmode]

I'm not very demanding of it, just the ususal mp3s and UT, Q3. It has paper drivers and a tight sounding little sub. I never regreted the cost.

 

[TimSchirmer]

Quote:

Originally posted by sacd lover DIVA by SWANS M-200 computer speakers are very nice. look them up at AV123.COM

amen to that!!!!

 

[blip]

I'd put another vote in for the Klipsch 2.1s... They're not perfect but for the price, they're great.

 

[SumB]

I default to Klipsch with Videologic, Midiland, and Diamond Audio dropping out of the game.

Monsoon.... Yuck.

 

[bootman]

I want to hear these for 2.1 sound.

 

[bootman]

This one has digital inputs. (and much cheaper)

 

[D-Audi]

If your main thing is gaming you can't go wrong w/ the loud and boomy klipsch (yes I've heard them and owned them for over a year). I can say they aren't the best for critical music listening though. I always thought they were OK in that department but have been listening to alot of high end home systems lately and after listening to my grado's, then plugging the klipsch back in, they don't even compare. But if you don't know better and haven't heard alot of high end stuff and have had your ears accustomed to it, then the klipsch may be for you. I've heard those monsoon's everyone keeps raving about and didn't even find them good. A friend and I were at a CC or BB or something and saw them and decided to check them out. We both looked at eachother funny when we heard the sound coming out of them. My friend was like "I thought these were supposed to be good??" I felt the same way. Maybe they were broken, I don't know, but I do know I was NOT impressed to say the least. For a cheaper alternative to the klipsch (again, if gaming is your main concern) I'd go with the logitech z's. They get loud and have plenty of game loving bass. good luck

 

[Jodiuh]

Major flaw in the Logitech Z560's!!
Just skip to the bottom if you want the short and sweet

I purchased my Logitech Z560's 2 months ago and already the amp blew. I do listen loud, but there is a defect that Logitech knows about. It was like pulling teeth, but I finally got to talk to a Logitech manager and he admitted the flaw, but told me they've fixed the flaw in a new version. They would replace the whole system for me and let me keep the sattellites as a gift

The downside was the $ for shipping the MASSIVE sub back. He also told me how to tell which version is old and new.

There's a white sticker on the bottom of the sat's and the sub...

old=up to 0213A (mine were the 0209)

new=starts at 0213X and higher (0214, etc.)

Please! Spread the word about this so no one else has to suffer! (They went cuput on me 5 minutes after I got the UT 2003 demo!!)

So I decided to just go to Best Buy and replace them. Guess what? They had the old version. They had just gotten them in too! (This was 2 weeks ago)

!!

(this is getting long, sorry )

A little history.

I had the Klipsch 4.1's before, but exchanged them for the Cambridge Soundworks DTT3500, a 5.1 system with a hardware dolby digital decoder. I had become convinced I needed to have 5.1 and hardware sound. They did sound nice, digital speakers are quiet. And the dd decoder worked FLAWLESSLY, BUT they sounded TINNY and were not very powerful at all. I kept them because I really liked the decoder and after time I forgot about the Klipsch's.

...and back to the store

I found the Klipsch 4.1 (new version with the tweaked crossover and headphone jack) for $250 on clearance. The salesman said he'd take off another $30 because of their clearance status! So now I've got my speaks back and couldn't be happier.

short and sweet

Cambridge Soundworks DTT3500

Pros: 5.1, Dolby decoder, tripods

Cons: VERY low volume, you're not going to get a BOOM for games

Logitech Z560's

Pros: CHEAP (150 online, 180 retail), KRAZY BASS (more than Klipsch)

Cons: sattellites get overpowered by the bass, bass CANNOT be turned neutral (this means you'll be tinkering with the control panel for windows bass for EVERY individual app), flaw in the old versions (see above)

Klipsch 4.1's

Pros: your best buy might have them on clearance for 250 , sattellites have the best sound out of all these (you don't NEED 5.1, the virtual center they produce is GREAT!), bass can be set to neutral

Cons: PRICEY (especially if you have to spend 300, almost twice as much as the Logitech's)

My recommendation=go with the Klipsch, they cost more, but that's only because they are of better quality

Jod

 

[Irons82]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jodiuh ...I finally got to talk to a Logitech manager and he admitted the flaw, but told me they've fixed the flaw in a new version...

What flaw is that? I have the Z560 when it first came out. Never had a problem with it and trust me, I push this puppy hard, to the point that a girl three floors down came up and beg me to turn it down cause stuff in her room is rumbling. My number is 0142A. Let me know

 

[antness]

I tried my Diamond S2-4100 speakers going through a preamplifier as well. WOW. What a difference. With the preamp, they now sound better than my Diamond Audio 6.5" components in my car (which retail for about $350, mind you) with my Nakamichi receiver. They are in the same league as probably $500 bookshelf speakers with this setup.

I've taken apart the subwoofer box, and i bet you could easily upgrade or replace the power amplifier inside it. It's a great DIY project.

I urge anyone looking for computer speakers to try to find a set. They are also sold under the brand name Midiland

 

[Nick Dangerous]

Monsoons don't suck unless they are set up incorrectly. This is frequently the case at your local electronics superstore. Monsoons are miniature planar speakers with all of the inherent "phaser-like" point imaging intact. Proper speaker placement is key. Even a couple of inches off-axis is enough to ruin the image.

I elevated my satellites so that the vertical axis is parallel with my ear, rather than firing above them at an angle (which is the default). This makes a big difference.

I think they compare favorably with my

<--- other point source...

 

[SumB]

The Monsoon suck because of their high crossover and lack of instrumental timbre.

Sorry, but when I hear Brad Roberts' voice eminating from a box on the floor I'm gone. But there are other problems, such as woeful lack of dynamics, bass imaging, and a painfully sharp mid and high range.

The Z560's are a good value, but the equal of the Promedia's they ain't.

 

[Jodiuh]

Quote:

The Z560's are a good value, but the equal of the Promedia's they ain't.

True, true SumB.

I'm much happier with my Klipsch's for Gaming and DVD. My Senn 580's/Cha-47 take care of the music from my pc.

Jod

P.S. Crappy soundcards don't sound so bad when that's all you know. LOL!

 

[antness]

BTW, about sound cards, I haven't found a good one yet. I'm using a Terratec EWX 24/96, which is a modest stereo sound card at $169, and it has a lot of noise. If i turn up the volume on my headphone amp, I can hear noises from my computer that get louder when my hard drive accesses data, when I have a lot of network activity, etc. It's pretty awful. This is with the analog output. I don't know if using an external DAC will be any superior.

Also, try using your headphone amp as a preamp for your computer speaker setup (or, a real preamp if you already have one). It made a huge difference for my sound quality from computer speakers.